Gathering Junk with Style

Gathering junk. Well not the kind of junk that is garbage, but the kind of junk that is standing on its last leg, looking at the garbage as its only friend and seemingly useless. My Mother saved this pie safe, it was in a junk pile. She painted it, added new screen and instead of becoming firewood, it stands in her dining room proudly holding her white iron stoneware.
I grew up with a mother who saw things with an uncommon eye.

Growing up we had a tool box sitting on the kitchen counter that held the silverware. None of my friend's mothers had a tool box sitting on their kitchen counters. My mom was collecting junk before junk was cool.
Her imagination was a champion when it came to re-thinking, re-creating, decorating on a shoe string and using what was at hand. Thank God we didn't live by a junkyard... though we did spend a great deal of time there come to think of it....

Decorating means; texture, different shapes, colors that correspond, groupings to create a theme...and the eye popper that makes you smile. Humor is needed or a place risks becoming to stuffy. My mother's house was far from stuffy... Clean yes, stuffy no.
The walls in her dining room are outdoor wall siding. When the carpenters were putting it up they kept looking at each other and rolling their eyes. I was too young to understand, but I do remember wondering why they were rolling their eyes?

When it comes to gathering things and using them for a different reason then what they were created for, you really need to let go of any preconceived ideas for your imagination to be free to wander.
Baking pan= cooks letters
Milk jug= holds pencils
spice tins = stamp dispenser,
Kitchen cupboard = becomes a desk and,

An old rake head becomes a dish rack.

My mother and her friend Holly have opened a shop called, "Gathering Better Junk".
If you are in Willows, California you might want to stop in and say Hi.
Oh the above is my Mother's bedroom... pink is not in her vocabulary, cranberry is.

A wall of bricks that my mom collected when our small town knocked down their BEAUTIFUL old buildings. Also a railroad tie she found and had placed on the brick wall to use as a mantle. Wooden bowls polka dot the mantle for color.

Note: My mother and Holly opened their shop in October. My mom has been home since her stroke, and will start back at the shop the day after Thanksgiving. She says she is feeling better, but not 100% her self ...though she said she can "be" at the shop or "be" at home, it is the same.... I guess that means she is feeling a 100% spunky... that is Thanksgiving!

Comments

[Miss Sandy]

Your mother has excellent taste and such homey decor with great functionality. I wish her much success in the opening of her shop. She certainly has an eye for great finds as does her daughter.

[cathy]

What a mom, no wonder you are an antique lover.I was the lone junk collector in my family. I was forever looking for a treasure. Back then we had alleys in the old neighborhood. Trash day was always worth a trip to see what people had placed out to be disposed of. I still remember some of the castoffs that I alley picked... bits jewelry old toys. Somethings never change:0)

[Jeanne]

Love you
Glad to hear your Mom is doing so well.
Love and kisses

[Dee]

A new "junk" store? Oh my...I am so there! What are the days and hours they are open?

Love the pictures of her home!

[My Melange]

wish I could stop by. I'll be there in true junk spirit!!

[Vicki]

How wonderful that your mom has opened a shop....she certainly has the eye!!! I wish her well in her new adventure and will definitely stop in if I ever get to Willows!!!

[Wonders Never Cease]

How I love junque! That rake/dish rack is pure genius!
I'd love to see your mom's shop! I can already tell I'd love it!
Becky

[anna]

I love your mom's style, creativity and spunk!

[erika]

thanks for sharing! i love th idea with the rake. would have never thought of it. you indeed have a special mom! my mom is quite similar. not having a lot of money when we three children were born my dad and mom would collect what ever they found on the side of the road, ast the junk yard,... i only learned to accreciate it when i got older. take care and thanks again for sharing. regards erika

[Chris]

Your Mom has a WONDERFUL design sense!!! What days and times is the shop open? Huh? Maybe my DH and I can stop by~~~we live in Vallejo and have kids in Sac and Elk Grove...and we love to take "road trips"

[becky up the hill]

My niece Heather, told me about your Mom's new shop..why oh why did you have to tell the World before I made it up there ;o)! She did email me and told me something special she found there. It's a gift for someone. Our family gets such joy from such finds. A few years ago, when your Mom had the old shop, Heather and I came by and it was closed, so we pressed our faces against the glass and peeked in. I love your Mom's style!

[Susan]

Corey, your mom is SO cool! I don't even know her and I know that she's cool. Furthermore, you kids are going to see you the same way in a few years, they probably do already. I love my family, but I am ever so envious of yours.

[Deborah P]

I wish I had that kind of eye!

[Sheala Feeney]

I've always loved your Mother's house! I look forward to popping in on her and Holly next summer.
Will you celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday? I've already begun baking!!!
XOXOXO Shea

[Ardi]

What a treat it would be to see her shop! Years ago I tried to collect stuff like this, but I had a no-nonsense Mom. I mowed the lawn for our elderly neighbor lady who didn't have much money. One day she was lamenting that I didn't get paid and I was putting the lawnmower away in her basement and there was an old clock (the kind that would gon on a mantle). I asked if she used it. It was covered with dust. She said no, did I want it? I took it home, cleaned it up. It never worked, but the chime on it was so beautiful. One summer, when I was working as a camp counselor at a Girl Scout camp, she gave it away. When I was shocked that it was gone, she said, "well, it never did work anyway." She never did that again to any of my "treasures" as she hadn't realized it meant so much to me. To make matters worse, it went into the garbage!

[Karin]

Now I have a place to visit when I go visit my son next year, thereby cementing my reason for going!! Whoo-hoo!! Now to find out how far Willows is from Monterey.....

[Melissa's Cozy Teacup]

My goodness. How do you ever keep up with your mother? Running a shop after having a stroke. What a lady!

[Kit]

What a wonderful eye she has, just as you have, to make all this wonderful old stuff look perfectly in place and styled so it is tidy - mine just looks messy!

[shannon in oregon]

just beautiful. i love all the texture and color. the rake head dish rack is genius!

[martina]

Is your Mom going to also do websales like your cousins and Godmother Mary do at Pink Pomegranate? I'm miles and miles away from Willows. I love repurposing found objects. We use a small $4.00 glass cocktail ice bucket to hold the dog biscuits, old wall divider shutters frame the kitchen window. But, your Mom's rake head dishdrainer is the best!

[Suzanne]

Wow! Love it!!!

Wishing the best, best, best to the most amazing and lovely new shop in Willows.

Kisses to Mom Amaro.

Kisses to daughter Amaro.

Love*

[Merisi]

I can see where you come from! :-)
Such a wonderful excentric, your mother,
I love her from all you have written about her, and enjoy every bit of news you share about her. Merci!

[Massilianana]

This is so cool ! So amazing ! I so love it that your mother enters such a project ! She must be thrilled and excited as ...une puce (does as a flea make sense in English ?)! But...darn it , I don't live in America . Have your mum and her associate considered opening an online shop as well ? I hope so or I'll file a complaint right away !;-)
Wishing Mum Amaro all the best ,fun and success ,on her new venture !!! Bravo !

[caren]

And you were worried about your Mom? She is amazing!!!! Can't believe she had a stroke and now has opened a shop. YOU GO MOM!

[Star]

Oh, how I wish I had that eye that could create groupings on shelves and arrange pictures on walls and furniture to look nice in the room. I'm better at seeing through my camera, seeing what others (like you and your mother) have artfully done. Thanks for sharing your creativity here!

[Marie-Noëlle]

I wish I could meet her ... in her shop, in her garden,... anywhere !

[Diogenes]

Corey,

I have to say, your mom has great taste!

It's that intuitive feel for how things work together, something that can't be taught.

[Shelley Noble]

A true artist, your mom.

[beachy]

Your mom is one amazing woman! Oh how I wish I were closer to Willows (perhaps I need to catch a motorcycle and we will pass each other somewhere in the Midwest)! heehee

I LOVE the rakehead dishrack the most!

[Rosemary]

Hi Corey,
Your mom is my kind of a lady!!
Love her style!
I will have to make it a point to visit that shop someday!
Thanks for sharing,
Rosemary

[Denese]

Willows, CA! I am familiar with the surrounding area: Lake Shasta (summer skiing jags); Nevada City (to visit dear friends); Reno (for twice a year visits to see my aunt). Now I understand your blog address! Your mother's an artist, as are you.

Denese

[Kris]

Cory,

It is truly amazing how our parents and grandparents made do with what they had and used their imagination to create things that would bring warmth and inspire us to use what we already had instead of buying anything new. My grandmother sounds just like your mom. Being raised in the depression she gave new meaning to never and I mean never throwing anything away that could be re-purposed. How I miss her!!!

Kris

[kenju]

I am like her in the respect of re-purposing things. I wish I lived closer to her shop!

[Catalina]

oh! this really vaut le détour! Lovely room!

beautiful things that tell tales :) just magical and wonderful Corey!

[Kara Noel Lawson]

I love this post. One woman's trash is a more creative woman's treaure!!
http://elislids.blogspot.com/

[Sandy]

Gathering Better Junk sounds fun. I'll have to get there some day. What handsome young men!

[Alina]

Congratulations to your mother and her friend. I hope you will post photos of her shop one day.

[Violet Skiles]

I can tell, I like her!!!

[Elaine L.]

Your're right about your mother. Most people in her generation wanted new things. My dad sees the stuff I like and can't believe I spent money for it. Decorating-wise she was way ahead of her time.

~elaine~

[Denese]

And Happy Thanksgiving to you, your mom and your family.

I'm counting on meeting you and Yann in the coming year!

Denese

[Hasmin]

Wonderful your Mom is doing well...and her shop sounds devine! can't get enough of "better junk!" :-)

[Mary]

Such great news that your Mom will be back at her shop soon - she's such a trooper! Your sense of great design definitely came from her - you just use different stuff, like French treasures!!

Thanks for the note dear - tell Mom we are all pulling for her still.

[Emily Franz]

your mom has a really unique style that should be celebrated. I remember years ago, I read a book called "Miss Pinchpenny's Guide to Decorating." Her decorating reminds me of it.

So glad she's getting better. You area lucky lady to have such a cool mom.

[Joanny]

Hello Corey

Uncommonly beautiful, is the best way to describe your mothers arrangements & collections of things of a by-gone era.

If her shop is as artfully arranged & and eclectic it will be a wonderful success.

Wonderful for your mother and her family that she is on the road to better health.

Joanny

[le petit cabinet de curiosites]

Now I know where your style , your creativity and more come from ...
What a fabulous idea to have a shop to share it !

[M-Noëlle]

"Telle mère, telle fille"

[Pas à Pas]

Trés joli intérieur.

J'aime les proportions carreaux & couleurs brûnatres qui créent l'harmonie.