Do you remember the childhood classics, The Velveteen Rabbit or Corduroy?
I often compare the moral of those stories with how I feel about yard sales.
Taking someone else’s once loved items, now deemed trash, and pouring new life into them until they are treasures, brings out a creative side that I just love.
So when I passed this huge bunch of bad fake flowers at a yard sale, I immediately thought, “Wow, those are ugly, huge and way too long.” (The stems were about 2-3 feet.) You see, I have spent the last six months purging my home of those kind of fakes. This yard sale had junk…all of it was junk, and since my goal is to hit at least ten sales in an hour, when I see junk, I don’t waste my time.
But as I said, “thank you” to the woman and walked to my car empty handed, Corduroy reminded me that maybe even these ugly things needed a home. Maybe a small portion of my heart could extend hospitality and see beyond the junk.
Would it be possible? At $0.50 for the whole bunch, I decided the four blue blooms had potential. So I went home, had my son cut off the 2 foot green wire stems, and began to brainstorm the possibilities.
Perhaps, it could find a home under my large cloche?

Or on my beautiful tiered tray?
How about on the stand that I just bought at GoodWill?
Could its destiny be to top the milk glass tower that I bought at a yard sale or…

perhaps to accent this vase that I picked at the Nester’s swap (the one that she bought at a yard sale, and passed on in the process.)
Please note, sometimes the “work with what you have” mentality is very literal. I needed to add height to the blue blooms, so I just stuffed my son’s socks underneath in the blue vase…it worked. 🙂

I still haven’t found the perfect place to use these blooms, but I will. Since my kitchen/great room are accented in yellow, green and blues, I will accessorize with them some how.
And to think, I almost passed up the junk for just $0.50.

Shop your house. “Corduroy” may be whispering that he too just needs a little extra loving, and someone to look outside the box to see the trash to treasure potential.
It may be a matter of sewing that button back on, and it will be just perfect. 🙂