My Day as an American Picker

I cannot even explain to you all how sore I am right now.  My back hurts somethin' fierce, and I feel like I could sleep for a week.  This afternoon I went through my grandparents' outdoor garage, indoor garage, and attic looking for "rusty gold," "diamonds in the rough," anything that I could salvage and make cool.  I climbed through heaps of straight up junk, dug out items which I thought were savers, only to find that they were beyond repair (antique dining table rotted to pieces...*sniff*.)  But I also dug out some items that really WERE savers, and scored an antique rocking chair from inside their house...because I'm their grandkid and they love me. ;)  Here's what I scored:

This is my grandma's old vanity bench.  I remember seeing this thing around as I was growing up, but of course it meant nothing to me then.  But now I just HAD to have it...weathering away out in the garage, it was ready to get a makeover from me.  It has this really cool chippy red paint, which I am going to clean up really good and keep the way it is, but the seat fabric was rotten away...actually there are three layers of different covers visible!  It just needs to be reupholstered with a new piece of fabric.  I was thinking something in a blue and white toile would look cool with the red legs.  Here's the top as it is:

I also found the silver platter next to it.  I may give it to my mom.  Below you will see the AWESOME Scotch whiskey wooden box that I found up in the attic.  My husband especially loves this find. ;)

Next are the three dining chairs.  These are all over 100 years old and came from my grandma's family home on Knotts Island, NC.  They are going to take MAJOR work if I am going to fix them up, especially the ones without seats.  But the frames are super sturdy, especially the little one in the middle is solid as rock.

I also found this 100 year old folding wooden table in the attic...a very unique design, the table legs fold in and the pieces are in excellent shape.  Neither of my grandparents can remember where it came from.  ;)

I found this little wooden box.  It's old, but again, no one remembered how old or where it cam from.  It had a glass or crystal knob on the drawer and some cubby holes.  I thought it would be a fun little paint project.

And, last but absolutely not least....this antique rocker that I have been eyeing for a loooong time in my grandparents' living room.  It has goose heads on the arms and is SUPER comfortable.  I feel really lucky to have gotten this one!

My mom also found an antique 100 year old table, another which neither grandparent remembered they had!  Now I just have to start these projects one by one.  It is going to keep me busy for a while.  First off, I am just re-doing the vanity bench seat, and then maybe paint the little cubby hole box, and then on to the chairs....OH!  I almost forgot...our desk, which we also found in my grandparents' back bedroom a few weeks ago and re-finished, is finally done and ready to come home from my mom's garage!  I will post a blog about the process another day, but here's a finished picture-

Good night, everyone...time for me to pass out. ;)