Cruisin' on Craigslist

I haven't done this for awhile - so let's take a look at what my Madison, Wisconsin craigslist has listed today. The seller above has four nice items for sale: an ikea lamp (like that shade) for $20, red industrial folding chair - $30, a chrome lounger chair for $75 and a EQ3 desk for $250.

This seller has a full size brass bed for $45 - sounds like a great deal and I'm assuming it is not solid brass.

The seller titled this listing "totally ok table and chairs" which I found humorous.

The price of $75 seems to be totally ok too.

This seller has these tabouret chairs listed at all four for $100. For some stylish chairs that looks to be in very good condition, that seems to be a very reasonable price. I've noticed that these chairs have been on craigslist awhile and have been reduced in price. I would have to think that's due to a style that has a more limited appeal. But what a great deal for the person who eventually buys these!

Some lucky buyer is going to get this six piece bedroom set for $75.00. The wood grain pattern is interesting and reminds me of chevron. For the money you get two dressers and two twin beds! Wouldn't this be great for two boys sharing a bedroom?

Finally, someone can own this Queen Nefertiti Lamp for $150.00! It looks like quite the deal if it will fit it with your decor. She looks very regal, but also a bit imposing to me. I don't think I could buy something as life like as this for my home. At night things like this start to look real and play tricks with your mind. Queen Nefertiti might even start talking to me: "Jil, why has it been so long since you have dusted?" Gasp. I might have to obey her commands which could involve painting her nails, fanning her and keeping my house spotless. Double gasp.

Upcycled Plant Tables

JUNK MARKET Style

Since my recent fail at a plant table I have been looking for ideas to make my table more sturdy. I like this old treadle sewing machine base with a custom top made from metal flashing and vintage wood blocks. The red paint really makes it zing.

cosa verde

I don't see any reason why these suitcase tables couldn't be used as a plant stand. I would pick a quirky plant to keep with the theme.

Pica Particularis

How lovely is this ladder plant stand? I like that it's painted a pretty blue. Makes me wish I had a corner like this too.

Online Courses

I would totally use this desk as a plant table, like the legs and narrow top. It's supposed to be a diy, but they seem to skim over the how on the site. Anyway,

I need to fix what I have.

the alternative consumer

I like this funky plant stand/ bric a brac holder and it's quirky charm.

avant garde designs

I love this trio of stools, they could take the weight of my slab of wood. This is the idea I'm going with and I've been looking for some stools that are interesting. I've been going to thrift stores and watching craigslist, they haven't turned up yet, but it's just a matter of time, right?

Plant Table Saga

Today I tell the sorry tale of the plant table saga. The story begins with some hens and chicks succulents I had in pots on the deck outside, but never got into the ground before the cold weather came. I decided to pot them inside for the winter. 

There were so many hens and chicks that I bought some other types of succulents to mix it up a bit. This created several pots with some hens and chicks still left over. I forgot to mention that when I was buying the other types of succulents I found a cute little norfolk pine that I also purchased. This led to a crafty project of revamping a worn planter that you can view here. Plus, when my brother was coming to visit he was going to bring me a Christmas cactus, but later changed his mind and didn't. So I decided I wanted one and went out and bought one.

Now I have a lot of plants and a plant table was very much needed. After researching my budget I decided to make one. My complicated plan involved a slab of lumber on top and legs underneath. (Sorry if this is long, but I've never known a saga to be short.) Sooo, after looking and looking I found these legs at my local UW Swap shop for under $10.

I liked the look of these legs that just needed a cleaning. So I removed the legs from the table top and set to looking for a slab of wood. I wanted a length of six feet to fit under the window in our den which faces south and gets really good sun. I went to Home Depot, but decided against new wood. After searching craigslist for a while I found someone who was selling old wood bleacher tops!

I paid $10 and the seller even cut it to length for me. I was in business!

To my dismay I discovered that my table legs were too wide for my slab of wood. Gak! So I looked and looked for different table legs (second hand of course). This took weeks. I finally found some at our local Dig n' Save (they're not kidding).

Here they are, quite different than the first, but I like them. All they need is a cleaning and to be mounted.

Anxious to start I didn't bother to pick up or close the closet door before taking a photo. There is my slab of wood and one of the legs. Tools are at the ready, let's do it!

Here we see my handiwork - this girl knows her way around a drill and a screwdriver! Since my table is six feet long I put this extra support in the middle.

Clever, yes? See how well I measured and centered it? That's great, because I had to remove it and put two legs in the middle as the table was wobbly. With a sore arm from 28 screws and an ominous feeling that something was awry, my daughter and I turned it over and set it on the floor. It was still wobbly. My mood went from pissed off disheartened to dark. Please don't talk to me right now. 

I put the plants on it anyway, it looks great, but IT IS WOBBLY. Its fine until someone accidentally bumps into it. And in this house, someone will - my plants are not safe. The legs are steel and on tight, but the problem is aerodynamic. I can look at it as an engineering lesson I guess...

My next thought is to find three identical wood stools (used) and mount them under the slab for legs instead. Unless anyone out there has suggestions for making this table stable? I would appreciate any ideas. I will let you know how this saga ends. I think I'll call it "The Expensive Plant Table and Why Can't Anything Be Simple?"