My husband has this thing with buying vintage stuff on Craiglist.
He has bought all sorts of crazy stuff on there- like an old turnstile from the stadium at the University of Alabama, a few rows of movie theater seating from the Alabama Theatre, a Coke machine from the 1940s and a 5 foot tall popcorn dispenser from the 1950s.
He’s even bought a few one-armed bandit vintage slot machines that weigh about 40-leven tons each, but maybe I shouldn’t mention that publicly since I’m not sure how legal it is to buy slot machines on Craigslist.
Back in 2013 I wrote a hilarious post about all the people he has encountered in his Adventures in Craigslisting. That Drag Queen from the Miss Apollo pageant still takes the cake.
Anyway, the point is that he still has a bit of a Craigslist addiction, and like any addiction, he kinda tries to hide it from me. He doesn’t tell me when he buys these things. Stuff just magically appears out of thin air. I never know what kind of treasures I will find when I venture down into the basement and start peeking underneath moving blankets.
But I am not complaining. Because check out this latest purchase….
EDIT: My husband just read this post and informed me that this post office box actually came not from Craigslist but from Sue at The Blu Building– our local antique dealer! Thanks, Sue! 😀
One day a few weeks ago I spied this bank of vintage post office boxes gleaming from the corner of the garage and I said to myself “I LOVE THIS MAN OF MINE.” and then I promptly stole his vintage post office boxes to use for myself.
I did text him first to ask if he has some plans for them, which he answered yes, of course. But until he gets around to creating his project in the basement, I call dibs.
Sooooooo… say hello to my new fall foyer vignette.
Here is what I created from this beautiful golden bank of post office boxes!
Our foyer needed a makeover for fall, so I did some quick rearranging.
There is not a single screw or nail involved in this project, just a little heavy lifting. I used my little kidney-shaped wooden side table as a base and sat the post office boxes on top, then decorated around it.
The top and sides of the mailboxes are a putty-colored metal that left a lot to be desired, so I covered them up with a table runner to hide all the ugly rust spots.
I added a few of my favorite fall decor up top, and it instantly looked like it was custom made for that spot in my foyer.
PS- that “Feast” sign is one of my free printables that you can download right here if you want one for yourself!
Underneath it all, I tossed some white pumpkins into my old green telephone toolbox and added a bucket full of pyracantha clippings that I spotted in the carpool line at my son’s school.
Yes, I am that embarrassing mom who starts hacking down limbs off the trees in the school parking lot. Some people are addicted to Craigslist. Others are addicted to stealing bright colored seasonal foliage off the side of the road. We all have our vices.
But it wasn’t stealing, because I went into the office to ask for scissors to cut off some branches, so they did give me permission first.
Note to self: toss a pair of hedge clippers in my trunk ASAP.
Now I have pyracantha berries in huge arrangements all over my house and I have zero regrets about being that embarrassing mom.
Because guess what?? It’s fall home tour week, and this blogger can use as many free fall foliage clippings that she can get her hands on!
Fall Home Tours Starting soon!
Come back tomorrow to take my full fall home tour, along with 20+ other farmhouse style home decor bloggers all this week. Here’s a little teaser trailer video to show you what’s in store for ya…
See y’all back here in the morning with lots more fall decorating ideas from my home tour!
Gorgeous! Love your mustard tin also.
Thank you Stacey! My husband also bought the mustard tin. I’m a lucky woman. 🙂
very nice! But guess what? Xmas will be here & there are 5 extra boxes SO, you could put a surprise in 25 of them & turn it into a ‘advent calendar ‘ the idea’s are endless.
THAT is the greatest idea I have heard all week!!! I LOVE THAT! Thank you for sharing that Kathariane! I thought about having a scavenger hunt with the kids and letting the last clue be a key to one of the boxes and putting prizes inside. 🙂
I was thinking the exact same thing! Love that idea!
You could do 5 extra presents from the elf on the shelf if you do that, or christmas eve surprises from Santa to open early!
Squeeee!!! When I saw that, I knew EXACTLY where it came from! 🙂 I loved it but didn’t have a clue where to put it in my house, so I couldn’t buy it. I’m so glad that it went to a good home!
YES! He told me this morning that it came from Blu and I had to run and edit my post real quick. Any idea where these came from? I love them!
No idea. I think one of our pickers brought it in. I’ll ask Sue if she knows.
Wonderful find. You can you it to play “find 2 of the same thing” game or Advent calendar or…..
LOVE….IT!
You’re entry looks fabulous. I love vintage items like the mailboxes. I have an old card catalog from an elementary school that closed here in town. I painted the fronts of the drawers one of 4 colors. It looks great.
Now I need to decorate mine for fall. Thanks for the great fall ideas.
Perfect Beth! It looks like it was made for that little area! I would love to find something similar! You have a wonderful husband to enjoy the same interest as you! Nothing like having pride in your home!!!!
Oh my! I love the mailboxes!
Don’t know how you find the time to do it all but i love your energy and spunk! Keep sharing my friend! Love the orange Fall-ish blanket every time you use it!