I heart Craigslist

Hello all! Hope you have a great weekend planned!

I�ve had a little obsession that�s grown over the past six months or so�and I never thought it would happen. My obsession used to give me heebs and totally freak me out. But I�ve learned to love -- Craig and his list. :)

The heebs I used to get were actually more about selling than buying. And I�m still not a big fan of the selling part. :)

But I�m a complete convert on the buying part. Gah. I�m hooked. Part of the problem is it�s so accessible with my iPhone app � it is AWESOME. Just like Facebook and Twitter, I only use it on my phone, never on the computer. It�s so convenient � you can save searches, save preferences, and the best part � the pictures pop up in the list. It�s SO easy to use! And it was FREE. Score! (You�d think I was paid to say that, but no. It�s that good.)

I usually spend five minutes every day or two scrolling through, even when I don�t need anything. That�s how they get ya. :)

Last summer, Craig had me at hello when I did some searching and found this (Drexel!) dresser for only $100:

It was a perfect fit in our family room! I absolutely LOVE it.

I had hoped that dresser would fit in our foyer, but it was too long, so a short time later, I searched again, and found this buffet that ended up in our foyer:

Sahweeet! I was starting to fall in love�with Craigslist. :)

I�ve since bought a few more pieces, (one for an absolute STEAL � I�ll show you soon!). I mentioned last week that there was a dresser I saw for my office that made my heart go pitter pat. That particular one sold before I could get my hands on it, but the seller had another beauty she hadn�t listed yet:

I love her, I do.

The dresser, not the seller. But I�m starting to love her a little bit too � she�s the one that sold me the buffet in our foyer. ;)

I love her pretty detail:

Her little legs and curvy lines:

And all of her STORAGE. :)

Awesome!! Isn�t it just calling out for some beautiful glass knobs?

She�s old and solid cherry wood with dovetail drawers. There�s a medallion inside marked Huntley Furniture, which I had never heard of. (I did some research and found out the company started in 1906 and phased out around 1961.) I�m finding part of the fun of these finds is researching their history. :)

I don�t know yet if it will stay black (although I think just about any room can handle one black piece). I�m going wait a bit, see how the room comes together, then decide.

The two lamps on top are from Target, and I got them just today.

I�ve passed by them over and over for about two weeks, and drooled over them each time. I mentioned it on Twitter this morning, and I tell you what � it�s like having hundreds of girlfriends shopping with you, with their �Get them!,� and �Go now before they�re gone!� (put the fear in me) and �Do it, you totally deserve it!�

OK, I may have added the last one myself. Whatever.

Anyway, they are absolutely STUNNING. The pictures don�t do their pretty aqua color justice � but oh my, I adore them:

Thump to the chest at ya, Tweeps!! :)

I�ve learned a few things in my short time as a Craigslist convert that I always follow:

1. I email first, using an old email with my maiden name. Call me crazy but I don�t want anyone to know my first and last name unless I�ve communicated with them a few times. Actually, I still don�t tell them my last name, even when I buy. :)

2. GET DIMENSIONS (save yourself a drive, gas money, time, etc.)

3. If you go to check it out, bring someone with you, or at least tell someone where you�re going. And I never bring my son with me.

4. If you don�t like it, if it�s not right, if it�s the wrong size, you DON�T have to buy it. :) Just tell them it�s not quite right, and go on your way. If you feel weird, just say you need to check some measurements at home.

5. I always ask if the piece is wood. Especially with something like a dresser, where sometimes the top is laminate, the drawers are wood. I want something I can paint (fairly) easily and that�s a sturdy wood piece.

I found a few treasures just waiting for a redo on the Indy Craigslist that I wanted to share with you!

This vintage dresser would be absolutely stunning painted in just about any color:

Wouldn�t that be gorgeous in a small foyer or mud room? And it�s only $40!

I love this mid-century piece:

It�s possibilities are endless � perfect for an office, as a TV stand, even just a dresser. It�s priced at $250, which is a little steep, but the seller says it�s a Miller Desk piece. I hadn�t heard of that company, but a quick search tells me they were based in High Point, North Carolina. And most times, High Point equals high quality. :)

This one is very similar to mine, just a tad simpler:

It�s got great, deep drawers. The price for this one (wood throughout, vintage, dovetail drawers) is only $100! Just think about what it would cost to get a dresser with this quality and size at any furniture store � you can�t beat it! 

I found a few tables I loved too � this sofa table could be gorgeous!:

And people, it�s only $20!! Five and a half feet long and $20? A coat of paint and it�d be good to go. If only I needed a sofa table. :)

This one looks like it came right out of the Pottery Barn catalog:

I LOVE it�s shape � so unique! And only $60. THIS is why I a Craigslist convert!

And this one is stunning as well:

Look at that detail! OH my. Wouldn�t that be a fantastic craft table? I�m drooling. It says to make an offer � and who knows what you could get it for? It�s way down on the list, which means it�s either sold and they never removed it (hate that!) or it�s been a while since they posted and are really ready to get rid of it! :)

So there you go � one of my latest treasures from my friend Craig, some tips from a newbie, and some fantastic inspiration to get you to just look already!! :)

Sooo�what fatabulous stuff have you found from Craig? Do you sell and a buy, or just browse (and occasionally buy) like me? Do tell!

P.S. The (free) app I use is called CraigsPro. You can pay to upgrade it, but I haven�t found a reason to do so. It rocks.