In just a few short weeks my house will be filled with guests celebrating my husband's 40th birthday. He gave me strict orders of, "NO THEME!", so I will go along with that, however he never said, "NO JUNK!", so you know where this is going. After sifting through mounds of childhood photos of him, I went in search of junk pieces within my home that could be used as photo displays during the party. Come see what I've found so far...
I recently acquired this old gas or oil can over Labor Day weekend. While returning home from a visit to my parents' house, my husband didn't even balk when I asked to stop at a roadside yard sale. So unusual for him. ;) Maybe he knew his cute little face would soon be plastered on it with a magnet.
I actually used a photo similar to this one on his party invitation saying, "This little man has waited 40 years to party!" Heehee. I thought he could pass as having a little green thumb (or as a leprechaun) in this photo, so I pinned it to a vase of sunflowers. It coordinates quite nicely I must say.
Attaching a photo to old books reminds me and the girls how hard daddy works and goes to school to make our life better. Come graduation in March 2010, we will have him all to ourselves...finally!
I purchased this piece at a garage sale of a former dealer last week and met a fantastic family. When I told them I have a blog called JunkSophisticate.com, the man of the house immediately replied, "meet two junk sophisticates right there", pointing to his wife and adult daughter. I loved that! His daughter has already contacted me and I am hoping to see her around here more often. Hello if you're out there Michelle!
The frame is a former carbon-copy receipt holder. Or do they call them cc: receipt holders now?
I paired a photo of my husband's first early steps with a cute little nest retrieved from our front yard. Tucked inside the nest is a perfect seashell acting like an egg. The setting represents to me, the beginning stages of life.
Well, my hubs was the engineer of his own train back then...and I suppose he still feels that way now. I used the girls' train set and simply adhered the photo to one of the cars. This display would be great using a vintage model.
When I found old photos that showed food such as his birthday cakes or snacktime, I paired them with kitchen items and placed them in a grouping.
This is only a sampling of the photos I have ready for display so far. (I am being nice with these ones. Heehee). I wonder how he will feel once I get all his junior high and college photos out!
As always, take care and keep on junking!
While driving along minding my own business recently, I came across a pile of vintage card tables sitting by the roadside. Well you know me and how this whole junk decor thing works...so I did a little turnaround of the van to check these goodies out. I couldn't leave them all stranded-like, ya know. 
I loved what I saw. The tables were definitely vintage, some with wood legs...some metal. But most were decorated with unbelievably cool designs that you just don't see anymore. Then I spotted the superstar in the group! 
Check out this black and white plaid baby! She was all nestled in among the group of brown and green tables, but I knew immediately what part of my home she was meant for. My foyer. 
The foyer has a 17' ceiling so it requires larger pieces of artwork for the walls. Larger pieces of art means large amounts of cash most times, hence the walls in this area have been bare for the last 2-1/2 years...that is, until now. 
From the curbside to my entrance wall. And best of all...I could cut out the middleman. 
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