gardenjunkpickergirls

Inspired by the recent reality TV show Picker Sisters, we are fans of REAL picker shows. We relate to the thrill of finding something cheep. We love road trips and filling the truck with our unique finds. We love the reaction of your husband’s as we pull in the drive w/ junk. Unfortunately, Picker Sisters is like watching a train wreck. You know you should turn away, but something draws you to it. You try to yell at the TV hoping it will STOP, but they just keep heading straight into a disaster.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Some of my best finds are vintage textiles. I love doilies, lace, tablecloths etc. I found this quilt in Wisconsin. It was practically a steal. The reason? Some yellowish age spots around the edges. Hey, no problem for this picker! I have some (environmentally safe) tricks up my sleeve for this. One of my favorites is an old timey bar soap called Fels Naptha. Got this tip from my late Uncle Julian, an amazing thrifter. Not only is it an unbeatable stain fighter, it has tons of other uses. It is great for treating poison ivy, a hazzard for those of us that like to dig up wild plants and rummage through overgrown yards. Check out www.felsnaptha.com for ideas. Other good ones are Mrs. Stewart Bluing, hydrogen peroxide and a hearty dose of sunshine. After some scrubbing and a day on the line, my quilt is as good as new!!

Its pretty obvious we love garden art. I found this adorable iron bunny on my trip to Spring Green as well.

Speaking of that lovely Wisconsin town, I recently discovered that they have a "Country Christmas" festival, featuring house tours, cookie walks, ice carving and of course, plenty of local art. I'm sure it is beautiful that time of year, and there are plenty of outdoor places to cc and downhill ski. The campground I stayed at, www.wiriverside.com has some cabins that are cold weather equipped.

Mo and I are now gearing up for the first winter road trip, Chicago to Minneapolis and home via Wisconsin's north woods and a stop at the "Midway Bar". I'm busy loading the ipod with tunes and researching groovy places to visit...and pick. Suggestions welcome! Maybe we will bring home these silos from Butternut Wisconsin. We scouted them out when we were there in September . . . oh wait they are still in use . . . and we are the "picker girls" not the "picker sisters"!

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MO

I come from a long line of pickers. I learned from my mom, driving the station wagon around on garbage day looking for stuff others didn't want. She taught me how to search through old barns, and find the items everyone else missed. I was refinishing furniture and polishing silver at a young age, always looking for the diamond in the rough. Her passion grew into a fabulous business, but for me, I am still just a picker who makes a living more traditionally. Many of our trips stem from my business trips that Laura tags along on, or weekend adventures. Laura is more thrifty then I am, we are very different . . . I will always have time for picking, gardening and blogging. I have three blogs, none for money, just to share my interests and opinions. Click on my picture to get to my garden blog. There is a reason I do the driving, do not let Laura fool you- you do not want her to drive! Picking is hard work, not a glamorous Hollywood production. You can call us “the picker girls”, “garden junk picker girls” or “the REAL picker sisters”!

Laura

Picker, gardener, not that good of a driver. . . Is one of the "greenest" people you will ever meet. She uses a clothesline, saves everything, is still cooking with some of the pans we had in our college house in the 80's. It’s not about being trendy, it’s how she lives. . . . OK I need to speak for myself here . . . Mo is definitely the blogger, driver and boss. However, I need to clarify a few things in my bio. First and foremost, I am an excellent driver and have an almost clean record to prove it. Also, my job as co-pilot is equally as important. I am, after all, the navigator through unknown country roads; no GPS in the old pick-up for these gals! I also have to rummage in the cooler and prepare sophisticated hors d'oeuvres. Last, but not least, I'm in charge of tunes. If left up to Mo, all we would be listening to is satellite radio's all Grateful Dead station. Not trendy? Without a doubt. I actually started thrifting and picking to save money. I still do for that reason, but more importantly, I want my surroundings to be funky and meaningful, and am always up for an adventure with my "true picker" sister!

Fender Art - has a long connection to "junk"

No it is not a fender made into a chair, just a fender made into ART! DEFINITION: The Middle English word jonk, ancestor of junk, originally had a very specific meaning restricted to nautical terminology. First recorded in 1353, the word meant "an old cable or rope." On a sailing ship it made little sense to throw away useful material since considerable time might pass before one could get new supplies. Old cable was used in a variety of ways, for example, to make fenders, that is, material hung over the side of the ship to protect it from scraping other ships or wharves. Junk came to refer to this old cable as well. The big leap in meaning taken by the word seems to have occurred when junk was applied to discarded but useful material in general.