China

For the first time in my life, I have a china closet. Formal isn't my thing, and I'm picky about furniture, so I had a hard time choosing. All the cabinets I saw were either very fancy or otherwise just not right. And I need something to put my mom's china in when I bring it back. So in addition to looking at the weekly furniture store ads, I've been browsing Craig's List (CL). CL is weird; I've had some very strange interactions with people, as a buyer and as a seller. So I hesitated in contacting the advertiser, but finally I got over it and texted her.

Last weekend I went to take a look, and the cabinet was even better than it seemed in the ad. Not only that, but the woman selling was so nice, and she sold me some other items that she had gotten together for a garage sale. I scored a Kitchen-Aid mixer -- used about three times -- for thirty-five dollars! I went back over on Monday and left a deposit, and today my son and our friend (my young associate) went over to pick it up. The garage sale was in full swing, and she gave me a few items just because she thought I might like them. Also, my son scored a black light, a strobe light, and a George Foreman grill -- all for five dollars. She, the cabinet seller, suggested we stay in touch. (She's selling all her stuff to move in with her boyfriend, less than a mile from her current place.) We're going to put together a poker party. I told her this experience restored my faith in Craig's List.

So here it is, not a great shot, but you can probably get the idea. I love the dark wood (it matches the rest of my dining room furniture) and the simple but high-quality design and material. In a few months, I'll get my china, and it will all come together.