What a Deal!
I love the Annual Loading Dock Clearance Sale at Wells Furniture. I can ALWAYS find a bargain there. This year I told my husband I wasn’t going. After all, there was nothing more I needed. It would be a waste of time.
But then I found myself driving right by Wells on the way to the grocery store. The sale had only been going for 15 minutes. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to stop and take a peek. And I wouldn’t want to miss entering the “$12,000 in prizes” giveaway, right? (I won a $250 gift certificate one year!)
When I saw this tag on a sweet little end table, my heart skipped a beat. What a Deal! I had to have it. Were they kidding? It was originally $498? Who would pay $498 for THAT? Obviously no one. But they found this bargain hunter’s price: $38. MINE!
What does it match?!?
I quickly grabbed a salesman and staked my claim. I could tell he didn’t like the table because the nicest thing he could find to say about it was, “Hey, that’s cheaper than a shipping crate at UPS!” Hmmm. I wondered what my husband would have to say about it.
A Table Frame
I texted him quickly and assured him that if he didn’t like it, I would not put it in the living room. I suppose you can guess from the picture that it didn’t match anything in the living room. Or anything in any other room of our house. Or anything I would ever consider owning (that wasn’t on sale, that is). BUT . . . it was such a GREAT DEAL!
Desperate for a happy ending, I allowed my imagination to begin working. The table is topped with glass. Surely I could find something more appealing than THAT pattern to gaze at. What about one of my pieces of art? Hey, that will work! I ran out and bought some colored poster board, cut it to size, then slipped it and the picture under the glass.
Look! Dual-Purpose Furniture
Voilà! An addition to the living room that meets the family’s approval. And it’s especially nice to have a multi-function frame for my art. I’m all about bargains AND multi-tasking. When I get tired of this piece, there’s plenty more. (I also bought poster board in blue, yellow, and green and cut them to size. They are conveniently stored under the glass.) I love a happy ending, don’t you?
Coach Barbie Dallmann 
What a great story! The table really WAS hideous — looks like they had it in the store since the early 70s, I know, it’s new and retro. — anyway, I want to be YOU! Great imagination, great artwork and now a beautiful table. Well, the top anyway. That shade of pink, OY, I don’t know… =]
Cate – Thanks for your support! The pictures aren’t quite right in color … the table is actually a very attractive shade of red. It looks quite nice against the green carpet. Dannie likes it especially because it is Husker Red and the top includes Home Depot Orange.
Mom and I saw the same table at the sale with the “SOLD” sign on it and we both commented on what a great deal it was. Too bad it was sold. We Hamra girls hate to miss a bargain! We came up with the same solution you did for using the table. Glad it found a good home.
That’s so funny! You and your Mom will have to stop by and see it in person. The picture really doesn’t do it justice.