THIS IS WHAT WE FOUND!

Welcome I love hunting for vintage treasures at garage sales, estate sales, farm auctions, flea markets or the side of the road, then I fix it, clean it, and sell it! Shhh...sometimes I keep it! Thanks for visiting Junk is My Life! Come along the backroads of Indiana and let's find some vintage junk! —Robin MORE ABOUT ME REPURPOSED REUPHOLSTERY MAKEOVERS FURNITURE ALL PROJECTS HOLIDAYS FAB FINDS SILHOUETTE PROJECTS Popular Post VINTAGE SLEDDING DISC I purchased this vintage metal flying saucer sledding disc recently at an estate sale. Remember flying down a hill when you were a kid on one of these—ultimately tipping over and flipping you out most of the time? And when Clark Griswald (Chevy Chase) uses a “non-chloric, silicon-based kitchen lubricant” to grease his flying saucer sled in the iconic Christmas movie Christmas Vacation? Classic. VIEW THE POST INSTAGRAM PINTEREST Quick View Vintage 1959 Milton Bradley Alphabet Flash Cards Price $15.00 Quick View Pre-Primer Words Flash Cards Price $15.00 Quick View 1934 Wooden Keno Gambling Board 971/972 Price $20.00 Quick View 1934 Wooden Keno Gambling Board 803/804 Price $20.00 Quick View 1934 Wooden Keno Gambling Board 825/826 Price $20.00 Quick View 1934 Wooden Keno Gambling Board 831/832 Price $20.00 Quick View 1934 Wooden Keno Gambling Board 833/834 Price $20.00 Quick View 1934 Wooden Keno Gambling Board 691/692 Price $20.00 Quick View 1934 Wooden Keno Gambling Board 949/950 Price $20.00 Quick View 1934 Wooden Keno Gambling Board 605/606 Price $20.00 Quick View Vintage Electrolux Deluxe Automatic Promotional Bank Price $35.00 Quick View Authentic Vintage Hawaiian Chalkware Hula Girl w Ukelele Dashboard Bobble Price $75.00 Quick View Antique Metal Spice Tin with Six Compartments Price $95.00 Quick View Loose Wiles Biscuit Hexagon Picnic Basket Tin Price $45.00 Quick View Vintage Coca Cola Do Unto Others Promo Ruler Price $10.00 Quick View Vintage St. Patricks Day Embossed Postcard Flag and Blarney Castle Price $6.00 LATEST POSTS Inside the Time Capsule of a Hundred Year Old Cookbook Reviving Vintage Charm: Makeover for a Footstool A Charming Thrift Store Find: Transforming a Shelf Join the fun! I accept terms & conditions JOIN Thanks for submitting!

About Me Junk is My Life—for me, this has become a mantra. It’s the thrill of finding that unique item that keeps me on the hunt for vintage treasures. I started going to farm auctions with my family as a child. I loved it then—and love it now. I can also be found scrounging through a good garage sale or thrift store. I have a passion for all things vintage, particularly those that are past their prime and need a whole lot of love. Repurposing and upcycling are second nature to me. As a child, I spent a lot of time using discarded items to create pieces of furniture for my dollhouse. I credit my father with encouraging an inquisitive child. My dad would always be tinkering with a project in the garage and encouraged me to find a piece from the scrap pile and make something useful. No idea was silly. Nothing was deemed impossible. As long as the vision could verbalized or drawn, Dad would help make it come to life, all the while teaching life skills through the use of various tools. Using the materials on hand taught me to think creatively and it is a legacy I value. My grandmother’s sewing room was a magical place. Digging through the remnant bag to find pretty fabrics to make doll clothes was a favorite activity with guidance from grandma. Now I use my sewing skills to repurpose damaged vintage linens in various ways. My ability to sew, knit and crochet is a tribute to my grandma. I can trace her love of all things vintage to my grandparent’s farm in Huntington County, Indiana. Visiting “the country” from the suburbs of Chicago was always an adventure for me. I have vivid memories of watermelons being iced down in huge watering troughs for family reunions. This video encapsulates my memories from my grandparent's farm in the summertime. I am most often drawn to traditional farmhouse items and will time and time again spy that exact item in old photographs from the farm. I now make my home less than an hour from that family farm. I started the Junk is My Life blog in 2017 to chronicle my adventures and share the process of repurposing or upcycling these forgotten items into timeless treasures. I don’t claim to be an expert—sometimes I have to “Google” my way through a project. I share the mishaps encountered in transforming a piece because mistakes often lead to a better outcome. I encourage everyone to dive in, be creative, and tackle that project without fear. Living in Northern Indiana offers ample opportunity for treasure hunting and after spending 30 years in corporate America, I am so blessed to be able to do what I love every day. My home is decorated with carefully curated vintage and antique items and as much as I would love to keep my cache of vintage finds, I have turned vintage treasure hunting into a business and offers a variety of items in two antique stores: Pipe Creek Mercantile in Peru, Indiana—Leave the bustle of the highway and take a step back in time. It is in a convenient location just off of US 31 just south of Peru, Indiana. Dutch Lady Antiques in Nappanee, Indiana—This is a wonderful antique shop in an old building called Coppes Commons. There are a variety of really cute shops that just need to be explored! Mustard Seed Mercantile in Rochester, Indiana—An eclectic shop with a wide variety of unique items! In addition to the antique stores, I also participate in Primitive Gatherings, an occasional gathering of a variety of vendors in Mentone, Indiana. Many of the projects featured on my blog can be found in these shops. Take a moment to peruse my website, follow me on my junking journey, take a road trip to find these shops, and maybe stop at a few garage sales along the way and find your vintage treasure! Below are the links to the Facebook sites for the shops. Primitive Gatherings Mustard Seed Mercantile Pipe Creek Mercantile Primitive Gatherings Dutch Lady Antiques I tend to gravitate towards pieces that are chipped or a little broken.... This or That CITY BEACH INDOORS WATER CHOCOLATE FLORAL FABRIC GOLD MAC TOAST COUNTRY MOUNTAINS OUTDOORS DIET COKE CARAMEL TICKING FABRIC SILVER PC WAFFLES Favorites Maps • Globes • Old Games & Toys • Crocks • Wooden Crates • Spelling Boards • Old Kitchenwares • Old Quilts • Wooden Rulers • Vintage Artwork •

FURNITURE Reviving Vintage Charm: Makeover for a Footstool Upcycling an Auction Find Upcycling a $2 Yard Sale Find A Bite Through Time: NABISCO Upcycling a Child's Chair Stunning Sewing Stools Makeover Bookcase Makeover Parlor Table Upcycled Makeover 1 2 3 4 5

FAB FINDS Inside the Time Capsule of a Hundred Year Old Cookbook Navigating the Past A Bite Through Time: NABISCO Friday Finds—2022 127 Sale 127 2022 Official Day One READY, SET...SHOP! Just Rite Chicken Wire Cloche 1 2 3 4 5

Inside the Time Capsule of a Hundred Year Old Cookbook Reviving Vintage Charm: Makeover for a Footstool A Charming Thrift Store Find: Transforming a Shelf Upcycling an Auction Find Embracing Precision: The Dual Point Driver – A Vintage Print Framer's Secret Weapon Navigating the Past Upcycling a $2 Yard Sale Find A Bite Through Time: NABISCO Upcycling a Child's Chair Stunning Sewing Stools Makeover Bookcase Makeover Parlor Table Upcycled Makeover 1 2 3 4 5

Sort by Quick View Vintage Coca Cola Do Unto Others Promo Ruler Price $10.00 Quick View Vintage St. Patricks Day Embossed Postcard Flag and Blarney Castle Price $6.00 Quick View Vintage St. Patricks Day Embossed Postcard Shamrock Price $6.00 Quick View Vintage St. Patricks Day Embossed Postcard Erin Go Bragh Price $6.00 Quick View Vintage St. Patricks Day Embossed Postcard Uncle Sam Out of stock Quick View Vintage St. Patricks Day Embossed Postcard Blarney Castle Out of stock Easter Quick View Six Cute Little Animal Molds Price $15.00 Easter Quick View Five Vintage Easter Pins Plastic and Metal Price $26.00 Quick View Forest Friends Book by Marceline Dauzet Price $12.00 Easter Quick View Vintage Easter Cupcake Picks Price $5.00 Quick View Vintage Easter Postcard with Cross and Lilies Price $6.00 Quick View Vintage Easter Embossed Postcard with Bunny & Easter Greetings Price $10.00 Quick View Vintage Easter Embossed Postcard with Bible, Cross and Flowers Price $12.00 Quick View 1940 Peter Rabbit A Merry Coasting Party Vintage Book Price $14.00 Quick View Vintage Easter Embossed Postcard with Easter Lilies Price $6.00 Quick View Vintage Easter Embossed Postcard with Bunny and Flowers Price $8.00 Quick View Vintage Easter Embossed Postcard with Church Bell and Flowers Price $12.00 Quick View 1944 Why Peter Rabbit's Ears Are Long Vintage Coloring Book Price $12.00 Quick View Vintage Easter Embossed Postcard with Two Robins Price $6.00 Quick View Vintage Easter Embossed Postcard with Easter Greetings Price $6.00 Load More