Things You Never Knew You Were Looking For...

Some of you may wonder, "how does she do it? How does ShockTheBourgeois reach into the black depths of Craig's List and, week after week, find a gleaming gem??"

Truth is, there isn't much magic to it... just a little method.

When I'm looking for something specific, I don't waste time wading through the mire of really, really gross furniture, but I also don't limit my search to the point where I'm missing things in the periphery. The key is thinking like a decor thesaurus. If I want an armoire, I'll search for that. I'll also run a search for a wardrobe, a chifferobe, a chiffonier, a closet, and a cabinet. I never limit my searches by price or location- because the seller of that $1,000 sofa could be so %*@#ing sick of it that they'll sell it to me for $150 and drop it off at my doorstep. You never know.

Of course, when I'm not looking for something specific, and I have, say, 15 minutes with no immediate obligations... woohoo, the rules are out the door! Using stream of consciousness search terms is like writing Dada poetry: sometimes you get gibberish, sometimes you get enlightened. (Uh-oh, is my English major showing?)

I pulled three random adjectives out a hat, and voila- poetry.

...Blue...

Feeling all kinds of blue: a sweet vintage floral framed in gold bamboo ($60.00), or an antique Romanian sideboard that I am totally dying to possess (but can't afford for $575.00).

...$40...

For the $40.00 burning a hole in your pocket: a vibrantly green mantle (that would kick ass in my bedroom with a new coat of gray paint... hmmm), an empty antique mirror, or a chartreuse bistro table.

...Industrial...

Perfect for that factory loft vibe: a rusty metal stool ($80.00), a stainless display cabinet circa 1969 ($1,675.00), or a pair of sculptural oxen yokes ($66.00- $74.00).