Letter Perfect

About eight ago, in the back of the gym at the National Guard Armory there was (yet another) box piled high with junk. I opened the flap of the box and heard the angels sing saw a pile of very dirty metal letters. Lots of them. 

Oh my gosh. I quickly put my hand down in the box. You could hear the tin letters clang against each other. Many were stuck to each other, connected by the metal hangers on the back of each letter. There were letters as far as my hand could reach down. Again, oh. my. gosh. 

I (very excitedly) tell my Hubs about the treasure we have just stumbled upon. He opened the flap of the big box. I quickly slapped his hand and the box lid back down. I didn't want ANYONE else seeing the treasure and potentially bidding on it. I looked around at where I could possibly hide the box until it was time to auction that end of the gym. My Hubs looked around to see if there was someone coming to take me to the Looney Bin. "Treasure? " He wondered if I had really just uttered that word. 

I guard that box like a mama bear guarding her den. There were over a 100 letters in that box. Some were black, some were rusted, and most were well-worn ivory. 

I would find out later that not only was the whole alphabet in that box, but there were more than one of each letter. Some letters had MANY. There was also dollar and cents signs, all the punctuation letters and several &'s. Oh glory. Yes, the angels did sing.

Obviously, the secret is out and I did win that box of letters, but not before someone actually did bid against me to get the letters. My Hubs couldn't believe there were two people crazy enough to want the box of junk. (His words). I got the entire box for (brace yourself) $60. Yes, Hubs thought it was highway robbery....as in I got robbed. I KNEW it was a steal. 

Letters had not gone popular yet, but I knew the beauty in that box. Now when I think that I got 170 letters, numbers and 'others' for $60, I can't believe it. 

I have used the letters SO many times in the last eight years. They are perfect for so many ideas. I used them to spell out my niece and her husband-to-be names. I took the pics then took the pictures to Kinko's and had them printed off on thick paper.

I also did their wedding date (and added some flags since it was the 4th of July). 

Here the pictures are framed. (above). Below are the newlyweds opening their pictures. I mean really, how original can those presents be?  All because I bought the box of letters. (As I frequently tell the Hubs.)

Another time I used the letters on my grill and made a cute invitation asking everyone over for a .....you guessed it BBQ.  

I used the pics, my computer and my flash drive. I took the flash drive to (again) Kinko's and had them printed off. 

I use the letters to decorate for all kinds of seasons. Here I have them for FALL and football. 

Here I used them to spell out BOO. Once I made a wreath with the BOO words (but I couldn't find the picture.) The BONES was from my daughter's Radiology graduation party. 

I used them to spell DAD in a Father's Day tablescape. 

When I took my son Fielding's engagement pictures, I used them in several ways. Those little hooks on the back (pictured in the third pic at the beginning) make them perfect to hang from any type of shelf. My son Luke can be seen putting up the letters I brought to the photo shoot. 

This is the picture they sent out as Save-the-Date-postcards. Yes, you can bet I reminded my Hubs of that $60 steal! 

Of course I had to put my blog name in letters. On this one I simply lined them up on my deck outside and shot from above. 

I could not even begin to keep track of all the ways I have used the letters over the last eight years. I have done nothing to make them chippy or rusty. They just came in that perfect condition. 

What about the crazy "O" above? Half black and half white. 

I spelled this out, because I am sure that is what the Hubs is thinking. Still. Even after I have clearly shown how valuable the letters have been through the years. HA!

When they aren't being used, the letters sit in this huge old metal basket. The basket itself was a steal at $20!!!!  The basket of letters sits under a side table in the (gasp) living room. They have been quite the conversation starter, whether they are being used or piled high in the basket. 

While I have always thought the find was a 'letter perfect' buy,  it took a lot of convincing for the Hubs to get on board. I guess all these years later he has finally agreed....or just resigned himself to the fact that chippy old letters spell out HAPPINESS for his wife!

Linking to :

Thrifty Treasures

Metamorphosis Monday

Wow Us Wednesday