Garage Sale America; official book review, and Videos of Bruce Littlefield's Appearances on "The Today Show" :-)

First,

     there was James Crockett, helping us build our personal "Victory Gardens."

In 1979?

     Bob Vila started "This Old House" renovations.

Then,

     Along came a handsome model/carpenter guy named Ty, who revolutionized extreme house makeovers..... and simultaneously had women viewers swooning. 

Now? 

     We are lucky to have the forward-thinking King of Re-Use.  Giving us useful, and very economical,  "Quick fixes".... for an everyday lifestyle. 

Is he a decorator?

                     *No, but he does provide us confidence building to become our own.....

                                helping us feel comfortable executing our own unique styles.

Is he a Garage Sale & Flea Market Maven?

                      *No, but he ‘takes' us there, and explains a cryptic culture,

                                 while not absorbing any of the ‘negative' characteristics.

                                 Why? Because his mission is not of greed & quick profit.....

No,

     He is the Super-Man of eco-friendly,

                                     and of course FABulous,

                                                                    Household Article Re-Use!

His mission? 

     To help all of us neophytes  covert those under-utilized souvenirs of recent history into real tools for living a comfortable lifestyle.  It is "comfortable," because he helps us express our inner selves in our living environs.....producing a physical extension that is ‘home,' because it reflects us.

     Taking seemingly innocuous Archeological relics of  Americana, or family history, he shows us how to magically transform them into useful (and very economical ;-) tools of modern life.  He is not a fasionista, though the results are artful.  He is the pragmatic prophet of  smart re-use.

His tagline? 

"Convert it, sell it, or give it away!"

     Does Martha have to worry?  No, Bruce doesn't want his name on everything in our house.  He wants you to have your ‘signature' on the things you live with everyday; by empowering us to be bold and clever in their acquisition, and placement.

Feng Shui? 

No, Your way ;-)

     The light humor, and anecdotal stories in Bruce's book:  "Garage Sale America" make it an enjoyable and easy read.  Never taking himself, or anyone else, too seriously; he is none-the-less respectful of individual tastes and ‘expressions.'  This self effacing, and humble, approach makes Bruce as endearing as he is helpful.   Sincerity projects from between the written lines; so it is easy to see how his many mentors in the ‘field' enjoyed sharing their secrets of the ‘trade.'  For example, he is as comfortable on "The Today Show," as their Lifestyle "Quick Fixer," as he is on the seat alongside The World's Oldest Garage Saler, Ms. Wini Williams of 90 years (page 62).  

     Are you unfamiliar with the wide-world of online buying?  Have no fear, Bruce shares his first misadventures on EBay to ease your first time. Although, I'm not sure if it's a real problem to end up with a service for 50 of Franciscan Starburst china!! ;-)

     At the risk of sounding all Polly Anna, you won't find a person that doesn't enjoy something about Bruce's book.  I tried, testing it on dealers and normal people in Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, Toronto, Montreal, Pennsylvania, Delaware; and, of course in Atlanta, Georgia...... the land of mass purchasing, and casual discards.  Everyone smiled at something, and so will you. 

     The book is a wonderful coffee table keeper; and you'll have a hard time shaking Bruce too, as he continues to help Saturday "Today Show" viewers get in touch with their inner collector ‘freak,' while simultaneously (and thankfully :-) incorporating his unique 12 step program of de-materialization.

     For video clips of his most recent appearances on "The Today Show," check out these Utube vids linked below.

For the Gather Garage Sale Network,

this is Patrick Mahoney reporting......

Enjoy!   :-)

Videos of Bruce Littlefield's appearances on "The Today Show"

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjGpRgd5Tkw&mode=related&search=">Bruce Littlefield on The Today Show, video of him, May 26 2007.  Quick Transformations and Smart Re-Use</a>

<a href="http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977010170">Gather Article on Quick Transformations and Smart Re-Use</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-yh5ahCFc">Bruce Littlefield on The Today Show, video of him, July 28, 2007.  Getting rid of clutter: convert it, sell it, or give it away</a>

Bruce LittleField's Book, "Garage Sale America" is now available at Barnes & Noble Bookstores, and online.

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Footnotes:

"Crockett's Victory Garden  premiered April 16, 1975 was originally produced by James Underwood Crockett and was entitled Crockett's Victory Garden. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Victory_Garden_(TV_series) )

This Old House "Began in 1979 as a one-time, 13-part series on the Boston PBS station WGBH, it has grown into one of the most popular programs on the network. It has produced spin-offs (notably The New Yankee Workshop hosted by Norm Abram), a magazine and for-profit web sites."    Hosted by Bob Vila (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Old_House )

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is an Emmy Award-winning ABC reality television series that began broadcasting on November 3, 2003 as a special and as a regular television series since February 15, 2004.  The show is hosted by Ty Pennington, formerly a carpenter on the show Trading Spaces. It is sponsored by Sears (and their properties, Craftsman and Kenmore), for which Pennington serves as a spokesman and which are prominently featured in the episodes." Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_Makeover:_Home_Edition)