Craigslist Made Me Happy

I have long heard mythical stories about fabulous Craigslist finds. You know the kind: "I found an antique ebony dresser and matching vanity for $3.00! Woohoo!" Now, I totally believe people when they tell me these stories. But, during my Craigslist searches I was seeing items that were more like "you can have my 1980s era, gigantic, laminate entertainment center for $125.00!" Until Monday, that is, my friends.

I was just glancing through the latest listings when I saw one that said "free pianos". I've been wanting to get a piano for Mr. 31 for ages; he loves to play but doesn't have much opportunity to do so. So, I opened the listing, thinking it was going to be (a) a scam, or (b) a serial killer trying to lure me to his house, or (c) a piano missing all the strings and hammers or something.

But it was for real! A local church was giving away old pianos they no longer used. So I told Mr. 31 to call the church first thing Tuesday morning. He did one better: he went to the church first thing Tuesday, and it's a good thing he did. The church's phone was ringing off the hooks with people interested in the pianos, but Mr. 31 was the first person to physically show up to look at the pianos, so he got first dibs!

So, long story short (too late!), we are now the proud owners of an upright grand piano that we know was built by a company that was located in our hometown and it was built somewhere between 1900 and 1920. And it's really pretty (oh yeah, it sounds good too!)!

Below are some pictures, including some closeups of the decorative accents. Also, I love how the center panel tilts out to hold music!

Thank you Craigslist!!