These Flowers Can

guest bedroom

painted white (parchment White by glidden), the twin beds found on craigslist and the estate sale dresser don’t compete with the bedroom’s richly grained paneling. The rest of the room is done in country-meets-beach hues of red, white, and blue.

Bed $40

The 2,000-square- foot raised cottage is just 75 yards from the Atlantic Ocean. dresser $ 75

junking like a pro

Mary Kay’s top snag-a-deal tricks.

l Go to the right sales. Mary Kay doesn’t sugarcoat it: “Dead people have the best stuf.” Estate sales on behalf of the recently departed or the elderly will usually yield better fnds than a young couple’s garage sale. Visit estatesale.com for listings near you. l The timid go home empty-handed. No shrinking violet, Mary Kay always carries a pen and masking tape so she can stick solD signs on bulky items she wants but can’t lug to the checkout. she’s also not afraid to throw out an ofer: “While junking at a house that was about to be torn down, I asked if they’d take $200 for the foorboards. I got ’em!” l Accept that you’ll buy clunkers. lamps with European wiring, tables with rickety legs, smelly chairs—Mary Kay has unwittingly bought them all. But it’s oK to make mistakes. Take it as a learning experience and move on to the next great sale.