RESTORE. RECYCLE. REPURPOSE

I just read a wonderful book by Randy Florke called RESTORE. RECYCLE. REPURPOSE. I loved it because, in addition to calling out things like compact fluorescent light bulbs, energy efficient appliances and sustainable building products, he gave ample nod back to core values the generations before us embraced. He appears to be a young man but he credits his grandmother with bestowing him with those values from her generation. Yea for Grandmas!!
He encourages using what there already is and how that translates to "green". He poses the question, why would you buy new "throw away" furniture when you could use vintage furniture that is built from trees that were already harvested and made with craftsmanship we have to pay top dollar for today. He points out the flawed attitude of throwing things away (landfill) and buying new (materials, manufacturing, energy, transportation).
This reminds me of a story I read somewhere. A woman purchased a new mattress, which included delivering the new mattress and hauling away the old one. She got up that morning and stripped off the bedding to get ready for the new bed. While she was waiting she started admiring the beautiful old ticking on the mattress and thinking about what she could make from it. Before long she had her scissors out and had stripped off all of the old ticking. Now she was left with springs filled with fluffy old batting. Well, that batting would be perfect for stuffing pillows and stuffed animals. She carefully removed it from the springs and stuffed it in bags. When the delivery man finally arrived and came inside to haul out the old mattress he took a look at the bare springs, looked back at her and said "Boy, lady, you really did need a new mattress!"
Obviously we can't all use vintage every time and there are, after all, people who make those new things and they need jobs. But it sure doesn't hurt to stop and think!
The thing that especially struck me about this book is that somebody needed to write it. When so many of us grew up with "wear it out, use it up, make it do or do without" how did we manage to skip a whole generation who needs to read it in a book? Maybe they need someone young to say it to them. He is young and he listened to his Grandma. Good boy. You tell 'em, Randy!

A Good Estate Sale Day

Back from camping and still on vacation so what better way to spend a Friday morning that hitting some estate sales. I NEVER get to go to the sales on Fridays when the plunder is fresh!
This was spur of the moment when I realized it was Friday and I was home (for crying out loud!) so I checked my purse and I found I only had $19 in cash. I thought about stopping at the ATM and then thought, what the heck, sometimes you don't find anything at all so I'd just go for it and stop along the way if I needed to. Wow! I need to get out more on Fridays! I came home with 25 cents left and everything you see in this picture plus a book I left out on the patio because I was looking at it. The picture is a little dark so it's hard to see the two old oil cans, a mirrored dresser tray, a wooden carving mallet, gorgeous salt shakers I'm going to fill with glitter, one of those folding tape measures and a neat yardstick, two powder blue lingerie boxes and some vintage serving utensils. Plus I got a huge box of linens for just $5 - over FIFTY pieces! I'm sure a few will end up as shop rags but lots of goodies, too. There is a whole lot of washing and ironing in my future!