Mission: Wedding Accessories: Accomplished

Yesterday I finally got around to enjoying some of the secondhand and vintage offerings in Toronto, and it turned out to be a smashing success! I have a wedding to go to next weekend, and wanted a clutch to complete my outfit. Since I have to fly to get to the wedding venue, and even with my long history of traveling and moving, I somehow haven't managed to keep a carry-on in my possession, I was also on the hunt for an inexpensive tote or satchel to act as a carry-on for the things I can't do without on a long weekend away.

At 69 Vintage Collective (new website coming soon, apparently), I managed to find both a unique clutch and a very suitable satchel! The clutch, which wasn't what I originally planned on looking for, is embroidered with flowers, has a small, old chain, and was made in W. Germany. The satchel has no provenance, but it's almost exactly what I've been looking for, in terms of caramel leather (faux or real), cavernous capacity, and sturdiness. I'm in love with both, and they're both perfect, no matter what I thought I wanted originally.

Both were much less than I had expected to spend if I found what I wanted, which is always a bonus. Another bonus? Buying secondhand, which I have missed. Knowing that I'm giving an item a second chance, and not adding to the endless consumer-driven cycle of creation and trashing of material objects, always gives me a pleasant little rush.

Here's an image of the clutch, at least (with the rest of what I'll be wearing to the wedding):

 photo credit: Sam

Finally! A Re-purpose worthy of last year's Christmas cards!

It all started with a little plan I had for a little get-together. The setting: my (landlords') back garden. The character: originally Mexican-themed, with tortilla chips, guacamole, and salsa complementing summery margaritas. The change: Instead of margaritas, the event is now planned around peaches.

Peaches, which have become my most favorite fruit in the world. Grocery store peaches, given time to ripen, are delightful, but already ripe peaches from the farmer's market are just about heavenly. I think Ontario must be a better region for them than Virginia, since I don't remember them ever tasting this good back home.

So, since the star of the show is now a little more sophisticated, I decided to edit the invitations, as well. Requiring, at first, fancy stationary. Circumstances, however, have prevented my purchasing fancy stationary. Luckily, in a hunt for already-owned fancy stationary (unsuccessful), I found just enough old Christmas cards to use instead. The second ingredient: Last year, I bought certain antique magazine pages on Etsy (gotta love that site), and haven't found an appropriate purpose for them.

The equation, then, is this: Last year's Christmas cards, plus an antique magazine page with marvelous images of hats and dresses and art nouveau flowers and vines, plus scissors and glue, equals home made cards! Sort of.

Anyway, I love the results (pictures up here as soon as I develop my latest film role, a la 2000), and am utterly chuffed that I found a way to re-purpose two un-purposed items just sitting around my apartment!

Confession # 38

Black Friday. The day of all days to avoid shopping. Shopping itself is not all bad - if the stars align, and there's no urgent feeling of "I-need-the-perfect-dress-by-next-weekend", it can be lots of fun! The crowds of people are what make shopping torture to be borne stoically (or not so stoically) rather than the pleasant outing it should be.

This year, for the first time ever, I went shopping on Black Friday. I didn't get trampled, I witnessed no crazed tug-of-wars between customers who eyed the last toy (or slippers, or cardigan, or iPod Touch) at the same time. There were no lines, no parking debacles (you know, the ones where you drive around the whole parking lot three times before finding some poor pedestrian to stalk back to his or her parking space). You might doubt my words. You really went shopping on Black Friday, in America? You might say. That can't be possible! Indeed, if I weren't the one telling the story, I might doubt them, too.

The story begins with a fit of cabin fever. I'd slept in that morning, after an intense food coma following Thanksgiving dinner. Having no plans until that evening, I watched some t.v., made some scones, and read a bit before becoming so bored I just had to leave the apartment. So I went for a walk. Didn't get very far before it started raining, so I ducked into the consignment shop down the next block for a bit of a reprieve. For half the time I spent browsing the few colorful racks, I was the only customer in the shop. I only saw three other customers the whole time I was there. Most importantly, I bought two items at a discount! (A discount completely unrelated to Black Friday, but it amounts to the same thing.)

And that's how I went shopping on Black Friday without losing my sanity. Not to mention, I helped the world by re-using unwanted (and lovely) clothes.

Maths

Today I discovered, yet again, while working on scrap paper that I keep around to re-purpose before throwing it in the recycling bin, that I still can't do math. I forget that I'm supposed to multiply and add instead. The simplest addition problems slip quickly into mire, and don't add up. Proportions don't even out. And let's not even discuss geometry.

That's okay, you might say. In life, math equals not such a hugely important skill. Plus, if it's wrong once, you can always redo it, or have someone check it.

I take the GRE tomorrow morning. Gulp.

Just Say Yes - To Recycled Furniture

And no, I don't mean recycled as in that grotty, stained, lumpy old couch someone put on the curb to wait for a special trash pick-up.

I do mean Craigslist. After months and months (years even, if one counts the apartment-searching I did on that website) of using Craigslist to no avail, I finally met with success! In actuality quite a lot of success. In a very short period of time.

Last weekend, I purchased two beautiful charcoal grey, wool slipper chairs. Not exactly what I had in mind for my home decor, but neutral enough (as far as charcoal grey falls into the neutral category), simple, and oh-so-comfy. Plush, sink-just-a-little comfy. Sit-with-legs-crossed, OR whole-foot-flat-on-the-floor comfy. And that last one's special, given that my heels don't always touch the floor in every chair made by (tall) man. Only three days later, I picked up a steal of a table - solid mahogany, late 19th c. card table. It's beautiful. There's definitely some evidence of hard loving, but totally worth it.

So now my apartment doesn't look like my apartment, and I feel a special little swell of pride when I rest my eyes on my small but cozy (with furniture!) demesne. I especially enjoy knowing that my furniture has now lived at least two lives, and even though neither purchase was likely to end up in the landfill if I hadn't bought it, I did engage in "green" shopping. It's wonderfully satisfying to take one more small and so-rewarding step towards my goal. Not to mention I've finally gotten back on-topic on my blog!

Fashion For Everyone and Sandwich Bags for All Time

I finally started going through my old emails, most of which are the subscription type (newspapers, fashion deals, etc) and I found two fascinating articles.

The first article, about the show What Not To Wear, which I occasionally enjoy watching, describes the tactics used by the hosts of the show, and defines the goal of the show. One of the reasons I enjoy watching it is how harsh they can be about their subjects' pre-makeover wardrobes. The other reason is the more obvious - they point out really great tips for looking good (not just stylish) whatever one's size or shape, or style preference. The article interviews one of the hosts, Stacy London, who, among other things, believes that style is confidence-boosting.

The second article contains no advice at all - it simply describes a new product that I Must-Have. Seriously. The idea is so genius that it's waiting for a patent, according to the article. Really, it says it all. All I'll write here is that the product is an innovation on packing lunches. I'll say it again. Genius.

On a final, unrelated note, the Washington Capitals forced Game 7 against the New York Rangers!! I'll be skipping Krav class on Tuesday to watch it, most likely.... Here's hoping Henrik The King falters again, and the Caps defense keeps up the pressure. Also, good luck Varly.

Happy Easter/Passover/Zombie Jesus Day

Happy Easter, to those who celebrate it, Happy Passover to others... and Happy Everything-else to everone else (including just another Sunday).

I realize I haven't posted in AGES, but hope anyone who regularly checks this hasn't been too disappointed - there's been much craziness and upheaval in my life recently. I.e. Looking for a new job, a new apartment, and picking up a new hobby (krav maga).

I spent this weekend being amazingly busy, what with resume-updating, helping my mom shop for outfits for her upcoming trip to New Orleans (must remember to cat-sit), and doing more Eastery things than I'd supposed we would.

Shopping was a great success, I wish she felt comfortable in dresses because I think she can rock them, but we got her a very summery chunky wooden-circles necklace, a linen shirt with frogs down the front instead of buttons, and some very comfy-looking cropped trousers.

Easter, not surprisingly, started at church, where my mom volunteers to help with the coffee between services (oh right! volunteering... need to pick that up again, too). In an effort to reduce their waste, the church has begun using real ceramic mugs for coffee instead of styrofoam or paper, as they used to. To accommodate quick turn-over of mug usage, they purchased a sanitizer, which I imagine are common among the food industry (and very expensive, from what I hear). It looks a bit like a steam-filled cross between a dishwasher and an oven, and can sanitize a rack of mugs in minutes. Faster than I could replace them out front, at any rate.

Since the music for the later Easter service consisted of young children singing the Beatles' "Imagine", and we were both in the mood for something more mature, we went straight to Easter brunch, a gathering of old friends and neighbors, and a crowd of very interesting people.

In Search of Wool Slacks

After searching through three thrift and consignment shops for a nice pair of wool slacks that actually fit me, have resigned myself to the realisation that I need to buy them new. Have come woefully close to finding just the right pair, and have failed each time.

Shopped at the largest Goodwill I have ever been in, where I tried on several things and ended up with one... for a whopping $5. Gotta love thrift stores for economic wardrobe-updating. Unless one is looking for a nice pair of wool slacks.

Off to the January sales soon... no doubt to spend too much money on more new clothes...

...

Never claimed to perfectly adhere to the Ideals of Green.

Holiday Greenery

For all that e-cards save trees and paper, and even money (how much do stamps cost these days?), I would rather send the traditional snail-mail holiday cards, even if I do spend a dollar on every international stamp I use. They're more fun, and I still prefer getting mail in my real mailbox as opposed to emails. Emails are so common these days. And there's none of the romance a hand-written letter has. Not to mention the pretty holiday cards and envelopes.

Well. This year, I started a little late (blame the cookies) ... as in, I started today. Since it's a little too late to expect many people to receive the card before the end of December, I've gone with e-cards 100% this year. Although I did save time, money, and trees, I feel a little guilty about not spending more time on them, and a little sad that I didn't get to spend the time writing the holiday greetings and yes, even the addresses.

The good part about the e-cards is that they don't use consume fuel while traveling across the country/ocean, and they don't waste paper, destroy trees or get thrown out (accidentally or intentionally).

So I may not always be as green as this year when sending out holiday cards, but I will incorporate it at least a little every year from here on out.

Another "green" holiday activity I've started doing recently is to cut up holiday cards I've received in previous years and use them as To/From cards on gifts. Which reminds me. Received a package of gifts for others that included brown paper instead of packing peanuts, which has worked really well as wrapping paper.

A Tupperware Party With A Reusable Twist

Saturday my plans for a new kind of party came to successful fruition. I've always enjoyed planning and having parties, especially when they go off without a hitch. I'm not talking large raving, drunken parties - I never have enough energy for those, for hosting or for cleaning up after them. But small dinner parties and the like... much more fun.

So my latest plan, which came to me in a flash, like intuition or an epiphany, a lightning bolt sent from the heavens... you get the idea. Anyway, all of a sudden, I thought, what a great way to update and clear out my wardrobe, by throwing a party and exchanging them with other peoples' unwanted clothes! Voila'! The Thanksgiving Clothes Swap was born.

Ayah. Some people, not into the idea of reusing other peoples' clothes, might not appreciate how brilliant my idea was. Others might like to try it for themselves.

Five of my girlfriends came over, with bags of clothes they didn't wear anymore, and I put some wine on the stove to mull while we chatted and I created a hasty party soundtrack. We thought about some different strategies for the exchanges, and ended up with the easy, chaotic, and fun idea of just tossing the clothes out on the floor and just going for it. Then, we spent an hour trying on multiple pieces of clothing, and picking out what each of us liked best. One of the most useful things about trying on clothes with girlfriends is the way they'll tell you when things look good, and when they don't.

Some guidelines that we found useful, though not entirely necessary:

1. Everyone must have fun.
2. Everyone must bring something, and exhanges only are to be made. You must end up with exactly the number of things you brought, unless at the very end people still want to give items away and there aren't enough things left over to exchange.
2.5. Exchanges should be made at an even ratio, so everyone ends up with a similar number of items at the end
3. There will be no negative judging of clothing
3.5 Clothes must be tried on and viewed by others, who may comment on how well it fits (or doesn't). Honesty is strongly recommended.
4. There will be a contest at the end to see who can come up with the most outrageous outfit created out of the items that everyone has brought. I will work on a prize for this.
5. Leftovers that are not exchanged may be given away (see rule #2) but everything must go to charity, which is not exchanged or given away. No throwing away any items of clothing will be permitted!

6. There will be gossiping. We will require full disclosure.

The best perks? Free clothes that have been reused, giving clothes a second chance, seeing the delight on friends' faces when they try on a flattering piece, and the gossip and good times that accompany the swapping.

Oh yes, and the "craziest outfit" included a beret, a sparkly black top with a cut-out back, a teal knee-length skirt with a flower print, and cowboy boots. Unfortunately the words don't do the outfit justice, but I hope to get a picture up eventually.

The Trials And Tragedies of Growing a Vegetable Garden: Story of a Pumpkin

This year, at the Navy Museum, I participated in a children's program on Earth Day, whose purpose was to create "victory gardens" (click the link for Wikipedia's definition). Victory gardens began during World War II, as efforts to reduce pressure on the public food supply. Families were asked to create their own vegetable, fruit and herb gardens so canned and other goods could be sent overseas to the sailors and soldiers fighting in the war.

Out of all the seeds we had available, I decided to grow a pumpkin. Though I must admit, I decided in part because I expected it to fail. Ironically, it succeeded beyond my expectations, and to make a long story short, I now have a pumpkin plant growing in my backyard. Along with tomatoes and bell peppers, but that's another story.

Before long, I noticed my pumpkin had a disease called powdery mildew. Not fun stuff. Spreads fast, and according to the gentleman who helped us at the garden center, also always in the air. So I'm growing this mini-vegetable garden, which reduces my dependence on packaging and emissions while increasing oxygen production and other good natural things, while at the same time, produces free produce for me to enjoy! (Hopefully, eventually we'll get that far).

Also, at the store today I was shown a chemical spray to help get rid of the mildew. Fortunately the gentleman I mentioned above happened by just about the same time I asked what damages the product might have on the environment, and he pointed me toward a brand called Safer, whose active ingredient is sulphur, which also gets rid of the mildew, and is organic! Yay!

So now I'm fixing the mildew problem, I need to get started on rodents. Something ate my only pumpkin. Yes, I had a pumpkin, it was bigger than a softball but smaller than a basketball, and I came home one evening, and it was gone. This was only two days after I discovered it, mind. So the next project is a fence of some kind. I think we're going to re-use the bamboo we're trying to get rid of, as stakes, and wrap some wire mesh around it. But if any knowledgeable gardeners happen to read this, I would appreciate suggestions of better methods.

So far, I think the bell peppers and tomatoes are doing alright. Gardening is harder work than I thought! Turns out it's not just digging, planting and weeding.

Why Bother?

I know a few readers and I have been having something of a debate to answer the question: What effect can one individual have on the Big Problem? (Whichever problem one might be referring to at the time, or indeed, all of them at once). In this case, however, we'll stick to the Green Problem.

This article, by Michael Pollan of the New York Times, proposes to answer the question, Why Bother ? Why bother growing your own garden, or turning off your water faucet while you wash your hands or brush your teeth? Why bother using a clothes line instead of a dryer, or handwashing dishes instead of using a dishwasher (see post about Dishwashing Dilemma, and article at Slate.com for more on that issue, however)... Why bother opening windows instead of turning on the AC in the summertime? Why re-use and recycle when the trash can is right there? Why make all these little changes in your life when it's easier, and more habitual, to go on as you always have?

What can one person do, when the crisis is already here? Does it really require legislation and different technology before the change can be effective? Then again, what happens when 300 million people make the decision to bother?

Confession #1

I threw out a yoghurt cup today.

I could have used it to hold flowers in a too-large pot.

The Peanut Hotline. Or, How To Recycle Styrofoam Packing

A colleague of mine contacted me today about recycling some packaging peanuts she didn't want to waste. Previously this year I was handed a stack of stapled papers so that I could remove the dozens of staples before recycling the white paper (which is all that is officially recycled at the museum). My determination to re-use and recycle is well-known here. The offer was presented with a laugh, and I willingly spent the next 10 minutes de-stapling the pages by hand (I don't have one of those nifty staple-removers that remind me of the back end of hammers).

To get back to the main point of the story, I told my co-worker that I didn't actually have any idea how to recycle packaging peanuts, except to re-use them in later shipments. I offered to do a little research to find out how and where plastic loose fill can be recycled. Very quickly I found The Plastic Loose Fill Council, which has a very convenient online form to find drop-off centers in your area. There is also the Peanut Hotline, which refers thousands of customers each month to nearby drop-off facilities for packing peanuts.

DIY Back-to-School

"Brightly colored string, an empty cereal box, a thick stack of scrap paper, and a little creativity..." is all you'll need to create personalized notebooks, binders, datebooks, etc. Not to mention scissors, glue and pens and pencils. But those are easy to find.

Check out the New American Dream website for an article on skipping back-to-school shopping by New American Dream's resident DIY guru.

For Starters

Recently, I've done quite a few things a little bit differently, and a little bit greener. The most exciting one is probably shopping.

I enjoy fashion, so was initially hesitant for that reason about buying 'green' clothing. With so few companies that make them, and mainstream companies not necessarily buying into organic clothing, how fashionable and chic can they be? My first thoughts included hemp tunics and shapeless tie-dyed dresses. Not true, anymore. Although green clothing is becoming more popular, and more fashionable as a result, there's then the cost factor - my Green Guides magazine priced some beautiful pieces of organic cotton, etc - at about $100 a piece!! That may be affordable for some, but probably not many, and certainly not me.

So I needed an alternative. Remembering a few trips to thrift stores in my poor, unemployed childhood, I buy used, instead! This weekend I took a shopping trip to a consignment shop I'd never been to before, and spent a couple hours trying on designer jeans, dresses, tops and bags, which were very affordable at their 1/3 off original price. Thrift stores have cheaper items, but consignment stores are good for brand names and designer labels, with slightly more expensive price tags. I can look good knowing that the clothes I bought have been rescued from the landfills, and are being re-used at least once more. The other advantage is I would still pay more to buy new clothes at the mall.

The other side of that coin is donating used clothing, which is something on my List of Things To Do. I have piles of acceptable, clean clothing at home that can be sold at a yard sale (initiative permitting) or donated to the local Goodwill.

To find thrift stores and consignment shops in your area, google 'best thrift store' with your zip code.