tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87151724509502125852024-02-20T10:02:08.723-08:00Beg Barter BorrowA year of avoiding shiny and newLiverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-57370691778812831002010-12-31T10:32:00.000-08:002010-12-31T10:32:36.551-08:00The last dayI can't believe that the last day of 2010 is here! Happy New Year's Eve to everyone! This of course means that my year long experiment is coming to its formal close. Do I anticipate going on a shopping spree tomorrow, or Sunday when stores are actually open? No. I actually don't anticipate much changing from the shopping patterns I've developed over the past year. I've developed a strong second hand habit. It's still more fun to go pick through second hand stores looking for treasures than it is to pop into Fred Meyer or any big box store. I am going to allow myself the option to go into any store I want on my quest to find pants that fit, though.Of all the things that I wasn't allowed to buy new this year, pants were the most frustrating item! I bet I could have finally found some that fit if I had taken a full day and tried on every pair of pants at all the second hand shops in town. Of course that was never going to happen - there are too many chores and other activities to squeeze into my weekends!<br />
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This was one of the two big lessons I got out of the year - second hand shopping is easy if you don't have a strict time line. Nothing was more frustrating than seeing something I really needed (dustpan) at every shop (and even some gas stations) but not being able to buy it until I finally spotted one at Goodwill! My other big lesson, which played very much off of the first, was that the things I thought I really needed often weren't as necessary as I believed! The act of waiting to buy certain items gave me more clarity regarding if I did actually need them.Often I was able to make substitutions with items that were already floating around my house. Or I'd stumble upon a free item somewhere and it would lend itself to use in place of something on my list. My example is when I found a spoon rest shaped like a fish in someones free pile. I decided it would work as a soap dish and despite the fact that it strongly resembles the Jesus fish people plaster on the back of their cars, it's doing a fine job of holding soap.<br />
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Some friends asked me the best thing about this project. I'd have to say it's all the neat forwards and articles that people have sent me! I love reading about the creativity people use to avoid buying new, or even just to make gifts that come from the heart as opposed to the store. As I close and get ready to head up to Portland to see some of my BFFs from the Linfield days, here are the latest links I received.<br />
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Links from my colleague Mary Martin: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIMe8NAfPF5-zlvUmgBqUPWU7xDKULSI-_BnrycOhU19Ea4Cr1Jqoa-03Nj1EeQNjrjs5O2SwDVBYsg_HlNX5FYMKVtLjg3hViPqKSJ-ONgNK7t9NLPjh15nkvLjpBQvoEJa1kUdKCzS3/s1600/recycled+marilyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIMe8NAfPF5-zlvUmgBqUPWU7xDKULSI-_BnrycOhU19Ea4Cr1Jqoa-03Nj1EeQNjrjs5O2SwDVBYsg_HlNX5FYMKVtLjg3hViPqKSJ-ONgNK7t9NLPjh15nkvLjpBQvoEJa1kUdKCzS3/s200/recycled+marilyn.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://www.iri5.com/">Art made from recylcled audio and video tapes and books</a> . I love this stuff! So creative! <br />
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Some of the coolest chocolate treats ever: <a href="http://www.justapinch.com/recipe/chocolate-mice-by-jennifer-barley-jennay96-feature">Chocolate Mice!</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.minieco.co.uk/">Crafty projects that you could do with kids! From the UK!</a> How international!<br />
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And from Shannon Hennig (a fellow grover who lives abroad) a great <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/rachel_botsman_the_case_for_collaborative_consumption.html">TED lecture all about Collaborative Consumption!!! </a><br />
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Great! Great! Great!<br />
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See you in the new year!Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-13927650011144330132010-12-10T11:47:00.000-08:002010-12-10T11:48:08.419-08:00Oops I did it againLate November canning brought me with the need for more jelly jars for the treats I've been making for Christmas gifts. I was lucky to receive a few from colleagues and I bought all the jars of appropriate size from Goodwill, The OSU Folk Thrift Store, Cat's Meow and The Arc (every second hand store in town). Unfortunately, I still needed more jars. I hemmed and hawed about it for a day and then broke down and went to BiMart and bought two flats of the jars I'll need for the rest of my seasonal canning. Carrying those jars to the checkout gave me gut wrenching anxiety. It was so much easier to buy batteries since there is really no way to get around buying batteries if you need them. With the jars I just kept thinking, "What if I could have looked more places?" and "Maybe I should have visited Albany and looked in their thrift shops!" But I realized that I was tired of spending my time searching for used jars in town and had no desire to involve my car and fossil fuels in searching for jars at neighboring communities. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New items I purchased directly for a store in 2010.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>When I got home I laid out all that I have purchased new over the past year and took a photo. Three items! What makes me amused is that if I hadn't taken the master food preserver class, I wouldn't have needed to purchase jars. Oh well. I guess it's a good lesson in the fact that you can't always plan for everything.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BGyRe8gTWXkpsMTNZ7IF1VsaBDITbCCceeyrHiOnpxw6x4p3DUnSJBOAhpE28O3XMDFjPJZkDEbVxmc9OI80HvcmiWPvzaqbHjJSeIcNbefDcQfI1Pl32o_9_BVH5RYe6fE7PzjVzwrv/s1600/PB270353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BGyRe8gTWXkpsMTNZ7IF1VsaBDITbCCceeyrHiOnpxw6x4p3DUnSJBOAhpE28O3XMDFjPJZkDEbVxmc9OI80HvcmiWPvzaqbHjJSeIcNbefDcQfI1Pl32o_9_BVH5RYe6fE7PzjVzwrv/s320/PB270353.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second hand items purchased or found in 2010.</td></tr>
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As a comparison I decided to pull a sample of the items I've found second hand this year and photograph those. It might seem like a lot, but I made a point to really think whether or not the item I was buying was something I actually needed. It worked in most cases, except when I saw something cool like an antique wooden bowl for $5 which I decided was a must have! Since It's a bit hard to see, here are the contents of the photo: a North Face down jacket (need), dustpan and brush (need- this was on my list for months!), cast iron fryer (need), Christmas lights (need) Irish cook book (want), dish towel (need), hair dryer that actually gets hot (need), clear Christmas ornaments (need - for crafty gift), wooden bowl (want), blue zinc lid canning jar (want), coffee burr grinder (needed by SteadyJ), backgammon game board (need so I can get good and win my friend HotDish), stone mortar and pestle (need), cute high heels (needed for job interview). <br />
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I've just got 21 days left of my project and have got to make it through the final hump of a major holiday that involves finding gifts for nieces and nephews and putting together a cool gift for our family gift exchange. I'll admit it - it is getting difficult. Mostly because I have to be at work every day and second hand shopping takes a lot of time! I've been able to find some cool used stuff online though which has taken care of a lot of the big things on my list. I'll be sure to share how the Beg Barter Borrow holidays went in a few weeks!Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-16069539892670687312010-11-08T21:05:00.000-08:002010-11-08T21:09:45.585-08:00Give it the old Reuse!While I love finding things second hand, even better is when I can reuse something that I've had for a while in an entirely new way. Halloween generally allows all sorts of creative reuses of items. The old riding boots that I salvaged from my grandpa's closet after he died have worked wonders with several costumes. Hell, those boots fit right in with today's boot obsessed look. Probably not what my grandpa thought during his years of wearing them at the race track.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DKTJ1VK02fEVmDFXH37ShKURui9feTU4xDAXv-L2UHgpS8mGhlzUObMRIckhgLpscM7waXaG20amDMOlUaKOz3KtdZJpa6dameprqSWvNI-zDOT8ROFEbUVDZks2Cy8aQ1XI4vHLorYK/s1600/johan+in+Roobee%2527s+costume.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DKTJ1VK02fEVmDFXH37ShKURui9feTU4xDAXv-L2UHgpS8mGhlzUObMRIckhgLpscM7waXaG20amDMOlUaKOz3KtdZJpa6dameprqSWvNI-zDOT8ROFEbUVDZks2Cy8aQ1XI4vHLorYK/s320/johan+in+Roobee%2527s+costume.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't worry - it was washed. Twice!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anyway, I've been excited by several good examples of reuse that I've seen lately. First and foremost is the cute Halloween costume worn by the almost one year old son of my friends Sarah and JB. Doesn't he look cute like a cute crocodile? Well he should. He's in a an old Halloween costume worn by their chocolate lab during the pre-children years of their marriage. Yes, that's right. That baby is in a dog outfit. LOVE IT. Share and share alike, I say!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46IRfM4GnoWcVUKNdnTL8hx0ezNfWQxkscH-zsTdQR4z4FrBa1BlomFtkx-YqFz69egWEGkqNWIv0XqzHkwkvlsuv2VFby_AmwcSCnZn34bsJc28llgk5-zL5nagayvlyDtL8xd36ag7t/s1600/dick+in+a+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46IRfM4GnoWcVUKNdnTL8hx0ezNfWQxkscH-zsTdQR4z4FrBa1BlomFtkx-YqFz69egWEGkqNWIv0XqzHkwkvlsuv2VFby_AmwcSCnZn34bsJc28llgk5-zL5nagayvlyDtL8xd36ag7t/s320/dick+in+a+box.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For me?!!?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A potentially less cute but more hilarious reuse was Steady J's costume consisting of a sport coat, slacks, sunglasses and a strategically placed wrapped gift. Cost? Nothing. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhwbxEfy7fg">He reused everything he already had. Curious to what he was? Here you go. Just remember, I had nothing to do with it. </a><br />
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And finally, totally unrelated to Halloween but still one of the coolest things I've seen: Wrapagain! It's a square of pretty fabric that has ribbon strategically placed so that you can fold the fabric around an item, tie it, and have a <a href="http://www.wrapagain.com/howdoesitwork.html">beautifully wrapped gift!</a> The fabric wrap can be reused as many times as you want and it even has a tracking number sewn in so you can see how far your fabric has traveled as it has been reused. Too cool! Taking it a bit further, it would be really easy to make these out of scrap fabric and old ribbon. Don't have fabric or ribbon? I find a ton of it at second hand stores. Goodwill always has lots of spools of ribbon and some of it is quite nice. Or cut up some of your old table cloths or runners. Or even those old t-shirts! These wrappings look so much classier than the paper I salvaged from the recycling at work and the bows I made from holiday candy wrappers last year. Guess it might be time to take it up a notch!Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-81817050860691707812010-11-01T20:11:00.000-07:002010-11-01T20:11:50.286-07:00Bite the batteryYou know that Weezer blue album song with the lines, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdefe7l7_Zc">"My name is Wakefield, Gotta box full of your toys. They're fresh out of batteries. But they're still makin' noise, makin' noise."</a> I love this song! It's been stuck in my head for days - ever since I had to break down and buy batteries.Yes. Yes. I. bought. batteries. I never thought in the world that it would be batteries that would demolish my plan to buy nothing new for a year. You'd think I would have gone for something more interesting!<br />
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Sadly, batteries are some of those weird little things you can't really do without in some situations. What got me was my need for a bright headlamp when I'm riding my bike after dark, which is pretty much every day on my way home from work and most weekends on the way home from Squirrels! My batteries finally gave up the ghost after two years and neither Steady J or I had any AAA size. He and I co-purchased an 8 pack of Energizer Re-chargeable batteries to share - I already had a charger. (Side note: Energizer Rechargeable batteries hold a charge for way longer than the Sanyo batteries that came with my charger.) So now my headlamp is super bright and safe which is great, but I had to buy something new and that felt incredibly weird!!! <br />
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I'm just not sure what to think. Really, I have not interest in buying anything else new any time soon. I sort of enjoy all this money saving and thrift store shopping. I've lately had some quite serendipitous second hand shopping experiences - last week I was looking on Amazon.com for a used down coat because I'm tired of wearing my wool coat out in the woods when it is cold, but of course there was nothing used listed. A half hour later I walked into Second Glance, my favorite consignment shop in Corvallis and there was a used North Face Down Jacket in my size.<a href="http://www.rei.com/product/686773"> It's $199 new</a>. I got it for $80.Score! I had a similar situation on the weekend of thinking about how I needed a bottle crowner to put the cap on my bottles of hard cider and then I found one for $3 at the OSU Folk Thrift Store. Another awesome occurrence! I'm looking forward to seeing what else I run across. Perhaps some pants that actually fit will work their way into my life!Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-31286696551820859372010-11-01T18:39:00.000-07:002010-11-01T18:43:40.370-07:00I went to Denmark.....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"></div><br />
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And all I got were these photos. For real! And have a history of searching for the perfect souvenirs so this was quite a stretch for me!<br />
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Actually, Steady J and I went to Sweden as well. The reason for the hop over the ocean was to visit my good friends Jenny (aka Hot Dish) and Jacob (aka The Dane) who live in Copenhagen. Our good buddy Party Jon was also Copenhagen bound so we had a mini reunion of Corvallis in Copenhagen. Very nice!<br />
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Below is a brief synopsis of our trip in 11 photos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZ6643DlZnBWJLe5DNAhUzPDx50yb2dgKMLaX60rJldUPta3IwoLFuiv23HjrxF3JARKXImv9Icz1fAZf6Lz4cIwhDp7mE3iFFGNe3E3XMY3ROQec4skQ4X3bEvgCTuLhzUpbH_t4E5dS/s400/P9010105.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We took our bikes on the S-train and headed for the 'burbs to the Dyre Haven (Deer Park) which was the royal hunting grounds. It was sunny and warm! We saw lots of bikes, deer and dogs!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZx58te15u5Jluv18WMbYgV9v1D-QgkT8I6uC4cEd8oJbnDNSdfmOMZWfT-4be1QEY8eRAXDnx6ZzPd4-AfzZTnhFJAeAvgxS-Ay1d_StX8ezm_7Bx0xfM9WFffQ0Z3E6ovMMNjAVEkxEh/s400/P9010117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Party Jon and Hot Dish soak up the rays at the beach. That's the Baltic sea - the bridge to Sweden is in the background. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZx58te15u5Jluv18WMbYgV9v1D-QgkT8I6uC4cEd8oJbnDNSdfmOMZWfT-4be1QEY8eRAXDnx6ZzPd4-AfzZTnhFJAeAvgxS-Ay1d_StX8ezm_7Bx0xfM9WFffQ0Z3E6ovMMNjAVEkxEh/s1600/P9010117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZ6643DlZnBWJLe5DNAhUzPDx50yb2dgKMLaX60rJldUPta3IwoLFuiv23HjrxF3JARKXImv9Icz1fAZf6Lz4cIwhDp7mE3iFFGNe3E3XMY3ROQec4skQ4X3bEvgCTuLhzUpbH_t4E5dS/s1600/P9010105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RJK6hjhkDnG6druDsLhDkPn3XUjutAyyWJJ2HiR6THU_B263vaTvnLUEdpz3tSZdZS3a5vOceOtcWZTb1hpcEj-TPCqFWDGvBZJ_dIBLMUNea2tGsx4XLBFSAGmhV_3uJVdSTaRnaDC4/s1600/P9010102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0TovXP-Yf0jnxbmZWWnhIkguH5-rEd-cp0mHd78gObG6iozczf2Dlee9Jh4mY9LC6_k3YTC4cA1hEGaGgB_uWZ6tzYNbIkY_-0bUiteXNJci0EP7nXBkGv5JhLas5IQbwp3GSL-VZUpZ/s400/P9020135.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We rode bikes around Christiania, the hippie settlement in the center of Copenhagen.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commentary in Christiania.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOTUOH2NFxlk0ydI_l3OOWF0Db4y9xQVv1OnolbnuearcYKVaOOjQQBQZp0FM3zAbSIoDOpXmxT9o0-Z1IMcYGMbxNMsS8T4O70AyQ7MAtHDJtrsIk0kTmdRhrphPT8z1U-hBMg0kgkAO/s400/P9060270.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visited the elephants at the Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOTUOH2NFxlk0ydI_l3OOWF0Db4y9xQVv1OnolbnuearcYKVaOOjQQBQZp0FM3zAbSIoDOpXmxT9o0-Z1IMcYGMbxNMsS8T4O70AyQ7MAtHDJtrsIk0kTmdRhrphPT8z1U-hBMg0kgkAO/s1600/P9060270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWHiUFkEuPLIhmmMD898WPJiqB6U5MonorJkg0dKLxjElNUemuIXHnAeet-2JRflbk7pGm0rogXPhmuKM7DCjkvbbAePJmL3Fsh6FTNwe_5OI4AGZI5Xer8vFK1tWtNu6s6sgJXhnMI_K/s400/P9020162.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learned Kubb, a viking game (apparently) from Party Jon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDBYfUzQz6WqJzN0HoT6TC9DL_FMJly-iR1s5Zkq_UAlTIfJvVQ-_rG1jDbfdnQPkMBG_hwm8sqBDBI-3rn329XYKKPMy5jUAFkcu6vDtdxzP8Oj1vyoemUD_ebaZ73BANLgacRm3y8mM/s400/P9020163.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bikes, Beers, Kubb and Friends in the park.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWxN7JVJWWhOW0O1yrBhr9KQPQ9OuNEf1L-RJLcHrEb3m6Mq8EIQyLsRkFOfKDnsgocOrP8FdcpWEIdfZ2JfGvN-zrpOA49dhl554iD4edK-LHl441Rh_W9I6VahQFY9SbRQF_EcQr7zA/s400/P9040225.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Sweden, on the island of Vrango outside of Gothenburg (birthplace to Volvo). </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIwvwfSy_S0DzcP5RFC57sJKrKjtBMHhRFSaiK4h50O4T6MbdHfNfIEb0M3op0m64ta7ZyS6gbOMgPf8yLIqT3t9rFPoRhDxsuZsPwk3QTbydlqrccVa4Y5UDHe-OUEFc4V90XOlmHn90/s400/P9040214.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Vrango baguette and it was delicious (lobster, shrimp and assorted seafood salad with dill). The Fanta was also amazing. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJE4P8nreWuNCYJqpXauaxlEREHqfZg47zZoK2bhI78PCeADpk4-iuPJm3sodbdxJo_k3SkZrZZ5MMAJ4hEGPm8HGNktsEUUD0jdDNFANYpRLn0Qru4G1rJaQa9khIn_lE1oVT-Ih_auQQ/s400/P9090308.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside of the duty free shop in the Copenhagen airport on the way home. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJE4P8nreWuNCYJqpXauaxlEREHqfZg47zZoK2bhI78PCeADpk4-iuPJm3sodbdxJo_k3SkZrZZ5MMAJ4hEGPm8HGNktsEUUD0jdDNFANYpRLn0Qru4G1rJaQa9khIn_lE1oVT-Ih_auQQ/s1600/P9090308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-45534914525512783882010-10-10T22:02:00.000-07:002010-10-10T22:02:20.611-07:00East Coast part IIAs I previously mentioned, Steady J and I stayed in New Hampshire with his cousin Ian. Shortly after we arrived, Ian and I started to talk about my blog and not buying stuff in general. Ian's a bit of a minimalist. We stayed in his living room, which is a room he doesn't actually use. He's basically set up his living area to consist of his bedroom, bathroom and kitchen/dining area. That area is cozy enough for him, making the living room just a repository of furniture and antiques that their uncle keeps hoisting on him, some of which are amazing examples of New England craftsmanship. If Ian was into furniture, he'd be set for life!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCv9a7f-665x9nAhAzld5s9AqUWRMJmOuQkH-fPr8Na20cPUpgKD6jGyF53j2LAeHe5XeXx726wy7oAg99oP-Gi_euplCTfg-ZYGSM1b0G2ujjBVyXfesATN17ehMMA_0WFV3kzhpx67Ui/s1600/Small+House+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCv9a7f-665x9nAhAzld5s9AqUWRMJmOuQkH-fPr8Na20cPUpgKD6jGyF53j2LAeHe5XeXx726wy7oAg99oP-Gi_euplCTfg-ZYGSM1b0G2ujjBVyXfesATN17ehMMA_0WFV3kzhpx67Ui/s200/Small+House+book.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Instead of dreaming of a big house to fill with family heirlooms, Ian's planning to go in the other direction. He introduced me to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Small-House-Book-Jay-Shafer/dp/B0026HUQYU">The Small House Book</a>, by Jay Shafer. The author designs and builds tiny houses, some of which are less than 100 square feet. All are adorable! Beyond the individual plans for all the small dwellings made by the <a href="http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/">Tumbleweed Tiny House Company</a>, the book contains interesting commentary about urban sprawl, and sheds light on all sorts of ridiculousness like land use laws requiring that houses be a minimum square footage (get around this by building your tiny house on a trailer bed).<br />
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The book is fascinating! The whole time I read through it and looked at the photos I wondered if I could ever live in something that small. Probably. But two people? I think that could get interesting! In the book, Shafer talks about planning your house to fit your needs, and in turn, reflecting on what it is that you actually need as opposed to want for the sake of convenience. To balance the idea of living with nothing, he also talks about the importance of keeping yourself comfortable. No need to give up your laptop - just make sure your tiny house has a place to store it when it isn't being used.<br />
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I was in Sweden last month and passed by a neighborhood of tiny houses. If the Swedes can do it, why can't these go big in the US? They have much more character than <a href="http://www.katrinacottages.com/home.asp">Katrina Cottages</a> which were lauded as the answer to the FEMA trailer disaster that occurred in Louisiana post hurricane. I'd buy one (if I were buying new things).Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-66421712972242617512010-10-02T19:45:00.000-07:002010-10-18T21:50:54.790-07:00East Coast part 1The RockSteady and I recently took a holiday to the East Coast to see his old stomping grounds. You see, Steady J is a Mass Hole. That means that he is from Massachusetts. Get him with his people and the Rs start dropping, and everything becomes "wicked", (except it sounds more like "wikid".) Worcester becomes "Woosta", you go fishing in the "habaaaahhh" (harbor) and the Red Sox play in Fenway - home of the Green "Monstaaaaaaaa". And let me tell you about driving. Massachusetts drivers are the most defensive I've ever seen, looking for any excuse to treat the turnpike like the Autobahn. In Oregon, Steady J rarely drives, and if he does, it is so slow that I sometimes wonder if he has spent so much time on a bike that he forgot how to use a car. But put Steady J in Massachusetts and he drives like a bean town native, too fast for me to take photos of town signs for places like Leominister ("Lemonster") and Redding ("Reading") or Athol ("Athall"- which sounds a lot like another word that I think is funny).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuBYoUu3iKALt4O4EoxSo87VO-1wY0gY4gD0VIE0VoJFXigS0F8-F2IE_74cTny-W2QUSk0km6SLIHIhWvNmmZHJYHp6Zr6lvkdPZBQ-ojjf4dloIZiUorQxPOIKN68vptMXI4ga3l2_d/s1600/P8250005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>Anyway, while back east we attended the lovely wedding of Justin's childhood friend Chris to his lady fan Ashley in the college town of Keene, New Hampshire. To save ourselves the drive back to Massachusetts that evening, we stayed with Justin's cousin Ian who lives in Westmoreland, NH in a cool above garage apartment on a farm. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuBYoUu3iKALt4O4EoxSo87VO-1wY0gY4gD0VIE0VoJFXigS0F8-F2IE_74cTny-W2QUSk0km6SLIHIhWvNmmZHJYHp6Zr6lvkdPZBQ-ojjf4dloIZiUorQxPOIKN68vptMXI4ga3l2_d/s320/P8250005.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ian's front yard</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bsiGrOPUhwM2uZTMthlMEsqCsOXvcCzdnocEgBGhra-p_8mTsKyIX2rcMiJKAmhilnr3m_Fh0ow7_8InaCqQaXlMvqaxSbDiJjyjDwxBoPD00BdF1nqNOOpifZ_gpsTp3KRDJJR3uhet/s1600/P8250007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bsiGrOPUhwM2uZTMthlMEsqCsOXvcCzdnocEgBGhra-p_8mTsKyIX2rcMiJKAmhilnr3m_Fh0ow7_8InaCqQaXlMvqaxSbDiJjyjDwxBoPD00BdF1nqNOOpifZ_gpsTp3KRDJJR3uhet/s320/P8250007.JPG" width="320" /></a>On Sunday morning Steady J and Ian worked on Ian's bike and I wandered down the road to an art studio in an old New England farm house that we had passed earlier that day. What I found was the gallery of <a href="http://www.askart.com/AskART/artists/search/ArtistKeywords.aspx?artist=17797">Arthur R. Herrick</a> (1897 -1970), a painter who had focused on painting landscapes and farmhouses around Westmoreland during the 1950 and 1960s. I looked at the painting and stumbled upon a cutout of a newspaper article from the previous week explaining that the paintings were being sold by Anne Herrick, the painters grand daughter and that there are hundreds of them up for <a href="http://www.artfixdaily.com/news_feed/2010/08/30/2880-estate-of-hibbard-student-enters-market-softly">sale and auction</a>! <i style="color: purple;">Correction: I heard back from Anne and she said that none of the paintings went to auction - each one was sold locally. As of today (October 18, 2010) she has only 12 paintings left - the rest found new homes.</i> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>As I looked through the paintings, I started to notice that the people coming to view and buy the paintings were often members of the community - they knew the names of everyone else and were eager to search for paintings of their homes. On two occasions elderly farmers came in, blue coveralls and all, and went through the paintings explaining the farms they recognized and the family names of who lived there for generations. One old farmer looked at a painting and recognizing the road commented, "that farm house was where my wife was born and raised". Another pointed out that the pastoral farmhouse scene in another painting was actually the county poor farm. It was so fascinating to hear their stories of which families lived where and how the village had changed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNHeXyx8HyYzf42qD81E5V6efWVwvvVMC9YxAxovAzklRbhpE3_jdOUSsQ7q9FC6SpkrLgdinmeXXZUTHg5_I3bknG0MtcB1VxP81jvfl1ls9L6p7VUOmdBhi5ZPFAbXOn8DZQwy4E2CM/s1600/P8250008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNHeXyx8HyYzf42qD81E5V6efWVwvvVMC9YxAxovAzklRbhpE3_jdOUSsQ7q9FC6SpkrLgdinmeXXZUTHg5_I3bknG0MtcB1VxP81jvfl1ls9L6p7VUOmdBhi5ZPFAbXOn8DZQwy4E2CM/s320/P8250008.JPG" width="320" /></a>Eventually I made my way over to the woman I assumed to be Anne and I asked her about the selling of her grandfather's work. She explained that the farmhouse belonged to her family, and when her grandfather died in 1970, her parents opened a gallery of his works on their property. Anne recently inherited the house and gallery from her parents, but she lives and works as an architect in Seattle (funny to find another Pacific Northwest resident on a country road in New Hampshire) so she is preparing the house and gallery/studio space to be sold. All of her grandfather's paintings need to go, except of course, the paintings that she decided to keep for herself. The fact that there are hundreds of paintings means that this is an incredible undertaking which will take months. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7JT8rA_hWtyuMZd8ouseTfUa9cIWRsJy_iO1yK2_mR2NSSo1_3AD0-Wrvh707liDOBjxj8_iJ1jrsmPUTrGrTF9BMcS-XRcavtXWJPiL3PAZWlFElYw4AhQ98CRQFVsUDDZn13KElLm1/s1600/P8250006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7JT8rA_hWtyuMZd8ouseTfUa9cIWRsJy_iO1yK2_mR2NSSo1_3AD0-Wrvh707liDOBjxj8_iJ1jrsmPUTrGrTF9BMcS-XRcavtXWJPiL3PAZWlFElYw4AhQ98CRQFVsUDDZn13KElLm1/s320/P8250006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>As I walked back to reunite with the gents, I reflected on the accumulation of stuff, especially art. I come from an artistic household and I understand the habit of keeping the pieces you really like, and also needing to keep a large amount of art as inventory if you are receiving your livelihood from sales. But what happens later, after you are gone from this world and there is still a house full of your creativity and hand rendered records of your experiences? Without the context provided by the artist, how would anyone understand the true meaning of the piece and why it was held onto? Maybe the answer is just to disperse your art as much as possible? Seeing the excitement of the community to own artistic renderings was interesting - would they have been equally excited to have owned the pieces fifty years ago when they were painted? Maybe. It's hard to tell! I would assume that long ago they had the opportunity - perhaps the wealth to buy art just wasn't there at that time? In any case, I'm thinking now about the art I have, the art I make and the art I hold on to. I'm also thinking that I want to know more about the art that my mom has in her house. What pieces does she love? Why? What would she want to keep in the family, and what could be offered to others?<br />
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It's been a good exercise in thought.Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-68618254922999642232010-09-26T22:18:00.000-07:002010-09-26T22:18:02.068-07:00They Put a Ring on It<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LbvfQQdTdeLVrS8YRf2Ix4KaXzRsWlkRW8nxW70yH2BtA0ABQg17y_WvAZIWkrJeOlhcuDhuU_QP7KUoFVdT0hes5Ax8zUYse2FyRxurBe8HZ1sGaH94P1OiAteKw68wZlkrqCpLXulj/s1600/P-Stu+and+Rick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LbvfQQdTdeLVrS8YRf2Ix4KaXzRsWlkRW8nxW70yH2BtA0ABQg17y_WvAZIWkrJeOlhcuDhuU_QP7KUoFVdT0hes5Ax8zUYse2FyRxurBe8HZ1sGaH94P1OiAteKw68wZlkrqCpLXulj/s200/P-Stu+and+Rick.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patience and Kyle Stuart<br />
(AKA Rasta P-Stu and Rick)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Last month two of my greatest friends from the days at Linfield College got hitched and I was lucky enough to attend their wedding! <br />
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I'm always fascinated by wedding invitations, especially when gift registries are mentioned. This year there was no going off the gift registry for me! I also personally have mixed feelings about the idea of registering for gifts for any occasion. I know some people swear by needing a list to know how to buy someone a gift, but I sort of feel that if I know someone well enough to want to give them a gift, I'll be able to think of something appropriate on my own. Will you think of me when you use your Target napkin rings? I hope not. I'd rather not be remembered for buying plastic crap made in China. <br />
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The idea of brides registering for items to fill their new household was started in the the 1920s by the Marshall Fields Department Store. So let's imagine we're roaring it up the the 1920s and suddenly our BFFs are getting married. Chances are good that the lady hasn't lived away from her parents, so in part, has no items needed to make up her future happy household. Maybe the gent has lived away from home, but only owns a hot plate, a mug and a pair of spats. Thank goodness there is a list where I can see that they would like to own a pot, pan, and a set of dishes. I now what you're thinking: Gifts to set up the happy couple, mainly coming from the woman's side? That sounds like a dowry. Yes, popular belief is that the gift registry is an evolved form of a dowry. Is there a problem with that? Not particularly. <br />
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Here's what I find most interesting: Given that many people I know who are getting married have lived in their own places for quite some time, and have accumulated items to stock their houses, why do they need to register for a bunch of <b>new</b> items? I'm sure it's for a lot of reasons: wanting higher quality items, needing more of something, not having money to buy a KitchenAid Mixer, etc. What's comical is the fact that the idea of having a gift registry is seen as "critical". This lovely quote was taken from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFBDn5PiL00">Wikipedia</a>, so take it with the same grain of salt that I do: <br />
<h2><a href="http://www.wikiweddings.org/Bridal_Registry_and_Gifts"><b><b>The History of the Bridal Registry and Why You Need One</b></b></a></h2><br />
<i>"While some brides may think they can get by without registering their wish list on a bridal registry, this can be a recipe for disaster. If you've ever been to a wedding where the happy couple got three toasters, two toaster ovens, and four sets of silverware as I have, then you know how critical it can be to let your friends and family know what you want and need. Otherwise be prepared for returning the extras and doing exchanges, or getting stuck with those duplicate items."</i><br />
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OMG. The poor couple mentioned is going to be stuck eating toast! How tragic.<br />
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Here's my main point: if you want/need to register for anything, why not open yourself up to receiving high quality second hand items? I recently received an invitation to a baby shower and it said, "second hand gifts are appreciated and encouraged" and had a list of items that the couple felt they could use. That was interesting. Parameters were given for the people who aren't good at thinking up their own gifts, and the door was opened for giving second hand items. Love it. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaju9cLcScQjNllF2ULGJuDtR4GwHHQafkzvBKMk_cQtiwKTPE8QTf2kDlpStKEKD4NpS5OWdUzawj-3YelOXFir-BLLtM0uLERw1Bxy0PFRGTvlWnOqBvsZZwsgdyB__5Yaj_aZ1l9Ly/s1600/P8170007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaju9cLcScQjNllF2ULGJuDtR4GwHHQafkzvBKMk_cQtiwKTPE8QTf2kDlpStKEKD4NpS5OWdUzawj-3YelOXFir-BLLtM0uLERw1Bxy0PFRGTvlWnOqBvsZZwsgdyB__5Yaj_aZ1l9Ly/s200/P8170007.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>What did I end up doing for the wedding gift? Well, I'm lucky to have friends that appreciate their odd friend (me) and put up with my infatuation with second hand items.....In fact, I didn't even look at the items that K and P registered for, mainly because I wanted to be creative in my gift planning and not be influenced by their list. Here's what I came up with:<br />
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<ul><li>A small cast iron pan for toasting sandwiches (bought at Goodwill)</li>
<li> An antique blue glass canning jar (from OSU thrift store) that I filled with dried red lentils from the CoOp down the street</li>
<li>A bottle of <a href="http://www.bellevallee.com/">Belle Vallee</a> Pinot Noir</li>
<li>Recipes for Red Lentil Apple Sweet Potato soup, and grilled gorgonzola cheese and green apple sandwiches which I tied to the bottle of wine</li>
<li>Instructions for the couple to cook together some evening when the season turns chilly</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KLCSrIz3Q4QMbsOf9ykhIpKlhlQnHvQBq9UEvXr0kWIJ8XDqx6DSzMJs_D_gl5gRwnLhH_aEIFcBdkfvhVFdmxdrfE6FRKuO9Z8bSrjz792ji-2Q6Af1NK415b44GT2q450KP4Qi17L6/s320/P8170006.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The card made from the wedding invitation</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>I was especially proud of my recycled wrapping featuring a CoOp paper bag, crumpled magazine photos of food in place of tissue paper, re-used ribbon I had from Christmas and the card I fashioned from the wedding invitation that the couple had designed and made. <br />
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It was a fun gift to put together for two great people! And the wedding was a blast!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KLCSrIz3Q4QMbsOf9ykhIpKlhlQnHvQBq9UEvXr0kWIJ8XDqx6DSzMJs_D_gl5gRwnLhH_aEIFcBdkfvhVFdmxdrfE6FRKuO9Z8bSrjz792ji-2Q6Af1NK415b44GT2q450KP4Qi17L6/s1600/P8170006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-64239182149620531932010-09-21T14:51:00.000-07:002010-09-21T14:51:56.198-07:00Putting the Barter in Beg Barter BorrowSooooo.....I had a bit of a long hiatus from blogging due to a perfect scheduling tornado of work, gardening, friend and family visits, weddings to attend, packing to move, packing to travel, traveling and finally moving! I'll be playing catch up for a few posts, taking you way back to mid summer (I've kept detailed notes) and all the interesting events and dilemmas I've had associated with my project.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0cvVEKJSa46-MEu4E2qhOZkGHDuIBInYn95kqxhxI2Py3vx-hhQSN3cveqZTJdfk6PbPILfSwAuVukyt9JM432zLovEZ2ux7oYk3RDIIwl3ivCpYLNCRgF0yBPxfpj1D0ma8oKtXK2fK/s1600/jar+and+screens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0cvVEKJSa46-MEu4E2qhOZkGHDuIBInYn95kqxhxI2Py3vx-hhQSN3cveqZTJdfk6PbPILfSwAuVukyt9JM432zLovEZ2ux7oYk3RDIIwl3ivCpYLNCRgF0yBPxfpj1D0ma8oKtXK2fK/s320/jar+and+screens.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barter: Screens for Canning Jars</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Remember back when I wrote about the Master Food Preserver (Family Food Educator) course I took through the extension service? Well, I've had a canning obsession since then - and this has made me run into my first big dilemma in not buying anything new! You see, each time you can something you have to put on a new lid. The jar and the ring can be reused (as long as the ring isn't rusty on the inside), but that lid has to be replaced since it gets dented when the can is pried from the jar, and dented lids don't seal to jars. I had a good amount of jelly jars thanks to food school, my mom and some garage sale finds, and I had rings, but I had no unused lids. I hemmed and hawed about what to do for two days, while glorious days of u-picking fruit for jam passed me by. And then I had to start packing to move! Lucky for me, I'm always willing to take a break for a beer and burger at Squirrels Tavern, my favorite local, and it was there that my friend Jill was talking about how much she was enjoying her silk screening class. And what did I have under my bed? Two used and one brand new silk screen which I had tried to sell on Craigslist last year! Long story short, Jill and I set up a barter: canning supplies in exchange for my silk screen stuff. My first trade! <br />
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While I technically did not buy anything new, I am using some new items. Is this wrong? Is it negating my whole project? I can't decide. I feel really good about preserving food that I have grown in jars that I am reusing. But those lids are making things complicated!Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-28753362081985837472010-07-30T19:38:00.000-07:002010-07-30T19:41:26.030-07:00Information JunkiesI am almost through my 7th month of buying nothing new! Can you believe it? I can. My Grandpa Read once told me that he felt like his life sped up between the ages of 20 and 69. It slowed back down at 70. He turned 89 earlier this week, and while it might seem like the years go a bit slower now, the man is still cramming in all sorts of activities like Mac user club (he would never touch a PC), choir, walking the dog and impressing the ladies with his mad ballroom dance skills. Nice job Gramps!<br />
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Knowing that I am over the halfway mark of my project has made me stop and think about the comments I've received from people who've seen the blog. Just last week and old friend from college said she started reading it and was excited to swap stories of reusing and refurbishing, which I LOVE. Since January, many friends and acquaintances (but no enemies....I think) have referred me to books, documentaries, other blogs and websites related to my goal to buy nothing new, reuse and re-think the way I consume. Here's a rundown so far:<br />
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Bill Lewis suggested checking out this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/McGee-Stuckeys-Bountiful-Container-Vegetables/dp/0761116230">book</a> to get more information on container gardening (bonus: Rose Marie is a local).<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/McGee-Stuckeys-Bountiful-Container-Vegetables/dp/0761116230"></a> <br />
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Britt Q. sent me a link to <a href="http://www.storyofstuff.com/">The Story of Stuff Project</a>, which explains the Materials Economy and how stuff is made from things that are extracted, produced, distributed, consumed and finally disposed of. There's a documentary, a blog, a book and a very interactive website featuring clips of the film. The whole thing is <a href="http://www.entertonement.com/clips/dfhgqxrmcw--Guinness-BrilliantGuinness-beer-">BRILLIANT!</a> It was criticized by Glenn Beck for being anti consumer and other groups said it was anti-American since it highlights how much of the world's resources the US uses. If that doesn't make you want to get into it, I don't know what will. <br />
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My awesome coworker Renee Stowell directed me to a website for <a href="http://www.reuseum.com/">The Reuseum</a>, a surplus store in Idaho that tries to get recycled technology out into the community, and also promotes all sorts of creative projects using surplus items, like using old voting booths to poll people on the street on their likes and dislikes. Hey Facebook, you're not the only one that can ask people funny quizzes! Renee also gets super props for discovering art projects we can do that involve reused items,<a href="http://idaho-style.blogspot.com/2010/01/artsy-vintage-record-bowls.html"> like making bowls out of old record albums</a>, which we did a few months ago. And no, we did not inhale.<br />
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In reference to my blog regarding tooth brushes, Jessica White told me that <a href="http://www.traderjoesfan.com/articles/articles/a_brush_with_conscience/%20">Trader Joe's sells a recyclable toothbrush</a>. It's made from recycled plastic yogurt containers! The company who makes them sells all sorts of <a href="http://www.preserveproducts.com/">interesting recycled products</a> which were exciting to see, but couldn't compare with my current favorite recycled vessel, my Adams peanut butter jar water glass/travel mug. <br />
<a href="http://www.traderjoesfan.com/articles/articles/a_brush_with_conscience/"><br />
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Party Jon gave me the book, "<a href="http://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/2333/">Make Your Place: Affordable, Sustainable, Nesting Skills</a>" so I can figure out how to make my own household cleaning supplies, deodorant, toothpaste and all sorts of other great things. I hope he wasn't trying to give me a hint. <br />
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Multiple people suggested that I watch the documentary <a href="http://www.foodincmovie.com/">Food Inc.</a> So I finally borrowed it from Sarah G and watched it. You should watch it too and get mad as hell. All I have to say is, "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soylent_Green">Soylent Green Is People</a>". Let's stop being chumps. <br />
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And since I now get my cheap kicks from trying new recipes instead of window shopping, I've got my favorite sites for recipes. Rachel Faber Machacha directed me to <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">http://smittenkitchen.com/</a> with stories of how she lived off of the Mediterranean Pepper Salad last summer (It IS that good). And then there is the lovely <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/index.html">http://www.101cookbooks.com/index.html </a> which I stumbled upon when looking for a quinoa recipe last year. Heidi Swanson has proved to be a great source for flavor inspiration!<br />
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Keep the info coming! I love reading/watching/listening/seeing/sharing it!Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-4869839826905585192010-07-20T23:05:00.000-07:002010-07-20T23:06:35.171-07:00Sharp like a razorIt is time for a new toothbrush.<br />
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Luckily I have a spare all ready to go in the bathroom and I won't have to debate about which free toothbrush alternative to adopt (stick, dental floss and mouthwash combo or <a href="http://phoenixtools.org/articles/teeth/toothpaste.htm">charcoal/cactus spike duo</a>). I've been told to change out my toothbrush every six months for my entire life. If I hadn't received a free toothbrush from the dentist at each visit, I probably would have paid more attention to my toothbrush usage and disposal. But now that I have to contemplate the source to address every potential need, toothbrushes are coming to the forefront!<br />
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Up until a few years ago my pattern was: use, receive free replacement and throw away old brush. During some time in China a few years ago, I noticed that the Chinese government was in the middle of a major campaign to promote dental care among citizens. This was apparent when: A) I saw posters of people brushing their teeth in most public areas, B) one of my students gave me a note on a postcard advertising toothpaste, and C) I went hiking in the mountains and on the edges of a stream bed I saw hundreds and hundreds of plastic tooth brushes. The colorful plastic flotsam was striking against the brown mud and green plants of the waterway. It was easy for me to dismiss the scene as just one of the issues plaguing China as it develops. But ever since then I have wondered about the toothbrushes I have disposed of during my lifetime. Are they floating down some Oregon creeks toward the ocean?<br />
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My friend Party Jon and I are equally bugged by the standard toothbrush, yet neither of us has invested in anything like the Eco-dent toothbrush, a German toothbrush that comes with <a href="http://www.reusablebags.com/store/ecodent-replaceable-head-toothbrush-head-adult-p-2049.html">replacement heads</a>. I think it's because I wish there was a complete alternative to using a plastic brush at all. Perhaps a bamboo toothbrush? Well shit. It exists: <a href="http://www.environmentaltoothbrush.com.au/">http://www.environmentaltoothbrush.com.au/ </a> Apparently Australia is all hip to the environmental side of the toothbrush dilemma while New Zealand has taken another route: <br />
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<a href="http://www.tepahu.co.nz/Info-Centre/Toothbrush-Fence.aspx">Nice job, Te Pahu!</a> <br />
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Either way, they've still got us Americans beat. Beyond recyling my toothbrushes and hoping they don't end up in a waterway, or speculating alternatives like chewing on a stick, I haven't come up with a good alternative for that free toothbrush from the dentist office. When I have the option to buy new items again, I just might try the Aussie bamboo brush. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQkJnYq5KFFAZq0f_crRTwUCc4QjdBk0gMwW7iBBUgrdu517DIuLuUCbTuEdhiDHJXc7X7OC4wYrgaRKvRLBdLKtrh2EclHJLspZko7w5LPajzMsJHuGK6suBsr-A-D447rGPN0FK8rM-/s1600/P6140003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQkJnYq5KFFAZq0f_crRTwUCc4QjdBk0gMwW7iBBUgrdu517DIuLuUCbTuEdhiDHJXc7X7OC4wYrgaRKvRLBdLKtrh2EclHJLspZko7w5LPajzMsJHuGK6suBsr-A-D447rGPN0FK8rM-/s200/P6140003.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtj9zwsUCdbtrv35yAERR5RdpDAsVi5p_VlHKqe5hK4HnKh-QruwVkYwc0y2vNQYXT2zIu5lV69_VOz04lzuXf-f6Sxtf9-pyxw10WcmYZttM3Y7it4tCSXyFijl_LonKUBArZmXAGaMh/s1600/P6140002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtj9zwsUCdbtrv35yAERR5RdpDAsVi5p_VlHKqe5hK4HnKh-QruwVkYwc0y2vNQYXT2zIu5lV69_VOz04lzuXf-f6Sxtf9-pyxw10WcmYZttM3Y7it4tCSXyFijl_LonKUBArZmXAGaMh/s200/P6140002.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0dHPFAf_D0bM3M_mbKSTJzU6CHFNOlYyxl96InGoZdgoNN0Ku0NQKmwt6wMZ6Bac5okUOs-VWt_Bt6q0bLUzxopzwGZnwC0aVabA8906v5AKAzXBNhuDS4SrlDCP3OUDCR5s6V2MIZ_D/s1600/P6140001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0dHPFAf_D0bM3M_mbKSTJzU6CHFNOlYyxl96InGoZdgoNN0Ku0NQKmwt6wMZ6Bac5okUOs-VWt_Bt6q0bLUzxopzwGZnwC0aVabA8906v5AKAzXBNhuDS4SrlDCP3OUDCR5s6V2MIZ_D/s200/P6140001.JPG" width="200" /></a>What I have come up with is a great disposable razor alternative! Despite my friend Britt Q sending me the link to an article about <a href="http://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/disposable-razor-sharp-jeans.html">how to make your disposable razor last longer</a>, I still reached a point when I needed to find a razor alternative (for free) or just go hairy for the rest of the year. Let's just say that I'm a brunette so it was an easy decision. Thinking about shaving made me remember being a little girl and chattering away to my dad while he shaved his cheeks and neck, accommodating his big beard. I remembered his razor exactly (the end of it looked like a gear shift), and more so, I remembered him just changing the blades instead of throwing the whole thing away. The next time I went home I asked my mom about it, and she not only still had the razor, but tucked in the medicine cabinet were two boxes of Schick injector blades! The whole system is pretty awesome - the old blade is pushed out when you insert the new blade and then you put the used blade back in the case and can recycle it all together. Score. My mom also pulled out an old women's Gillette razor that takes full sized razor blades. It looks way classier than those pink plastic Venus razors at the grocery store. I like shaving with a razor that has some weight to it. It doesn't slip out of my hand and despite dealing with razor blades, I have not cut myself. How did plastic disposable razors become the norm? The don't necessarily make our lives any easier- you still have to shave. If anything, disposing of something on a regular basis seems more complicated than using a product and changing out one part when it gets worn out. I am happy to use my vintage razors and even happier to be reminded of my dad and mom when I do!Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-28139107062553986542010-07-08T22:59:00.000-07:002010-07-08T22:59:30.762-07:00Stitch and Bitch, but be sure to recycle!When I graduated high school (TEN YEARS AGO!), I had a plethora of school related t-shirts from marching band, musicals, tennis, orchestra and other assorted activities. Like pretty much every other teenage girl, I had the brilliant plan of saving those shirts to make into a t-shirt quilt. Well, I got busy with college and the quilt didn't happen. But I did manage to keep a paper bag consisting of the shirts in my closet, parceled away from my Goodwill offerings, and there they sat in confinement until after college.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4F_JVUrWx5Yl2KVEZhCgE1oygKx852ollJqMB5MNh1muMZGUE1NbVGhTXGkP_V238omYrdARlKd-rrbfjIAaX0g_rD6kJiDGWV7D533RRg4zb0IjiCpZZZGfZcWyrhlHKW1sRARLdc7Pz/s1600/P7030044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4F_JVUrWx5Yl2KVEZhCgE1oygKx852ollJqMB5MNh1muMZGUE1NbVGhTXGkP_V238omYrdARlKd-rrbfjIAaX0g_rD6kJiDGWV7D533RRg4zb0IjiCpZZZGfZcWyrhlHKW1sRARLdc7Pz/s320/P7030044.JPG" width="240" /></a>When my post college plan of finding a super awesome job didn't really happen, I re-discovered my t-shirt bag when rooting around for something to entertain myself. This time I decided to trim the shirts so that I would only have the portion of the shirt with what ever assorted graphic made it really cool. Who needs sleeves or necklines? So I proceeded to cut the shirts into pieces, and I also managed to secure the cheapest baseline model (i.e all plastic) Singer sewing machine I could find. Score! I should at this time mention that my t-shirt pieces were not cut with any sort of measurement or straight edge, or even design plan for all that matters -I just went at the shirts with a pair of scissors, which resulted in some not exactly rectangular or square patches. I then proceeded to use my supposedly awesome sewing machine to attach some polyester quilt batting, but that ended up being extremely difficult given that the sewing machine was a piece of shit in disguise. Needless to say, everything got put away until a few weeks ago when I re-discovered the t-shirt pieces and thought, "If I have to move these effing t-shirt pieces again, I am going to lose it." Sometimes you just need the right motivation to complete a project!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4T77zI7nmF_j5j4bjxD3yHdlYjDU9CPles6he1HqYPyPi0sUg6mfkUouXCQL_ttq3FRfpkFuBvS6JcZSrbgPsdc7_ei_W2NH9FVEwwbLmY9ZHM01dTt2UZt557Pvq2681xhb-AZxuOdZO/s1600/P7030045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4T77zI7nmF_j5j4bjxD3yHdlYjDU9CPles6he1HqYPyPi0sUg6mfkUouXCQL_ttq3FRfpkFuBvS6JcZSrbgPsdc7_ei_W2NH9FVEwwbLmY9ZHM01dTt2UZt557Pvq2681xhb-AZxuOdZO/s320/P7030045.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>My one challenge with finishing the quilt was the fact that I had no big spools of thread, and I couldn't just wander into town to buy some. You would think that it would be easy to find thread at a thrift store since so many people have sewing boxes with tons of partially used spools. Unfortunately, for months I could only find used thread packaged with a bunch of crap I didn't need, like buttons, lace and googly eyes (who is making hooker dolls?) This week, however, I hit pay dirt at the OSU Folk Thrift Store and secured a zip lock bag with four spools of thread (white, pink, green and brown) and ten mini spools all for the hot price of $1.50. I got home, slapped the spool of white thread on my housemates legitimately awesome <a href="http://www.singerco.com/support/model_number.html">1960s Singer sewing machine</a> (all the parts are metal and I can fill and thread the bobbin in two minutes) and started to sew. It took me half a day spread over an evening and morning, given that the patches were inconsistent sizes and crooked, but I managed to get them together in a way that didn't look half bad! When the front was complete, I cycled over to Goodwill bought a cute little twin bed sheet with butterflies on it to use as the backing and sewed it on. Voila! A quilt that is too small for a bed, but just perfect for curling up on the couch with a good book or laying on to watch Fourth of July fireworks.Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-8533926493625494192010-06-17T18:14:00.000-07:002010-06-17T18:14:23.247-07:00The More You KnowSorry for the delay in a new post. I got sidetracked with a bunch of happenings at the end of May and the first week of June. I am happy to report that I get to spend the next three months with a much smaller carbon footprint due to a bicycle commute to a job much closer to home! Yay! So now I will gift you with a really long blog to make up for my absence. <br />
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What's been on my mind the last few weeks? The way that we try to justify the convenience items and systems in our life that are disposable by citing the status quo. We consume what is made available in the market, including instant and pre sliced fruits and vegetables, electronic gadgets and use products that are made to be disposable because the alternatives take a lot of effort. Interestingly, the "effort" that it used to take people to cut their own foods and write out and mail a letter meant that we expended 3 to 5 times more energy per day as we do now with our items of convenience like pre cut veggies and online bill pay. No wonder we are all getting soft. Those that try to buck trends and go beyond the standard consumer market are seen as trail blazers or hippie weirdos as a result of their decision to change the way they consume. In Oregon it can be easy to say that going against the norm is just a hipster trend, along with fair trade coffee tastings and fixed gear bikes. I just read an article about how butcher classes are becoming the "in thing" in Portland so that people can buy a share of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community-supported_agriculture">CSA</a> pig and then slaughter it themselves. While I applaud the fact that these people are taking ownership of the way they interact with the meat industry, I also found the article reeking of hipster musk when it mentioned that the classes are taught by some foodies who apprenticed in France for a few years (why wouldn't a domestic butcher suffice?) and the classes are followed by wine and <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/tools/fooddictionary/entry?id=1797">charcuterie</a> tastings. Sounds more like a date night, then a skill building class. Except for the $250 price tag. I'm a much cheaper date than that.<br />
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Don't get me wrong - I get excited to learn that people are taking up skills that were essential trades a few generations ago. But then I get infuriated when I see that the "classes" are being offered at a price tag that the majority of society cannot afford. $250? No effing way. I'm saving for a trip to Yosemite! That's why I'm super stoked about the <a href="http://extension.oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University Extension Service</a>.<br />
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For the past six weeks I have been enrolled in the Family Food Education aka Master Food Preserver class of the Linn/Benton County branch of the extension service. This class wasn't free - it was $40, which might sound really expensive but isn't considering that it meets for 6 sessions for 7 hours each time, and students get to take home the food made during the class. So far we have learned how to properly freeze foods, process canned foods, make jam, jelly, preserves, chutney, pickles, sauerkraut, kimchee, various salsas and cheese, flavor vinegar and this week we will be dehydrating all kinds of tasty morsels like fruit and jerky. Beyond making delicious foods, we have learned how to inspect and test pressure canners for accuracy, properly pack a freezer, prevent food spoilage and been scared by a new understanding of food born illness, like botulism, the neurotoxin produced by the bacteria Clostridum Botulinum. After the last class (today!) we are encouraged to take the state certification exam to teach the public what we learned in the class, as Family Food Education volunteers. I appreciate the expectation that I will pay my knowledge forward and help my community learn the safe way to take advantage of the great fresh foods available in the valley! I should add that all the recipes we use are available <a href="http://extension.oregonstate.edu/fch/food-preservation">online</a> for the general public to access. <br />
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The OSU Extension Service offers additional classes beyond food education. The public can take courses to become a Master Gardener and a Master Recycler. Low income single mothers are offered nutrition courses and early childhood development classes. The extension service will also identify insects that the general public brings in. Awesome! There is a lot of overlap in the Master Food Preserver class with people who have already taken the other extension courses. I once described my classmates to Steady J with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venn_diagram">Venn diagram</a>. In the middle was the Master Food Preserver course and in smaller overlapping circles were things like, "raises chickens", "likes composting", "bakes bread", "knows how to pronounce and use <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa">quinoa</a>" and "has strong distrust of cake from a mix". It's a pretty great group of people in the class, aged from late twenties to mid sixties who live around the Willamette valley. Some people have previously canned a wide variety of things and are in the class to renew their family food education certification, others are newbs like me. <br />
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You might wonder why I made a big effort to learn a bunch of depression era farm skills when I could buy organic canned and dried goods and farmers market vegetables, jellies and jams. I did it because I wanted to reduce my consumption of commercially packaged/preserved food and make a bunch of food taste the way I like it. The glass canning jars I can reuse, unlike aluminum cans and Aseptic cartons. I can pickle quarts and quarts of the beets I planted and cut them in all sorts of fancy shapes! Apple sauce? Sure, I'll make it and put in as much or as little cinnamon as I please. This class has given me another outlet to be creative, not to mention the ability to make a lot of exciting gifts during the holidays. And overall, I just think the whole idea of preserving my own food is really exciting. I'm a D.I.Y. person. I always find it satisfying to know how to do something new. <a href="http://www.entertonement.com/clips/rkbgvhrwjv--the-more-you-know">The more you know</a> is what it's all about. And I now know food preservation. Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-53467202824774153862010-05-23T12:17:00.000-07:002010-05-23T12:17:45.968-07:00Book Report: No Impact ManSteady J's mom clipped an article from Time Magazine and mailed it to me some weeks ago. The article, titled <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1975323,00.html">"Cash Crunch: Why Extreme Thriftiness Stunts Are The Rage"</a> discussed the recent emergence of projects publicized by blogs (resulting in book deals) concerning among other things, not riding in a car, not purchasing any new clothing other than underwear for one year, and spending $1 on food per person per day for one month. I found the article pretty amusing, especially when it explained how it is no longer fashionable to "flaunt bling", however, it is fashionable to flaunt a "monk-like existence". Well, I can't say that I'm flaunting anything with my blog other than the fact that I hate the U.S. energy policy, my pants are too small and I really like jars.<br />
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The idea that "deprivation experiments" are something new is fascinating. My guess is more that it is a trend to deliver report of the experiment via blog, and not the fact that people are trying to live differently than the norm. Back in the late 70s when my dad was a student at University of Alaska, Fairbanks, he and his roommates and friends (in the dorm) decided that grocery stores were overrated and they were only going to eat what they could catch. I should mention that they were all up there to study wildlife and biology and other such outdoorsy related subjects which meant that they had an idea of what was available for eating. I should also mention that most of them grew up in the paved valleys of southern California. Anyway, after a week of living off of voles and other small rodents caught by snares, they decided that grocery stores were actually ok. What's hilarious to me is that my dad didn't think his experiment was all that strange. I think my dad figured that college was the time when everyone was trying something new. And when he would tell that story, he would always end with a substory about the guy living down the hall who had covered his entire room and bed with moss. Moss guy was the real oddball! Today, if a group of college students tried eating rodents or covering their rooms with moss, you bet they would have a blog about it, and they would end up on The Today Show and inevitably there would be a reality tv show about them after a few months. I guess what I'm saying is that these experiments are nothing new, it's just the way they are hyped that is new. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWaFeSxdaB_nUDCzDjIBiTXpCwRg2gVwhUY40UB8ACaOLxkl85CtV1vwKCgWGhNYcfRtAPPvFEAyx9CfqRKUacAKA3eHhecjtPJUr6Hiv9aSBOh-7lDrlFZ9kjUGlobLfnjBcLM4vd6Rl/s1600/no-impact-man-book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWaFeSxdaB_nUDCzDjIBiTXpCwRg2gVwhUY40UB8ACaOLxkl85CtV1vwKCgWGhNYcfRtAPPvFEAyx9CfqRKUacAKA3eHhecjtPJUr6Hiv9aSBOh-7lDrlFZ9kjUGlobLfnjBcLM4vd6Rl/s320/no-impact-man-book.jpg" /></a></div>By some odd coincidence, the Time article made reference to, <i>No Impact Man</i>, a man named Colin Beaven who spent a year of his life NYC trying to have as little environmental impact as possible. He kept a <a href="http://noimpactman.typepad.com/">blog</a> about he and his wife and infant daughter's experience and wrote a book about it that came out last year. There was also a documentary made about the project. My friend Mary (of the lightning jar fame) had mention No Impact Man to me a few days before, and with two seemingly random references to the same work in a matter of days, I figured it was time to read his book! <br />
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Unlike my reading of <i>Not Buying It</i>, I could really relate to Colin Beavan, despite the fact that he lives in Manhattan and is married with a small child. He wrote about his reasons for wanting to live with the least amount of environmental impact as possible and made a logical plan to do so. He was honest to the fact that his lifestyle as a writer allowed him certain flexibility that would probably not be possible for many other people. He was also quite truthful in admitting the areas that he and his wife could not find to work around, such as how to find olive oil or coffee made within 100 miles of Manhattan. I found it highly amusing that Beavan wrote of reading <i>Not Buying It</i>, and had the same comments and criticisms I had. Despite the overwhelming title of <i>No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet And the Discoveries He Makes About Himself And Our Way Of Life In The Process</i>, which initially turned Steady J off, even he could relate when Beavan spoke of using an old peanut butter jar as his coffee mug; a look which Steady J has pioneered on the west coast.<br />
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Beavan made lots of great points and links in his book that I could explain here, but I won't because I'm hoping that a lot of you will go out and read his book, or check out his blog, or even watch the documentary (which I have not seen). I'm just going to close by highlighting a few of the main points from his book that made me stop and think.<br />
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Number 1: Beavan theorizes that mechanical devices and technology have taken the rest periods our of our lives. Before cell phones, Ipads and travel coffee mugs, people were forced to sit for periods of time without distraction and constant connection, allowing them to rest their brains and bodies. There would be lapses between stressful times because you were not always tethered to work or other people. If you wanted a cup of coffee and you were out on the town, you sat quietly in a coffee shop and were able to rest your mind, and you were not interrupted by a phone call, text or email message. Beavan mentions research that reflects that people today are no happier than people several generations ago, in fact, they are less happy, and he wonders if we can really consider ourselves to be an advanced society if technological advances are not increasing our overall enjoyment of life.<br />
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Number 2: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence">Products are designed to become obsolete</a> (ie, break or be deemed out of style) in order to keep people buying. This makes me mad and I think it should be illegal since it causes so many unnecessary things to be created that end up in landfills after a few years. This started in the 1920s when things began to be commonly made by assembly line, as opposed to hand made, and really took off in the 1950s. <br />
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Number 3: TV is a bigger time suck than people realize! Over the course of his project, Beavan teaches himself to cook with ingredients he buys from the farmers market, learns to make yogurt, sauerkraut and bake bread. All his friends want to know where he finds time to do it. The answer is that the first day of the project his family gave away their big flat screen television. The average amount of tv that Americans watch is 4.5 hours per day. Without a television, he and his wife have 9 hours a day back in their lives to devote to cooking healthy food for their small family. It doesn't take 9 hours a day to cook food, so their excess time is spent playing with their daughter, or talking, or riding bikes or playing board games with their friends who stop by for some home cooked food! They become slender and healthy from their increased intake of great food, and decreased time spend sitting around watching tv. I may never have a tv again!Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-55210498874111389462010-05-19T22:06:00.000-07:002010-05-19T22:11:45.288-07:00"No, You're Weird!!!!!"Something new: A travel story!<br />
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I had to travel to Houston for a meeting and decided to fly out of Eugene for the first time ever since it would be way more convenient for Steady J to drop me off and pick me up. Eugene has quite a nice airport, with a little cafe, gift shops and even "USB charger ports in the chairs!" as the TSA agent who checked my ID and boarding pass exclaimed when I told him it was my first time using that airport. "What a gem", I thought, "I'm coming back here!" And then the other TSA Agent took my toothpaste and my excitement was crushed. <br />
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I probably pushed the envelope a bit by throwing my semi-new full size tube in my backpack when I was hurrying to get out the door. When I was packing the night before, I'd realized that my travel size tube was in my desk at work. And I had no idea where my travel size deodorant had disappeared to. "No sweat", I figured. The TSA Agent in Portland had previously allowed my almost finished full size tube through with no issue. Apparently, he was incompetent, but quite accommodating which is not the optimal mix for a TSA agent.<br />
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The woman running the x-ray scanner had my bag pulled for a hand search by some pimply string bean fresh out of school. This was extra entertaining considering that I was the <u>only person</u> in the security line and there were six TSA agents. I guess I beat the Monday morning rush. Anyway, the youngster pulled my toothpaste and said it was not the approved size. Toothpaste is apparently not allowed in quantities greater than four ounces, yet my full size deodorant caused no red flag, which seems odd since that stuff melts down to a vast melty goo. The agent went on to say that my bag would have to be rescanned and they would dispose of my toothpaste for me. All I could think of was the plastic tube and the mix of diatomaceous earth and fluoride going into the dump! "Can I leave it and pick it up tomorrow?" I asked. "No, we don't have that capability" was the reply. The agent asked if I could check my bag, which was a good suggestion, but I was under strict orders that the files I was carrying had to be kept on my person and I was not going to schlep 10 pounds of scholarship applications and transcripts without a bag to keep them in. <br />
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My backpack was rescanned and right before the toothpaste was pitched I asked "Can I squeeze out most of the paste so I just have enough in that tube to use for the next two days?" Ol' pimple faces response was, "we'd have no way to know how many ounces would be left in the tube." And then I excitedly said, "But if the tube is eight ounces and then I squeeze out half of it, that would leave four ounces, and then if I squeeze out three quarters of that, I'd have one ounce!" And I was smiling with my brilliant use of logical estimation! And the young one was going to let me do it! Until he looked at the female who had scanned my bags and she shook her head back and forth. She told me to go to the travel shop and see if they had any four ounce containers for sale. I replied, " I don't buy anything new." and both agents looked at me like they couldn't decide if I was an idiot or a really incompetent terrorist who was running out of stories.<br />
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In a last attempt to save my toothpaste I asked them to wait while I searched my bag for a container. I thought there might be a film canister with vitamins in it floating amidst my change of underwear and hair straightener. All I could locate was a plastic freezer bag that had previously housed my toothbrush <i>and</i> toothpaste. I held it up inquisitively to the TSA agent and he said, "that would be kind of weird" and threw my toothpaste away right in front of my eyes. I wanted to yell, "No, you're weird! You're a WASTER AMERICAN! A Person who thinks everything is disposable and gives no thought to the resources used to make products!" and then slap him. But I didn't. I figured an angry outburst a 7am would put me on the TSA crazy list, and I really needed to get to that meeting. I had to settle for sitting at one of those fancy USB chairs while I fumed about being called weird and tore into a package of peppermint gum to chomp out my frustration and cover my breakfast breath. <br />
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"You're weird!"<br />
"You're weird!"<br />
"You're weird!"<br />
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Those words flowed through my head with each chew, alternating between being directed internally and back at the TSA crowd. I was super miffed and then I noticed the TSA comment cards and decided that they deserved a piece of my mind. When I was almost done filling out the card, I realized I had written, "Your agents threw away my toothpaste and then said I was weird!" as my complaint and felt like a total 8th grade loser. I folded up the complaint card and put it in my pocket to use as future scratch paper.<br />
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As I sat there waiting for my plane to board I started to wonder if this project is making me become a fundamentalist in my crusade against waste. I came to the conclusion that if I am worked up to the point of wanting to berate a TSA agent for being vigilant in their job, I am probably well on my way to being a "fundo" for my cause. And that doesn't actually trouble me that much. What does trouble me is the fact that I stand out so much in the general public for being conscious of waste. I am definitely not the norm. More people should be this weird.Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-43231747334078308942010-05-07T10:30:00.000-07:002010-05-07T10:33:47.479-07:00The Fizzle BizzleFacebook today announced that they've extended a new application, the Gross National Happiness app, to users in countries around the world. This "app", which I had never heard about until <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/05/06/facebook.happiness.mashable/index.html?hpt=C2">this article</a>, identifies status updates of users and uses the information to classify the "emotional state of users" by country. Apparently in the trials in the US and a few other countries, it was found that Gross National Happiness increases when people are enjoying holidays, but decreases when we're all sad over celebrity deaths, like Michael Jackson or when our favorite team loses the Super Bowl. This Facebook, or Fizzle Bizzle (as my friends and I like to call it) article made me think more about Facebook and its purpose. <br />
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Facebook to me, has gone from a seemingly organic way to connect with friends and acquaintances, to a way for companies and corporations to collect data on potential customers. Ever wonder where that fun quiz about your likes and dislikes came from? No, not some creative college student's basement. Try a market research company. It's much easier to collect data from consumers when you don't have to survey them in a grocery store or by cold calling. I'm often surprised the detail of information people will provide online surveys that seem to have no creator and are floating freely around Facebook. People will answer questions about their living arrangement (alone or with people), their income, education level, work place, hours of work, pets, names of family members, favorite foods, music, movies, books, etc, all because some quiz is supposedly going to provide insight into their personality as a result of their painstaking answer to the question, "Do you prefer Cheetos or Doritos?"<br />
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Cheetos.<br />
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And now Facebook is publicly going beyond the quiz for market research. It is mining our comments to determine our emotional well being. (How does FB get around obtaining Informed Consent from users?). Interestingly, I foresee targeted advertisements to citizens of certain countries based on the average emotional state of its users. This is where I think the process is flawed (and I'm kind of happy about it). If Facebook is going to use a text reader to look for words indicating emotional state, such as "awesome" or "tragic", how will it take sarcasm into consideration? What if my status is, "It is so awesome that my cat took a shit on my jeans!" (That is pretty much a real status update from my friend B.A.) Or, even more fascinating is the fact that sometimes people write status updates that are more a reflection of what they think other people want to see, and less about what they are feeling. People write, "Happy Thanksgiving! It's going to be a great day with family!" when they really mean "I don't feel like cooking for these ingrates." How does this app taking lying into consideration? Or people just reflect on things that they don't care about, or don't really mean anything. "Happy Friday!". Does that mean I'm having a Happy Friday or does that mean that I hope to have one or I hope other people have them? Or does it mean that I just can't think of anything to say? <br />
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How is the Fizzle Bizzle going to handle magic like that? I like to think they won't be able to since I am not a fan of this data collection, but something tells me that they are probably working on some program to identify sarcasm. This Facebook app is actually based on the research of a person at the University of Oregon (small world!) looking into Computer-Human interaction. And now I have a new mission for my lunch break - track down the author and ask him about sarcasm since his article does not mention it! See for yourself: <a href="http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=1753326.1753369">http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=1753326.1753369</a>.Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-16154748939794830832010-05-02T18:30:00.000-07:002010-05-03T08:50:06.463-07:00Idiocy for ConvenienceGulf coast, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that your water is polluted with oil, your sea life will probably die and obliterate your fishing jobs and tourism industry for many, many years, and your environment will be forever altered. I'm sorry that you are screwed. <br />
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The Feds say they will reprimand the parties responsible. But how do you reprimand a whole country? It was not British Petroleum that was the root of this disaster. It was us. Fuel companies like BP will continue drilling for oil and ignore the potential for disaster as long as we still line up like fools to buy oil and gasoline and plastics to feed our lifestyles. It was us. We have destroyed an ecosystem and economy because of convenience and inability to consider change. It was us. Oil is rising from the earth at a rate that no one can manage to estimate correctly and it appears that it will keep a flowing for an undetermined amount of time. It was us. Eleven people died because of our thirst for oil. We all contributed to their deaths by giving a company no reason to slow down and ensure their workers safety and structural integrity of their equipment. We demand crude oil, ignoring the ever increasing price, and who cares if it is risky. It was us. And I feel guilty. And I feel sad. And every time I listen to the news or read an article about the oil spill I get so angry I begin to cry because I have no power to help the wild creatures in the path of the spill, or the people whose livelihood is dependent on a stable gulf.<br />
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And then I speak to a person from my Vanpool who works for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and she mentions the highly toxic hydrocarbon Benzene, which is found in gasoline and can easily leech into your skin, and how it seems strange that gasoline attendants don't wear gloves or face masks. And I think about all the people outside of Oregon who actually have to pump their own gas and I wonder if they ever realize the risk of cancer they face when standing in their business casual with their hands on the nozzle. And I remember a few weeks ago when Steady J suggested using a little gasoline as a cleaning solvent, the same way that I've heard other people suggest it over the years. Scanning the 12 pump gas station by my house the next day I see one tiny little posting above a sign regarding wheelchair accessibility that reports that gasoline is found to cause cancer in laboratory animals. And I realize the full extent of the idiocy of our fossil fuel system, which destroys our environment, sucks our piggy banks dry and in the end kills us.Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-7763132924586245842010-04-24T15:44:00.000-07:002010-04-26T08:50:35.838-07:00Waste Not, Want NotFor some reason since I began this project my attention has really focused on food. This might be because the only "new" items that I am allowed to buy are things that I eat so I devote a lot of attention to the wide variety of options. Naturally I have become much more observant of the role that food plays in culture and the waste that can accompany our consumption of edible items. Just this morning, Steady J took a bike ride to the Co-op to get a cup of coffee and while there he ran into a friend of his that delivers artisan bread for a local bakery. This friend said that the bakery always produces more than the stores can sell and gave Steady J two loaves of sliced wheat bread, two packages of European style panini rolls and a loaf of kalamata olive bread, which were probably worth about $30 total. It was a super score! Apparently any unsold bread the bakery ends up with is given to birds (I don't know if this means it is fed to chickens or used to rehab birds at the Audubon society). We're supposed to call this magical bakery delivery man (A.K.A. The Muffin Man) when we want more free bread. Sounds good to me!<br />
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Fueled by a few slices of olive bread, I headed down to the Corvallis farmers market to load up my bike basket with produce. While I perused the stalls I noticed that the Oregon State University Master Gardener organization was advertising free vegetable starts if you participated in something called Plant a Row for the Hungry. <a href="http://www.gardenwriters.org/gwa.php?p=par/index.html">Plant a Row for the Hungry</a> is a national program in which community members commit to planting an extra row of food crops in their garden to donate to local food banks. Some people don't plant an extra row and instead commit to sharing their bumper crops! What gardener doesn't end up with extra garden produce? Instead of hoisting it on your neighbors or co-workers, you can drop off your produce so that it can be included in the food packages for hungry families. Low income families and individuals often have to chose between buying cheap food or buying healthy food. This program is a great way to bridge the gap and get more nourishing foods to the people who would not generally have access to them. Anyone who signed up at the market to donate produce was given free vegetable starts and I received two baby winter squash to plant. I think this is a great idea! But it made me wonder why that lovely local bakery who gives their extra bread to birds is not giving their bread to hungry humans in the community.Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-8632485634428928372010-04-17T13:47:00.000-07:002010-04-17T13:53:32.629-07:00Kleenex: Disposable weakness in a Pop-up boxOn of my BFFFGS (Best Friends Forever From Grad School) sent me the link to a new product that is supposed to revolutionize the way you dry your hands at home. The <a href="http://www.kleenex.com/HandTowels/about.aspx?WT.mc_id=KHG&WT.srch=1">Kleenex Disposable Hand Towel</a> is a one use "cottony soft" hand towel, packaged in a decorative cardboard "Pop-Up" box that can either sit on your counter, or be wedged in your towel rack. Kleenex explains the need for a disposable hand towel on the product page,<br />
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<i>"People in the U.S. dry their hands on cloth bathroom towels approximately 200 billion times a year. The CDC guidelines for hand washing recommends hand drying with a single-use towel. Families have not had a practical alternative to traditional cloth hand towels in their home bathrooms… until now."</i><br />
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200 billion is a lot of hand drying and that number probably does not take into account the alternative drying methods of "wiping your hands on you pants" or "shaking them dry". Apparently, Kleenex also seems to forget that rolls of paper towels have existed for decades and have proved to be practical, albeit environmentally unfriendly, alternatives to cloth towels on many occasions. <br />
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Delving further into the product descriptions you learn that Kleenex is in fact doing the public a great service by providing us with these disposable options. You see, "hands are only as clean as the towel used to dry them". If that cloth towel is not perfectly clean, we might be exposed to the dreaded "germs!" and apparently humans just don't know how to handle those sorts of things. What's funny is that we used to know how to handle lots of germs. Our immune systems were strong because we grew up fighting germs and building a resistance. Now we as a society spend billions of dollars each year to destroy anything we think might make us sick and that is not necessarily a good way to operate. <br />
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A few weeks ago I listened to an episode of <a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/">This American Life</a> on NPR and it was about a man who suffered from horrendous allergies. He was pretty much allergic to everything: grass, tree pollen, cats, dust, etc. and to make things worse, he was a professional landscaper which meant that his days outside were torture. The man spoke of looking like death, with dark circles under his eyes and lethargy on a permanent basis. One day this gent heard something interesting - people in developing countries do not suffer from allergies the way that people living in developed countries do, yet they are exposed to many of the same allergens. What these developing countries do have are parasites - like hookworm. Apparently, these hookworms, which live in your gut, are able to shut off the immune response to them in order to stay living in the host with little issue (it is believed that humans and hookworms evolved together and had a symbiotic relationship for thousands of years). When hookworms shut down the immune response, your body is also unresponsive to allergens, meaning that you still might be allergic, but you won't have the symptoms. This man was so miserable that he went to Senegal and infected himself with hookworm and low and behold, has not had allergy symptoms since. This really isn't as bizarro as it sounds - Treatment of autoimmune disorders with parasites is referred to as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminthic_therapy">"Helminthic Therapy"</a> and it is being researched in the UK for allergy treatment and also Crohns Disease and Celiac Disease. <br />
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Getting back to disposable hand towels, I feel like Kleenex and every other company that makes products meant to shield us from common germs and parasites and bacteria are doing us a great disservice. While improved sanitation practices, such as hand washing with soap, has saved countless lives, the extent to which we now go to destroy all germs and bacteria is actually weakening us. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis">Hygiene Hypothesis</a> is an idea that lack of childhood exposure to germs sets us up to have weak immune systems and I completely believe it as there is now an entire generation of youth in this country that thinks that hand sanitizer is a necessary as soap, yet they are hacking and wheezing in my office on a weekly basis. The other thing that Kleenex is doing that I find infuriating, is provide us with more things to throw away. This world does not need another paper product created to throw away after one use. I for one will keep facing the germs on my cloth towels if it means that I can see a few more trees and a smaller landfill.Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-31898878853359998682010-04-10T12:59:00.000-07:002010-04-10T12:59:57.866-07:00You Can't Eat Flowers.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRJt0-IkhkL8Mzs12sHu3PrJ0Z-h5Q02zTY-h3iXIXW7WvIGhH08kMM513bolG0VtYE1tZI0nNFluutEq_jdBbqSSoBSIpF9709KcYoPV7oy_9wU9m9UhMQircop1E5tqTruxTGMSY_5B/s1600/edible+landscaping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRJt0-IkhkL8Mzs12sHu3PrJ0Z-h5Q02zTY-h3iXIXW7WvIGhH08kMM513bolG0VtYE1tZI0nNFluutEq_jdBbqSSoBSIpF9709KcYoPV7oy_9wU9m9UhMQircop1E5tqTruxTGMSY_5B/s320/edible+landscaping.jpg" /></a></div>Driving home from Easter dinner at my mom's house my RockSteady and I listened to <a href="http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/">The Splendid Table</a> radio show. The Splendid Table is a program all about food - part cooking, part cultural exploration, part restaurant review and part interview with assorted foodies. It is billed as "the show for people who love to eat". That would be me. One of the guests on the show was <a href="http://www.rosalindcreasy.com/">Rosalind Creasy</a>, a woman who is best known for promoting "edible landscaping". In fact, she just had a new book come out with that as the title - isn't that a beautiful cover? <br />
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Edible landscaping is exactly what it sounds like - planting edible plants in your yard instead of purely decorative plants. In introducing the topic she mentioned that long ago, common folk only planted edible foods on their property. It was the aristocracy that had elaborate flower gardens and big lawns to be enjoyed visually - It was a way to show off how well-to-do you were. After various revolutions, the idea of planting flowers and shrubs purely for visual interest became pretty common for every day people who could now flex their improving social status and depend on buying produce at the market. I would go on to say that the creation of post WWII suburbia got the front yard, particularly the grass lawn, to be seen as an ideal of prosperity. When I was teaching English in China a few years back my students told me about the "Chinese Dream" which was to find a good job, buy a car, own a house with a lawn, and be "lucky in love". Given the population of China, I don't know that it would be possible for everyone to have a house with a lawn, but it was interesting that having a yard with a lawn was seen as something to aspire to.<br />
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</div><div>Despite the fact that people bring their own bags to the store, re-use water vessels instead of buying bottled water and fill their cars with bio-fuel, why are people so hesitant to get rid of their front lawns? If you watch a new house being built, you always see grass seed or turf put down in the front yard as if no one would ever consider not having a sea of green leading to their door. This is funny when you start to think about what a major drag it can be to mow the lawn when there are other things to do. Not to mention the fuel that lawn mowers need and the noise pollution they create. Why is our society so lawn-centric? Are we still trapped in the 18th century mindset that your front yard should reflect your social status? If we were to grow food in front of our houses, would it throw people into a tizzy because they wouldn't have a highly visible indicator of where we are in the social hierarchy? <br />
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I think of my Grandpa Muetzenberg when I think about edible landscaping. When I was growing up my parents would plant a vegetable garden in the back yard each year. The front yard was reserved for the decorative flowers and shrubs, purely for aesthetics. I would always be so excited about the flowering plants like snapdragons and Shasta daisies, but I distinctly remember my Grandpa replying, "You can't eat flowers." when we would tell him about our plantings. I used to think that was so harsh! Why couldn't he appreciate the beauty of bright cheerful colors making your home look inviting? What a grump! But now I think I understand. He was ten years old when the Great Depression started and grew up thinking about where his meals would come from. What Grandpa did get excited about were home grown vegetables, berries and fruit. When he would visit in the summer we would pick blackberries, blueberries and cherries and make pies. With a Beefeater martini in hand, he would take a tour of the garden and admire the size of the plants. He saw the beauty in knowing exactly where your dinner was coming from.<br />
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My interest in knowing where my food is coming from (Thanks Family!) and avoiding the waste that accompanies packaged foods is what draws me to edible landscaping. To me, it just makes sense to maximize what you can grow for your own use and share with others. And most edible plants are gorgeous! Blueberries have beautiful leaves that change color in the fall. Sunflowers and tomatoes can add the color that I crave around a home. Swiss chard has those great bright yellow, orange, red veins that makes it look festive next to other plants. Some day when I'm a grown up and own a house, I'll have a fully edible yard. And I'll have you all over for dinner. </div>Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-24781561196332842302010-04-02T10:20:00.000-07:002010-04-02T10:25:26.855-07:00Dear Mr. President:Let's talk about oil consumption.<br />
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How come a smart man like you is proposing to exploit the North Eastern coastline of the United States, and the Gulf Coast in search of more oil and natural gas? To decrease our dependence on foreign fuels, yet still meet our demand, you say? Sir: you are addressing the wrong portion of that problem. What needs fixing is not our supply chain, but our demand. Cut down on the overall American consumption of fossil fuels and you can automatically reduce our demand for foreign oil. This is not hard to understand.<br />
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What would the American people do if the supply was cut before we altered our demand? We would adjust rather quickly. Necessity is the root of invention. Alternative sources of energy abound in this country. I am not talking about solar and wind and wave power either. I am talking about something as simple as harnessing the energy created when kids play on trampolines, and people use treadmills in a gym. Even simpler, I am talking about the fact that walking and cycling become "convenient" when filling your gas tank is no longer a viable economic activity for most Americans. Our grandparents survived the Great Depression by responding to supply shortage with creative thinking and changing their behavior regarding product usage and consumption. <br />
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Who knows, the ingenuity that Americans could show might even benefit us in other ways. Small businesses that assist the general public with harnessing alternative energy will have a much better chance of thriving when the big oil companies are not strong arming the market. The benefits would even expand into other areas of the American lifestyle. When people have to walk places, they tend to lose weight. Health care in the United States will be much more effective and affordable for taxpayers when half the population is not facing illness related to obesity and lack of exercise. <br />
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There's a word I like to use for your current plan Mr. President. That word is "DUMB". A year and a half ago, when I stood in front of a convenience store and hounded beer seeking college students to register to vote, I would never have thought that today I would see that type of plan emerge from your office. A plan so incredibly flawed I could never have even imagined it when I volunteered at your campaign headquarters in Chicago shortly after you committed to exploring the idea of the Presidency three years ago. Do you understand what I am saying? You have wholeheartedly disappointed me.<br />
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I've heard it said that you are just appeasing the GOP with this proposed plan of energy expansion and environmental degradation. Is it worth it? Will the ignorance you have shown of vital East Coast ecosystems and the entire flawed energy supply and demand chain make Republicans any more likely to go along with your future proposals? Probably not. They have their own agenda and it does not appear to include supporting you in the long term. Is this type of energy policy what America needs? Another band aid that does not even address the root of the <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consumption">consumptive illness</a> that is rotting our country? No. We need a policy that first puts a mirror in front of the American people so we can see how we weaken our country by being unwilling to change the way we consume everything.<br />
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Good luck to you Mr. President. There is still time for you to make me proud.<br />
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Love,<br />
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LillianLiverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-90842124525583786042010-03-31T21:41:00.000-07:002010-04-01T08:59:13.458-07:00Project Update: AprilSo I bought something new, and wrecked my plan for the year.<br />
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April Fools!<br />
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In all seriousness, I have completed the first quarter of my plan to buy nothing new and can report that I have stuck to my guns and avoided purchasing anything brand new. Has it been easy? Most of the time. But there of course have been some instances when I really, really wished that I could head down to whatever store I wanted and buy something I knew they would have, and then be done thinking about it. In most cases I have been able to find what I've needed at a thrift store, or by talking to my friends and families and negotiating a loan or finally convincing myself that I don't actually need to own the particular item. I'm a big fan of renting sport equipment, so there was no panic when my friends and I went skiing in January. My friend Patience heard that I could use a car rack for my bike and offered me her old rack to use indefinitely since she's had little use for it since selling her car. I thought I needed a cycling jersey and then reminded myself that clothing has nothing to do with skill, so I'll be happy wearing that old collared golf tournament shirt I got as a family hand-me-down.<br />
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So, what has been the hardest thing to deal with not being able to buy new? Pants. As many thrift stores as I have been to, and trips made to <a href="http://www.glanceagain.com/">Second Glance</a>, my favorite womens consignment shop, I have not been able to locate a single pair of work pants that fit and don't look ridiculously out of style for someone my age. Multiple hours have been spent on my great pant crusade, but with no luck. I figure that by the time I find pants, it'll be time to move on to shorts and skirts and at least I have those covered. Hopefully it will warm up around here sometime soon so I can transition out of the same three pairs of pants I have in current rotation. I should say, two pairs of pants and one torture device since the third pair are too small in the waist and I have to wear a belt to cover the fact that I cannot actually button them. I'm sure this will make for a hilarious story some day....<br />
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The other main area that has required some creative thinking is gift giving, particularly for the children in my family. How do you explain your plan to purchase nothing new to a two year old on their birthday? You don't. Instead you make them a sock monkey out of a pair of socks from Goodwill.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-M2FwiZZNGyYIoBfd_FUVNMKfHPtjQPx7qQs5RMRX6oCXdaePel88mu32DbxKc3zCGu5dhQbGMeWqREm-CUbIC7j0Il2yTKZ1vKv_Jn3xqxhn_H4ntgFQlr7-29zYQzAbPbjwz9CN1FYa/s1600/DSC03531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-M2FwiZZNGyYIoBfd_FUVNMKfHPtjQPx7qQs5RMRX6oCXdaePel88mu32DbxKc3zCGu5dhQbGMeWqREm-CUbIC7j0Il2yTKZ1vKv_Jn3xqxhn_H4ntgFQlr7-29zYQzAbPbjwz9CN1FYa/s320/DSC03531.JPG" /></a></div> Monkey See, Monkey Do.<br />
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My friends and family have been pretty cool about me showing up with second hand gifts for them, or things I've crafted or baked. The baked goods are probably preferred. Now that my free time isn't spent perusing the internet for good deals on assorted crap, or window shopping in town as a social event or a way to kill time, I've had a lot more time to research recipes online and read cookbooks. I have conquered bread. It has been helpful to have some roommates and a gentleman who are well established bread bakers to show me new techniques and tips. I've been baking a great round artisan loaf in my dutch oven and it might be my favorite bread of all time. Sometimes I add things like kalamata olives. Yes! Olive bread! I can safely say that I probably would never have started baking bread if I hadn't decided to pay attention to what I buy for this year. The bread I bake needs flour, yeast, salt and water. I haven't priced it out, but I'd say that it is probably costing me about 50 cents a loaf, given the bake time in the oven. It is making me re-think the $6 I used to spend on good, locally baked fresh bread. And it has made me want to see what other food items I can learn to make. Starting in May I will be enrolled in a canning and food preservation course through the state extension service which should provide me with another window with which to explore American consumer life.<br />
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I can't wait! <br />
<span id="goog_1595090691"></span><span id="goog_1595090692"></span>Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-59003108703443724212010-03-27T11:54:00.000-07:002010-03-27T11:54:46.934-07:00Clean Up Your Act!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5YGDXvQWIsmAVEp2HtYrLjyV1OaVtYSZ8rZIANCh1MZSW8kVqsCB9UMyGU_kvLjY-zAopPualTrvf65ChW47uYYp3DSQvwCuh4hhpF0MqLKCXbQXCNdxoDf4HT6kazcpxRYdVz9PHfKlf/s1600/P3170018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5YGDXvQWIsmAVEp2HtYrLjyV1OaVtYSZ8rZIANCh1MZSW8kVqsCB9UMyGU_kvLjY-zAopPualTrvf65ChW47uYYp3DSQvwCuh4hhpF0MqLKCXbQXCNdxoDf4HT6kazcpxRYdVz9PHfKlf/s320/P3170018.JPG" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"></span></span>Santa Clara, California has had a tradition for the past 50 years of <a href="http://santaclaraca.gov/index.aspx?page=1228">"Clean Up Week"</a>. It's basically a month stretching from March to April when residents can put anything they don't want in front of their house to be taken to the dump. I should say, residents can put out anything they don't want EXCEPT for hazardous waste or live ammunition, which is unfortunate, because as a second hand scrounger, I sometimes wonder what to get for the person who has everything.<br />
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</div>Having a sister that lives in Santa Clara means that I have witnessed clean up week in all it's glory. And by glory, I mean I have cruised around her neighborhood looking for gems in piles of broken furniture, construction refuse, clothing, kid toys, old food, tree trimmings, etc. And boy, have I seen some amazing items. Last year I scored some 1970s vintage Tupperware (fire orange with the ribbed lid that actually burps) and my RockSteady found an awesome cycling jersey with a cow on it, cycling and smart wool socks, and part of a Yakima bike rack. Along with that awesomeness, people last year seemed to be all about dumping off their obsolete metal Christmas tree stands. Who needs a metal stand when you've moved on to a fake tree? This year I hoped to see similar visions of tree stands, and I brought my camera with the intention of sculpting the tree stands into the shape of a Christmas tree to use as my 2010 holiday greeting. But alas, everyone seemed to have dumped their stands last year. The closest I got was a fake Christmas tree in strewn pieces. What I found this year were toilets. Hundreds and hundreds of toilets. Apparently I missed the great crapper revolution of 2009 that had everyone ousting their old porcelain for something new. Since the flush toilet exterior design hasn't really changed for the past 100 years making it doubtful that the "look" of the toilet was wrecking the overall bathroom aesthetic, I wonder the reason why these poor thrones were discarded to the curb? Was everyone making the move to water saving toilets at the same time? (Sidenote: when I was researching the history of the modern toilet, I found <a href="http://funfever.blogspot.com/2007/11/taiwans-modern-toilet-restaurant.html">this.</a>)<br />
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As usual I was amazed by what people were getting rid of. How do these Santa Clarans have so much stuff? Even houses that had huge piles in front of them last year, had big piles this year! I'm sure this isn't limited to Santa Clara. It's all a reflection of our consumer driven disposable lifestyle where we can use what we want and discard it to a little bin that is put out once a week and then taken away for us never to be bothered with again. Luckily, I can happily report that all of the Clean Up Week stuff does not end up in the landfill. There are various people driving around the city all month looking for anything thing that could be partially reused. I saw trucks carrying ovens, refrigerators, kitchen tables, desk chairs, dog kennels, fencing, unused lumber and a whole mess of other things. Several computer recycling firms scour the neighborhoods looking for computers to recycle (they get a rebate from the government) so I'm pretty confident that few electronics make it into the garbage system. My bro-in-law put out some bark chips from under a soon to be disassembled play set and people came and scooped it up to use in their yards. A successful reuse scenario! While on a bike ride I saw a women blissfully loading a slightly worn, but still beautiful desk and dresser (1930s era) into her car with the blessing of the man who had just set it on the curb. My friend Caitlin and I noticed some fresh clippings from a fruit tree and we collected about 10 pounds of amazingly fragrant lemons while the owner encouraged us to take more. If I had a car with me, I could have loaded up some great wooden furniture that I'd probably have for the rest of my life.<br />
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The main beef that a few neighbors seem to have with the idea of Clean Up Week is that sometimes their piles get scattered as people search for "treasures". This potential scenario leads my sister's neighbor to spray his pile with water from the hose, which is a total asshole move! If he's so worried about people rooting through sensitive paperwork, maybe it shouldn't be on the curb. And really, the only scattering I saw done was by kids (including the said neighbor's sons) who wanted to root through their neighbors stuff and jump on the mattresses and assorted couches on the curb. I saw a group of young boys kick around a Buddha garden sculpture until it's head fell off. Well boys, I hope you get an introduction to my friend karma real soon.<br />
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What treasures did I bring back, you ask? Lemons and avocados scrounged from the trees lining my sister's house and a soft bicycle case for hauling a bike on an airplane to pass along to the RockSteady for upcoming races. I contemplated a plastic storage container large enough to hold a pie, but then I remembered that it's easier for me to attach a square box to my bike rack instead of a round container. It was a good reminder to use my logic to to tell myself that I don't need something just because it is free!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtchkccgCLfIkKh2Ff0wDmF5l6yeiJLzfTZR-hSPN-sz3RWUrZ_XKoYY_7jCrj6mTnywDZBA8oXO03vBBUAXQ7KUQErnKyN537YehNPqtjvzPvPzTe8Bk3IAfT1ayaWDjCz43jCNCV760/s1600/P3180020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtchkccgCLfIkKh2Ff0wDmF5l6yeiJLzfTZR-hSPN-sz3RWUrZ_XKoYY_7jCrj6mTnywDZBA8oXO03vBBUAXQ7KUQErnKyN537YehNPqtjvzPvPzTe8Bk3IAfT1ayaWDjCz43jCNCV760/s320/P3180020.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zjjJ3_kszHrX_2KcgGDYJI8d45BZVe2TdtP3wWyNBT2RIsgWG0uwCeCndBr2PNRNJRm521TQvqbP02Cmw3nfPzVu6u4_MQ5Fd0UkTu_dujLi4cIxRS3fJv1L2QK-_6NZhTNsvXU5T9EB/s1600/P3160006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zjjJ3_kszHrX_2KcgGDYJI8d45BZVe2TdtP3wWyNBT2RIsgWG0uwCeCndBr2PNRNJRm521TQvqbP02Cmw3nfPzVu6u4_MQ5Fd0UkTu_dujLi4cIxRS3fJv1L2QK-_6NZhTNsvXU5T9EB/s320/P3160006.JPG" /></a></div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJq2qowMLASAOduksM1mEGUrCEPNzqa8Ix2ZadU8fg06p1F3LKhpJNHhnlgBza_eCe8ZmQvTeBsQUz0soML3s8-9H4hSvVaVFRFAX20edAr3xHkUsNtquo6gPIPN2YHqfd4BRFoLvcOLO/s1600/P3160008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJq2qowMLASAOduksM1mEGUrCEPNzqa8Ix2ZadU8fg06p1F3LKhpJNHhnlgBza_eCe8ZmQvTeBsQUz0soML3s8-9H4hSvVaVFRFAX20edAr3xHkUsNtquo6gPIPN2YHqfd4BRFoLvcOLO/s320/P3160008.JPG" /></a></div> When life gives you freshly trimmed lemon branches, make lemonade!Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-3238150554842651062010-03-21T10:14:00.000-07:002010-03-21T10:17:16.842-07:00Choices! Choices! Choices!This week I was perusing the Chronicle of Higher Education and came across an <a href="http://chronicle.com/article/The-Choice-Driven-Life-of/64587/">article about the psychology behind choice</a>. Sheena Iyengar, a social psychologist who teaches in the business department at Columbia has just come out with a book called <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Choosing-Sheena-Iyengar/dp/0446504106">The Art of Choosing</a></i>, in which she breaks down the reasons why, and how, our brains make choice. Iyengar made a name for herself in the social psychology field due to something called the Jam Study, in which she set up a tasting station in a grocery store that switched between offering customers half a dozen and two dozen samples of jam. While the display with 24 jams attracted more customers, the display with only six options resulted in more sales. The hypothesis is that too many choices deter people from making a decision. It was not the first time that the idea of too many choices were examined by psychologists - in the 1950s, a psychologist named George A. Miller identified that the human brain can really only handle around seven bits of information at a time. Some of the most interesting findings indicate that while people crave choice, they are overwhelmed to the point of inaction when they are faced with more than a fistful of options.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjHCBNU2B7ahD2leFS4Ldfmg0GdB9NZM_unIEIFUqo7HvaBGuAmlMkG8NR2EYsG7h3mEGm7O1GIrh_9wI1ele_lVJZjYlQ82QDZgBuxZf9sr0WtHSID-AsEwo-CzwWOXQ9v8z5dyMszEH/s1600-h/Too-many-choices.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjHCBNU2B7ahD2leFS4Ldfmg0GdB9NZM_unIEIFUqo7HvaBGuAmlMkG8NR2EYsG7h3mEGm7O1GIrh_9wI1ele_lVJZjYlQ82QDZgBuxZf9sr0WtHSID-AsEwo-CzwWOXQ9v8z5dyMszEH/s400/Too-many-choices.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Popular cultural inundates people with choices. It's the consumer drive of America! I can only assume that the desire for more choices over the past 50 years was tied to the Cold War and the assumption that only Communist nations would limit product options for its citizens, so the U.S. had to overcompensate. Well comrades, I am going to admit to feeling a little overwhelmed by options. Have you purchased toothpaste lately? How many versions of whitening/tarter control/fresh-cool-winter mint/cavity protection does a person really need? For those of you that love the options, tell me the last time you played the toothpaste field! Last month? Last year? Several years ago? And do you alternate between paste and gel, or brands? My guess is that you have found a toothpaste you like and you pretty much buy that toothpaste each time. I happen to be a paste fan. Gel makes me feel like I'm brushing my teeth with candy. And I purchase the same brand of toothpaste each time, not so much because I love the brand, but because it was what I grew up using and it works just fine. By automatically setting myself up to look for that brand and style, I don't have to stand and contemplate my toothpaste needs in the store aisle. I've provided myself with limited options to help me through the selection process. I bet many of you have done the same. I don't really consider myself to be brand loyal to my toothpaste. Instead I'm loyal to the idea of quick decision making. Sidenote: I am not a Crest Kid.<br />
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Now, as a white American woman, born in a middle class household, I've grown up with options in almost every aspect of my life, from where I wanted to go to school to where I wanted to live. While we like to assume that everyone in America has a "right" to choice, the truth is that these options are a privilege that is unavailable to many people in this country due to their lack of consumer power. Options are only important if you've got the money to make the choice known. I wonder how some of these studies take into consideration the fact that many people have yet to even be in a position to have more than a handful of options? In other words, why sample jam if you've got no bread to put it on?Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8715172450950212585.post-20350770850664133282010-03-12T11:45:00.000-08:002010-03-12T12:10:56.881-08:00Trash the dress? What the F**K?My friend Leanne showed me some wedding photos that a friend posted online. They were "Trash The Dress" photos, a series of post wedding photos in which the bride wears her wedding dress while participating in messy activities with the goal of wrecking the dress for future use. I had never heard of such a thing, but apparently it is getting very popular. Post wedding, brides will wear their dress mountain biking, wading in the ocean, playing in mud puddles, walking through garbage dumps, painting like Jackson Pollock or posing in abandoned buildings. Apparently, the photos taken during Trash the Dress sessions look artistic. If you say so.<br />
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If you check out the Wikipedia link to the title of my post, you'll read the closing sentences used to describe the meaning behind "Trash the Dress":<br />
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</div><div style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>It may be done as an additional shoot after the wedding, almost as a declaration that the wedding is done and the dress will not be used again. It is seen as an alternative to storing the dress away, never to be seen again.</i></span> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhyphenhyphenEtR4YLjqiW2IEf3OI7fkO_CA7yXCytNjYwjnoFamA2go6vA2CUljudcqTszL4m4lIoYtCFoPWP6vQcX8h6N706avboimMHDqUkfSomHAMidnXb2AwjAJlzJCmhKm-dfyzG-TBJDKUB/s1600-h/trash-the-dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhyphenhyphenEtR4YLjqiW2IEf3OI7fkO_CA7yXCytNjYwjnoFamA2go6vA2CUljudcqTszL4m4lIoYtCFoPWP6vQcX8h6N706avboimMHDqUkfSomHAMidnXb2AwjAJlzJCmhKm-dfyzG-TBJDKUB/s320/trash-the-dress.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Is this how you want to remember your big day? Maybe if you are marrying Satan. </span></div><br />
Hmmmm. Dare I suggest a better alternative? This is about the most wasteful thing you could do with a wedding dress. And wedding dresses cost a lot of dough. Even people that I normally consider rational beings somehow manage to shell out close to a grand for a wedding dress. Society seems to dictate that the norm is to break the bank for a dress to go along with the wedding ceremony and reception. And really, I have no beef if people want to spend that kind of money on a dress - I just wish they would consider alternatives to using it once and trashing it. To me, setting your dress up to be disposable is a strong indicator about how you feel about the rest of your marriage.<br />
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A surprising amount of resources go into wedding dresses. They take yards and yards of fabric. How much fabric? Well that depends on the dress. All I know is that I used a little over two yards of cotton fabric to make a kitchen apron. And wedding dresses are usually way more complex than aprons. Common wedding dress fabrics include silk, lace, satin, brocade, organza, velvet, etc. Some of these fabrics, like silk and lace, can be very labor intensive to process. The common synthetic fabrics often are manufactured using toxic chemicals which pollute the environment and endanger the lives of the poor workers around the world that make them. Let's not forget about thread, beading, embroidery, crystals, feathers and all other sorts of decorative accents that are common to most dresses. Whether your dress was made in a sweat shop in Asia, or by a seamstress in your home town, it probably took a lot of time and sewing skills to create. <br />
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If you stop and think about the resources and money that went into your wedding dress, why would you ever want to trash it? Like lots of other wasteful habits, I think there is a pretty strong link to conspicuous consumption. Brides buy very expensive dresses to indicate their excitement for their marriage and the importance of their wedding ceremony to others, just like a big ol' diamond ring indicates the grooms love for his bride when it is sparkling on her finger for the world to see. An expensive dress proves that brides have the financial resources to fund such an extravagant purchase. Some may argue that a wedding dress is not an extravagance, it's a necessity. But when your wedding dress purchase could fund half a years rent for many people, or a years worth of food, it seems a bit over the top. And then, if you take your expensive dress and destroy it after one use, you're telling the rest of the world that you have enough money and power to make what ever you want into a disposable item. I still notice that many wedding announcements in newspapers feature detailed descriptions of the wedding dress, including the designer and fabric and a photo of the happy couple. This emphasis on the dress and other parts of the ceremony and honeymoon (another indicator of apparent access to resources) just plays into the American fixation on consumption and who has what. <br />
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So what do you do when you've got an expensive wedding dress hanging in your closet? Well, the first alternative is to rent your dress instead of buy it in the first place. My good friend "Rasta P" is getting hitched this summer and she decided to rent a dress. She got to go try on dresses at a rental shop, and once she chose her dress, it was fitted to her and reserved for her use until her wedding day in August. After the wedding, the dress will be cleaned and put back into rotation for use by another bride. The rental of her dress is going to cost a few hundred dollars. She isn't phased by the idea of not having the dress in her closet for the rest of her life. Another friend of mine purchased her wedding dress with the idea that she would have it altered after the wedding into a cocktail dress. She was strategic in choosing a style of dress that would be alterable - she chose a strapless long column dress that could be hemmed at the knee after the wedding. Smart move! <br />
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I think people need to get more creative when thinking about uses for wedding dresses beyond trashing them for some seemingly cool looking photographs. The sentimental folks could use the fabric for other things like quilts, or remove the beading and make jewelry to wear and hand down to relatives or friends. Make a fancy outfit for that first puppy. Or baby. The non-sentimental folks seem like they'd have all sorts of cool ways to see their dress used again. Donate it to <a href="http://www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org/">Brides Against Breast Cancer</a> and let the dress be sold to help fund the final wishes of people with terminal breast cancer. Check out the <a href="http://www.idofoundation.org/resources/tips.html">I Do Foundation</a> to donate not just your dress, but your left over reception food to local charities. Contact local theater troops and donate your dress to their costume department. Let your best friend or relative use the dress for their own wedding. There are so many options for dress reuse or recycling that don't involve destroying the dress for the sake of destroying it. Besides, Trash the Dress photos might seem bold and artistic, but do you know what is more cutting edge? Nudity.Liverpool Lilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08892532485477582236noreply@blogger.com0