Upcycling, some cool stuff I found, pass it on !

So just a quick update on my plan. I took two boxes of stuff to Generations Thrift Shop in Waterloo a few days ago, over 30 items or so just to make some room and to account for the few new things I had to buy ie my daughter's slippers, curtain hooks, and most of her bedding etc. I chose this store as it was the store I found the shower caddy at and was super happy to not have to waste a new buy on a shower caddy. How lame would that be. So it felt good to pass on the stuff to a 2nd hand store that actually had some pretty good stuff. I also found a garbage can on Kijiji (finally) for $10, it doesn't seem like garbage cans would be hard but outdoor ones are very hard to find, no idea why. Anyhow I made my donations, found 2 of the things I was about to give up on having looked for over the 2 week rule, so all in all a good week.

Now onto the upcycling. I was inspired but Penny's collection of upcycling links and ideas and found some really neat ideas, some of which I have linked on the side of my blog but here are some of my favorite, I want this in my house, ideas!


Though this picture is everywhere I cannot find it's owner or creator so cannot credit anyone so if you know where this came from let me know so i can send them a message to tell them how brilliant it is !!

Katie Thompson at Recreate

 This is a fantastic piece, I have seen other similar designs but Katie really does an amazing job and in many different styles !





This would be amazing to have, I'd love it for my daughters room in a few years.

http://dornob.com/upcycled-art-furniture-faux-antique-painted-wood-table/antique-fake-wood-table/

This is fantastic and would love this for a coffee table or dining table (height depending).






I think is a good example of how upcycling isn't limited to funky vintage design styles. It can suit traditional, modern, or contemporary. Next post will be accessories for us and our homes... think lighting and vintage ties!!

The rules.

I was wandering the cyberspace yesterday and came across a blog with a very similar topic time mine ( I have posted a link) and one of her posts was regarding the rules. Many of the rules I had in my mind were the same but there was one I had not thought of and am going to steal , hopefully Polly won't mind sharing !


 So here are the rules, or commandments ( since there are 10)... now where did I leave my stone tablets??

1. I will not buy anything "new" unless it is edible, an unmentionable or an essential (like ziplocs or WD40)
2. If something breaks an attempt will be made to fix it, get it fixed, or at least get a quote before replacing it.
3. All broken items will be donated and not thrown out, someone somewhere may be able to fix it or make something new from it.
4. If I DO buy something new (I really need a showed caddy and am NOT finding any 2nd hand) then I have to donate at least 2 items to a charity shop (this one is Polly's !)
5. I MUST try to find it 2nd hand for at least 2 weeks first.
6. Gifts will be hand made, edible or crafty, and if I buy I am going to make it an item that directly benefits someone ie. from 10,000 Villages, hand make textiles from a village that go towards educating young girls in countries where girls do not get to go to school, art from disabled children, etc etc
7. I will be posting pics of all my Kijiji and other finds including those pre-blog.
8. Christmas the only exception will be for my 3yr old, and rule 4 still applies.
9. I will Kijiji my baby stuff at fair prices eliminating a middleman, directly passing on the savings to other families
10. I will try to get crafty and attempt to upcycle

So there, it's official now and I will undoubtedly need support  to stay on track and I am open to ideas or suggestions !

Thanks for reading!

Fixer upper.

First an update as to how I'm doing with my 2nd hand plan. So far pretty good.... a few things bought new but mostly still keeping on track. I took apart the fan that I had purchased for my daughter over a year ago and since died, tried to fix it but to no avail. I cleaned it out as well as I could, even called my step dad on Skype for advice and he seemed to think that the fan motor had burned out, I could try some WD40 but it didn't look good. I doubted I would be able to fix it , I just felt compelled to try before it joined so many others like it in a landfill somewhere. So after tossing in the towel I hopped on my old friend Kijiji and searched for a new fan and found a small Honeywell desk fan for $5 that I am positive they were only selling because cleaning it was too much work. It was FILTHY, but one exercise pump, 2 pipe cleaners, a jcloth and a screwdriver later it was almost sparkling. Have we gotten so used to everything shiny, everything new , that we are willing to sell or throw something out just to avoid cleaning it? How many small appliances have you tossed out without any idea what was wrong with it? Don't get me wrong, I am well aware that "things" are not built to last and that the cost to fix most things if often almost as much as it is to buy a newer shinier "thing" that no doubt is faster and has bigger better buttons. Someone once told me that cost is only an issue in the absence of value. So what is the value in having the newest "thing", and what is the cost? Is keeping up with the Joneses, buying into the shiny white smiles of the happy people on commercials really so valuable to us we are willing to ignore the cost? How many broken toasters, kettles, vacuums and fans can we fit in our landfills? If/when we get to the point where we have to pay for all of our garbage, will building a toaster that can last for more than 2 years be a priority once again? I believe that it is inevitable that our need to consume will consume us literally, financially, emotionally, and physically. We will be be surrounded by the gadgets we had to have, that promised us our life would be better, our coffee tastier, our floor cleaner, our smiles whiter, and what we will have to show for it? An empty wallet, a full garage, and kids who are doomed to repeat our mistakes. But just maybe if we're lucky we will learn somewhere along the way to just be happy with what we have and who we are. That a faster car does not make the man anymore than $400 shoes make the woman or vice versa depending on your vices! That boiling your water on the stove will still make a lovely cup of tea and that just because your vacuum doesn't have a fancy cyclone tunnel your floor will get clean I PROMISE. So the next time you want to toss out something because you want the new shinier version, at least sell it on a website like Kijijji or donate it to your local thrift shop, even if it seems to be broken, who knows maybe all it need is a good cleaning.

I also found myself needing some hooks to hang the curtain rods and curtains I had purchased on Kijiji but wasn't having any luck so I broke down and bought some at a big box store which shall remain nameless. I walked in there and felt like I was cheating, but I promise you it meant nothing my sweet Kijiji and I was thinking of you the whole time !! I have come across a few other things that I have yet to be able to find on Kijiji so am headed to a Mom2Mom sale this weekend, and hoping to hit up a few garage sales so wish me happy hunting!