Spring has sprung!

Well, not really if you live in the midwest!  It snowed all day yesterday.  Last week, we'd gotten a little preview of spring with warmer temperatures and the winter's snow melting.  But, here in the heartland, spring usually doesn't come for good until April...no matter what the calendar says.  The snow from yesterday still hasn't melted, but today is nevertheless a beautiful day.  The sky is crystal clear, and if you ignore the white stuff on the ground, you'd think it was 60 degrees outside.  The sunshine is making me eager to garden.  Usually we plant various vegetables outside in our yard...lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and green beans.  If it doesn't warm up soon, though, I'm going to have to start an indoor garden!  

 I do plan on growing some herbs indoors, but I don't always like the looks of typical terra-cotta pots.  So, I decided to spruce one up!  

I started out with a pot, some ribbon, a hot glue gun, and a scissors.

Next, I glued my larger ribbon around the rim of the pot.  Why the rim?  Well, it is the flattest part of the pot, and without some intricate adjustments to the ribbon, this was the easiest spot to place my ribbon.  Then I added my second, smaller ribbon on top of the first ribbon.

I decided to cover up my back seams by adding a bow.  To make the bow, I started by creating the tails on one piece of ribbon, and then folding a smaller piece and gluing it together for the "bunny ears."

Then, I added a tiny pice to cover up where the bunny ears were glued in half.

I then glued the "ear" piece on top of the tails.

I finished up by gluing the completed bow on top of the seam to hide it.  Now I've got a pretty pot to plant some herbs in!

You could also do this with an old coffee-can to rePurpose something you'd normally recycle or throw away!

Save your money, save your boots...

I wanted to post a quick note on how to save money AND reuse a common household item...magazines.

No one likes saggy, crinkled boots. If you invest money in a pair of nice leather boots, of course you’re going to want to keep them nice for as long as possible. That’s where boot forms come into play; however, they also cost money.

Most people would say that $10.00 (the cost of most boot forms) is a small price to pay to keep your investment lasting as long as possible, but did you know you can make your own boot forms for free? All you need are a few magazines.

Simply roll up a magazine and stick inside each boot. If you find that the magazine isn’t thick enough to keep the form of the boot, simply add one or two more inside each. The magazines will unroll inside to match the width of the boot.

That’s it for today, but stay tuned for more great rePurposing ideas!

how to be happy

It goes without saying that most people want to be happy. I won't be the first to point out that our consumer-driven society is designed to give people the illusion of happiness...but the problem is, once the novelty of that new gadget, book, shoe, etc., wears off, we're often left with that same empty feeling that we started out with. We're often left wondering...."what's the point?"

Well, that's a deep question, and I don't think one blog entry could answer it. But, I do know for sure that buying "things" won't provide any sense of purpose...they will only serve to quiet our minds and numb us until that all too irritating question pops up again, and then we buy something else...and the cycle continues.

So what do I think does matter? Well, of course...relationships. With family...with friends...with God...

and ideas. Inspiration. Edith Wharton (a great author whose work you should check out if you get a chance) once said, "the air of ideas is the only air worth breathing."

These are the things that drive me, and the things I want to pass along to others. I hope this blog will be a way for others to find inspiration and ideas for living outside of the materialistic society we live in in America, and find true purpose and happiness. I titled this blog "rePURPOSE" because I want to find new ways to use old things, and in the process, simplify my life, enjoy more time with family and friends, and discover meaning.

Don't worry....I'm not advocating wearing clothes that you weave yourself on your own loom (although if you like that sort of thing, great)! I'm simply hoping to break out of that vicious cycle of consumerism and have some fun at the same time!

RePurpose those old mason jars by creating some mood lighting...

...don’t worry, you don’t have to hang these from a ladder (although if you’ve got an outdoor arbor or pergola, adding some water and floating votives would make for great evening lighting). You can fill these jars with your own homemade candles or again with water and votives and tie a couple of colorful ribbons around the base. Arrange different sized jars on your coffee table or dining room table for a unique centerpiece that’s sure to liven up any room!

Props go to Sarah and Paul (our wonderful wedding photography clients) for the above gorgeous mason jar display.

Check in tomorrow...I'll show you a great idea for re-purposing a common household item ;-)