Showing posts with label recycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recycling. Show all posts

7.19.2012

7.19.12 ... new ironing board cover & vintage Made in America overalls

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it will come as no surprise to you that my ironing board came from a neighbor's trash day heap. nicest ironing board i've ever had. cannot believe people put perfectly good items for the trash truck and fill up our dumps. the flip side of that is people who have absolute rotting crap stored in their garages and homes. but, onward... i think ironing board covers are designed - and i use that term so loosely - by the same people who design linoleum, wallpaper and sofa fabrics. they have a problem, but not nearly as big a problem as the industry that supports this bizarre phenomenon. but, again, i digress. long story short, i make my own covers because environment is everything and ugly is just plain unacceptable. 

i love to iron. but even if i didn't i would need to in order to sew, which i also love. and life is way too short to look at one of those vile designs every day. i had a wonderful cover i'd made out of peanuts character baseball theme fabric. that was probably six years and five moves ago so you can imagine the state it was in. it was time to say goodbye. (although i do have it in my laundry pile just in case it will clean up well enough to work as a pile of cleaning rags or something.) this one is made from a wonderful heavy cotton shower curtain - the kind you'd use with a separate liner. i found it at a thrift store. brand new. 

this one is cheery and reminds me that this is the time in our life when we live by the zoo and visit it ridiculously often. i hope it lasts a long, long time. but i have a lot more of this fabric so i think i am set for my little glimpse of eternity here on our beautiful swirling blue planet.

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my first project was hemming three pairs of pants that i found, of course, at the thrift store. i was looking for overalls for my sweet cousin. i didn't find any for her - yet - but i found two pair for me. 

this pair blows me away because i had forgotten about these painter's overalls that were all the thing in the 1970/80s. this pair has never been worn and its trip to the laundromat with me was its first. i think these were 1.99 (before my 'senior' discount) and i can't wait until they wear in. 

i plan to start on that endeavor immediately.


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this is another view of my new cover. and what do you think of my sewing scissors? dusty gave them to me and they are one of my favorite treasures. i love scissors and collect them. this pair is at the top of my ron swanson-ish scissor pyramid. 

i am not sure using a pair of scissors should infuse one with the level of happiness these do but i have to be honest and say if you owned a pair of these your life happiness meter would jump off the chart. just saying sometimes i have an edge over my peers. 

this is one of those times.


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the other pair of overalls is seen here on top of the stack. it is also a wonderful find. it's a great cotton fabric with a favorite fine woven grid-like texture that i have only seen one other time, lightweight and soft as butter but will last me forever. it was a very lucky thrift day for me.

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i wish we would find this on most of the clothing in our stores. 

but. alas. 

all the more reason this is such a superior thrift find. and why i am drawn to the thrifting addiction. could be much worse. by the way, scout and i picked up 400 pieces of litter last week. that was a great feeling of accomplishment and good deed-ism. 

thanks for stopping by. until next time. happiness to you. from me. with heart. 

ox joon


2.02.2011

2.2.11 ... recovered rolling chair


i find myself telling you all two things over and over. one: there was no sunshine for photos today and two: i've been wanting to do X, Y or Z forever. today is no different. my project falls under both categories. we've had this secondhand rolling chair for years and it was an assault to my senses every.single.day. with evan's help it has finally been recovered to my heart's content. i do wish the photos were better. here is the before picture from a few months ago when i put it on craigslist. no one responded.  now i am very, very happy!


i rest my case.
this fabric is designer upholstery fabric. i bought a large piece at a thrift store in 2005 for 2.25. I love it. these photos do not do it justice. hopefully you can see through their failings.


i have this tote in my joonwalk shop that i made with this fabric. you can see how beautiful it is...


i promised to show you my kitchen towel patch and mend so here you go. the fish patch is on both sides and is a recycled t shirt from scoutie's toddler days. i mended the edge using a neckline bit from a t shirt to create a false edge.


here's hoping you are warm and dry tonight. ciao for now.


sweet dreams, everyone. thanks for stopping by. until tomorrow. happiness to you. from me. with heart. ox joon

4.22.2010

There Is No Try. Only DO.


This is a short & sweet message.
The images say more than I can.
I did need to update you all on PRoJeCT SNoWFLaKe.
Scout & I have picked up 191 pieces of litter so far.
We're going back out on a litter hunt this weekend.
Update next week.



PLEASE read all about PRoJeCT SNoWFLaKe
in my previous post below.


I'd love for you to join me.
Even if it's just ONCE.
ONCE counts.


It's true.


Have beautiful, peaceful EARTH DAY
my Earthling friends.


ox
joon

PS. If you joined us please return
and share your story with a comment.

2.02.2010

Adding a Touch of Silly to the Mundane


Batteries drive me crazy.
Maybe it's just at my house but I
exist in a world filled with ambiguous
batteries and equally confused fellow family members
whose names will remain a mystery in order
to protect the innocently adored.

Yesterday we had yet another incident
of 'Are they or aren't they?'
complicated by another fine
crazy making housewife condition
known as:
Is it the flashlight or is it the batteries?

Well, I've been around the block
a time or two so I know how to
make a U Turn and pass the buck.

I leave the flashlight empty.
I take the possible batteries,
and in a stroke of silly genius
I rifle through the recycling basket
and viola!
Ambiguous labeling.


Somehow I just felt a lot better after this.
Silly is as silly does.
Do something silly today.
Come back and share your story with us.
Until next time.

ox
joon

9.22.2009

Joon Appetit ~ Red Pepper Jam Tutorial


Lovely Red Pepper Jam ~ a True Treat


It's That Time of Year for Beautiful Red Peppers


Red Pepper Jam is so easy and rewarding.
Here we go...
Chop: 4-6 red peppers.
We used 4 here because ours were quite large.
Scout, who I would like to credit with and thank for all of the photography for this post, hand chopped these peppers. You can use your food processor or mini chopper, of course. We just don't have either at this time.

Sprinkle on & stir in 1 TBSP. salt
Let sit at least 3 hours.
More is fine, too.


Drain well.
We line our strainer with a piece of cheesecloth.
It is not necessary if your strainer has finer holes.


You can see the value of this step.


In a heavy, medium saucepan PLACE:
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar

ADD & STIR IN: your chopped, drained peppers



Heat to boiling.
Reduce heat.
Simmer on a low simmer, uncovered, for about one hour.

{Scout just wanted to include this photo.
She likes it. She thinks it's fun.
That covered pan in this shot is another pan.}



Ladle your jam into recycled jelly jars if you like.

{The kind that make you smile.}
You can store it in any refrigerator container.
It lasts for a LONG time.
I have no idea how long.
Ours is always gone in days.


Isn't it pretty?

This Jam makes a fabulous gift.
We always include a package of
Kraft Cream Cheese & a roll of Ritz Crackers.


Pure Heaven on a plate.


Please come back and let me know how your jam
brightened your day.

Until next time...

ox
joon

And Thanks Again to Scout for her photography and help.

4.17.2009

Fine Art for Pennies Conquers Modern Technology ~ A Dilemma Solved Tutorial


I found this wonderful Charles Prendergast quality print poster for $1 and have been transporting it and beautifying our prospective temporary homes for quite a few years. It's been through the packing and unpacking process and gained a bit of character but I saw some
Joseph's Little Overcoat of life still in it
when I was faced with this decorating challenge...


EEGADS!

This fuse box adorns a wall in our bedroom.
That's a new one on me. And, as most of you know,
I've lived in 30something+ residences now.
Try as we might, we just couldn't seem to match up
a proper artful disguise for this eyesore.




Idea

One day, I pulled out the poster.
It was exactly the proper height,
but since the fuse box did not offer a flat wall surface
we needed to add cardboard and a hanging device.
We did that, but it just wasn't sturdy enough
to maintain a steadfast cover.
Thinking cap once again...



The tools of the trade.

Then I had my AHA! moment.
And this is what happened next...


New Improved Idea

I turned my cardboard backed, beautiful poster scene into a triptyche.
And I solved the sturdy hanging challenge
with one of my favorite recycle friendly inventions ~
the ever simple and always perfect velcro dot.




Have I mentioned I am mad for velcro?

First, I attached the velcro squares, both halves of each,
to the fuse box corners.

Next, I peeled away the protective pieces
and centered the art work over the fuse box,
pressed and viola!




I am a Happy Woman

I now have two perfectly sized scenes to interchange at will
and one smaller one for another use.
Evan has had the unfortunate need to access the fuse box
one morning at 4 AM.
The lone cheery aspect of which, he reported at coffee time,
was his joy at how perfectly easy it was to remove and reattach
my ingenius box cover.
So there you have it.
$1 has never been better spent ~ even for me!

I hope this idea has helped you with one of your decor dilemmas.
Please comment, if so.
Leave me a link.
I'd love to see what you've done.

ox joon

ps. I've provided a link to a Charles Prendergast biography entry
for those of you who might like to read more about him.
He seems to need a WIKI entry.

His more renowned brother, Maurice, has one.
What's up with that?