Victory!

After a frustrating day of failed attempts and almost throwing in the art towel (it's always 'almost') I finally emerged victorious with a successful prototype of the plastic bag wallet! I like this one more than the crocheted wallet because it's simpler, more user friendly, and I don't have to hunt down used zippers. However, I am hunting down a heat sealer to use in place of a sewing machine. And the best part you can't even see; it has magnets sewn in that hold it shut! Ashley saved the day with that suggestion.

Observations...

I needed a new toothbrush. I can neither make one or buy one used so I was allowed to buy a new one. Now that I don't spend much time in stores, when I do find that I need to make a purchase I can be really thoughtful about it. I would normally go to Target for a toothbrush, but I decided to check out Wild Oats instead and found a toothbrush by Eco Dent. It has replacable bristles so I don't have to buy a whole new toothbrush each time.

Never in my life has the ecological footprint of my toothbrush been a concern. When I went to the store, I didn't go with the intention of examining every product and researching online for the absolute best toothbrush. But now that my overall volume of purchases has decreased, somehow there's more space in my head to take a moment and consider the small details.

The Math of Craft

5 Crafty Women + 1 (Lg.) Bottle of Wine + 10 Plastic Bags = 1 Crafty Evening!

Last night at Ashley's dinner party turned craft extravaganza, I discovered I've been doing things the hard way. Jen opened my eyes to a new way of cutting plastic bags that is SO MUCH more efficient! I bowed to her in respect. I found online instructions for better ways to cut plastic bags at HGTV.

I also found some good instructions for a plastic bag tote at DIY Network. And in the spirit of Sweetest Day, a plastic bag bra, just for fun.

Viva la bag!

Bag Lady

In need of an everyday purse that could take a beating, I knitted myself this one out of plastic bags. Starting at the bottom of the bag, I moved in a spiral around the bag to create one long strand. This bag required several bags so when I came to the end of a strand, I just knotted it on to the next one. I used a Knifty Knitter loom (because I'm lazy and impatient) to knit a tube and then added a handle. It's lined with an old T-shirt so this pretty baby cost me nothing but the time. Just for fun, I had to have a matching wallet. And don't worry, the zipper for the wallet came from a children's clothing item from the thrift store. It was 75 cents.

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

Lisa's Chandelier

So this post could have been published under "Skins & Skeins," but I felt it deserved it's own post. Yesterday was my first visit to Lisa's house so it was my first encounter with her chandelier. She got it at an antique store near Cleveland for a great price because a car had driven through the window of the shop and it no longer had any crystals. At her birthday party, she invited guests to string beads, ornaments, and other shinies and hang them haphazardly. I made one yesterday. It consisted of an orange christmas light and two gaudy earrings.

Skins & Skeins

I spent yesterday morning at Lisa's house with Amy. We were there to can tomatoes. My Hamburger Helper upbringing was void of such domestic acts so at age 23, tomato canning is new and fascinating. Plus, in light of my new project, it seems like an appropriate skill to learn. For utterly thorough canning instructions, check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

I also learned how to wind a skein (is that even the correct terminology?). Lisa has this really great skein winder that is ancient and charming. We had to prop up it's bad leg with a cookbook. It measures exactly two feet around so you can quickly wind your string and know exactly how long it is (example: 50 turns = 100 feet). When I have a studio, I think I'll try to make my own, except permanently attached to the wall. In the meantime, I'll be on the lookout for old wheels.

Just for the record, I kicked MYSELF out

Today was the first day on my own. Sure, I went to college and felt like I was on my own. Then I got my first apartment and felt like I was really on my own. But it was only partial independence. Little did I know that in the chaos and confusion of post-graduation I would end up once again co-habitating with my parents.

I chose to move back in with my parents because I was just really tired after 5 years of school and all that it entailed. The ridiculous assignments, the all-nighters, the crappy jobs, the meals of rice, the attic apartment void of heat but full of silverfish, and having to work every hour of every day for it all. I needed some rest and they needed a hand so I did the unthinkable and moved back in with Mom and Dad.

It was only temporary. One, maybe two months at the most. Two months later, I found myself interviewing for part-time jobs, just to earn some cash so that I could leave in two more months. I decided this wasn't for me.

With $60 and my life in my truck bed (clothes to wear, clothes to sell, and art supplies), I drove back to Cincinnati. I know people, I know the city, and if I'm gonna hack it somewhere, Cincinnati has the highest potential-for-success rate. I want to be financially independent, I want to be around people that inspire me, and (possibly) most of all, I want to make things. All the time.

Now for the blog. I had this really great plan and I even wrote a proposal. For my 2007 New Year's Resolution, I was going to commit to not buying anything new that I could not make or buy used for the entire year. I was going to have time to prepare, I was going to have time to wane myself off materialism, but I've put myself in a situation where I have no money to buy anything and nowhere to even put it. Right now, the less I own the better off I am. So I didn't choose to start this project now. It chose to start itself.

Starting today, October 10, 2006, I will not buy anything new that I cannot make or buy used. I will do this for one complete year. This blog is in place to hold me accountable, as well as share my strategies for living outside the jurisdiction of consumerism. But most of all, I want to do this project because I want to retrain myself. Hopefully, someday in the future, if I do find myself in need of an object my initial reaction will be to make, not buy.

Here goes nothing (new),

Elle

I dedicate this project to my grandma, (who taught me to be stubborn, strong, and thrifty).