I've been cobbling together the idea behind this blog for awhile. I've recently realized that I have always been making things (although not always pretty), but I'm a big-time re-purposer/DIYer. It's weird because I just always thought I was cheap. It turns out I might be a little crafty AND cheap.
It all probably started with yard sales and thrift stores. My mom would take me around on Saturday mornings, picking through mostly junk until a treasure rose from the ashes. ("that's a perfectly good orange peeler!")
One day, I matured. I blossomed into online searching and bartering. In laymen's terms, I worked my way up to the weirdness that Craigslist harbors.
The main point is that I love other people's stuff: how they received it, where it stood in their homes/boats/houseboats, the area it came from and why they are selling it for a song (what could be wrong with it?). Oh, and because I am cheap, I like that you could get just as good stuff but not have to go to a store and wait in a line. I hate lines!
Beyond just being a cheapskate, I like how vintage things seem to function better and look more elegant. The devil is in the details, as "they" say. I am a perfectionist at being imperfect, so these quirky items just call out to me, things like "Buy me, buy me" or "drive to Lillington" for a weird little table I could refinish. One of my best ones is coordinating the purchase of a crystal chandelier in Pennsylvania from North Carolina. It didn't work out though, but I did find one in Chapel Hill so all's well.
I like the things I own to have some sense of humor, maybe humility too.
I could be a hoarder if I didn't get rid of things all the time. I've moved several times and I seem to keep moving into smaller places (not on purpose really).
Living within your means lets you become more creative. If there's a ton of wall space or a huge kitchen, people tend to fill it up with crap. I'll never forget the electronic can opener suspended from the cup cabinent at my childhood home. Why!?
Because of my limitations, I can discriminate about what I choose to have in my house. And when I'm bored, I can easily just get rid of stuff because it probably didn't cost much to begin with.
In addition to old crap no one wants, I also like to make new things no one else probably wants. I hope to chronicle these endeavors with you as my loyal reader.
Until next time!
No comments:
Post a Comment