Zero Landfill - Grass Roots Effort in my Own Back Yard

Imagine my surprise finding out from my mom about a pilot program called ZeroLandfill in Akron, Ohio who's main objective is keeping leftover samples previously used by architectural and interior design companies from ever reaching a landfill. An example is shown below.


These leftovers are then provided free to local artists, educators and junkers across the Buckeye state. The best news is the program has been so well received it will continue to grow across the land to other states too!
Check out ZeroLandfill for more information. What a fantastic program!

Spud Love

Love can be shown by the simplest of gestures. After a full day of work and an evening filled with his assignments for school, my husband still helps with dinner preparation many evenings. I just wanted to say, thanks for the love, smart one. We love and appreciate you so very much!

Junky Clipboard Turned Handy Photo Holder

I come from a family of five girls and when my mom asked me to develop multiple copies of an old photo that included three of my oldest sisters, I asked her if I could have a little fun with my sister Terri's photo before she gave it to her.

You see Terri is the "middle child" in our family and has a heart of gold. She was diagnosed 14 years ago with multiple Schlerosis and has gone through so much over the years...especially the last four. Now with Progressive MS, she lives in an assisted living facility which does not allow much home decor due to the size of the room, so we always struggle to make it "homey" for her.

ENTER OLD JUNKY CLIPBOARD. I decided to use one of the old clipboards I had in storage to make a handy frame for the wall that could easily be removed for her to take a closeup look whenever she pleases. (New, clipboards can be purchased at many dollar-type and discount stores for dirt cheap).

I then stamped green cardstock with a whole slew of numbers and attached the photo.


Have you ever just loved everything about a special photo you have? Well, that's how I feel about this one. My two oldest sisters are sitting next to their baby sister (my big sister), Terri, in this 1964 photo.


Although I'm the baby in the family now, Terri was the "little sis" back then. Sometimes the easiest of projects can be the most rewarding, don't you think? Have you ever completed a simple project that just felt right?

As always, take care and keep on junking!

Welcoming Guests is 'Sew' Simple

Do you have an old friend you'd like to invite for an overnight stay? How about a sister...an Aunt....your mom? I grabbed a few vintage sewing junk supplies to make a friend of mine feel as welcome as possible.

Buckle up, people. It's going to be a junky ride! My mom gave me a whole mess of belt buckles recently. This one is rusty and metal...my kind of fastener.


A couple old books stacked on the table for my friend to leaf through. (They helped beef up my lighting situation too).




I zipped right through this project. I wrapped my pitcher in record time using one of my old zippers


I filled a box with little goodies for her to take home. Tied it off with creamy white bias tape from my old sewing supplies.
I think it's pretty. But then again, I may be biased...

My own dear mother showered me with the mother load of all buckles. Mother-of-pearl buckles...cha-ching! I felt like a mini Queen of Quantity for a moment or two.

I also placed a vintage paper needle holder that has sophisticated gold writing by my friend's bedside. Hmmm. What can I do with that?

I decided to tuck a little note inside it for her.

Okay, so here is a portion of my leftovers and I can hardly see a dent in it. What other things can I do with this stuff. **Please note - I'm a non-sewing junker. ;)

As always, take care and keep on junking!

Curbside Finds

This post is for all the junkers that are constantly amazed by what they find on the curb. While driving my daughter to preschool yesterday I came across a whole mess of good junk that I couldn't pass up. It was trash day...and let me tell you people, the people had the goods out waiting for my drive by. (Mind you, my daughter's school is a mere 3 minutes from our house so keep that in mind while viewing this post.)

I never go out with the intent to drive around and curb shop. However, if there is something that catches my eye on my way to wherever, I will not hesitate to pick it up. I DESPISE seeing usable items thrown in the trash. Even if I can't use something, I have been known to pick items up to donate or sell. We can all use extra cash these days, can't we?

Yes, I'm a recycler. No, I'm not hardcore. Your basic plastic, metals and paper recycler here. But there is a line I won't cross - You'll never see me toss something I know someone else might be able to use.

My final find yesterday morning was a Trek mountain bike. Yes, I said Trek. I bought my own Trek bike new over 10 years ago for close to $400. Even if there are $100 in repairs for this bike (which it doesn't appear to be), why not drive it to a donation drop off instead of trashing it? If you're hoping a guy in a pickup truck will come before the garbage man (or a mom in her minivan - sorry kids, you gotta scooch over so I can get this bike in here), oftentimes it doesn't work out that way and it just gets buried in the ground with all the other gazillion bikes.


So the next time you think 'hmmmm, maybe someone could use this', don't toss it. Either drive it to a charitable donation location or post it for FREE on Craigslist. (Candy is now stepping down from her soapbox).

What kind of curbside finds have you come across? I'd love to hear about them. Even though I complain about others, I still love to find good junk! I'll have an update with what project I'll be doing with the crib springs in the photos at a later date. ;)

As always, take care and keep on junking!