The Betty White Theory

Everyone is talking about Betty White lately. She's on television again, presenting at award shows and appearing in Summer movies. As I thought about her sudden resurgence into pop culture, I started to think about recycling (sorry, Betty) and how we, as a society, sometimes discard things just because they are old.

Even if they are still useful, the lure of something new will often tempt us in a way that makes us forget about the things that we are leaving behind. Good grief, as soon as I wrote that I could hear the metaphors, but it wasn't intentional, so I'm leaving it in :-) Instead of mixing metaphors, I decided to wander around my house and photograph some things that I have re-purposed, to fill a practical (or decorative) need.

Don't get me wrong, this is not a lecture on recycling, or saving the planet, more a reminder that we often have the items we need sitting in our houses already. Using unexpected things, for ordinary reasons, will always add personality to a home. Before buying, check around your home to see if you already have what you are looking for. It may not be exactly what you wanted, but that doesn't mean you can't use it (eg. put jewelry in your best china bowl or hang a painting with brightly colored thumb tacks).

Of course, creative shopping will never take the place of good, old-fashioned retail therapy, but that's an entirely different story.....