Wordless Wednesday Featuring Peg and an Upcycled Nest

Okay, so this isn't exactly wordless.  But this definitely needs a caption or something!  My lovebird, Peg, has recently taken to nesting in her food bowl.  And as luck would have it, her rear end hung out over the water bowl so it was constantly being soiled.  So, I took and old parrot sized food bowl, flipped a take-out ramekin upside down inside of it to create a higher floor and stuck a wad of dryer lint on top of it.  Well, it took her day to figure out what it was, but she loves it!

Wordless Wednesday Featuring a Little Extra Upcycled Room for Hauling

What are you Upcycling in Your Compost Bin?

Slowly but surely the little critters who have taken up residence in my compost bin are eating and pooping their way through my table scraps and garden clippings.  Sometimes it's a challenge to come up with compostable trash when you live alone, one certainly doesn't produce the waste that a family of four does.  If you have the same problem or simply want to compost more here are some things that maybe you haven't considered before:

1.  Dryer lint - or that disgusting wad of lint you pulled off your refrigerator coils

2.  Pet hair - Although I live alone, there is certainly an abundance of pet hair in my apartment

3. Wine - though you'd have to leave some in the bottle (or box, if you prefer) to compost
4.  Burlap

5.  Fish bones

6.  Cotton balls/swabs (with cardboard sticks, not plastic)

7.  Egg Shells - or crush up and spread them around your plants to keep snails and other would be predators from chomping on your plants

8.  Coffee Grounds/Tea Leaves - Coffee grounds are also terrific added straight to the soil surrounding acid loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons, and roses.

9.  Jello

10. Old Pasta and rice - plain and cooked

11.  Elmer's Glue

12. Cage Droppings from your herbivorous pets (birds, bunnies, guinea pigs) - don't forget the bedding, it's an excellent source of carbon for the pile

13. Crustacean Shells (shrimp, lobster, crab)

14.  Wool Socks or any other natural fiber clothing; cotton, hemp, etc.

15.  and my favorite...Toenail Clippings!  Seriously....Google it!

And for a little bonus, I couldn't quite bring myself to add this to my list but this article is really a funny read.

Happy Composting!

Five Other Uses for a Starbucks Cup

I know it's terrible, but my dirty little secret is (cue the scary music)...I have more disposable Starbucks cups than any one human should ever collect in a lifetime!  Of course, I've rectified the problem by now with reusable beverage containers.  But every now and again when I don't have my cup with me or I just have to have a VENTI when my reusable will only hold a grande, I add to my collection.  So what's a girl supposed to do with all those left over cups?  Here are five ways to upcycle those cold cups:

1.  Make a bird feeder. 
2.  Use them glues or to mix paints in.  They are great for crafting!
3.  Plant an herb or succulent garden.  You could even wrap scrap fabric around them and tie it in place with some raffia or hemp to jazz them up.
4.  Make a wreath for the mantle or the door.
5.  Make a canopy...Okay so you won't make much shade with the clear Starbucks cups but you'll start a conversation or two.

And don't forget:  If your local recycling program doesn't take #5 plastics you can collect them and deliver to your local Whole Foods, Target or other retailer with a collection box.  You can find your closest location on the Preserve website.  And now, you can go enjoy your favorite iced venti whatever with a little less guilt.

Wordless Wednesday Featuring a Coffee Can Mailer

Upcycled Living Fair: My Three Favorite Things

This weekend I was so pleased to take part in the (1st annual) Upcycled Living Fair.  The Event was sponsored by The Grapevine, a unique marketplace in Downtown Greer, SC. The event was hosted at the lovely Poinsett West Gardens and benefitted Greer Relief.  There were so many talented artisans at the fair who were repurposing items that were likely headed to the landfill - I just have to share my three favorite things.

1. Sitting in the booth next to me, Jeanne of quiltsnquaints had a somewhat unnatural obsession with gloves (I tease, she is really quite creative).  This purse brought a smile to my face immediately and I downright giggled when I learned that the strap was actually made from the chain that you'll likely find inside your toilet's tank. She is also quite the collector of all things vintage.  I rather enjoyed listening to her share the story of each item in her booth.

2.  Then I headed over to Artistic Designs, I couldn't stay long though because I could have done some SERIOUS damage to my finances  if I had.  She had some wonderful bird baths and feeders made out of platters and cups/saucers, adorable pet beds and these pencil pots pictured.  The real beauty is apparent when you peek you inside:

She not only reshapes records into pencil pots but she fashions placements and wall art out of old records and their covers.  Hop over to her Etsy shop and see how much damage YOU can do!

3.  And finally, my third favorite thing comes from Fare & Balanced who handcrafts food pedestals.  I'm definitely not the kind of girl who needs to get all fancy schmancy and I don't own a food pedestal, not even for a cake.  But I can certainly appreciate the creativity behind each of Suzanne's creations.  This food pedestal  contains (starting from the bottom) a candle holder, saucer, cordial glass and a dinner plate.  She's just getting her Etsy store set up but in the meantime, this one is listed.

Here are the rest of the amazingly talented vendors who took part in this year's event:

AM Glass Recyclers I loved all the "melted" glass bottles and the tumbler style glasses cut from wine bottles
Riacycled Art picks up scrap granite and makes beautiful cheese boards with it
Butter Bath shared her 100% pure and natural face and body care products

Not quite online:

Sally Studios - while not the majority of her work, the guitar string jewelry was rockin'!
Rebecca Savage - shared her sweet birdhouses with marketplace visitors
At Home, LLC - dabbles in a little bit of everything for the home and garden
Burlap Buddies - had some really adorable home accessories made from  burlap and wine corks (which she swears she didn't drink all that wine alone!)
The Old Home Place - had some really cool yard art made from horseshoes

That just about rounds out the weekend.  I can't wait for next year's event.  If you'd like to keep up to date on future events, follow the Upcycled Living Fair blog.

Wordless Wednesday Featuring a New Product From Soda Bottles