Paper or Plastic

Paper or Plastic? Neither! Use your recyclable cloth bags! If you don't have one, I'll make you one!

I don't just use them for grocery shopping anymore, I take them department store shopping too. The clerks at the big chain department stores used to look at me kinda of weird when I said I wanted to use my own bag, but I think more and more people are doing it; so I don't get such weird looks anymore. I even know of a local consignment shop that will give you a discount if you use one of their cloth bags.

I just saw on the news this morning, it's the 150th anniversary of the brown paper bag, or something like that. Anyway, I remember using brown paper grocery bags for all kinds of things when I was a kid. We used to cover our text books with them. I loved a fresh brown canvas to doodle on. The grocery store logo had to be on the inside, of course! I made a new cover every coupla months because my covers were black with all the scribbling! We made hats and masks. Remember the Unknown Comic?! He made the plain brown paper bag famous and invented a really easy Halloween costume!

Even though the brown paper bag has more nostalgia then the plastic bag, I think it's time is up. Use your cloth bags! And for you people that claim that cloth bags harbor bacteria and germs...well, you know you can wash them!

My niece, Lori Linton, is busy repurposing! She is appliqueing all sorts of found materials, such as doilies, napkins, and bits of tablecloths, on baby onesies! They are very cool. And the babies that will wear these one-of-a-kind, fashionable onesies will be trendsetters! Keep on creating, Lori!

Recycle Runway

On a recent (and much needed) vacation, my husband and I had a short layover at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Imagine my delight and surprise when I walked off the plane and into the terminal (actually International Concourse E) and saw a party dress made out of Target bags! I was so excited! There were display windows up and down the concourse displaying beautiful, couture fashion made from recycled materials. I loved it! It was right up my alley! There was a suit made from parts of a car and a dress made from tires and another dress decorated with pieces of aluminum soda cans. The layover seemed very short since I was so busy taking pictures and admiring the art; I was having a great time - and in the airport! I noticed other people taking pictures that were excited as I was.
I have since learned the installation is called Recycle Runway and it is by artist and environmental educator, Nancy Judd. And there are a total of 18 installations in the Atlanta airport.

On all the display windows was this great quote, "Waste does not exist, only wasted resources." LOVE IT!!

And here is my souvenir from Mexico: These bags were everywhere. They are made from cracker and cookie packaging. Most of the bags were really colorful featuring pictures of food images, like cheese and odd Mexican animal mascots. I couldn't resist this one! It was the only one like it...it's so me!