Tuesday, May 10, 2011

That Lusty Month...

And thankfully, I'm not lusting too badly for anything new.

Except shoes. Finding used shoes online is tricky.

I have particularly difficult time finding shoes because 1) I don't wear leather, and 2) I need shoes with really good support. That's a tall order, even for a giant thrift store like Value Village. Luckily, I already own an embarrassing amount of shoes, about half of which I wear once a year... just like several of the floor length gowns I own. Thoughts like this do make me wish I were a man. I could have a tux, a pair of wing tips, and I'd be set. Ladies are not so lucky.

So I'm lusting after some Keen sneakers and a new pair of summer clogs. I'm on a mission to find some new warm weather kicks at some of my favorite second hand stores--wish me luck!

CONFESSIONS: I did buy something new. I bought... (drum roll, please...) a washing machine. It's a tiny, 1-cubic foot goodie, and it keeps me from driving to the laundromat or my boyfriend's house to wash my clothes all the damn time. This little gem only uses about $17 of energy A YEAR. And since I have wind powered electricity in my apartment, it's even a bit less than that. I wash nearly everything in cold and then line dry it in my bathroom. I never dreamed having my own washer would change my life, but it literally made my most loathed and dreaded chore something so much easier and cleaner--both for the environment and for my clothes!

I searched and searched for a used/refurbished one, but I couldn't find one, so I broke down and bought the new model. Yesterday, however, I did suck it up and order a refurbished hard drive for my business, even though it was actually more expensive than the new one I could have bought on Amazon. Ugh.

Other acquisitions include a Krupps cappuccino machine from Freecycle, which has in two short weeks provided both endless entertainment for me and mom in trying to figure out how to foam the milk and several rounds of much needed afternoon energy boosts.

My dear friend Matt was kind enough to give me an extra Pur water filter that he had laying around. Mine died, and I couldn't stand the idea of not filtering my water. Lucky that I have a friend like Matt! Alas, Proctor and Gamble, the nasties who own Pur, don't yet recycle the old filter faucet heads. At Whole Foods I see bins where shoppers can recycle Brita filters, so P&G get on this and let us recycle what we've bought from you! We're trying to reduce our plastic consumption here!

Lastly, I made this spring wreath with a combination of found items and a few pieces purchased at the thrift store. Thanks to my sister for the inspiration to garland my door in verdant happiness!