If you’re an avid recycler, there’s a good chance that you seamlessly slip into the role of being an enthusiastic, creative and handy repurpose–er.
If you fit the profile, you wouldn’t see a pile of old boards, a bucket of rusty oddlings and a snaggle-toothed piece of corrugated tin as junk. Oh no, like Michele and I, you’d envision a birdhouse … or something equally as charming. My farmgirl pal (Michele) and I cahootinized on this camper birdhouse for a project that Hen #1 (MaryJane Butters) is working on. I drafted the design and Michele built it. To elaborate on this theme, come on in and see how an age old question is answered … farmgirl style. The question? … …
“What on earth are you going to do with THAT?”
Shery, you are an inspiration. I look forward to reading your posts. You are a definitely an exceptional writer and today you touched my heart to the point that a small tear drop formed in my eye. I completely understood your message because no one understands to see "the overlooked, to see deeper, better and through things" like you mentioned. I myself see so much beauty in so many things and I’m the only one that sees it! So much potential in so many things…regardless of everyone else, I’m going to continue my search for beauty in everything I see. Go Girl you got my vote…
I love recycling things and making something else out of them! I’ve done it for years and find it rewarding and interesting to boot! My whole house and apartment feature reworks of mine! So does the jewelry I design and wear or give to others.
I love the birdhouse and now I’m thinking….hmmmm….I’ve got to do that now!
What a wonderful blog! Your pics are great, and everything looks super. I have a love for so much. I often re-purposed stuff and I am tickled pink when it works out. Warm regards, Anna
Love it love it. I love old stuff, thank you for your blog, it always makes me feel good.
Oh Shery! I think I just found my clone! I’ll be 70 next month and that means I’ve been collecting longer than you have. Why do people want to call it junk? It especially works well in the garden and tucked in around plants. I envy your room to keep all your "treasures". You’re my kind of farm gal. Keep up the good work! Bonnie
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Hi Bonnie! Thank you. I don’t know why relic gems are called junk. I guess when they’ve outlived your usefulness, they get to be ‘junk’. Some of the old stuff we like will still be around long after the ‘junk’ of this generation is buried. I dunno, maybe that is better…disposable junk that actually goes away…except that all of the plastic stuff we’ve created will be around and it really IS junk. I think an important aspect of going green is to make better quality ‘stuff’ (like in the old days) so that we don’t have so much CRAP to put in the landfill. One day they won’t be called landfills anymore. They’ll be landFULLs. shery
Shery, once again, Thank you for shraing your heart, home & your Joy for life with us….
p.s., luv the trailer!
hugz
>^..^<
Shery…you’ve done it once again…brought back memories that will forever be precious to me. While reading your post what came flooding back into my mind was summer nights when I used to live in Idaho. The windows would all be open and since we lived out in the country, all would be quiet, except for the sprinklers on our handlines watering our pasture, (so soothing), a train going through town blowing it’s lonesome whistle and the Killdeer! What lovely little sounds they make. All was well with the world! Once I found a tiny baby,(just a little furball with loooong legs) in the middle of our road. I got to gently pick it up and put it in our pasture to join up with his mama. I’ll never forget that…had to be one of the dearest things I’ve had the honor to hold. Thanks, Shery….for helping me not forget.
Well my dear, you’ve gone and done it again… here in your blog and your garden yard! You are my sister in junk’n crime! I adore your " born again creations"… ALL OF THEM… You know what I especially love…Once you turn 50 ( at least for me ) you don’t worry so much about always pleasing others and you start grabbing every darned chance you can to please yourself more often. I think for us farmgirls, it boils down to doin’ what we love with a grin and a twinkle in the eye no matter what the heck anyone else thinks about it! Lucky for us we have the sisterhood to share with… I bet there’s not one raised eyebrow at any of your " finds " in the whole flock of us!!! Sister, your blogs make me happy!
God Bless You!!!
xo Deb
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Back at ya sister DBoz :o) When do you expect to start selling flowers? I think that is such a romantic concept. My grandma always kept a cutting garden so that she could have fresh flowers in the house all summer long. She loved gladiolas the best for that. Thank you for stopping in dear friend. shery
I love your blog, I love what you do with all the "stuff" you find. But I guess I’m not a farmgirl after all…I run across that "stuff" and I see junk…I have tried to do something with it and it still looks like junk. I guess I wasn’t born with that gene. 8~(
Also around here, since work is very hard to find in the "thumb" area of Michigan, there is no abandond junk to be found, "scrappers" have claimed it and sold it for money. Its gotten so scarse to find around here, people steal metal items from abandond houses and sell it. You can even make money selling cardboard boxes so stores dumpsters get raided after they have had a delivery, they look for boxes and than sell them also. They even have tried to sell manhole covers with the cities names stamped on them! Really! haha!
Just yesterday my hubby and I were at a church garage sale. He made a comment to me that ‘If I would have know this was going on WE could have brought lots of stuff!!!’ I think that he knew I was slightly RANKLED when I replied ‘Oh, so you’re going to bring some of YOUR shop stuff?!?’. One more point for us girls….
I loved the concepts that you shared in your blog! I am 58 and I am bound and determined to become as genuine and true to my self that I can be. That means letting the creative juices flow in the repurposing of my treasures. Right now, I am having a hard time FOCUSING on one area and I have projects sprinkled all over kingdom come…The top of the list is hanging succulent gardens. I have a large collection of ‘hens and chicks’ style plants and also a bunch that I have to winter over on my sun porch. SOOOO, now I am carting home everything from picture frames, old windows, wicker baskets, etc. to plant some up. Your patriotic theme reminded me that I have red succulents and I could form a star in the middle of one…Great minds…
Party on!!
Shery, I love to savor your posts and rejoice when you have a new one! You are a lovely, engaging writer and I love your writing and pictures. Your garden, home and ranch are truly amazing and so beautifil. Truly a garden of eden so to speak on the Wyoming plains. Thank you for sharing your treasures with us!!!
You take the most wonderful pictures. Just retired and am getting back into my art work full time. May I have your permission to incorporate some of your photos into my drawings? They really are beautiful. Liz Bowling
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Dear Liz, Thank you for asking. Yes, of course, you can…and have fun! shery
Shery: You’re a genius! You took all that "good stuff", put it to great use and beautified it with flowers; God is proud of you and so am I, Well done my good and faithful servant. You are a prime redeemer.
Good Morning from the Ozarks!
What wonderful ideas, full of beauty to brighten your world and everyone elses that passes by!
Old tin coffee pots make wonderful planters and bird feeders to hang from the trees. We took all of our broken wind chimes and re-created them into more wind chimes this spring, now my front porch is filled with music every day!
Thanks for sharing all of the beauty! Diana