Toodlefetties Love From Upcyclers

What an honor...

for my Toodlefetties Etsy Shop to be included in the Etsy team

Upcyclers Meet & Greet on the team blog today!

Upcyclers Member Meet & Greet

About the Upcyclers Team straight from their Etsy page.

Upcyclers are artisans who repurpose existing materials or post consumer waste to create fashion, art or products with a new value, purpose or aesthetic appeal, thereby reducing the consumption of raw materials, energy and resources that must be conserved for the environmental health of the planet.

And here are a few of the vintage Toodlefetties items that were included...

 Vintage Blue Glass Insulators 

 Vintage Cigarette Lighter & Case 

 Vintage Paperback Cookbook

This is a great team of people that are concerned about the health of our earth and you can find a wide variety of goodies made out of things that could be headed for the landfill or worse, just dumped somewhere and left to pollute the environment.

So why not create new, useful, artistic beautiful things is what I ask?

To quote Donna at Funky Junk Interiors...

 "But you see, the moral of my story in creating unique things is to invent new ways of doing things. Because if I invent, I grow."

Funky Junk Interiors 

 Just giver her button in my sidebar a click and pay her a visit, she is an amazing

example of creating a beautiful home by repurposing.

As for me...

being thrifty is just a part of life, and I love the history behind old forgotten items and wonder what stories could be behind them. Using those items in some other way is just one way of preserving them and keeping them from becoming waste.

Thank you Valerie and Team Upcyclers for the spotlight, I appreciate being included and enjoy being a part of a team of such amazing artisans and collectors.

Do you enjoy collecting vintage items or reinventing them into something else? Please share...

Have a great day!

~Toodles

Finally A Moment To Blog About Hotel Recycling

    As I had shared in my last post, I was intrigued by the recycling and other green policies of the hotel I was staying in at the time. The hotel being the Portland Marriott Residence Inn At Riverplace in Portland, Oregon.
     I was there for 8 days because my mom had a very complex surgery at a nearby hospital that meant a few days in ICU and several days in the hospital. The Marriott was convenient, affordable, had some great amenities and as I had mentioned before I was intrigued and pleased by their recycling and green policies.
   The first thing I noticed upon arrival to my suite was a list hanging on the refrigerator that outlined the items that could be placed into a special trash can for recycling. The kitchen sink had a garbage disposal for waste food items, a special magnetic sign was provided if you wanted to place it on your door to request no maid services. Which I thought was great, because it just wasn't necessary to have new towels and clean sheets on the bed everyday when it was just me staying there, I mean really I don't make that big of a mess. So I had them clean and restock the room about every 2 to 3 days or so. That would translate into less laundry to wash, so less water and electricity used.
    They also had a beautiful pool and jacuzzi area, which I didn't have time to use, but I did go check it out after I read in an informational packet that said it was a mineral based pool, so no harsh chemicals like chlorine were used for sanitation. Being a residence inn, the rooms had full kitchens, but they also served breakfast and light evening meals in their downstairs dining area, where I noticed recycle stations set up as well for waste.
    I do not do a lot of traveling, but when I do I am noticing that more hotels are implementing recycling policies, which is great for the environment, but I'm sure it has to do with controlling some of their costs as well, which can translate into better rates and prices for their customers and in the mean time it makes them good stewards of the environment in their communities. It is definitely something that I will continue to take a look at when comparing hotel rates when planning a trip or vacation.

~ Teresa

Upcycled Art Not Just The Next Green Thing

Up cycled art is becoming more popular with home crafters and the environmentally conscious. Creative entrepreneurs, home crafters and artisans are making a business out of turning re-usable fabrics, ribbons, laces and everyday household objects destined for the landfill into decorative reusable items for the home, garden and more.

If art imitates life then this trend bodes well for the green movement and also seems to be calling attention to the end of the crazy consumerism that has characterized American society since the industrial revolution.  Going green is not just about recycling tin cans and changing your type of light bulbs. It's a trend in jewelry, home decor and art, a definite shift in our way of thinking. To quote a very famous Martha,  "That's a good thing."