Holiday Travels

The Purpose of traveling cannot be summed up easily as we all have so many reasons to do so. I am currently traveling through Pennsylvania, via our lake house, on the way to Florida to visit family. Florida is not my first choice for Christmas, but we all know the true meaning of the holidays is compromise. We are visiting my man's 82 year old mom, whose purpose in life has been helping the mentally ill, a fine Purpose indeed. One of the things we will enjoy doing together is visiting the local junk, vintage and antique stores, a hobby/passion we both share. She RE:Purposes things for different reasons than I do, but a RE:Purposer nonetheless. So as I have previously blogged RE:Gift and REjoice this holiday. Talk to you next year!

Tis The Season of RE:Gifting

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and of course Happy Holidays.  I can remember when it was so uncomplicated.  Wishing someone happiness and joy was never ill received ans the intention was never ill intended.  This time of year causes so many to reflect upon so many things, but it saddens me that we do not reflect enough.  We are just so caught up in the retail frenzy of giving.....

I encourage you, this and every season, to re gift.  No, not the ugly tie from the grab bag at work, or the undrinkable bottle of wine from your long lost cousin.  I mean go to your local antique/vintage shop or second hand store and give an item a new lease on life.  I have found vintage engineering books and old tools for an Engineer in my life, vintage cookbooks and Corningware for a cook in my life, fun things, serious things, just things of all kinds.  Don't get me wrong, I won't turn down a thoughtful gift from anyone....but those who really know me....know where to shop.

Peace........

Lindsay

Mother Nature

Ah, the beauty of purpose!  Everything in life has purpose, even the things that we cannot predict, see or understand.  Such is the way of Mother Nature.  My last post reflected feelings about Halloween.   I look forward to the day every year.  But, alas, Halloween was not to be in Connecticut, as an early Nor'easter roared through causing nearly a million people to be without power; some for up to 10 days.  However, this is not a statement regarding utilities, but rather RE:Purposing. 

The bad news was we lost some beautiful old growth trees, the good news is they will be RE:Purposed into firewood and will help ease utility bills next year.  The bad news was we were without power, the good news is neighbors came out and helped each other all while RE:Purposing things in their homes, car batteries became means of power, re gifted (I prefer RE:Purposed items) became sources of heat, entertainment and light.  We RE:Purposed out fireplaces into ovens and created vintage, rustic meals to warm us.  We RE:Discovered the fun and joy of reading by candlelight, forgetting why electronics were so important.  We found the Purpose of each others company without the noise of our modern society and we saw stars for the first time in a long while.

So, before the storm comes, practice.  Practice the wonder of quiet, peace, each other, books, calm and a nice fire.  You may not want to go back to the noise....

Peace.

Lindsay

The first thing rquested when the power came back......

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween.  It snowed last night, here in Connecticut.  Reminding me of Halloweens of my youth.  Trick or treating with several layers and long underwear beneath our costumes was pretty normal back then.  Long before there were elaborate costume shops and on line custom costume design there was your parents closet.  Their closets were treasure troves of dress up opportunity.  I was a hobo, gypsy, four armed martian, pirate and baseball player with items from these closets.  My brother had the same fun, just a few years later.  Another wonderful way to RE:Purpose things and reminisce about the past holidays.  Please be safe with your travels this Hallows Eve and remember Ghosts are just RE:Purposed people!

Lindsay

Childhood friends Left to Right Lucy, Michelle, Gail and Julie....they haven't changed!

RE:Unions

RE:People.....

I believe in karma, fate, kizmet, whatever moniker you choose to use.  Recently an old high school acquaintance held a RE:Union for anyone who attended our high school between certain years, we were a very close group then and are now.  As I like to connect dots, I sent the invite to people who were not on his radar.  The two of them lived literally 10,000 miles apart, New Hampshire and Thailand.  I was in contact with both of them, off and on, over the course of the last few months and then, nothing.  Not a word from either.  Then, out of the blue, I got a message from one of them, he was elated and couldn't wait to thank me.  Apparently, my girlfriend had left Thailand, permanently, was in New Hampshire with him, her high school sweetheart, head over heels in love.  It seems that my one email caused a flood of feelings, causing texts, causing phone calls, causing longer and longer calls, until "the call" was made that they needed to be together.  They are planning on getting married.  Some time what comes around goes around in the most grand of fashions....sort of a RE:Purposing of lost love.  Don't take that email, text, voice mail for granted....it could change your life.

Peace and love!

Lindsay

Our Senior Prom picture, reunited couple second from the right.....

Bittersweet Moments

Good Day All....

I RE:Purpose things, this we know.  I am also a Licnesed Realtor at Sterling Realtors in Middletown, CT.  I like to think that I am in the busimess of RE:Puposing homes with new owners.  Well, one of those homes is my fathers home.  It was very strange to have to be sterile, objective and antiseptic with my own memories.  My mother and father moved into this condo when home ownership got to be too much work.  My father now understands he needs to downsize even more.  So, as I continue to remove things from their home to be additionally loved by someone else in order to facilitate a smoother move, my heart aches just a little bit.  As I said Bittersweet.  The most ironic part of this is the fact that I help others do what I am currently doing as a preofession.  I guess we are never immune.

As hard as it is, make a plan with the older one's you love.....they need it as much as you do.  Peace!

Lindsay

Everything Old Becomes...

RE:Peeps,

As those who have followed me or know me know that my mother passed away last year.  I was actually grateful as she suffered for several years and slowly died in a lot of pain.  We never had the classic mother daughter relationship or a very good relationship, at all, most of the time.  What we did have was a deeply rooted mutual respect for each other.  Her legacy to me cannot be summed up in things but rather character traits, habits and life lessons.  She taught me the love of books, the written word, manners, respect, kindness, decency and a deep devoted affection for nature.  She taught me that these were things that, no matter what or who, could never be wrenched from me.  All of that being said, she also had exquisite taste in her manner of dress, her decor and her entertaining.  I know she is up there laughing that I dare admit this out loud.  So as a year has passed and my father is coming to terms with the loss, he is finally going through her things.  So, I have been the benefactor of some lovely things thus far.  Right now, I am looking at two stunning handbags from the 60's, a Givenchy and a Judith Lieber.  These along with other things to come will be RE:Purposed, not an a estate sale or consignment shop.  They will be given new purpose on my arm as reminders of who taught me to appreciate them and, of course, she would approve. 

If you get a moment remember someone today who would approve.  Peace.

Lindsay

Catching Up and Hurricanes

RE:People,

When Hurricane Irene came through Connecticut we had no idea the damage it would exact.  We were luckier than some and not as lucky as others.  We lost power for 6 days, but had minimal damage except for the beautiful 100+ year old maple that fell in the front yard.  We are incredibly lucky it fell the way it did as it could have done significant damage to our home or any one of three neighbors homes.
 
Without power for so long reminded me of "the good old days". When we were kids playing outside until dark, reading, not glued to the television, eating by candle light, making fires to cook over and getting to know the neighbors and finding out how really great they are! But what did I RE:Purpose in all of this? Well, what could you do with a huge tree in your front yard....make firewood for you and those great neighbors.....and that we did. None of us will go without wood this winter and probably next year, as well.

I hope all of you or your friends and love ones fared well during the storm and I wish you firewood!

Lindsay

The New Girl

Peeps,

We all know what it feels like to be the "new" kid/person/employee/kid on the block.  When I decided to add Real Estate to my repertoire and I found the right "home" to hang my hat, Sterling Realtors, I had the "new kid" jitters.  I was thinking, what have I gone and done, changing part of my career path in my forties and making it real estate in an economy like this? Wasn't I content with being a great RE:Purposer, finding new life for unloved objects?  What the heck was wrong with that?  Then I came to the office and knew I was RE:Purposed just right.  People who have a passion for what they do, willing to exchange ideas, not afraid of risk and just being silly.  Want to chat about finding RE:Purpose in things or life, email me at lindsay.fralick@yahoo.com or leave a comment on this blog.  I will return the email and I look forward to hearing about your RE:Purpose.

L.

Gillette's Castle in East Haddam CT, access by old fashioned ferry, worth the trip every time!

RE:Real Estate

Howdy RE:Peeps;

As those of you who have been following me know, I feel the highest calling of RE:Purposing is to adopt a shelter pet.  If you haven't already, please do.  The second highest calling, in my humble opinion, is to buy existing real estate.  New homes are lovely, if that is what you need.  I love the feel of an older home though, there are stories there.  You can hear a house talk to you, if you are patient enough to listen.  I have previously blogged about the "bones" of a house and architectural salvage.  What better a way to salvage than to buy an existing home, listen to it and make it your own.

Recently, I answered a calling to homes and attained my Real Estate license.  I love to walk through homes, look for the stories and listen to the home, whether it be a new one, older one, condo, apartment or hole in the wall....something happened there.  I am a Licensed Realtor at Sterling Realtors in Middletown, CT (one of my favorites on my main page).  This new undertaking allows me to help people find the next chapter in their lives, talk about RE:Purpose!

I have also added an email contact for all of you, in case you would like to contact me for design ideas, a list of the finds I have on hand for sale or just to chat.  It is re.purposeit@yahoo.com.

Lastly I promised photos of our recent vacation to the lake in Pennsylvania, here is a sample.

Vacations On A Lake

Hello Friends;

It has been far too long since I last posted, my apologies.  I was on an idyllic vacation in one of the lake areas of Pennsylvania.  All of the wonderful things that involve and evolve from a family lake house cause one to relax from a deeper place.  And with the lack of internet and cell phone capability you have no choice (but really you do not need to make a choice, just settle into the peace.

This home is very special to my man's family.  His father's father grew up in the area, worked in the local bakery and went to school in the area as well.  The father grew up in the same house attached to the bakery as his father andsubsequently put himself through school to become a Mental Health physician.  His family owned properties on this particular lake, but had the opportunity to buy this particualr property many years ago, a few doors down, either way, from uncles and cousins.  Talk about RE:Purposing a house!  Every year this house is the gathering palce for an informal 4th of July family reunion, the cast varies, but there are some steadfast regulars.  They all have fond memories and stories of generations to share.  I am privileged to be welcome in this group.

Today, the family still owns the house and the bakery.  This would be the fourth generation, an art lost from so many places.  The bakery is a jewel in a mining town on hard times.  The people/family are the nicest, kindest folks you ever want to meet.  If you are ever remotely near Nanticoke PA, swtop by the Sanitary Bakery on Ridge Street.  Tell them Lindsay sent you.  You will not regret it!

http://www.sanitarybakery.com/

P.S. Next post....all the hidden and off the beaten path antique and RE:Purpose shops.....

Reflections

Aren't mirrors curious.  They can be our best friend, our worst enemy, light shedding, light bending and time stamping.  We all have a rear view mirror we can look into reminding us where we have been and, hopefully, giving a hint to what's ahead.  Mirrors help make magic, they can create an illusion and be made to be playful, fun and whimsical. 

Mirror Mirror on the wall...who doesn't know that fairy tale?  Mirrors were not always made of glass, the ancient Greeks and Romans bent polished metal in order to create a reflective surface.  Isn't that truly the purpose of a mirror, to offer a reflection?  Reflection can be sad, but my hope for you is that reflection is RE:Purposeful, look into yours and see the beauty, the wisdom and the life looking back at you.

A RE:Purposed window frame now a hallway mirror, a reflection in the body of old passing light.....

Lindsay

Flag Day

I will rarely make any political statement in this arena.  I am the daughter and granddaughter of two Marines, My grandfather (mom's dad) was a highly decorated Marine Colonel.  My father received his Purple Heart from Admiral Nimitz on the hospital ship Hope.  They both fought in the South Pacific and met many years later, a story for another time.

I have posted a link to a story in the LA Times reagrding Flag Day.  I find many folks don't have a good understanding of the origin of the day.  I found this article full of Purpose.

I support our troops, regardless of whether I agree with the mission their boss has asked them to do.  So raise a flag and a glass to it.  Happy Flag Day!


http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/06/flag-day-traditions-and-rules-flag-day-.html

Happy Birthday

Hi there, RPers,

Today is my birthday.  Birthdays can be scary, fun, happy, sad, joyful, soulful or all of the above for some people.  I find the occasion very Purposeful....go figure.   They can also be very RE:Purposeful.  As we get older we, hopefully, get wiser and we can share that wisdom.  We may have earned it one way then share it differently, but years find a way of RE:Purposing their wisdom and sometimes in ways we never dreamed of.  Celebrate your birthday with the satisfaction of earning it, the joy of sharing it and the wisdom to RE:Purpose it.

Lindsay

Promised Milk Delivery

All,

Some time ago I blogged about a Nature Conservancy we hike and the great find of an old milk bottle delivery crate.  I said that its intended use would be for flowers.  Now that the weather is finally here for it, please enjoy my little flowering milk crate.

Lindsay

Memorial Day Meaning and Purpose

Happy Almost Summer!

For many reasons, I always do my spring planting on Memorial Day Weekend.  Probably because there is just a little more time with three days rather than two and certainly because maybe, just maybe, here in New England the frost is gone. 

My father, who will be 86 this year, is a Purple Heart decorated Marine who served his country in the South Pacific during World War II, when he was just 16.  He loves to garden.  To keep him busy, I will invite him over to help me weed.  I am sure that may sound mean spirited to some of you, but to us it is father/daughter time doing something we love: getting out hands dirty and making things grow.

I look back and think maybe this is the real reason I put in my spring gardens on this particular weekend.  For all of the sacrifice these soldiers gave with their lives, rather than put a flower on a grave, enjoy peace and life within the garden.

RE:Purposing The Bones of a Building

I am a true believer of saving all or parts of building before they are demolished or made "modern".  I had the honor of sitting on a board at the outset of saving a historic Middletown, Connecticut landmark, The Wadsworth Estate for which I have attached the link.  Unfortunately, the latter part of the estates life, before she was revitalized, led to people stealing the architectural bones that made the manor beautiful, gone were the marble floors, cherry, maple and oak banisters, mouldings and stairs, really what was left was a shell.  I know that no reputable RE:Purposer of note acquires these things by illegal means.  However, it was the reputable RE:Purposers who assisted in restoring the Wadsworth Estate to its former glory. 

That being said, one of my new favorite place to find things to use in RE:Purposed ways is Architectural Salvage, Inc in New Hampshire, great folks, great business.  I have also attached their link in this post and on my favorites list.  Support the people who do the right things by honoring the craftsmen that created the beauty in what we want to salvage by patronizing a business that does just that.  It is truly a way of paying respect to the work and the sweat it took.

http://www.wadsworthmansion.com/

http://www.oldhousesalvage.com/purchasepolicy.html

Lindsay

Helping Friends

RE:Purposeful folks are typically people who are good friends.  Good friends listen, care, reach out and help.  Help can come in many forms, a cup of tea, a hug, cleaning together, gardening together or telling the friend the truth about how that dress or shirt looks on them.  I have blogged about my friend Karin Van Vorhees Buckingham, she published a book that I thought was right up our alleys.  Now she is trying to sell her home.  It is a great house with acreage a barn and even a silo.  It is located in a place I am very familiar with as I have extended family there, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.  Here is a link to share with you, if for nothing else than RE:Purpose ideas....my philosophy is buy a previously loved home it is truly one of the best ways to RE:Purpose with meaning.

http://www.shorewest.com/homes/1149325_METRO-N7273_Ski_Slide_Rd-Concord-WI-53066-9042

Also, I will endeavor to never make this blog in any way political, but one of my favorite Public Television series, The Antique's Roadshow, is being threatened with cancellation.  I have done what one person can to prevent this, but if you are remotely like me, you do not want to see it go away either.  Please do the research and be heard if you wish Antiques Roadshow to remain on the air.

Starting Young

RE:Peeps,

I have previously blogged about the neighborhood I grew up in and how it harbored curiosity, trust, warmth and lifelong friendships.  I created a Facebook group so we could all reunion without the plane trips, car rides and expense.  One of these friends is a RE:Purposer in the truest sense and wrote a book for teen girls titled Altered You, A Girls Guide To Personal Style.  In effect it encourages young ladies to find their own style by reusing owned items or RE:Purposing owned items with new twists.  Hats off to my friend Karin VanVoorhees Buckingham for starting the next generation off early!

The book is available on Amazon and the link is listed below, please enjoy and share!

Lindsay

I am the birthday girl, Karin is in the foreground in the red patterned dress...

http://www.facebook.com/l/b32e497zJ94drFImvivcibkg0UA/www.amazon.com/Altered-You-Girls-Guide-Personal/dp/0871162601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305907506&sr=8-1

When in Georgia....

Well, even when travelling I am on the hunt for local secrets, treasures, out of the way haunts and locals favorites.  In the suburb of Atlanta, that place is Queen of Hearts Antiques and Interiors.  I spent nearly all day digging, admiring and finding inspiration from people who have a mutual affection for previously loved things....Some even RE:Purpose with the best of them.  If you are ever in the area I strongly encourage you to visit.  Until then, please be satisfied with a link to their Facebook page.  Now for some Peach Ice Cream!

http://www.facebook.com/QueenofHeartsAntiques

Back To Basics

Good Day RE:Peeps,

I grew up in an idyllic neighborhood setting.  It was a planned community, designed around cul-de-sacs, with large grassy "greens" in the middle.  The land was an old dairy farm and part of the overall charm was the farm buildings and outbuildings, oddities and eccentricities were left in tact for our wonder and use.  Talk about a RE:Purpose!  As children, every one's parents were your own, you never had to cross a street (the neighborhood was designed with small child friendly tunnels so you never crossed the street walking to school), you had tens of built in playmates, there were no X-Boxes, Wiis home computers, we were not overweight kids.  We were very curious about nature, played flashlight tag, climbed trees, were culturally aware because we had such a broad spectrum of neighbors, we had it all. 

Recently, I created a group on Facebook just for the original kids of this neighborhood, the response has been overwhelmingly kind, nostalgic and pure fun.  This picture is of the barns as they were, turned into a community center, used for meetings, staged productions receptions and Girl Scout meetings.  The silos were also part of the farm, used for hay storage and feed storage.

I do not advocate in the slightest destroying family farms, there are far too few and this was 45 years ago.  Too bad we can't learn lessons like the RE:Purposing that was done here.

Happy Mother's Day

A RE:Purposer is a mom at heart.  Though he or she may not actually be a parent, they care for and watch over someone or something that loves them very much.  This is Scarlet, though I do not have her in my life any more, I watched over her until her health failed her.  She returned the favor by watching over me with many kisses and early morning walks...I know she looks over me to this day. 

Tag Sales and FreeCycle

Spring has finally sprung, reluctantly, but it is here.  Spring means several things, tulips, pollen, baseball and garage and tag sales.  As I have previously posted, I am a huge fan of the latter.  What opportunities to find items to RE:Purpose...there is also another great reason for them....to give others the opportunity to RE:Purpose the things you no longer want to be the steward of, or clean out the joint!  So last Saturday we had our fist tag sale, cleared out the garage and the basement and had fun.  Why do we need more room in the garage?  To house the boat we acquired from a Freecycler (see earlier posts about Freecycle).  An 18 foot Sea Ray that is finding RE:Purpose in our lives. There will be plenty of elbow grease on this fine craft, plenty of sweat equity to be sure, but I bet you can already guess her name.....

What Finds Us....

Spring is here and we find ourselves finding things that were either forgotten or simply placed in the back of our minds until needed.  We forget exactly where the tulips will come up or where we put the hedge trimmer, but we ultimately find them.  But what happens when something finds us?

I was recently volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store that I have previously blogged about.  A donor gave us a strange object that no one had ever seen before and put it out on the floor for sale for a very reasonable sum.  When I arrived at the store I walked around to see what was new; you have to as the items change often.  I came upon this "strange thing" that was marked as a "carpenters table", I knew it wasn't.  I told the manager what it really was and asked how long we had had it.  There are very specific rules for volunteers wishing to purchase and item.  Needless to say the "carpenters table" came home with me.  It is really a wallpaper layers table, it folds up into a long cue stick looking self contained box....the best part is the 6 foot rules that accompanies it.

Now, why did it find me?   Later that day, my man and I were at our favorite adult beverage establishment and ran into two friends who live a mile down the road.  They know I love old, interesting and/or RE:Purposed things.  They had a story to tell; they came upon a strange object in their attic.  A long cue stick like box with a 6 foot ruler in it and they wanted to know what it was....I thought they may have donated it and I bought theirs....turns out they have one too!  I believe everything happens for a reason, a purpose.  This is a picture of the table, maybe you have one in your attic.

Habitats and Change

As I have previously posted, I volunteerr for the Habitat for Humanity Retail store called ReStore.  They are located all around the nation and they are a great resource for building material, fixtures, cabinetry and furniture at a fraction of the retail cost.  Anyone from a RE:Purposer to a General Contractor are welcome.  We are having our official Grand Opening this weekend and everything in the store is 25% off.  If you are anywhere near Cromwell Connecticut, please come join us.  I know I will be spending money for whatever my next RE:Purposing project may be...and all of the proceeds going to a worthy cause makes it all the more worthwhile.http://www.habitatmiddlesex.org/

This is my mom in 1958, great nostalgiac shot, to be RE:Purposed as wall art in our 50's inspired den.

About Purpose...Be A Mentor

Truth be told, not a big fan of kids, they are loud, messy, unruly and basically unmannered.  Oh wait, that's parents at a midget hockey game.  I was thinking how easy and difficult it was to RE:Purpose som things, old paint, rust, uncopperative wood rot, etc.  But how difficult would it be to find Purpose with a child you have never met.  So I contacted the person in charge of the program(he happens to be my elementary school principal, not a small time back) and he was delighted to hear from me...I guess word of my indifference to kids never caught up to him.  I had to go through an application process and background check, interview and then played the waiting game.  Just when I had given up, they must have found out that I do not have a ready supply of Goldfish in my house, they called.  I have been assigned to a second grade girl of minority status who attends one of the two city elementary schools I did.  She needs to work on her social skills and shyness, while coping with latent agressiveness.  I got my mentor package today with all of the do's and dont's...it seems a big dowith a child of this nature (frankly I relate) is a project with craftiness, color, paint, using ones hands and end results are encouraged.....I feel Purpose in the making.....http://www.mentoring.org/

Hello Again

Hi Purposeful People!

I have been out and about looking for things to breathe new and different life into.  I was hiking at a local nature conservancy with my man and our dog.  The land was gifted by a wonderful local family.  It originally served as pastures for their cows that provided the milk for their dairy.  As the family grew, times changed, the dairy relocated, but the land remained in the family.  The elders saw the opportunity to leave a priceless legacy by gifting the land to the city, keeping it from being developed while generations can enjoy its beauty.   What an amazing RE:Purpose!  So, as we walked this beautiful land I saw out of the corner of my eye a glint of metal.  It turned out to be an old milk delivery crate from the dairy, I can see it in my minds eye filled with glass bottles of fresh milk on a local porch.  I will be filling it with pansies and putting it on my front porch.  My small way of appreciating the Purpose of the gift I was given from that land.

Lindsay

Educate With Purpose

Hi There,

I was at one of my favorite places yesterday, my public library, The Russell Library in Middletown, Connecticut.  I love books and reading.  This is a passion given to me by my parents and shared by all of the people I love in life.  In this age of electronics, fast paced lives and Tivo, we lose sight of the beauty of the written word.  I recently read a book about two sisters and ones love of books, her rejection of e-books because she could not feel the pages.  I could not agree more, books have lives, souls and purpose.  I collect vintage cookbooks.  I cannot tell you the excitement and elation I feel when I find a hand written note from the original owner letting me know that a substitution makes the recipe better or a torn out recipe from a periodical gone by that the previous owner thought high enough of to keep.  This feeling is like the one I previously posted regarding looking at old buildings and wondering.....go to the library, take out a book and wonder....meanwhile you are RE:Purposing in the best way.......

RE: Purpose Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Part of being a RE: Purposer is that it's good for the earth, less things in the landfill.  But what about Planes, Trains and Automobiles....they are easily repurposed.  There are charities that accept used cars as tax deductible donations.  Your local technical high school will do the same.  Our local toy and hobby shop, Amato's, http://www.amatostoyandhobby.com/ gorgeously demonstrates the art of the locomotive through beautifully staged model train exhibitions that provide multiple ideas.  Old steam locomotives are a definitive nod to the Art Deco and Industrial Ages.  Planes you ask?  This picture, I believe, demonstrates a rawness in the beauty of an old plane, in this case a crop duster, outside of Missoula, Montana.  This image is repurposed by being enlarged and printed, framed and hung on the wall of an engineer.....RE: Purposeful art.

Follow The Gut

Hello Purposeful People!

I am consistently saddened when folks want to remodel and old home, co-op, walk up, pied a terre and don't see the value in salvaging the architectural detail and integrity, they simply gut the place.  I am torn between loving and loathing the businesses who make it their business to gut a place and then resell the tear downs at remarkable and sometimes absurd prices. 

However, I cannot stop shopping those places.  I occasionally find something that I can RE: Purpose, but more often I find myself imagining where the item, adornment or whole room came from?  What were the original owners like, what did they do for a living?  What would they think about where their vision ended up?

The next time you are out and pass an old building, look up, enjoy the detail and wonder......

Lindsay

P.S.

Here is one of my favorite places to wonder...

http://www.unitedhousewrecking.com/

Making more room in the kitchen

What Fun!

Old Postcards

After a long day of flea markets, junk stores and yard sales, my man and I run into and old junior high school friend and her two daughters.  She sees my Jeep filled with items and inquires as to what the heck?  I explained I am a born "RE: Purposer"....she admits that she is not and then admits she is recently divorced, quite down sized and just quite down.  What an invitation!  We spent the next day RE: Purposing some of her and her daughters things, making old memories fade and new ones emerge.  We painted, stressed, turned a dresser into a side board and had a wonderful time......I think I have created a RE: Purposed monster as she is joining me next weekend for the latest "hunt".

Dogs and Cats

A brief note of Re: Purposing encouragement....adopt a pet.  Give a four legged friend a new meaning and purpose.  It will change your life too.  I adopted from the local pound, Petfinder is a great resource too.  Puppy mills are out of hand and many are abusive and breed a dog until she literally dies trying.  Re: Purpose and renew.

Pictures

As I promised, here are some pictures of ways to creatively repurpose an object, think outside the box or column or chandelier.......

New Purposes

As my first post stated, this blog is about finding new purposes for things or parts of life.  I have been a Human Resource professional for most of my adult career.  My passions for flipping houses, home decor and gardening have been constant outlets for my creativity and, what a friend recently called, my "eye for things".  I have decided to take these inate abilities to a different level or purpose in my life by changing careers.  A dear friend, who I hold in tremendous esteem, has offered me the opportunity to get my license and join her Real Estate firm.  All in the hopes of giving us the mutual opportunity to benefit from my "eye" and assist people in seeing the potential where it is hidden. 

Soon, I will be posting a few pictures of what my "eye" can see in the hopes of inspiring others to RE: Purpose in their lives.

Favorite Groups and Places

Part of repurposing is the satisfaction of recycling and less waste.  If you are not already a participant I would encourage you to join your local Freecycle group.  These are folks commited to sharing things that they indivivdually no longer need that may benefit another person, rather than just throwing something out.  Visit http://www.freecycle.org/ for the group near you.

Also, I am a tremendous supporter of Habitat for Humanity.  They have started opening stores around the nation to support the charity.  The stores are called Re-Store.  They take in tax deductable donations of all kinds that have to do with building, remodeling or living in a home.  Chains like Lowe's and Home Depot donate unused building materials, kitchen cabinets, sinks toilets, etc.  The general public can donate those things or the kitchen they just removed to make way for the new, a couch that no longer works with their lifestyle, whatever.  These stores are open to the public and can be a great way to save money redoing a room or repurposing a discovery and give to a great charity.  The stores can be found on http://www.habitatforhumanity.org/

Lindsay

Welcome to RE: Purpose

I welcome all of my soon to be new friends to my blog.  I have been repurposing items for other uses for quite a while.  People, known and strangers, have consitently asked "how did you know to do that?"  Or stated "I wish I had your vision".  After being laid off for nearly two years I found that I needed to repurpose myself in order to move through life as it is.  So, I am going to share "thing" ideas as well as ideas about life...as my blog title states RE: Prupose, it is all about meaning, use and need and adjusting or changing in order to have purpose.