Go Green or Go Home

Move over, Aretha...check out this hat.

I've been mulling something over for a while, and decided that Earth Day would be the perfect time to announce and start my effort:

No new things.  Until further notice.

The pondering began when I thought about things I'd like to get for a new pad when I move this summer.  Some funky lanterns to hang all over, and maybe a new couch if there's space.  After trips down the home goods aisle in various thrift stores and a voyage to MC's grandmother's basement (hello, new-old couch), I realized that everything I could possibly need is at arm's reach.  I might need to rent a truck to pick some of it up instead of carting it home in my trunk, flat-packed in the style of a certain Swedish company that I love...but still.  Worth the effort.

Same goes for clothes.  Just because I got a new job doesn't mean I need to run out and buy everything I see because it's new and I need it.  Why buy something cheap if I can get something of equal or better quality via thrift or consignment?  It's time to embrace the lifestyle I've been touting for months.

Now, this doesn't mean I'm going to turn down gifts.  It doesn't mean I'm going to skip trips to the mall with friends altogether.  It just means that I'll be making a conscious effort from now on to explore my secondhand options before buying anything new.  Badass bicycles, I'm looking at you.  Thrift store lanterns, I'm on my way.

Before buying new items, it's probably best to use up some of the ones we already have at our disposal.  Right?

♥

In Other News: Decorate for Less

WalletPop "College on a Dime" blogger Zac Bissonnette has a great post about vintage dorm room decor on the cheap. The best part? It's all green-friendly, since no new products were made in the designing of your rad room. Zac is a college student himself, so I can't help but wonder if vintage goods are making waves in dorm rooms across the country.

If it's housewares you seek, he has this sage advice:

Old glasses: If you need plates, cups, and glasses for your dorm room, please, please, please: Do not buy this stuff at WalMart! There is so much excess dinnerware sitting in garages, thrift shops, and flea markets that it should be several decades before anyone buys this stuff new. Whether your style is stoneware, vintage kitsch, or modern, you can get better quality for a lot less money buying used. Any decent-sized thrift shop will have a good selection.

As for my own decor, I recently scored this old enormous thermos at ye olde Value Village. I think I will have it available at the upcoming Quarter Life Closet sale, to inspire a little vintage decor! It looks much cooler in person, I promise. The soft orange flavor is just so homey!

♥