It’s that time of year again. Holiday time. What does this mean?  Lots of entertaining. You may find yourself looking around the house and seeing things in a new light - the pile of magazines that have been sitting by the front door for ages, the marks on the wall from where the cat likes to scratch, the tired looking throw pillows on the sofa. To get your house company ready, I recommend a program of de-cluttering, cleaning and redecorating – all without spending a dime!

UNCLUTTER

Assess the clutter. Oftentimes rooms can look awful because there is a hodgepodge of accessories, candles, magazines, pillows etc. on every surface and in every nook and cranny of the room. Take everything out, even if you know you’re going to end up putting it back in. Do this in every room of the house, all at the same time. Dig out any candlesticks, vases, etc. you have stored. Put everything in a spare room while you proceed to the next step.

I don't know about you, but MY favorite childhood memories involve toys that were creative, used imagination, and allowed for multiple uses in a variety of ways.  Now you can combat the explosion of static, unimaginative plastic toys with sustainable cardboard kits that are easy to use, kid-friendly and eco-friendly!

CardboardDesign uses 100% recycled cardboard sourced in the USA that is much thicker than standard shipping boxes to make their fun play sets so they hold up to kid-play.  No glue, tape or other fasteners are used, only a tab and slot system that allows playsets to be reconfigured and reused again and again.  They are completely chemical-free as well.

How cute is today's {Friday Find}?  The seller calls this a vintage telephone table.  "THIS IS A NICE PIECE MADE OF QUALITY TEAK WOOD AND MEASURES 25 INCHES HIGH X 35 INCHES WIDE.  IF INTERESTED CALL 707/824-0607.  $65"  

Since I have been teaching myself to sew, I know for a fact how easy and inexpensive it would be to recover that seat pad.  And if the color of the wood doesn't match your decor, a little sanding and a coat of earth-friendly paint, and voila!  For $65, I'd guess $4 for fabric/thread, $2 for sandpaper and $10 paint, you'd have one stylish sitting area or landing strip.  Remember, let's keep these vintage pieces going with a little TLC instead of spending the same amount on a new, lower quality item (i.e., IKEA, Target).  As a consumer we do have a choice!  No more junky furniture that doesn't last!  Hurray for re-use! 

The It! home accent trend this fall is apparently burlap. Wikipedia says that burlap is "a coarse woven fabric usually made from jute or other vegetable fibers." Sounds like a natural, earth-friendly fabric to me. But how can you incorporate something 'coarse' into your home decor? Lots of ways! Poppytalk blog has a whole article inspired by a Canadian House and Home piece -- find it here.  Apartment Therapy has a related post too, here.

Here's a great find from www.dailygrommet.com: 

The end of a tree's growing life is not the end of its useful life by any means. Spencer Peterman from Western Massachusetts can attest to that personally. Spencer spends his time scouring the woods for fallen maple trees that he makes into fine bowls for your dinner table. 

Spencer's spaulted bowls - named for the natural veining or cracking that occurs during the decomposition process - are available in a range of sizes. He also offers spaulted maple salad tossers. All of his products are made from fallen or donated trees - no trees are cut down. Spencer can even make a bowl out of your own beloved fallen tree!