Deanne, loved your halloween vignette. You find the neatest containers and I love finials in any form and material. Michelle. I am amazed that your copper boiler has lasted that long. Who knew, copper would be so long lasting in the garden? Norma...enjoyed both your whiskey barrel pics and the pic of you waterinjg it. I have two whiskey barrels, but I have been growing peas up a trellis in them. String beans in the summer. I keep trying to plant something pretty around the edge, but nothing has looked good yet. Ei...great watercan collection! My fav is the purple. Also found the birdbath with succulents so eye catching with the alliums which are huge! I am a big fan of wire racks and mossed containers. I have one hay rack to fill this spring and I am going to need help figuring out how to moss it. Denise...I love your trio of wire baskets with succulents. Are they heavy? What did you use to hang them? I also love your bird cage idea with the candles in it. Marian...Your Achimines is so unusual. It reminds me of a streptocarpus, one of my favorites. Eden, the dish drainer is amazing! lol I would have never thought to put the dishes in it..and it fits just perfect! I have often wanted to catch a few yard sales to find some unusual containers to try to repurpose like this, but I seem to garden away most weekends in prime yard sale season. I did buy a couple of wire wastebaskets with the intention of mossing and filling, but I never did get around to it. There's always this year...hope springs eternal. Okay, who pray tell, is Angela? [g] pm2

Some of the tips below are for repurposing/recycling in general. Hope no one minds. Use binder clips to keep bags and other types of packaging for coffee, bread, frozen vegetables, etc. closed and to keep the air out. They provide a tight and secure closure. If your Pilates ring or exercise circle breaks, use extra thick pillows or shams to tone your thighs. Use 2 together for added resistance. Use sponges as cushions to miminize scratching the sink when washing heavy items such as stove grates. Check to see if you can get money off when you bring in your old broken items. For example, some retailers offer money off a new paper shredder when you bring in your broken one. The retailers will probably have it recycled. Not repurposed but at least there's hope that it doesn't end up in the landfill. I got a great micro cut shredder on sale with another $30 taken off. It's not green to buy bottled water but there are times when I just need to have it in the refrigerator. I recycle the corrugated bottoms that comes with cases of bottled water by using them as trays to cushion and protect pantry shelves and cabinet from stains and scuff marks. I use them to store spices, cooking oils, cleaners etc. They can also be used as drawer organizers too. Cover them with decorative contact paper. Another use: I use a corrugated bottom to create another layer inside a corrugated box. The materal/color blends in. My laptop is placed underneath the corrugated bottom and cleaning supplies are placed on top. I do this to hide my laptop from thieves in case my house gets burgled. A Shake and Bake box is used to hide my e-reader in the pantry. Place old broken laptops, Ipods, and other electronics in strategic areas to act as decoys when you're away. Burglars might take them and be satisfied with the loot and leave. I have an alarm system and I like to take extra precautions. Otherwise, drop them off at at responsible recycler. I use old terry face cloths as mats under my electric toothbrush and oral irrigator to absorb any drops of water. My bathroomm countertop is made of ultra-hard porcelain decorative squares. I feel uncomfortable not using something to at least cushion the surface. Use an old towel to clean floors by wrapping it around a Cuban mop. A Cuban mop is a simple T-shaped mop with no material mop head. Sham Wow type chamois cloths can be used with this mop too. Toss the towel in the wash. Sham Wows can simply be rinsed. At Lowes, a clerk once mistakenly threw in three 2-1/2 quart "Mix and Measure" containers in my bag without my knowledge. When I got home, the minimalist in me wanted to throw them out but I decided not to. I finally found a use for them. Instead of filling a big bucket, I fill one of the mix and measure containers with the right proportion of water and cleaner or water/vinegar to tackle small cleaning jobs such as the floor in one room. I also use them to store cleaning brushes. Keep an old toothbrush near the sink to clean ridged coffee filter holders, fork tines, ultra sharp knives etc. It sounds strange to mention soup and detergent in the same sentence. I use plastic takeout food containers with lids to store homemade soup in the freezer and store handy amounts of powder laundry detergent to keep near the washer. I designate specific containers for single purposes. Use old mouse pads as coasters or cushions to place jewelry, eyeglasses. The porcelain in my bathroom counter wore off a little of the finish on my eyeglass frame so I use an mouse pad in there. Empty garbage bag boxes are used to store plastic grocery bags. If you're using kitty litter that comes in a big plastic bucket, save the bucket when the kitty litter is used up. Wash it thoroughly and use it to brine a turkey. It actually fits in my refrigerator. I eventually switched over to a brand that doesn't use plastic. Plastic grocery bags or newspaper bags are used for dumping coffee grounds into them to prevent contents from spilling all over the garbage bin if the kitchen garbage bag breaks. Always Freecycle, and donate to Goodwill and the Salvation Army.

Thanks, everyone. I'm on the lookout for two other used furniture pieces on Craigslist -- a wardrobe for a guest bedroom and a secretary to be repurposed into bathroom storage for towels and bath products. I think it's so fun to use old pieces in new ways. amck, the artist is local and doesn't have a website, but if you email me through my profile I'll send you her contact info. Her artwork is fantastic.

The reason is (and it's just my take) I've always been under the impression that the idea of Goodwill and SA is that they not only offer jobs to those trying to rebuild their lives and support the needy with the funds they get from the proceeds, but their stores are places where used items and clothing can be bought at an affordable price for those who are less likely able to afford new.. Granted a lot of people who can afford it may choose to shop their too (for whatever reason) but my personal goal in giving was because a really nice shirt could be bought for .50 or a set of dishes for 10.00 and that situation hopefully helped from yet another angle. Now not only have I heard many times that a lot of the funds collected for many of the larger organizations get allocated to "administrative" needs as opposed to the needy, but now they're charging prices that a lot of the unfortunate can't afford as well and in that case I'd rather just GIVE the items to someone I know will be able to use them, which I often do, or find a shelter where I know they'd be welcomed as well. I was a single mother who at one point was in an abusive relationship and for a short time homeless, I just feel very strongly that THOSE are the people I want to help and encourage others to help too. And there are better resources than GW or SA to do it.