Eye Opener: Junk on the Brain

Part 1: Definitions
Antique - any piece of furniture or decorative object or the like produced in a former period and valuable because of its beauty or rarity
Antiquing - Any method used to give a surface an aged or antique look.
Junk - trash: dispose of (something useless or old); "trash these old chairs"; "junk an old car"; "scrap your old computer"
Flea Market - A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent. ..
Thrift Shop - A shop which sells used goods (especially clothes) at low prices
Upcycling - Upcycling is a component of sustainability in which waste materials are used to provide new products.
Resale Shop - All shops which sell gently-used goods are resale shops

Part 2:  Q & A
What do the terms above have to do with environmental health?
Well, they are helping to support good environmental health.  They represent the idea that there are many uses for any one item and reusing is recycling, and recycling is reducing, and reducing production is saving resources.

Identify at least one local resource for each of the terms above...provide name, location, contact info, and link to website or blog.

Antiqes - Father Time Antiques

395 S Lake Ave

Duluth, MN 55802-2303

Get Directions

(218) 625-2379  (no website) 

Flea Market- I couldn't find any in Duluth, but I found a website that lists a bunch of Minnesota Flea Markets  http://www.fleaportal.com/FleaMarketPortal/_criteria/_Minnesota_flea-markets.aspx

Thrift Shop - Goodwill  

www.goodwill.org

700 Garfield Ave

Duluth, MN 55802-2695

Get Directions

(218) 722-6351 

Resale Shop - Plato's Closet

www.platoscloset.com

5115 Burning Tree Rd

Duluth, MN 55811-1876

Get Directions

(218) 733-9455

Upcycling - I couldn't find any resources here in Duluth that directly say "Upcycling" but through my search I found out that the term was coined by a German chemist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough in the book they wrote called "Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things".  

Identify whether you do any or use any of these things. Why or why not?

I do use some of these things.  I mean I occasionally shop at places like Savers and Goodwill (especially for some good cheap books).  I also go to flea markets and atique stores from time to time with my friends.  However, when I go to these stores it's usually for something pretty specific like books, or an end table for the living room or old jewelery in the case of antique stores.  I don't like to shop for clothing or shoes at many of these places because it's so hit or miss.  Also, places like Plato's Closet aren't always that much cheaper than places like target.

Part 3: Getting my junk on!

Project 1 -  Railing turned ladder, turned shelf!

I really liked this project because I thought it was very innovative and I loved the old "antiqued" look of the chipped paint on the railing.  Also, the main message in this project was that sometimes you have to keep turning an object around before you can find a perfect use for it, which was totally the case with this old piece of railing.

Project 2 - A new job for an old widow

I think why I like this one so much is because it's something that I've helped a friend of mine do who is all about antiquing and turning out things into usable objects.  This window frame is something you could probably find at a garage sale or maybe you even have one lying around your house already.  It just totally give it new life and purpose! Just awesome! 

Project 3 - Vintage Redesigned Jewelery

This was by far my favorite project! I love jewelery and most of all I LOVE old jewelery.  What is great about this is you kind of get to piece together your own!  I mentioned early that why I like to go to antique stores is to look at jewelery; I never thought that I could take all the little trinkets I find and make them into my own pieces.  I am really excited to go to some antique stores and look for pieces I can make into my own jewelery!