Star Spangled Recycling
By Susie Coelho
Summer’s here-and it’s time for family fun and outdoor entertaining. Are you tired of the same old Fourth of July themes? Looking for a style that is more “modern” and still uses some of the traditional colors? There’s no better way to achieve an inexpensive fresh look than by bringing new life to old objects, something I do all the time. We’re in the age of recycling and saving money so why not use it to your styling advantage!
Set off on a scavenger hunt in your own garage, attic, or basement. Keep an eye open for things like mismatched wooden and metal pieces, old tins, bins, buckets, and cast-off toys and playthings. You may have to dig deep under those cobwebs, but I’m sure you’ll find the makings of divine inspiration in there somewhere.
On one of my hunts, I chanced upon a common clear glass vase, an old fabric sample that had a gorgeous red coral-like print on it, and a wooden branch from a style segment I had done a while back on the “Today” show. Doesn’t sound like the makings of a very exciting outdoor entertaining idea but never underestimate what you can do with random things!
The vase was just an inexpensive vase that came from your typical florist…nothing special or unique but it had a nice shape. The flowers were long gone and the vase sat amongst a bunch of other vases in the vase graveyard just waiting for a new life.
Now I’m sure almost everyone has one of these vases lying around somewhere in their “I-feel-bad-throwing-this-away-but-never-use-it” pile. I decided to repurpose the vase using bright reds, silver metallic, and a modern twist. I used the old fabric sample as a runner and backdrop to showcase my newly refurbished vase and for a totally desert twist, I stuck some succulents into the vase instead of flowers, used earthy wooden chargers and the wooden manzanita branch for an eco-friendly element and voila, a desert modern take on the Fourth of July theme.
Another old time favorite with a twist is my July recipe for grilled chicken sandwiches with pesto mayonnaise. Grilled chicken has become a staple in the healthy backyard bar-b-que arena, but why not add a little something special with a home-made flavored mayo? You can create your own variety by changing out the pesto with other ingredients. Add cumin and curry powder for an East Indian flavor, or chili and lime for a more spicy condiment.
So the key is to “keep creating” and come up with your own twist, style and unique way of creating and this will help you to personalize your spaces and make them come alive in your own unique and fresh way.
