in with the old

When fortune calls, offer her a chair. (Yiddish proverb)

When fortune calls less often, see what your local flea markets have to offer (personal recommendation).

I visited the Salvation Army during my holiday break and jump-started my living room (-to-be) for $28 (a price soon to be eclipsed by the stripes and loud botanical print I’m imagining these reupholstered in).

I found them while I was out Christmas shopping. This year, gift-giving on my side of the family came with conditions: Presents were to be handmade, used, or otherwise cheap.

It made even the last-minute shopping more fun – we browsed with more interest and curiosity, checked price tags with less trepidation, waited in fewer and shorter lines. And the goods? They were good. I unwrapped an old enameled metal cloche pot in sea foam green. My husband unwrapped a ThawMax (circa 1987),  a tray of cast aluminum that thaws things quickly. I think my sisters were partly kidding on that one, but they got it right – it’s a great defroster for a couple without a microwave. I received many pretty little things from Anthropologie, where a lot of things look kind of old. And though I made a few things, I also made several trips to T.J. Maxx, which is like recycled retail. I bought my mother a plug-and-play Atari, which is like recycled fun.

This year and beyond, in addition to sending more mail, I also resolve to buy more old, less new.