first

Welcome. The title of this 'blog' signifies what I'd like to make this space about, a space where I work through ideas about the relationship between humans and nature, and everywhere that these entitites touch up against and contract away from each other (what an un-natural place to do so?). I expect that, often, this will play out as a perhaps schizophrenic picture of my own conflicted love of three things: first, bio-/physical nature - like trees, weather patterns, the lake my family's cottage sits on; second, the possibilities brought about by contemporary environmental consciousness; and, last - human designs and fabrications - like clothing, living spaces, and art - that either reconcile or really don't agree with a peaceful relationship between the human and non-human worlds.

There'll also be a tension between originality and borrowing in this blog. For this first post, I'd like to explore this issue in particular. Today I picked up a book at the local bookshop in my area. The book's title is "Wary Meyer's Tossed & Found." It is an aesthetically and conceptually brilliant book that showcases the unique projects that Linda and John Meyers have made from 'cast-offs' - things they've salvaged from yard sales and the street. Certainly, their work is an example of the current coursing of environmental consciousness through specific sub-sets of society. Far from a crass example of contemporary 'green consumerism', however, theirs is an exemplary example of sound environmental practice, with no compromise of the greatness in thought and even aesthetics that are often missing from 'back-to-nature' manifestos. In short, the below photos reinvigorate the mind, and to actualize them probably requires a good amoung of physical labour too.

Pipe umbrella stand, set in my future home. In somewhere like the Cotswolds. Ideally sheltered underneath a thatched roof.

Luggage with painted on stripes! Although I don't have suitcases nearly as elegant, I'm going to customize the new polycarbonate luggage set I was given for my birthday with some blue, yellow, and grey.

YES! Devil horns meet ghetto-blaster circa Vanilla Ice, updated with iPod playing capabilties. Genius?

Before I end, I'd like to give kudos to two influences that have lead me to embark upon the blogging journey - Tavi of Style Rookie and Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks. Their creativity and insight brings out the good in life, and the inspiration they provide has reversed my initial blogging qualms.

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