Comments on: Beautiful and Useful

By: Beth

Beth — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:42:26 +0000

I think Dhalias are the most perfect looking flowers!

By: Cynthia At A Shimmy In My Spirit

Cynthia At A Shimmy In My Spirit — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:24:01 +0000

I just love that William Morris quote. I remember it every time I am cleaning out closets…do I love this? Is it useful?

Great blog. I love your photographs.

By: Cassandra

Cassandra — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:30:10 +0000

Thanks for a great post. I went to one of the other kitchen table talks – about growing food in the city and sustainability. Amazingly – not full. Yikes………… there is some way to go. The saddest thing the the speakers campaign was government funded. Once the funding ends next year, there isn’t enough money to keep it going……

By: Anita

Anita — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:27:59 +0000

Excellent post. Good reminder for all of us.

By: Carole

Carole — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:52:10 +0000

I’ve always liked that saying by Morris, and have long felt that way about the things in my own home. No matter what it is, even of the things I collect, if it’s not useful or beautiful in some way there’s no place for it. I simply don’t have excess room for unnecessary items.

As for food waste…It’s always been shocking to me how much food we toss out on a daily basis. Not just at the source, but even later on. We over buy, we over cook, we often over eat, and what’s left we throw away. There are people right here in this country who could use that food. It might very well be our own neighbors. There’s no sense in it.

And don’t get me started on the waste that occurs at restaurants!

Sounds like an interesting book.

By: vintage simple

vintage simple — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:11:19 +0000

I love that quote by William Morris… Your painted table looks lovely – paint can be such a wonderful way of giving new life to something that may have otherwise been discarded… And I love the photos on this post – the color combination is stunning…

-maria

By: Isabelle

Isabelle — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:28:12 +0000

My local council gave out ‘waste diaries’ to anyone who wanted one and if one filled it out for a week and sent it in they sent a small recipe book.

They also give free measuring cups and devices for rice and spaghetti.

I knew I wasted very little because I weigh pasta and rice. I also use leftovers, when we have any.

That ptogramme about getting people to live more cheaply – the family who shoved mountains of food into their waste disposal – those with five kids – I did wonder if they would have thought differently if given the monetary equivalent to push down that space.

Throwing away food is like throwing away pound notes!! (Well, five pound notes!)

By: kt@serendipity

kt@serendipity — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:50:45 +0000

hi jane,

i am (trying at least) living up to the no-wasting policy. i am from the nation, japan, that has a long history of the policy, you may know.
meanwhile, i really miss english apples such as cox and granny smith.
have a beautiful english autumn!

keiko

By: liza

liza — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:39:36 +0000

We often quote William Morris here. My husband, especially. It is the mantra of our declutter days. Thank you for this thought-provoking and beautiful post!

By: Haust

Haust — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:55:38 +0000

I love the side table, it looks so pretty in its new colour!