I am filled with awe and wonder as I do my daily morning reading. This beautiful shot of The Wonder Cave in Pelham, Tennessee was in my newsfeed. It is so picturesque and pristine. When I look at this though, I do wonder. I pause and feel awe. What is the history, the lesson here? What is important?

Then I continue to wonder about how the new Miss Universe from the U.S.A. talks about her goal saying “I want to expand on my mission to use fashion as a force for good. I want to push more sustainability and ethical practices within the industry, because the industry is the second-largest polluting industry in the world.”  I wonder how change, awesome and wondrous change, can be made.

How To, Simple DIY

There is fabric on my shoulders that was never sewn into any particular item, was never even hemmed.  It is the softest piece of fleece and just the perfect size to throw on my shoulders in bed, or to wear around the house whenever I’m a little bit chilled. I rescued it from a garage sale at my own house . Mom had put a 10 cent sticker on it and I scooped it up and brought it back in the house. I admire my mom for not throwing things in the garbage and taking the time to put it in a garage sale for pennies. It wasn’t about the money for her.  It was a commitment to value resources even if they are only worth 10 cents.  The point is we don’t waste.  I have enjoyed it now for 15 years. It is awesome.

Before I take clothes to Goodwill, I consider how I can tailor them or style them with pleats or cut them off. I feel like I will get better and better at this.  It is creative and fun. It involves less purchasing and more repurposing. My daughter started doing this on her own when she was wee small. With so much clothing going to the dump, my hope is that we will try harder to buy used items, and to rework and repurpose old pieces. This week I will look for some old jeans that are like new, and cute for me. Fun adventure!

I play tennis with a gal who is an expert seamstress. She turns men’s blazers into cute jumpers, t-shirts into darling skirts, and jeans into interesting bags.  Her work is akin to Miss Universe’s, who is also a seamstress. I wonder what other ways Miss Universe will bring forth to foster change. What roles will she identify that others are playing in conservation or waste?

Awe and Wonder Why

Yikes! Sitting in my car with 30 minutes to kill I am working on this post. I captured a shot of one role in the village and what not to do. This thrift store worker took out a new, huge, single use, plastic bag and began filling it. I challenge everyone to consider and possibly change procedures. Reusable large canvas or other fabric bags certainly make sense for collection and transportation. Use them over and over again. When I donate I reuse whatever container, box, or bag that I can part with that is not new. I would never pull out a new black trash bag and I don’t appreciate this worker pulling one out to collect America’s Thrift Stores donations!!!

We each have to be thinking and doing what we can. It takes a village. Respect for our environment and resources will provide long lasting picturesque beauty. Awe and wonder are intentionally produced or sacrificed. Take a moment to think about it, and do it awesomely!