Sunday, July 20, 2008

What a lovely Pouf you have!


My parents and sis recently returned from a long and lavish Euro Adventure through Greece, Italy, and Turkey. I'll be honest, while they were away I was eagerly awaiting what treasure they had gathered to bring home to ME! Yes, so presumptuous, I know. Anyway, they didn't let me down! My mom picked up this Leather Pouf from a leather shop in Turkey. They make these cushion stools out of the left-over scraps cut from the leather jackets. How resourceful is that? In addition, they are sold un-stuffed, which is not only wonderful for folding up and packing home, but they suggested stuffing the poufs with plastic grocery bags, bubble wrap, and the like once returning home. Way to recycle/reduce/reuse! I'm highly considering tracking some of these down before Christmas to stuff all of the left-over gift wrap and packaging in!
I find it interesting that in our day and age of being green and environmentally friendly (which as a native Oregonian, I am a large supporter of), we're often seeking new products that are created in green ways (which again, I support), but often neglect to recognize that it is at the very heart of being green to recycle and reuse that in which we already have. Many don't realize that even the process to break down recyclable materials can be hard on the environment. So what am I saying? Lets use up what we have, lets get creative and find new ways to use what we often throw away or toss into recycle bins, lets minimize our consumption overall (phew, tangent complete).

So how can we get our hands on these lovely poufs? I've found some here. Or, next time your travels take you to Turkey or Morocco, you can likely pick them up for much less (my mom paid 10 Euros). So next time you host a friend's shower, or as the holidays approach, pick one of these up as fun way to avoid putting loads of gift wrap in the landfill. It'll be a fun way to add a sentimental reminder of the celebration, and a lovely accessory to your home.

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