After waiting for years on the sidelines for the real estate market to correct, I now have house hunting on the mind!   Where will the hubby, baby and I be house hunting for our first home?  Our beloved Hawaii, where we previously called home and where we will be raising Jet…starting at the end of this month!

We are looking for a fixer-upper to restore, but considering the major extent of termite-damage many of the older homes incur in Hawaii, this is not an easy task.  That’s why we are also considering building a sustainable, green home off the grid — a “poetic home” that incorporates as many repurposed and vintage building materials as possible, of course!  I hope you will join me on the journey!

For either option, being thousands of miles away from the Mainland means being very resourceful and creative.  I’ve been looking at flooring options, and here are four repurposed flooring materials that make a beautiful and creative alternative to wood.

McKay‘s Whiskey Barrel Flooring turns your floor into an entire conversation piece.

Submitted to the sadly defunct Domino’s Cheap Tricks section, this floor is made from old wood crates.  I think this would be a gorgeous option for kitchen floors!

German flooring company Parador‘s laminate flooring is inspired by salvaged fruit and wine crates.

Gallery West‘s repurposed gym flooring is fun, hardy, and gives gym glass a whole new meaning.

What do you think of these repurposed flooring choices?  Have you seen other fun alternatives?

If you find a library card catalog for sale, there are a plethora of ways you can repurpose these literary treasures.  I’ve blogged about a DIY card catalog coffee table and my library card catalog turned bookcase previously, and here are 11 more ways to use card catalogs in your home.   Tomorrow I look forward to sharing a new and fresh way I’ve repurposed one of my card catalogs — and I don’t think card catalogs have been used this way just yet!

I first used my library card catalog as a buffet in my dining room, holding my linens and silverware.  Tanna Clark uses hers for a similar purpose, organizing silverware in her kitchen.

This is one of my favorite uses for a library card catalog!  As a kitchen island topped with a butcher block, the small drawers and labels are perfect for holding and organizing your spices, as seen via DIY Ideas .

For holidays, fill your card catalog with flowers and plants, as seen in a wedding via josevillablog.

If you are like me and have a huge collection of vintage scarves, organize them by color or style in your card catalog, as seen via MadeWell.

Small card catalogs are perfect for storing makeup and cosmetics, as seen via lifeandlim.

Cultivate the naturalist within yourself and use your library card catalog to protect your delicate findings, as seen via Each Little World.

I guess I wasn’t the only one who saw the usefulness of the card catalog as a buffet, as seen via design*sponge.

Indeed, the card catalog makes an ever-so-useful organizer, as seen via Small Notebook.

Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles sisters support themselves by creating beautiful religious works of art, and they store their sewing and embroidery supplies by color in repurposed library card catalogs, via Hooked on Needles.

Could there be a more intelligent way to indulge in your favorite alcoholic beverages?  As seen via Apartment Therapy.

While this may not find a place in your home, reusing card catalogs as a station for the computer-assisted Dewey Decimal system is both ingenious and hilarious, as seen via Library By Design.

It looks like the repurposed shipping containers I featured previously have some new real estate competition! Cove Park, a Scottish creative enclave that supports an amazing variety of artistic residencies, repurposed freight containers to become residential and studio units for its artists.

Each of the residential “cubes” have their own dining space, kitchen, and bathroom, along with balconies with gorgeous views of Loch Long.  I love the spacious, airy nautical feel that must be a fitting breath of creative air for its artists.

Once upon a time, orange pumpkins were touched by a magical godmother, who transformed the gourds into pale, whimsical pumpkins with a natural vintage patina.  While the fairy godmother had already completed her duty for her famed goddaughter, Cindy, she still had plenty of magic to share.

Just in case another poverty-stricken goddaughter needed to be transformed into a princess for just one night (we are, after all, in a recession), the godmother readied her collection of pumpkins.  To expedite the transformation from pumpkin to carriage, she repurposed her Victorian-inspired orchid magnifier into a ready frame for a royal carriage.

But the fairy godmother’s work is not done!  After all, she is all about preemptive planning.  What’s next for this fall fairytale?  Tune in tomorrow, as this story is to be continued….

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer!  I apologize for my scarcity in posting, as being pregnant and craving going to the beach each day has significantly reduced my computer time — but I have a few repurposing projects in the works that I am excited to share with you soon!

In the interim, why don’t we enjoy some food for thought?  Or rather, could it be rocks for thought?  This was a fun exhibition entitled “Rock Feast” at the Del Mar Fair a few weeks ago that made my eyes perform a double take.  Who knew rocks could look so delicious?

Your eyes are not playing tricks on you!  Those are all rocks!

Yes, the burger, the potato — and even the butter — all rocks!

(Rock) sheet cake never looked so delicious — and calorie free!

How was your weekend?  I hope it was a lovely time and a happy Mother’s Day!

Creating repurposed floral vessels is one of my favorite hobbies (if it can count as one).  This set of vintage Mikasa Duplex by Ben Seibel was much too mod to be a simple serving set.  A few strands of bear grass and ranunculus later, vintage salt and pepper shakers and a creamer turned into a happy floral centerpiece on my dining table. I find that repurposed salt and pepper shakers make particularly useful Ikebana-style vessels, as they naturally have an inverted “kenzan” or flower frog.

Nostalgia is touching me as I say goodbye tomorrow to San Diego, who has been a lovely and faithful home.   As an Ode to San Diego, I would like to share with you some of my favorite places (that I have photographed) in San Diego and its North County. I hope that you may have an opportunity to visit a few on your next journey to San Diego!

Along North County, the waves gently wear away at the beautiful cliffs that are covered in moss and algae.  Moonlight Beach is exceptionally beautiful after it rains, as mini-waterfalls cascade down the cliffs to mingle with pools of seawater below.  While the best surf is undeniably at Swamis, beginning and intermediate surfers enjoy excellent rolling waves at Beacon’s Beach, which is just a few blocks from my (soon to be) old house.

On the cliffs of Swamis surprisingly sits the Self-Realization Fellowship.  If you are in Encinitas, this is a fantastic place to rejuvenate your soul and mind.  Around every corner and through every path, you stumble upon secret meditation spots surrounded in alcoves of green, as well as breathtaking nooks, such as…. 

…this one!  It took my husband and myself about six visits before we found this secluded sitting spot, complete with marble benches that allow you to take in the ocean views while you contemplate life.

Most Saturday and Sunday mornings, you can find my fellow Leucadians and myself indulging in a cup of Joe at our local Pannikin Coffee Shop, which resides in a repurposed train station.

I live(d) in a town where our motto is, “Keep Leucadia funky.”  Traverse through Pacific Coast Highway in Leucadia, and you’ll see quirky shops and wonderful vintage type.

Despite all of San Diego’s commercialization, there are still a few places of mom-and-pop surprise, such as the aptly named Hideaway Cafe in Solana Beach.

While San Diego is not known as an epicurean capital, I have been enamored by Marakkesh, a Moroccan restaurant in the heart of La Jolla.  From its amazing ambiance to its wonderful staff, Marrakesh enticies me to visit weekly.  In fact, my husband and I had wanted to hold our Mainland wedding reception here!

As we travel south to proper San Diego, I find myself roaming about Balboa Park every week.  There is magic in this park, stemming from its beautiful gardens to its stunning Spanish architecture.  From the San Diego Art Museum (who hosts fantastic Culture and Cocktail parties complete with a DJ) to the Japanese Friendship Garden, everything a soul needs in terms of culture can be found within Balboa Park.

Of course, one of my favorite destinations in Balboa park is the Arboretum, where you walk into a tropical rainforest enclosed within beautiful architecture.  However, they are not open on Thursdays, so plan accordingly!

When I lived in Point Loma, I would frequently visit the lighthouse.  My husband and I like to picnic on the old bunkers and watch the waves.  The tide pools are always a fun experience, and I’ve found the most interesting rocks here.

A visit to the neighborhood North Park San Diego will treat you to the sight of mixed architectural styles and an eclectic array of restaurants, among many other things.

Goodbye San Diego.  You will always have a piece of my heart.

As the ultimate statement in architectural repurposing, Adam Kalkin has transformed shipping containers into luxurious and irreverent adobes.  Unlike other architects who maintain the industrial, raw feel of the interior of shipping containers, Kalkin mixes them with Victornia archiecture and high end design — creating an eclectic mix that sings vintage industrial chic to me.  Could you imagine living in one of these repurposed shipping container homes (of course, never minding the fact that they could cost anywhere from $50,000 to $2 million)?  The “dream” home I’m always building in my head has new blueprints to consider now.  Via my husband via the tech blog Gizmodo he reads…

Happy weekend to you!  May it be filled with daydreaming about repurposed, creative places to live!

Has your green thumb been swept up by revival in terrariums?  I am loving the resurgence in terrariums, as I personally am obsessed with miniature plants and moss.  With a handful of pebbles, a layer of charcoal, and slow growing, moisture-loving plants, you can enjoy your own eco-friendly world.

You know that I love repurposed plant containers, and the possibilities for terrariums are endless, as nearly any container, bottle, and even chandelier can be repurposed into chic terrariums.  Here are some repurposed terrarium ideas for your green pleasure!

Preston Baily prepares for a tea party the only way he can – by creating terrariums from vintage cake stands sprinkled with fresh flowers.  Using fresh flowers is an instant way to temporarily spruce up a terrarium for a special event.

The stylish duo behind Wary Meyers show that even the humblest of pickle jars can be repurposed into a terrarium.  It only takes an ability to see outside of the jar, so to speak.

From a repurposed chandelier (1970s esq, true?), Design Spunk created a very stylish accent to her workspace.  I love the contrast of the vintage metal against the delicate orchids.

In a similar vein of inspiration, Kat Geiger of Design Spunk took a broken lamp and turned it into a lovely upcyled terrarium.   This one is available for purchase in the aptly named GreenUnderGlass Etsy shop!

Madebymavis showcases the beauty of upcycling in the terrariums for sale in her Etsy shop.  From upcycled maple syrup jars to salt and pepper shakers, her repurposed terrariums are the epitome of eco-friendly creativity.

Madebymavis strikes again with an ingenious upcycled terrarium.  I love that this one serves dual purposes, creating an eco-friendly ambiance.

With the holidays well behind us, what shall we do with the remaining ornaments?  Regardless of the time of year, you can always enjoy an ornament terrarium inspired by Charleston Home Magazine.  This would make a lovely holiday gift too!

Artist Robert Quinn shows us that small is beautiful.  These are tiny terrariums beautifully showcased in a frame.  One could even take a petri dish set, turn it on its side, and put it into a frame to create a work of living art.

Not sure what to do with all of those obsolete incandescent lightbulbs now that you’ve switched to the crazy spiral ones?   Turn it into a terrarium, but of course!  While this lightbulb terrarium by JohnKit has not fully propagated, didn’t the idea lighbulb go off in your head?

Are you growing a terrarium in your home?   Please tell us about what type of container you are using to house your eco-sphere!

If you needed another reason to love Earnest Sewn, beyond its flattering cuts and commitment to handmade denim, then consider its ambient flaghship store in New York’s meatpacking district — which is filled with repurposed treasures, industrial vintage decor, and a wabi sabi feel.

Jeans are tucked into antique library card catalogs, exposed brick adds a raw feel, and vintage industrial lighting shed the perfect ambient light across the repurposed retail displays.

Vintage signs add wit and irreverent humor to the displays, and bobbins of appropriately colored thread abound.

The versatile repurposed ladder serves as a stylish way to display their soft goods, while weathered wood adds a historic and raw touch to the entire store.

Who knew that an antique flour tin could be beautifully repurposed into a magnolia bloom vase?  With the metal accents and weathered wood, the vintage industrial feel is outstanding and is nicely complimented with a seagrass rug.

In the back of Earnest Sewn’s store, shoppers enjoy a changing mix of collections and art exhibits.  The Trovota Shop ingeniously repurposes antique chairs as creative displays of their clothing.

As part of the “New Hive” collaboration from last summer, organic matter, bees, and jars of honey create an interesting and mysterious ambiance.  Don’t the vintage glass honey jars look marvelous as a doorway?

There are so many elements of this repurposed retail shop I would love to incorporate into my home.  Look out Anthropologie — it looks like Earnest Sewn is giving you a run for your decor money!