the trunk

I've been thinking a lot about consumption for several reasons.

First of all, my finance savvy friend just gave me a budget makeover, so I have become very conscious of my spending and consumption habits (my Cadbury mini egg addiction, for example, is now on hiatus). Secondly, spring cleaning has forced me to air out my unused clothing, tchotchkes, and junk. What was I planning to do with all those hideous wooden beads, anyway?

Living in Montreal is a big part of my lifestyle shift as well. I've noticed that there is definitely an ethos of sustainability (lots of restaurants ask you to bring your own takeout dishes; the proliferation of biodegradable water bottles), recycling (clothing swaps), and reinvention (many artists who use pre-used, found or eco-friendly materials) here.

Not to go all hippie on you or anything, but being eco chic comes surprisingly naturally for me. Plus, I'm a lot more inclined to recycle and reinvent given my strict budget of the moment.

Now more than ever, furniture shopping on Craigslist makes sense. In an effort not to waste resources or money, Brian and I have agreed not to buy crap furniture just for the sake of filling our apartment. Sure, we haven't had a coffee table since we moved in, but at least we haven't had a terrible coffee table (that we would inevitably toss out or donate) either! We had an idea in mind and decided to wait until we found exactly what we were looking for.

And found it we did, this Saturday. During a random scan of the furniture section on Craigslist, I spotted the antique, flat-top trunk we've been imagining for 6 months. It was affordable, and the seller only lived a 1o minute walk from us. So we picked it up, carried it home in the rain, and after a healthy spritz of vinegar and lavender extract (to banish the smoke smell), it's perfect!

Now only one question remains: does being excited about this make me as nerdy and boring as I suspect it does?