Thursday, February 23, 2012

Etsy, here I come....

So, I'm looking through a catalog that recently arrived in the mail.

[I need to address this: we still get too many unwanted catalogs]

This particular catalog has, in the past, been a source of inspiration--really cute and unique gifts for children.

Tender books--the kind that you want to keep in your collection forever.

Neat stuff--things you mostly can't find anywhere else.

We have a moratorium on spending this year, so I decide I'm just going to flip through to see what kinds of ideas might inspire me for making gifts....

and I'm flabbergasted at some of the stuff for sale.

Like a fiber egg carton with seeds for $11.95!!!!

Don't people have egg cartons? Like after their all done eating their eggs??

For free?

And a packet of seeds costs a buck or two depending on what you get.

Seriously?? $11.95?!?!?!

Along the same theme I also saw a small terra cotta pot, dirt from Ireland and a packet of shamrock seeds.

For $12.95.

Twelve dollars and ninety-five cents.

For dirt.

"Chidren's" cloth napkins for $19.95.....

$19.95!!!

Holy smokes. You can buy a lot of fabric for that price and make a whole mess of napkins for the family--and matching outfits to boot!!

Or the botanical paint kit.

That comes with powdered paints.

????????

Some mixing pots, six packs of paint powder, two brushes and some ideas

....for $14.95

Isn't the whole point of botanical paint that you make them with plants from your yard for free?

Hence the name botanical.

But my all time favorite was this:

A "firefly"-lit jar.

It's a mason jar with a handy little carrying handle, opaque glass and LED lights inside.

For $34.95!!!!!!

Now we just happened to be looking at LED lighting online for a project of my son's.

We discovered that you can buy about 250 small LED lights for $25.

I have a bazillion mason jars around this place.

Now, all I need to do is throw about 6 lights in each jar and I'm RICH!!!

Mwaaahaaahaaahaaahaaa!!!!!

Etsy here I come.....

I still appreciate some of the unique products in the catalog, but it never ceases to amaze me how we as a culture have to commercialize EVERYTHING.

What ever happened to digging an old pickle jar out of the garage and using a nail to poke some holes in the lid?

Running around in your bare feet in the dew-wet grass to catch fireflies?

Where is the awe and wonder in a jar full of LED lights?

As humans, we have an uncanny ability to suck the awe and wonder 
out of life.

At least now I know what to get my friends for Christmas this year.

Egg cartons and Dirt.

Gotta run, I need to place my order for the "twisty story-starter" thingie.

It's only $12.95.

2 comments:

Jim Helwig said...

Here's an idea: how about we take a family trip to Ireland, bring home suitcases of dirt, throw it in our old egg cartons along with a variety of seeds and sell them as Official Irish Grow Your Own Plants for Botanical Paints kits. Only $39.95!

Michaele said...

Now that Jim is just smart! I think I have this magazine too. I always think what it would be like to be able to waste money like that. Same question though - why??