Jeanette-isms - Part 3

It's been over a year since my last Jeanette-ism blog and oh how far she has come with her creations since then. She really has limitless creative potential when it comes to sprucing up the home and saving a buck. I have shamefully deprived the world of her genius for too long! Let us again continue our journey with Jeanette.



A Rubik's cube, the beloved 80s brainteaser that time and time again keeps finding its way into the homes of people all over the world. Why does Jeanette have a Rubik's cube you ask? This woman loves a dang puzzle. She is a puzzle aficionado, if you will. I think her love of puzzles stems from her inherent need to piece things together in life. She will endlessly analyze, re-analyze and over analyze interpersonal interactions, television shows, magazine articles, meaningless comments made by the mail lady, my dad using the bathroom for too long, the ever rising cost of cotton balls, etc. I digress. She thoughtfully left the Rubik's cube out so visitors may also enjoy the cerebral delights of this wonder toy. But wait--why does the cube have it's own tent? Well, Jeanette couldn't just leave it out on the side table like a normal person. She decided the cube needed it's own plate and scented satchels. Remember to always tent your air freshener people. Horizontal or vertical display just won't do. Now that the cube has a sweet teepee, it is a fragrant decorative piece as well as entertainment for her guests! How did we ever survive without lavender scented Rubik's cubes before? Oh Jeanette, you are a cultured wonder.

Don't make the mistake of placing your beautiful, hand carved canes in some dusty old corner or closet. An outdoor light fixture is the ideal place to display such fine craftsmanship. "Where is my cane Jeanette?" "Outside on the porch light fixture."----Of course, how silly of one to even ask, for it is obviously the perfect place for such a thing. Jeanette yet again reminds us of the dual purpose of every day items. Light fixtures - not just for providing light. Who knew? Now you do. Oh Jeanette, dare I point out how you enlighten us all?!

We all know how Jeanette loves a good coffee tin. Seldom does one of these babies escape the utilitarian eye of this creative maverick. One day it is the fine receptacle of value coffee grinds, the next it may be the home of a potted plant, a change jar, tarot card holder or dog food scoop. In this case Jeanette has chosen to make these two lucky tins into kitchen utensil holders. Just rip those labels off and--boom! A stainless steel lover's dream come true. Who needs IKEA brushed steel nonsense when you can save your $2.00 and achieve the very same aesthetic via Maxwell House? Your coffee creations are eye opening to all Jeanette. Bless you.







Jeanette is proud to display the achievements of her offspring. My brother's college degree is no exception. Unfortunately, while cleaning one day, Jeanette accidentally knocked the proof of my brother's higher education off the wall and broke the glass in the frame. Oh no! What was Jeanette to do? Sheet glass of that size can be as costly as ten whole dollars down at the local Walmart and there are countless, much more practical treasures to be found at Goodwill with that kind of cash. No worries friends. Jeanette simply wound some plastic wrap around the frame and it was good as new. You can’t even tell, can you? Her precision and perfectionism are truly stunning. Can you guess the painstaking amount of time (1 minute) it took to for her to conceal her blunder? Just call her the fixer!

Poo Pourri. Certainly you’ve heard of this ingenious shit cloaking device by now. It took the internet by storm in 2013 and ever since we have been inundated with bottles of cleverly named stink invisibility juice ever since. Names like Heaven Scent, Trap a Crap or my favorite, Poo La La, have been showing up in gift bags and Christmas stockings over the last four years. You can bet your sweet ass that Jeanette sat up and took notice. Did she go out and buy more? Hahahahaha, obviously you’re still new to this journey with Jeanette. She never buys what she can make herself. In her opinion, her version is 10x better anyway! Yes, she researched and engineered her very own Poo Pourri. She even created her own handwritten label with directions for the uneducated house guest. So thrifty, so thoughtful, so Jeanette.

Damn it Jeanette. Will your wonders never cease?!



 

Jeanette-isms part 2

Jeanette's ideas for inspirational decorations are boundless. Let's see what we've found around the house just this morning..

This is the kind of celestial décor that prompted my grandmother to ask Jeanette once if she was in a cult. No Nana, she just really loves a good sun/moon combo plate, blanket, or painting. Bonus points for the CREATE mosaic! She is always quick to remind us that we create our own reality! Thanks Jeanette.

Jeanette could never have any old, ordinary change bowl. No, she had to place a citrine crystal on top to not only jazz up its appearance but to multiply the energy of abundance that the change inherently puts forth. Crystalizing your change ladies and gentleman---you can't afford not to do it!

Why limit yourself to putting only candles in a candle stick holder? Why not fill it with a Chinese magic egg that reflects light and absorbs negative energy instead? No candle will ever burn as bright as the light of positive energy! Even the cat gazes upon it with knowing eyes. What a visionary you are Jeanette!



What better place to put your inspirational angel cards than right above your bills? The cards change daily. Today Arcangel Miguel looks down upon my parents finances with protective and loving grace. Notice that I said Arcangel Miguel and not Archangel Michael. She only has the Spanish version of these cards so she has to translate the descriptions for us.

Have a piece of scrap card board? Slap some red paint on that sucker and write some spiritual reminders on it! Tack it to a plant/utility box and put it right above the kitchen sink! Why just wash dishes when you can wash dishes and be inspired all at the same time? So spiritual Jeanette, so spiritual. You are leading the enlightened revolution. It also goes very well with the holy water and abundance spray. Spirituality, metaphysics and organized religion? Who says they all can't get along?! Jeanette transcends arbitrary boundaries. Way to go Jeanette!

Introduction to Jeanette

My name is Elizabeth and this blog is not about me. It's all about my mother Jeanette who is an amazing product of being brought up in the Caribbean by a "Frenchie" French Caribbean father and a Puerto Rican mother. Raised on the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, she came from very humble beginnings. Her family didn't have a lot but that never stopped my mom from finding creative ways to fulfill her needs. From her father and uncles she inherited what I call "island hillbilly creativeness". No piece of trash ever got thrown away without being certain that it couldn't be worked over in some useful way. Years later, even though she has the money to spare, she still uses her island hillbilly creativeness to make anything from effective utility objects and spiritual totems to eclectic home décor. Along with her obsessive compulsion towards thrift, she also has a very spiritual/metaphysical side. Her spiritual leanings are often incorporated into her unique, hippie decorating style. This blog is dedicated to her creations. I hope you enjoy!

Let's get started with some simple home decorating ideas:

A simple Yukon hat mounted on a standing globe adds style and sophistication to any old corner of your home! It's educational and utilitarian all at the same time.

Indoor wind chimes...because what more logical place could there be for your chimes than the very windy interior of your home? The actual reason she has wind chimes inside is so she can hit them throughout random times of the day to break up the stagnant energy in the room, creating positive Chi. I'm not making this up. She really does this. This location is an upgrade from the door frames where she would purposefully hang a wind chime low enough to hit us in the head because we were being uncooperative with the Chi activating exercise.

Lets take a walk outside for some outdoor decorating ideas.

Here we have our porch railing Buddha. My mom had a hematite bracelet that broke. She would never toss such treasure. Oh no, not Jeanette! She turned it into a sweet hematite necklace for old Buddha belly. Also, take heed of the burnt pieces of wood in front of Buddha. Did Buddha decide to have a camp fire? Is it an offering? No, she just thought it went well with Buddha.

Right on down the lane from Buddha we have our crystal enhancing glass prism. You never know what you're going to find in there. One day it could be a crystal that she's energizing. Another day it could be a dollar to enhance the vibration of abundance in our lives. Some days it's both!

Here's where the hillbilly comes out.

Why throw away a perfectly good spatula after replacing it with a new one? Just draw a happy face on it and stick it in a flower pot! It adds pizazz and character to any old planter. Better Homes and Gardens here we come!

Moving on to the utility objects...

Have a rusty old coffee tin that you just can't seem to let go of? Wrap some tin foil around it to cover the rustiness and boom! Maxwell House no more! Now you have a perfect storage container for those large outside garbage can bags! Brilliant Jeanette.

Have an old pair of holey pajama pants? Turn it into a stylish apron! No sewing required! Just cut those bad boys up and use the waistband as a neck tie! Wow, is there no end to her creative genius?

And the pièces de résistance. At first glance you may be fooled into thinking that this is just an ordinary trash can with a scrunchie tied around the top. This is actually the reinvented item that inspired me to start this blog. Are you ready for this? Jeanette could not part with this old trash can after my Dad decided that it was time for it to go on to greener pastures. No, Jeanette knew that this old boy had some use left in him yet! A holder of trash he is no longer! This guy is now the proud receptacle of laundry! Yes, my mother is now using her old trash can as her laundry hamper. Damn it Jeanette!  

This is only the beginning! More Jeanette-isms to follow!