Featuring wonderful ways from around the web to waste not every Wednesday... repurposing, upcycling, recycling, repairing... being frugal means learning how to make life fabulous by consuming less and reusing more.    

There's this Chinese proverb that goes something like "If you save a man's life, you are responsible for him." 

True story- I survived my childhood because of books. Books are responsible not only for me being here to blog like a boss, but for helping shape who I am. It's a love affair that's lasted since I was three years old and finally given eyeglasses so I could see. After that, I had a book in my hand no matter what or when. Even if I was cold, hungry, and lonely, books gave me a home filled with adventure, love, and the safety of words. 

I know what I know because of the books I've read. Being surrounded by them makes me feel like I'm home. Thinning out my collection not once but twice over the past decade was hard for me to do, but I realized recently that I don't have to have a huge personal library. I live and breathe the words I've read every second I'm alive on this journey. 

When I found this tutorial for making paper flowers from the pages of books, I gave a little happydancesqueal. The applications are just endless- hair bows, wreaths, ornaments... okay, maybe not endless, but I'm still pretty excited about the whole idea of making paper flowers from the pages of old books. As if the flowers weren't enough fabulous for days, the same chick does a tutorial for making birds and spheres, too. Peace, B.