Earth Keeping and Karmic Consumption ~ The Couch

2009-09-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

In this article I have singled out the new expensive designer COUCH. This couch is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to responsible consumerism, but it is a start. ...Besides I am personally involved with couches of all ages, heredity's and genres :)

As an Earth keeper, I am always sad to see what consumers buy and throw away. This comes from either a lack of care or a lack or knowledge.

I have had a look at some of the new "high end" designer couches being sold at reputable stores and by designers, priced high at an average of $5000.00 per piece and I am stupefied by the inferior quality.

Couches at this cost, being brought into repair shops eight months to a year after purchase for repair to the structure??? When we open the couch up we discover a plywood frame poorly assembled with little to no joinery. This is only the first problem to show itself. The sag free springs are few and far and attached with plastic clips and staples, as well, both the foam and fabric is of short lasting quality.

This is qualified as 'eight year furniture' or less. It is most likely not manufactured in your home town or even your country. In purchasing a new couch, often you are leaving a heavy environmental footprint, for an inferior quality couch that you paid a tremendous amount for that will soon be in a landfill. This couch is not even worth reupholstering in the future and in doing so would just be throwing good money after bad.

What is the solution? Information, knowledge and Responsibility! Information about what you are purchasing and from where it came from. Knowledge about time honored construction and materials. Responsibility for your decisions and actions knowing that they will have an impact on the quality of our lives and this beautiful earth that is our home.

What if turning a blind eye to the sustainability of a product actually had karma attached to it? Well I believe it does. I also believe it is a symptom of a deeper psychological problem that plagues the majority of the human race.

The phrases "garbage in, garbage out" or "as within, as without" are both suitable here. Our need to have it all and have it now with little regard for our purchasing power and responsibility, and how this effects earth, is reflective of how we nurture and care for ourselves. An analogy is 'driving' through the fast food window to get it fast and cheap without care for what we are putting in our bodies. We are a reflection of our environment and we are one with our environment.

New discovery has proven that we have 50 trillion cells in our bodies and every one has a memory, which conveniently is called the membrane. Every cell is a direct link to our well being. They respond to their environment which is mental, spiritual, and physical. Innately our spirit knows a quick fix and records and holds irresponsible behaviors in our bodies, in our environments.

What kind of environment do you want to live in, and how much do you care for yourself? These answers are reflected in our decisions and actions.

I have solutions. Ask me.

Earth Keeper Out.
Christina Creative

Making A Difference - OUR PLANET, OUR HOME.

2009-03-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Welcome to my first BLOG. My name is Christina, owner of Carriage House Ottawa, http://www.carriagehouseottawa.com/

My trade and profession is Furniture Restorations and this ART is slowly dying out in Canada. It may be disappearing in other areas around the globe, but one step at a time, I will start by making change at home first.

I have started this blog for many reasons. I do love to rant, I do love to write, and I just LOVE sharing my knowledge and passion for salvaging furniture.

There is a need to bring awareness to the public, of the importance to REpurpose, REuse, REcreate, REdesign, REpair, REupholster, REfinish, etc.... quality older FURNITURE. An awarness that not only should we REcycle, but R-EUSE!

This is for the sake of this planet and our environment, but therein lies another problem. There are fewer and fewer who are still working this trade. There are not enough people trained to do this work. To magnify this problem, the post secondary training that is paramount to this trades survival is almost non existent in Canada.

Mainly, I would like to make some positive changes for my industry and ultimately the environment. We need to see what we are doing to this planet with our consumption and take heed in what we are leaving behind ( or not ) to our children and generations to come.

For this mission, I will need support from my clients, my readers and the general public.

I will also have some fun with this BLOG, so not all politics, but certainly it will revolve around my work and passion to keep the professional art of furniture restorations alive and subsequently raise the environmental awareness of the magnitude that our purchasing decisions make as a whole. In a nutshell, the heavy cost of consumerism. We have to STOP purchasing "eight year furniture" that will soon end up in the landfill, and instead learn how to be creative and technical in regards to when and how one can or should invest in old or new.

This is where I can help.

My art in this industry, my niche in my trade, is the ability to recognize quality furniture, kitchens, or cabinet built ins, etc... and know how to professionally restore - yet update or redesign, if required. This is about WIN WIN!

I can also advise on whether that new $4000.00 couch, $10,000.00 dinning room set, etc. is really worth the investment and how to recognize if you are purchasing overpriced garbage ( or soon to be garbage ).

I welcome any questions or comments about this topic.

I am developing two petitions for signing that will be available shortly on my website. I hope that many of you will take the time to support my causes by signing.

PETITION ONE

WE ASK THE GOVERNMENT TO RECOGNIZE FURNITURE RESTORATIONS AND UPHOLSTERY AS A TRADE AND IMPLEMENT EXTENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAMS IN POST SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS AROUND CANADA.

PETITION TWO

WE ASK THE GOVERNMENT TO EXEMPT PROVINCIAL SALES TAX on FURNITURE RESTORATIONS AND RE UPHOLSTERY SERVICES - AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL TAX INCENTIVE SAVINGS FOR THE CONSUMER.

Thank you ahead of time for supporting my cause. Thank you for hearing me.

Earth Keeper
Christina Creative

Christina's Point of View

Earth Keeping and Karmic Consumption ~ The Couch

Making A Difference - OUR PLANET, OUR HOME.