Refresco Challenge

Ryan came home from work one day with a gift for me:

He wasn't joking. He drank its contents at a work-provided lunch and brought it home for me. He thought I would like it. An empty Canada Dry bottle...

To anyone else, this would be a horrible gift. And to anyone else, my reaction would be weird. But I was thrilled, stimulated and challenged.

Ryan and I are avid recyclers, like many other people, but what really excites us is when we can use an object that is past its original intention in a way that replaces our need to buy something. Eeek!

 So that is how I viewed my new gift. My empty bottle. Challenge accepted.

I started to think about my green glass bottle. I wanted it to be pretty, but it had to be practical. I don't waste space with junk. My natural first thoughts were stick a pretty flower in it or pencils, but I tossed those out right away. How many pencils could really fit through the neck?

Then it hit me!

I really do keep lots of things that others would ordinarily throw away. But so many times they come in handy! One of them is ribbon. If a good piece of ribbon comes on something consumible, I keep it. Whether it's a pack of napkins, a pair of socks or a wedding invitation, the ribbon stays.

With that said, I have tons of different colors, styles, widths and lengths of ribbon waiting to be efficiently organized. My beautiful, recycled bottles have met their purpose.