To Shop Or Not To Shop, But Definitely To Make

I realize I've been posting quite a lot about shopping, and I want to clear up a few things, not so much for your benefit {you all graciously humor my Etsy habit} as for my own. I know many bloggers were working on a spending hiatus some time ago {some, bravely, still are}, and I so appreciate their efforts to spend more thoughtfully, mainly because it's prompted me to stop and think about what I really need and how I can realize and admire an object's beauty or appeal without making it my own. This has been invaluable for me, especially now that I'm no longer earning a graduate student stipend and am currently living on very, very little {I should add that I'm doing so happily -- honest!}.

Anyway, I want to clarify the nature and aim of The Museum Cupboard, again, for my own benefit. All of what I post here is posted because it inspires me in some way. I hope never to come across as encouraging mindless spending or suggesting that I am someone who has many material wants. Really, I'm trying to gather bits from all over this creative planet, arrange them in my cupboard, and then think about the spectrum of my own creativity and talent. I love seeing and showing you what people are selling out there because those items tell a story about a person figuring out his or her ability to make, and sharing it. I thank all of you for visiting me here and showing interest in my sources of inspiration and in the things I create.

Which brings me to this: I just recently tuned in to the blog, Mer Mag, and found that Merrilee and I share a penchant for handmade things like this:

This is a book made of scrap paper, something Merrilee found here, and was originally found here. This would be a delightful project, especially if all those scraps were collected from friends and family, and bound into a book with a lot of soul. Maybe I should solicit my loved ones for their scraps ... ?