The Landlocked Sailor

When you’re trying to downsize and

live life with no more than 100 possessions,

the first step is to stop buying stuff.

The next step is to edit the things you already have.

For me, that included a few painful (but enlightening) hours going through all the handbags I own. Guess what: I had a ton of handbags, and none of them were exactly right for any particular occasion. So, after editing, I still needed one big, multi-purpose beach-style bag for when I’m traveling by bike.

I’ve implemented the one in/one out rule for myself, meaning that for every new thing that I acquire, something must go. In this case, it will be one in/fifteen or twenty out! Yay!

Since it’s important to know where your stuff comes from, I wanted something handmade and recycled/upcycled.

Look what I found on Etsy!

Recycled Suit Multi-Purpose Bag/Backpack by MyGreenMonkeyDesigns

Of course I couldn’t resist this Red Star Recycled Sail Tote by Reiter8

Gotta Love Coffee! Recycled Coffee Sack Extra Large Tote by JungleJute

And, of course, we’ve got to do a plug for cycling! Recycled Cotton Canvas “Lone Cyclist” Tote by TheCraftPantry

One more cool bike-basket thing, which may or may not be something I need:

Roll-Up Picnic Blanket by ThingsBySLO

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I really love the many meanings of nautical flags. One of my favorite combinations is Romeo + Juliet.

One version of the meaning of Romeo, or the “R” flag (the red one pictured here) is “The way is off my vessel. You may feel your way past me.” Juliet’s response? “Fire on board. Keep your distance.”

This combination of Romeo + Juliet is made from up-cycled sweaters, and will soon be a handbag.

Whadd’ya think?