If you're looking for traditional, run of the mill designs you've come to the wrong place sister! I design out--of-the-box, uncommon goods for the creative classes. After all, you can go to the off price retailers for the other furnishings.

Last summer my friend, Eileen, sent me a link to a Facebook Challenge from a local Mediterranean restaurant in our area. The challenge was to design something from their recycled basmati rice bags. If you won, you got yourself a $50. gift certificate for their restaurant. I really thought this through and because I am known for handbags, I decided NOT to do the usual. So I started with an Indian pouf from a local thrift store that was $12. and created an entirely new look. And because I had so much fun completing that task while my creative mind was still in high gear, I decided to continue the theme. After all, every ottoman needs a chair to match....don't you think? So a little more digging through the treasures at the local thrift shops and $5. later, I had a modern chair that was styled in a director's chair fashion. I sanded it down and painted it a creamy ivory to match the color of the other rice bags and paired it with a coordinating vinyl for a very monotone affect. I was very excited to drop the pouf off at the restaurant for the challenge and couldn't wait to hear the results. And as luck would have it, I was $50. richer in good food at a great place. However, no one else even entered....many came to pick up bags but never executed their designs. I have to admit, I do like a good competition, but I was happy with the end results nonetheless.

This rice bag has a fairy tale ending as the chair was recently selected to be in the juried show "Working Together" at Evansville Museum, which opens July 27th. And the pouf was purchased for another artist's studio.

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