Happy Buy Nothing Day

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I had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday surrounded by the ones I love.  We ate around 2 and took an afternoon walk to Laurelhurst Park since it was such a lovely day, plus that helps with digestion.
On the way back home, I spotted a Thanksgiving free box and had to investigate.

I ended up getting a great lightweight long sleeved sweater that is totally adorable.

Hooray!  That means I don't have to hit the stores at 5 a.m. today to find that perfectly cheap item I never wanted or that nobody else would want as a gift either, but feel the need to buy because it's Black Friday.
I digress...Happy Buy Nothing Day!
And I am thankful for Portland's wonderful free box community!

Free Floral Arrangements

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Maybe you want to cheer your home up with a little color.  Nothing does that better than a bright beautiful flower arrangement.  When I lived in Indiana almost 20 years ago, I used to dumpster dive flowers all the time.  Floral stores throw out perfectly usable flowers for whatever reason.

I haven't done that for a long time now, except for a couple of years ago when myself and my friend Christopher made a giant flower mandala for the Jazz Festival.  It was amazing.  We went to the floral headquarters on Swan Island and grabbed tons of flowers.

I have found many free vases in free boxes.  The one I used in the flower arrangement below was left at Laurelhurst Park after an event that happened the day before.  I felt that it needed to be rescued before it was broken.
On Saturday I came home to find my neighbor was pruning her plants for the winter.  There were piles of rosemary and marigold and others herbs laying on the sidewalk, so I grabbed an armful and off I went to make a free arrangement.

I would also like to add that it's very easy to procure free rosemary in Portland since it's growing everywhere.
I have also been going to town making terrariums.  I have most of the bowls I am using in free boxes.  They're everywhere.  Here's two bowls I found just last week.

I hope this post inspires you to find ways to cheer up your home on the free!

Free Box Photo for November and Issue 14 Submissions, Please...

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I happened upon this amazing scene today and it made my heart smile.

It's by the Fred Meyer Corporate Headquarters in SE off of Powell and 21st if anyone is interested.

That reminds me.  I am starting to work on Issue 14 entitled Free Box the Miracle, so if any of you amazing free boxers have a miracle find (whatever that means to you) or free box story you would like to share, please email it to:  freeboxthezine@gmail.com

You  can send pics, a sketch, a short story, you name it and I will love it!

Day After Free Halloween Candy

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I had a brilliant idea this year for a way to rid my home of leftover Halloween Candy, put it in a Free Box, of course!

I actually put it out closer and it worked like a charm.  By the end of the day it was gone.

First Time Free Boxer, Eric Heiden

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I met Eric on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela and we kept running into each other at some point every day for a few weeks.  I really enjoyed his company.  Eric is from New Orleans and told Sarah and myself of his great love of Snowballs.  Apparently it's a delicious treat that you can get in New Orleans.  I had never heard of it.
I don't believe New Orleans has yet experienced the free box phenomenon unless you consider the abandoned houses of the Katrina disaster a giant free box, but that's another story...

If you have Issue 13, then you have read the story of one of my favorite Camino moments, which was the sudden appearance of the vegetarian oasis otherwise know as The House of the Gods, which was this amazing spread of vegetarian and vegan delights along with hammocks and benches and just a wonderful environment to hang out in.

This is a photo that Eric took and I absolutely love it because it shows the absolute bareness of the path at that point and then this little heaven in the middle of it all.

Sarah and I literally spent two hours that just hanging out with other friends we'd met.  Eric happened to be one of the folks we were hanging out with.  I pulled out the remaining issues I had brought along of Free Box the Magazine and shared them with Eric, Alistair and Gabriel.  Alistair was blown away and said he would become an International Free Box Correspondent. 

Apparently at The House of the Gods there was a take something, leave something pile and Eric decided to check it because apparently he needed a pocket knife.  Sure enough, there was one!  He traded it for a book he had read.  I then made sure to capture the moment because this was Eric's first free item experience and it was just too cool to pass up.

We had to take a few photos of Eric displaying the knife because it's a bit of a challenge posing with a knife without making a person look crazy or threatening.

Eric said, "it's just like Christmas morning."  I couldn't agree more.

Brother Sewing Machine

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I was biking home from work today and I happened upon this free pile that had a working sewing machine that was in the box and everything was accounted for.  I couldn't believe.  I left some other items I had collected behind because I could only fit the sewing machine teetering on the top of my basket and boy was it worth it.  I don't think I have found something I was so excited about in a long time.  Probably the last time was when I found an amazing sewing table!

I had a feeling as I looked out my window this morning that there would be an onslaught of free boxes out today and I was correct.  I hope everyone found something awesome wandering in this lovely fall weather as well!

Permanent Free Box

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I have been meaning to check this free box out for months and I finally did it!  It's located in between SE Holgate and Cora on 25th.  It's pretty nice, very big and the hangers are a nice touch.  There wasn't much there when I stopped by.  It was a very rainy day, but everything was protected in this super cool free box.