Tweeting Zero Waste in Provence

One of the benefits of living simply, is being able to easily vacate our home. We can clear out our personal belongings within 15 minutes - and therefore easily rent it while we're gone.This first time required a bit of preparation before leaving:Creating labels for the various in's & out's of our 1920's home (e.g., "Do not spin" the bubble chair - or it may detach).Writing a "Zero Waste Home Operating Guide" to let our renters know about our lifestyle - and to give them some easy to try tips.Reinstalling the trash/recycling cans for the multiple renters (Ugghhh!!! I am hoping they will be...

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A personal revelation

 Easter Fun by Bea JohnsonFor the artist worrying about the impact of Zero Waste on art-making, I thought I would share a personal story.Five years ago, my artwork was showing in seven galleries at once. I had an inventory, hundreds of frames, dozens of unpainted canvases, gallons of paint, countless brushes, and loads of miscellaneous art materials stored in the studio. I was proud of my clientele and the recognition that my work was getting. But I also remember being frustrated at my lack of creativity. We then moved, and as you already know, we let go of much of our belongings. It included...

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The Bottomline

Hi everyone! This is Bea's husband, Scott.This is a note to the people that may be standing on the sideline, deciding whether or not this lifestyle or these changes make sense. Or maybe it is a note to the doubters that are thinking this is just a waste of time or money...or maybe it is to the husbands out there that are thinking this is just a big hassle. (I know because I was one of them at first...) After some prodding from Bea, I went back over our expenses - in detail - from a few years ago (our "old life" in 2005) vs. our expenses now ("zero waste" lifestyle in 2010). To compare apples to...

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