Runaway Jury

The 10 year old plays with his food. Do you know what this is?

Jury rig refers to makeshift repairs or temporary contrivances, made with only the tools and materials that happen to be on hand. 


If there was a degree in jury-rigging, I would have at least an Associates degree. When I was a little girl, I made all of my own Barbie clothes from discarded pieces of material. Now when I say, "made", I mean cut arm holes in scraps of blue velvet to situate a parka or sleeveless gown. Rarely did my "making" involve needles or thread. Shoe boxes became my Barbie mobile. Emptied dresser drawers were a 3-story apartment complex. Resourceful? Sure. Bored with the creative limitations of Mattel? Naturally. Impatient to wait for the next birthday or holiday to get a real Barbie wardrobe, car and dream house?Ding ding ding. 

The way this juvenile habit has blossomed in my life as an adult is as follows: thrift stores are my passion, cooking is always a bit creative, and repurposing otherwise ditched treasures is a mainstay. Looking for a new sofa? The mint condition 1950's green velvet found at a tag sale is far superior to the new poly-blend found at the local furniture retailer. Out of brown sugar? Mix molasses into the granulated sugar to make my own. Rescue a box of vintage bobbles to fashion into bracelets and hair clips. 


Repurposing isn't rocket science. It's resourceful. It may not be a Ph.D from M.I.T. but those feathery hair clips are so much more stylish than those cliche pocket protectors. At least for now...