When I was a young child, I announced to my Mother, I wanted to grow up to live in New York City, be a junk dealer and go go dancer.
One of my earliest memories is driving the old Dodge pickup to the town dump with my Grandfather, a woodworker and artist, we often returned home with more than we brought.
I have vivid memories of his workshop, cigar boxes with red trimmed paper labels listing the contents, sawdust, the hand crank sharpening wheel and canning jars with left over varnish. It was magical and I wanted one just like it.
Around this time I was given use of the abandoned chicken coop on our rural property. I proceeded to decorate using the treasures my Grandfather and I hauled home from the dump. My Grandmother kicked in a few doilies, chipped dishes and some cigar boxes of my own. Guess that was the beginning of my wabi sabi, cottage, and farm house decorating style
At 23 I moved to New York City and pursued my go go dancing career, I renamed myself Diz, as in Diz 's 5 and dime. The go go dancing didn't really pan out , though I did love the vintage outfits I put together and tore off on stage.
I discovered the possibilities of New York City trash picking. That led to a regular spot at the 26th Street Flea Market. I brought my kids along and we became infamous as that family of redheads with all the crazy stuff.
My lifelong desire to reuse, recycle, and rethink items has finally reached the mainstream.
I've moved from NYC to 5 acres in New Mexico and hence my storage and acquiring possibilities blossomed.
My son and I bought a house that had suffered a fire.We've spent the last 4 years rebuilding and discovering hidden talents in order to make the wreck a heartfelt home.
Sitting in a room that I scrounged the materials for, designed, and built myself is an amazing experience. It simply feels great.
I'm still attracted to the broken, worn, tattered and aged.
My plans are to stay home, grow my own food, plant a forest of trees and wear lovely clothing.
By selling on Etsy, that allows me to make my future dreams come true.
Diz Has Neat Stuff also keeps 5 tons of merchandise a year out of the landfill!