MW118 ISLAND OF WOMEN - THE BOTTOM - History
We are kind of breaking the rules of good sense blogging to suggest you detour to YouTube to watch Debbie and Terri's unveiling (if you haven't already seen it)...but you kind of need to feel their excitement to carry on. Just what are Debbie and Terri so excited about? Well...when they heard about Adopt-A-Box, they "signed up" quickly and were some of our first adopters. But they, like others, had to wait for the project to officially launch. Their wait to unveil was in line with their own ribbon-cutting ceremony on a concept shop in line with Sea & Learn's mission.
Like many adopters, Debbie and Terri loved the concept of the project but weren't quite sure which topic they wanted to have on their sponsored storyboard. After a bit of brainstorming, stories of three industrious women who made their mark in history proved the perfect choice for the entrepreneurial pair of Debbie and Terri, the proud new owners of Boomerang, Saba's first circular shop.
Appropriately launched on Earth Day, their new endeavor is housed at Pete's Cottage, a historical Saba Cottage in the heart of Windwardside village. There you can find upcycled items (like a lamp shade made from a discarded colander) as well as the ability to purchase bits when needed. Need a small 2x4 for a project and don't want to purchase a 16-foot length and wait for delivery? Pop over to Boomerang and buy just the amount you need (well, subject to availability)!
Saban bakers, Misses Agnes Maxwell and Louvenia Hassell (featured on this storyboard), remind us that "upcycling" may be trendy now but it's nothing new. Creating aprons from Gold Medal flour bags is a Reduce-Reuse-Recycle example from long ago. Repurposing of items is just part of a wave of positive change. At the new Boomerang store you can find clothing, household items, building supplies and more! What was once something to be embarrassed by is now something to embrace! I am regularly inspired by how many 20-somethings are proud to shop at thrift stores, thereby countering the waste and conformity of what's now known as fast fashion--the dark side of clothes shopping. This article explains how the fast-fashion trend of the last 20 years impacts animals and our planet. WARNING, reading it may change your mind and your wardrobe.
More extensive stories of Helena Peterson, Ann Elizabeth Johnson and Cornelia Jones can be found on Will Johnson's Saba Islander. For more stories of enterprising Saba women, look for the storyboard of Saba Lace, not just a craft but what put bread on the table and even built a home!