Sorting through some old papers over the weekend I found a scratchpad I had used in my web design days. I had been studying design of all types, from architecture to packaging design. One theme that kept popping up in my studies was “form vs. function”. There was always an argument for one or the other, but generally accepted was the idea that the best designs had a healthy dose of both.

In the middle of other scribblings, I had written, “FORM WITHOUT FUNCTION IS A DUST COLLECTOR” I wrote it on the chalkboard pictured above because it sums up so well my design philosophy. I imagine I must have been thinking of my days as a pre-teen, when dusting was my weekly chore. After years of dusting off my mom’s books, plants, and various trinkets, I can remember thinking repeatedly, “when I get my own house, I won’t own anything that needs dusting.”

Of course I can’t get away from basic stuff like furniture and a few picture frames (though I limit those too), and there is an argument for things which are sentimental or make you smile for a personal reason, but I’ve always made a conscious effort not to buy something if it doesn’t serve a real purpose in my life. If it’s just going to sit on a shelf, I don’t want it. But if I’ll use it—pick it up, touch it, hold it, put it back—then it will pick up less dust and make my inner teen happy at last.

This weekend I was out shopping antique stores with my niece and I found an old red flour sifter in near perfect condition. It’s exactly like the one I’ve been using for years but about 20-30 years older, and RED. It’s a nice shabby red too. I remember my niece commenting, “Nice, what will you do with it?”

To which I replied, “Sift flour!”

“Oh! You can actually USE it? Cool!”

Honestly, it’s sitting on a shelf in my kitchen at the moment, but that’s because I’m blogging, not baking. But as soon as a recipe calls for sifted flour, that beautiful vintage sifter will be used once more.

I just wanted to share this thought with you today to give you some insight into my world and how I choose products for Olive Manna as well. The things I make or buy have to be useful as well as good-looking (much like a husband)! ;)

There are lots of really pretty things out there, lots of trendy things I see that make me pause for a moment. I consider them briefly, but pass—not because I think they won’t sell (I’m sure they would)—but because for one reason or another, the item just isn’t practical. Cute, for sure, but likely to gather a lot of dust until one day you can’t remember why you bought the thing and you gift it away.