GREEN IT: the real deal

can you believe it?

a heart-shaped tree.

mother nature knows.

note it:

"make you feel my love" by adele

(photo credit: making magique)

GREEN IT: happy bamboo

today twitter was all abuzzzzzzzzz about urban outfitters copying the designs of a talented indie designer in chicago, Tru.Che.

(read more about what happened here.)

i, like many tweeters out there, decided to help out + happily made a purchase from stevie's etsy shop today.

yep, took me about one second to do it....

and while most people were most certainly purchasing the controversial "world/united states of love" necklaces, my eye immediately gravitated to this handcrafted necklace of silver + bamboo.

wonderfully eco-chic. wonderfully poetic. wonderfully fun.

just made me super happy, well, in my heart to support such a talented artist.

get yours here (with super cute packaging to boot!).

and, be happy in your heart too.

note it:

"rhythm of love" by plain white ts

GREEN IT: schoolhouse rocks!

rehab = A+.

this schoolhouse rocks!

note it:

"alphabet song" by india arie on sesame street

(photo credit: country home/oct 2005)

TABLETOP TUESDAY - simply adore

i simply adore this simple statement.

perfect for thanksgiving or winter holidays.

note it:

"thankful" by kelly clarkson

(photo credit: torryne choate/birch sf)

GREEN IT: axel's desk

i'm working right now + would love to be sitting at this gorgeous, soulful desk.

imagine the love letters written here....

note it:

"harvest moon" by neil young

(photo credit: axel vervoordt)

GREEN IT: a big pot

scouting locations this week.

inspiration fodder....

note it:

"all you wanted" by michelle branch

(photo credit: martha stewart, march08)

TABLETOP TUESDAY - clearly

simple + chic tabletop ideas for the kitchen and the dining room.

clearly.

note it:

"heart of glass" by nouvelle vague (remake of blondie's classic hit)

(photo credits: interiors/kelly hoppen; bosphorous vases/potterybarn.com)

GREEN IT: one happy dwarf

"whistle while you work...."

am coveting this 100% reclaimed metal necklace with textured floral pattern made by alkemie jewelry. (serious crush on designers, the LA-based husband-wife team of ashely lowengrub + dara gerson).

i have always believed that you can find beauty in the most ordinary things. case in point. eco-chic + so smart.

wearing this design would make me one happy dwarf.

note it:

"whistle while you work" by snow white and the seven dwarfs, disney

VISIT IT: "hale" the farm, part 1

what a way to start my morning....i have wanted to do this post for a long time. so here it is, in 3 parts.

here are some lovely shots of hale farm, an outdoor living history museum located in northeast ohio.

set in the 19th century, visitors are exposed to a life unlike our own. part of its charm is that period crafts are made on the premises, with skilled artisans demonstrating blacksmithing, spinning, weaving, candlemaking and basketmaking. a "stable" of horses, cows and sheep live on premise too.

here, the church and the garden along with the "village people." its simplicity is refreshingly beautiful.

part 2 here - tabletop.

part 3 here - wallpapers.

"hale, hale" the gang's all here....

note it:

"peer gynt, suite no. 1, op. 46: morning mood" by london philharmonic

(photo credits: lissa lowe)

GREEN IT- flora "grabb"

i'd like to suggest that flora grubb be renamed flora "grabb." i wanted to snatch up everything in the place!

an amazing landscape shop / garden center in san francisco, flora grubb is definitely a trendsetter. chock full of gorgeous plants, palms + succulents, the beauty of this place is in the design itself. ideas are ripe for the picking. little vignettes - color-coded at that - set the tone amid various "found objects," like this old car.

delight is found at every turn!

(word has it that urban outfitters' "terrain" in phillie models flora's digs....).

even though i am without a proper plot to landscape, i did not leave empty handed. i purchased on one of these lovely one-of-a-kind handmade striped glazed pots. each pot is numbered + created by hand in los angeles by esther pottery.

i then plopped a tillandsia inside. (such a cool bromeliad - click here.)

in the last week, i've "checked" into this place twice. i aim to become mayor + sell the merits of sustainable landscaping to the masses. (yep, foursquare, i'm talkin' to you...).

note it:

"the sound of sunshine" by michael franti + spearhead

GREEN IT: rubie green (part 1)

i have a serious girl crush on michelle adams. first, the sadly missed domino. now the brains behind the most adored lonny.

she is also the textile maven behind rubie green, a fantastic line of eco-friendly upholstery fabrics made of 100% certified organic cotton. the cotton is whitened without bleach and printed in the US using water-based, non-toxic inks, no volatile organic compounds (VOC’s). interestingly, rubie green employs a printing process that minimizes water consumption that only uses one gallon of water per day!

below i've included some of my favorite designs of hers. not only are the fabrics fantastic but so are the descriptions of each product. take a read:

~ "East Village" (raspberry w) - New York's East Village is one of the only bohemian enclaves left in an increasingly modernized city, flush with an independent spirit like a tide through its storied sidewalks. From the quirky vintage shops to the authentic ethnic restaurants, it's an energy to be captured, and a vitality to be experienced.

~ "Megan" (pineapple motif) - She believes in pairing stilettos with cowboy hats, wine with hot dogs, and acrylic nails with the engine of a '67 Mustang. Megan is unique and edgy while being feminine and playful; she'll wear her Prom Queen title but never her boyfriend's varsity jacket. Her will is strong and her wit sky-high; she is the girl who leads the pack, the girl who stands apart.

~ "Habibi" (black "plaid") - It's the balance of the room that falls off kilter when he's gone, and the way it instantly rights itself when his keys jingle the lock. It's butterflies that still haven't ceased in taking flight, and the way his smell sets alarm to your every sense. He knows how you take your coffee, your fish, your eggnog on Christmas Eve. After all, he is your beloved; he is your habibi.

i'd like to live in the east village (or west. there's still time...).

i so "get" megan. and i have a thing for pineapples (see this fab retro wallpaper of mine...).

i think i'll start calling my hubs, "habibi." so cute!

(rubie green, part 2 - click here)

note it:

"new york city" by the village people

GREEN IT: rubie green (part 2)

i think everyone should repurpose, repaint + reupholster. thifty and can be very chic.

especially if you choose eco-friendly rubie green. the fun part about rubie's textiles: you can purchase a $2 fabric swatch before ordering. makes redecorating that much easier.

(rubie green, part 1 - click here).

here a few more of my faves:

~ "Jackie"(leopard print) - Altering both history and the runway, Jackie was sophisticated but never pretentious, and classic but never dowdy. Her presence was iconic, her grace immaculate, her name eternally respected. And her style, without fault, forever timeless.

~ "Mary" (zebra print in black + natural) - Mary knows design. Mary knows trends. She's your mother's friend who spoke to you like an adult, and asked if you wanted coffee with your eggs. Her home's décor held a breathless awe, flawless and admirable, classic and chic. Both her style and advice were impeccable, her nature selfless, and her energy contagiously vivacious.

~ "Marilyn" (rose motif) - Marilyn's pride glows most immeasurably in the presence of her three grown boys. The layers of her life can be traced in the creases above her brow, yet her vibrancy shines the brightest. She is the woman who lends inspiration to all; she is Rubie's grandma.

i would like to invite all of these ladies over for tea....don't you?

note it:

"tea for the tillerman" by cat stevens

DAILY DOSE: domino

is it summer 2005 or 2010?

domino was prophetic...love this article from five years ago.

(sigh, i sure miss this pub.)

resources:

~ home-grown organic farming + gardening

~ living off the land - or grid

~ wearing deconstructed/distressed jeans

~ putting hair in braids

~ donning a fedora-esque sun hat

~ choosing overalls (hello, ralph lauren...)

~ raising chickens in coops (read: keeping chickens)

~ slipping into perennial favorite ll bean boots

~ natural beauty products like burt's bees and stuff from c.o. bigelow apothecary

(photo credits: domino, spring/summer 2005)

DAILY DOSE: domino

i'm on my way over to the farmers market....

someday i'd SO love to have my own garden. this sketch from domino has been earmarked for years.

i'd like this plot.

so, i plot.

resources:

~ seen here, adirondack furniture from wood classics (ll bean and maine cottage are good resources too).

p.s. check out jamali garden for other ideas to decorate the garden too.

(photo credit: domino, spring/summer 05; photography: richard felber)

COOK IT: munch + crunch

bounty-ful.

i can't wait to munch and crunch.

note it:

"roots, rock and reggae" by bob marley

(photo credits: lissa lowe)

GREEN IT: in the navy

emeco does it again with the "111 navy chair," made of 111 recycled plastic coke bottles.

(it's the plastic rendition of the iconic aluminum "1006 navy chair.")

available in charcoal, flint, grass, persimmon, white + coca-cola red.

exclusively from dwr.

note it:

"in the navy" by the village people (another classic)

GREEN IT: sea glass

the ultimate in green: the pacific ocean upcycles by - literally - turning trash into tiny treasures.

to wit, a handful of the stunning sea glass we scavenged during our trip to the mendocino coast last week.

a must stop: glass beach.

the litter is lovely here.

note it:

"in the colors" by ben harper & the innocent criminals