Whatever You Do Try Not To Forget the Corsage!

I have fallen in love with the eco-fun tutorials over at Threadbanger’s YouTube channel! As a mid thirty-something I do not plan to attend a prom anytime in the near future but for all of you younger gals (or guys!) who are handy with the machine, like to save a couple bucks, want to feel good about upcycling and are looking for something kind of unique or rad to add to your outfit this prom season, here is a quick tutorial on how to make your very own corsage out of some simple fabrics.



Have a safe and enjoyable prom!

One Sweet World

As many of you know, music is one of my very favorite forms of media. I have always felt that a songwriter can convey as much, if not more, emotion in three or so minutes than any television program or movie because of the written words and accompanying melody. I love to hear bands play songs that teach us how to celebrate our planet, especially when the band is a huge proponent of treating her kindly.

A group of musicians which I listen to often, Dave Matthews Band, falls into this category of love for Mother Earth. They spend a goodly portion of their time and efforts in supporting organizations and causes that benefit our planet and its many residents such as the Bama Works Fund (which they founded), NYC public education and parks, San Francisco Bay area charities (specifically for the homeless and children), Clean Air-Cool Planet (a 100% CO2 offset initiative to “back pedal” to their 1991 tour), Vote For Change, AIDS research and a slew of other causes far too vast to list in this blog.

One of my all time favorite songs by this talented band is called One Sweet World from their 1993 release Remember Two Things. Their love for the Earth shines through in the lyrics and the melody makes me so happy I just want to go plant trees and flowers! I have seen DMB live only twice in the past eleven years but will see them again this summer, front row, in Hershey, PA. Until then I will enjoy this video of One Sweet World (from Farm Aid performance in 2001) and I hope all of you do too! I have included the lyrics below as well. Have a sweet day everyone! ♥love♥



Lyrics to One Sweet World

Nine planets 'round the sun
Only one does the sun embrace
Upon this watered one
So much to we take for granted

So let us sleep outside tonight
Lay down in our mother's arms
For here we can rest safely

If green should turn to grey
Would our hearts still bloody beat?
And if the mountains tumble away, river dry
Would it stop the stepping feet?

Oh, let us sleep outside tonight
Lay down in our mother's arms
For here we can rest safely

Take all that we can get
When it's done
Nobody left to bury
Nobody left to dig the holes
And here we can rest safely

One Sweet World
Around this star is spinning
One Sweet World
And in her breath I'm swimming
And here I will rest in peace.

Paper Water Bottles

Yes you read that title correctly! A few days ago one of my favorite foodie bloggers Karen sent me a link for Paper Water Bottles. I was completely intrigued as I had never heard of or seen anything like this before and I dove into researching this bold concept to see if it was even viable because my initial reaction (as I am sure many of yours) was ‘how can paper hold water?’. What I discovered is that the 306 Paper Water Bottle by Brand Image is an innovative and feasible product, but it is one I seriously question the need for.


Brand Image is a marketing company and as such wants to ensure their literal image is seen by as many people as possible. Since this concept is seemingly so impossible it will likely receive a lot of press which ensures a vast public viewing. The thing with consumers these days, especially those who are eco-conscious, is that they are savvy and no matter how “cool” the concept is, if it is not a solid contribution to the planet, they ain’t buyin’. The 360 has pros and cons.

When compared to a plastic water bottle the life span of the 360 is much shorter. The bottle is lined with a sugar based polyester (PLA film) which is fully biodegradable but will also break down quickly meaning each bottle will likely only get one go round. Some experts say a plastic water bottle should not be used more than once, however it is actually possible to do so without a breakdown of fibers. Also as a plastic bottle has a screw on cap, the 360 has a snap off top which is said to reseal but if the paper (or other natural fibers such as bamboo, etc) begins to break down, the cap will not secure tight enough for transport.

Both a plastic bottle and the 360 can be recycled which is definitely a pro but unlike a plastic bottle which is only partially (if even) created from recycled materials, the 360 is created from 100% renewable resources.

Where the 360 has plastic beat is in both its total design and reasoning behind its creation. It comes in six pack or larger and every bit of the packaging for transport is the same material as the bottle itself which ensures full recycling capability. The reasoning behind its creation is to ensure that the 86% of plastic bottles thrown into landfills each year is transformed into a biodegradable material instead. I must admire the innovation there.

Overall I am back and forth on this concept where on the one hand it would be great to find a use for all the paper we toss each year but on the other I question why we can’t just make use of a travel mug or aluminum bottle. Due to its innovative concept and environmental consciousness I am granting the 360 a Two Leaf Rating.

Thanks for thinking in the right direction Brand Image!

Coffee, the Elixir of Life, Just Got Even Better

Call it what you will -- café, java, joe, high test, cahfee (the Bostonian pronunciation), cawfee (the New Yorker pronunciation) -- to me this lovely bean creates the one and only thing that will wake me up in the morning and cradles my personality into one that others want to be around. Well, that is, once my morning cup has been ingested.

While reading through Yahoo today I came across a lovely list of stuff we can do with all of those grounds left over after we brew up the bitter goodness. It excites me to learn there are more uses than simply aging paper or putting in the compost pile.

The transcript of the article is below, or check out the original post here.

Recycling your used coffee grinds
By Huddler's Green Home Community
Posted Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:25pm PDT

Did you know that the average American consumes about 3 cups of coffee a day? That’s a lot of used coffee grinds going into the trash.

There are actually many ways you can recycle and reuse your old coffee grinds to help preserve the environment and maintain your health. And for other ways to green your caffeine, check out the wiki all about having an eco-cup o' joe or maybe even look into drinking organic coffee!

A Cup of Joe Goes a Long Way

You’d be surprised at just how many different methods have worked for people:

* Touch up furniture and other wood scratches with grounds and a Q-tip.
* Sprinkle around areas where pesky insects, slugs and snails dwell to drive them away.
* Mix with soil as a natural fertilizer for plants.
* Dye clothing or paper.
* Rub into your dog as an organic flea dip.
* Fill old nylons and hang in your closet or fridge to repel odors.
* Use to fill old pin cushions.
* Scrub away grease and grime from pots and pans.
* Throw on ashes before cleaning out the fireplace to reduce dust from spreading.
* Feed to worms to help with your garden.
* Rub on your hands to eliminate odors.
* Mix ¼ grinds with one egg white and massage onto face like a mud pack.
* If you’re not an avid coffee drinker but you live near a coffee shop or cafe, you can always ask them for the old grinds. Places like Starbucks actually give bags of used grinds away to people who use them for their home and gardens.

Recycling is just one way that we can help maintain the natural beauty of our environment, so next time you drink a cup of coffee save those coffee grinds for future use.

The Feeling is Good Society and the Word Is Denim

Its eco-fashion Friday again, where do the weeks go?! In my quest for eco-fashion this week I inadvertently stumbled across an organization called Good Society and what I discovered about these folks really impressed me. They have a few divisions including: Pathos Water, Deconstruction Reconstruction, Fannypack and the division I will be reviewing today -- Sling and Stones which is all about denim for both men and women.


What sets the company Sling & Stones apart in the world of denim is their use of American grown, handpicked organic cotton to make their Supima denim, as it is a rare but natural fiber. In addition to the organic fiber, the indigo dyes are all natural and ozone friendly washes are utilized to finish each piece. The fiber is hand loomed at a small Japanese mill and the jeans are then constructed back in Seattle. Oh and did I mention that the rivets are created from 24K gold?

This should lead into the cost quite nicely (and it is the only draw back I could find because the company supports charities worldwide), each pair will set you back $260 - $350. The price is steep but if you are a lover of soft, easy to break in, last forever, high end denim, then the price will be well worth it knowing the environmental benefit each pair possesses.

With their efforts to employ workers in Peru, donate to such charities as suicide prevention in Japan and their use of organic and Fair Trade materials, Sling & Stones is on the cutting edge of eco-fashion awesomeness. I am granting the company a Three Leaf Rating simply due to the price point which would be out of reach to so many.

I will be keeping my eye on both Sling & Stones as well as Good Society as trail blazers in the eco-fashion world. Keep up the great work! ♥love♥