Testing my Green Thumb

I am very excited because I have just planted for the very first time, little lavender seedlings, chives, parsley, and sweet basil. I am new at this, and also super impatient & excited to see the first hints of a live plant growing in my apt. (-I will be devastated if they never grow :(
I will be making cute little labels for each pot, and probably be naming them (I know...strange). Our little money tree is Edward, he is strong and healthy despite his recent battle with plant cancer (rotting trunk)... I think we were overfeeding him.

If this works out, I am hoping to start a mini garden on my very wee patio.

The am also very excited about the cute natural fiber pots I stumbled upon. The brand is called Ecomaxx and these cute and colorful little pots are made from natural plant fiber materials (bamboo fiber, rice straw, wheat straw, and corn stalk) meaning they are 100% biodegradable.
They were also 0.99$...and cheap is always a plus.
Lucie= excited

A breather

(Source.)

I'd like to not say this but I've got to take a short break from here. It should be just a week. I've got to get my life a bit more organized. Have to find me a job - or some source of income. So bye for now, but not for forever in the least.

~Am~

Be a Green Irene

Here's an interesting concept that I stumbled upon the other day: being a green consultant. Not that the idea of being a green consultant is absurd (I actually consider myself somewhat of a green consultant), but that there's a program called Be a Green Irene, which teaches people how to be a green consultant.

"The Opportunity To Be An Eco-Consultant in Your Community We invite you to learn about our intriguing new opportunity in the BOOMING new Green Economy. Our Eco-Consultants are independent business women and men who work from their own home or office and are distributors of our Eco-consulting services and an array of green products."

"The amount of information about going green is overwhelming and often conflicting. As a local Green Irene Eco-Consultant, supported by the resources of Green Irene LLC, you can become the knowledgeable green friend your friends have been wishing for. You will have all the tools and information necessary to move your clients toward a healthier, greener life."

What do you think about this? It seems legit but...I don't know. I think I like the concept of it though. What are your thoughts?
~Am~

Making soy candles

(Source.)

I really, really love candles. And something I've tried to use more of, because of the health effects for one and all, are soy candles.

Some facts about soy candles vs. paraffin candles (via this site):
-Paraffin wax is made of petro (foreign oil dependence!).
-But soy wax is American made and made of soy!
-Paraffin wax has many carcinogenic (cancer causing) compounds.

In this vane, I've been reading up, mainly on this site, on how to make soy candles. It seems fairly easy. I plan on getting the supplies this week and trying it out. I don't need much: soy wax flakes, containers/candle molds, essential oil, wicks and....? That's all folks.

If you're interested in buying soy candles yourself, there are plenty of places that sale them these days. But my favorite place to drool over candles is Etsy.

~Am~

My little projects

I've had lots of time my hands lately. I've been unemployed for a while now. And while the I've been looking for well over four months now, it's in the last two months that the job hunt has become particularly hard and fatiguing, but that's a whole other post to be written. Since I've had beaucoups of time to play around with (I also usually get up at 6:30 in the morning 5 days of the week - because of my student teacher bf), I've been dabbling in some arts and crafts projects.

(The address book I made.)

Last week, I felt super-house-wifey and repaired a pair of the bf's work pants. In a fury one night, I made a tiny journal for him (wallet-sized) so he could always be able to write down his thoughts and ideas. This little frenzy turned into a full out project the next day. I made an address book!

I plan on making me more. They make me excited about writing stuff down. Of course, I like writing on anything - really.

~Am~

Finding New Uses for Old Things

In my own home, I am always trying to find more ways to be more organized - to live in a way that's cute and stylish as well as easy and no-fuss. So that's why I get super-excited when I think of new ways to use things.

For instance, this week I decided to use some used glasses in my bathroom. I used a pretty grenadine bottle and a conveniently small (and quaint) Maille mustard bottle to hold razors. I already use various small plates and bowls to hold our shower products (our bathroom is very prone to mold - we basically live in a basement). This week I added a lid of a rice container (it's big, round and pretty purple color) to one of the plates to separate the soap from the shaving cream can. I used a tea bottle to put our toothbrushes in and to keep them off the often gross sink.

So the next time you're in search of a new item for your home (either for practical or purely aesthetic purposes) look around your recycling and see if anything in there suits your tastes!
~Am~

The Green Parent

As I was reading up on our guest writer Kimberly's blog, Tree Huggin' Mummy, I discovered another green mommy blog - The Green Parent.

After losing many minutes being wrapped up in "ways to green your Disney trip," I surfed around her blog to find out many other interesting tidbits about being a green mom and making sure your family is living green and healthy.

Here's a little bit more info about the blog and the blog's author, Jenn Savedge, that I think is a good little read:

"Jenn Savedge is a full-time mom, environmentalist, and author who researches and writes about the two topics that are closest to her heart: children and the environment. As a former park ranger for the National Park Service, Jenn traveled the U.S., learning about the environment in some this country’s most breath-taking wild places. She currently resides with her husband and daughters in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

'“In The Green Parent, author Jenn Savedge guides us through how to live green and pass that love and respect for the earth on to our children, whether its working with our kids’ school to ensure anti-idling, planning an eco-family vacation or finding an earth-friendly (and scalp-friendly!) way of dealing with head lice. Savedge writes with an infectious optimism that motivates us to change our ways…and change the world in the process.”'

This is a great site. I'm not a parent yet, but I spend countless hours reading green mommy blogs, daydreaming about the day I can raise my own green kiddie.

~Am~

Pangea Organics

Omg. I love this place. Discovered just the other day at Nest Organics (I couldn't help taking some the free samples they had), Pangea Organics carries organic soap and body care products.

Pangea Organics, with the slogan "Ecocentral Bodycare," makes natural herbal-based skin care products. They use only the best and safest products and they make sure you know what they are using by listing all their ingredients on every product.

Another neat, earth-friendly thing they do is have all of their products packaged in boxes that are plantable. The boxes are made of 100% post-consumer paper and organic seeds, such as sweet basil and amaranth. All you have to do is peel off the label, soak the box in water for a minute or so, and then plant it. Next thing you know - you have basil and amaranth sprouting!

C'est super-cool! ;) Check them out!
~Am~

Did I ever tell you about...?

...the fabulous purse and cards I received for my birthday from Lu and La Martha Stewart de France?

Miss Lu made me a quirky card & it came with a chai tea wrapped in sparkly packaging.


Mrs. Martha made a gorgeous purse. Not a tote bag this time, a real, fancy, purtty purse. And a card, of course.

The three of us have been sending cards to one another lately. And I have to admit, my cards are the least creative of them all. Here's a valentine's card from Lu and her beau to me and my beau:


Cute, right? And they were handmade!
~Am~

Nest Organics

I was walking around downtown the other day and decided to step into this store I'd seen many times, but had bypassed because of lack of interest. But that day - it sparked my interest. And I'm glad I went in! I now wish I had visited Nest Organics a lot sooner!

Nest Organics "is committed to the process of moving our culture toward conscious lifestyle practices by providing modern goods that blend function, style and sustainability. [We] believe the basic foundation of sustainable business is making conscious purchasing decisions that consider personal, environmental, and cultural impacts."

Hallelujah, sister! Preach the good, green word! ;) Check them out!
~Am~

The American Chestnut Foundation

On Tuesday I had a job interview with a great organization, the American Chestnut Foundation (TACF).

The interview went really well and I really enjoyed talking with the President & CEO, Bryan, and the Communications Director, Meghan Jordan. They've just recently moved their headquarters to Asheville and many of their staff members are still in Vermont.

TACF's goal "is to restore the American chestnut tree to its native range within the woodlands of the eastern United States, using a scientific research and breeding program developed by its founders." They are a wonderful organization, doing great things for our environment and bringing awareness to important environmental issues.

Check them out!
~Am~

Fresh Wave

We've been asked to try out another green product! This time it's Fresh Wave.

On opening the box, the smell of pine and lime filled the room. It smelled very nice, but this is only a first impression...so we'll see how it goes for us. We received a spray, soy candle and crystal gel.

(Eli!)

I do know that the spray had a bad effect on Lu's doggie, Eli. After spraying the mist in the room, poor Eli had an allergic reaction. He's alright now but hopefully none of the other products will have him drooling all over the place like the mist. We'll let you know how the rest of these products work as we track their effects.
~Am~

On the [Makeup] Hunt

I recently finished my favorite powder (MAC - hottt). But I decided long ago that whenever I finished my old makeup/beauty products, the next I'd try would be the healthier and safer green ones. So now I'm on the makeup hunt. I want something of the same caliber as MAC (and the same price range) but made up of healthier ingredients.In my hunt, I went over to the Nature of Beauty to look around at some green beauty goods. The ingredient list(s) are impressive and the price range is acceptable for me. The only caveat I found was their lack pictures (of the different powder colors). I don't want to get a powder that is meant for a fair-faced gal when I am an olive-skinned chica. Ya get me?

So I'm in need of a green makeup line that has good and accurate pics of their makeup so I know exactly what I'm getting. Any ideas?
~Am~

Burt's Bees expands to clothes!

Burt's Bees is one of those companies that many of us "greenies" already know. They make tons of awesome healthy beauty products (they are also made in North Carolina - representin' ;)).

But now our beloved Burt is moving on to kids' clothing. And so far, [s]he is doing one darn good job. Here's a little sampling...
So super-cute right? I love how the bee theme continues on to tot's clothing. So if you've got a little green one, or if you just love to drool over your future little one's future wardrobe (guilty!), then head over to Happy Green Bee clothing.

~Am~

that project from way back when..

Remember a long, long time ago (oh, let's say right around we first started this blog...) when I professed the greatness of DIY and crafty projects & and how they are innately part of living green? And how I'd be working on projects regularly and be sharing them with you?

You remember that? No? Good...because we are now introducing crafty wednesday! (;])

With over 2 years worth of collecting beer bottle caps, I decided with the beau to decorate our wonderfully antique treasure chest (used as a coffee table in our living room) with the collection. Once we finally got started the project flew by. The only thing(s) stopping us from completing it is some more super-glue & a pane of hard, heavy glass.

(Mostly) Beer Cap Table

We all know that there are tons of things you can do with beer caps (or any caps for that matter)...like necklaces, earrings, and other jewelry. But this is what we decided to do...add some color (and flavor?) to an antique piece. What have you done with bottle caps?

More pics to come when we've, finally, finished it.

~Am~