The Bins

Our recycling bins are overflowing...again. My downstairs neighbor is the recycling "captain". And as the recycling captain, he's responsible for rolling our bins out to the curb every 2 weeks. But more often than not, he forgets. Hence, bi-weekly turns in to monthly, and our bins begin to vomit recycling. This is especially annoying if you're trying to empty your personal bin in to one of the larger, vomiting bins. Add a dash of wind and you end up with a dangerous, unpredictable tsunami of glass, cardboard and plastic. Not fun.

But despite these minor annoyances, it's good to know that my building mates are eco-conscious, avid recyclers. Yes, recycling tsunamis can be a drag, but it's still much better than seeing an overflowing trash bin.

Recycled cardboard deer trophy, $52 - from Cardboard Safari.

Vintage glass spice jars, $29.99 - from Vintage by Alex Keller.

Wood camera, $20 - from Twig Creative.

Upcycled plastic bag flowers, $18.50 - from Ffflowers.

Friday Faves - "The Day Before Saturday" Edition

It's Friday! That means it's time for Friday Faves! This week, it's "The Day Before Saturday" Edition. The first day of Fall was this past Thursday--and that means it's time for my favorite part of the year. Chilly air, changing leaves, dark afternoons--these are my favorite seasonal conditions. I love Fall!

And I love these items:

"Squirrels do not need coffee" print, $20 - from Doodle and Hoob.

"Nerd Lemonade" necklace, $22 - from Blueberry Shoes.

Crocheted "Fat Teal" chick, $13 - from Petit and Cute Design.

Maximum fringe necklace, $65 - from Norwegian Wood.

Hand-cut map confetti, $4 - from Spare Bedroom Studio.

Camel neckwarmer, $48 - from Elde.

The Electric Company

For the past few weeks, just before bed, I've been unplugging almost every single electronic component in my house. It's an experiment really. And the goal is to see if I can save any money on my $25 electric bill (that comes every 2 months). Most likely, I'll only save a few bucks. But hey, if just 10% of the population did this, we'd be using a lot less power! We'd also be saving enough money (per year) to go out and buy something unique, handmade and/or vintage (i.e.--shop on Etsy).

Here's my estimate of how much money could be saved and put towards the handmade sector of the economy:

-We'd save approx. $2.50/month on each electric bill. That's $30 per year, per person.
-If 10% of the U.S. population did this, that's about 30 million people (conservatively).
-30 million people x $30/person/year = $900 million!!

That's right--$900 million could be spent towards handmade goods if just 10% of us unplugged our televisions and computers each night. Think about that the next time you're wondering what you can do to jump start this economy...

Repurposed light bulb vase, $11 - from Star Redesigns.

Vintage Primary clock, $21 - from The Vintage Apartment.

"TV Bikes" Print, $20 - from Press Print.

"As Seen On TV" embroidery, $185 - from It's A Stitch.

Friday Faves, Artisans Collective Edition

This week's edition of "Friday Faves" features several members from the Artisans Collective--a group that I'm proud to be a part of. We have jewelry makers, screen printers, sewers, knitters, photographers and much, much, more!

The items from this week's post are only a small sampling--there's much more to see on our Artisans Collective web site. So go take a look--but promise me you'll be right back...

El Chupacabra ceramic diorama, $75 - from Pearson Maron.

"Dusk" signed print, $15 - from Wool and Water.

Hola necklace, $30 - from Piano Bench Designs.

Vintage camera shirt, $24 - from Wren Willow.

"Girl Thinking" print, $20 - from Irena Sophia.

Chiffon bloom (various colors), $29 - from Eclu.

Prints...and the new Revolution

I'm starting to amass quite the collection of art prints. And unfortunately, I'm running out of room to display them. As it stands right now, they're all stacked upright against the wall (a redneck art gallery, if you will). All are still in their little protective sleeves, complete with cardboard backing. And all are absolutely gorgeous.

Call me lazy, if you will, but I think this method of display suits me just fine. Who wants to look at the frame anyway?

"The Thoughts..." print, $16 - from The Linden Tree.

"Headache", $25 - from Charmaine Olivia.

"Soft Rain" archival print, $18 - from Rachel Austin.

"Cup of Tea" print, $15 - from Tush Tush.

Friday Faves, the Friday Edition

Yes, it's been one of those weeks. The kind where you can't remember what day it is. And although its been a hectic week, it's been a good one. So let's celebrate! Friday Faves, the Friday Edition!

Hipster glasses necklace, $12 - from The River Is Everywhere.

Little Fox Prince print, $20 - from This Years Girl.

Upcycled vintage train case, $72.50 - from Get Ready Set Go.

Gilsan Street Water Tower Print, $20 - from Michele Maule.

Ursa Major women's raglan, $35 - from Blackbird Tees.

Necklace with turquoise gemstone, $43 - from The Peach Tree.

Create your own vintage book journal, $20 - from The Fancy Lamb.

90210. Totally.

Brandon, Brenda, Dylan, Kelly, Donna, David, Andrea and Steve. These are the characters that make me laugh, smile, cry, cringe...and ultimately, hit the "play next episode" button on Netflix. I've made it through Season 5...and Brandon is STILL so righteous!


Normally, I don't promote my own shop. But today is different--today is "90210 Day" (...echo...). You know, 9/2/10! So in honor of one of the best shows to ever appear on television, I'm offering up a special deal:

Now through 9/12, take $5 off of any chalkboard currently listed in my Etsy shop. When you checkout, simply mention the code "90210" and I'll refund you $5 through Paypal.

As an added bonus, if your chalkboard is being delivered to California, you'll get $6 off! And the coup de gras--if its being sent to Beverly Hills, you'll get a $9.02 discount! How cool is that? Shaa...as if.

"The Executive, Mad Men Edition" - $57.

"The Grocery Getter" - $43.

"The New England Edition" - $47.

"A Forest is Born" - $57.

"The Mariner" - $59.