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DIY //Between the Lines\\

I came across the most amazing, innovative and cool DIY site that you simply MUST check out! Click here to go straight to Between the Lines for tutorials on such awesome things as DIY heart garlands, ornaments and a denim and leather tote I am desperate to make myself!

They've got tons of great earth lovin' DIY projects all of us (yes, even you) can do. Check out a few of my favorite here:


Quick Fix Grocery Bag


Instructions:

1. Take an ironed adult size T-shirt, right side out. (You could use a kid's T-shirt for a smaller sized bag).

2. Fold it in half as shown in picture 2.

3. Cut off the sleeves as shown in picture 3 and put them aside as you'll need them later to make a little pouch.

4. Cut around the neck-line as shown in picture 4.

5. Sew the bottom of the shirt closed using a French seam. If you're not familiar with the French seam check out this post. (Basically, you sew the hem closed on the right side, turn the bag inside out and sew another seam, sandwiching the first seam inside). Next, sew boxed corners, as explained here, in step 1. You could iron everything flat now, if you like.

6. Place the bag in front of you on a flat surface. Starting from the bottom, fold over the bag as shown in picture 6, about 2 1/2 inch, that is.

7. Now, starting about 3 inches from the side, with your scissors make 1/2 an inch to 3/4 of an inch cuts through all layers, leaving about 1 1/8 inch between every cut. Continue like this all the way to the other side and stop about 3 inches from the side seam.

8. Next, fold it over some more (an additional 2 to 2 1/2 inch) and repeat the cutting, but now right in between two cuts from the previous line, as shown in picture 8.

9. Go on like this a couple more times, depending on the size of your bag - I did 5 rows in total.


DIY: Colorful Wire Clothes Hanger

We're still in summer mode here, though for K. today is the last day of his summer vacation, unfortunately. This year's summer vacation has been very relaxing - Carpe Diem (seize the day) has been our motto. We've been doing plenty of things but only because we wanted to. And today I really wanted to do something crafty! So I did. It took me a while before I came up with something, though. I made a big mess as I kept pulling things out. But then eventually pieces fell into place when I found a wire clothes hanger (check out this article if you'd like to find out more about the origin of the wire clothes hanger - the drawings are great!).

The result of my crafty afternoon is this enhanced, colorful wire clothes hanger... with a short description in 16 photographs. Again, it's an easy craft you could have your kids do or help you with on a rainy afternoon.

What you'll need:

- wire coat hanger (the ones you get at the dry cleaner's)
- bias tape, ribbon, or a piece of fabric
- a piece of (masking) tape
- white glue
- optional: ribbon, rivet punch + rivets


Steps:

1. If you don't have ribbon or bias tape at hand, make your own (pic. 4 & 5) by cutting a long strip from a piece of fabric. Don't bother about cutting in bias, we want the ribbon to fray! Yes, fray! Although I had only a small piece of fabric, I cut one long strip from it. This is how: start cutting a strip lengthwise from one side to the other, BUT WITHOUT CUTTING THROUGH TO THE VERY END! Repeat, alternating sides as shown in the diagram below.

2. Attach the ribbon to the wire coat hanger as shown in pic. 6 and wind the ribbon around a couple of times to hide the tape.

3. Next, start twisting the ribbon around the wire all the way around. Don't be afraid of the fabric fraying - we like the effect! To make sure the ribbon is everywhere tightly twisted around the wire, check once in a while and twist the ribbon between your fingers as you work your way back to where you stopped.

4. At the bottom of the hook twist the ribbon around both wires and work your way up the hook (pic. 9 & 10).

5. Cut off the ribbon leaving a 1 inch end. Put on some white glue and next continue twisting the ribbon, smearing the glue in and over the fabric and such way that the tip is completely covered and there are no loose ends left (pic. 11-13).

6. Optional: Decorate with a 6. Optional: Decorate with a tag. I used stamps for this and the motto of our summer "Carpe diem". Make one for every family member and have their names on it, or if you plan for a summer party make one for every guest. The possibilities obviously are endless. Use the rivet punch to attach a rivet and tie to the hanger with a piece of ribbon. All done!

(All images and content come directly from Between the Lines, thank you!)

Spare A Few For Farm Animals

This Sunday Kevin, Chelsea, Juliette and I are taking part in the Farm Sanctuary Walk for Farm Animals! I know you're asked often to donate and I am sure it's not easy to part with your hard earned dollars, but this organization is soley supported by it's wonderful supporters. Please take a moment, and donate, even a few dollars goes far!

Check out my fundraising page here!

Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, New York, and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming.

I hope you will make a pledge of support for farm animals in need by making a donation for my participation in the 2010 Walk.

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25% Oeuf!

Use the Daily Candy code: candy25 for 25% off at Oeuf, a lovely baby/kids shop, they've got cool nose and tail sets for Halloween, darling clothes and fun toys! I adore their decor as well, this heart garland has my heart :) They stick by their fair trade ideals and help women and children in Bolivia! Feel good shopping, done.

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Get your Green Kicks, err Keds!

Keds (yes! Keds!) is back, and now they're boasting an organic line of shoes to boot (or to sneaker actually). They are affordable, wearable and will bring you right back to childhood, that will be enhanced of course if you decide to decorate yours with puffy paint or pull our your bedazzler!

(Image: from Keds site)

On the Road with Weleda

Weleda makes some lovely products (cue pen and paper for beauty buy list!), and they're taking it to the streets (in a biodiesel truck no less) to turn your routine around. Check out their site for a stop near you!

From their site:

We’re driving our Biodiesel truck from one side of North America to another to spread our message that what goes on you goes in you, and to share our wonderful products.

We will be stopping in six cities. When you stop by our truck, you’ll learn more about the benefits of natural personal care, experience our beautiful Weleda products and film your own video to be able to win a trip to our Weleda spa in NYC. Check out our home page to view all the videos and vote for your favorite one.If you can’t make it to the truck, visit our Facebook page to take our natural beauty quiz and get a coupon for $2 off any Weleda product.

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A Photographer in the Family

My lovely Mama has been taking photos forever (as seen here in Urban Branches of course) and has shared her latest project 'Barns' with us! Thanks Mama :)

Pangea Organics Day 1 {Review in Progress}

I've had blemish prone, oily skin for what seems like my entire life (ok so technically it started when I was about 12/13) and I've basically heard, tried and complained about it all. I've been do derms who've scared me outta there with treats of insane treatments, I've had my skin plucked and poked at during facials and have lived to tell the tale.

Anyone who has "troubled" skin knows how it can break your confidence, and when a product comes along promising to help build that confidence it's looked at with heavy suspicion. I received Pangea Organincs Facial Cream in the mail to review, it's been sitting on my bathroom shelf, eyeing me for weeks now.

Pangea Organics is a sweet skincare line based in Boulder, Co. (Made in Colorado too!), they support Women for Women International , print their boxes on 80% post consumer paper with vegetable inks and their products are chock full of organic ingredients. They also have a catchy 'Always' and 'Never' list that breaks things down easily: (from their site)

ALWAYS: Nurturing, Handcrafted, Organic, Fair Trade (whenever possible), and Cruelty-Free
NEVER: Petroleum, Sulfates or Detergents, Synthetic Preservatives, Artificial Colors or Fragrances, or GMOs

The box claims it is for "oily to blemish-prone skin" and the ingredients claim to regulate my oil and provide calm to my irritated skin. Sounds great! After many weeks of staring at it, I finally pumped some cream into my hands and smoothed it on my face.

Observation 1, it goes on lovely, smells heavenly and left a matte finish. Happy, check! I usually avoid lotions in the morning because they end up leaving behind an oil slick, yuck. The cream claims to "helps to calm surface inflammation while nourishing and protecting with powerful antioxidants and essential fatty acids that help revitalize and restore damaged skin." It's only day 1 but I am a happy girl so far! Update to follow...

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Milk It

I know I've been a bad blogger lately, I've been busy out and about with Juliette, going out of town on the weekends and catching up during the week on what seems like endless errands and chores around the house. I promise I'll be posting again soon, lots of reviews to come as well as inspiring photos, recipes and more!

Ok, now that that is out of the way, I am still nursing at night and while doing so, I do a lot of online reading via my blackberry, and last night I was skimming HuffingtonPost and read a great, easy to read and understand article about the different kinds of milk and the pros and cons to all. We currently drink Cow's milk, grass-fed of course. I've thought about swapping to almond or rice, but notice their protein content is very low, and since we're not huge meat eaters (a few times a month at most) we need the protein where we can find it. So for now we're sticking to Cow's milk, but I am going to be checking out Hemp milk soon, review to come!

Check out this article: Hemp,Rice, Raw and More: A Guide to Milk and the Planet and pass it along, has great concise tips for choosing your milk of choice.

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Time to make something from scratch

Put away those box mixes with tons of extra (and often undesirable) ingredients and make something from scratch. I flipped through one of Juliette's "kid cookbooks" and whipped up a batch of Applesauce & Banana Oatbran muffins this afternoon. And yes I've already eaten 2 myself. So pull out a favorite cookbook, ask a loved one for a good recipe or check out one of my favorite food blogs Smitten Kitchen for some homemade inspiration! Oh and of course make sure your ingredients are 100% certified organic and as local as possible!

My Bon Ami {Review}

The literal translation for Bon Ami is "Good Friend" and that's no lie! I was deep in a full home cleaning, as Kevin's Mama was in town for Juliette's birthday party and I knew people would be in and out of my place. I wanted it to look as good as it could, given I have a crawling, exploring messy eating almost 1 year old! Enter Bon Ami, "America's Original Natural Home Cleaner."

Armed with All Purpose Cleaner, Dish Soap, Liquid Cleanser and Powder Cleanser I began to tackle the apartment, top to bottom. I usually use a few other natural cleaners which I love, but it's always great to try something new, give another brand a try. I was pleasantly surprised at the ease at which I forgot about my old products. Bon Ami has won me over.

Originally developed in 1886 as an alternative to the grittier quartz based options that were stocking shelves in the 1880's. There's something about a company that has been around this long that has me in awe, not only because they stayed true to their customers, but also to the planet. Their ingredient lists reads like so: limestone, baking soda, epsom salts, soda ash, corn alcohol and natural essential oils. Products come packaged in 100% post consumer recycled plastic and recycled paper labels (with the sweetest little chick mascot!). Their entire line is hypo allergenic, non-toxic, biodegradable and sustainable.

The price points are amazing as well, each product is mere dollars! What ailes me is that I've never heard of this line, where have I been, and where has it been!? Now that I've found it, I'm going to be telling everyone to pick themselves up a set of all products to try. My counters are sparking, my bathtub gleaming and dishes are, well, ready to eat off of!

Bon Ami indeed!

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Eco-Mama: Harvest Time

As summer winds its lazy warm way through these pleasant August days...it's suddenly harvest time on the family farm. Its a time of year where you try to squeeze in as many outdoor cook-outs and long evenings under the stars...a time to swim, a time to enjoy...and a time to frantically handle everything you planted coming on at once! There's nothing like peach trees snapping their branches they're so laden with fruit, corn that's passing into overripe by the half day and tomatoes plunking off the vines...so, we all set about to pick, cut and freeze many many bags of each, make peach cobbler, pie, jam, and tomato sauce to be frozen. Plans for this upcoming weekend include a lobster steam with cornbread, peach pie and tomato salad in celebration of my sister's birthday. What better way to end the last weekend of august??!!

Pictured above is about 1/16th of what is ripe for the picking, and quickly passing. I made pickled corn relish, tomato sauce and a peach cobbler instantly, and have to make and freeze even more peaches, and simmer some jam. Its all so delicious and makes me really feel like a hunter gatherer. Ahhh summer, organic gardening, and dirt in my toes.

For all the urban dwellers out there who don't have a garden or access to a share, shopping the farmer's markets for all your produce needs is just as important. It's the best way to eat fresh, local and seasonal. with the ever stronger push to re-kindle those instincts in us, the farmer's are also just as happy to provide. Make fresh tomato sauce, dry a few of your favorite herbs, [because those prices on one bunch of herbs in the dead of winter in NYC will make you wish you had spent $2.50 on some now]. Enjoy homemade pizza, cornbread and corn chowder...its easy and so delicious! Invite a friend or 2 over and call it an event with a tablecloth, bottle of wine, your "fanciest" tableware and don't forget to take some photos!

as always, take care and do something you call greening-it!
your Portland Eco-Mama,
~mariah

My reading this week is:
Living in The Family Room on the Martha Stewart blog.
In particular: The September issue of Living with a feature on MS Living decorating Editor Rebecca Robertson's NYC loft home, the amazing handmade chalkboard and color coordinated storage art wall and swing for her son. Amazing and such good blues!

Just Picked Up: Alba Cream Shave

I'm a product junkie, no question, I love trying new bath/shower/bodycare products but I am loyal to some. Alba Botanica Shave Cream is a mainstay in my lineup. I switch back and forth in scent, but I always come back to this jojoba, vitamin E enriched soap-free formula. My favorite scents are coconut lime & mango vanilla. Priced under $6 bucks you can't go wrong.

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Checking out for summer with Eco-Mama in Maine

Hello and happy august! I hope all of you are at it and doing eco better than before...in the high high heat of summer.
I have been in the midst of some major transitions, but all in the best ways possible. I moved to Portland Maine in January, and went though some changes which was a true test. It unfolded as a scramble from near desperation to the discovery that I was and am fully capable of handling everything that comes my way and enjoying some of it too!! Life is beautiful, what can I say, but love each moment. I am proudly working at an organic grocer over-seeing the coffee and candy/chocolate departments. Couldn't be happier to participate in "good organic practices" and classes that teach me where our food and body products come from. (more on that knowledge at a future date).
I am here to post some images of summer...that's all, just to share some of the homegrown goodness that's come from my work and need for organic produce and outdoor time. I've gained my summer's worth of vit. D and toned my body while working, weeding and tending to...also from running and playing on the beach. I've found some breath and balance too.

Until next time, I hope everyone feels good about their eco choices, and eat local, seasonal and fresh!!
ciao,
mariah

Oh, check out Lonny Magazine (love it!) and look for this article on page 41: Slowing It Down featuring Dominique Browning

A Vegan Palette {Review}

It was my birthday last week, and the day started off with the delivery of the latest offering from Urban Decay on my doorstep to review for Urban Branches. Lovely!

Urban Decay: Vegan Palette (Limited Edition)

When you care about things like the planet, your health and those around you I find you often have a growing list of complaints, or as I like to refer to them, "issues" that you must sift through when making daily choices. One of those issues is the use of animal products in my makeup. It's just a little icky to me. You?

They say that ignorance is bliss, well I say ignorance is not an excuse. We all know nowadays that our products both for inside and outside of our body are made sometimes from some not so nice ingredients. It's our jobs as consumers of these products to do our research, know what we are buying and vote with our hard earned dollars.

It's easy to choose the organic milk carton at the market, but when it comes to things like makeup it's not always as easy. Unless the product is directly marketed as eco, organic and animal friendly we're just not so sure. Until the day when all products are forced to state their ingredient origins we need to throw our dollars towards the companies that do state. Case in point, Urban Decay. I remember begging my parents for their uber cute nail polish when I was younger, it came with a rubber ring that I just had to have! Nowadays my desires are a little different, but by no means do I want to compromise cute and chic when making beauty choices. I don't wear too much makeup, I'm a mom now and the last thing I want is my daughter ending up with chemical laden, animal tested/products on her precious pure skin. I stick to a few brands, a few products and that's that. But it's been very exciting for this new mom to have a new product in her repertoire. The Limited Edition Vegan Palette by Urban Decay is chock full of fantastic. They've included 6 stunning eye shadow shades, ranging from teal to silvery green and of course lovely neutrals, a 24/7 eye pencil and a adorable travel sized Eyeshadow Primer Potion. To top it all off the packaging is recycled and they've used soy-based inks in the animal friendly designs. The Palette retails for $34 dollars and is available at Sephora.com, pick one up this instant!

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