Five great ways to give green this year…

1. Make it yourself - Have a knack for knitting? Love making candles? Homemade gifts are always the best, and often impress. Crafting websites have quick and easy ideas for do it yourself gifts, or see if a store in your community has classes like these at The Craft Kitchen.

2. Buy local - When you buy from “Mom and Pop” stores, more of the money you spend stays in the community, enriching local schools, charities and other businesses. And now more than ever, they need your support. Besides, isn’t it fun to find that perfect, unique gift at a small store, rather than buy one of several thousand at a megamart?

3. Give a gift of time - How many slippers does Grandma actually need??? Maybe what she would really like this year is a chance to spend more time with you. Make a monthly date to bring over dinner and a pie, or create a gift certificate for handyman work around the house. Money may be tight this year, but it’s time that is still most precious. Make a gift of it and see what happens.

4. Find a service they need - Tired of giving “stuff”, especially since so much of it ends up in a landfill within a couple of years? Why not give your best friend a gift certificate for a mani/pedi at her favorite local salon? Dog walking, babysitting, car washing, etc.. The possibilities are endless.

5. Donate - The ultimate green gift. Afraid the person will be unhappy they didn’t get “stuff”? Think about it for awhile and I bet you’ll think of something that matters more to them. Giving to charities is something we all wish we could do more of. Give you loved ones the gift of generosity by donating in their name to a beloved cause.

I saw this lovely bowl on Terra Furnishings. I’m caught up in its simple grace. Filled with pomegranates, it would make a beautiful holiday centerpiece.

Barefoot Pottery Bowl

Looking for a holiday gift that’s (almost) unique, reasonably priced and very cool. Check out the limited edition art at Wall Blank. And by limited, I mean you can only get it for a week - or less if it sells out quicker. Once an edition is sold out, it will never be available again.

How is this green? Well, first off, it supports independent artists, something that is always good for us as a society. Where art flourishes, so do ideas, solutions and humanity as a whole. Secondly, by creating art prints on demand, rather than just printing up a bunch and hoping they will sell, resources are used more wisely.

Best of all though is Wall Blank’s No Profit Fridays! 100% of the proceeds from the Friday print are given to a selected cause. If you pay $34 for a No-Profit Print, $34 is given to the cause. What a great idea!

I had the pleasure of meeting up with the folks from Way Basics at a recent event held at The Camp in Costa Mesa. What a great product they have! Environmentally friendly, non-toxic, endlessly customizable, and AFFORDABLE!

At less than half the weight of particle board, the zBoard that they use makes for ideal children’s furniture - not to mention the fun, bright colors Way Basics comes in!

It’s assembled using no tools, and can be configured anyway you want.

How cute is this kid’s table?!

My personal favorite is this swivel shelving unit!

The Italians know a thing or two about marble (and coffee, and wine, and food, and …). They also know how to fake it. Okite, made by Seieffe Industries of Italy, is a beautiful example. Created out of 93% quartz aggregate, left over from existing quarries, this material manages to look just as lovely as real stone, but is even more resistant to staining and abrasion.

My particular favorite is the marble-like Collezione Venati, shown here in the “Bianco Carrera”.

On September 20th, at 2:00 PM, I will be giving a talk on how to do a green interior remodel at the Huntington Beach Green Expo. The speaker just before me is Nathan Krantz, who will be giving a great presentation on green remodeling in general, and how to get started on one. If you’re in the area, and even considering a remodeling project, I highly recommend attending.

If that date and time don’t work for you, the Sustainable Homes Committee of the Orange County USGBC chapter will be giving more presentations like this in the coming months, and I’ll be talking at those as well.

Sometime last year, my husband ran across an article calling for donations of used wine corks - lots of them! Being that he is in the wine industry, he felt up to the challenge, and soon accumulated an entire cardboard box full, which he shipped off, never expecting to hear what happened. Then, months later, he got an e-mail from Yemm & Hart, a recycled materials manufacturer. Lo and behold, his corks, and tons of others just like them, had been recycled into these very cool cork tiles!

Well, for some of you this is old news, but for those that haven’t heard - we’ve moved!!! Honestly, it’s been so crazy busy since we packed and (mostly) unpacked, that the news is now over a month old. Nevertheless, we want everyone to know that, while we miss the crowd at The Road Less Traveled, we are fully in love with the studio we have now. Built in 1925 as a live/work residence for a local designer/builder, our new place is full of period inspiration and a general feeling of joie de vivre.

By appointment only

One of my favorite organizations, Architecture for Humanity, and one of my favorite fabric companies, Lulan, have teamed up to promote sustainable, dignified, livelihoods for thousands of families in South East Asia.

American Express is currently offering $2.5 million dollars in funding to support exciting and innovative ideas that make a difference in the world. They will be selecting 5 ‘Members Projects’ for funding. AFH and Lulan are trying to be one of those projects, but they need our help!

Please click on the link below to nominate them. Time is running out!

Linsi, my Assistant Designer extraordinaire, recently came across a great new organic cotton fabric design house called Rubie Green. I instantly fell in love with this print named Marilyn, after the designer’s grandma. Just the fabric I need for my kitchen curtains…

I am always amazed at the increasing number of beautiful designs available in organic cotton. For instance, here are some really fun prints available in little throw blankets by design house Jenna Rose…

And of course, I couldn’t write about cool prints in organic cotton without mentioning one of the first textile designers to really embrace the fabric and give it life - my friend Harmony Susalla! She is one of the most talented and amazingly humble people I know, and the driving force behind my advocating for organic cotton whenever anyone is foolish enough to give me a soapbox to stand on!

Fields of Honey

Space Cowboy