DAILY DANNY

Swept by Filters

I love the windows of Anthropologie.     One morning in NYC, I walked through Rockefeller Center to get to a meeting and decided to peer through the windows.    I grabbed my digital camera to share these amazing handmade creations that look like a foamy sea in the windows.

  

If you look closely, you can see the whole thing is made entirely out of white paper cups, coffee filters and muffin tin liners.   It's folded here and there and there are cut outs here and there to give it character and texture.  

I could imagine a special occasion---like a wedding---where you save the lace doilies, unused paper cups and other paper items to create something (smaller) and similar in a shadow box as a memento.

Speaking of fun ideas, here's one more I saw inside the shop: a fabric cover cord.   Who doesn't have ugly cords from a lamp that are impossible to hide?   Just wrap unfinished canvas fabric around the cord to hide it and give it character.   Instead of hiding the cord, celebrate it!

Showroom Visit

The other day I hopped to Brooklyn to make a visit to a showroom where buyers for retail stores go to to place orders.    It's not open to the public, but as a consultant for JCPenney and an editor with Better Homes & Gardens, I got to walk thru and see what's new and coming out for Fall.  I took a few digital photos of items that I loved and wanted for my own house.

Above is a beautiful bowl made entirely out of driftwood.  It would go so well with the driftwood mirror I have at home.  I've been mulling about creating a driftwood collection at home...

Can you believe these wallets are made entirely out of duct tape?   I have this policy that I don't replace my wallet until I absolutely, positively need to.   I mean, the last stitch of string could be holding two pieces of fabric together until I replace it.   But when that day does come, I may have to switch to one of these cool striped duct tape wallets.

This seedling kit is darling.   It's made from recycled concrete bags molded into seedling pots.  The wicker basket is a great carrying case.   This makes me want to start an herb garden.

And these wood grained utensils?   I love the nature-inspired look of these pieces.  It's nice to see that every utensil doesn't have to be silver-plated and boring.

Barn Sale

About a week ago, I was sitting at a stop sign in my car and saw a handmade sign next to me reading "BARN SALE!  NEXT SATURDAY!"

I had no idea what a barn sale was, but I soon found out it exactly is what it sounds like: it's a barn full of used stuff for sale.    And it was bargain central, I discovered.

Above is a collection of wonderful country style chairs for around $5-$15 a piece.    Someone should've bought the whole mismatched (but similar) set and used it for a kitchen set!

I found a collection of vintage garden books for $1 a piece.  I snatched up a bunch, including field guides to trees and shrubs.  I love the green book on the left; the pattern is really pretty and could be a nice pattern for a bedding set.   Hmmm...

And bargain central!   $1 for a vintage crock...$75 cents for an old bronze box...and just $1 for a set of vintage strawberry wooden baskets.   I have a use for all of these in my house.

And here's the crock with the crown emblem on front.   It's all chipped and faded...but that's why I love it even more.   $1!!

And speaking of low prices, when it comes to ridiculously low prices at these barn sales, I don't bargain down.   The only time I really negotiate is when it's something priced above $10.    But how silly would it be to say "I'll give you eighty cents instead of one dollar?"  

More Auction Finds

Okay, auction mania continues.   Maybe my problem is that I'm a novice at the whole auction buying thing, so everything looks good.  Also, I'm not a collector, I'm a decorator.   So, I am buying what I'll actually be using and living with...instead of buying something to re-sell down the road.    Anyway...

I showed by friends this very worn rug and they just looked at me like I was crazy.   But I loved the patina, finish and look of it for the living room.

These cushions are not the greatest, but the chair is amazing.  This is Stickley, which is unusual because Stickley is usually wood furniture.   This wicker chair could really work in any home.

These two vintage metal wire outdoor chairs are perfect for the house.   I just have an awful feeling lots of people will be bidding away on these...

And this one, too.   But I will try to win and score a deal, too!

My First Auction

I've never been to an auction before, so it's kinda exciting to be a novice at a furniture/art auction that's coming up.    Before an auction starts, there's a preview week where you can go and see all the items up for bids and examine them for damage or just to see what they look like in person.    The other day, I stopped by the preview day at the Rago Arts auction in Lambertville, NJ.  I took photos of everything I loved...  I'll be back on Saturday to bid, bid, bid.    I figure if you fall in love with LOTS of items, then the disappointment of not winning won't be so bad.   I have no idea what items will go for.... and will definitely report back.  If you're at the auction, too, say hi!

Above is a leather woven chair from Knoll.   I sat on it and really examined it.  The wear is usual for the age and I think will look great in the house.

This vintage rocker chair is a bit "out" there, but I love the clean lines and Danish look of the piece.   The canvas material is in great shape and I love how the bolster pillow is just rolled up with rope.

Here's a vintage Knoll desk with wood top and chrome legs.   I think this will FINALLY be the dining room table for my house.    People always warn about scratches and dents...but I actually think it looks better that way.   Maybe my taste is bargain-centric...

Stacks and stacks of vintage art books.  I have bookshelves galore in my house I want to fill up with beautiful art, gardening and design books.   I refuse to buy new books, so I'm hunting for vintage books at yard sales, flea markets, used book sales and...now auctions!

I'm not bidding on a clock, but I loved how they presented all these clocks on the wall. 

This nearly mint condition Danish Dansk flatware set is amazing.  I know people have the germies about vintage flatware, but I find if you clean it very well and disinfect in soapy water, it's totally fine to use.   I mean, when you go to a restaurant, do you really think you're the first person to use that fork?  Think about it...

And this porcelain Austrian collection of dinnerware is amazing.  I love the bold use of the bird image all over the plates.  I..must...have....

More finds tomorrow.....

Tinicum Antiques Festival

I realize a lot of you may think I just shop all the time.   I don't.   I just happen to be blogging more about what I'm buying because I've moved into a new house.   And since this blog is all about what I'm discovering each day, it just happens to be a bit heavy on shopping.    So, to that.... I say, here's a blog post on my shopping at the Tinicum Township Antiques Festival last weekend!

Here's a gorgeous shot of the red barns on the community park.  It hosts lots of events throughout the year, including a great arts festival and this annual antiques fair.

One booth had vintage mounted antlers for sale.  One of them was inscribed with a royal crown, meaning it was hunted on palace grounds about 75 years ago.   I'm on the fence lately about buying vintage antlers and wall mounts... I think they're unique and very handsome... but I'm a vegetarian and not so keen on hunting.   Ugh!    Thoughts?

You find everything and ANYTHING at these festivals.  Like these vintage circus costumes!

A very cool piece of art?   Some vintage hat forms that could work on top of a long bookcase.   I'm all for eclectic taste, but this isn't quite what I was looking for...

I walked by the vintage horsehoe mirror about 5 times.   I was on the fence about it and just wasn't sure... but I snatched it up.  As I was writing the check, the dealer told me he used to live in my other house, the cottage on the river.   So fun to live in a small community and meet everyone.   Once he told me that, I was convinced I bought the right piece.

Totally randomness.  Love it.

Filling up my trunk:

1.  Metal photographers carrying case.

2.  Tree stump side table.

3.  Vintage ticking throw pillow

4.  "Dear John" vintage letter framed.

5.  Horsehoe Mirror

All going to be lovingly used.

Eco or Repackaged?

I'm all for big companies going green.  In fact, when Clorox announced the (almost) billion dollar purchase of Burt's Bees, I thought that was an amazing thing.   And when they launched GreenWorks cleaning products---which actually do have some eco-friendly merit to it---I was equally impressed.    As a partner with Method cleaning products, I've always felt the goal is to have everyone in the industry compete to be as green as possible.  Why not?  The planet wins at the end of the day.

But what does bother me is when companies repackage or send out "green" products that are a tad misleading.    The other day, I was shopping at my local Wegnman's grocery store and saw this bottle of Palmolive Eco dishwashing soap.   I took a long look at it: It's free of phosphates which helps our lakes and streams.   Sounds good.

Phosphates in soaps are used to help build in detergent into products, like laundry soap and diswashing liquid.   It basically is added to help the product's efficiency; the phosphates help clean better. 

But when the sudsy water goes down the drain, it enters our lakes and streams, where it has also been found to be a fertilizer for waterborne plants, like algae, which clogged waterways.   

So, isn't a great thing that Palmolive is selling a phosphate-free "eco" soap?

Not so fast.   If you look at any of the non-eco dishwashing soaps, you'll find that they are all phosphate-free, too.   Even regular Palmolive is phosphate-free.  Just look for the tiny, tiny print on the back of the bottles.

So, basically the eco version of Palmolive Eco+ is only different because they proclaim their phosphate-free formula in bigger letters, in different packaging.

What are your thoughts on this?   Is this greenwashing or just repackaging?   It definitely isn't a greener option.

Pearl River Mart, NYC

 

 

If you're ever in NYC, one place I recommend is Pearl River Mart down in Soho.   It's a two-story, no-frills shop full of mostly Chinese (and random Asian things here and there) items for everything you can imagine.  My favorite parts are the housewares sections on both levels.   It's always changing, always affordable and there are some very interesting things to always be found.

I picked up a few leaf inspired plates the other day.   I felt they would be perfect for the new house since I'm surrounded by nothing but trees and greenery.

I found this bamboo storage container in the clearance section in the basement.   It was $4.50, plus 40% off.  Not bad!    It's an actual bamboo pole, cut down, sanded and made into a rustic container.   No glues whatsoever!    But it is unfinished, so I thought it would be a nice idea to take some leftover stain and give it a honey color finish.

 

Here's the before and after.   I'll use these in the bathrooms to store basic essentials.  Again, just a few dollars!

And while I have you here: here's the new (er, old) antique desk I picked up in Lambertville, NJ.    It's going in one of the bedrooms and will have a slim computer on top so houseguests can check their email, etc.   This was a bit pricier than what I'm buying at flea markets, but it's an investment piece that I am sure I will love.

Shopping for the new house

I am a flea market junkie.   

It's eco because you're buying old things and reusing them in your house.

It's economical, because you can score some serious deals.

And it's just plain fun because it's really the thrill of the hunt: you either score or go home empty-handed.

At the Golden Nugget flea market in New Jersey, I stopped by one weekend morning and found this heavy mirror with a stripped wood frame around it.   The dealer explained I could probably restore it with stain and paint... but I loved the raw, stripped nature of the wood.  And the age on the mirror was real, not faux, which added to the charm.    And for just $10, it was mine.    Seriously... $10!    A reproduction in a store would easily cost ten times that cost!

Speaking of stores though....I stopped by the Crate and Barrel store for a peek and found this wicker stool to my liking.   Lately, I've been more and more attracted to this style of design.   I don't know what the style is called, but I've been calling it "Truth in Materials."   Wood in its raw form... metal unvarnished...wicker as wicker. 

The stool looks delicate, but it's all wire reinforced.  So, you can easily put your feet up and use it as a foot rest.    The price wasn't bad--$189---but after paying just $10 for a gorgeous mirror, I passed. 

I bet I'll find a better one at the flea market next Sunday....

My Mattress Launch!

Today's the day that my new mattress line, The Simmons Natural Care by Danny Seo, hits JCPenney stores nationwide.   I've gotten about 100+ emails from people asking where, when, how they can buy the mattress, so I'm finally happy to say you can go to any JCPenney store in the country that has a mattress dept (search on jcp.com for stores with "furniture departments" nearest you) to test it out.      

This mattress was set-up on the sales floor of the JCPenney store in King of Prussia, PA a few days early, so I stopped by the store to check it out.  It was kinda exciting to see all of the hard work we all put into this mattress launch and to see it finally on the sales floor.  I can only imagine what the sales people were thinking as I was snapping away with my digital camera!

Here are some cool mattress samples you can feel at the store.   This is the natural latex foam that's inside the mattress.   The cool thing about natural latex is that it comes from the rubber tree---a renewable resource---and it's anti-microbial in nature.   In other words, it's dust mite, mold and mildew resistant for a healthier sleep.   The little holes in the latex help for air circulation for a cooler, more comfortable sleep.

Some eco features:

1. Fabric cover is a pattern inspired by the rubber tree, which we tap for the natural latex material.   The fabric itself on top is Tencel, a biodegradable fabric made from tree cellulose.
2. The wood base frame is collected from accredited and sustainably managed forests.
3. All of the steel used in the frame is made from at least 80% recycled metal.
4. Beneath the natural latex top is a soy base foam, made from soy beans (another renewable resource), which adds cushioning and additional comfort to the mattress.

 

I worked with the Simmons team on designing the educational foot streamers.   Here, you can learn all about the scientific and consumer benefits of our mattress line: a limited 20-year warranty and no-flip technology meaning you never, ever have to flip this mattress.

And a fun bolster pillow at the top of the bed.    I always wondered why the pillows on mattresses in stores always looked so floppy and unattractive.    I thought this would be an aesthetically-pleasing version instead; the leaf pattern on the left and right is inspired by the rubber tree... our source for the natural latex!

I filmed a video explaining the eco and consumer benefits of our mattress line.  It'll be posted soon and I'll share it with you.

Anyway, I'm really excited for the launch of this healthy, eco mattress line.   I really think it's one of the best green mattresses out there---natural materials and Simmons support and technology---for a marriage of style and sustainability. 

Let me know if any of you happen to stop by your local JCPenney store to test drive it out.  Would love to hear what you think!

PS-It'll be on JCP.COM in about a week!     And the retail price is around $1599 for a queen size set in your choice of firm, plush or pillow top!

UPDATE:   The website for the mattress is now live at www.naturalcarebed.com.    Check out the video I created all about the eco benefits of the Simmons Natural Care by Danny Seo mattress.

Also, some answers to a few questions:

1.  The mattress is not treated with the fire retardant PBDE.   In fact, all Simmons mattresses are free of the harmful chemical substance.  We use a non-toxic salt-based solution to treat our mattresses.

2.  The natural latex will not affect those with latex allergies.  Our Talalay latex goes through a thorough, triple-washing to remove all the natural proteins.   Also, when someone lays down on the mattress, they will never be in direct contact with the natural latex, too! 

 

Eco Brooms

Now that Spring is here, it's time to bring the cleaning indoors and outdoors.    The other day, I grabbed my trusty all-natural corn broom and the whole thing just fell apart.   I thought I could screw the broom back into the handle, but to no avail.    So, there I was holding the broom part in my hands, hunched over, trying to clean the porch without a handle.   Not good.

So, onto the store I went to buy a new broom.  For years, I've always bought all-natural bristle ones; they seem to work really well and I like the fact they're made from all-natural, renewable materials.   

But to my surprise, something caught my eye at the store: a broom made from "80% recycled plastic materials."

Do you ever see something in the store that has a claim like that and then there's nothing else on the package explaining what exactly that means?    Is it pre-consumer plastic?  Post-consumer?   What kind of plastic?   How is it green?   I was going mad.

So at home, I googled and researched a bit and found out that the 80% recycled plastic bristles are actually made from old plastic water bottles.   Not bad.

It's from Libman and you can probably find it in most hardware and discount stores.      So, I picked one up and decided to give it a try.

My only complaint is that I do miss the good-looking, honest design of a corn bristle broom.   It's the kind of broom you can just leave leaning on a wall on the porch, and it still looks good.   This plastic broom, I'm not so sure I can do that.     But I do feel better knowing it's made from recycled materials.   

Find of the Day: Bamboo Knife Set

Okay, I'm obsessed with these: Ikea's bamboo handle knife set.   

The three-piece set is just $19.99 and available only at Ikea stores (not online).  The "DISTINKT" product comes with a 9" utility knife, 13" cooks knife and 12" vegetable knife.

These are the only knives that I think I need for my house.   Whenever I get one of those knife sets in the store (you know, those 20-piece sets that come in a large wooden holder), I always end up just using two or three knives.   Years later, there are always 17 pieces that look brand new because, well, they were never, ever used.

So, I have these eco-friendly knives in my house now and plan on putting a magnetic strip up near the stove so they can just stick to the wall.     Can't wait to try them out!    

Stella's Store is Stellar

I was recently in Los Angeles for a couple of work projects.  One of them was a visit to the Stella McCartney store in Beverly Hills to scout the location for an upcoming charity event I'm helping to put together.  The event is going to benefit Baby2Baby, a non-profit organization that collects lightly used baby items and gives them to mothers in need in the greater Los Angeles area.   

When I was at the store, we decided the backyard garden space would make the most ideal spot for the fundraiser.  Stella has always been a sweet rose in my book, so it makes no surprise that the store itself is nothing but a gorgeous English rose garden.    Here are some pics:

This topiary blows my mind... it's a horse!   A little green whimsy for the garden...

At the side of the backyard is this rose vine covered greenhouse.   The dewy, fragrant smell of roses permeated the air around the store.

Here's the entrance to the greenhouse.   The crushed stone and potted plants add to the horticultural feel.  I think this greenhouse would make a lovely potting shed for the party.  I'm thinking guests could come in and fill an aged terra cotta pot with organic soil, pop in some flowering bulbs, and take it home as a gift.  I think an antique chandelier needs to hang inside....don't you?

 

And here's the entrance leading to Beverly Blvd. in front...the only reminder you're still in car-heavy Los Angeles.   I think we need to line the walkway with clean-burning Method candles.

Can't wait for the event in a few months!   I hope we raise lots of money for Baby2Baby, too!

 

Feed Bag

On Sunday, I co-hosted a small party at the Caravan Store in New York City in celebration of Earth Day.   Co-hosting the event was model and presidential niece Lauren Bush who has a wonderful program supporting the United Nations World Food Program's School Feeding operation.

When you buy a FEED bag, it feeds one child for one school year.  To date, the program has fed over 37,500 children in need around the world.

I've known Lauren since I put her in the pages of Organic Style magazine years ago and I'm impressed she's used her name for such a wonderful and solid cause.  I encourage all of you to pick-up a FEED bag to help the cause (and get a cool, strong, durable bag in the process, too!).   

JCPenney Press Preview

We just had a wonderful advance sneak peek at all the lovely JCPenney "Simply Green" designated eco-friendly products in New York City.  It was held in the fancy Gramercy Park Hotel penthouse where a gaggle of paparazzi were standing outside in the freezing cold.  No, they weren't there to see our fabulous recycled glass vases and bamboo throws, but because right below our event were a gaggle of celebrities staying there.    But since this blog isn't People.com, I'll stay focused on the green goodies....

Above is a lovely floral arrangement done by the stylist Bryan Robert Hamecs, who runs a creative studio called Felt Etc.   I love the bright red color contrasting with the blue walls under the glass cloches.

The penthouse suite has these giant leather wingback chairs scattered all over the place.   The creative stylist Lynn Butler (who also runs an online store called The Product Gallery) threw a JCPenney bamboo fiber throw blanket over top.   The cream color looks so cozy and wonderful. And at just $19.99 a blanket, you can easily stock up.   

 

And one last sneak peek: the seagrass baskets.    I use the large one behind the mossy balls) as a hamper in my own house.   These large mossy balls were also created by Bryan Hamecs and I think helps show the versatility of the seagrass baskets.

More product sneak peeks to come....  but isn't it all lovely?

News: My new Green Living Partner

Well, I guess the news has gotten out there.    For the past few months, I've been quietly working with JCPenney as their Green Living Partner.     I've been spending time in Texas working with lots of wonderful people in lots of different departments on their big effort to Go Green.   There were lots of retailers who I've been meeting with over the past year to develop products and campaigns, but I feel confident not only did I make the right choice with JCPenney, but the perfect one.   

A few weeks ago, we quietly shared a lookbook with editors of future eco-friendly products that will be available at JCPenney starting in April 2008.   I produced and styled the lookbook right at my cottage in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.   There has been tremendous support and interest from the press for these products, which I am really happy to hear and share with you.

So, here's a look at some of the lovely and gorgeous items that will be available in-store at JCPenney and on jcp.com this Spring.   There are lots of exciting things happening with the green program.   Stay tuned to learn more.   It'll be a really exciting and wonderful effort!

Gorgeous reusable tote bags made out of recycled materials.  So Fresh and So Green!

Colorful and soft and cozy organic cotton towels.  I clipped on "Guest" on manila tags so my houseguests know it's for their use.

Beautiful organic cotton bedding and bamboo blankets and throws.   My upstairs bedroom looks so cozy and warm.

This large bamboo bowl is filled with fresh organic apples and pears.   I used manila tags to cut out "leaves" spelling Yum!  Hello! and Enjoy!

A fun DIY idea: reuse our bamboo blend packaging as a dop kit for your home.  Fill it with extra soaps, shampoo and lotions so you have plenty for your guests.   

Green Friday?

Okay, I dread Black Friday.    I dislike the crowds.   The traffic drives me crazy.   And the constant news coverage about crowds gathering at 2AM to buy something is over the top.     And I'm not even shopping.  I'm just trying to get home.

We consume endless amounts of fuel to drive to shopping malls and then circle around forever looking for a parking spot.    Then we buy endless amounts of gifts, packed into large plastic shopping bags, and trudge them back to the cars.  Then we drive them home, wrap them up in piles of paper, shred it all open on a few weeks later, and then---and this is what gets me going---everybody returns everything back to the stores for exchanges and refunds.

UGH.

I'm no Scrooge, so I still like to buy gifts for my friends and family for the holidays.  But I feel strongly we need to make our holidays as green as ever because it literally is one of the most wasteful times of the year.      So, here are some green tips that are kinder to the planet and will help you avoid the crowds for good.

1.  QUALITY GIFTS, not QUANTITY.    As a child, it used to be a competition to get the most presents.  It wasn't WHAT you got, but how MUCH you received.     This habit needs to be broken.    Buy someone a quality, well-made present that they need or really want and will use.     Maybe it's a set of those healthy non-stick Green Pans.   Or it's a case of wonderful organic wine.      Honestly, I would rather get one exquisite bamboo blanket then 10 acrylic ones.   You know?

2.  GIVE GIFT CARDS.    Look, there's some crazy percentage of gifts people receive that never get returned to the store.   So they sit in a closet for months and eventually either A: get tossed away or B: are donated to Goodwill.   We've all done it.    So instead of assuming your friend might like a Lord of the Rings crystal chess set, why not give them a gift card instead?   That way, they can buy exactly what they need... and there's no waste at all.   When in doubt, buy a gift card and wrap it up in an empty Altoid mint tin.

3.  SHOP ONLINE.  It pays to think ahead.   Everyone has e-commerce websites.    Click and choose your gifts online and then opt for GROUND shipping.   That way no gas-guzzling planes are being used to overnight your gifts.    Better yet: choose the United States Postal Service if you can.   If the mailman is coming to your house anyway, why not have them bring your gifts to you, too?

Finally, a little tip: when everyone's shopping at the mall, usually busy places are pretty empty.    Case in point: I'll be at the museum.  It's like walking around a private museum, just for you.   

Eco-Anthropologie

I have to give props to Anthropologie this holiday season for putting together some extraordinary windows in their stores.   As you know, I am constantly inspired by all the visual merchandising they do in their stores recycling everyday materials into something extraordinary.  I've seen plastic milk jugs made into lights...to large glass vases filled with nothing by walnut shells (and it somehow works)....

This post is dedicated to their very resourceful take on the holidays using everyday materials in very unexpected ways.   Check out this snowman, for example:    It's nothing but old white sweaters wrapped around into large balls to make a cozy and fuzzy snowman.   Sew on some old buttons, add a scarf and you've got something charming for your home.   Maybe you don't have to make one SO large, but imagine a tiny version just for your desk at home or the office.    And in that case, all you need is one beat-up sweater to make it happen.

And the snowflakes in the window!  Upon closer inspection, they are just pages from books and scrap paper cut into snowflakes:

You could just whip up a bunch using the Sunday comics and just scatter them all over a holiday tree.  All you need are scissors and some time!

Okay, this cardboard house is a BIT tough to recreate.   But I was thinking you could take a cardboard box---maybe a wine box---and cut out a door, windows, etc using a box cutter.  Paint it using leftover white latex paint (we all seem to have a half gallon can somewhere) and then add a roof to the top.   Here, they took spools of white yarn as "smoke."

You can find great ideas everywhere...

Just Cool Things

Just browsing online right now and finding some cool, green things I think are clever, well-designed and just outright interesting.     Here's a few:

Cuff bracelets made entirely out of recycled vinyl records, emblazoned with very rock n' roll skull & cross bones and somewhat rock n' roll seagulls.    

Charming and "clean" country recycled wine bottle glasses from the Sundance Catalog.    Old glass bottles are melted down and blown into new tumblers.   Love the colors, the mix of colors and the organic shape of the glasses.   Not too earthy... not too modern...just right.

The Souk Chic rug from Interface Flor is actually a rug, not a bunch of their modular tiles mixed together.   I like this idea...very bohemian, but clean.  Keep the floor patterns busy, the rest of the room simple and neutral.     I think instead of the rug (which is backordered), I would just buy one of a bunch of different tiles in different patterns and lay them out on the floor.   

So, what are you obsessing over right now?  Leave a comment and link to your fave green design item!

Gant Goes Green

Last week, I had the honor of being part of a lecture series at the brand new GANT store on Fifth Avenue.   Gant was celebrating the re-opening of their flagship store and---instead of having a lavish grand opening party---decided to host a series of events with a variety of environmentalists hosting them.    The speaker lineup was global warming advocate Laurie David, Riverkeeper founder Robert F. Kennedy, ocean conservationist Jean-Michel Cousteau and me... your eco-style champion.

Well, first and foremost, let me get something off my chest:   Why on Earth was in this group of people?  There all so regarded for the incredible and important work that they do, and here I am giving decorating and entertaining advice and tips on how to recycle a plastic bag into table centerpiece arrangement.     So, I turned them down.   And after they came back and asked me again AND said they would give a $5,000 donation to the charity of my choice, I said yes.

So, I picked the Humane Society of the US, which is the largest mainstream voice for animals.    My feeling is this:  I'm all for protecting the planet and the environment we live in, but we should also think about all the animals in this world, too.   So the $5000 will go the HSUS' Protect Seals campaign, which works to end the horrific slaughter of baby seals in Canada.     So, yeah to supporting that!

That evening, I gave my Top 5 Tips to Go Green with Fashion at the event.    To my surprise, the biggest tip that the audience loved (I think I heard gasps) was my little newspaper ditty.  You know: stuff your shoes with newspaper.   I've talked about it a bizillion times in the press and on this blog.   You see, newspaper is designed to absorb ink, so it absorbs other things, like moisture and toxins.   So lining your shoes with newspaper and placing them on top helps detox them.    They don't smell anymore.   And newspaper is free.

I think I just heard a few gasps...

(PS-Gant is a fur-free company!)

Bird Houses in a Row...

Okay, if you read this blog a lot, you know I am constantly grabbing the digital camera and shooting ideas and "things" that I find interesting.    I literally have hundreds of photos on files of things I've shot that I've totally forgotten why I even shot it.   It could be a candlestick that I thought the finish was interesting, but when I look at the same photo 6 months later, I have no idea why I thought it was interesting.

But this photo speaks for itself: cardboard birdhouses in the windows of Anthropologie near Rockefeller Center.    Will a bird ever call any of these homes, well, home?    Probably not.   

But it's a great example of taking a cardboard shipping box you have around the house, cutting it up into squares and rectangles, painting it green (or whatever leftover paint you have) and then there you have it: bird house.

Funny how they lined them up on a branch as if they were birds....

Tree Free Paper

I'm on location this week working on a Country Home magazine photo shoot, so these posts are coming late.   In other words, I'm going through my archives and seeing what neat-o things I've missed I can share as I drink my well-deserved glass of wine after a very very long day.

Okay, how about this?    TerraSkin "paper."     It's a tree-free paper that's made entirely out of reclaimed mineral powder and resin; no water is used to make the paper and it feels like a smooth, luxurious paper perfect for booklets, labels and shopping bags.    The best part?  It breaks down back into natural mineral powder if you ever throw it out.    

A bit from the company on TerraSkin:

Terraskin® fits the bill as an environmentally friendly production material.  Comprised of 75 percent recycled mineral powder and 25 percent resin, unlike standard paper production, no water is required in the production of this paper.  The paper can be safely incinerated and recycled using exactly the same methods as matt laminated packaging. Meanwhile, waste paper breaks down under natural light over a period of approximately 9months, returning to its original powder state.

The Museum of Modern Art in New York City was one of the first end users to put Terraskin® into use.  Since 2006, MoMA has used Terraskin® for gift boxing and packaging in its stores.

Bring Your Own Bag Test: Michael's

I've blogged before about bringing my own reusable bag to unconventional stores.      If you're like me, you bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store and if you live in a community like mine, the supermarkets are more than happy to let you use your own bags.

But what if you bring your bags to non-grocery stores?     In the past, I've written about bringing my own bags to Target, only to be met with confusion by some checkout clerks (they wondered where the price tag was) to totally being agreeable to putting my purchases into one bag.

So, I thought I'd continue the test.   This time, Michael's Arts and Crafts store.

I had to go to Michael's to buy some heavy and delicate crafting supplies: colorful bags of sand, jars of paint, brushes, some colorful beads, ribbon and wire.     I needed these things to make projects for my column in Country Home magazine and for some projects for Method Home.  When my basket was loaded up, it weighed approximately 20 pounds.      

Now, in a normal situation, Michael's would probably bag everything in about 5 or 6 bags.  The heavy bags of sand would get double-bagged---separately---and the more fragile items would also get bagged separately and whatever was left would get it's own bags.    So, I would walk out with lots of plastic bags from the store checkout counter to my car, which is only about 30 feet away.

The first mistake I made was that I put my reusable bag on the bottom of the basket, loaded up my purchases on top, and then proceeded to empty the basket onto the counter.   "No wait...I brought my own bag...don't start ringing up until I can actually get to my bag!"    

So, this teenage kid just stood there, watching me furiously unload the craft items (as if I am being timed or something) until I got to the tote.        Since the counter was now full of items to be paid for, I had no place to put the bag.   So, I stood there...holding it...so once each item was scanned, he could just toss it into the bag.

While this may not have gone as smoothly as planned, it did result into something surprising: everything fit into one tote bag.  Heavy items on the bottom, fragile items on top.       It was easier to carry just one tote bag than 6 little bags.

And the best part?    The response from the teenage checkout clerk: "I can't believe how much you can fit in just one bag." 

Green Shopping: Anthropologie

I'm in NYC all the time for meetings, so I've become a creature of habit lately.  I have my lunch meetings in the same restaurants in the same section of NYC.    So when I find myself with a few minutes to spare in the afternoon, I'll pop into the same shops and see what's going on.

One afternoon, I popped into Anthropologie and spied these glasses in the clearance section.  I was first attracted to the size of them, small-ish, but really the perfect size for a glass of sangria or white wine in the summer.

Then I looked closer: they were recycled glass!   It was the bottom 1/4 of a glass bottle cut off, polished and smoothed to be made into a drinking glass.   Here's a better shot:

And here's the best part: they were half off for just $7.95 a glass.   Still a little pricey, but not awful pricey.  So I picked up four and they will become part of the summer-time entertaining stock.

Bring Your Bag Test

Okay, so we all know by now how important it is to bring our own reusable shopping bags to the store in lieu of using all those flimsy plastic bags that are clogging up our landfills.   And we all know that the most obvious place to do this is at the supermarket, where you can fill reusable tote after tote with all your organic groceries to lug all the way home.     AND, most of the time, the supermarket check-out clerk is more than happy to use your own bags.

But have you ever wondered what would happen it you tried to use your own bags at a totally different type of store?    What if you brought your own tote bag to, say, a department store when buying shoes, a pair of jeans and some socks?    

So, once in a while, I'm going to blog about what happens when I bring my trusty LL Bean camo tote and boat bag to non-supermarket stores.    First up:  Target.

I headed to Target to buy a bunch of Method cleaning products for a housewarming gift I was putting together.    Here's my shopping list:

1. (2) Method microfiber towels
2. (2) Method O-Mops
3. (2) Method Free and Clear wipes
4. (2) Method wood wipes
5. (2) Method soy grapefruit candles
6. A variety of things I personally needed: handsoap, toothpaste (Tom's of Maine) and a magazine.

Checkout person: high school kid.

Reaction to my saying "oh, I brought my own bag":  "I can't find the price for this"

Reaction to my explaining it was a bag I already owned and wanted to use instead: "Oh cool."

Plastic bags saved: about 7

And everything in my cart fit in the one tote bag.

UPDATE:  I don't know why comments aren't allowed on this entry....must be a Typepad thing.