Eco Tuesday

I figured it was time to revive my "Eco Tuesday" feature idea. I love hunting down some earth friendly items and would love to share them here once a week. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
I loved this Batik Lap Quilt from camillewanders Probably because I love both batik fabrics and quilts so much. The artist describes it as....

Pieces of batiked hemp, organic cotton, and bamboo made into a perfect little napping quilt. Or reading quilt. Snuggle on the couch quilt. Sit on the front porch swing quilt. What, I'm not sleeping I'm resting my eyes quilt.


I'm particularly intrigued by recycled blow glass. We have a lot of glass blowers in my area and I love to watch them work. It's something I've always thought I'd like to try myself....one day, after I take up heli-skiing!

Blown Recycled Bottle Glass Bowl from wolfartglass

This incredibly unique "green seaglass" colored bowl was blown from 100% recycled Topo Chico glass bottles. The artist melts down small batches of broken bottles in order to gather onto a blowpipe for off-hand glassblowing. Recycled bottle glass has unique characteristics when blown, and Topo Chico bottles make an wonderfully bubbly yet clear green glass.

Enjoy!

Ever Want to Go Curl Up in Someone Else's Blog?

Well, I do.....daily! I try to read a few blogs each day and there are always a few posts that I wish I could just step into, have a look around, enjoy a good cup of coffee or glass of wine....ahhhh! I love all the blogs I follow (see the left column), but I wanted to share a couple of recent posts that made me feel great. I won't copy pictures here from the blogs, so go visit them & have a gander.

My first stop is wonderbug: adventures in the blogosphere. I'm especially drawn to the sofa in the vintage kitchen gems and natural pantry staples, ahoy! post. I can see myself here with a good book. Cozy, yet watching the world go by.

Next I'd visit iHanna's blog. With a title like Create & Live Happy: art, craft & inspiration in everyday life, how could you not want to hang out with her? I especially love the Filling a paper with colours is calming post. It makes me happy. I want to go hang out with her, create, get my hands nice & dirty. I wonder if she'd make me her Pad Thai??

After that I'm going to take a nice hot bath, put on a lovely sundress, and gather my best girlfriends to visit Pepper Design Blog. Spicing it Up for the Home and Hostess...indeed! Just look at the fabulous table setting in Part 2: A {Vintage Nesting} Baby Shower. I hope I'm not too full from my Pad Thai! Guess I'll just have some desserts and latte!

Thanks you all for giving me some brightness on this rather cold & rainy day!

101 Things To Do This Summer

I'm starting to plan our summer vacation and had to share this list I stumbled across. So many great ideas! Enjoy! 101 Things To Do This Summer

Inspiration Board: A Boy's Ski Themed Bedroom

It's time to revamp my boys bedroom. They are now almost eight & five and both love skiing, especially in the terrain park. So I figured this spring would be a good time to start tackling this project. Here are my inspiration boards (to start)....

Bottom Row: (L-R): Armada skis, Photo of Tom Wallisch from Newschoolers.com

Photos: Sheets, Chair & Shelf from Target, Fillsta Table Lamp from Ikea,
Ski Areas Typographic graphic art mixed media collage by nativevermont, Aspen Trail Map.

Window to My Tuesday Brain

I'm sure you are all waiting with baited breath to hear what I'm thinking. What is baited breath anyway and does it involve eating bait? If so, do we really want any part of it? Well, here it is, my Tuesday stream of thoughts.

Losing weight sucks.....The PROCESS of losing weight sucks....the actual weight loss part rocks. I want to eat a bag of cookies for breakfast because I am a grown-up and I can do stuff like that. I've lost 10lbs since the end of January and have a girls weekend in early April.....so no cookie breakfast. BOO!

I'm procrastinating

Sad it's Spring / Happy it's Spring - What the heck kind of March is this? There was no coming in like a lion! Oh sun & green sprouts you are powerful. You might just make me forget that I'm sad about ski season ending. But if you ruin my ski trip next weekend we will have to to talk.

Ugh...I'm turning another year older!

I'm procrastinating

I watched my son in his way baggy hoodie today (because hey, that's how they wear them, Mom) and was reminded he'll be EIGHT in three weeks. How did he get to be eight? Yet he still lets me snuggle him from time to time and as I rub his back I'm reminded how little he is.....still.

Where are those cookies?

The sun is shining, I have a to-do list, I "should" go exercise. Hmmmm....what what Pandora station to choose today?

Have I mentioned I'm procrastinating?

I Can Hear the Birds Singing!

The other day I had all the windows in my house open. After I my cleaning & rocking out to '80s music binge I settled down on the sofa for a few minutes rest. It was at that time I realized the birds were going crazy singing. It has been so long since I've heard that I almost forgot what it sounds like!

Then today I was perusing my Etsy favorites and realized (among other things) I have quite an obsession with birds. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites below! To view larger, click on the image. Links to the individual items are below.

Featuring:

Top (L-R) - Between Bird Print by hadleyhutton, Feather Earrings by wildspirits, Bird 1 by bcode
1st Middle - Orange Chickadee and Cherry Blossoms by karingrow
2nd Middle - sweet little mod bird lariat by Lana0Crystal, Custom Wooden Star House Tree by Urastarhouse
Bottom Row (L-R) - Songbird 3 by Animal House Art, Bird's-Eye View Pillow by NestleAndSoar , Lemon by jenskelley

Great Etsy Finds in Green

I love tooling around on Etsy with a theme in mind. Here are a few of my favorites of the color of the season. Enjoy!

Featuring:

Top Row (L-R) - Pologne Bird print by matteart, Fiestaware China Necklace by TheBrokenPlate, Lucky Shamrock Round by TheDaintyGardenia
Middle - Borneo Tree Embroidery Pillow Cover by Kainkain
Bottom Row (L-R) - Drilled Sea Glass from Puerto Rico by akkricket, C r o w d e d P a r a d i s e by mingtaphotography, Lime wedge necklace by lulubugjewelry

Think Spring!

As an avid skier, I'm never one to rush the end of winter. In fact, I've been a bit disappointed we haven't received our usual dumps of March snow (I'm still convinced it is coming). But after about five days of wonderful sunshine and the green (well, brown) patches beating out the white on my lawn it is very hard to not feel the pangs of Spring!

So for today I'll relish in it and I've gone searching for a few items that make me feel all happy inside thinking of playing outside in the garden, opening my windows and letting the fresh air inside, the smell of soil......AHHHHH!

Check out this adorable garden hose. My husband would be totally embarrased by it, but I imagine me in a little garden just my own! From Country Living Magazine...



Or how about these darling buds in glass bottles? From Southern Living Magazine....



How about this great wall decal from Contemporary Dreams on Etsy.



I'm really loving these lavender sachets from The Lavender Road on Etsy. Wouldn't they be a nice addition to YOUR Easter basket?



Oh....and I am totally digging these! I'd love a set for Mother's Day for myself! From SchwidleShop on Etsy.



And wouldn't I look lovely relaxing in my garden with this cute jacket? It comes in yellow too! From Lisa Samartino Atelier on Etsy.



Alright, I better get started on some Spring cleaning! Have a good day all!

Shhhh....Silent Auction? Please Yell Your Ideas!!!

My son's annual school fundraiser has come around again and I am coordinating all the class projects. Each class produces an item to be auctioned off at the Silent Auction. I have a running list of ideas (which I will happily compile & share here at a later date), but I'd adore some more ideas! The projects should be things that kids from Kindergarten through 5th grade could produce with the assistance of a parent volunteer or two. A few ideas I've seen before are...

Decoupage fun class photo as well as group and individual candids onto a small chest or memory box. Can paint the item with sayings from each student, or use favorite cartoon characters, animals, fairies, etc.

Hand-painted serving items like decanters, glasses, serving tray, tableclothes and matching napkins.

Painted outdoor canvas or Adirondack chairs, dog house, or garden bench.

Hand-painted/decoupaged furniture – buy unfinished chests, bookcases, small tables, child’s rocking chair. Class paints item in a theme (i.e., fish, sports) and signs in some way (i.e., each fish has the child’s name or decoupage a photo of the child on the fish).

Decorate and fill an LLBean canvas bag. Decorate with hand or footprints of children, have each child sign their name (in pencil, you go over in black fabric paint), then fill the bag with summer (or winter) fun stuff, videos, backpack, etc.

Please share with me your ideas or any great links you may have! Thanks!

I think I have a blog addiction!

I've been away from my blog for quite a while. To try to get back here I decided to start perusing through the blogs I follow for some ispiration. Guess what??? I follow 300 blogs!!! What was I thinking? How could I possibly read 300 blogs? So of course I had to start culling that list to my favorite favorites! So far I've gotten it down to 144 and I'm not finished yet. If I can get the list to somewhere around 120 I figure I might actually get to visit each blog once a month, right?

When I get better prepared I'll share with all of you some of my favorites. But in the meantime, tell me yours! I love checking out new blogs (obviously). What inspires you?

Hope you are all having a good day & week!

so happy new year!

a little late!

I promise I'll revive my blog!

So, What Are You Thankful for?

I saw this posted on a friend's Facebook status the other day and decided given the time of the year it would be a great blog series. Join me if you like, reply with a comment and your blog link!

Can you do this? Every day until Thanksgiving, post one thing you are thankful for. "Today I am thankful for..." The longer you do it, the harder it gets! Now if you think you can do it then repost this message as your status to invite others to take the challenge, then post what Y...OU are thankful for today.

Today I am thankful for the country I live in (U.S.A.). It's Veteran's Day so I am thankful for those who have served and currently serve our country. I may not always agree with the military minds of our nation, but I am proud that I live in a place where I am free to disagree. A freedom our military helps protect.

Some other things that I am so thankful for in the U.S.:

- Our national parks. Seriously, how lucky are we? Thank you Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir, Stephen Mather and countless others who had the vision to push to set-aside and protect lands and our scenic treasures. And thank you Ansel Adams for taking so many amazing photographs for generations to appreciate.

- Diversity. One of my favorite things about traveling in the U.S. is the amazing diversity among our people. I don't just mean in geography, but sitting and listening to the people around me. I love to see how many languages I can identify, how many accents, foods I can sample. It's amazing how we not only have distinct ethnic differences, but those have evolved and blended to wonderful, distinct regional flavors.

- Our Cities. I'm a country girl really. I mean, I grew up in a rural area and have chosen to raise my kids in a rural area. But I had the good fortune to have parents who liked to travel (and not expensively (lots of car trips & camping). But I've visited 18 of the 30 largest U.S. cities and each has a personality all its own. Makes me even more excited to go to New York and Washington, DC this week!

So, what are you thankful for?

Two & a Half Months!

I SUCK!

I haven't blogged in two and a half months! What is wrong with me? I'd like to blame it on end of summer vacations and back to school but I think that really only accounts for two weeks. SIGH.....

Tomorrow I will be back with a new blog post, I promise!

I have not fallen off the face of the earth!

I'm on an extended car trip with my kids. If you want to read my travel blog here's the link. http://www.mom-awty.blogspot.com/

But since it is Wednesday and I do have wi-fi I'm going to participate in YouKnowThatBlog's Silly Haiku Wednesday. This week theme is Friends.

A good friend listens

to the story they've heard ten times

then gives shit for repeating

Silly Haiku Wednesday!

What? A week went by already? Here I am gearing up for a trip and lose all track of time.

Well, it's Silly Haiku Wednesday again! If you have no clue what I am talking about then visit YouKnowThatBlog. Here's today's entry, the them is Cupcakes:

Cupcakes, phew I say,

chocolate chip cookies kick

your ass sideways, dude!

A Day Late (but NOT a Dollar Short)!

I've still been neglecting my blog a bit, as well as following the Silly Haiku Wednesday from YouKnowThatBlog. But here is my entry for...um...yesterday. The theme is birthday woes/joys.

40 here you are

Ya know, I don't look half bad

you don't suck too much

A Day For Some Painting

Ahhhh..... I've finally been able to sit down and do a little painting today. I have the house to myself, been listening to music on Pandora and podcasts of "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me", and just loving the day.

Here's the newest item I just listed in my shop.

If you have a moment, please visit

my Twitter, You Say Treasury

Hope you all are having a wonderful Sunday!

Amazing Trust

“We're never so vulnerable than when we trust
someone - but paradoxically, if we cannot trust,
neither can we find love or joy”

- Walter Anderson

My husband tossing our seven year old son in the air, just as he's done since he was about six months old. My new favorite photo. The trust your child puts in you is something you should never take lightly or squander.

Eco-Tuesday: Worked Up Into a Lather

I have to admit about a week ago I decided I'd start a weekly feature on environmental topics, products, recycled/upcycled items, whatever struck my fancy at that moment. The idea was really ways to broaden my own mind, as well as tips I could use in my own home to become "greener". I mean, I already practice all the basics -- recycle, avoid unnecessary driving, conserve water, shop with reusable bags, compost (vermicompost, actually), avoid products with extra packaging...you know the drill.

While I was in the shower one day I started thinking about bar shampoo and how I should try it. After all, it avoids packaging from the get-go (one less plastic bottle to recycle), and can easily be purchased in an all-natural ingredient version. Then I began wondering what else I could change to reduce waste and the idea for this feature was born.

I started seeking out items, reading articles, and here's the resounding reality. I have fallen down the rabbit hole! I've been so deluged with information and options and ideas that I don't know where to begin. So....I'll begin at the beginning.....

With bar shampoo! I, of course, started with my favorite place, Etsy. If you search for bar shampoo you find lots of great options. Today I'm featuring one from Besem Natural Scents. This is their "Ultimate Travel Bar" that they describe as...

Made with neem oil, tamanu oil, jojoba oil, kaolin clay, and all sorts of other goodies that make it the perfect shampoo and body bar. Neem oil is know in India as "nature's pharmacy". It is soothing and healing to almost any skin condition, including: psoriasis, eczema, ring worm, and poison ivy. Tamanu oil has very similar antimicrobial and antiseptic properties, while still being extremely soothing and gentle. We have also added a good portion of white kaolin clay, so this makes an excellent shaving soap, as well. If you are feeling adventurous (or trying to only bring a carry on), this works well as a tooth soap, too. It is 100% natural with no added fragrance oils or dyes. These bars are also loaded with cocoa butter, which makes rich, moisturizing bubbles. We do not need to add any artificial foaming agents (ie. SLS). The natural glycerin is retained in each bar, and the combination of rich oils and moisturizing, protective butters, provides loads of fluffy lather.

10% of our profits are given to orphan relief. See our website for more information http://www.besemnaturalscents.com.

Pretty cool huh? They have lots of lovely scents, including a rosemary & mint one I'm especially interested in. So, please check out their shop by clicking on the links above!

Have a product, idea, article you might like to see featured in Eco-Tuesday? Please visit this post and add your item to Mr. Linky!

Extreme Blog Neglect!!!

I admit it, I've been sucked into the world of Twitter. I said I wasn't going to do it, but I caved, and now I'm hooked. But in my defense I've been doing some marketing work for my husband's business, Green Mountain Soil, as well as some major cleaning/organizing at home. Sorry to have just disappeared!

I'm working on my "Eco Tuesday" blog post now! See you all soon!