A Few of My Favorite Things

In syko's Etsy paradise, this print is available on notecards, on a sketchbook, and ready to be framed. I simply cannot decide which to buy!. It's a fun melding of two things I can't get enough of: bicycles and fabric.
1byLiz is an Etsy shop selling handmade items created from re-claimed and re-cycled parts and pieces. This clock appeals to two of my passions: environmental respect and bicycles...and it would perch perfectly in my computer room, where the decor is cycling this and cycling that.
Yes, this shelf is awesome with its Walnut/Maple combo and rustic/finished dichotomy. I even love the photo itself. The glass catching the light, the spring blossoms, the clean lines--it's the dose of springtime that's been missing in my long winter of discontent. Check out this great woodworker's shop for other amazing (and eco-responsible) pieces: ADrauglis.


Chasinglightningbugs' shop is filled with variety. She makes pendants, quilts, and quotations printed on old encyclopedia pages. The one pictured above is in the mail and on its way to my bedroom wall. The quotation is from Much Ado About Nothing, and this is a gift for my beloved.

Being Green

Green lifestyles are in vogue right now, but there is a backlash as well. Regardless of either zeitgeist, my household does what we can to respect the earth.
Projects we wish we could afford:

• re-insulating our attic
• insulating our basement
• graywater re-use system
• solar panels
• buy local eggs

We get bummed out because we can't do those things for a while, so to cheer ourselves up, we're listing what we already do/have done:

• totes instead of shopping bags
• mow infrequently, allowing grass to re-seed and mulch itself while using less fuel
• we never water our lawn
• Jetta TDI (since 1997) + a Subaru with decent milage
• we wash our cars only after salt is on the road for ice
• small house with responsible thermostat settings, windows open whenever possible
• clothesline instead of dryer for certain loads
• better light bulbs, and only necessary lights on
• perrennial flowers = less watering
• infrequently purchase carry-out/to go food (packaging & health)
• efficient new appliances
• buy used toys, clothing, furniture more often than new, packaged things
• cook few convenience items
• recycle (our trash can is never more than half full for once a week pick-up!)
• re-use
• avoid using plastic bags for lunches, use silverware, not plastic
• minimize car trips
• don't use gift-wrap--unless re-used bags

Miles to go, but we're on the road, and most of it is simple. We aren't even conscious of the effort for most of these habits, which is as it should be.