Friday Find: Chic, Eco-friendly Chandelier

Who says going green can’t be stylish?

In honor of our earth, today’s Friday Find is a glamorous light fixture by Jane Gray for Stray Dog Designs available at Green with Glamour. The drum pendant is made of antiqued mirror disks edged in recyclable tin surrounding a four armed chandelier. Handmade by artisans in Mexico, the fixture retails for $625.

Happy Earth Day!

Footstool in Schumacher’s Chiang Mai Dragon Fabric

A few months back, I won a remnant of Schumacher’s fabulous Chiang Mai Dragon fabric in aquamarine from Mr. Goodwill Hunting {great blog - I’m a fan - you must stop by!}.  

This fabric is so beautiful {not to mention pricey}. I was nervous and didn’t want to ruin it. Therefore,  it sat idle until I could find the perfect application. 

This sweet footstool with brass curved legs was stolen purchased for $2 at a local estate sale last summer. This was it. It needed a new life.

With a pair of scissors and a staple gun, I transformed the once tired footstool. It 's now so Chinoiserie chic. I love it. I hope Mr. Goodwill Hunting approves too. Do you?

Hopping over to Miss Mustard Seed's furniture blog party... will you join me? 

Innovative & Eco-friendly Wallcoverings by Lori Weitzner

It was love at first sight. I was first introduced to Lori Weitzner’s artful wallcoverings at the San Francisco Design Center last October when Veranda presented their 2010 Art of Design Awards: Timelessness & Innovation. Lori was one of six design industry “trailblazers” honored with the award.

In 2004, Lori launched New York-based firm, Weitzner Limited to explore textiles and wallcoverings made with a combination of ancient and modern materials. The award winning line blends exceptional design with unexpected materials – all while being environmentally conscious.  For example, Weitzner’s Magnetism wallcovering {above} combines beauty & sophistication with functionality & versatility. Magnets can be placed directly on the linen surface and can be changed or removed easily leaving a pristine and unmarked backdrop. Simply brilliant!

Love the look of natural stone? Weitzner again delivers an innovative product – Quarry from the Nature Collection. It’s a remarkably flexible paperbacked layer of stone that offers all the varied color and texture of the rock, but delivers the same ease of installation as paper. Yes, it’s natural stone!

We all have our favorite pair of jeans and love the way they feel. Weitzner brilliantly takes casual and comfortable denim in classic indigo and creates this paperbacked textile wallcovering. Perfect for a boy’s room, home office or family room.

Not all of Weitzner’s creations are applied to the walls. In Apropos collection, Lori continues her search for sustainable and organic materials. Shown above, Currents is handmade using pressed paper from renewable and recyclable mulberry and salago fibers. I love the texture and pattern. And its applications are endless... as a room divider, screen or perhaps used as a wall treatment?

Fabulous don't you think?

Thanksgiving Place Card Ideas and Wembé Giveaway Winners

Thanksgiving. It’s just days away. Whether formal or casual, your table setting and décor will set the tone of the gathering. Setting out place cards for guests is something I do even when entertaining a small group. It puts guests at ease and can add a fun decorative element to the tabletop. Here are some place card ideas perfect for celebrating Thanksgiving:

These handcrafted autumn leaf place cards by Timeless Paper simply perch on wine glasses. Made of cream or white card stock and embellished with custom colored dots, you only need to hand write your guests' names in the spaces. Such an elegant touch to any table.

Paper Source featured these simple printable place cards on their blog recently. An edging of yellow ink  from a stamp ink pad and a simple raffia bow adds the perfect color and texture. Easily adapted to any color scheme too. Here’s the how to.

Here is another Thanksgiving place card idea from Martha Stewart. Name cards are topped with leaves for a whimsical look that is inexpensive and easy to do yourself. Here is the how to.

Here is one of the turkey place cards I made for our tabletop this year. The project needed paper, yarn and glue – and of course a little time. Super simple. I found the idea and how to on Martha Stewart.

If you will be a lucky guest this holiday season, providing the hostess with a small thank you gift is always a nice jester. Go here to see some great hostess gifts under $40. 100% organic and natural soaps from Wembé a Paraguayan Eco-lux soap company made the list.

The nice folks at Wembé Soaps also hosted a giveaway; The two lucky Simplified Bee readers are Wendy and Studio 13. Each has won a Frutal Energizing Set of their luxurious soaps. Enjoy!

Congrats and happy holiday decorating!

Interview with HGTV’s Martin Amando on Green, Seasonal & Budget-friendly Design

Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing HGTV’s Martin Amando. His past experience and accomplishments include working as a guest designer on episodes of Decorating Cents as well as being a host on Small Space, Big Style both for HGTV.

With a focus on green, seasonal and budget-friendly design, here are the questions I asked Martin...

1. Many of your designs are earth-friendly – what are your favorite eco-friendly decorating tips?

2. Budgets are tight these days. How can going “green” save homeowners money?

3. What is one way to change the look of your home without breaking the bank?

4. Fall is here. Do you have any tips on how we can make wise home improvements before winter arrives?

Thanks Martin for your time and expertise! To see some of Martin's fabulous work, visit his website. 

Happy decorating!

Friday Find: Sang and Serena Inlaid Furniture & Hand-blocked Textiles

After writing this article on Bone Inlaid Furniture and Decor , I was introduced to a wonderful , eco-friendly company called Sang and Serena.  The company embodies three concepts when designing its furniture and textiles: eco-luxe, East-meets-West, and old world-new needs. Every item that they design and import is environmentally sensitive, rich to the eye and to the touch and a fusion of cultures.

Here is what Sang and Serena have to say about their stunning inlaid furniture pieces:

"The art of inlay work within India dates back to the 17th century. During that time, precious and semi-precious gemstones along with marble were used as the primary mediums for this form of craftsmanship.

Today, inlay work persists. Sang and Serena obtain their furniture from the Indian state of Rajasthan, where the art is practiced using regionally sourced bone and mother of pearl. The bone is extracted from camels that have passed on naturally; its cream-colored opacity manages to exude an elegant rusticity. Meanwhile, the mother of pearl is separated from the outer shells of water-dwelling mollusks; its shine is incredible, opalescent."

 

Sang and Serena released a beautiful and vibrant collection of hand-blocked textiles. It includes six exclusive quilt designs available in king, queen and single sizes. The patterns are visually rich. And the texture {100% cotton} is soft to the hand. Here are my favorites:

 

To learn more about these one-of-a-kind, handmade pieces or to make an order, visit Sang and Serena.

Also, it's not too late to enter to win two throw pillows of your choice! Go here to enter.

Happy Friday!

Keeping Backyard Chickens & Green Roof Coop Design

For sometime and long before the recent massive egg recall, I have been toying with the thought of getting pet chickens. That's right our feathered, egg laying friends. And it seems I am not the only one enthusiast about the idea. Keeping a flock of backyard hens is  stylishly vogue and a growing trend in both suburban and urban communities. 

A friend of mine was kind enough to let me take some pictures of her backyard hen house where her three Rhode Island Reds live, sleep and lay beautiful brown, organic eggs.

 

The coop provides shelter for the hens {holds up to four} and incorporates a  beautiful green roof design. The garden-on-top design keeps your flock warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, and even provides sound insulation in rainstorms. Similar coop plans are available to purchase at My Pet Chicken.

My friend planted drought tolerate succulents in her roof garden, but a veggie garden would be fun if enough sunlight. I love the rooster ornament - many municipalities ban the real ones, but don't worry hens lay eggs without them. 

The roosting pole and practical ramp appears to get lots of use. To feel safe, the hens need a raised roosting area that provides at least 2-4 square feet per bird. The hens will get too stressed if overcrowded. Go here for more important chicken coop requirements.

 

 Here is a view of the roosting area and access to the eggs.

 

I was surprised to learn that some hens can develop an egg-eating habit. To break it, 

fake eggs, usually made of porcelain or plastic replace the real ones as soon as they are laid. In this case, my friend simply used a golf ball and that did the trick.

 

Chickens will need free roaming time if a coop does not provide a minimum of 10 square feet per fowl. Although they can be a bit messy, chickens are great foragers and enjoy eating insects, grasses and slugs and snails. Above is a shot of my friend's hens in action.

 

If you are interested in learning more about raising chickens in an urban environment, please visit the Urban Chickens Network blog. 

Now, I just need to do two things. First, convince my hubby to build a chicken coop. And second, to decide what kind of chicken to get. Perhaps a brown egg layer like the Rhode Island Red, Delaware or Speckled Sussex? Do you have chickens? What would you recommend?

Getting Organized for Back-to-School

It's that time again. Millions of children are headed back-to-school. There is a direct relationship between how organized a child is and how well they do in school. As a parent or guardian, you can help children develop life-long organization skills. Here are a few back-to-school tips for getting organized:

Establish a Routine & Plan Ahead. Streamlining the morning routine is essential to get kids out the door and to school on time. It’s easy to get frazzled in the morning, so prepare lunches, book bags, outfits, even the breakfast table the night before. Create a storage area near your most used door and assign each person a bin and/or hook for their gear. Using color coded baskets or personalized tins {like the one above from the MacBeth Collection} helps for organization and quick identification when leaving the house.

Create a Homework Station. Few children enjoy doing homework, but making creating an efficient work environment may make the task more fun. First determine where it's best to set up the homework station - Near the kitchen where an adult can help? In a quiet room alone? Is a computer needed? Once a location is selected, it is important to have an easy accessible storage bin or drawer with needed school supplies. Based on your child's age and school needs store items such as writing implements, paper, tape/glue, scissors, ruler, erasers, crayons and markers. When purchasing school supplies, consider earth-friendly and non-toxic items. Visit EWG's back-to-school guide for a list of greener options. Pottery Barn Kids has a great Mini Lazy Susan perfect for a storing supplies at the homework station {shown above}.

Paper Source also shows you how to make a customized desk cubbie here {also pictured above}. Get your child excited about their homework station by having them help designing their own supply storage cubbie.

Centralize School Communications. Besides your child's school papers, there will be lots of communication parents will need to take action on or reference throughout the school year. Some of these items include classroom rosters, school handbook, supply list, permission slips and school calendar. Creating a centralized place for all this information is key to knowing where these important papers are when you need them. A binder or file folder are great options for keeping all the papers organized into subcategories. Smead offers an easy to use tiered folder - Smead Stadium File™ - that works great in my home {blogged about it here}.

Getting organized for back-to-school takes some effort, but it will make the transition smoother.

Happy organizing!

Custom Eco-Friendly Fabric Printing - Spoonflower

Okay, I might be late to the party, but I recently came across Spoonflower , an amazing print  on demand textile marketplace and community. Founded in 2008, the North Carolina-based company makes it possible for individuals to design, print and sell their own fabric designs. Since then , the  Spoonflower community has exploded to 70,000+  crafty individuals who use their own fabric to create all sorts of items including clothing, artwork and home accessories. The  Spoonflower marketplace now offers the largest collection of independent fabric designers in the world!

The selection and quality of fabrics is impressive! Spoonflower uses large-format inkjet printers specially modified to run fabric. Unlike conventional textile manufacturing, digital printing entails very little waste of fabric, ink, water or electricity. In addition, they print using eco-friendly, water-based pigment inks on natural fiber textiles. No additional chemicals are used in the printing or preparation process. Clients can order a swatch of fabric or 100 yards of a single design. The fabric is shipped within a week. 

Here are some beautiful textiles made and available on Spoonflower that caught my eye:

 

 

Be sure to check out Spoonflower's weekly contents too. Here is the latest winning fabric design:

Love the whimsical splashing drinks and colorful cocktail monkeys hanging from the martini glasses.  

Cheers!

An Inexpensive, Nontoxic and DIY Way to Polish Silver

With the holiday dinner parties fast approaching, festive table settings are on our minds. Tarnished silverware can ruin a perfectly set table, so polishing the silver is one task that shouldn't be overlooked.

Because commercial silver polish contains toxins, I searched for non-toxic and inexpensive alternatives to cleaning silver flatware. The Daily Green had a silver cleaning recipe that looked promising, but did it really work? I decided to test it out myself.

Here is a sampling of some of my tarnished silver before it was cleaned.

What you will need - aluminum foil, boiling water, baking soda and salt.

Line your sink or a bucket with aluminum foil, and drop in tarnished silver. Pour in boiling water, a cup of baking soda and a dash of salt.

Let sit for a few minutes. The tarnish will transfer from the silver to the foil.

If you can't immerse your items, rub tarnished silver with toothpaste and a soft cloth. Follow by rinsing items with warm water and let dry. As an alternative to toothpaste, rub a mixture of three parts baking soda to 1 part water. I should have tried one of these methods with my silver bowl which did not get fully immersed.

It might be hard to tell with the lighting, but the results were great - much better than I expected!

Here is a image of one of my spoons tarnished and the other just cleaned - in case you were wondering, the sterling silver flatware pattern is Repousse. As I said, I was very pleased with the results. Best yet, it's eco-friendly, non-toxic and inexpensive!

Please note that Martha Stewart also had this DIY silver polish method on her site and warned that "with this technique the good tarnish (a desirable patina and the dark crevices in a pattern) may be removed as well, and pitting may result. Experts recommend using a good-quality commercial polish, and there are some less-toxic ones available. For silver, the best way to prevent tarnish is to use the pieces frequently and store them properly when not in use. For flatware and hollowware, wash and dry the pieces by hand after each use. Also, dust display items regularly, and store them in flannel that has been treated to slow tarnishing".

* first and last images from Southern Accents