happy monday!  how was your weekend?  ours was wonderful but quite rainy.  we enjoyed good company at a birthday part on saturday and yesterday ended up being very productive as well.  after church, david and i had a comical day filled of honey-do’s.  i was busy sewing on a new batch of aprons (viewable later today!) and watching hgtv while the mister installed deadbolts on the doors while listening to the decemberists.  with the hammering, music, sewing machine and tv on (and the occasional frustrated yell from the hub- who knew it would take 4 hours to add a lock to the door?) it was quite noisy around here!  we had fun having a totally stereotypical married couple day.

i’m excited to introduce a new shop to you today! my friend eva halkias has been working hard to open a brand new online shop where you can purchase with peace of mind.  green rainbow is stocked full of beautiful eco-friendly, recycled, homemade & vintage products.  she just opened last week so i though we could all spread the love by sharing her incredible shop with the people we know.  in addition to the products, she also features a section for eco tips and links so shopping there becomes a learning experience as well! you’ll even be able to see my pillows there soon!  by shopping green we’ll all be able to keep seeing the beautiful colors of the rainbow- so go check it out and spread the word!

wrap up: {eco friendly} {environment} {green} {home} {homemade} {online} {shop} {store} {vintage}

i found these eco chic ideas over at wholeliving- not only are they all eco friendly (find all 25 here) but some of them are really cute and totally diy!

i love this mixed glass centerpiece.  seems like i’m always falling in love with vintage glassware, but can never figure out what to do with them! this is also an easy breezy way of showing off your greens- bringing little bits of your garden inside!

i’ve  been re-covering a few chairs lately, and i love the idea of using an old sweater to do so! in fact, i just found one that our dear doggie chewed a whole in.  thanks, toaster, for making me materials for this project!

i’m sure you’ve heard about the dangers plastics can lead to.  if you heat food up in plastic containers, put hot food in them for storage, or drink from plastic water bottles that have gotten hot in your car- they can leach toxic carcinogenic chemicals into your system.  so, i switched to all glass containers a while back.  ikea offers affordable storage containers, and i often thrift for glass finds.  an easy and quite affordable way to cut your exposure to toxins!

this totally diy cork trivet is so cute, isn’t it?  what a great way to put those corks to use..

a scarf quilt- i love this idea! don’t you have some old scarves or maybe one from your aunt you wouldn’t be caught dead in? combining them in this quick quilt makes for a cozy, scrappy kind of look.

combining the wax from you’re almost burnt out candles can give them a little extra life.  as long as the candles aren’t in anything metal, you can just pop them in your microwave, melt the was, remove the old wick, and pour into a new container.  you can find brand new wicks at your local craft store and it’s simple to hot glue one into the bottom of a container.  this way, you won’t have to throw away all those almost-empty candles!

wrap up: {chic} {diy} {eco friendly} {green} {home}

this one is for all of our whole wheat friends!

row 1 :: budding twig bracelets from recycled sterling :: eco coffee sleeve ::  reusable sandwich bag ::

row 2 :: organic coffee from zambia sling bag :: organically dyed shetland flame scarf kit :: recycled letterpress notebook ::

row 3 :: laundry detergent :: recycled flower ornament :: all natural unscented hand lotion ::

row 4 :: peace love recycled stamp :: recycled farmer’s market cards ::

wrap up: {christmas} {eco frineldy} {environmentally} {gift} {green} {holiday} {organic gardening} {present}

clockwise :: horses :: rainbow window stars :: star baby pins :: felted acorns ::

if you haven’t already- click on over to check out natural kids- a porthole for esty shops that create not only beautiful- but healthy, natural and environmentally responsible items for kids! natural kids is a group of sellers dedicated to supply natural products for children.  it’s not exactly a store- but rather a gateway to the team’s etsy shops.  you can click on the members (or become one yourself!) to find specific etsy shop’s that supply natural goodies for your little ones.  thank you, natural kids for supporting going home to roost!

wrap up: {children} {eco friendly} {green} {kids} {natural} {sponsor} {toys}

i am loving all of  ella cinders lovely vintage finds!  her eye for vintage charm is so unique- i just get lost looking at all of her items.  her photographs are not only beautiful and different, but seem to tell a story at the same time.

doh a deer

wrap up: {apple} {charm} {cups} {deer} {egg} {flowers} {green} {vintage}

with easter just around the corner, my mind has been on eggs. it’s also been on gardening, since this year i’m making my very first attempt at a veggie garden (come on green thumb!), so i thought, why not combine the two? i figured you could start seedlings indoors in eggshells, then just transplant the whole thing right into the ground when they’re ready! biodegradable, easy, fun, eco-friendly! here’s how:1) pick out your best and biggest eggs!

2) remove the top of the eggshell, a hole about the size of a quarter. I used a knife for this, and it worked great! don’t fret- the shells are a bit tougher than you think.

3) remove the top of the shell and if your not cooking at the moment, make sure you save your eggs for those yummy omelets in the morning…

4) using a needle or a pin, poke a hole in the bottom of the shell to allow for water drainage.

5) fill each shell with organic seed starter mix and lightly moisten the soil. you can also label each shell with a pen or pencil- so you don’t forget what you planted! add 1-2 seeds per shell and cover them lightly with more soil (read individual seed packets for specifics).

6) you’re done! place them in a sunny window or under a glow bulb and wait for them to sprout- that’s the best part:) keep the soil moist but not soaked. when it’s time to transplant them outside, all you have to do is crack the shell and place the whole thing in the ground.

i was able to use eggs from my hens, but you can use any eggs you have in the fridge. wouldn’t these be really great easter gifts? an already-sprouted herb garden!

wrap up: {eggs} {gladening} {green} {plant} {seeds} {thumb}