Pretty Little Green Things

Archive for the ‘Misc. Thoughts’ Category

So it turns out that working a more than full time job, catching up with friends and needing lots of extra sleep to keep this pregnant lady moving does not make for a prolific blogging schedule.  All the more reason to have an organized life, that’s for sure!  On my end, this weekend we moved our desk and reorganized our living room at bit in preparation for the baby.  Oh and I recaulked our bathtub.  I have tons of projects in the queue for the next few months, but all in all, a productive weekend all around.

Last week I brought you a few tricks to organize your house with labels and hooks, two things I find so useful to keep all the little things in place.  This week, I’m continuing the organization bug with container storage and tips to organize your life.  I find there are always things around your house that don’t have a proper place, which is why I’m a big fan of bins, crates, baskets and anything to help keep all those little odds and ends in place.  I find they’re especially useful in small apartments where you don’t have the closet space that you might in a larger house.  

1. I love using crates to hold everything under the sun since they’re easy to find and not very expensive.  These are from Three Potato Four.
2. Entry benches are a great spot to store shoes, umbrellas, hats and gloves.  I love this set from Serena & Lily.
3. These Larder Shelves from Greenhouse could be a great extra storage spot for the kitchen, bathroom or home office.
4. In addition to crates, I use tons of baskets to hold everything from blankets to household items.  I especially love these woven African baskets from Viva Terra.
5. Corralling those remotes is an important step to making your living room feel clutter free.  Use an extra flower pot or lacquer box like the one here.
6. If you don’t have a cabinet in your kitchen for cutting boards & baking pans, organize them with an extra paper sorter as shown here from Real Simple.
7. Lidded baskets and bins are great solution because you can stack them.  And with pretty ones like these Felt Boxes from Branch, no one will ever know what you’re storing.
8. Perfect for blankets, ottomans with space on the inside are another great incognito place for storage.  This storage ottoman with casters is a large option from Crate and Barrel.
9. Keep those inevitable extra plastic bags nice & neat in a tissue box as seen from Real Simple.
10. Here’s another basket option for those of you who like a more structured option. Leather Trim Basket from Greenhouse.

If you’re anything like me, as much as I try to go digital, we still collect tons of paper.  From mail, family calendars, bank statements and to do lists, what to do with all this paper?  I love finding creative ways to arrange and hide this clutter and I’ve gathered a few ideas for you here.

1. Binders aren’t just for schoolwork – we use a binders as our filing system as a way to avoid the inevitable file drawers.  If you make cute labels or get colorful binders like these Project Binder’s from Naked Binder, you’ll be happy with the look.
2. I love this creative project from Country Living – take vintage photo albums and turn them into an accordion file folder.
3. Why change your calendar every year when you can customize a dry erase one every month.  Perfect for families to keep everyone on the same page.  Black Dry Erase Calendar from Cedar Hollow Designs.
4. Make your own magnetic message board from a vintage frame and your choice of fabric to fit any decor.  Check out the project here from Country Living.
5. Here’s a cute paper storage idea – put your mail and messages in paint cans organized on a shelf as shown here from Martha Stewart.
6. I’m a serial list maker.  Writing my to-do’s on a chalkboard rather than hundreds of post-its is a chic and eco-friendly way to stay on top of my list.  I love this Chalkboard Tablet (with or without stand) from Branch.
7. Why use boring magnets when you can make chic ones out of vintage jewelry.  Check out the project at Country Living.
8. Make your own corkboard with a vintage frame for a cute pin-up spot.  I made one for our house, but wrapped the cork with antique fabric to fit our style better.  Check out the directions from Life Hacker.
9. Instead of dry erase, you can also make your own reusable calendar from chalkboard paint as seen here with this huge wall calendar from Martha Stewart.

I hope all of these tips, tricks and products help your 2012 to be your most organized yet!

We escaped the hustle and bustle of New York and have been spending a lovely long weekend in Newport, RI with family.  It’s always nice to get out of the city for a few days, especially when you’re staying in a town as charming and historical as Newport.  In my opinion, one of the best parts about this town is the architecture and especially that of the huge mansions on the ocean.  Not only are these “cottages” extremely large, but they’re also incredibly opulent and well crafted examples from the Gilded Age.

I would have loved to visit each and every one of them (plus maybe a peek or two into the private homes off of Ocean Ave), but we decided to narrow our focus to two: the Breakers and Marble House.  Both were built by members of the Vanderbilt family and were designed by architect William Morris Hunt.  Although I wouldn’t call either of these mansions eco-friendly or green because of their size and propensity to import products from all around the world (Italian marble, French furniture & Ottoman treasures), I do appreciate the fact that the houses have been well preserved for modern guests.  Unfortunately for photography’s sake, it was a rainy weekend and photos aren’t allowed indoors, so the pictures below are from what I could gather from online sources.  If you’re ever in the area, you should take your own tour of these amazing residences.  In the meantime, enjoy!

Although Marble House is the smaller of the two, it is no less grand as you can probably guess from the exterior entryway here.  The property was inspired by the Petit Trianon of Versailles.

This is the gold ballroom which as been coated in, you guessed it, gold leaf.  Although you might think it’s gaudy, the gold leafing actually has a really beautiful texture and sheen when you’re in the space.  Not that I’m going to be adding this time my home anytime soon…

Marble House was built as a present for Alva Vanderbilt for her 39th birthday from her husband, William K. Vanderbilt.  Her bedroom is the most opulent and impressive of all the bedrooms.

After seeing the Marble House, we moved on to the much larger but just as opulent Breakers (it’s the huge house in the background of this photo).  The house was built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, brother to William K. Vanderbilt.  It’s just down the street from Marble House, so I suppose this meant the two families could easily visit one another.

It’s a bit easier to tell how huge and impressive the Breakers is when standing on the back lawn, isn’t it?  An interesting fact for you: although F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby took place in Long Island, the movie was actually filmed at the Breakers.  I couldn’t think of a more perfect setting.

The main hall when you first enter the house.  After seeing it for myself, I can tell you that this picture doesn’t even nearly do this grand room justice.  It truly is a remarkable space to be in, especially if you can imagine what it must have been like to walk into a grand ball here.

The Breakers Dining Room

Even though the picture is a bit small, this Loggia was one of my favorite spaces.  Located in a more private area, this outdoor space overlooked the ocean and was the family’s exterior living room in the summer months.  I can imagine that the shade, stone and ocean air made for a very pleasant and cool place to relax.

I spent most of Sunday organizing the very large built in bookcase in our living room.  Okay, okay, we also went grocery shopping, but I feel like that doesn’t count in the list of weekend accomplishments since I didn’t actually buy any vegetables (I opt for farmers market vs. Trader Joes produce where possible).  Even though I didn’t paint, fix or install anything, our apartment feels a lot different.  I’m actually quite surprised at what a change organizing can do for the look and feel of a home.  I also tackled the mass chaos of wires underneath our desk on Saturday, having been inspired by this cool little power strip/cord hideaway box from the Container Store.  Our bookshelves and desk are officially organized and staying that way.  However, it does look like a bomb exploded in our living room since the items that didn’t make it back on the shelf are now sitting on the floor.  So alas, no pictures of my weekend accomplishments yet, but I’ll be back with more green updates later this week.  In the meantime, you’ll have to comfort yourself with the knowledge that my weekend of organization was a huge success and parts of our apartment look pretty darn amazing.

As I type, we’re flying at 30,000 on our way back from the most amazing weekend in San Francisco (I know, I know, not the most eco-friendly method of travel, but at least we can offset our carbon footprint on Virgin America).  Beyond having a wonderful time with friends and seeing the sights, what really impressed me about SF, was the absolute seamless integration of sustainability into everyday life.  Bike riders are everywhere, recycling & compost bins are the norm, city buses are zero-emission and even coffee stir sticks are hard to find, in favor of metal spoons to be washed & reused.  On top of that, I really appreciated the emphasis of living a healthy and balanced lifestyle with tons of outdoor activity options, lots of parks and open green spaces, and the easy availability of organic & locally grown food.  For me, it was inspiring and refreshing to see that big city living, an active & well-rounded life and sustainable practices can all go hand in hand.  So with that, I wish you all a fantastic Fourth of July and enjoy a few pics from our weekend in San Francisco. (Starting with a pic of a wonderful beach next to the Golden Gate Bridge).

Vineyards in Sonoma

Sunset in Sonoma

As I said, there’s a wonderful emphasis on locally grown organic vegetables in San Francisco.  And this caprese salad with the freshest heirloom tomatoes was no exception!

Rock sculptures in Sausalito with the city of San Francisco across the bay. Those rocks were all stacked by hand with no glues or cement. Amazing, huh?

I couldn’t possibly end this post without a slightly sweaty picture of me taken on the Golden Gate Bridge.  Safety first!

We just returned from a long weekend in Charlottesville, VA where our good friend got married at a gorgeous vineyard surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and rolling hills of grapevines.  I’ll have more to report on the lovely (and eco-friendly!) town of Charlottesville tomorrow.  In the meantime I wanted to share this picture of the paper lanterns we lit at the end of the night, rising up into the air.  Just like mini hot air balloons, each lantern was lit by their guests and rose up to form this beautiful constellation.  I know my picture doesn’t do it justice, but it really was a gorgeous sight.

Every year my friends and I get up bright and early, take the A train to the Cloisters at the very northern part of Manhattan and spend our day walking down the entire length of the island.  Yup, that’s right a walking tour of all 13+ miles of Manhattan in one day.  I know what you’re thinking to yourself right now: “Self, why in the world would someone do a thing like that?!  I mean exercise is great and all, but walking all of Manhattan is pretty hard-core.”  Well, I’ll tell you.  Not only do we have a ton of fun chatting & laughing the day away, it’s also a fantastic way to see and appreciate this amazing place in which we live.  I truly believe that exploring a city with your own two feet is the best way to learn what it’s all about.  Whether you live in New York City or not, walking through your own city is a fantastic way to really get to know it, even if you’ve lived there your whole life.  Try it our for yourself!

This year our walk took us through Washington Heights, Harlem, Columbia, Central Park, Hell’s Kitchen, the High Line, the West Village and as a bonus section, Brooklyn.  It was a wet, drizzly day, but that didn’t dampen our spirits.  Actually I think the icky weather helped lessen the crowds especially on the High Line.  Bonus!  I took tons of pictures during the day so I could show you some of our favorite stops and sights during our day long Walk of Manhattan.

Here we are, ready to go!

The Cloisters Gardens

Columbia University has beautiful grounds

And it’s great to see that they recycle too!

Me and my husband at the Central Park Reservoir.  It normally makes for a much nicer picture here than on this drizzly grey day.

I had never heard of Lawn Bowling before nor seen these courts in Central Park.  It looks very similar to Bocce so I may have to give it a try someday.

A nice little farmer’s market in Hell’s Kitchen

Our walk was also kid friendly.

I knew that there are food trucks and a beer hall at the northern end of the High Line, but what I didn’t know is that there’s also this fun Rainbow City park created by AOL.  And it wasn’t just the kids who loved the huge balloons.

High Line section 2.  There are fewer art installations and features in this new section compared to the first section, but tons of benches.

Plantings at the High Line section 2

The kids loved the big poufy plants.

I really loved this bench installation in front of this old brick building.

City Hall near the Brooklyn Bridge

Isn’t that fog crazy?  This building is next to the Brooklyn Bridge, but you can’t even see the top of it.

And over the Brooklyn Bridge to Dumbo

And found this crocheted bicycle on the other side.  How cool is this?

See, we’re all still smiling!  The end of a great walk and fantastic day with a well deserved glass of wine.

Section 2 of the High Line, from West 30th to 23rd streets, opened on Tuesday to much press and acclaim.  If you live in the New York area, I urge you to go and take a peek at the new section for yourself.  From the pictures I’ve seen, the newest area looks really interesting and, well, awesome.  For those of you who don’t know what the High Line is, it used to be an abandoned industrial elevated train line that was turned into a very innovative and well traveled park for visitors and locals alike.  Not only does it bring a bit of green to the city, but reuses an area that could have easily been demolished.  If you want to see more pictures of the High Line, take a look at the Friends of the High Line website, the High Line Blog or their Facebook page.

As for me, I know what I’ll be doing this weekend!

I hope you all had a fun and relaxing Memorial Day weekend and are refreshed for the short week ahead.  We just got back from a wonderful trip in the North Fork of Long Island and are spending the night unpacking and sorting through our pictures.  I’ll have more eco stuff later in the week, but in the meantime I wanted to share this lovely picture my husband took of the pier in Greenport, NY.

I consider myself to be a reasonably creative person, but sometimes people’s ingenuity just amazes me.  Case in point Shanghai based Daishu Ma & Marc Nicolau.  This duo has created a very innovative type of packaging that is not just biodegradable but quite literally returns to the earth it came from.  The boxes are made of a combination of sand & sawdust and are perfect for small, precious gifts.  But what really attracted me is the experience of actually opening these boxes.  By snapping them open, you’re basically destroying the whole thing, which I think is quite an interesting comment.  Daishu & Marc are taking custom orders through their website for your special gift.

Sand package – before

This is where the sawdust comes from.  Very organic!

Sand package – after

Photos from Alien & Monkey

I was hanging out with my best friend from Minnesota a couple weekends ago, naturally chatting about our lives and homes while we toured around the city.  As the ultimate nester , she has done not only the most ambitious remodel to her home but grows her own fruits and vegetables in a large veggie patch in her backyard.  This friend is the version of me I would like to be if I didn’t live in a tiny apartment in Manhattan and instead had a house with a tiny plot of land to call my own.

You can probably guess that in addition to catching up, I was also hitting her up for every recipe and tip she could give me.  One of these said tips I want to share with you: laundry soap.  As a self proclaimed do-it-yourselfer (did you see my roman shade?), I have to admit this is one topic I’ve never thought was within my realm of competance.  I mean, once you start getting into chemicals and mixing things, you should leave it to the professionals, right?  Well, it turns out that making laundry soap is really easy, so much cheaper than commercial detergent and of course much more natural and better for you and your clothes.

Powdered Laundry Detergent Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup grated Fels-Naptha soap (this soap comes as a bar.  You can grate it with a regular household grater, although I would recommend buying a dedicated one for just this soap)
• 1/2 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (not baking soda!)
• 1/2 cup Borax**

Mix all the above ingredients together and store in an airtight container.  You can double or triple the recipe if you want to keep more on hand.  For light loads, use 2 tablespoons and for heavy loads use 3 tablespoons.  This recipe will not suds up as much as commercial laundry detergent which is actually even better if you have a high efficiency washer.  Easy, huh?  You can play with the recipe a bit by adding essential oils and other scents to it to make your clothes smell extra good.  You should be able to find all these ingredients at your drugstore and can certainly find them online.

**Borax is a naturally occurring substance and is a greener household product choice.  However, it should be stored in an airtight container and kept away from food.

My friend only makes the powdered version but if you’re a liquid detergent person, you can still make this at home – it’s basically the same recipe with a few additional steps.  There are tons of recipe versions online, although I have not tried these myself so can’t judge how easy or effective they are.  Now that I’ve been inspired, I’m going to try dishwashing detergent next.  Stay tuned for that experiment!