holiday cheer–gotta get me some!
’tis the season!
for impulse shopping. getting distracted by the bling. satiating our souls at 50% off sales.
the age old wisdom, “out with the old & in with the new” has been co-opted as sales pitch. and we buy it. we buy everything. and in the process, we create a bunch of trash–figuratively & literally.
i don’t mean to sound like a scrooge.
really. i friggin’ love christmas. well, i love the holidays. i do. i just know that it sure isn’t the way i remember it. maybe it’s because i don’t have a “family” of my own. maybe it’s because my studio apartment can’t accommodate a big tree. maybe because holidays now = consumerism and i just can’t (don’t want to either) keep up with the buying madness.
what i love(d) about christmas was tradition. baking cookies with mom. decorating the tree–my brother gary hoisting me up to put the angel on top. wrapping gifts. busting out my keyboard & making everyone sing carols.
these days, tradition is being first in line at walmart on black friday. how did this come to be?
regardless of my lackluster cheer, i am finding ways to spread what little i do have, in sensitive greenie ways.
i love these christmas cards! the irony embraces my sentiments exactly this year–as what symbolizes christmas better than the barcode? this image, by steve rhodes, or any image of your own that you prefer, is printed to order via moo.com.
this online printer allows you to upload your own images and have them printed on greeting/business/postcards. they’re hi-quality–the paper is 10% recycled post-consumer fibre, and acid andC elementcal chlorine free. so, if you have a picture of your own, load it up.
i’m sticking with this fitting image from steve, though, as for every pack sold, they’re giving a buck to doctors without borders.
be merry.
be bright.
wanna know how to feed 5000?
thanks to bonnie alter, for treehugger london. i love hearing about these types of events!
Yesterday there was such a thing as a free lunch. Spirits were high, despite the rain, sleet and cold, as hundreds waited in line for their free lunch of hot curried vegetables. Others queued for free groceries, and others for fresh fruit smoothies. The event was called “Feeding the 5000″ and it was organised to highlight the global problems with food waste.
All the food was donated by farmers, packers and supermarkets. The fresh fruits and vegetables had been rejected because they were imperfectly shaped, past their sell-by date or the wrong size or shape. Instead the fresh food was turned into a feast by hard-working volunteers who cooked up bubbling hot vegetable curry with the left-overs.
All the ingredients were collected from local supermarkets. Organisers cooked up a ton of wonky carrots, mis-shapen potatoes, and parsnips, and three-quarters of a ton of onions. Cumin for an extra spicy hit and (irregularly shaped) pieces of toast were offered as well as plates and cutlery.
The fruit smoothies made of apples, oranges, grapes and bananas were doled out in cups. Apparently all were made by bicycle power, although with only one bicycle on hand it seems incredible.
Any leftover food will be distributed by FareShare, to homeless shelters and other needy people. But from the crowd waiting patiently, it didn’t seem like much would be left.
It’s all for a good cause: highlight and educating people about the scale of food waste here. In London alone, 750,000 slices of bread are thrown away by consumers every day, and 176,000 bananas.
But household wastage represents less than 40% of food wastage. In fact retailers and manufacturers are responsible for the greater amount. The group “This is Rubbish” wants the government to “introduce an obligation upon retailers to reduce food waste. We want to see all retailers obliged to report on the food waste they generate in their activities, with annual reports audited and publicised by an independent commission.”
A number of different organisations were involved. Fareshare is the largest food redistribution charity in the UK. They collect surplus food from supermarkets and manufacturers and deliver it to homeless shelters and other community centres for society’s vulnerable. Save the Children and ActionAid are both international organisations involved with food issues. In fact “food waste is not just a problem in rich countries: even in hungry parts of the world farmers can lose up to a half of their crops because they lack the basic agricultural infrastructure to get it to market before it spoils.”
winter flowers–poo paper!
with winter chill upon us, it’s mostly evergreens & branches for in-season decoration.
problem is, most branches require pesticides to keep them looking good. you can however,
avoid any green-bride conundrum and carry these poo paper, yes POO, flowers.
collected from cows, elephants and horses, these odorless flowers are 100% recycled. and
will be a forever keepsake unlike their live flower counterparts!
happy america recycles day
Recycling 101
The Basics, The Benefits
With the involvement and enthusiasm of people like you, recycling is back! And so are thousands upon thousands of recycled products made from materials that would otherwise be piling up in our nation’s landfills. It doesn’t just make sense. It makes a huge difference to our environment, our quality of life and our country’s future.
Why It’s Important
Recycling helps protect our resources, our environment, our quality of life.
Learn More
How It Works
There are three parts to the recycling cycle, and you’re critical to at least two of them.
Learn More
DOs and DON’Ts of Recycling
It ain’t rocket science, but following the guidelines can give recycling a boost.
Learn More
Interesting End Products
You can make what out of what? Now that’s amazing!
Learn More
going to the chapel…
ok, you’re really going to the storefront.
but if you’re getting married, remarried or pretend-married, this is the place to do it!
“wedding chapel” is NYC’s most fun and affordable wedding spot, offering couples the chance to have long lasting memories sans church or city hall.
head over to the Grand Opening storefront on 139 Norfolk street in the LES.
it’s vegas, baby! NYC style!
1/2 hour reservation ($150) - ceremony / mini-reception / photography (75 - 100 high-res photos)
1 hour reservation ($250) - ceremony / mini-reception / photography (150 - 250 high-res photos)
1 hour reservation with DJ ($300) - ceremony / mini-reception / custom music / photography (150 - 250 high-res photos)
all reservations include:
-service performed by a certified marriage officiant
-seating for up to 24 people
-photography
-invitations (email your friends a customized invitation)
-live internet streaming (friends and family can watch & listen online)
-custom vows
-wedding programs (will print custom programs for your wedding)
-flowers & accessories
-custom backdrop (they project your names)
-music (prelude, processional, recessional, first dance and reception music)
booking information please call 646-875-8078.
3rd ward
membership has its privileges.
truly, it does.
especially at the 3rd ward in brooklyn. this wonderfully great space has been featured on CNN for its progressive collective take on space for creative types. they offer membership in a photo studio, wood/metal shop, media lab & office space–so there really is no excuse for not getting your art-on!
you can also participate as a non-member in any of there delicious workshops and on-going classes. the usual suspects are there: photography, writing, jewelry, screen/printmaking. but, it’s the stand-outs that are my favorites….welding, circuitry, and the professional development (how to market yourself/incorporate/e-commerce that make me giddy.
so, if you really want to print your own wedding invitations, here’s the spot to do it. from soup-to-nuts, they’ve got you covered!
be sure to check out their etsy lab series while you’re at it!
Our members are the driving force behind what we do and why we do it. They enjoy a wide range of perks, designed to provide a complete creative experience, from start to finish. In addition to a new green bike, membership also includes a free subscription to Time Out New York, free or discounted classes, admission to 3rd Ward events, unlimited use of co-working space and access to a huge network of creative, active and successful professionals.
Sign Up Now
Becoming a 3rdWard Member is easy. Simply click the “Join Now” button on the right, fill out the form, and within one business day someone from Member Services will contact you to finalize your membership.
To schedule a personal tour of 3rd Ward and all it has to offer, please contact Phil by calling 718 715 4961 or emailing membership@3rdward.com
fall baby shower-owl theme
ok. i admit it.
i am on an owl kick.
forgive me.
love this owl mobile from pink perch/etsy. suspend it over the table as a centerpiece, then give it to the mommy to be. or choose one or both of these vintage ceramic planters as decoration instead. give these adorable owl onesies from ressicajachel/etsy as presents, wrapped up with cute owl ribbon.
give a hoot!
owls were my favorite creatures as a kid.
well, owls and ducks and mr. squirrel. and my dog. i loved my hamsters & goldfish too.
but owls really were up there, high on my list of favorite things.
now, so are these, as they have started the romance all over again.
these machine embroidered colorful little bitties are made of eco felt and stuffed firmly with premium poly fiber. (eco felt is an environmentally friendly and lead-free material made from 100% post-consumer plastic bottles). via carrot fever on etsy.
sock monkeys
i love a good sock monkey.
but really, who doesn’t ? my aunt clara made me many as a child. hers were very traditional and fill me with fond memories. i’ve always thought a “sock monkey baby shower” was a great idea. and now, feel even more compelled to do it since finding these cutie-pies via freshart.org.
this amazing program colloborates with local social service, community, and institutional art programs in an effort to bring the talented work of marginalized artists into the public eye.
keep the love flowing–volunteer at one of their sock monkey workshops!
SOCK MONKEY WORKSHOP PROGRAM FOR ARTISTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS Volunteers are needed to sew sock monkey dolls. We sell the dolls online to benefit fresh art’s programs. You do not need to know how to make them, we’ll teach you how. However, you must be able to sew by hand. We meet every other Monday evening from 6:30-8 pm at the fresh art office. Please call us (646-262-3273) if you are interested in joining us.
bags for the people
if you are looking for a cool goodie bag to send your guests home with, search no further.
bags for the people is a super cool group of super sweet people working to counter the use of plastic bags. the journey started with three friends simply handing out their free totess at union square weekly green market. using recycled clothing and other random fabrics, they craft up one-of-a-kind bags for all your toting needs.
catch them teaching their stuff :
mon, november 16, 4pm – 8pm
etsy labs
55 washington st
brooklyn
they also do workshops for K-12 and the elderly.
