Spring finally has sprung for us in the northwest and being the optimist I am, I refuse to believe it’s a false spring that will get our hopes up only to dash them with hail and sleet next week. I’m celebrating the moment and enjoying “window shopping” things that put me in a light-hearted mood.
My only issue with these Zulu grass necklaces from the Leakey Collection is that they come in too many gorgeous versions! How to choose just one?
Zulu grass is one of the eco-friendly options that designers Katy and Phillip Leakey offer on their site. The jewelry is handmade by the Maasai women of Kenya using these sustainable grass beads mixed with some glass ones. You are helping to support women and their families with your purchase and 5% of sales return to the local community for health and education.
The shape and 3/4 sleeves are what attracted me to this 100% organic cotton cardigan. While I’m a color fanatic, it’s useful to have wardrobe basics in dark colors, especially when I’m traveling. Also love that it’s made in downtown Los Angeles using low impact garment dyeing along with the organic cotton. From Shop Future Standard where you’ll find lots of other sustainably made clothing.
If I were going to move and could find the land and could build a house, this is what I’d choose—an affordable, sustainable modular home from Connect:Homes a Los Angeles-based prefab innovator. The company’s patent-pending modular system ships like shipping containers, but are most definitely not shipping container homes. Take a look at www.Connect-Homes.com and swoon along with me.
For you crafters out there, especially if you live in a city with no outdoor access (poor you), check out this succulent drawer. In this case, they used a drawer purchased from The Shoppe at Somerset, but you could do it with any small drawer. Waterproof the inside, drill a few holes in the bottom, place on a plate to catch the water and situate in a sunny window. Clever, cute, cheap—does it for me!
I’ve been passionate about Etsy ever since the site debuted. Etsy offers the largest collection of handmade and vintage items to be found on the web. But guess what’s even better—EcoEtsy! These makers and sellers not only create, but they do it with an eye toward sustainability—recycling and upcycling throwaways into every kind of treasure. Be sure to bookmark the site for all your purchasing needs from organic cotton fabric to recycled silver jewelry, wooden toys to toys for big boys (and you).
Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.
