Good afternoon everyone!
I'm blogging over at the Botanical PaperWorks blog today, so please head over for ideas on celebrating UN World Water Day. It's coming up on March 22 and it's a great way to bring awareness to water conservation within our schools and communities.
Also check out this new press release about the Earth Day promotional products collection that we just launched. It's colorful and fun.
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I love flowers and plants and all things green. But I don't have time for fussy annuals, weeding and watering. So three summers ago, we hired friend and landscape designer Greg to transform our front and back gardens into low-maintenance, high-color beds of perennials.
Greg planted grasses and small shrubs, flowering perennials and creeping ground covers. The result is a gorgeous garden that needs almost no tending. We pull the occasional weed and once this month watered one of the dry beds, but otherwise the mulch keeps the exposed soil weed-free and moist.
I love the lushness of the garden and the buzzing, busy bees that visit, pollinating as they go.
Right now, the garden is a riot of yellows and purples.
Earlier in the season, we enjoyed blues and whites.
The creeping vines bloomed for the first time this summer and it was worth the wait.
In addition to my outdoor gardens, we've been growing pots of wildflower seed paper at work. Check out the photos of this plantable paper to see the beautiful buds grow into tall, splendid flowers.
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I'm looking for easy "acts of green" and changes that I can make to my life that make a small difference to the environment. An act of green is defined as small or large changes that we make which benefit the environment. One Million Acts of Green is a national movement to encourage individuals and groups to make these small changes. What I love about it is that if we all make small changes, those changes truly add up to make a big difference.
(Interestingly, my company Botanical PaperWorks was part of the One Million Acts of Green launch back in 2008 when we printed these plantable business cards for the organization)
So this week, I've made the decision to stop buying small containers of tea bags and to switch to loose tea. Yes, it's a small act but I figure that I go through 25 containers of tea per year so by buying tea instead from local business Cornelia Bean, I'm saving the packaging garbage, container shipping and the energy expended by tea bag manufacturing.
Plus, I'm supporting a locally-owned business and that means jobs for the local economy. This is one act of green that I'll be able to continue and that I'm glad that I've made.
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To live green means to reduce, reuse and recycle, right? One of the ways that I try to live green is with my jewelry. I made a conscious decision several years ago to stop buying cheap jewelry and to instead dig into my collection of vintage and reclaimed accessories.
I have a nice collection of costume jewelry from my great-grandmother, a special person who we called Nanny. From faux pearls to rhinestones, the pieces are unique and precious to me. Sometimes a piece will be more current than another, so I rotate through them as they are in style. But by keeping good care of the pieces, I'll ensure that they last for many decades to come.
Another source of jewelry is from my travels in my 20's. I had the good fortune to travel extensively in Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa and often received jewelry as a gift. The necklace that I'm wearing above was from Tunisia made with pounded silver and painted wooden beads. I treasure this piece because it reminds me of that trip and the people that I met. I'd rather wear this necklace strung with memories than a throw-away piece of fashion junk.
What about you? Do you have pieces of jewelry that hold special associations? Please share!
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Photo credit: The Long Thread
What are you up to today? As predicted yesterday in my post, I'm completely confused about what day it is. So what a surprise to wake up and find out that the week is half over...it's Wednesday!
To make this day more bright, here are some fun links:
Yummy French Onion Soup recipe from the always reliable Mennonite Girls Can Cook.
Super cute Monster Tooth Pillow craft project.
10 eco & easy Green Cleaning Tips from Family Circle.
Some basic Yoga moves in this video from Chatelaine (perfect for a mid-day stretch).
Enjoy!
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