DIY: Organic Cotton Jumper

Here is an easy DIY organic cotton jumper tutorial I posted on You Tube! It's a quick project that only requires cutting out two panels and sewing them together - I drew the pattern on scrap paper first then used that to cut the two shapes out of the fabric. The main measurements you'll need is your hip, waist and the length of your shoulder to waist (torso). This jumper is made in 100% organic cotton, low impact dye and was scrap fabric sold for $3 by Spiritex (a local organic cotton weaver). I was inspired to make this style by the re-surge of 80's gear, the Ting Ting's video, and my friend Bort who wears overalls.
Throw this jumper on over your favorite shirt and make a sassy organic outfit in a instant!

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!

Holiday Bike Ride!

This is Part 2 of my holiday plans - I rode my bike around my neighborhood and looked at holiday lights, saw X-mas trees lit up in windows, and wished that all these lights were LED or solar! Asheville doesn't have nearly the amount of decorated houses that New Orleans had - or maybe no one can afford the electric bill this year... either way it's a bonus for the environment. Enjoy the pics...

PS- My good friend Bort used to work for an X-mas tree farm and said not only are the trees sprayed with pesticides but they are sprayed with PAINT too! Now that is f-en gross! Buy Organic :) xoxo

Winter Woods

For the holiday I have two plans... to walk in the woods and then at night to ride my bike and look at holiday lights on houses. Here are pictures from Part 1 of my X-mas Day. After all the crazed consumerism mixed with a slumpy economy the woods are a breath of fresh air (literally)! Happy Holidays! xoxo

Humor: Fail Blog

These pics are from the ever so hysterical Fail Blog, full of crazy pics and videos of things that are just plain wrong! Take some time to relax and giggle at their website - let the holiday stress go!

Organic Larkin Dress

Is this organic purple dress not the cutest thing ever? Could be the beautiful color or the sultry library scene - but I love designer Melissa Baswell of MOTM's new organic winter collection! I have had a thing for the color of royalty ever since I had my purple skinny jeans with side zippers in 8th grade... but FIY the dress is available in twilight blue too. :)
xoxo

DIY: Sewing Organic Lingerie Part 3 and 4

Yay! Here are two new organic lingerie tutorials/videos- both saucy sets are made from locally purchased organic cotton scrap fabric. This fabric is the end of the line cut up pieces (of all shapes and sizes) left over from Spiritex's organic fabric production here in Asheville NC. Scraps are sold for prices usually between $1.50- $5.00 ... and that is dang cheap!

*So go HERE to watch Sewing with Organic Cotton Part 3, to see how to make a camisole and shortie set with side ties...

*Then go HERE to see Sewing with Organic Cotton Part 4 and check out the orange and black 'bandeaux' top with drawstring tap shorts!!!

Ecoland Organic Undergarments on Sale

Organic undies are not always affordable and finding a good sturdy organic bra is not easy! Ecoland makes dye free organic basics that everyone loves because they are well priced and long lasting... and now they are ON SALE! The ultra comfy Ecoland Organic Underwire Bra is only $25 ($10 OFF), the matching organic tank is now only $12.50, and you can buy the hipsters two pack for a cheap $18 (that means only $9 for a pair of 100% organic panties!)
Check it out at The Oko Box!

Organic Winter Accessories On SALE!

Shopping for earth friendly winter gear just got a whole lot easier! You can get organic cotton cable knit gloves for only $12.50, a matching organic cotton & tencel 1940's retro winter hat for the same price, hemp knit hats for under $10, and a plethora of other winter warmers for prices better then you can find slave made options for at the mall! Our silky soft 6 ft long hemp scarf (available in black and rose) is marked down to only $10 -
so make sure to support a healthy planet while holiday shopping this season!
PS - There's still plenty time to order online, all packages are shipped USPS priority mail and there is an option to upgrade to Express mail!

Here is an email I received today from a customer who bought the Organic Cable Gloves:

"I received the gloves yesterday and LOVE them!! They are so comfortable and warm! Thank you all for such wonderful customer service - I had only ordered them a couple of days before - and thank you for the personalized note on the enclosed invoice - you all are wonderful!! With the wonderful, stylish and eco friendly (wallet friendly too!) products that the Oko Box offers, and your over-the-top customer service, I will be a return customer!! Thank you again!! Happy Holidays! "

~Susan Yeager-Jordan

Love you Susan!!! Thanks!

DIY: Bamboo Clothes Drying Rack

During the winter it's a little more complicated to hang dry clothes since it has to be done inside the house. You can save electricity though by not using a conventional clothes dryer, but instead by mooching off your winter heat source with a DIY rack! I made this bamboo clothes rack with only three materials : 1. bamboo cut from my back yard 2. jute twine 3. scissors !

Because the bamboo I had available was very thin I used the twine to tie a few pieces together for greater strength. I made four poles total to hold the cross bars for hanging clothes.

Then I made a tee-pee triangle shape out of the four poles, creating two support beams for the right and left sides. And tied thin bamboo across - laying flat in the open triangle up top.

I added two more bamboo beams across the lower half to hang more clothes - with the twine you can add as many levels as you want, as long as you don't overload the bamboo with too much weight in wet clothes.

Here is where I need the advice of a builder, engineer or 3-D thinker... it is perfectly fine to hang clothes on, but I had to lean it up against one wall to get it completely sturdy - does anyone know what should be added to make this entirely stand alone and supported?

In the meantime, this is one bad ass drying machine! Works like a charm and holds a surprising amount of weight! If you don't have bamboo, you can try using tree branches too - it's all about using resources you have right around you and FREE.

Make sure to place your clothes near your winter heat source so they can dry fully & quickly. :)

xoxo

Holiday Sale: 50% OFF Organic Clothing!

The economy is tanking and budgets are tight, but you still want to shop green this season? No problem cause I just marked down bunches of men's and women's items at The Oko Box 50%- 70% off the original retail price! (Like the Kimono Cardigan Sweater below is marked down from $150 to $50!) Go HERE or click any of the pics below to check out the sale section! There is still time to shop - all orders are sent USPS priority or you can upgrade to USPS Express shipping to have it delivered overnight! Shop earth friendly & affordable this holiday season!