Eco Peeve Friday: Noise Pollution

It may or may not have snuck by you last week, but I skipped out on my eco peeve friday. So this friday I have chosen a broad eco peeve that will cover a few problems. Yesterday when I was walking home from the bank I heard some really intense base which I thought was coming from a ghettolicious car. When all the cars flew on by and the booming continued I dreaded to think that it was actually getting louder with each step towards my house. By two blocks away I already felt myself starting to twitch - there was a drumming circle going on and it was next door to my house. From the road I could see about 20 or so happy hippy ladies very seriously banging the shit out of giant drums, a triangle, and who knows what shaped instruments. While I am sure they were having a good time the whole neighborhood was being subjected to their personal live music taste (something similar to a High School Mardi Gras marching band gone tribal), and being an all drum band it was F@#KING LOUD. So noisy that other neighbors were screaming out their window in between songs, and coming outside scratching their heads in annoyed amazement. Amazed at how that many adults got together and agreed that it wasn't totally selfish to create seizure inducing levels of noise at 5 o'clock on a weekday, in an otherwise quiet neigborhood. In my opinion noise pollution is a real problem in modern society because there is nothing worse for the planet then shit tons of angry edgy annoyed people walking around big cities. I know from experience the more high strung I become the less patience I will have for earth friendly endeavours since I am too busy seething with disgust at the noise level. Drum circles in the middle of a neighborhood are on par with my major eco peeve LEAF BLOWERS! Leaf Blowers are insanely noisy, pollute like crazy and make no sense at all. With the lack of exercise most people get they should go ahead and try a rake. Or even better yet let the leaves stay where they fall since they naturally decay and fertilize soil. Wow, just like nature intended and without man made fertilizers!

If you have a noise pollution problem in your area, look up your local police & the noise pollution laws. When I called my local police, someone else had already called and complained about the same drum circle - um yeah, and the police DID stop it. I can say though just like any good defiant hippy drum circle once the police began to drive away they played one last closing ceremony song...more quietly.

Summer Flash: Hot Eco Bikinis

There are many great things happening to eco fashion, as it branches out of it's safe little cocoon and spreads it's wings into more fringed opportunities. Like how organic wedding dresses & organic lingerie were once a figment of only your imagination but now are an exquisite reality, sexy swimwear in organic cotton is no longer a fantasy. Not sure you believe me? Check out The Green Set blog this week,

where she is uncovering every eco swimmy in existence! Hooray! The hotties pictured here are by designers Kelly B and Machja. Machja is a rare thing in the US (exclusively at The Oko Box), and the only other chance of getting this hot organic swimsuit is in Europe.

I know the pics here don't look very beachy, but that's because there are no beaches in the smokey mountains - which is where I live. We wear our eco bikinis in the woods, in caves, & around muddy creeks and ponds. ;)

How Do You Get A Peach Seed Out A Peach Pit?

I got soooo excited when after I ate an organic apricot I popped open the pit with a nut cracker and out flew the apricot seed. I immediately filled a pot with dirt and leaves and planted it, then was on to the next piece of fruit. But damn, peach pits are like rock walls around the special prize (a little almond shaped seed), and if only it took three licks to get to the center of the peach pit! (Don't try that at home, it's poisonous.) I pushed, I chipped away, I tried to be all zen and meditate the seed out of there - but to no avail. How DO you get the seed out of the pit?
My new experiment is to soak it in a jar of water into a weak walled oblivion, so that the nut cracker will magically open the soggy pit with ease. Think it will work?
Does anyone have any suggestions?

Teen Finds Way to Biodegrade Plastic Bags In 3 Months

"May 22, 2008
Karen Kawawada
RECORD STAFF
WATERLOO
Getting ordinary plastic bags to rot away like banana peels would be an environmental dream come true.
After all, we produce 500 billion a year worldwide and they take up to 1,000 years to decompose. They take up space in landfills, litter our streets and parks, pollute the oceans and kill the animals that eat them.
Now a Waterloo teenager has found a way to make plastic bags degrade faster -- in three months, he figures.
Daniel Burd's project won the top prize at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Ottawa. He came back with a long list of awards, including a $10,000 prize, a $20,000 scholarship, and recognition that he has found a practical way to help the environment.
Daniel, a 16-year-old Grade 11 student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute, got the idea for his project from everyday life.
"Almost every week I have to do chores and when I open the closet door, I have this avalanche of plastic bags falling on top of me," he said. "One day, I got tired of it and I wanted to know what other people are doing with these plastic bags."
The answer: not much. So he decided to do something himself.
He knew plastic does eventually degrade, and figured microorganisms must be behind it. His goal was to isolate the microorganisms that can break down plastic -- not an easy task because they don't exist in high numbers in nature.
First, he ground plastic bags into a powder. Next, he used ordinary household chemicals, yeast and tap water to create a solution that would encourage microbe growth. To that, he added the plastic powder and dirt. Then the solution sat in a shaker at 30 degrees.
After three months of upping the concentration of plastic-eating microbes, Burd filtered out the remaining plastic powder and put his bacterial culture into three flasks with strips of plastic cut from grocery bags. As a control, he also added plastic to flasks containing boiled and therefore dead bacterial culture.
Six weeks later, he weighed the strips of plastic. The control strips were the same. But the ones that had been in the live bacterial culture weighed an average of 17 per cent less.
That wasn't good enough for Burd. To identify the bacteria in his culture, he let them grow on agar plates and found he had four types of microbes. He tested those on more plastic strips and found only the second was capable of significant plastic degradation.
Next, Burd tried mixing his most effective strain with the others. He found strains one and two together produced a 32 per cent weight loss in his plastic strips. His theory is strain one helps strain two reproduce.
Tests to identify the strains found strain two was Sphingomonas bacteria and the helper was Pseudomonas.
A researcher in Ireland has found Pseudomonas is capable of degrading polystyrene, but as far as Burd and his teacher Mark Menhennet know -- and they've looked -- Burd's research on polyethelene plastic bags is a first.
Next, Burd tested his strains' effectiveness at different temperatures, concentrations and with the addition of sodium acetate as a ready source of carbon to help bacteria grow.
At 37 degrees and optimal bacterial concentration, with a bit of sodium acetate thrown in, Burd achieved 43 per cent degradation within six weeks.
The plastic he fished out then was visibly clearer and more brittle, and Burd guesses after six more weeks, it would be gone. He hasn't tried that yet.
To see if his process would work on a larger scale, he tried it with five or six whole bags in a bucket with the bacterial culture. That worked too.
Industrial application should be easy, said Burd. "All you need is a fermenter . . . your growth medium, your microbes and your plastic bags."
The inputs are cheap, maintaining the required temperature takes little energy because microbes produce heat as they work, and the only outputs are water and tiny levels of carbon dioxide -- each microbe produces only 0.01 per cent of its own infinitesimal weight in carbon dioxide, said Burd.
"This is a huge, huge step forward . . . We're using nature to solve a man-made problem."
Burd would like to take his project further and see it be used. He plans to study science at university, but in the meantime he's busy with things such as student council, sports and music."

Via : kkawawada@therecord.com

Eco Bridal: Organic Wedding Dress

From high end couture designs in eco silk, 100% locally grown organic cotton, second hand gowns on auction and DIY, this is a joyfully fun list of all the cool organic wedding gowns there are to choose from! You don't have to compromise your style, elegance or celebration in order to make your day eco friendly - now there are so many great choices out there it will only enhance the beauty & solidify your environmental values. Whether your budget be large or on a shoe string there will be something for you in this list :)- and that is something to celebrate!
1.Designer Rene Geneva makes incredible, show stopper, eco wedding gowns and corsets (as pictured here)- using sustainable materials such as hemp, organic cotton, and eco silk. This is for the high end eco wedding, these ethical bridal dresses can price well into $3,000 range- but holy crap they are awesome!
2. Get Conscious makes extraordinary eco wedding gowns for every genre, from the clean lined strapless (as pictured), to the flowy Marilyn Monroe, Flamingo Dancing, Mermaid, and various other fun designs. Seriously, these dresses have character! Their prices start around $630 and go up well into $2,000 range for their eco couture styles. They also carry bridesmaid & groom gear.
3. Thread Head Creations -Choices! Choices! At Threadhead Creations you can choose from a handful of organic bridal designs already on the rack, or design your own dress, or even work one on one with designer Rai-Lynne to design your very own dream dress. All materials used are sustainable fabrics like hemp/silk blends. These dresses are very affordable (as far as organic weddings go) starting at $475.
4. Isadora has designed a beautiful stylish bamboo wedding gown that is absolutely gorgeous!!! This is for the wedding goddess in you. It runs about $750, which for an all eco wedding gown is pretty reasonable, or rather comparable to a traditionally made gown (aka-sweatshop/bad for the earth).
5. Wholly JO - Custom made eco wedding dress created exactly the way you want it, by someone who lovingly will help you design just the right one for you. Only drawback for gals in the USA is this designer is based in the UK - Prices start around $600. Check out her picture gallery for inspiration! For those in the USA, try Olivia Luca who provides the same personalized service as the UK's Wholly Jo.
6. Gaia Conceptions is an eco designer on Etsy, her organic Wedding dress is made with locally grown and milled organic cotton, this is a simple formal wedding gown that you can have custom designed, starting with this basic example. AWESOME price at only $250!!!
7. RawGanique- Not my favorite store (because they don't always return e-mails from customers and dang their website is cluttered), but they do offer a reasonably priced eco wedding gown for $369, made of fine hemp linen. And for those of you on an eco budget, this is one of the cheapest options on the market.
8. Spiritex - here is an article local to Asheville NC, where our local organic clothing/fabric maker SPIRITEX has added organic, bamboo, hemp and silk wedding gowns & bridesmaid gowns to their collection. Call to order & ask questions (828-254-8949) because their designs are absolutely stunning (see picture at the top with waterfalls of fabric). A must see for the eco-bride!( Green Wedding Gown Guide for Asheville.)
9. Blue Sky Bridal (for wedding accessories) - an eco esty store that carries pretty organic & vintage wedding veils, wraps, and corsets. Prices start as low as $35.

QUICK UPDATES: (July 2008)::: (Found these wedding dress gems on Sprig):::
www.adelewechsler.com - made with certified organic hemp and vegetable dyes.
www.naturalbridals.com - made of silk and sustainable hemp.
www.deborahlindquist.com - vintage lace, sustainable hemp and silk.
www.whitechocolatelabel.com - sustainable and organic materials.
www.consciouselegance.co.uk - hemp, silk and 100% pure unbleached cotton.

NOW for the part I LOVE... this section is the re-wear, second hand, vintage, charity donation, & DIY wedding gowns! Some are so affordable & you can get so creative with, you'll be dizzy with post marital giggles.

1. E-bay - for a crazy amount of used & vintage wedding gowns - sometimes priced as low as $5 ! Whoa that's freaken cheap and totally eco friendly! :) You can have your seamstress transform these old bridal gowns into new one of a kind creations, and leave almost no environmental footprint behind!
2. Brides Against Breast Cancer - This is the place to buy once worn and new donated gowns, and supporting breast cancer awareness ta' boot. They tour the USA with their collection, plus it currently says their online store is "coming soon". That could be now- so check it out :) (http://www.makingmemories.org/)
3. The Frock - Exquisite, stunning, fabulous vintage wedding dresses, that would make a drag queen shed tears! These though are not cheap, running $1,000 and way up. The selection is 16 pages long, and every gown is a complete showstopper.
4. ETSY - This is the place for everything affordable & handmade, making the carbon footprint lighter, and the wedding dress, accessories, and party supplies more intimate. Supporting small businesses who don't use slave labor & mass manufacturing processes will always be the more earth friendly option.
5. DIY - A great way to go would be hire your local seamstress who can wip up your pretty dream dress from a picture or pattern (look for vintage patterns on e-bay and at local thrift stores), and purchase the organic fabric online from a store like Near Sea Naturals - who sells swatches and samples so you feel it before you decide what you want.
Also look to Crafting A Green World, for a long list of fabulous eco fabric stores online. The types of fabric with the most traditional look and feel would be hemp/silk blends, tencel or eco silk.
Learn about how beautiful upcycling old clothing can be here. Try Amour Sans Anguish for inspiration!
Now go get yourself a saucy eco gown and get married!!! :)

PS- for some eco friendly party supplies try www.ecoparti.com , which carries earth friendly wedding favors including soy candles, natural soaps, and seed favors. They also offer tossing cones, baskets, freeze dried rose petals and biodegradable ecofetti!

Calling All Eco Fashionistas!

Yo! Here at The Oko Box, I wanna see how you sport your eco fashion - and am asking all you lovely oko box customers & those who wear your earth lovin' beliefs on your sleeve (literally) to send in photos of yourself flaunting your organic duds! Whether you bought them at The Oko Box, BTC Elements, NIMILI or made them yourself- Send your favorite pic of you to info@theokobox.com so we can feature your eco saucey self right here on the blog :) The best pic will win a $20 gift card to The Oko Box!

FUN ! This pic is of me & my kitty "Toots", in my organic Kelly B Bikini (my favorite organic summer item)- sporting a 80's side pony tail and totally tubular attitude! Yes!

Girl Reconstructed: Upcycling Old Clothes - Crafting A Green World

Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle! In the wild wonderful world of crafting you know these are our way of life, in spite of what the mega big box craft stores would like us to think. So this week I set a goal: what can I do with only thrifted pre loved materials? Second hand stores are gleaming with craft finds like retro sewing patterns, stacks of fabric, old curtains, sheets and clothes. Clothes that not even your grandmaw could love anymore…but what if all these things could be reconstructed into something new? Craftalicious designers like ....
Read the rest of this article at Crafting A Green World!

My Organic Garden...So Far

I want to give a little nod of recognition to my garden, for being so good :)
This year I started my organic garden with only a hoe, and no extra compost, no bags of special top soil, no hose, no rain barrel, & no metal rake. Just the dirt that was already there, a small list of plants that heart one another, and the king of all tools- the hoe. I have let the rain do most the watering, and occasionally I bring out the watering can if they seem rather parched.
And so far, this garden is kicken butt! I mean it is really rocken' the yard, with peas, kale, bok choy, radishes, squashes, cucumbers...
I really like to think, that nature provides and we don't always need to add alot to it. It's awesome the way it is.

Underwear Making Class In Brooklyn!

The ever so stylish, adorable and smart Supayana is giving a pantie tutorial over in Brooklyn, NY ... so all you lucky New Yorkers go sign up, so I can live vicariously through you!!!!

Announced on:

May 21, 2008 9:35 AM
Subject:
Underwear-making class next week in Brooklyn- sign up!
Body:
I'm teaching another underwear making class next week at Etsy Labs in Brooklyn next week.

Here's a link to the listing:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=44293 Message me if you have any questions!

Hope to see you there!

xo - Yana

Non Stop Green Light

Now this is amazing good news on the lighting without electricity front - you remember glow sticks don't ya? Those wild green cylindrical orbs you carried around at Halloween, parties, raves, clubs, or maybe like me during Mardi Gras!?! Well, the glow stick company has come up with a lighting solution that has fabulous implications for the future : a light that glows for over 12 years after exposure, which needs no sun or electric till that time has run out- then recharge. Whoa. Yes, this is unreal super sci fi news... and although I agree with some that the odd creepy green light may not be what we want 24/7 there are many applications & implications for this invention.

"Litroenergy is a patent pending designed light source material that emits light for 12 plus years- without electricity or sun exposure!
Our development/design of long-life, self-luminous micro particles called Litrospheres (non-toxic) emit light continuously for 12 plus years (half-life point) without any exposure to a light or other energy (not effected by cold or heat). This extremely low cost material offers 24/7 light, which can be injection molded or added to paint. It is 5,000lb crush resistant, stable and constant light source (gives off no U.V. rays). It is designed to give off almost any color of light desired. Our goal is to mass produce this material and supply OEM’s.
Litroenergy has potential to save billions of dollars in energy costs world-wide. Litroenergy surpasses all known available lighting options for cost/durability/reliability (12+ years) and safety. The uses are unlimited as the imagination; however we predict the safety aspects to be the front runner in application (light safety tape, lighted life rafts/flotation equipment, light safety markings/equipment, etc.). Supplemental light source will be second as the material is bright and one can read by it, if you have some Litroenergy lighting you will not need to always turn on a light source that requires electricity. The use of Litroenergy in toys, sports/camping equipment, bikes and novelty uses will be close in applications.
The fill rate of Litroenergy micro particles in plastic injection molding material or paint is about 20%. The cost to light up 8 ½ x 11 piece of plastic 1/8” thick is about .35 cents.
We appreciate this opportunity to introduce our patent pending designed Litroenergy light source material to the world. "

How would you like to see this lighting solution used? Porch lights, flash lights.....?

Eco Auction @ The Oko Box

Organic Clothing is already a rare niche, but if you are the super rare one of a kind collectible type you will L-O-V-E the eco auction @ the oko box! These garments for auction are exclusive one or two of a kind samples made by hot eco designers such as RYANN and ECOGANIK. These creations never went to production, and would otherwise be sitting in storage tucked away in the designer's dark closet never basking in the spotlight it deserves.
Call it couture, call it unique, call it simple, cute, trendy - any way you look at it these hot samples rock, and bidding starts at the lowly wholesale price!

Eco BUNGA!

If you are looking for eco thrills, chills and deals - including crazy sweepstakes that give away hybrid cars - scoot over to Eco Bunga! The newest collaborative discount website, which features all the usual categories, but this time everyone's got a deal just for you. When the Eco bunga team realized the top reason people didn't buy organic & earth lovin' was because of high prices they decided to get together and offer a place for everyone to get a deal. Customers are in eco heaven, and eco savvy businesses are too since it's free to list your special promotion. Eco Bunga has everything, from sales, buy 2 get 1 free, free shipping, huge prize giveaways, and major discounts from all your favorite earth friendly store like Under The Canopy, Organic Bouquet, Organic Imaginings, and The Oko Box (of course).

So what are you waiting for!? Stimulate your stimulus check with major discounts on earth friendly gear! ECO BUNGA!

Organic Underwear

The organic undies selection at The Oko Box just keeps on getting bigger- and the good news is the swell is not over yet. From your organic basics to downright racy eco intimates, there is something for your everyday wear or your inner sex kitten. Yay!

Fabulous brands such as The Organic Cotton Company who make all their "Clean Undies" in 100% Organic Pima Cotton, Ecoland's pure and simple organic cotton bras, hipster pantie and tank, and Clare Bare's cutting edge eco lingerie handmade only from reclaimed vintage fabrics . Men can join in the party too, with the popular classic brief and sport brief in organic pima cotton with no elastic around your *sensitive* areas (which causes low sperm count!)

Coming soon to The Oko Box will be intimates designer On The Inside who is local to Asheville NC, using hand selected organic fabrics also woven locally by Spiritex.

On The Inside makes sexy organic lingerie that's comfy, casual and yet ultra feminine, colorful and bootylicious!

Get your organic underwear on here!

Get It, Got It , Good

ORGANIC
CLOTHES
R
AWESEOME

Enough Said ;)

Shop @ The Oko Box, and get FREE shipping with the code "okolove" ! YAY !

Eco Peeve Friday: 54 Luft Balloons

(This Eco Peeve Friday is written by guest author Nick Coe):

I work counseling adults with developmental disabilities in North Carolina. A couple of weeks ago one of my clients died. Yesterday a tree was planted in her honor and there was a commemoration ceremony. A dark enough event without me having to write an
eco-peeve Friday about it!!

I was informed earlier in the week that 60 balloons were going to be released in her honor. 1 for each of the clients and staff. 60 balloons to potentially suffocate animals with and poison the soil. I was appalled. Would anyone really want to be commemorated in such a way?

It's such a common tradition in our country. I remember as a child I used to love letting go of my balloons to watch them drift off into the sky until they were a speck, finally disappearing altogether. If I knew then what I know now about the impact of balloons on animals there is no way I would have taken
such pleasure in that act.

I had to file a complaint about the balloons. Nothing else to it. My complaint was considered and the number was reduced to 6 balloons. I'm helping to save the planet 54 balloons at a time!!!

As a society we need to take a look at our actions and measure what is helpful and what is potentially harmful. Sure doing things like releasing balloons is great when you are ignorant like a child but when you actually stop and think about how your pleasure may bring pain and even death to other living beings it is time to find new traditions. I think planting a tree is a great start.

Crafting A Green World: DIY Easy Eco Lingerie

"If you’ve ever cruised the Internet & local boutiques for eco friendly lingerie you know right away that these tiny little intimates cost an entire day’s work (and then some). But the thought of turning back to slave made big box skivvies just does not feel sexy! To fuel my ,ehem, addiction to having new earth lovin’ panties I had to learn how to upcycle my own. Here is how to make yourself some luscious green lingerie for less $ then a gallon of gasoline, using one old scarf for fabric....."

Read the rest of this easy eco lingerie craft here !

PS- This snazzy project got a mention in the LA Times Emerald City Blog! YAY!

My Favorite Spring Dress Contest- Vote Organic!

Time to show the world how much we LOVE organic clothing! Kaboodle is holding a contest for your fav warm weather frock, and of course I entered the lovely "Clean Up or Die" dress by designer Katharine Hamnett. Go HERE to vote ( or "adore") this organic dress, so together we can turn around the fashion industry by taking over one main stream contest at a time ;)

Want to buy this dress? Get it at The Oko Box for only $60!

Solar Powered Bra by Triumph

Good Gawd! When I saw this on Hippyshopper my first thought was "WTF?" ... what could you do with a solar powered bra? Before investigating I assumed this was some sort of heating pad for your boobies, like maybe people in very very cold countries are clamouring for warm parts and this warm bra is their god send. But alas, I was wrong - this bra gathers solar power from the sun and then you can talk on your phone, plug in your toaster, or maybe blow dry your hair with the energy harnessed off your chest.
hmmmm... I still am thinking "WTF?", because who wears their bra out on the town? Maybe this bra says alot more about it's designer's frame of mind, then it could ever possibly say about helping the environment. Green Washing much?

Photograph: Junko Kimura/Getty Images

Guest Author: Nick- Keep Your 'Butt' Where It Belongs

Leslie was too tired last Friday to post an Eco-Peeve
Friday blog but I am glad to take up the mantle a little late. I've had an eco-peeve I have to deal with all the time; people throwing cigarette butts out of their car windows! I can't tell you how many people I've seen mindlessly tossing their nasty (and often burning) cigarettes out of their cars while I'm driving behind them,
giving me (not so eco-friendly) fantasies of smashing my car into theirs...

I was reading some websites that talk about cigarette butt litter and got even more peeved with the information I found. Not only are cigarettes the number 1 cause of fire related death but the butts themselves are horrible for the environment. It takes up to 15 years for 1 cigarette butt to biodegrade.
It's estimated 700 billion cigarette butts on 1 site, and trillions on another are littered every year. 200 of which contain enough nicotine to kill an adult human. The chemicals are being released into the soil and washed into creaks, streams, and the ocean...Yum give me some of that poison! Thanks for being so thoughtful!
If you are a smoker beware! Next time I might decide
to live out my fantasies!!!

whyquit.com
cigarettelitter.org/

The Oko Box Hearts The Green Set

Just wanting to give another shout out to THE GREEN SET blog, who gave a nice mention of The Oko Box! The Green Set writes about all about the lastest and hard to find sustainable fashion and beauty products. I absolutely love her zany writing style, which is not only slightly odd, but super humorous... and did you know that giggling alot is very good for your health?! A healthy you makes a healthy planet!
Other Blogs I Love :
Eco-Chick
Crafting A Green World
Tiny Choices

Eco Action Check List

So here's my personal Eco Check List of things I do and things I would like to start doing for the environment. Share your own list in the comments section, so we can see all the little ways we are making a difference!

*I bring reusable hemp shopping bags everywhere I go.

*I recycle all my plastic, cans, glass, paper, etc...

*I eat 100% organic, and also from local farmer's markets.

*I buy sustainable, vintage, organic, fair trade, or natural fiber clothing & accessories when i need something "new".

*I would like to have a full house water filtration system, because for health reasons I still drink bottled water (spring/artisian) and feel the bottles are wasteful and not healthy themselves due to BPA contamination. (But i am highly sensitive to any amount of chlorine).

*I cut down on "extra stuff" and keep only the basic necessities for furniture, cooking, gardening, and general living.

*I walk ALOT. I fill up my truck with gas about once every 4-6 months, and live in town so I can get everything I need without having to drive.

*I would like to own my own house, rather then rent because I feel I could do so much more to be energy efficient if I had full rule over my domain ;)

* I am on a medical diet, I can't buy bulk food which reduces plastic/packaging waste, because of the gluten dust on dried goods... this one REALLLLLLLLY bothers me. I really want the whole dusting food with wheat thing to stop so I can go back to earth friendly bulk buying.

*I cook all my meals, 3 x's a day.

*I donate anything I don't use to local thrift stores.

Now it's you turn!!! :)

Crafting A Green World : DIY for BYOB !

Check out this snazzy DIY instructional on Crafting A Green World, on how to make your own BYOB market tote out of old jean scraps. Super cute, and easy to do...and you only need a few supplies. If you don't have old jeans, you could use other fabric scraps too - as long as they are sturdy enough to be used as a grocery tote.
Get Crafty!
Instructions are here. :)

Eco Peeve Friday: Being So Tired I Can't Be Peeved

What really annoys me today is that I am soooooo tired I could not rev up enough chutzpah to write about anything that truly peeves me off. Oh and how long the eco peeve list is, but how nice the grass and sun were as I laid there motionless. Sorry, instead of crusading to save the earth today, I just laid on it and took a rest :)
PS- Here is a photo of the new "stop wars" tank, maybe you can wear this and casually warp the minds of pro-war people who love Star Wars, to come over to the 'peace side'.

Men's Organic Jeans

If these aren't the sexiest men's organic jeans ever! Corsican eco designer MACHJA has been acclaimed as the organic "Gap" of Europe, but I find their detailing, design, quality and ethics so far superior to anything the gap has ever dreamed of. And this season's organic denim from Machja is no exception. I think they may have even outdone themselves with the sturdy quality, seductive shade of indigo blue and the fab signature "M" stitched on the back pockets of the Martingala Jean.
Coming to The Oko Box in the next few days, with Machja's organic men's Figari shirt and organic Ombro polo(shown in this picture).

Free Shipping Coupon @ The Oko Box

This is just for those of you who are savvy enough to find my blog and be reading this! Free Shipping @ The Oko Box for an unlimited amount of time is just a click away... just type in the code "okolove" during checkout ;)
Yay for discounts, especially those on eco fashion!
xoxox
ps- more men's organic clothing is arriving this week, and don't forget to check out CLARE BARE eco lingerie, soooo sexy.

Hand Soap, Literally

I don't know if this Hand Soap creeps me out, makes me want to laugh, or if I should buy this as a Mothers Day Gift for my Mom?!!?? Leave it to the plethora of personalities and indie humor at Etsy to have something this bizarre and funny available. The little hands are made of goats milk, vegetable glycerin, and light lavender scent, and for just $17.00 you can get 10 hands to gift "to a friend with dirty paws". Yes, but is it just me or does it feel like all those little hands are reaching out to you from some Freddy Kruger's Nightmare On Elm Street type pool of dispair? This visually rivals with the baby doll arm coat rack that hangs on the wall and the freaky doll hands take your coat & hat for you. (not mine, thank you - I'll just hold on to them.)

Get some Hand Soap to freak out your guests, friends or mom at Foliage on Esty.

Something Fresh For Lunch?

Had to share my excitement, I got to eat from my organic garden for the first time this season!!! This is a picture of the organic French Breakfast & White Icycle radishes I grew from seed & picked for my lunch. Despite the lack of rain they still have grown pretty large, smelled something like wasabi, and tasted oh so yummy in my stir fry over organic rice noodles. If you can't grow your own garden the next best thing will be your local farmers market, which is much fresher then even the organic grocery chains. Local farmers usually have picked those veggies fresh the night before or that morning, and are far more eco friendly, produce less CO2 in transport and are healthy too.
Eat Fresh- eat from your yard or local farmers market!

Retired Jeans Revival

There are so many things we can do to upcycle our old jeans, ugly thrift jeans, or your partner's jeans you secretly want to cut up! And these project ideas don't always have to look like something only a tween could love (no offense tweens cause you will love these ideas here too!)
Try a few of these projects on:
**DIY: Upcycle Old Jeans Into A Sexy Mini - this instructional will inspire you to make those funky out of style jeans into a brand new sexy mini skirt!
**DIY: How to Save Your Favorite Jeans - always wanted to know how to patch that hole, and keep your dream jeans alive... this will tell you how.
**What Can You Do With Jeans? There's a plethora of ideas out there for jeans, including making your own i-pod case and organizer.

Right now I am working on a BYOB jean project, made from the left over legs of the jeans I cut to make the upcycle denim mini skirts :)
What have you done with your old jeans, if you have any stories please share!!!

Clare Bare Lingerie Arriving Monday!

Can we just say ADORABLE!?! Designer/Artist Clare Bare's vintage fabric lingerie will be available at The Oko Box starting Monday evening. Each one is part of a limited edition or is strictly a one of a kind creation made from limited amounts of sassy vintage fabric. Buying things re-made of fabric already produced is the most eco friendly option possible, because no new resources are being used or creating demand. It's all about upcycling, re-use, re-wear, and re-creation. And what fabulous results it can give! Super sexy eco lingerie, handmade by a brilliant artist at prices far more affordable then most eco designers (this bra and pantie set pictured here is only $48). Yay Clare, you rock!
There will be some other styles available too, bloomers, garters, camisoles and ruffly panties - check it out @ The Oko Box!

The Global War In Your Pants

Thanks to Siel, The Green LA Girl, for posting this hysterical video from Jon Stewart about Abstinence Only Education. The USA spends 1.3 billion a year on these programs, and teen pregnancy has only risen since switching away from comprehensive sex education. Just what we need, more over population problems.



Um, and thanks Jon Stewart for your dry humping idea!

Crafting A Green World

Want to know how to green your crafting style, and stop the out of control addiction to china made craft supplies? I know how it is, I was once a Hobby Lobby junkie- I couldn't stop buying chemical dyed feathers, miniature anything, sea shells, fake flowers, iron ons, glues, tiny starfish ... it goes on and on. But we are entering a future where the environment will need to be considered in every purchase. Crafters have the power to change the market & create not only cool DIY but also a cleaner planet. That's why Crafting A Green World is here to help, you know kinda like rehab for the slave made craft supply addicted.
Thanks CAGW for making a safe place for eco friendly craft-a-holics everywhere!

PS- I write for Crafting A Green World now, so check out my posts on Fridays :)

Eco Peeve Friday: Dumping Paint Down the Drain!

You may wonder if I have seen this enough for it to be an eco peeve, and the sad fact is I have. People dump crazy amounts of toxic substances down drains, rather then take the time to dispose of them properly according to the law. Last winter there were some renovations going on across the street and I saw the man who'd bought the house dumping paint down the city sewer five times in one week! Sick Mister! It turned my stomach, and my one regret now is that I hadn't gotten a picture of it and called the police. (I know I know, what was I thinking?)
The best solution is to stop this madness of using stuff soooo freaken toxic in our homes, cause who the hell really wants bio hazardous waste on their walls?!? Think about it. If it pollutes the water, the soil and everything else- it's polluting your house too.

So in the meantime what can we do with toxic substances we either no longer want, or have finished using? Call your local garbage pick up or dump to ask where the nearest location is that handles toxic materials. There are special landfills designated for these types of toxic materials, that have "liners" in a massive hole to keep it from seeping into ground water & soil. Also check with Earth 911, that has guides to many city's recycling programs and places to dispose of paint. In the future just stop buying this sh*t, there's an alternative out there - non toxic paint is now available at tons of eco stores on the web, and many local big chains carry no VOC too.

Food Not Lawns

Last eco peeve friday I went off about how much lawnmowers annoy me. A friend tipped me off about this cool program called Food Not Lawns (Thanks Gabi)! I copied some info here for ya'll rather then recount such well stated and statistical ideas. (The following is taken from Food Not Lawns website.)

"French aristocrats popularized the idea of the green grassy lawn in the eighteenth century, when they planted the agricultural fields around their estates to grass, to send the message that they had more land than they needed and could therefore afford to waste some. Meanwhile, French peasants starved for lack of available ground, and the resulting frustration might have had something to do with the French Revolution in 1789.

Today, 58 million Americans spend approximately $30 billion every year to maintain over 23 million acres of lawn. That’s an average of over a third of an acre and $517 each. The same size plot of land could still have a small lawn for recreation, plus produce all of the vegetables needed to feed a family of six. The lawns in the United States consume around 270 billion gallons of water a week—enough to water 81 million acres of organic vegetables, all summer long.

Lawns use ten times as many chemicals per acre as industrial farmland. These pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides run off into our groundwater and evaporate into our air, causing widespread pollution and global warming, and greatly increasing our risk of cancer, heart disease, and birth defects. In addition, the pollution emitted from a power mower in just one hour is equal to the amount from a car being driven 350 miles. In fact, lawns use more equipment, labor, fuel, and agricultural toxins than industrial farming, making lawns the largest agricultural sector in the United States. But it’s not just the residential lawns that are wasted on grass. There are around 700,000 athletic grounds and 14,500 golf courses in the United States, many of which used to be fertile, productive farmland that was lost to developers when the local markets bottomed out.

Turf is big business. $45 billion a year big. The University of Georgia has seven turf researchers studying genetics, soil science, plant pathology, nutrient uptake, and insect management. They issue undergraduate degrees in Turf. The turf industry is responsible for a large sector of the biotech (GMO) industry, and much of the genetic modification that is happening in laboratories across the nation is in the name of an eternally green, slow growing, moss-free lawn"

I believe that these statements speak for themselves, clearly pointing out the consumeristic absurdity of the beloved suburban lawn. I am all about digging up our lawns - but I understand that for those who are renting the landlord may have to be convinced before you delve into your grass obliteration project. But for those who own homes with lawns, you can turn that turf into edible gardens, native gardens, wildlife habitats, raised bed gardens, stone pathways, with cascading morning glory vines and archways... you see where I am going with this. Your Lawn is a blank slate, a white canvas for you to create a beautiful natural garden with a purpose !!! One where no lawn mower will be required ;).