Rant: Encouraging Waste

refurnisher — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:15:14 +0000

I’m not a Negative Nancy, really I’m not but there are some things that I see that just make me so mad I figure why not vent where I have a forum.

To start, I mentioned something on my Facebook page this week that really shocked me. We already know that Dunkin’ Donuts would get a low grade in my book for their “greeness” (anyone who still uses styrofoam would) but what what I saw, and have since learned they do this all the time, took their wastefulness to a whole other level. I saw a woman holding an iced drink that had a styrofoam cup around it to catch the condensation around the cup!!! I was ill. Really Dunkin’ Donuts?

Fast forward a few days.., there I was at the store looking for spoons for my little man who has become an “expert” at feeding himself. I stopped when I saw these “Take&Toss” spoons and stood there for a moment with my mouth open wide. Really, The First Years? Are you really condoning the practice of just tossing these spoons out? They can’t be re-used over and over again and then passed onto someone else who could use them? This is ridiculous! A quick internet search found that The First Years has a whole line of Take&Toss products. In a world where we have a mass of discarded plastic the size of two Texas’s combined floating in the Pacific ocean, it is disgraceful and irresponsible to be tossing out any plastic, especially if it’s reusable! Shame on you, The First Years.

What do you think? Do you agree? OK, I’ll get off my soap box now.

Showtime for Your Tootsies!

refurnisher — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:20:44 +0000

That’s right, your toes finally get to have their day in the sun…literally! The days are getting warmer which means it’s time for open-toes shoes some with dolled-up digits. Wahoo!

Most of us savvy ladies already know about the major toxic ingredients in standard nail polishes and there has been some recent news about a California report that finds that mail nail polishes are mislabeled as being free of toxic chemicals, but aren’t. Here are some great, green alternatives…with some sexy vegan sandals to go along.

Scotch Naturals nail polish in color Seaboard

Hearts of Darkness pink thong sandal

Zoya Harley silver polish

Novacas womens shoes

Priti Nails Red Maple #463

Black Okabashi flip flops here

Olsehaus flats with a pink strap.

RGB Nail Color in Minty.

What look will your little piggies sport this spring?

Hello Spring! Eco-friendly Shoes & Nail Polishes

Not Your Mama’s Stencil!

refurnisher — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:25:51 +0000

I wish I could commit to wallpaper…but I can’t. It’s a hassle to put up and if I’m going to go with wallpaper I want something cool…which means that a few years down the road I won’t think it’s cool anymore and then I’ll want it down—and we all know what a pain in the zukkies that is! But I was recently reminded how cool stencils are…or rather, have become!

Kim Myles was one of my favorite HGTV Design Stars for her glamour meets eclectic style. So how excited was I to find Kim has teamed up with Cutting Edge Stencils to create her Global Glam Collection. I say, grab your favorite no VOC paints and have some fun!

The classic ginko leaf is so beautiful enlarged like this, isn’t it?

Stencil a table top? Hec yeah!

I’m in love with this graphic print that has a tribal vibe about it.

Here are the last two stencil prints together – don’t they make a lovely pair?

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Etsy Favs: Recycled Furniture

refurnisher — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:11:11 +0000

It’s so exciting to see more and more shops opening on Etsy featuring recycled furniture- in one for or another. Here are my three recent favorites.

Out of Malibu, California, Mariana Schechter (Ecologica Malibu) is creating gorgeously colored furniture from wood that has been “sourced from old houses and canoes, or ships.” Each piece is a show stopper, no? Come hither, dresser. I have a spot in my house where you would look divine!

The BeautiSHE shop is my kinda shop. Vintage furniture refinished in luscious bright hues and some items, like these mirrors are sold in sets, making it super easy for you to create an amazing focal wall. She’s done all the work for you!

Reclaimed wood is all Recycled State uses to make their furniture (like this coffee table) and sometimes irreverent sea-inspired wall art. Fun, fun, fun.

Don’t you think these pieces of furniture are so much more interesting and beautiful than any old store bought piece? I think so too.

Great Refurnished Ideas

refurnisher — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 04:23:49 +0000

Just a few of the great images and ideas I have on my Refurnished Living board on Pinterest. Click to see way more super cool ideas. You’re going to drool!

Told ya!

Growing My Own Grub, Part Deux

refurnisher — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:00:27 +0000

Spring has come early to my New England town, which would usually make me happy (ignoring, of course, the larger reason as to why it’s so warm these days) …but secretly I have been fretting. I REALLY want to have a vegetable garden this year and this warm weather is telling me I should already have my garden beds primed and ready to take seeds! Sadly, all I have done is think about where I am going to get recycled wood to make my raised beds out of. I have decided on two smaller beds- thinking it would be easier for the kiddlies to reach the veggies.

I found a guy over on the Instructibles website who created raised garden beds from his old fence. To you, sir, I bow down in admiration. While that would be super-cool, it is highly unlikely to become a reality for me.

So this weekend as I was still thinking about how to make the garden beds, I was also looking at this odd pit in my backyard and had an idea. Why don’t I create my raised beds with these pavers?

By the way, does anyone know what this pit could have been used for? I can’t imagine what it was…a fish pond? It’s located at the back of my yard. Not far from this:

So if the weather continues to behave this weekend, I will be creating my garden beds- woohoo! Veggies, here we come! More to come…keep posted.

Greenwashing: Adirondack Chair

refurnisher — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:00:41 +0000

I was hooked by the bright orange headline stating “the eco adirondacks” and because it was a CB2 email, I knew I would be taken with the modern design. Look at those beauties. I’m not a huge fan of the typical Adirondack chair (although it is surprisingly comfortable) because it looks too rustic for my taste. As I clicked the image to get more info, I found myself saying, “Please be made in the USA,” as I have learned that CB2 does sell some furniture that is made here. Alas, these chairs are not. Made in Vietnam, the website states. Wah wahhhh. Check out that price tag, $350 smackers, including the ottoman! I am hard-pressed to believe that an American company couldn’t make this style chair for way under that.

OK, so here we are. An Adirondack chair, made in the USA. And for $130 to boot! Yes, that includes the ottoman!

So design-wise, we are not comparing apples to apples, but I’ll bet this company could make the CB2 version for about the same cost as their regular Adirondack chair, and not be wreaking havoc on the environment by shipping large furniture over 8,000 miles to get to us! I realize that CB2 has built is a super duper profit in their price (which is why they will still make good money on the chair when they slash the cost in half at the end of the season). So I guess what maddens me about this chair, this company, most companies that don’t manufacture here in the USA, is that they are making ridiculous amounts of money by making these products so cheaply in asian countries (to say nothing of people who are making these chairs). But I digress. Bottom line: the chair is not really “eco” if it is made off our shores. Sorry CB2.

I’m thinking about sending this blog post to this American company to see if they would consider manufacturing a modern version of their Adirondack chair. What do you think? Think I should do it? Who’s with me?

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