Ideal Bite

If you subscribe to our local or Mama editions, you might have seen our Make Its (crafty tips on reusing what might otherwise turn into waste) – or even tried a few. Some of my faves: Chicago’s swimsuit sachets, LA’s tee bag, and Mama’s baby hat with kitten ears.

Now, thanks to suburban craft mecca Michaels, you can score a little ch’ching for your crafty ways. This month it launched its “Handmade Holiday Contest” and’ll be doling out two $100 gift cards every week through Dec. 20. Just upload pics of what you’ve made at Michaels.com, and peeps who visit the site will vote for their fave (read: time to hit up Read the full post... 

Etsy.com’s my go-to for original, not-too-spendy artwork (my super-arty sister recently put up a couple of her pieces - check ‘em out), but as I’m decorating my new apartment I’ve found that it’s also a great source for flea market-y stuff (with something new to tempt me almost every day), like High Street Market (vintage kitchenware, refurbished fans, paintings), CoventGardenVintage (the brass apple bell would make such a cute paperweight), HindsvikVintage (‘60s clocks, pottery, and lighting). And what I Read the full post... 

One of my favorite DIY/decorating blogs Design Sponge announced this week that it’s putting its content (including a few Before & After projects of mine that they posted this year) into a big, 400-page decorating book – pure eye candy for peeps who love design. I’ve been playing around with old furniture for a while now – some hits (I spent the weekend reupholstering this 1960s club chair – my carpal tunnel aches as I type) and some misses (there was one that involved a floor lamp and some rope) but I’m always up for a makeover – it’s kind of like editing, I think. It’s fun to see what other people do too to keep mostly nonrecyclable furniture outta the dump Read the full post... 

For the past month I have been desperately seeking a fabric to make Roman shades for my new apartment. My interior designer friend selflessly spent her Sunday showing me materials in her office's fabric library, a whole basement fulla swatches (read: my porn).

While the fabrics were gorgeous, I did come across vinyl ones (which release carcinogens during and after production) and many coated with Teflon (also likely a carcinogen) for durability. The textile market's snail-like about going green, but a few smallish designers are coming up with pretty fab prints on organic cotton (the USDA says U.S. cotton farms used 52.25 million pounds of pesticides in 2008 – there go more cancer-linked chems).

If you sew or just like

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I did it! I wallpapered my kitchen. I was nervous about it - I kept having flashbacks of my mom wallpapering our bathroom in the ’80s…and the bubbles (the bubbles!). But last weekend I was ready to tackle it and 4 hours later: total success. Here, some eco papers I love:

• Graham and Brown Wallpaper – modernish prints, no VOCs, sourced from forests where every tree chopped down three get planted, and compostable packaging. Plus, prints with bird feathers and

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I admit it, I’m cheap. I’ll splurge on some things like travel or a great jacket but in general I like a bargain - even more when it comes from being green. So this weekend, I had to stock up on kitchen and bath supplies because I moved into my own place after living with roommates and woke up on Sunday morning without a spoon. Image: Me scooping out chicken salad with a tea infuser.

So I walked to a nearby Goodwill and checked out what they had first. Score…four white, modern Crate & Barrel dinner plates and a bag of silverware for eight bucks (this is San Francisco so that’s probably even high for some). Other green bargains I uncovered:

Target: I love

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B(each) 52s

Wearing next to nothing 'cause it's hot as an oven? Set sail for the beach (a clean one while you're at it) with the necessary eco-accessories in tow. Not ready to bare it all? Check out our upcoming Bikini Guide too to prep your bod - workouts, swimwear, de-hairers, and more. Now shimmy.

1. Rock the tote.

Toss your sunny-day essentials into a reusable tote - you can use them for groceries when beach season's through - made from recycled bottles or reclaimed fabrics like sails. Get the full Bite.

2. Suits you to a T.

If beaching in the buff isn't your thing (we get that), slip into a cute suit made from eco-friendly Read the full post... 

A few days old, but since you never can get enough environmental comedy, here's The Onion's Simple Tips for a Greener House ("Replace carbon monoxide detectors with canary") with a side of How Are Corporations Going Green? ("Wal-Mart cashiers now make the 'boop' sound with their mouths when scanning items, saving the company 28 watts of energy per year").

Also, through the end of the month, if you spend $30 at The Onion's online store, they'll throw in a reusable water bottle that says, "My Other Water Bottle Is 50,000 Styrofoam Cups."

Ahh, laughing. You are great.

-Senior Editor Read the full post...