neena creates

2009-09-14T12:04:00.001-07:00

LOVE SAVES THE DAY-Ladies' Organic Vneck Tshirt

when I am feeling blue or a little lost i am always reminded that LOVE SAVES THE DAY. whether it's an "i love you" whispered, sharing a laugh with friends, or silently enjoying the sunset, LOVE is all around.

simply appetizing: radishes

2009-09-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

The Radish(Raphanus sativus) low in saturated fat and cholesterol. good source of riboflavin, vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, copper, and manganese. very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, folate, and potassium. the reason why Rapunzel was given away.

when i was a little girl i owned a book containing the collection of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. one story i was fascinated with was Rapunzel, and how the pregnant wife yearned for radishes, she wanted them so bad that her husband had to steal them from their neighbor (instead of asking?). i thought,"yuck"! not that i had ever tried it, but it's a vegetable so it must be gross. it wasn't until i visited my sister as a teenager that i had my first radish sandwich.

while at the farmers' market the other day the edible root vegetable caught my eye. mmmmm, i craved those radishes almost like Rapunzel's mom. i bit into one and the crunch was so fresh and the taste was especially peppery, i couldn't wait to make my sandwich.

the key to a radish sandwich, besides awesome radishes, is the butter and the sandwich bread. it's got to be a baguette or a french roll. and the butter? lots of it.

Rapunzel's Sandwich:

butter up that baguette!
slice up 1-2 radishes (accommodate for the size of your sandwich)
sprinkle a little salt & pepper

Food, Inc.

2009-06-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

i've been reading "the omnivore's dilemma" and i'm glad that i've found this movie. it's time to start being conscious about our food. how is it made? where does it come from? how does it grow? how is it raised? why should we care? the term "organic" has been loosely defined. i had bought a pancake mix in an aerosol bottle and it had the "USDA Organic" seal of approval. i was ecstatic at first, it's really good, and bought it a few times. then i got to thinking, how in the hell did i believe that anything squirted out of an aerosol can could be "organic"/natural or good for me? the more i learn the better i understand how i want to take care of myself and share that with everyone else.

2009-06-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

okay, so honestly up to this date i am really on day 26 out of 365 days of love. i need a major catch up! so i PROMISE i will catch up!

day 10- defining love

2009-06-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

no, i didn't google 'love', i actually looked it up in my webster's dictionary that i've had for over 10 years. it's one of my favorite books. anyway, i thought it was very interesting what webster had to say. now ladies, let's be honest, how many of us have confused #1 definition with #2.....come on, fess up! i will be the first to admit that i have but thankfully i've learned the difference by now.

i used recycled sketch paper and placed this picture in a 5 x 7 recycled picture frame.

defining love

"once bitten by love, twice burned by desire"

2009-06-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

here is a quote that i think i made up myself. i say "think" because i at first thought i made up "love saves the day" but apparently, like i said a few weeks ago, it was the name for loft parties. "once bitten by love, twice burned by desire" hmmmm, i've experienced that for sure.

i am definitely a fan of alternative apparel. this style comes from their alternative earth line. it's a v-neck tee made from organic cotton, recycled polyester, and naturally occurring rayon. this tee has a vintage vibe that i love and is so comfortable.

if you want it, come and get it here...

day 7, 8, and 9

2009-06-10T19:45:00.001-07:00

day 7- love saves the day

5 x 7 pen drawing on 100% recycled sketch paper in a recycled picture frame. i don't know why but i'm so into that saying, "love saves the day". i think my husband said that there were loft parties in the 70s called 'love saves the day'.

day 8- hello goodbye

3 1/2 x 3 1/2 pen drawing on 100% recycled sketch paper. the picture frame has this cool gold antique-y look. it was a good find!

day 9- speak love

3 1/2 x 5" pen drawing on a recycled invitation card and i placed this drawing in a recycled black frame. the frame has been bumped around but i feel it lends to the character of the piece.

Kain Na! 365 Days of Love Eco Art-day 6

2009-06-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

day 6- kain na! "time to eat!" it is a fond childhood memory i have of having to announce that dinner was ready to my dad and sisters. if i didn't scream it out at the top of my lungs,"KAIN NAAAA!" i would go to each family member and let them know it's time to get your butt to the dinner table. and if you are a fellow filipino you know that dinner would always be some meal with rice and you'd always have to eat it with a spoon and fork. i still do to this day.

you can find this little piece of art and memory at my etsy shop here. i drew this on 100% recycled sketch paper and placed in a recycled 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 picture frame which i painted.

365 Days of Love Eco Art-day 4 and day 5

2009-06-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

day 4- petit e`le`phant, this little elephant will add joy to any room. and the trunk is up for good luck!

i used pen on 100% recycled sketch paper and used a 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 recycled frame.

grab it while you can here!

day 5- petit baleine, little whale will brighten your day!

drawn on 100% recycled sketch paper and the same 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 recycled frame as e`le`phant.

for more info go here!

365 Days of Love

2009-06-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

day 1- love saves the day
drawn on 100% recycled sketch paper, recycled 5 x 7 frame

i've been a little busy body but am back full force. about 2 weeks ago i went into a crisis about my purpose.......ummm, yeah, that was a doozie. actually, i was trying to refocus and get reconnected to the work that i was doing. the results were i started an art project called 365 Days of Love. every day, for 365 days, i create a new art piece with love in mind. honestly i started just creating whatever came to mind everyday but the more i looked at what i was doing it was apparent i was creating with love.

but that was not the only challenge. i wanted to make eco-conscious art. not only would i draw something different everyday, i would also use eco-friendly materials. as of today i am on day 13, so i have a lot of catching up to do in showing you what i've already got done.

day 2- a picture of life i found this great heart frame and used a recycled envelope. this day i asked myself to draw a picture of life.

day 3- love i painted a recycled frame a wonderful light purplish gray and used 100% recycled sketch paper. on this day love was thrilling.

i hope to bring a little joy and delight to your day while being courteous to mother earth. it's also a study of creativity and imagination.

it's eco-love and you can find it here!

organic baby/infant onesie...dreamer

2009-05-11T12:45:00.000-07:00

i like to encourage a bit of dreaming. this is another baby onesie i used from zee spot, made from 100% organic cotton. i was inspired by watching the movie trailer for Where the Wild Things Are and Arcade Fire. for more info on this onesie, click here.

abbot's pizza company

2009-05-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

honestly, i've been a serious pizza lover ever since my husband and i started dating, about 7 years ago. so when my cousin enlightened me about a little spot in venice that boasts the "best pizza on the west side" and supports green living, i jumped at the opportunity to take a little day trip to an iconic pizzeria.

abbot's pizza company is located in venice, ca on a bohemian street named after venice's visionary, wealthy tobacco owner Abbot Kinney. a little history here, Abbot Kinney traveled in his life and was so impressed by venice, italy he envisioned creating a "venice of america" wanting to bring her a mix of rich culture and art. in 1905 it was a huge failure and venice gave way to beach goers and tourists turning the "venice of america" to the "coney island of the pacific". there are still remnants of Abbot's vision lingering in venice but it has evolved to its own eclectic mix of culture and art that many still travel to enrich and be a part of.

the spot is a tiny take out/diner with very few seating inside and just as few outside. abbot's is like most local joints in the southbay, lots of personality and lots of attitude, pulled together with surf and sun. there's a strong local presence that's a bit intimidating but broken up with a few tourists coming to see what the 1996-2006 zagat survey called "L.A. County Best Pizza" there are "recycle" signs scattered on the walls mixed in with local art and pictures of customers and employees. one sign says "save marine life" and another asking customers to use napkins sparingly. even their menu supports local stationers and printed on recycled paper.

so far i am impressed and now for the food.

abbot's serves new york style and gourmet pizzas. famous for their bagelcrust pizza, the choices they offer are varying and exciting. from wild mushroom (portobello, oyster, button, shiitake, parmesan, romano, & mozzerella on an olive pesto sauce) to the cheese bomb (parmesan, romano, fontina, gouda, ricotta, & mozzarella, on an alfredo sauce), you should be ashamed if you ordered the pepperoni (which is available in their menu). abbot's claim to use fresh ingredients everyday and that some are subject to availability and whether it's in/out of season. so between my cousin and i it was finally decided to try the greek (fresh sliced tomato, red onion, black olives, basil, oregano, mozzarella & feta on a tomato sauce).

fresh indeed, and the bagelcrust...excellent! next time i might go for something a little more adventurous like a slice of the salad pizza. yes, i said 'salad', i saw it, there was tons of lettuce and veggies on a pizza, i'm intrigued, i read a review that said it was awesome, i'm going back to get it. anyway, the greek was great, it kept me filled up and it was just the right amount of everything. definitely two 'green' thumbs up for me. if you are ever in the "venice of america" i highly suggest visiting abbot kinney and the best pizza on the west side, abbot's pizza company!

upcycled vintage...high waisted mini -Veronica Skirt

2009-05-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

here is another upcycled vintage skirt i added to my etsy shop. uuuuuuugh! (fustration!) i realize that i desperately need a 'before' shot and i always keep forgetting. i'm working on a really high wasted pant that i'm turning into shorts and right after i cut them up i remembered that i should've taken a picture! anyway...

this fabulous vintage 70s skirt was pretty long and dowdy. i only needed to shorten the hem and voila! ally mcbeal would surely approve!

i love simple and timeless pieces. i think i was able to achieve that with this skirt. for more info on this sexy number click here!

oh mother earth

2009-04-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

one of my biggest influences in life is mother earth. growing up in falls church, virginia i had the privilege of meeting the trees and creeks. our house on poplar tree lane was just that, surrounded by trees, maybe some of them poplars, i didn't know, but it was apparent that the neighborhood was built around them. my best friend and i, as little girls, would run around my yard from tree to tree pretending to be wood fairies, or climb the branches to explore, tell secrets. my fondest memories are of me and my girlfriends, on the verge of tweendom but still young enough to play, going on hiking trips in the backs of our neighborhoods. we would jump over logs, skip across stones to cross the creeks. there we were forging our own beaten path. it was quiet except for our chatter and giggles. or the sound of trickling water would soothe us. we connected not only to each other but with the force of nature. it felt good to be outside. i felt at home.

then me, a teenager, driving to great falls, hiking through jagged rocks and discovering the 'secret' waterfall that i would grow to love. the journey not too long but off the map so i would never run into another person once i got to the little waterfall. it was me and a friend, maybe two, that would set up camp for the day of swimming and sunning. perching on a rock, talking and laughing about boys and life while the sun baked our skins. it was the perfect spot, intimate, almost like an open cave. the waterfall was no higher than 20 feet from the bottom, and not too forceful. the water came down gently but excitedly too. the forest above concealed us while the potomac river rushed by us, and i would sometimes feel like my heart would burst. who knows why?

jump to me and my high school boyfriend going to the park at night, lying in the middle of the field with the moon and stars looking down while we made out. i've left my trees and secret falls and traded it for sand and ocean. the sun and moon still follow me. now i hear the crashing waves and feel the ocean breeze envelope me. my favorite is at night when there's not a lot of people or traffic, and i'll sit overlooking the pacific. it's just me and the expansive ocean, the moon and stars are looking down still, the sound of crashing waves and the passing breeze a lullaby. my heart still feels like it will burst but who knows why?

great falls park photo courtesy of nps.gov great falls.

denim summer

2009-04-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

there is so much denim in the world. this is not a fact i went out and researched, it is just something i know to have observed. denim is a part of almost everyone's lives. it's a fashion staple, there's even dressy denim you could wear to parties or out at a club. it's basically every child's uniform when they go to school, jeans and a t shirt. i only own jeans for pants, i realized this a while ago and am in search for alternatives. even those 9-5ers, in their business clothes, can't wait for casual fridays so they can wear their jeans!

there is an alternative to the over abundance of the 'blues'. find upcycled denim. go to the salvation army or a thrift store and make your own jean shorts. buy organic. or go vintage. you will be surprised how green blue jeans can be.

if you want 'new' go with this affordable and cute pair from Levi's, i already have 2 pairs! for just under $100 it is a good investment. levi's makes their eco jeans from 100% organic and recycled cotton. the fit is great and with this classic boot cut the style is timeless.

need a skirt for the summer? this is for you. a fabulous upcycled vintage skirt that's been shortened for an updated look. it's a one of a kind, which is another reason why i am a fan of upcycling. again, another classic a-line fit that can stay in your wardrobe for years.

another great example of upcycled denim is this mini messenger bag by pouch. this unique item is made with recycled denim and it's fully lined with vintage fabric. you wanna know the best part?.....there are no visible seams which makes this a reversible bag! visit pouch here for more handmade eco loveliness and follow their blog for pouch updates.

this weekend look inside your closet and take that 8th pair of jeans and cut 'em up. go on, make yourself a new pair of shorts. or peruse through the pages of Etsy to try to find that fantastically unique denim item that's calling your name. open your mind and think green for blue!

simply organic cooking: hamburgers

2009-04-12T22:45:00.000-07:00

i have finally embraced the simplicity in which i prepare my meals. although i can enjoy complex dishes and intricate flavors, it is not what i prefer to create. for instance, when making pasta i will saute garlic with olive oil, add salt & pepper, maybe put in some chopped basil then grate lemon zest and then top off with the lemon juice, and i've made my pasta taste bright. it is not just the lack of ingredients i may use but the quality of food which makes me enjoy simple cooking today. the reasoning has been a combination of lack of funds, lack of time, and the question,"where does my food come from?"

back in the day when i lived off $20 a week, my biggest treat was the slim jim. i'd snap into that slim jim and have it with cheese, until one day i read on the packet "mechanically separated chicken". that was a food turn off, but since i was young and broke i shrugged my shoulders and kept eating that engineered beef jerky until i knew better and i had money to acquire better food. it is this journey with food of how it's been grown or raised, knowing what i put into my body, that has allowed me to enjoy the outcome of cooking simply. so let me begin this series with hamburgers, one of my all-time favorite simple meal.

i am a huge fan of organic grass fed beef. what is it? just that, beef animals that feed on grass or are pasture raised. well, i thought that was what all 'beef' animals were eating, therefore what i am consuming also but no, most cattle in the u.s. are on a diet of corn and grains. sometimes those corns and grains are sprayed with pesticides before harvesting. and then since there is a high demand for meat, ranchers need to speed the fattening up process by injecting cattle with antibiotics and hormones. the life of an organically grass fed cow is it just grazing on the pasture eating grass and hay (its natural diet) that hasn't been treated with chemicals. grass fed beef doesn't contain hormones and IF the cattle has been treated a little with antibiotics, to be "organic grass fed" it must be flushed completely out of the system before slaughter. but one of the main reasons i love organic grass fed beef is the taste! it is amazing. the difference is astounding, i noticed it immediately. how do i explain? when i bit into my first grass fed burger i tasted the best burger in my life, and this was just the burger, cheese, and bun. even my 13 year old stepdaughter commented how good it was. you know, i still love an in n out burger, but i get it because of the sauce and they have good buns, not too thick, but you don't go, "damn, that was some good meat." with an organic grass fed burger, you taste the meat and it takes center stage, and you'll go,"DAMN! That Was Some Good Meat!"

go ahead, try it and see what i mean. so far i have only seen Whole Foods stock it, but i think my sister said she saw Trader Joe's selling them as well. it's a little pricey but so worth it, and it disciplines you to not eat a lot of meat, well for me anyway. hopefully it makes you appreciate what your beef animal has gone through. it is all a never-ending cycle: how the earth is treated to become healthy feed for cattle, treating cattle humanely and healthily, becoming healthy feed for us human carnivores. it's a lot of food for thought.

organic onesies-not intended for sleepwear

2009-04-08T11:54:00.000-07:00

maybe most of you know, but i had no clue. when i first started carrying organic onesies i noticed on the tag "not intended for sleepwear" and my first reaction was,"Crap!" i listed the organic onesies anyway but was curious as to why it would say that. babies can't enjoy organic in their sleep? as i was looking for another company who carried cuter colors i came across Zee Spot. they had a little excerpt explaining that their onesies had to have that label because they manufacture theirs without the use of flame retardants.

oh........duuuuuh, organic, hello! i can't believe myself sometimes, i should have known.

anyhow, the government agency CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission), allows only 2 options 1) use flame retardant fabric or 2) make tight fitting clothes without the flame retardant and have a label stating "not intended for sleepwear". we're still talking about kids, right? well, the whole theory on tight fitting clothes is that it won't burn as fast..........i see their point.

ok, so this was supposed to be a short post on organic onesies and as i researched i had not realized there were so many components to this subject . but i'm stubborn and i am still going to keep it short. if you find flame retardant on wikipedia you will find a list of chemicals that'll make your head spin. and if you are a hypochondriac, like me, and read these "Facts about Fabric Flammability" you will start dressing like a stripper so those tight fitting clothes won't burn as quick.

back to the babies. i think i would feel much safer putting children in pesticide-free, toxic-free, flame retardant-free clothing since it would be on their skin more often than a fire. and if you are worried about your child's clothes catching fire maybe it's time to focus on the possible causes like don't let your kid go near a fire, or a match, or a hot oven for that matter. i think that's pretty much a given. for your children choose organic. i especially love Zee Spot because they think of everything from how the organic cotton is produced, the types of dyes they use, even down to fair work. you'll only have to worry about your baby bursting in flames..............oh I'm Joking!!!

la sirena grill & cantina

2009-04-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

yesterday was my sister's bday and in filipino tradition she treated her younger sisters (minus 1, boo) to a delicious dinner. NOTE: i'm not sure if this is a widely practiced filipino 'tradition' but hey, i'm not refusing big sis' bday wish! she sent us all an email with a link to the restaurant and i vaguely remember her saying to "check it out". being a true little sis i ignored big sis and was on my way to La Sirena Grill clueless. it was my husband who took my sister's advice and checked out this new spot, and mentioned that La Sirena uses organic ingredients in their meals. huh?! my ears perked up, how perfect! it's the next day now, i've done my research, i've finished my leftovers and here's the scoop.

the concept of La Sirena Grill & Cantina is to "combine the quality of a fine food restaurant with the speed of a fast-food eatery—all in a casual, rustic atmosphere. " it's a contemporary-mexican restaurant that practices and supports sustainable agriculture. they use local, sustainable, and organic products, supporting sustainable farms. it's a warm and inviting restaurant with friendly and attentive service. we started off with appetizers and the highlight for me was the spicy bbq duck tamale.

embedded in between sweet corn with a smoked chile reduction sauce. oh, the first bite was titillating!

the next memorable dish was the ceviche my husband ordered. OMG! i do not kid, it must have been the best ceviche i've ever had. usually the taste is "straight from the sea" salt water. although i tasted great ceviche from a taco truck in the middle of nowhere. anyhoo, La Sirena's has (sustainable seafood) rock shrimp, scallops, cucumber, avocado, and cilantro. it was so fresh and such a delightful explosion when it hits the taste buds.

for my entree i had the wild mushroom fajitas. it had spicy grilled pasilla chiles with herb cheese melted, bell peppers, onions, guacamole, and served with handmade corn tortillas. my niece ordered the carne asada and cheese tacos from the kid's menu and really enjoyed the grass fed beef.

all in all it was a fantastically delicious meal! even better it's mexican food! i think the eco community has really gone a long way when a restaurant such as La Sirena Grill & Cantina pushes the envelope and can prove that any type of food can go green. and props to the founders of La Sirena Grill for opening a forward-thinking restaurant in 1999 and continuing success while supporting sustainability in the food industry. thank you for a wonderful, delicious, and healthy meal!

upcycle, upcycled, upcycling

2009-03-31T14:15:00.000-07:00

i have known about 'upcycling' for about a year now. i was perusing the pages of Etsy when i stumbled upon an item that had the word 'upcycle' in its title. curious, i decided to do a little research. here is what i found-

upcycling, as defined by wikipedia, "is a component of sustainability in which waste materials are used to provide new products. It is generally a reinvestment in the environment. "Upcycling is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value." This process allows for the reduction of waste and virgin material use."

the term was created by a german chemist, Michael Braungart, and a u.s. architect, William McDonough in their 2002 book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. in it they express that we can be "wasteful" if things that we make can go completely back into nature or reborn into a new product. they use a cherry tree as an example. it "wastes" when the leaves and pits fall to the ground, but then is reborn back into the earth as new trees, bacteria, food for birds, etc, etc. sounds like i read the book, huh? weeeell, it's on my long list of books i need to read but in researching through the internet, i hear Braungart and McDonough's words loud and clear. most importantly, i understand.

the concept is wonderful, fascinating, full of possibilities. i started looking through my closet a little differently (instead of throwing away this shirt, how can i change it to make it new to me?). i thought about my etsy shop a little differently. for too long, i have been bound by the notion that 'going green' meant buying 'new' green products. i missed a very important part of the 3 R's-recycle, reduce, REUSE! there is already so much stuff that has been produced and probably thrown aside for newer stuff, why not reuse, or give new life to our 'waste'? it's so poetic. let us give way to an ecological system of being kind to our earth by supporting products that support nature, that can go back into nature.

there is much i need to learn from Braungart and McDonough's book that i am excited to get to and share with you like the idea that the marketplace is "reshaping to generate goods and services that have ecological, social, and economic value". but for now, let me show you what upcycling can do:

STEPHANIE FIZER Mini Sweet Kokeshi Recycled LOCKET SET By Polarity

polarity lockets are made from used steel auto parts, creating unique and beautiful jewelry

"More than half of the steel we see around us has already been recycled from scrap."

visit polarity's other etsy shop, uncorked, where the cork she uses to make all things wonderful, has been grown in "managed forests in Portugal where the bark is carefully harvested..." using "a process that ensures the forests will remain undamaged!"

choose your own fabric...recycled vintage fabric quilt coasters-set of 4
this item by rikrak uses vintage fabrics to make into beautiful coasters. the shop boasts "upcycled vintage fabric creations, & fabulous goodies made from new recycled felt! "

it is definitely exquisite and fun. also, check out her beautiful blog where you can see the goings on of rikrak, filled with how to's, mommying, crafting, and eco living!

UPCYCLED...je t'adore Ladies' T Shirt..Size Large

i was ecstatic and proud to find that my tee is on etsy's gift guide for environmentally friendly!

i scavenge for clothing that looks in need of a pick me up. upcycling is a new adventure which has inspired me to add another dimension to my shop that i would not have imagined of doing before. it seems we women find ourselves in a "fast fashion" culture where you can buy clothing so cheap and then in an instant just throw it away when the next trend comes, hopefully you give to goodwill or salvation army. but there is so much clothing out there, maybe it's time for something different.

upcylce.

it is a concept that pushes the already eco-friendlies and gives a fresh perspective for those in need of an eco push. upcycle, try it out, use it in a sentence, find more companies that do it, spread it around, look for it, understand it or just do it!

eco confessions: I Missed Earth Hour

2009-03-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

march 28, 2009 at 830pm, people all over the world were set to turn off all nonessential lights and electrical appliances, becoming united, making a statement, campaigning-Yes We Can! that the world is taking positive action on the earth's climate change. about 3,937 cities and towns participated spanning 88 countries, almost a billion people, making it the largest environmental demonstration in history. and i missed it.

ok, i'm on my knees begging-no, pleading for forgiveness. i'm so ashamed, embarrassed. how can i pass myself off as a self-respected eco lifer if i've missed something so essential to the green movement? well, lucky for me i know how to turn a negative into a positive. please, give me a chance...

first off, on the evening of march 28, 2009 at 830pm, my husband and i were fully asleep in front of the tv, with one light on and the computer still running. yes, i am confessing and guilty of non-participation in Earth Hour but allow me to highlight how i do practice positive actions everyday.

in the mornings when i take a shower i never turn the bathroom light on except when putting on makeup. in fact, i never turn the light on in the bathroom unless it's really dark. my showers are very short, only running water when i need to rinse off (so tough on cold mornings!). i've been trying to get my husband to adopt the same habits but try not to turn into green-zilla when he 'forgets'. baby steps. anyway, since i am working from home now i only have the computer running and very rarely do i watch tv until later in the evening. all two of the kitchen appliances that i use, toaster oven and microwave, are only plugged when needed, and all lights have been switched to cfl bulbs. my husband and stepchildren know to turn on lights when needed, for fear of green-zilla, and at night everything is as quiet as a mouse.

i guess this confession is mainly for me to be able to forgive me(?) it's the spirit of Earth Hour that i hope i haven't missed or those billions of people participating, that positive changes can and should be practiced everyday, as much as possible. i don't want to adapt an edict but perhaps a gentle push, yes we can all impact earth for good.

je t'aime, je t'aime

2009-03-28T20:11:00.001-07:00

an ode to love. i used the alternative apparel eco-heather v neck tee. it's made from a blend of organic cotton, recycled polyester, and naturally occurring rayon. i was inspired to make this when i was walking by a store and saw it written on the window and i thought how lovely it was.
je t'aime... i love you..pass it on.
spreading peace and love starts with you.

Like Buttah!

2009-03-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

butter is key. butter is essential, for me anyways. let's start simply with butter on toast. i make sure every inch is covered thickly with melted gold. each bite a salty yet savory, creamy delight. have you ever tried a croissant with butter, topped with lox and capers? how about a buttered baguette with sliced radishes and a dash of salt and pepper? it's the butter that helps fuse the tastes so magically together. the creamier the better. i thought the worse it is for you the better. so when i decided that i would slowly change my eating habits to be more organic, i never thought i would find a replacement for butter. and then i found Earth Balance Original Whipped. when i picked it up i thought it was too good to be true.

USDA Organic
79% natural vegetable oils
non dairy
gluten free, lactose free, and vegan!
NO TRANS FAT & HYDROGENATED OILS?!

i tested it out and-it. is. gooooooooooood. although it's whipped so not the creamy consistency i'm used to, it does not disappoint. just the other day i lathered the frying pan with Earth Balance, fried up an egg and topped it, of course, on buttered toast. ooooh, the sweet surprise my taste buds enjoyed! it makes going organic, "like buttah!"

ps
you can find it at Trader Joe's

eco confessions-The Perfect Rip

2009-03-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

i have been (self)diagnosed with having OCD-obsessive compulsive disorder. sigh. it hasn't been easy to live with and sometimes it's hard to hide. so what, might you ask, is my eco confession then?

i'm a ripper, a tearer, a slasher looking for...the perfect rip. the worst is toilet paper and paper towels. i have to make a clean tear, if not i will keep going at it until i am satisfied. do you know how much i have wasted just trying to get a clean tear?! let me not! go on and on and on explaining the intricacies of my disorder. my sister suggested that i should have a pair of scissors and be done with it, but can you imagine the obsession of trying to cut perfectly straight? no, you can't? ah well, the point is my dysfunction is hindering me from being eco friendly. can you imagine the horror, i just throw the excess away. gasp! i know you did.

so i have made my confession but i am in the process of trying to correct it, i swear. now i slowly rip away to ensure that perfection. ok, so i haven't exactly cured the OCD but at least i'm not as much as a waster.

A One Word Introduction

2009-03-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

hello. handmade. eco. food. tea. chocolate. dessert. yuuuuuum. fashion. reader. photography. art. laughing. music. witty? movies. horror! sunny. love. dreamer. quirky. geeky! possibility. controlling. analytical. moody. hopeful. shy. sarcastic. wife. stepmom. friend. inspire. woman. girl. telling. conscious. lover. humble. simple. thankful. enjoy. goodbye.