Blog Brief

It's been awhile- Dec. 31 to be precise! One of my New Year's resolutions was to blog less, say more.

So, unless something really strikes a chord and inspires, we're reducing and downsizing our posts. ;)

I see this as a really great thing- a fundamental shift that has happened for so many = we are so much more educated about green lifestyle and green initiatives than we were when we started nearly 5 years ago.  There simply is not as much that needs to be said. 

That said... here are some beautiful, inspired artistic paper creations from four artists that I came across today. I found them on the many incredible artist links on these two fantastic blogs: Upon A Fold and Discover Paper.  Enjoy!

Australian paper sculptor Anna-Wili Highfield 

creates amzingly realistic, highly detailed bird sculptures from paper

 Above photos via annawilihighfield.comhttp://www.annawilihighfield.com

British/Italian artist Chris Gilmour

turns every day objects in to objets d'art- created with corrugated board

 

 Above photos via chrisgilmour.com

Japanese artist Kako Ueda creates organic creatures intricately cut in paper

 

 Above photos via kakoueda.com

Wonderful whimsy in hand made paper from French artistes 

Sophie Mouton-Perrat and Frédéric Guibrunet

Above photos via papieraetres.com 

 

Earthday 2012 - Got Plans?

EARTH DAY 2012 is APRIL 22!

Feel free to share community events on our blog and let's us know:
What are you planning?

Mobilize and find activities at EARTHDAY.ORG

Graphic via earthday.org

Re: Gifts... 10 Ways to Gift-Back

A Little Bird Told Me

A recent summer's day lounging on the porch yielded a sweet, all too brief visit from a fine, furry flying friend - a bluebird. Made me dash to Etsy to re-tweet some of my favorite aviary finds...

Cotton Bird Designs
{a personal fave... used for my wedding cake topper} ;)

Vintage Green Limited

Abigail Brown

Love Mae




NomMom

Green Tips: 7 Steps To Stay On The Green This Summer

As July temperatures skyrocket in to the 90's - it's time for our annual green tips for summer...

1. Be a pest

Image via Golf Digest

Stay on course and urge your Country Club, County Pool, Condo Complex to educate, reconsider and revamp the pesticides they are using. Beyond Pesticides is a great resource.

At home, you'll have success with some of the tried and true:
+ A cup of beer attracts slugs.
+ Beetles are all washed up in cup of dish soap.
+ Basil and Citronella are natural mosquito repellents.
+ Peppermint Oil on cotton balls keep away pesky squirrels and critters.

2. The Big Event

Image created on esigns.com

Community events and fairs, church dinners and camps, fundraising events... all super popular during the summer... and all generate an incredible of amount of trash. Contact your local solid waste authority or recycling company who may provide recycling for your event, for free or as a sponsor. If they won't, then it's DIY: Set up cardboard boxes, mark them "RECYCLE" and appoint teams to haul to a recycling location at the end of the day. Make it fun and offer a prize to the team who collects the most.

For smaller events try portable recycling bins from Flings Bins.

3. Home Goods

Image via 123rf

Go back to basics:

+ Turn the Air Conditioning up when you are not at home. More A/C tips HERE.
+ Unplug small appliances and cable/DVR boxes when not in use.
+ Add a room or ceiling fan.
+ Draw blinds (we luv cellular blinds).
+ Update old in-window air conditioners to more efficient and less expensive models. Donate the old unit.

4. Wash & Dry

Image via Electrolux

Call your local electric company and find out seasonally what hours are considered OFF PEAK in your area (it varies). Do your laundry and run the dish washer during off peak hours. Saves a bundle of energy and a bundle of cash!

5. Take Out

Whether you are headed to work or heading out on a road trip- just say no to To Go containers and plastic cutlery. Be sure your car and office are stocked with:

+ A set of metal cutlery.
+ Ceramic or melamine plates.
+ Insulated cups. We can't say enough about Tervis Tumblers to keep drinks cold (we just wish we had a nickle for every time we sang their praises! ;)
+ POST-consumer recycled napkins and paper towels.

6. On the Go - Green Hotels

Image via mcallencvb.com

If you are planning a vacation find a green hotel. From LEED certified to simple green initiatives hotels have really stepped it up. A little research will yield a good night's sleep and keep you counting sheep in very green pastures!

7. Cocktails with a twist

Image via www.seductionmeals.com

Stay tuned for our bi-monthly Friday postings of "It's Cocktail Time" - cool summer recipes for eco-minded mixology. Cheers and Happy Summer!

Go Green Forever Stamps

Here at Green Paper Company, we're lovin' the new Forever stamp by the US Postal Service!

Issued just in time for Earth Day 2011, the Go Green (Forever®) stamps illustrate that small steps—from fixing a leak to planting a tree—can have a big impact on our environment. Here's what else they say about their new stamp release:

"Big environment. Big issues. Little you. If you feel as if there's not much one person can do to make a positive impact on the environment—just take a look at these Go Green (Forever®) stamps. They illustrate simple things we each can do every day. With only a few small changes to the way we live.

Out of milk? Walk or bike to the store. Repair that drippy faucet—the noise was driving you crazy, anyway. Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs. Put on a sweater instead of turning up the thermostat. Sun dry your sheets—they'll smell wonderful!

Is it enough to make a difference? Absolutely. Recycling just one aluminum can reduces waste—and saves enough energy to run a computer for three hours. Multiply that by 10—or 200—cans. Simple insulation like caulking or weatherstripping pays for itself with reduced utility bills within one year. Properly inflating your car tires improves gas mileage by as much as three percent. You're not just saving the environment, you're saving—period. Suddenly small steps seem pretty big.

Best of all, once you've started thinking—and acting—green, you'll feel proud that you've been part of a big change. "Home" just got greener. Thanks to you.

Go Green, a pane of 16 stamps, is the Postal Service's social awareness issue for 2011. Award-winning animator, filmmaker, and illustrator Eli Noyes worked with Art Director Derry Noyes on his first stamp project, using a colorful, playful style to convey the message that every American can take simple actions to conserve energy and improve the environment. "

Another great way to save on excess- Forever stamps hold their value. These Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate. Less stamps=less waste. We especially love how they look with our envelopes- so next time it calls for snail mail- green stamps are the perfect accessory!

To Dye For Easter Eggs, Naturally!

Whomever said don't put all your eggs in one basket had obviously not seen this month's Country Living Magazine which featured truly amazing Easter eggs by Sonia Bauer.

To start off, these eggs are not your grandmother's Easter palette- soft neutrals add a seldom seen Easter elegance that are the perfect counterpoint to jellybean pastelles.

Best of all, these eggs are dyed with all natural vegetable dyes brewed up stove top in the kitchen.

The Country Living cover was inspired by a post last Easter by Sonia Bauer on her blog Big Sis Lil Sis - it has incredible how to's with great photos incorporating ferns and flowers turning them into templates and treasures.

With Easter just around the corner, hop on over to these sites and with a bit of prep work your Easter baskets will brim with handcrafted lovelies!

Be sure to read the articles here:

Sonia Bauer's Recipe for All-Natural Egg Dyes in Country Living

Sonia Bauer's article about her cover story

BIGSISLILSIS.COM 2010 ARTICLE {Detailed How To's and Recipes}


Photos: bigsislilsis.com
Country Living cover photo: countryliving.com

Practical Tips to Green Your Home for the Holidays

Read our {practical tips to} Green Your Home for the Holidays posting HERE. If you don't already receive our occasional e-messages you can sign up there as well.

Special thanks to Monique and Keith Keegan for sharing their photo of their magnificent property- Summer Haven, (a winter wonderland as well) an amazing photo for this winter-y post! You can see more of Monique's interior design splendor at Enjoyco.net and on an earlier post of ours here.

Country Living Fair 2010-REcycled Roundup

The Country Living Fair was all it promised to be: gi-normous crowds, a fantastic venue and despite a fair amount of country as usual, a lot of country creative. Plus, we were thrilled to see and uptrend and surprising amount of re-purposed product- you guessed it- country style. Below- a brief roundup of ther overall scene (sooo well done!) and a few stalls...

The Ohio Village is THE perfect place for this fair!


Below, Bloomsbury Loft recycles with a passionate finesse that is hard to beat... Chandeliers, fabric table clothes, pillows and all manner of re-purposed lovelies.

The Garden Patch from Smith's Grove Kentucky has become an annual highlight - their large booth features farm fresh and dried arrangements- locally grown and perfect to welcome Fall's splendor.

More fabric creativity- especially luv the vintage plaids

Platter pleasantries fabricated from glassware and plates

These gals from Kelly Lane hail from Ohio but have a bit of Texas kick- colorful cool clothing from a patchwork of fabrics.

One of several who blend bedspreads with draperies to create modern Scarlett O'Hara couture. A cool trend that began with baby and reached to upscale country luxe.

Here's hoping the Counrty Living Fair returns to Columbus in 2011 for another great run. You can watch a video here and if you missed it- check out the second round in Altanta in October!