Wick-ed Ideas

Need some Halloween inspiration? Check out a beautiful post with great illuminating ideas by Luxirare. Photo excerpts below...

All photos by Luxirare which we discovered via superslyskillzmcfly on Tumblr

Happy 4.22.12

Happy Earth Day!

Photo used with permission © Jacquelyn Poussot / jacquelynpoussot.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

Sweet Times! Maple Weekend in New York State

Maple Weekend in New York State is March 17-18 and March 24-25. Sugar shacks sprinkled throughout the state open their doors for tours, pancake breakfasts and tastings... kind of like "open studio" for the art and craft of all things maple.

And a craft it really is. Next time you open a bottle of syrup to put on your waffles- think twice- most commercial grades a la Aunt Jemima are made from the lowest grade syrup added to copious amounts of corn syrup while the stuff that comes in the cute bottles and is super pricey--- that's the good stuff- the cream of the crop so to speak.

Many syrup businesses are small cottage ventures and many a seasonal offset for dairy farmers to bring in a few extra bucks during the Spring season. The syrup business is not for the frail - it is hard labor and a labor of love. The sweet stuff does not flow easily and taking it from tree to table is a monumental effort.

Contrary to what many think- maple season is early Spring, not Fall. Warm days of early Spring and cool nights make sap run- and it is the sap that we have come to know as maple syrup. First you need the trees, and lots of them! Sugar Maple and Black Maple are the most popular variety and to yield a great crop you need more than a bucket.

We had the sweet fortune of visiting Fairbanks Maple in Forestville, NY on Saturday and were amazed at just how elaborate the "tiny" operation is. With over 3,300 trees each tapped just once a season, there are what seems like miles of endless blue lines that run the sap from tree to tank.

Once collected, the sap is converted to syrup. When sap is first collected it is mostly water and the sap to syrup conversion happens when most of the water is boiled away. It takes over 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.

Packaging alone is a craft in and of itself. Similar to canning- issues of hygiene and proper sealing of the container must be precise to avoid contamination- if any introduction of air is released into the seal, the syrup is destroyed.

Next time you sit down to a hearty breakfast- think twice- and enjoy the sugary sweetness as you pour maple syrup- a truly sweet labor of love!

MAKING THE GRADE

Here's a run down of maple syrup by quality and grade:

Grade A maple syrup is classified according to color. The darker the syrup, the stronger the maple taste.

Grade A Light Amber — the lightest of the three classifications with a mild and delicate flavor. It’s best for maple cream and molded maple sugar (candy).

Medium Amber — a bit darker with a fuller flavor. This is the most popular grade for table syrup.

Dark Amber — the darkest of the three grades has a stronger maple flavor. This all-purpose syrup is good for cooking, baking and table use.

Extra Dark — used for cooking, strongest maple flavor. Best for cooking.

Grade B — sold in bulk for reprocessing and the manufacture of commercial table syrups. Best for baking.

Source: Mapleweekend.com

Learn more here:
NY State Maple Producers Association
Cornell University Sugar Maple Research Program

Photos taken at Fairbanks Maple: Forestville, NY - (716) 965-4208
Photo #1: via getentrepreneurial.com

Shipping Container Work Spaces

Over Thanksgiving we visited Dekalb Market in Brooklyn - an outdoor market with pod size storefronts, all located in salvaged shipping containers. Ever since, we've been intrigued and inspired to explore more places like this. It's such a simple concept and while perhaps seemly simple- it seems so simply do-able.

Photos via Dekalb Market

Inspired to consider downsizing a retail footprint, the container concept challenges maximizing dollars per square foot and creativity. Wouldn't it make a great space for working with brides on their wedding invitation? Or a pint size letterpress studio?

While containers seem best suited to the urban landscape they even work as seaside retreat. Many of the projects below were featured on Inhabit- a never ending source for green living inspiration.

Pinamar Beach Resort located in Argentina offers hostel travel/"glamping" in anything but student grade accommodations. Of all the examples, this best demonstrates how the concept could easily translate in to the perfect art studio or office. We're ready to move in!!

Photos via Pinamar Beach Resort

A new drive thru Starbucks in Tukwila, Washington... Love how the signage is integrated into the container walls.

Photos via Inhabit

Container City in San Andrés Cholula, Mexico is a 50,000 sq. foot strip center which perfectly serves up everything from espresso to tattoos in this college town.

(Photo via Container City in San Andrés Cholula)

This coastal paradise in New Zeland was featured in Modern Architecture. Posted via / see more great ideas at busyboo.com.

Photo via busyboo.com

MEKA pre-fab modular living provides exterior and interior design (via busyboo.com).

Photo via MEKA

Beautiful studio addition to a Amagansett home in the Hamptons by Maziar-Behrooz Architecture.

Photo via archdaily.com by Maziar-Behrooz Architecture

Inspired? DIY: you can purchase used containers from out-backstorage.com. They are surprisingly affordable - $2,500 - $4,000. Then get busy- the trick is containing yourself but not feeling railroaded in!

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

Inhabitat Green Holiday Gift Guide

Looking for the perfect gifts this holiday season? Overwhelmed with the possibilities? There are lots of gift guides floating around but this guide from Inhabitat is our current favorite- lots of contemporary gifts for the green minded gifter.

A few faves:

Repurposed winebottles morph into hydroponic planters

Recycled metal bobbies

Solar powered bamboo flash light from MoMA

Solar powered LED flashlight- for each one purchased, one is donated

Recycled felt iPad case from Nau



Perfect for the penny saver

Eco Friendly Rugs from Armadillo&Co.

We're always on the lookout for home decor accessories that tread lightly on the earth. We recently came across this small rug company that makes a big impact... both aesthetically and, through the eco practices that guide it's business practices.


Armadillo&Co rugs are made by hand and produced to the highest ethical standards. Every piece embraces Fair Trade practices and is crafted from sustainable natural fibers - pure wool, jute, cotton and hemp. All purchases benefit local schools in the the villages where their weavers live and work.



Armadillo&Co. participates in ‘Care & Fair’ - an initiative against illegal child labor in the carpet production industry in India, Nepal and Pakistan. All of their rugs made in these countries carry the ‘KALEEN’ label. Issued by the Carpet Export Promotion Council of India, it guarantees that no child labor was not used in the making of the product.



If your floors need a pick me up and your current rugs have taken a beating- consider upgrading to one of these lovelies to soften your {carbon} footsteps!

Where to buy rugs here

Photos via Armadillo&Co. and modernrepresentation.com

Clothing Made in the U.S.A. - Fall Picks

I thought this blog post would be a snap... a few shout outs for a few Fall fashion picks from a growing crop of clothiers manufacturing in the USA. Boy was I wrong. Turns out- there really aren't many clothes manufactured in the U.S. and I had to do a bit of digging.

Most of the clothing I did find all have something in common- heritage branding- companies with a long history, a family saga, a devoted interested in the working man (or woman) and a dedication to quality.

The entire concept of heritage branding is really another post, which we'll feature later. It goes beyond a seasonal pick and deserves more in depth coverage. In the interim- if you have a favorite clothing company - or even just a favorite shirt, jean, etc. post a comment. We'd all love to fill our closets with more threads that boast the label: Made in the USA.

In the meantime, here are a few suggestions to warm up this Fall...

The Portland Collection new from Pendelton launching Fall 2011

Glen Plaid Alicia Jacket - Pendleton- Portland, Oregon. Shadow-weave glen plaid fabric is woven in Pendleton USA Northwest mills. $258


Perfect Tee from Blue Canoe - San Francisco, CA. Rayon from organically grown bamboo, organic cotton and spandex. $52.95

Stronghold River Rinse indigo wash jeans by The Stronghold - Venice, California {cool website, worth a visit}

Harness Leather Road Boots- top grain hide, waterproof scuba liner. $298 at Orvis, Sunderland, Vermont

Dehen 1920 Motorcycle Sweater by Dehen- Portland, Oregon $295 at Woodlands



Made in Michigan Graphic Tee by Carhartt - Irvine, Kentucky $20

Stripe Cardigan by Centralia Knitting Mills - Centralia, Washington. Wool sourced in New England. $180 at Archival Clothing

Canvas cotton tote from Archival Clothing - Portland, Oregon. Waxed cotton canvas/unwaxed cotton duck. $150