Happy 4.22.12

Happy Earth Day!

Photo used with permission © Jacquelyn Poussot / jacquelynpoussot.com

World Water Day

Aren't we lucky? We wake up each morning- brush our teeth, hop in the shower, make a cup o' joe and off we go on our way.

Today is World Water Day - a great reminder that throughout the world there are many less fortunate. Today, take a moment each time you sip or use a drop of H20 and remember how fortunate you are to have this consumable right at your tap. We take so much for granted, right?

Being in the paper industry we are all too aware how much water is consmed in our industry and we have tried to do our part to conserve, consume less and carefully research the production practices of the mills that produce our paper. We read the Whole Living Daily WATER IQ TEST below on Huffington Post {and failed miserably} and it reminds us, once again, how precious each drop is.

Click HERE to see a larger view: By Whole Living Daily via huffingtonpost.com

Desk Top Wallpaper Project

Love this!

Spread some leprechaun love with this March desk top wallpaper feature from The Fox is Black. Designed by Marisa Segion and Julianna Brion for Alyssa Nassner and her site Ten Paces and Draw.

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

29 Ways to Stay Creative

via downtowndesign.tumblr.com (Source: thetaoofdana)

100% Post-Consumer Recycled Linen Paper

Linen is fast becoming a best-seller! Launched in May- this is a great, all purpose 100% PCW paper with a linen finish. Pure white and chlorine free, this white is as green as can be.

Perfect for invitations... dress it up - a great classic texture

Dress it down - casual chic

Available in all of our standard sizes - card stock and envelopes

For wholesale inquires: sales@greenpapercompany.com
To find a retailer near you or to shop online- visit our website

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!

Mykea

Got Ikea? We all have a Billy bookcase or Lack table hanging around.

There's no doubt about it- Ikea packs a bang for the buck! But let's face it- surface finishes are not their forte. Getting tired of white? Or black? Pay a visit to MYKEA, an ingenious site dedicated to the fine art of embellishing Ikea goods.

Elaborate vinyl transfers are size specific to key item Ikea pieces. Simply adhere and voila- a little art goes a looooong way.

While at first glance, this might not be the greenest of products (vinyl manufactured by Avery Dennison) - but we can make a serious argument that it prolongs the life of what is often referred to as "disposable" furniture. Not only that, it gives designers another platform to license their work and all around breathes new life into old product.

So before you put that bookcase out in a garage sale... Give your studio, bedroom, trade show booth, store fixtures, office, kitchen, living room a lift - your Ikea just got a bold burst of color!

All images via thisismykea.com