Green Toes

Wednesday, April 24, 2013 by:Alison Grieveson
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It is finally warming up here in New England and that means it’s time for my annual online pilgrimage to find amazing colors and shoes to showcase my little piggies! A few weekends ago a girlfriend was in town so my friend and I took her out (she really needed girl time) and I treated them to pedicures. How great is this photo? I just noticed how we each got flip-flops that are the complementary color to our toe nails! OK, only a design geek would notice that but…

On a green note, I always bring my own flip flops with me when I get a pedicure so I don’t get these disposable ones but these plans were spur of the moment…and I kept my pair in the car for the next impromptu pedicure day!

So, needless to say, my little green-nailed toes are ready for their close-up…in other words, bring on the sandals!

Love these gold-ish vegan open-back wedges by CL by Laundry Date Night I found on Alternative Outfitters for only $48!

The perfect complement to those sandals? Kaia House Organics in Lille.

 

 

Oh, Olsen Haus…you always get me with your cute little sandals…you had me at ankle strap then you went and added beaded stripes! They’re available on Compassion Couture, a cruelty-free and eco-friendly boutique, for $160.

Priti Nails NYC in their new sherbet colors look good enough to eat!

If you’ve never seen their line of oh-so-cute recycleable plastic shoes, check out Melissa’s website. They always have fun, creative styles. I have my eye on these Optical Sandals in beige. Get ‘em on Jildor.com for $70.

Zoya nail polish is this lovely gold-ish color called Piaf (Edith?) would be my pick.


 

Also on Alternative Outfitters are these adorable yellow flat sandals (and they’re on sale for $19 so hurry!). I love yellow and would pair these with a lot!

Scotch naturals nail polish in this fun teal color would look great with the yellow, no?

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Categories: Refurnished Living

Moss tile

Thursday, April 18, 2013 by:Melinda McGarty Webb
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Ever considered tiling a wall of your home in low-maintenance moss? Maybe it’s time you did.

Paprika, chili or cassis-colored moss, or an installment using all three – who knew such a thing was even an option?! Now that I know, I feel like I have to find a spot for it – somewhere.

MOSStile, intended for indoor use, is made of an ecologic resin base imbedded with natural moss. It contains no toxic substances, and the only maintenance required is an occasional misting, if necessary. Above right is a close-up of one tile, and below left is an installment of multiple tiles. Talk about making your home unique…

Each tile is 11.7 inches square and weights 3.5 pounds. They’re available in the colors of cassis, chili, cumino, green pepper, liquirizia, menta, (which looks like moss green,) paprika, red pepper, vanilla and wasabi. So let your imagination run wild!

$175 per tile, or $160 each for quantities of more than 40 of one color. Green Up, 82 Myrtle Avenue, Stamford. (203) 595-5099. www.greenupstore.com

Categories: General, Window Shopping

Sowing the Seeds of Love

Wednesday, April 17, 2013 by:Alison Grieveson
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Corny title, I know. But apt. We finally got around to planting some seeds this weekend. The kids have already done it with their classes at school so they are old pros. My little man fancies himself a trowel expert so he helped to put dirt (he insisted on using real dirt instead of my potting soil) into the recycled toilet rolls and yogurt cups we were using to start the seeds. We didn’t sprout seeds early last year – just plopped the seeds in our newly made raised bed – so this will be a good experiment to see if that makes a difference in terms of plant hardiness and harvest bounty. We planted peas, pickles, carrots, yellow peppers and cantaloupe. The interesting thing to mention is that I confused last year’s seeds with this year’s so I don’t know if we’ll get any sprouting happening at all!

Categories: Refurnished Living

Pet owners, take note…

Monday, April 15, 2013 by:Melinda McGarty Webb
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Come on folks, let’s not forget about the furry members of our families!

Machine-washable, (so important when it comes to anything on which my pets will be sleeping,) and earth-friendly, these “West Paw Design Eco-Nap Pet Mats” are both durable and adorable. After all, why shouldn’t Fido sleep in style?

Milled in the USA, the fabric contains 85 percent IntelliLoft fibers, which are created from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. IntelliLoft is a re-engineered fiber that diverts unnecessary waste from landfills and takes eight times less energy than producing fabric from virgin fibers, according to the manufacturer. They say more than 40 plastic bottles are diverted from landfills with every extra large Eco Nap purchased. Sounds good to me.

Prices vary from $30 for the extra small size, (intended for animals 10 pounds and less, and 19 by 14 by 2 inches in size,) to $99 for the extra large, (designed for animals more than 66 pounds, and 41 by 28 by 3 inches in size.) The Clean Bedroom, 1869 Post Road East, Westport, (203) 292-9275; (866) 380-5892. www.thecleanbedroom.com

Categories: General, Window Shopping

Instead of disposable, try “Vacuum Infuser”

Thursday, April 11, 2013 by:Melinda McGarty Webb
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Are you out the door each morning with your car keys in one hand, and a reusable mug in the other? (We don’t even want to consider the possibility that you’re stopping to buy your morning pick-me-up in a…dare I say it…DISPOSABLE cup.)

Well, if you’re as ecologically conscious as I think you are and you’re the kind of person who appreciates quality coffee or tea, this Vacuum Infuser Mug from REI might be right up your alley. All you do is drop your tea leaves or fresh coffee grounds inside the cylinder at the top and pour in hot water. (Loose leaf tea often retains more essential oils than conventional bagged tea and is purported to be more flavorful and less bitter.)

The drink steeps inside, and the removable stainless-steel screen filters leaves or grounds as you drink. It holds 15 fluid ounces and is said to keep hot drinks warm for up to six hours, and cold ones cool for 10. Rubber on the base prevents slipping.

$24. REI, 189 Connecticut Avenue, Norwalk, (203) 838-1938. www.rei.com

Categories: General, Window Shopping

The Kitchen Backsplash…It’s About Time!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013 by:Alison Grieveson
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You know when you just have to change something and then when it’s not going to be changed exactly the way you wanted, you wait thinking you’re going to get to it and then a few years go by and you still haven’t made that change? Well, that’s the story of my kitchen backsplash. I went back to look for photos of how the backsplash used to look and I found this doozy! That’s what the kitchen looked like just after we bought it. I can’t believe how bad it was. I mean c’mon, bandage-colored cabinets with matching checkerboard backsplash? And don’t miss that lovely floral wallpaper to the right!

A few weeks later, just before we were going to move in, it looked like this. Ahhh…so much better…except for that backsplash. We had ripped off the tile and I’m afraid to admit that the wall stayed like that until a few months after we moved in and I couldn’t stand looking at it so I slapped white paint over the rough, dried-mastic surface.

That’s where the story ended. Until yesterday. One of the decisions we were going back and forth on for a while was whether we would get new cabinets. Since we finally decided to keep these (sturdy, yet clunky) cabinets, we found we could make a decision about the countertop and the backsplash. The countertop will be some light colored formica (wuh, wuuuh) and the backsplash will be a white tile-look panel. Check out the panel below from. I think it will really give the kitchen a modern look. I love mixing modern with vintage…yeah, yeah, that’s what the cabinets are, “vintage!”

What we found were these plastic panels on backsplashideas.com, and I was excited to learn that they are made in the USA! Each 24.5? x 18.5? tile is only $22 so I think my total bill was $150 with free shipping – to boot! I got it in white but it’s available inmany metallic colors such as silver, bronze, gold a number more.

I should receive the package this week so I can’t wait to get started. I’ll post an updated image as soon as I have it!

Categories: Refurnished Living

Looking for a little green?

Monday, April 8, 2013 by:Melinda McGarty Webb
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Are you hankering for a little green after this long, cold winter? 

Why not bring a little taste of the outdoors into your indoor spaces? With this 12-pocket vertical garden planter from Green Up in Stamford, you can do just that.

Made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) water bottles recycled to create thick plastic felt, each pocket is 10 inches wide by six inches deep, and fits a four to six-inch potted plant. Mounted to a plastic panel equipped with mounting tabs, the planter should be easy to hang on the wall. 

For even greater impact, group a few planters together, or create a wall of plants, as depicted in the photo above. How fresh and soothing, huh? It would be wise to also buy the root wrappers and soaking hose that are sold separately.

$118. Green Up, 82 Myrtle Avenue, Stamford. (203) 595-5099. www.greenupstore.com

Categories: General, Window Shopping

Decorative and elegant

Friday, April 5, 2013 by:Melinda McGarty Webb
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These elegant indigo and light gray “Stacked Stones” decorative pillows from The Clean Bedroom in Westport will add a natural charm to any bedroom or seating area.

The white hand-stitched appliqué sits on a machine-washable cotton sateen cover with coconut shell buttons. Made of 100 percent organic cotton, sourced and woven in India, the pillow is 12 inches by 22 inches in size.

$115. The Clean Bedroom, 1869 Post Road East, Westport, (203) 292-9275; (866) 380-5892. www.thecleanbedroom.com

Categories: General, Window Shopping
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