Etsy Bloggers Blog Carnival: Birthdays

Howdy, folks! It's time for another blog carnival, and this one, hosted by Joey and Aleethea, is all about birthdays!

Tell us about your birthday/what astrological sign you are/what are your plans for your birthday this year?

My birthday was back in February, on the 5th - the same day as H. R. Giger and Hank Aaron.  I'm your typical creative and somewhat quirky Aquarius, the water bearer (though, I'm far more likely to come bearing tea or coffee).  I was also born in the year of the rat.

As for plans, I don't really have any.  Having a nice dinner has been my small, simple birthday tradition for several years now.  I'm not one for big celebrations.  After all, I'm just another year older, and I think we all wonder at times if that's really something to celebrate.  In fact, I think I could stop having birthdays right now and be perfectly happy.  26 forever?  Sounds great!  Where do I sign up?

Thursday Threads: Eco-Friendly Fashion, Part 2

Happy Earth Day, dear readers!  I know I celebrated the coming of this auspicious day last week with an eco-friendly fashion feature, but I couldn't think of a better way to honor today than a sequel of sorts.  I certainly didn't have any trouble finding enough items.  In fact, the hard part was picking just a few.  But I did, because I had to.  And here they are...

Pretty Birdie's High Waisted Bamboo Swing Skirt by stephanieteague



This beautiful skirt is made with bamboo and organic cotton and is available in several colors. Bonus: It's hand-dyed with eco-friendly low impact dyes. Cool.

Crossley Hooodie by simplebear



Both the inner jersey lining and outer fleece lining of this unique, asymmetric hoodie are 100% organic cotton. And doesn't it just look super cozy? Bonus: You get to choose your colors! And both fabrics are available in several, so there are oodles of possible combinations.

Flora Flat by HydraHeart



These adorable, nature-inspired flats are totally vegan! No leather to be found here, only fabric and rubber. Bonus: No need to worry about wearing them in the garden or out in the woods. These babies are washable!

So there you have it - three awesome artists doing their part for the earth. Now, what are you doing?

Mostly Wordless Wednesday: Blossoms

Anyone else participating in the 365 Project?  If you haven't heard of it, basically, the premise is to take a photo every day for an entire year.  I've been working on it since March, and while I've been good about taking my photos, I'm dreadfully behind on uploading them.  Still, you can see what I have uploaded here.

Tutorial Tuesday: Eco-Friendly Tote

I mentioned my earth-friendly efforts in my last post, but something happened between then and now. I saw this. If you're not familiar with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, as I was not, it's basically an enormous floating mass of trash--mostly plastic. Google it and you'll find some truly horrifying photos.

To make a long story short, I decided I had to do something, anything, whatever I could. So lately, I've been making strides to do more. I've gone semi-vegetarian (flexitarian, if you will). I've been researching various green products, and just educating myself about green living, in general. I've begun taking my own tote bags to the grocery store. And I've been looking for ways to recycle plastic. Our local recycling center takes bottles, but what is one to do with other plastic items?

Well, Etsy gave me a good use for one of the most prolific plastics. Grocery bags. This How-Tuesday post shows you how to use grocery bags to make plastic yarn and crochet a cute tote bag. How cool is that?

I've already started working on mine, and though making the "plarn" is a bit time-consuming, I think it's well worth the effort. And I'm sure it goes faster once you've had a bit of practice.

I'll let you know how it goes and post pictures once I'm done. In the meantime, why not tell me about your recycled creations!

Thursday Threads: Eco-Friendly Fashion

I've always been "eco-conscious." Ever since I was a wee critter-loving tot, I've done my best to follow the three R's. I'm always trying to reduce the amount of crap I throw away. So I reuse what I can (shoe boxes are great for storage). I recycle what I can, both in the conventional dump-it-in-the-bin kind of way and also in the crafty, "upcycling" way. I like to think I'm pretty earth-friendly.

And now, with the current eco-craze, it's easier than ever to do your part. Organic foods are all over the supermarkets. Your options at the checkout are now paper, plastic, or eco-friendly reusable tote. Electric companies are even offering green energy options to their customers. Talk about an awesome trend.

So to celebrate this green renaissance--as well as the coming of Earth Day--I've dedicated this week's Thursday Threads to eco-friendly fashion. Kudos to these creators for respecting their mother (Mother Earth, that is).

Lil' Miss Sailor Shirt by sewmoe



Snazzy little sailor shirt made in a bamboo knit fabric. I can only guess how ridiculously comfortable this must be, as I've never worn bamboo. But I have gotten my paws on some bamboo yarn and it's just amazingly soft. An entire shirt made of the stuff? Yummy.

Mademoiselle Skirt by econica



This lovely skirt has a lot to offer--a touch of ruffle, a hint of retro, and plenty of options. It's available in 14 different colors, in an organic cotton/bamboo blend. And the colors are all so lovely... Who could pick just one?

Hemp Patchwork Apron Dress by peacebird



Isn't this just gorgeous? It reminds me of stained glass. And it looks so comfy! As it should. After all, it's made with hemp cotton. I'd love to have a dress like this to romp around in when summer comes. So I'll start saving my pennies.

In the meantime, why not leave a comment and share your favorite eco-friendly finds?

I Need Fans!

So I was intending to write up a nice little feature today. But I haven't felt very well the last couple of days, and I just couldn't muster the energy for all the work involved. So instead, I thought I'd keep things brief and let you in on the latest news...

The Ash Grove is now on Facebook! So come check out my page and become a fan. I'll be holding special giveaways and offering exclusive deals for my Facebook fans in the future, so it's in your best interests, really. And besides, it'll make me smile.

So, I'll see you there! :)

Wicked Wednesday: April Showers Bring Steamy Flowers

Gosh, it's been ages since I did a Wicked Wednesday post, hasn't it?  Well, when I set out to write today's post, I knew I wanted to do a gothic homage to spring.  But how to showcase the darker side of such a bright, sunny season...?  Simple.  Flowers!  Flowers are one of the first things I think of when I think spring, and while they can certainly be bright and cheerful, they can also be dark and elegant--just think of roses.

I found a lot of great flowers floating about the Etsysphere, but I finally narrowed my choices down to jewelry items and, quite serendipitously, this collection came to be more "steampunk" than "goth."  But to heck with labels.  Let's just call it all beautiful!

Black Dahlia Earrings by smilingsoul2 

Antique Gold Rose Filigree Ring by edmdesigns

 

Silver and Sapphire Cameo Cuff with Flowers by earthfirestudios

So there are my picks.  Now let's see your steamy, springy favorites!