shopping green & local

hi everyone!

i love etsy. i love shopping it and supporting all the small businesses. when i had seen elsie sport her star wars dress, i knew i had to own a dress from rustycuts. i am a proud owner of the zigzag dress which you can view here and just love it.

the owner of this shop, judith, is really awesome! i know she uses old sheets for most of her dresses and while thrifting one day i found this really awesome mountain range pillow set....it got me thinking...it would look so cute as a dress! i emailed judith and she was totally happy to make a dress for me.

i sent her a package with my pillowcase and she made me this amazing dress! what is more awesome then a custom dress and having a bit of a hand in designing it! i am a HUGE sucker for scoop backs, i love showing off my back and peeks of my tattoos. to add to this awesome mix she is a local sf designer <3 we tried to meet up so we could both save on postage but our schedules never worked so i never got to meet her :( i always keep an out for sheets when thrifting so i can send her more orders in the future. i love upcycling just as much as i love supporting small business :)

remember when shopping etsy you can always search for local designers in your home town! by shopping local you are supporting your community and if they upcycle, even better! a great way to stay green and fashionable!

xo,
cb

too big, no sweat! a green diy!

well, hello everybody! and welcome to a fun little green diy today. i have been waiting to post this guy for a while now because i am super EXCITED about it. it was a big hooray moment for me when i finished and i felt super duper proud of myself too! i love those little moments in life :)

well a while back tom and i cleaned out our dinky little closet and we were getting rid of unwanted clothes and he was going to get rid of this really cute buffalo shirt that i adored! sadly it was waaay too big for me, way too long, the sleeves were saggy and i always like a good tee to be a bit snug around my torso....so it got me thinking....i can totally fix this!

first i measured myself and with chalk started putting my cut lines on the shirt keeping in mind the seams. then i got to cutting and sewing.  as you all know i am a HUGE fan of collars aaaand peter pan collars are my favorite so i had to add one to this guy to make it that extra bit of girlie cuteness.

i found a tutorial on line (this one was great and i LOVE the shape of the collar too), used some old black fabric i had laying around and got to cutting and sewing and my too big buffalo shirt became.....

i am totally in love with it!! it is the perfect mix of funky and trendy, which is what i really like about my own personal style. i have two other items that i am fixing at the moment and will share those as soon as they are ready. i feel like i haven't made so much stuff for myself in a long time and i really LOVE it! any reason why i love being a crazy craft lady :)

also check out this lovely on shannon's blog! so cute!!

craft on...

xo,
cb

a green post: canning with jordan!

Hi everyone! i am more then thrilled to have jordan here from trailer gypsy here to talk about canning! i have had first hand experience in tasting her yummy canned goodies and i really really want to try my hand at it too! so many wonderful advantages come with making your own canned food, not to mention it saves you money and it is always always nice to have a cupboard filled of yummy treats. well before i take up too much of your time....here is jordan!

Hi guys, I'm Jordan from Trailer Gypsy and cb invited me here today to talk about home canning or "putting up". I had canned in the past, as a child, and then once in college I made raspberry jam as gifts for my family but I had never canned with the intention to use what I put up to eat throughout the entire year. In March my boyfriend and I moved from the SLC area to a small farming community in Idaho. This town has been a breath of fresh air for us. One of the first things I noticed about the area was all of the vacant produce stands and snow covered orchards that would be brimming over with fresh produce come Spring and Summer. A little plan hatched in my head to can as much fresh local produce as I possibly could. I also planted my own garden to pull from.

Raspberry Jam, Sour Cherry Jam

I got to work digging out old canning books my Auntie had given me and thrifting for jars. I signed up for the local orchard's newsletter, watched craigslist for people selling produce, and tended my own garden. The season started off slowly with pickled asparagus but then as berries began to ripen and cherries were everywhere, my canning got into full swing and it hasn't let up. In fact, I think this is the busiest I've been with tomatoes being ready right now. I've learned so much this year and found something I'm passionate about in the process.

Pickled Asparagus

Not only is canning a great way to preserve the season, but it's also really green as you're procuring produce locally. Nothing is being shipped across the country, or from out of the country for that matter, and usually when you're buying from local family farms, you have a much higher chance of finding organic produce. I like to use heirloom seeds in my garden and I never use any chemicals on my plants. I know what I'm feeding to friends and family is healthy and natural. I love the fact that it isn't full of weird ingredients I can't pronounce and high fructose corn syrup.

Slow Burn Relish, Tomato Sauce, Plum Jam, Plum Butter, Pear Ketchup

Canning is growing in popularity and yet there is still a misconception that it is difficult and unsafe. If you know the general rules for canning, it's very safe. It's one of those things though where you can't bend the rules, if you abide by them, you won't have a problem. There are great websites and guides out there to get you started. If you're interested, here is a post on how to begin canning, it covers where to get your supplies, how to find out about the process and safe recipes, and where to locate produce in your area.

I feel a sense of accomplishment when I hear the little clicking sound that indicates a jar has sealed. Not only do I use this food for my own little family but I gift it to friends and loved ones too. Even if canning isn't something you are interested in, I urge you to try some other food preservation methods like freezing or dehydrating because there is nothing better than a little taste of summer when you're surrounded by snow and shivering your butt off.

My work in progress canning cellar. 

Water bath canning is what I do the most of, and it's great for jams, pickles, and low acid foods. Last month I was able to purchase a pressure canner and I can't wait to can all kinds of low acid veggies next summer, in addition to fish! I know that when a lot of people think of canning they think of jam, but there is a whole world of canning out there, with lots of interesting recipes including things like kimchi, pear ketchup, pickled watermelon rinds, and salmon. I hope I've made canning sound awesome, because it is and you should definitely try it! Oh, and you can even make booze.


thanks so much jordan for sharing and inspiring all of us to want to try out canning! such an awesome traditional way to be green!


oh and don't forget to check out these other ladies green posts!!


***AWESOME terrarium diy over at a lost feather


***really really cute simple wardrobe update from lo at little something from little lo hood


xo,
cb

a green diy: stamping

hey everyone! today is my first post for the green series that a few ladies are adventuring in. i am super excited to show you this diy because it is soooo simple! i was inspired by the OH SO AMAZING andrea from papersparrow!

she has re-introduced stamping to me as a fast, fun & green way to update your wardrobe with trendy styles! if you are not aware of papersparrow then i suggest you head on over there asap! one thing i will point out is that the fabric paint isn't "green" but neither is dumping your unwanted shirts in the trash, sometimes it is hard to be 100% but it is in the right direction that is important.

source

source

okay now to the fun! i am a HUGE fan of collars, i think it was my many years wearing a uniform that has prompted this but i can't get enough of them. plus around this time i want to wear them all the time because it reminds of wednesday from the addams family.

first off i drew out a pattern. i wanted to create something that resembled lace and my idea went through many phases before i finally picked this design:

look their dentures! oh wait no thats my rubber stamp, hehe

(from left to right) fabric paint, rubber stamp, carving tools.

then i drew my design on my rubber stamp and cut it out using block cutting tools. all of these tools and supplies you can get at any craft store. once you are done cutting out your design test it out to be sure it works. i did it a couple of times and even practiced on a black piece of fabric.

i put a piece of heavy paper in between my shirt so that the paint didn't seep through to the other side. since i was using white on black it needed two coats. let dry for about 4 hours and then you are totally ready to sport your new lacy faux collar shirt! and hey no sewing involved for all you non sewers out there!

i am totally in love with the look and wont be throwing this sucker away EVER!

also check out shannon's cute green diy: welcome sign

have a great weekend everyone! can't wait to be back on a normal schedule!

xo,
cb

sunday wear

hi!
thank you all for the wonderful comments on my handle bar bag, i am super stoked about it and should be done with the 2nd round this week! if all goes well, i will be making a bunch to share with the world :D

we had a great weekend and we decided to mix it up and use our film camera, we both missed it so much, but we are waiting on the film to be processed; not sure why they call it one hour when it really isn't. oh well! one day we will have a little space so that we can develop it ourselves, how awesome would that be!?!

we took these pictures the morning i got sick. it was the start of some really awesome weather so i was super bummed to get sick. funny how quickly it can happen, i felt fine all day up until after i ate lunch. oh well, i am feeling better just fighting the sniffles i have now....aaahh when will it stop!

 i bought this top a few weeks ago at the thrift store not really searching for anything in particular. the pattern caught my eye so it went into my pile of things to try on and i really liked the way it fit. plus i really love the color too. it matched perfectly with a pair of earrings i bought a long time ago that are repurposed shoe clips. sorry the picture isn't that great. they are one of my favorite earrings and i adore wearing them.

i hope everyone had a great weekend. looks like we are getting a nice set of warmer weather this week, eek! the sun out always makes me happy!


i'll be back tomorrow <3
xo,
cb

being green is fun!!

alright everyone, who wants to save the earth!!! wow...i know that is huge heavy statement that is totally overwhelming but it doesn't have to be. it is all about the little things we do each day that can help improve the way we live and help the planet that we love oh so much.  what if we broke down that idea to something much smaller or tangible, like say the redwoods or your front yard? what can i do to help preserve them and keep them here for generations to enjoy? this idea is always on my mind and i want to do my part in helping. as an everyday bike rider i am already on the right path but i know there are other ways that i can help by making better decisions. several ladies are participating in this new little venture and you can to!

so many things effect our environment, fashion, being a huge one, food & design. we aren't here to preach anything but to show how easy it can be to be a bit more aware of what we can do to help. from fashion diy's & helpful green tips, we are here to make it fun and hopefully make a habit of making greener choices for everyday living.

if you are interested in learning more read this amazing article on the fashion industry and how "fast fashion" effects us and our environment. hope you are all on board for this fun new adventure. each week one of us will be doing a post and we will all be sharing the link to each ladies blog so that you can check it out! give me a shout out on how you feel about this. we would all love to hear back from you!
here are some of the other amazing ladies going on this fun adventure:

Hello! I'm Sarah and I blog about art, travel and adventures over at A Lost Feather. I spend as much time as possible outside hiking, bike riding and walking my little fluffball, Boo Radley. Among my favorite places to explore are the Hudson River Valley, near my home in New York, and Yosemite National Park. The great outdoors has given me so much happiness and I think it's time to return the favor. I hope that by participating in this awesome project I'll learn a lot more about different ways to be green. I'm also super excited to share fun and pretty green-friendly diys.. I hope you'll stay tuned and get ready to be more green!

Hi, I'm Lo of Little Somethings by Little Lo Hood, a place where I share adventures, amazing fellow Etsy owners, and crafts. I think that being green means helping and preserving our environment. I know that we can do this by recycling paper and bottles but more recently I've come to understand that "green" can encompass fashion as well. I started this project to help inform people on the many ways in becoming more green because my home state is Vermont and I am in love with its beautiful natural landscape and would love to keep it that way. This project has also turned into such an exciting and fun project especially since I am working with some amazing ladies who have fantastic ideas. We will be coming up with different DIY's and tips on becoming a little more green and we hope that you all will enjoy and maybe learn a little in the process. I'm looking forward to sharing with you lovelies a dress DIY...I love it so much! Here is a sneak peek:

 Hiya! I’m Shannon and I run the little blog shannon*bear. It’s all about my life, adventures, handmade lovelies and photography. Most of my adventures are in the woods. I grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains where things move slowly and the trees talk. My very first memories are rich with the forests of my area, of my woods. I've always loved nature; it lends me the inspiration I need to create pretty things! My Mr. & I are always looking for ways to go green so we can add to the growing movement to preserve Mother Earth - and even closer to home, our mountains. I’m really excited to share with you a few of the ways that we put our green foot forward! So come on over, check things out, and leave inspired!