{eco} design: Cottage Charm

A very cute cottage.  Country Home restored an old, dilapitated carriage house and created a charmed getaway.  I've included a few of my own sources to help you get this look, eco style!

Find a slip covered sofa that contains formaldehyde free foam and FSC Certified wood at Ikea!

Browse Etsy for vintage prints.

For linens like these, try Transylvanian Images, purveyor of linens made of recycled grain sacks, fair trade by women in Transylvania.

For eco friendly stationary, try my personal favourite, Night Owl Paper Goods.

For FSC Cabinets, seek out Umbrella Cabinets from Toronto. 

AFM Safecoat has safe, non-toxic paints for floors and ceilings.  Try 'Snow White' for a shade similar to this.

Plover Organic has lovely organic linens.

{vintages}: 3 Potato 4

Dig 3 Potato 4 - I especially love their hardware general collection!

{eco} style: Ruche

I would like all my clothes to come from here from now on...please!

Be sure to check out the eco section!

The Organic Kitchen: Blueberry Parmesan Salad

For a great, summer evening salad!

In a large bowl, add lettuce (I've got a hugely overgrown salad garden that I'm munching from), blueberries, avocado, sliced green onion, toasted sunflower seeds and shaved parmesan.

For the dressing:  Whisk together white balsamic vinegar, tons and tons of dill, olive oil and herbamare (or spike). 

Shake, Drizzle, Enjoy!

{eco} diy: crate sidetable

Good Morning!  I thought I would share this cute diy from Australia's Home Life magazine.  Easy and eco - all you need is an old crate.  Click here to get the full instructions.

I apologize for being a little absent these last few days...my hometown is hosting the G8, and well, I'm getting the feeling that this is what living in an occupied country would be like.  I'm also working on an exciting new project...sorry, it's a secret for now, although I don't really know why.  I guess I want a dramatic unveiling.  At any rate, I'll be back this afternoon with an easy as pie but deliciously delectable summer salad recipe.

Stay tuned!

pure green {living}: Jacqui from So Good & Tasty

You many remember the Pure Green Living series on Pure Green...it kind of fizzled out for a while, I got too busy to organize myself and find contributors...well, it's back!  For those of you who are new, Pure Green Living is a column where real people give real ideas to live green.  We've all seen movies and read books/magazines about it, but a "expert" giving you stale ideas is not always inspiring, acheivable or accessible.  Hence, I have taken to asking my friends from all around what ideas they have, and sharing them with you.  Here, have a little taste of green inspiration!

Our first guest is Jacqui, who writes a scrumptous and beautifully photographed food blog called So Good & Tasty.  As if that weren't enough, she also manages an online graphic design business called Slide Sideways.  Oh, and she's getting married this August!  Congratulations Jacqui!

I live in Tacoma, WA, where I run a graphic design and handmade business with my husband Scott, called Slide Sideways. We create all kinds of original screen printed artwork and home accessories, while maintaining our core values by using environmentally safe inks and recycled and organic materials.

images from slidesideways

My green living idea is just to live simply. I recently heard a quote stated by Yvon Chouinard (founder of Patagonia) "the hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life, it's so easy to make it complex." That totally resonates with me. There are so many distractions and technology these days and everything moves so fast. I like to take the time to slow things down and walk or ride my bike when I can, or cooking at home and baking a great loaf of bread. These are simple things that might be harder to maintain, but have a huge pay-off in leading a green lifestyle. Plus they pull me back down to earth and make me realize I am part of this planet and that every choice I make, no matter how big or small, will leave its impact one way or another.  

doughnut holes with lavender sugar

chocolate muck muck's

quinoa mizuna salad with lemon pistachio dressing

banana chocolate marbled bread

Thanks Jacqui!

The Green Traveller: Ohtel

Imagine a boutique hotel furnished almost entirely with authentic mid-century mod classics...step into the Ohtel, where the owners of this boutique hotel painstakingly (and lovingly) curated a collection of design classics to create a mod motif straight from the 50's, but with a updated twist.  Located in Wellington, New Zealand.

{eco} design: Living Homes

Modular, prefab homes certainly entertain their own culture within green building - the process does reduce waste and maximize space in the smallest building footprint.  But they often lack a little somthing that makes it fee like a real home, at least for me.  Until I got an email from Living Homes - one visit to their site changed my mind.  Living Homes CEO Steve Glenn was inspired by a vision to become a developer with a postive impact on the built environment, which led him to create the first (wow) LEED platinum certified home in the United States.  Working with celebrated architect Ray Kappe, the duo built a concept that inspires, fosters community living, and promotes a sustainable, modern and healthy way of life.  Featuring world class air ventilation, energy and smart home technology, the homes make a big impact, while making very little at all, if you get my drift.  And while the company still embraces LEED as a guidline, they have developed their own measure of sustainability called Z6: Zero Water, Zero Energy, Zero Waste, Zero Emissions, Zero Carbon, and Zero Ignorance.  Combine that with a smart design savy, and you've got a winner.  Oh, and, my dear fellow Canadians, Living Homes has recently made their debut in Canada!  With an inaugural development of 4 homes in Toronto, the company has partnered with green builder Nexterra Green Homes and Conquest Manufacturing to bring you the best and the greenest.  I think the juxtaposition of modern lines and glass would complement the natural environment in Muskoka (where I live) quite well!

{vintages}: ethan ollie

Welcome ethan ollie - enter her impeccable curating and lovely styling...  She photographs her peices in such a way that it really makes you feel that these items deserve a special place.  They won't suit just anywhere, they need, no beg, to be showcased.  Check out her etsy shop, trampoline, for more.