{Guest Blogger} Weekend Recipe

Since I introduced myself as Pure Green Magazine's new illustrator, I thought it might be fun to include a little illustration on the blog today. A few weeks back, the Pure Green team had our first editorial meeting in Montreal. Michelle hosted us at her lovely home and I brought my favourite pie for dessert, Sweet Potato Pie. It's guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser, so if you're in the mood to make a super yummy dessert this weekend from a very healthy vegetable, give it a go! Be sure to leave a comment and let us know how it turned out.

Have a wonderful weekend!

- Bess -

{Guest Blogger} studiomama

I'm going to let these amazing pieces speak for themselves. But not before I tell you that you can actually download instructions on how to make these and many more items on the studiomama website.

Studiomama is based in London and owned by industrial designer Nina Tolstrup. The 'Pallet Project' was part of the London Design Festival and 100% Design shown at jeweller Jacqueline Rabun's studio in Belgravia.

Pallet Chair Lo
Pallet Chair Hi
Hanging Light
Floor Light
Pallet Chandelier

You know what I'll be doing this weekend, right? Rounding up every last pallet between here and Ottawa.

- Bess -

{Guest Blogger} There's No Place Like Here

If you read Pure Green Magazine, then I'm sure you are familiar with Daniel and Valeria from Hindsvik. Their home was featured in the November/December issue of Pure Green, pgs. 82-89. Etsy recently made a "There's No Place Like Here" video about them and their Scandinavian-inspired home. Filmed by Pascal Perich with music by Daniel Garbutt on his 1920's piano, this film is a beautiful look into the charming Port Colborne, Ontario, home of vintage online shop owners, Daniel and Valeria.



Here are a few of my favourite still from the film...







I often have dreams of doing exactly what Daniel and Valeria have done. Packing our bags and moving to a small town. I love the city, but as I get older (turning the big 3-0 in a matter of a few short weeks) the calm, quiet and natural setting (as well as much lower housing prices) call to me in my dreams.



I found this film very inspiring. It's great to see what a couple can do with their own hands. Although there are no "before" photos (you can find those on the Hindsvik blog under the renovations link), I'm pretty confident that my mind can adequately imagine the huge transformation that they've made since buying their house.

Thanks for sharing Hindsvik and Etsy!

- Bess -

(All images via Etsy "There's No Place Like Here" video)

{Guest Blogger} Outside In

Hello Pure Green Readers! It's Bess here, Pure Green Magazine's new illustrator and the designer behind the English Muffin Shop. Celine has invited me to do a few guest posts over here at Pure Green, and I couldn't be more delighted!

For today's post I thought I would share with you some little bits of the outdoors that my husband and I have used to decorate our home. Celine featured the Birch Bark Wall Art DIY that we made a couple of weeks ago. As I'm sure you've noticed, we love bringing the outside world in. Having bits of the forest inside feels really magical and especially cozy during the Winter months.



This is our tropical seed collection. My husband, Charles, brought back these little forest finds after his trips to both Australia and Panama. Of course these are only meant to be displayed in our home and would never make their way to the outside world, especially not a garden.

The three little 'mountains' above are actually spikes from the trunk of a tree.



This seed hangs off an Australian tree. Should one fall on your head while walking through the forest, I imagine it would hurt.





This little guy can be used to hang your clothes on the line to dry. A poor man's clothespin if you will.



We really treasure all the seeds in our collection. I remember visiting the home of one of Charles' past professors and being in awe of all the seeds and other forest artifacts he'd collected over his years in the field. We aspire to that great glass cabinet with hundreds of perfectly placed momentos from the forest.

I would love to hear if you collect tokens from the outdoors too? Mushrooms, flower pressings, leaves?
 

{escape} PG photographer at large

I thought you might enjoy a little snapshot of Erin {that's her above, the amazingly talented Pure Green photographer to whom I owe so much!} and her recent little vacay in Florida.  I fell in love with her shots and couldn't resist posting.  She shot them all with her iphone {!!} 

If you're interested in a little more eye candy visit Erin's site... www.everimages.ca

Loverly!!!

{homestead} CSA for Valentine's

From Crackers

Hello Everyone!  I'm happy to introduce a new column on PG called {homestead}!  I've been kicking this one around for a while, but listening to readers request more info and insight into how to live green has prompted me to make this one a reality.  You'll have to bear with me though... this column will be, at times, nothing more than my experiments on making things at home, wasting and wanting less, learning more, reading and watching, talking and listening.  I'd like to learn to take nicer photos... we'll see how that develops.  

In the meantime, I thought a nice kick-off to PG Homestead would be to offer up an idea for an alternative Valentine's Day gift, instead of scrambling to find a gift for your loved one, who probably has everything they need!  Right now you're looking at photos of eggs, tractors and veggies and wondering what on earth I could possibly have in mind.  Well, how about a subscription to your local CSA's, or Community Supported Agriculture.  Gaining more and more in popularity, hopefully where you live has at least one to offer.  Basically, the idea behind CSA's is that you 'subscribe' to a farmer's product by paying for your 'subscription', or 'share', up front.  This greatly helps the farmer for a variety of reasons:

1. He/She gets money at the START of the season, which is when they need it to purchase seeds, livestock, buy equipment and maintain their farm.

2. It gives the farmer a 'quota', or target yield for the year, ensuring that they can meet the demand.

3. It supports your local, organic economy - you get to eat yummy, nutritious, 100 mile food, they get to earn a living.

4. You share the risk.  You don't realize how much a farmer puts on the line... disasters such as drought, floods, windstorms, bug infestations, disease, etc. can mean that a farmer's crops are destroyed, or the yield is reduced.  By sharing a little bit of that risk (it doesn't happen often, but it's a reality of working with living things), it ensures that the farmer will recover and will be able to operate another season.

From Crackers

In exchange for your support, you will receive either weekly or monthly packages, containing whatever share you purchased (this would be decided at the time of subscription).  I will be subscribing to two CSA's this year: 1 veggie (in exchange for $100/month I will receive a weekly bundle of the freshest veggies), and 1 meat  (for $475/6 months I will receive a monthly package of meat, eggs and preserves, enough for two to eat very comfortably).

Here's one more reason to do this: you save money!  Usually you will end up paying less per pound than you would at the grocery store, and you don't have to shop.  For example: my meat CSA costs an average of $4.50/pound, where at the grocery it costs an average of $5.60/pound.  Another added bonus? Sometimes you receive veggies/meat you don't usually eat.  It will force you to expand your horizons, try new things, and research/create killer recipes for your newly discovered food.

From Daniel Hurst's Flikr

From Cannelle et Vanille

Consider it.  Happy Valentine's everyone!

{eco} design: Century Home in Sweden

This week's eco design feature comes from Victoria Hamberger, a designer from the Swedish town of Lindingo.  A century home built in 1907, Victoria and her family were intent on restoring and updating the home, yet maintain some of it's previous character - a colourful home previously owned by Anders and Nunni Beckman, founders of the Beckman College of Design.  Victoria set about using colour but keeping it in balance with the furniture she already had and a lighter, less intense feel.  It's not hard to see what drew me to this home.  It's striking, yet peaceful.  As always, we've added the Pure Green touch and added a few green resources, in case you'd like this look at home {who wouldn't} with a little eco flair.

Remember the concrete tiles by Popham Design I mentioned yesterday?  Here they are.  Made in a respectable manner in line with traditional Moroccan technique. 

Such lightness and colour!  I don't know about you, but purple would never be my main accent colour of choice, and yet, this made me reconsider.  How lovely and fresh - I really love the purple vintage cabinet.  The look is anchored by the dark wood floors.  1 eco point for keeping the original hardwood and choosing to refinish them.  Achieve a similar painted look using non-toxic paint by AFM - their Trim & Door formula is up to the job.

1 eco point for the healthy dose of refinished antique pieces found in each room, such as the white Fyndade sideboard and orange lamp found at a flea market in Smalande.  The chair is vintage too, from the Swedish auction site Lauritz that specializes in quality antiques and design classics.

Victoria is also the entrepreneur behind Glowb, a rug company that makes modern and stylishly appointed rugs, including the lovelies shown here in Victoria's home.  The rugs are handmade in India using natural materials and ethical practices.  In fact, Glowb states that part of their mandate is to help contribute to an improved quality of life for it's employees, including investing in schools and education.

As I'm sure you know by now PG is a HUGE fan of vintage.  I couldn't resist showing this collection of vintage bar ware, from Victoria's parents.  

Get a similar look in as this kitchen by having bespoke cabinetry built in using bamboo plywood.  The vertical grain in amber from Plyboo will result in a very similar look.  Recycled glass countertops from Icestone will complete the look, along with some non-toxic paint by Mythic.  Keep watch on ebay for a vintage Saarinen tulip table.

Finally, check out Fireclay Tile's Debris Line {made of recycled content} in Black Gloss for a very similar look.

Source

{eco} style: Popham Tile

Two eco style posts in a row!  I couldn't help it.  I actually came across Popham Tile via a home feature that I was going to post but got pushed back to tomorrow because I couldn't not post about these!  Popham was created by two designers, formerly from L.A and N.Y who moved to Marrakech and now create and design stunning concrete tile.  Made in the traditional encaustic style but using concrete, a renewable resource.   mmmmm... so good.  Stay tuned for the home feature that inspired all this tomorrow!

And don't forget about our #PGLiving campaign on twitter!  In case you didn't read yesterday's post, we want to celebrate the ways in which you, our dear and treasured reader, ALREADY live green.  No matter how big or small, send your ideas to us on twitter using the #PGLiving hashtag.  Pure Green isn't about preaching... it's about community and celebration!  Here's the best part... each issue, we'll publish our favourite green living ideas in the mag!  We want to hear from you!

Pure Green Mag on Twitter:

@puregreenmag

{eco} style: Granted Clothing & Pure Green Living on Twitter

Today's eco style post comes to you courtesy of Bess @ English Muffin.  She's wonderful, and I'm in love with this particular find.  I couldn't resist reposting so I could share it with all the Pure Green readers.  Granted Clothing is a family owned business from BC - they are a handmade business, down to the very core.  They produce clothing made of 100% pure wool, which they then knit, BY HAND, into beautiful garments.  It's not inexpensive, but this is no sweater that was knit on a mechanical loom which churns out 100 identical sweaters per day.  This is a heirloom of sorts.  You will have it forever.  AND, it's very stylish.

I also wanted to take today to tell you about a new idea I had.  With the release of Issue 4, I asked new subscribers to kindly tell me a little about themselves so that I can make Pure Green Mag even better.  One of the questions asked was "What Would You Like to See More of?"  Well, you've been more than generous with your answers and I'm so grateful.  One thing that keeps coming up is that readers want more tips on how to live green.  Well, first I have to tell you that we have BIG plans for the next issue.  Things are going to change, only a little, and definitely for the better.  I can't unveil what's happening yet.  It's a secret.  But, we're definitely going to bring you more tips on eco living.  And I'd like you, the reader, to help!

Pure Green isn't about preaching to you a greener lifestyle.  It's about celebrating what you're already doing.  I'm finding that when readers realize 'huh, I guess I am green in my own way', it represents a total shift in thinking that leads to more change.  WAY better than being preached to.  So Pure Green realizes that living green is really a sliding scale of action.  Some do a little, others do a lot, but we all make a difference.   As part of celebrating what you're already doing, I'd like for you to tell me the simple ways that you live green.  And we're going to do it on twitter. 

Using the following hashtag #PGLiving, send me your ideas, big or small.  I want to hear them all!  I think I'm going to make Monday's #PGLiving day, but I want to hear from you all the time.  Whenever you think of something, send it to me!  But I need your help to spread the word.  Here's the best part: the best ideas that come our way between each issue will be featured in the mag!  Little tidbits sprinkled throughout the mag... all from you.  I'm so excited! I hope you are too. 

Pure Green Mag on Twitter:

@puregreenmag