I was talking (Facebooking) with a girlfriend from high school just yesterday… and in the morning, she sent out a really lovely announcement in support of her grown stepson’s new job, in the early afternoon she sat at the hospital while her husband underwent surgery and by late afternoon she was headed to her young son’s music recital… this is what Mothers do.  Everyday they wear so many hats and handle so many situations.  What I see as incredibly impressive… they see as just another day.  So, with Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to celebrate the ladies who put us on the map!  Here are my picks of gifts for all types of Mothers -

For the Mother who loves picnicking in the park, a recycled sailcloth wine bag, $29.

For the Mother who embraces the world, a befitting necklace, $90

For the Mother who can work an “easy chic”,  a hemp cardigan, $149 (this is what I’m getting my Mother, btw).

For the Mother who hates to waste, an upcycled wine bottle coat rack, $75

For the Mother who likes to travel in style, an organic tote, $75

For the Mother who’s all about her home, a posh pillow, $73

For the Mother who wants to give back to other Mothers, a donation to Women for Women, any amount.

And… for the Mother who’s child has a BIG budget, a stunning ring, $1950

Spring is officially here…so why not celebrate the season with an exotic berry fragrance in your own home!  Enter Infusion Organique’s Acai Rain Parfum de Maison.   Infused with the tart berry accords of certified organic Açaí extract and sparkling organic orange oil – Açaí Rain combines natural raspberry and currant, white peach, fresh greens and organic vanilla extract. The resulting scent captures the transformative essence of the Brazilian Rainforest for you and your home.

“Drift east from the Andean headwaters of the Amazon – through Peru to the lush jungles of Brazil. Continue under the misty canopy of the Brazilian rainforest where local Indian tribesman first discovered indigenous Palms laden with Açaí (ah-sah-ee) berries. Popular in Brazilian culture for generations, Infusion Organique has captured the fresh scent and organic power of this magical fruit in Açaí Rain.”

A beautiful and inconspicuous accent for any room or bathroom in the house, Infusion Organique’s Parfum de Maison fills the air with the rich blend of our organically infused fragrances. Non-aerosol and water-based, Parfum de Maison follows the manufacturing guidelines set forth by the carbon-reducing California Air Resources Board (CARB). So you can enjoy a fragrant, organically infused and environmentally friendly home.

Leave a comment and you’re entered instantly.  GOOD LUCK!

Writer and all-around-stylish-gal, Tiffany Romigh, gives a bit of advice for staying efficient & reinventing your space in the new year.

New Year, New You!  That’s what every magazine, TV commercial and blog says this time of year, hoping to lure us into new clothes, new cars, new bodies. Urging us to let our “true selves” shine this 2011.  And why not? There’s nothing wrong with a little much-needed reinvention every so often.

When you live in a tiny apartment, the way I did many, many times, you often dream of the day that you’ll have room for everything. And in the meantime, you learn how to make adjustments and make due with what you have. You tweak things until they work out – maybe not in a dreamy, I live in my perfect home way – but just fine.

Tiffany’s NYC pad

There was the apartment in New York City where my antique boat gauged my leg every time I passed by on the way to bed. The bungalow in Venice where my home office was outside on the patio. The bench that has served as a bookshelf in Venice, New York and now Austin. And so, with looking back planted firmly with my resolve to look forward, I started thinking about all of the ways that things can be changed. Reinvented. Reorganized. Used in new ways to make space.

The aggressively positioned antique boat

So, in the spirit of some new ways to make space and use of old things, like this old bowling bag that’s now a planter, I thought I would begin the year by illustrating some ways that I’ve been able to make some room in my apartments so that it may give you some ideas about your own.

1. Lots of items can become wonderful places to put plants (which are fantastic for your air quality!), like this vintage bowling bag.

Plant on the Run

2. Have fab magazines that you don’t want to throw out? Use them to disguise the ugly under-bed-ness in your room.

Not a stunning solution, but it does the trick!

3. Use the space under a bench to store your favorite books. It gets them out of the way, but they’re still accessible and brag-worthy when you need them to be.

Bench… Bookshelf… Desk?!

4. A drink cart is great kitchen storage for cookbooks and dishes that don’t fit elsewhere.

Stay organized to avoid chaos!

Wow. When you have a little breathing room, anything’s possible.  Happy New Year.

Depending on your town’s recycling program, you may have to sort your recyclables yourself.  That’s not a big deal, but why not make it attractive & easy (Heck, why not make everything attractive & easy, right?!)?  Cost Plus World Market is now carrying super-cute jute recycling bins for plastics, glass and paper!  I particularly love these because they have handles… which makes carrying to your main recycler – or even if you have to drive your bottles & paper to a recycling center – SO MUCH EASIER!

Sold seperately. Only $6.99 each!

Depending on your town’s recycling program, you may have to sort your recyclables yourself.  That’s not a big deal, but why not make it attractive & easy (Heck, why not make everything attractive & easy, right?!)?  Cost Plus World Market is now carrying super-cute jute recycling bins for plastics, glass and paper!  I particularly love these because they have handles… which makes carrying to your main recycler – or even if you have to drive your bottles & paper to a recycling center – SO MUCH EASIER!

Sold seperately. Only $6.99 each!

 I don’t mind telling you – I like breakfast in bed.  Nothing feels more lazy and luxurious than watching an old movie and sharing a tray, topped with mimosas, Gimme Lean, tofu scramble & toasted bread, with my husband on a lazy Sunday.  And I take my bed & my bedding quite seriously… I don’t get to spend a whole lot of time in my bed, so when I do – it had better be good, right?  I’ve been sleeping on organic cotton and/or bamboo bedding for a couple of years now and it just feels right.  Soft and chemical-free, sustainable sheets can’t be beat!  But now that our bedding is a couple of years old, it’s getting ready to make the move from our bed to an animal rescue (btw… they also take old towels, blankets & coats – find one near you and keep a pooch or kitty comfortable).  So, I find myself happily shopping for some new sheets.

Amy Butler is a recent discovery.  Her first line for Wellspun (and available as of early June at Bed Bath & Beyond – believe it or not) is playful & grown up at the same time.  Bright colors, certified organic cottons and modern floral motifs make Amy’s bedding that kind of bedding that adds an instant finished feel to a room. Take an all white room, add some Amy Butler bedding… and you’re done!

And then there’s Rubie Green!  The pieces are fresh & fun, but they SO remind me of my childhood days spent in Lily Pulitzer frocks running around my grandparent’s Florida house.  Also, 100% organic cotton and also 100% d-i-v-i-n-e!

 Photo & Rubie Green 411 thanks to great design blog,  Green Your Decor!

Now GO… sleep, drink champagne, devour a DVD and enjoy all of the amazing things a “green” bed can be!

This is Deana’s latest post for The Green Girls.

 I don’t mind telling you – I like breakfast in bed.  Nothing feels more lazy and luxurious than watching an old movie and sharing a tray, topped with mimosas, Gimme Lean, tofu scramble & toasted bread, with my husband on a lazy Sunday.  And I take my bed & my bedding quite seriously… I don’t get to spend a whole lot of time in my bed, so when I do – it had better be good, right?  I’ve been sleeping on organic cotton and/or bamboo bedding for a couple of years now and it just feels right.  Soft and chemical-free, sustainable sheets can’t be beat!  But now that our bedding is a couple of years old, it’s getting ready to make the move from our bed to an animal rescue (btw… they also take old towels, blankets & coats – find one near you and keep a pooch or kitty comfortable).  So, I find myself happily shopping for some new sheets.

Amy Butler is a recent discovery.  Her first line for Wellspun (and available as of early June at Bed Bath & Beyond – believe it or not) is playful & grown up at the same time.  Bright colors, certified organic cottons and modern floral motifs make Amy’s bedding that kind of bedding that adds an instant finished feel to a room. Take an all white room, add some Amy Butler bedding… and you’re done!

And then there’s Rubie Green!  The pieces are fresh & fun, but they SO remind me of my childhood days spent in Lily Pulitzer frocks running around my grandparent’s Florida house.  Also, 100% organic cotton and also 100% d-i-v-i-n-e!

 Photo & Rubie Green 411 thanks to great design blog,  Green Your Decor!

Now GO… sleep, drink champagne, devour a DVD and enjoy all of the amazing things a “green” bed can be!

This is Deana’s latest post for The Green Girls.

Here’s Deana’s latest article for The Green Girls…

I have to admit… I’m not a big Wal-mart shopper.  I try to stay away from big, bargain-y, corporate stores (I’m currently working on weening myself off of Target – which is harder than it looks).  Anyway, I couldn’t even tell you if I have a local Walmart, but I digress.  I am very interested in businesses that work to help the planet’s condition – as I run one myself – and I remember reading a couple of years back (in The Wal-mart Effect by Charles Fishman. I didn’t read the whole book, just excerpts.) that by accident Wal-mart had made one of the most influential “green” business decisions of the 1990’s.  You see, in the mid 90s, one of the corporate big brains over at Wal-mart had decided to do away with deodorant boxes.  Remember those… pretty much every mainstream deodorant roller came in a glossy cardboard box!  Well Wal-mart realized they could cut costs & merchandise more by doing away with said boxes.  Their high level corporate greed/good business sense ending up saving a little bit of our planet.  As Fisher says, “Millions of trees were not cut down, acres of cardboard were not manufactured only to be discarded, 1 billion deodorant boxes didn’t end up in landfills each year.”  Well, good for them I thought… but as I considered them to be doing so much other “bad”, I made note & moved on.

Let’s move forward over a decade to the present, shall we?  I’m reading a favorite blog of mine, Green your Decor, just the other day and she’s talking about all of this lovely, FSC-certified wood  patio furniture and recycled glass tableware that she just bought at Wal-mart. Um… what?  So, I check out her selections and they’re not bad… not mind-blowing, but decent-looking basics that could definitely work as core pieces in a stellar outdoor situation.

Ok, then I go to Walmart.com and head for the “search” function (This is a common practice of mine. I often go to”big” websites – from Target to Neiman Marcus – and search the words “recycled”, “organic”, “bamboo”, you get the idea).  Let me 1st say, searching their site for the word “organic” proved to be confusing. It brings up a whole “shop earth-friendly” page riddled with ads for Clorox’s new “green” campaign & whatever “helpful” thing Tide detergent might be doing right now, but once you carefully sift through their kind of overzealous propoganda… you can find some decent items.  And whether Wal-mart is doing this a a marketing ploy and not because they love the planet the way we do (which I am convinced is the case), the bottom line is they are bringing sustainable goods to a major market that probably wasn’t looking for them.  It’s got to end up doing some good, right?  But as always, please be mindful of where your products are made – and the conditions in which the people who make your favorite goodies work.

Here’s Deana’s latest article for The Green Girls…

I have to admit… I’m not a big Wal-mart shopper.  I try to stay away from big, bargain-y, corporate stores (I’m currently working on weening myself off of Target – which is harder than it looks).  Anyway, I couldn’t even tell you if I have a local Walmart, but I digress.  I am very interested in businesses that work to help the planet’s condition – as I run one myself – and I remember reading a couple of years back (in The Wal-mart Effect by Charles Fishman. I didn’t read the whole book, just excerpts.) that by accident Wal-mart had made one of the most influential “green” business decisions of the 1990’s.  You see, in the mid 90s, one of the corporate big brains over at Wal-mart had decided to do away with deodorant boxes.  Remember those… pretty much every mainstream deodorant roller came in a glossy cardboard box!  Well Wal-mart realized they could cut costs & merchandise more by doing away with said boxes.  Their high level corporate greed/good business sense ending up saving a little bit of our planet.  As Fisher says, “Millions of trees were not cut down, acres of cardboard were not manufactured only to be discarded, 1 billion deodorant boxes didn’t end up in landfills each year.”  Well, good for them I thought… but as I considered them to be doing so much other “bad”, I made note & moved on.

Let’s move forward over a decade to the present, shall we?  I’m reading a favorite blog of mine, Green your Decor, just the other day and she’s talking about all of this lovely, FSC-certified wood  patio furniture and recycled glass tableware that she just bought at Wal-mart. Um… what?  So, I check out her selections and they’re not bad… not mind-blowing, but decent-looking basics that could definitely work as core pieces in a stellar outdoor situation.

Ok, then I go to Walmart.com and head for the “search” function (This is a common practice of mine. I often go to”big” websites – from Target to Neiman Marcus – and search the words “recycled”, “organic”, “bamboo”, you get the idea).  Let me 1st say, searching their site for the word “organic” proved to be confusing. It brings up a whole “shop earth-friendly” page riddled with ads for Clorox’s new “green” campaign & whatever “helpful” thing Tide detergent might be doing right now, but once you carefully sift through their kind of overzealous propoganda… you can find some decent items.  And whether Wal-mart is doing this a a marketing ploy and not because they love the planet the way we do (which I am convinced is the case), the bottom line is they are bringing sustainable goods to a major market that probably wasn’t looking for them.  It’s got to end up doing some good, right?  But as always, please be mindful of where your products are made – and the conditions in which the people who make your favorite goodies work.

As most of you know, I do write a weekly “Home” article for the massively-read online magazine Ecostiletto.  And sometimes my story subjects are a bit more “domestic” than I am… which I actually don’t completely mind because it teaches me about new “green” products.  Anywho, this story idea came to me and I was enthralled!  What is Bio-diesel – and are there any by-products? Fascinating!

According to the National Biodiesel Board, biodiesel is a biodegradable, non-toxic, clean-burning alternative fuel produced from domestic, renewable resources like discarded cooking oil.  And you may think biodiesel is a resource reserved for drivers of those oh-so-sexy vintage Mercedes Benz and the super groovy tour buses carrying the likes of Neil Young, Willie Nelson and Jack Johnson.  However, one of the byproducts is pure, clean glycerin, the basic building block of soap.

Now comes the genius part. After converting their beloved ’84 Benz 300D to run on Biodiesel, the Pasadena, CA based Megan and Marshall Dostal found themselves with a surplus of glycerin. Beauty junkie Megan started tinkering with fragrant oils like bergamot and olive and the gorgeously fragrant, light and sudsy Further Soap was born.

POST BY DEANA

When FLOR carpet tiles were 1st introduced, I liked the concept – buy carpet in 20×20 inch tiles – easy to replace if stained, perfect for custom shapes & sizing – but was underwhelmed by the styles.  But their latest catalog is brilliant (not to mention I want to live in each stylish room on every page)!  A couple other great things about FLOR are that the company has a Return & Recycle program to keep their used tiles out of landfills, many of their styles are made of actual recycled content and they all are low-VOC!

Tiles average around $14 each, but the FLOR online outlet has designs starting from $6.

I know.  We’re in a recession and there aren’t a whole lot of us who can currently swing this high ticket piece ($2200), but it’s SO stunning AND it did just win the prestigous 2008 iDesign Award for Best Outdoor Lighting… though frankly, I had never thought of it as an outdoor light… but gorgeous predator owl, outdoors – of course!

Esque Studio is one of our favorite vendors for home design pieces at Green with Glamour… their work is sublime, often times one-of-a-kind and museum quality.  They do use recycled glass for many of their pieces, however this is not one of them.  However, the energy used for the Portland, Oregon Esque Studio is completely provided by wind energy… How fantastic is that?  This guy comes 2 ways – as a desk lamp or pendant.  See? He’s versatile too! (and currently 20% off)

I’m a little obsessed with my own closet. It’s pretty much the reason why we moved into our current apartment (that… and the kitchen cupboard storage that can hold ALL of my ridiculous amount of vintage & heirloom tableware). My closet is huge, with built in dresser drawers, 10 feet of hanging space, miles of shelving & a gorgeous window in which my cats can sun themselves. And I’m a little particular about organizing but the hanger thing has always bummed me out. Over time, I’ve stayed true to those clear plastic nasties (though stopped buying them a couple of years ago), but now I’m stuck with them. C’est la vie, right?

Well… Green with Glamour will be opening a storefront once the economy swings out of this depression – which puts me back in the hanger game (I can’t be the only one who gets so excited about hangers… am I?). Well these 100% recycled plastic Ditto Hangers, are the clear front runners!

Not only are they great-looking… but check out their features:

These beauties are available in 4 colors – ice, ivory, smoke and black (only 20% recycled plastic). I’m hung up on the smoke. Tres chic!

I’m a little obsessed with my own closet. It’s pretty much the reason why we moved into our current apartment (that… and the kitchen cupboard storage that can hold ALL of my ridiculous amount of vintage & heirloom tableware). My closet is huge, with built in dresser drawers, 10 feet of hanging space, miles of shelving & a gorgeous window in which my cats can sun themselves. And I’m a little particular about organizing but the hanger thing has always bummed me out. Over time, I’ve stayed true to those clear plastic nasties (though stopped buying them a couple of years ago), but now I’m stuck with them. C’est la vie, right?

Well… Green with Glamour will be opening a storefront once the economy swings out of this depression – which puts me back in the hanger game (I can’t be the only one who gets so excited about hangers… am I?). Well these 100% recycled plastic Ditto Hangers, are the clear front runners!

Not only are they great-looking… but check out their features:

These beauties are available in 4 colors – ice, ivory, smoke and black (only 20% recycled plastic). I’m hung up on the smoke. Tres chic!

I certainly do love clothing & jewelry, shoes and the like, but it’s items for the home that most make my heart race. And one of my very, very, very favorite lines that we carry at Green with Glamour is Ortolan Organic. Here’s a story of 2 sisters (Bethany & Jenna Mallet), raised on a farm in Ohio – who then moved to the big city (NYC) – who then launched the most gorgeous, edgy line of organic textile and earth-safe dyed pillows, table linens & blankets! You know when you discover a collection and you just think… I want 1 of everything? That’s me with Ortolan.

Anyway, the sisters of Ortolan have teamed up with artist, filmmaker & all-around sexy bastard, David Foote, as 1 of 10 artistic collaborations in his series, No. 10. Here’s the result…

The limited edition pillow has all of the trademarks of an Ortolan piece (organic fabrics, non-toxic dyes, animal-free & sustainable kapok filler, domestic fabrication and pure gorgeousness), but also features the alluring work of Mr. Foote. Divine, isn’t it?

Ortolan pieces don’t come cheaply, but I can personally attest that they are of the highest quality and have an important, timeless feel that make you want to live with them forever! AND with the purchase of this pillow ($275), the No 10 collaborators make a 10% donation to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (an organization that’s been close to and supported by my family for generations).

Side note: here’s the skeleton pillow by Ortolan – One of my absolute favorite pieces we carry at GwG (also a favorite of Ms. Emily Deschanel & Ms. Leigh Watson)! Mine graces my dining room (a typically skeleton-free room… get it? we’re vegs) and it’s luxe & large, chic & statement-y. Like I said, Damn, Ortolan Organic… you’ve done it again!

I certainly do love clothing & jewelry, shoes and the like, but it’s items for the home that most make my heart race. And one of my very, very, very favorite lines that we carry at Green with Glamour is Ortolan Organic. Here’s a story of 2 sisters (Bethany & Jenna Mallet), raised on a farm in Ohio – who then moved to the big city (NYC) – who then launched the most gorgeous, edgy line of organic textile and earth-safe dyed pillows, table linens & blankets! You know when you discover a collection and you just think… I want 1 of everything? That’s me with Ortolan.

Anyway, the sisters of Ortolan have teamed up with artist, filmmaker & all-around sexy bastard, David Foote, as 1 of 10 artistic collaborations in his series, No. 10. Here’s the result…

The limited edition pillow has all of the trademarks of an Ortolan piece (organic fabrics, non-toxic dyes, animal-free & sustainable kapok filler, domestic fabrication and pure gorgeousness), but also features the alluring work of Mr. Foote. Divine, isn’t it?

Ortolan pieces don’t come cheaply, but I can personally attest that they are of the highest quality and have an important, timeless feel that make you want to live with them forever! AND with the purchase of this pillow ($275), the No 10 collaborators make a 10% donation to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (an organization that’s been close to and supported by my family for generations).

Side note: here’s the skeleton pillow by Ortolan – One of my absolute favorite pieces we carry at GwG (also a favorite of Ms. Emily Deschanel & Ms. Leigh Watson)! Mine graces my dining room (a typically skeleton-free room… get it? we’re vegs) and it’s luxe & large, chic & statement-y. Like I said, Damn, Ortolan Organic… you’ve done it again!

I was going to categorize this as a recipe (as I’ve been insanely busy & out of the kitchen) – but the simple fact is… I’m obsessed! I have been begging for this glorious machine for about a year and this Christmas… I got lucky (for some reason I wouldn’t buy it for myself – it seemed too gifty). Anyway, I LOVE soda water!!! I don’t drink any big time sodas and haven’t for years… every blue moon I’ll enjoy a root beer or a creme soda, but straight soda water’s my main non-alc bevvie. So, without further ado… let me introduce THE Soda Club home soda maker!!!

We have the basic white – sleek & clean and does not take up much space at all! My initial draw to the soda maker was the eliminate the amount of plastic 2 liter bottle waste I was acquiring through my grocery store purchases – sure they’re recyclable, but so what? We’ve learned to carry re-usable shopping bags to cut out the plastic throw aways, so why not bevvie containers? In fact, check out Soda Club’s approach to helping the environment.

And though I LOVE not filling my recycler with empty 2 liters… there’s more! Not only can I make soda water whenever I want (which is a little bit of fun – I must say), but I’ve also added fruit juices for a twist (so far I’ve tried orange & grapefruit – delish!) OR if you’re so inclined, Soda Club has “flavors” that you can add to make any soda imaginable!

I was going to categorize this as a recipe (as I’ve been insanely busy & out of the kitchen) – but the simple fact is… I’m obsessed! I have been begging for this glorious machine for about a year and this Christmas… I got lucky (for some reason I wouldn’t buy it for myself – it seemed too gifty). Anyway, I LOVE soda water!!! I don’t drink any big time sodas and haven’t for years… every blue moon I’ll enjoy a root beer or a creme soda, but straight soda water’s my main non-alc bevvie. So, without further ado… let me introduce THE Soda Club home soda maker!!!

We have the basic white – sleek & clean and does not take up much space at all! My initial draw to the soda maker was the eliminate the amount of plastic 2 liter bottle waste I was acquiring through my grocery store purchases – sure they’re recyclable, but so what? We’ve learned to carry re-usable shopping bags to cut out the plastic throw aways, so why not bevvie containers? In fact, check out Soda Club’s approach to helping the environment.

And though I LOVE not filling my recycler with empty 2 liters… there’s more! Not only can I make soda water whenever I want (which is a little bit of fun – I must say), but I’ve also added fruit juices for a twist (so far I’ve tried orange & grapefruit – delish!) OR if you’re so inclined, Soda Club has “flavors” that you can add to make any soda imaginable!