Archive for the ‘general’ Category

A Tree hugger at Tree People

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

Last year, I was so thrilled to be invited to the opening ceremony of the newly redone Tree People public use area located in Los Anegles. What got the most attention was the large catch basin they built, for saving and then reusing rainwater, a vital infrastructure improvement for the parched Los Angeles area. The trees in the Tree People trails that so many of us enjoy walking by, are therefore kept happy and healthy from this saved water, which is trickled down to these trees as needed.

Recently, I was there hiking with my dog Leroy, and we came upon the remains of a party/event that had taken place there the night before. As all the tables and chairs were being folded and carried away, what had not been dismantled yet, were some clever “Repurposed installations”, using found objects or recycling others for a useful purpose. Shovels were lined up, to create a temporary fence and in another spot,  pvc type pipes were cut and made into a chandelier, hung artfully overhead with LED fairy lights, which must have been a lovely at night.

Repurposed plastic piping as lamp

Repurposed shovels as fence

Vegetable wish list for my mounded garden

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
Seeds for a Mounded Garden

Seeds for a Mounded Garden

October is a great time in Southern California to plant Arugula, Beets, Broccoli, Carrots, Lettuce, Peas, Radishes and Spinach. There are several others as well, but I just listed the ones I like. You can also plant Chives, Cilantro, Dill, Mint, Parsley and Thyme.

I wouldn’t mind buying seedlings for Arugula, Peas, Broccoli and Lettuces. These have pretty shallow roots, so are easy to plant. The others really need time to push themselves underground, so do best grown from seed, and best are the organic seeds, from Botanical Interests, a certified Organic grower botanicalinterests.com.

A mounded vegetable garden

Monday, October 12th, 2009
A Mounded Garden

A Mounded Vegetable Garden

Yesterday, I labored happily in my vegetable garden, one of my most favorite places to be. There are no vegetables to speak of at this moment, but there will be someday. I prepared the 4 beds, and they turned out looking like I just buried 4 people. See for yourself from the photo I took.

This week, I will continue my search for a local organic grower of vegetable seedlings. I would love to get a few starter ones, and plant the seeds of that same vegetable at the same time. It’s my little trick. I did that last May, with the tomatoes and had them for months. As the starter plants grew, matured and slowly died back, the seeds I planted came up, with brand new plants. I had bushels of tomatoes and they were absolutely delicious. The cherry tomatoes tasted as sweet as candy.

The Goose Pimpling Book

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
We Are All Born Free

We Are All Born Free

We are all born free is an extraordinary book and I am proud to carry it in my store. It’s aimed at kids but can be enjoyed by grown ups as well. Actually that is a rule for me with children’s illustrated books: I have to like them as well, if I will read them to my children with aunthentic enthusiasm.

We are born free depicts the 30 articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and each one is illustrated by well known international children’s books illustrators.

This amazing book is published in association with Amnesty International, an organization made up of ordinary people from across the world standing up for humanity and human rights. Their purpose is to protect individuals wherever justice, fairness, freedom and truth are denied.

This book should be read by everyone, young and old.

Found: A Moth Trap that Works

Monday, October 5th, 2009

Moth TrapMoth TrapI was at a dinner last month, when I overheard someone talking about “moth traps.” It seems that an ingenious person has come up with the perfect moth trap: non toxic, doesn’t smell and traps the moths. I bought one and tested it out, as I do for all the products before they go in my store. This one is in my closet and as you can see from the rather awkward photo I took of it, that I now have 4 moths in the trap. I wrote the copy for the Moth Trap for my site a half hour ago, and there were only 3 moths in the trap then… Ha! Knowing that my beloved sweaters and scarves are safe at last is a beautiful thing.

The Story of Sorrel or Rumex Acetosa, a most useful herb in the garden

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

I planted some Sorrel in my organic vegetable garden and also in a terra cotta pot oustide my kitchen. I don’t remember having ever eaten Sorrel but it looked nice and I liked the sound of it. It turns out, it’s quite the hardy little herb, that keeps on giving.  I kept on giving it away, bunches of it, every time it looked like it could do with a good picking. Until, today. I felt the time had come for me to eat it. I looked it up in the “Complete Book of Herbs & Spices”, and found that if I just pulped it in a small cuisinart, it was the perfect addition to an omelette, one of my most favorite things to eat. I picked a handful of leaves, pulped them with 2 tbsp of extra virgin organic olive oil and add 4 tbsp at least of it to my simmering omelet. It was a revelation! Completely shockingly delicious. I’m not giving it away anymore. Go plant your own!

sorrelsorrelsorrel blended
sorrel omelet

What to sell in an eco friendly and socially conscious store

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

I love my store! I hope you do as well, because my goal is to sell products that you need, like and that help you create a wonderful healthy home for yourself and if you have a family, them as well of course.

Let me tell you exactly what happens before I choose a product to carry in my store: After I have found a product I like and I have it in my hot little hands, I put it through the Priscilla test, which is using it myself. Why would I sell something I wouldn’t use? That will never happen.

The Products I chose to open my store with were ones that I needed and wanted, like biodegradable trash bags, plain market bags, non toxic soy candles and reusable produce bags, to name a few.

BioBagCotton Produce BagsSoy Candlewhite market bag

What I would really love, is to hear from you; what you need, what you like and what you can’t find. I want you to love my store just as much as I do and find things in it that make you happy.

Click on the Comment Link below to add comments and suggestions.

Thanks.
PW