What fear? The early 2000s were horrible, aesthetically! We’ve been doing such a good job recovering from them, but our tendency to ironically dig up the recent past is only growing stronger. Soon, we’ll be surrounded with white platform sneakers, trucker hats, and polos with popped collars. I mean, honestly – what a waste of 7+ years. Truly a disaster, visually. Who would want that to come back? Leave it where it died – in the past!

Ok, ok. I need a minute. I have to think about all of the awesome things that came out of the early 2000s, too… Like… The Osbournes? I don’t know. I’m off on a tangent here.

The point is: I found something that reminded me of life in the early 2000s and didn’t make me sad!

In fact, it made me delight! Kind of the same reaction as if I were to happen upon a gigantic bowl of ice cream. I think it’s because of the orange sherbet-y color of this beautiful, vegetable-tanned leather.

The Sacagawea Carryall by Materials + Process

The construction of this bag is immaculate, and the colors are so dreamy yet still natural-feeling. The simple hardware and the simple design is really, really complimentary and likely to become timeless. I would pack this full of books, art supplies, snacks, farmer’s market loot… I’m imagining a whole life based around this bag! Well, not really… I just wanna put a bunch of stuff in it and go a bunch of places!

vegan

Nau Lightbeam Jacket in Fire Stripe

This is such a great jacket. Not only is it well-designed with an awesome asymmetrical front-zip and a bold, and almost funnel neck collar, but it’s also made from 100% recycled polyester. The jacket has a bit of stretch which makes it good for active days, and packs extremely well - hikers take note! Nau claims that this jacket can pack down to the size of a grapefruit – and at only 9oz., it’s perfect for “just in case” situations. And, yes, it is machine-washable.

As one might hope, this recycled jacket is also recyclable. Nau is a fantastic company based in Portland, Oregon, and is comprised of some of the coolest people – many of whom are celebrated on the company’s own site! (Love that.) They are constantly finding new ways to steal my heart with their high-design, high-sustainability clothing for men & women. I could post about them every day, I love them so much – so maybe prepare for that.

eco

Our Awakened Aestheti-ship has crashed ashore the latest obsession sweeping the internet: Pinterest. It’s exploding! One peek and we were completely hooked. (I love that 9/10 times, there is an instructional or informational article attached to every beautiful picture!) We’ve come up with some pretty addictive & badass boards on our page so far…

• Sustainable Lady Fashion
• Men’s Sustainable Fashion
• DIY: Home 
• Sustainable Home – Our inspiration & home decor finds!
• Eco-Friendly & Vegan Beauty
• DIY: Beauty
• Sustainable & Organic Food Porn – Because who doesn’t love that?!
• Ethical Gifts for Everyone
• Earth Homes - Beautiful homes inspired (or right smack in the middle of) nature!
• Natural Kid Stuff!

Can you think of any boards we should add? Totally open to suggestions! If you want to follow us, we’ll totally follow you back!

Follow us on Pinterest, & we’ll follow you back!

hemp

The Tailor Sofa by Crate & Barrel is classically-styled, but made with contemporary materials: the stone- or poppy-colored fabric is made of strong, durable hemp, the hardwood frame is made using certified sustainable wood and the seat cushions are made using soy-based polyfoam. Would you have guessed any of that? I wouldn’t!

The Tailor Sofa is $1700, which isn’t too expensive for a quality sofa that’s also sustainable…but just finding this piece of furniture is exciting for me, no matter what the cost, because it means major retailers are starting to use sustainable materials without making a fuss about it. The words “Tailor Sofa” don’t conjure up images of hemp or soy, so unless someone sees this sofa, loves this sofa, and clicks on an image of this sofa, they won’t even see the sustainable qualities of this sofa.

Sneaky soy, hidden hemp. I love it!

organic

Mr Mustache in Grey Black Red billfold vegan wallet by Chapulin: $25, handmade in Ithica NY.

Striped vegan wallet by Knotted Nest: $30, handmade in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Black vegan herringbone wallet: $14, made in Southern California using recycled materials (mostly sample bolts of fabric).

Golden Beard vegan vinyl wallet by Houdini Handmade: $24.95 (who sells things for $.95 anymore?), made in Long Beach, CA, by a guy who really loves beards.

Vegan Cork Fabric Wallet by Cool CorC: $55, made by adhering a thin layer of cork to a cotton background.

Guys, what do you carry your money in?

It’s almost too warm for baths  (May, where did you come from?) and for the past five years or so I’ve had this “last bath of Spring” tradition, so damn it, I don’t care how busy I am.  I will luxuriate, and no one will stop me.

Lavender is the ultimate relaxation scent.  Not only does it relieve tension and lessen headaches, it soothes skin, too.  (Try it on bug bites.)  Now that we’re solidly into spring, I’d pour a bit of Kerstin Florian Organic Aromatherapy Oil into my bath, and top it with fresh lavender flowers.  In the meantime, I picked a spring on the way to the bus this morning and have it sitting on my desk, as near to my nostrils as possible, in a little glass of water.

I recently came across Fables by Barrie, a line carried by ModCloth that boasts some cute and classic retro bikinis that just happen to also be sustainably produced.

Coney Island Getaway Swimsuit and Synchronized Grinning One Piece

Houndswoontooth…

Every Fables by Barrie swimsuit is designed, developed and manufactured in the good ol’ U.S. of A., in San Diego, California.  Barrie (a lady Barrie) personally designs each swimsuit, and they all have little details that take that retro sass up a notch.

H2-Retro Swimsuit Top and Chevron the Boardwalk Swimsuit Top

H2-Retro Swimsuit Bottom and Chevron the Boardwalk Swimsuit Bottom

I have a retro-inspired bikini and a triangle top, and I’m not sure which I prefer…yet.  I want to be certain before I drop the dough to get a more expensive suit – one made here in the US, preferably by a small-time designer.  Do you have a preference?

We’ve all been there… you’re days away from an important Mom Holiday (birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day…) and you’ve completely forgotten about the entire thing. No gift, no thoughtful card that will make her make “that face,” and nothin’ to show for the woman who gave you life.

Nice. Real nice. Well, fortunately, Etsy provides a bevy of Mom-applicable options that are sure to set you free show your Mom you love her. Cute stuff like this Initialed Dainty Little Leaf Necklace by Soul Peaces. It’s customizable, so if you have siblings, you can throw your little brother’s initial (or Dad’s, or dog’s, etc.) in there with a little heart (like in the photo) and you’re sure to send Mom to the tissue box upon first sight.

*This is best for a Mom that wouldn’t mind a gift slightly late as the shop’s shipping cutoff is past, but it was too perfect not to share!

Daily Little Leaf Custom Initial Necklace by Soul Peaces: $48

I’ve been like this for a few years now. Just before I was about to uproot from my hometown and move across the country for the first time, I had this fantasy that I could always have these beautiful, artisanal loaves of bread in my kitchen… perfect for tearing or slicing or just staring at. I had always been addicted to food shows on television, and remembered the early morning sunlight shining through the kitchen windows of the small-time bakers around the world, and it appealed to me on not only an aesthetic and culinary level, but on a sustainability level. I can control every aspect of the bread I make, myself… The origin, the texture, the freaking species of plant my bread’s ingredients originated from, etc. A control freak’s paradise, I tell you.

I went back and forth for a while on where to share this piece of my life, because the truth is that this side of me fits our sister site, Broke & Beautiful, as well. The cost of making your own bread is reason enough for a full conversion. I eventually decided to put it here because my pride rests in my own self-reliance, and the the fact that I brought a sustainable habit into my life and it became a passion. When I’m rolling out my weekly pita stash, (okay, this is a little embarrassing) I smile when I think about all of the plastic that isn’t involved in this process, the non-biodegradable bags that I’ll never have to buy or deal with, the energy I’m saving, and the peace of mind I have knowing that the only things that went into these things were: organic flour, organic olive oil, himalayan sea salt, yeast, and water.

So, okay, big emotional coming-of-age story aside, my bread is currently pretty under-appreciated. Not in the way that it doesn’t get eaten – I live with a man who has a high metabolism. I mean it’s not cared for in the way it should be. It’s unceremoniously wrapped in plastic wrap, wrapped in foil and shoved in the cupboard or the freezer until further notice. It kind of bums me out, you know? Anyone who makes bread will tell you that you have to love your bread in order to put as much work into it as is necessary. The kneading that breaks your arms (or legs, if you’re hardcore like that), the mixing-with-a-wooden-spoon-because-you-don’t-believe-in-mixers-are-”necessary” cramping… You really have to be at least a little bit passionate about it in order to go through all of that, you know?

I’ve decided to treat my bread a little better. If I could give bread one present, ever – it would be a bread box, obviously! If you could give someone a house with minimal investment on your end, wouldn’t you do it? You would totally do it. Don’t even lie.

French Country Bread Box with Vintage Handle from Honey’s Treasures

The best things about bread boxes:

• They are pretty.
• They can be handmade by amazing, creative people!
• They keep your bread hidden and secret…?
• They are not that expensive!
• They are free-standing, and can be used to help give your kitchen some style!
• You will impress your friends when you know how big a breadbox actually is.

Wooden Bread Box by Skettis Woodworks

Shabby Chic Bread Box from Honey’s Treasures

Confidential to those who fear bread-baking (or baking of any kind)…

Suck it up and try it already! It’s not as scary as you think it is, and it’s a bit harder to mess it all up than you’d expect. If you want an awesome, whole grain recipe to try out for your first time, King Arthur’s Flour has an excellent one! You don’t even have to knead anything!

Have you ever tried making your own bread?

This stuff has saved my butt several times.

You may recall such posts as the Butter London Lippy Review wherein I was required to take photos of my nails. Do you notice that they aren’t heinous and shaggy? Well, you can thank Jennifer Nicole’s militant manicures, and Burt’s Bee’s Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream.

Prior to receiving a lesson in how to paint your nails from Jennifer Nicole, I constantly had thick, dry cuticles – often with cracks, hangnails or both. Gross.

This little tub-let of lemony butter is perfect. It smells really good, and it really moisturizes. It’s not oily at all, and it churns out visible results within a minute or two of massaging the stuff into your cuticles.  It’s loaded with Vitamin E and Almond Oil to soften up that tough skin. Please note that this product does contain beeswax and is therefore not vegan.

I put it on before taking pictures of my nails, or hands. Sometimes, I put it on my nails while I’m zoning out & watching television, or when I’m waiting for an appointment, etc. You’ll be tempted to put it on other parts of your body that are so dry you wanna cry. I also sneak some onto my elbows if they’re feeling rough at all.  (This stuff is great for men, too!)

Available for purchase at Apothica for $6.50.