Green Diva Jewelry

Clearing out my garage this weekend in an effort to inch a little closer to my goal of owning less stuff, I came across a small pile of clothes I had no idea what to do with. They were either torn, stained or just too worn to donate to the second hand store. That got me thinking, "can clothing be recycled?"

I'm no fabric expert, so this is uncharted territory for me. I figured that at least some fabrics could be reused, but which ones and how? Luckily, I found out that I don't need all the answers. There is actually a "textile recycling" industry that deals with all of this for us, but most of us just don't know about it so we're unnecessarily filling our landfills up with items that could easily stay in circulation. Read More...

Calling all Chicago area brides, grooms and vendors...past and present! The Chicago Green Wedding Alliance is hosting a The Great Wedding Recyclery on April 28, 2013 at Loft on Lake to allow new couples to snatch up fabulous finds at a steep discount for their upcoming wedding from past couples and vendors who are selling their slightly pre-loved or brand new wedding items.

If you're a wedding vendor or recent bride or groom that's still hanging on to extra stuff from your wedding, then join The CGWA, a group of wedding vendors dedicated to sustainability and creating greener events, in selling or donating the event items you no longer need. Read More...

I pre-orded Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Kitchen book months before its release. Challenging as it is, I'm trying to eat like a Nutritarian; which essentially means being a low fat, low gluten vegan. I figured her book would give me a few gems to experiment with...and it didn't disappoint.

One of my newfound favorite snacks are her Cucumber Cups. You don't even need to follow her exact recipe to turn this into your own favorite standby. Essentially, you slice 1/2" cucumber rounds (I like to make them 1-2" thick myself), scoop out some of the seeds and fill with your preferred tapenade. Kris suggests a mix of Kalamata olives, red onion, garlic cloves, jalapeño, lemon zest, oregano, tarragon and olive oil. (Naturally, you'll need to do your due diligence to make sure your ingredients are gluten-free.) Read More...

Nothing gets me more giddy than meeting a fellow artist who knows how to put a modern twist on a frumpy past time. That's why I instantly fell head over heels in love with Marta Costa's simply fabulous crochet pillows, handmade with love using organic and natural fabrics. Her modern style and eco-conscious mission give a whole new meeting to an art form most of us mistakenly associate with Grandma.

Marta's work speaks for itself, but here's 3 more reasons why you'll love her products as much as I do: Read More...

It's the crux of hosting any social event; you feel obliged to send the guests home with something. Etiquette and tradition say so. But what if you're dead set on having a green wedding? You know, the less-is-more kind. You want to minimize your impact, eliminate unnecessary access and prevent tabletop trinkets from getting tossed in the garbage afterward (the real destination of most wedding favors.) So how do you satisfy your mission of leaving no footprint, but still gives guests a little something for coming? Read More...