Thank You SevenPly

We both admit to being classic procrastinators, so it's no surprise that we waited to the last minute to figure out what gift to give a certain special girl for her birthday. She's a skateboarding fashionista so after scouring the internet for accessory awesomness, it finally it hit us- a recycled skateboard pocket mirror! There's only one issue- finding one. After contacting several skateboard jewelry artists, we were finally rescued by SevenPly. I can only attempt to put into words how fantastic they are. Not only did they take on the challenge of making us a product they'd never attempted before, but they took it on as a rushed order as well. They kindly and professionally listened to every detail we requested, patiently bent to our every whim and even made multiples for us to choose from. The result is fabulous. I hope that they make many more of these. I wouldn't mind having one for myself! Please check out their shop here. And if you're reading this SevenPly- keep up the good work. You haven't seen the last of us :)

Robot With a Heart by Jenn Hayes

Sigh.... I bought this charming linoleum block print almost a year ago from Jenn Hayes, a very talented artist currently pursuing illustration. I've seen several very nice block prints, but this guy just stole my heart. (no pun intended :) He hangs proudly in our living room on an olive green wall which really makes the red in the heart stand out. Surprisingly, we found a fantastic frame for him a Michael's craft store. He's kind of an odd size, but they had a vertical frame meant for three photos that he felt right at home in. A custom framing job couldn't have been better. Please visit Jenn's shop to see some of her other awesome work here.

Reusable Produce Bags Are Awesome

In the great words of Homestar Runner: Seriously. We recently purchased some of these greener than green bags from ReMarket, an eco-friendly shop on Etsy and they are fantastic. No longer do we have to feel guilty about each individual plastic bag that one piece of produce goes into. I've even tried putting all of my produce into one plastic bag only to have the cashier glare at me and separate them into individual bags at the register. These lovely mesh bags come in 4 sizes- S, M, L, XL and and can be purchased individually or in sets. We recommend getting 2 sets since we always wish we had at least one more. Not only do they make it easy to see what is inside of them, but unlike plastic, they allow the produce to breath rather than trapping moisture inside. One word of caution- I did accidentally put my fingernail through one, so do be careful. I can't stress enough that this was my silliness, not an issue with the bag's structure. They are quite sturdy if you don't hold them with your thumbnail while dropping heavy items into them. Overall- a great product that we will probably be ordering more of soon. Keep your eyes open for more to be in stock. Apparently business has been booming and cleared out a lot of the shop's inventory. Check them out in the ReMarket shop here.

Upcycling an Alternative

Today we'd like to feature some people who are out there making a difference in a consumerist world. Every day we need things, want things, run out of things, replace things, and consume things. The trick is, they don't have to be completely new things. There are some lovely upcycled options that give new life to objects that would otherwise be headed to a landfill near you. So sit back, relax, and take a second look at what trash has to offer:

Need a new notebook? Don't you dare head to the Great Wall of Mart! Turn your eyes over here to Ivy Lane Designs, where all kinds of used boxes have been salvaged for your writing (or drawing) pleasure. They have all sizes and styles from cereal to jello, so go check out their shop here.


Ever watched the luggage carousel spin round with dozens of identical suitcases? Ever had an airport brawl over a bag that turned out not to be yours? Never fear! With these paint chip tags by TagOneOn, you can confidently yell at the top of your lungs "Hey Buddy, that's mine!". See them here.


Nothing is more fun than having a festive cook out. This year, pick up some funky lanterns by Mariposa Avenue. They are all cut by hand from upcycled food cans and powder coated for durability. These will start a great conversation and cast a magical glow at any get together. See more here.

It's My Party and I'll Buy if I want to.

Today happens to be my birthday, so I decided that I'm old enough to buy myself a few presents. These days, I'd much rather pick something out myself than be given something that I won't use (no matter how much I appreciate the thought). And since one of my new goodies came from her shop, I think this is a good time to showcase Elizabeth Scott.

I now have two pair of earrings from esdesigns, which is Ms. Scott's Etsy shop. I wear my others, a lovely pair from her petal series, almost daily. I know these don't fit into our usual upcycled featured pieces, but she was actually the second shop I ever purchased from on Etsy and that wondeful experience has stayed with me. I've had quite a few packages from Etsy purchases show up in the mail since then, but none have had quite the same feeling as that one from her. Aside from the beautiful jewelry, the buyer can expect a pretty little green package carefully adorned with a little green bow. No gimicks. No pile of promotions. Just elegant simplicity. I couldn't be happier if it were a blue box from Tiffany's.

Reclaiming Time: IMOTIME

When we cleaned out my grandparent's house we found receipts they had saved from everything they had EVER bought. Slips of paper documented their furniture, the building supplies for their house, even their car! (no, they didn't finance) I realized that they weren't people who replaced things often. At one point in time, a person saved up enough money to buy something and then were proud to own it. Today, we are dissatisfied as soon as we leave the check out line. When did things become so expendable? Now we have to have the newest model, the freshest fashion, the trendiest "insert useless object here". Out with the old (or slightly dusty) and in with the new. Rest assured that some of our discarded goodies might have an extended life after all.

IMOTIME is an awesome little shop out of San Diego, California. Their mission seems to be turning just about anything into pretty awesome (and useful) clocks. Anyone who read our review of Roger Wood knows that we're pretty fond of time pieces. My grandfather made clocks himself, so I have a particular appreciation for them. These however, are not your average tick tock. From hard hats to cake covers- IMOTIME isn't afraid to challenge the idea of what a clock should or could be. So the next time you donate an old pair of shoes or a tennis racquet to Goodwill, imagine what it might look like as a clock. It just might become one.

Visit the IMOTIME shop here.

Peter Alsen- A Ceramic Circus

We've been following Mr. Alsen for a while (I swear we aren't stalkers... really.), but we've never committed to purchasing one of his amazing pieces until now. About three years ago, Michael and I found these whimsical characters at Art On Broad, a fantastic little gallery in downtown Augusta, GA. Being rather broke at the time, we knew they would have to stay there. We have visited them often over the years, always hopeful that the right piece and the right price might coincide. This weekend we found one.
From the top down- meet Maurice, Rudy, Harriet, and Eugene (we name just about everything around here), a wonderful menagerie to make you smile. We think of art pieces as friends and who couldn't use four more? There is something joyful in Mr. Alsen's ceramics that warms your heart, and we are very happy to have one in our home.

Klockwerks - timepieces with recycled souls

Roger Wood is an amazing artist from Toronto where he is creating some of the most memorable and whimsical clocks you'll ever find. A symphony of flea market finds adorn his unusual pieces, saluting the history of a bygone era and all of its many bits and pieces. Ironically timeless, these playful clocks bubble with personality and take you back to your childhood fantasies. They are a testimony to those who believe in magic, though it be in the hands and imagination of Mr. Wood. You can find his other "werks" at http://www.klockwerks.com where he also offers an email newsletter. I've been a reader for some time, and believe me, it is often the highlight of my day.

I hope everyone is doing well, and getting ready for a great weekend :)

Sharing the love for Green and recycled…

Today, we'd like to spotlight Loran Scruggs, another artist who makes eco-friendly products. And while promoting your competition probably isn't good for business, we're so jealous of how awesome these items are, we just have to show them off. Check out this bottle cap whistle:

And there are so many cool designs, we can't decide which one to buy! In addition to whistles, Loran makes all kinds of things from airplanes to rat sculptures out of discarded materials. The shop is full of fun and whimsey and is sure to make you smile. Check out these items and more in their Etsy shop: http://loranscruggs.etsy.com
Have a great week everyone!

TheBlackApple~ haha not another mac post!

To continue Apple week, I'd like to highlight an artist who needs very little introduction. TheBlackApple aka Emily Martin is a fabulous artist out of Athens, GA who delights her audience with whimsical characters reminiscent of vintage story books. Her next shop update is this Friday, so to celebrate we've made the nifty countdown you see on our left sidebar below. Visit her at http://theblackapple.etsy.com

Pirates, Ninjas, and Robots, oh my!

WooHoo! We snagged our first Etsy treasury today. Check it out to see some wonderful artists depicting the finest character types ever imagined. http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=9627

Ahhh.... if I could buy anything....

These are just some of our favorites from other Etsy sellers. Some things I've already bought! But the pictures are so pretty, I can't remove them. Greta is my all time favorite for Black Apple fans.
Have a nice day everyone!

Etsy Buy Handmade GreenSpaceGoods