Market Profile - Green Tea Design - Step System 20%OFF

For a slightly more zen aesthetic and unique approach to storage, Greentea Design's Step Chests are a versatile way of configuring everything from a home bar, a TV armoire, to desk storage. If you want to hide the open clutter of a bookcase or protect your electronics from dust, their step chests are a perfect alternative - just choose from a variety of finishes and hardware to complete your customization. AND until June 15Th Greentea Design is offering 20% OFF on any model or design of their Step Chests - what are you waiting for! Visit their website to watch an interactive video on the myriad ways they can be used.







GreenTeaDesign.com

Love it! - SourcePerrier.com - 40%OFF

www.SourecePerrier.com
USE CODE "Spring40" at checkout to receive an additional 40% off all in-stock items only, plus receive free shipping on all orders over $200!

Market Profile - Pillow Pagoda SALE

A true believer that Pillow Pagoda is an untapped resource, I have four of their pillows and they are equal to the top quality of any mainstream retailer, but ironically possessing high-design patterns unrivaled by the supposed style-makers to the masses. To boot, I just received an email that they're having a 10%OFF discount on select styles, some seen below so act fast - very limited quantities!








Pillow Pagoda -Prices range by design from $20/pillow to $50/SET of 2

Market Profile - Vicky's Yard Sale

One of my newest finds, Vicky's Yard Sale takes the work out of rummaging through piles of hidden treasure. Bringing yard sale finds to the masses, everything on her site is for sale and can be shipped nationwide so if you see something that catches your eye, snatch it up cause it'll be gone before you know it. And if it is, don't fret because she replenishes her inventory on a regular basis so keep checking in - here is just a handful of my faves currently available - "available" being the operative word so act fast!






www.VickysYardSale.blogspot.com

Love it! - Frontgate.com SALE!

Unfortunately, with the recession still going strong, so are the sales. Frontgate.com is no different than the rest offering up a bevy of products that are bound to please. From a Venetian tri-fold vanity mirror and kilim bench to my fave, the lattice-corniced bookshelves, there's something for everyone.







www.Frontgate.com

Love it! - Beaded frames

For a last minute Mother's Day gift, I chose a store that most have access to, and one of my faves, Pottery Barn. Always a classic, a silver-plated beaded frame will make any childhood photo look like an heirloom to be cherished through the years. Print your photo in black and white or in brown-sepia for an added touch of timelessness. By doing so the photo will be neutral and subtle - complimenting, not competing with the detailing of such a feminine frame.


www.PotteryBarn.com - Beaded Silver-Plated Frames $29-$54

Love it! - Horchow.com HUGE SALE!!!

www.Horchow.com

Love it! - Nantucket bucket vases

No doubt Mom will be receiving flowers this Mother's Day, so why not arrange them in a unique vessel to be reused for years to come. Love these Nantucket Woven Buckets with clear glass liners from BallardDesigns.com. Present any bouquet with a "straight from the garden" lattice feel. The hand-picked look will be sure to impress!


www.BallardDesigns.com $29-$39

Love it! - Stationery tote

When I was thinking of some Mother's Day gift ideas, I immediately went to one of my stationery go-to's Boatman Geller. Never one to disappoint, I discovered one of their new products, Carrie & Tuck totes. Stocked with writing pen, address sheet, 6" x 9" clipboard, 5 awning stripe orange foldovers, 5 pink/orange flat cards, 25 padded letter sheets and 15 envelopes - Mom's correspondence will never look so organized!




www.BoatmanGeller.com - $39 each (at checkout use code "CBB09" for 30%OFF your order until May 10th)

Love it! - Restoration Hardware lighting sale!

One thing I know for sure is the high quality of Restoration Hardware's lamps, as I own a few myself. Another thing I can always count on is their seasonal lighting sale and by looks of it, you can find these faves and many more styles from floor lamps to chandeliers for a fraction of their original price. With their classic designs, they blend seamlessly into any style decor. Gosh, if only I could find another spot to add a not so needed, but much wanted extra lamp!





www.RestorationHardware.com

Love it! - Melamine dinner plates

Whether color, pattern or classic "black and white" is your thing (black and white for me) these funky melamine plates are perfect for sprucing up your outdoor soirees (shindigs for me) Sold in sets of 4 - TonicHome.com will one-up-you with corresponding salad plates!




www.TonicHome.com - 11" dia. (Set of 4) $45

Love it! - Macy's Rwanda Path to Peace Project

A year ago I first posted about Macy's philanthropic effort, "Rwanda Path to Peace Project" bringing shoppers exquisitely woven baskets handmade by Rwandan genocide survivors. I just received an email announcing the launch of this season's newest baskets, just in time for Mother's Day! With a larger selection of sizes and color combinations, helping other women earn an honest living, sustain themselves and their family is a gift in itself.

"Established to create a viable, sustainable business that provides economic stability, the Rwanda Path to Peace project promotes an environment of peace to positively impact the future of Rwanda’s eight million citizens. Willa Shalit, an American businesswoman, has spearheaded the four-year effort to develop an American market for Rwandan women’s crafts. Shalit believes that women helping each other can change how Rwanda rebuilds its society, empowers women, and sustains economic security beyond traditional forms of assistance.

Focusing on trade, not aid, the export and sale of these baskets has put real, sustainable income directly into the hands of Rwandan women, most of whom are heads of households and were previously living on less than $1 a day. This income has visibly changed the lives of the weavers in remarkable ways by providing food, shelter, medical care, education, and other necessities, while also imparting a great sense of pride and self esteem. Rwanda has never exported their fine crafts on this scale before. There are now over 2,500 weavers across Rwanda, including both Hutu and Tutsi women, from both sides of the 1994 genocide. These women sit side by side as they talk and weave together, slowly healing themselves and their society."


www.macys.com/rwanda - $35 - $120

Love it! - Garden ceramic collection

Currently on sale at PotteryBarn.com, this charming ceramic set will bring warmth to any traditional table setting. What I love most is the juxtaposition of the glazed white ceramic with the textured rattan handles. French country silhouettes aged to perfection, lends the perfect look of Provence that has been admired for centuries!

www.PotteryBarn.com $16-$89

Love it! - EARTH DAY! - American Forests Buy A Tree

While "design" is one of my greatest passions, one of my newest has become environmental preservation. Through American Forests, the nation’s oldest nonprofit citizens’ conservation organization created in 1875, you can buy a tree in your name or as a gift in another person's name. EVERY DOLLAR PLANTS ONE TREE! It's very easy to do. On their website, www.AmericanForests.org, click on the "Plant Trees" tab. There you can choose from a number of projects that you want your donation to benefit. Once you choose a project you can make your donation, $15 being the minimum. Then choose if it will be a gift or not. If it is a gift, they will ask you to fill out the address and name of the recipient who will be mailed a certificate saying that you have planted trees in their name - how great is that!

Another really cool program that American Forests initiated is the Historic Trees Nursery. The Nursery, a state-of-the-art facility in Jacksonville, Florida, propagates direct-offspring of trees that witnessed events and lives significant to American history. Hundreds of trees are available including offspring of Tulip Poplars that majestically stand at George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate, or the Oleander that blooms on Thomas Edison's Florida estate. Categories include Presidents, American Revolution, Women, Civil War, African Americans, Native Americans, Veterans, Country Music Artists, Authors, Inventors, and trees of regional significance. Through their Historical Trees website www.HistoricTrees.org , for $39.99 you can purchase a 1-3' tree derived from the original of your choice. Plant it in your own yard - now that's a story to pass on for generations!



More about American Forests:
American Forests' goals focus on assisting communities to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems in both urban and rural areas all over America, whether it's planting trees to restore wildlife habitat, ecosystems damaged by wildfire or working with cities to reverse the decline in urban tree cover. Today, the organization's primary campaigns are "Tree-Planting for Environmental Restoration" and "Reversing the National Urban Tree Deficit". Since 1990, American Forests' Global ReLeaf campaign has been planting native trees in rural and urban ecosystem restoration projects across the United States and around the world. About 85% of American Forests' tree-planting projects occur in the United States and 15% are international efforts. All are conducted in cooperation with local partners, foresters, or natural resource experts. To learn more, check out these links.

www.AmericanForests.org
Historic Tree Nursery

Love it! - Envirosax Bags

So I've been trying to "Green" up my life and while I'm no Al Gore, I'm making strides in my daily life, in my own way. It doesn't happen overnight, but I've made a commitment to myself and that's all that matters, right? There are many little and big things one can do, but one of the easiest things that everyone can do is to cut down on using plastic bags. I myself have a number of eco-bags and net bags that I use when going to the market in place of taking plastic. I also keep small roll-up bags in my shoulder bags so when I make unexpected shopping stops, I just pull it out and tell the store to keep their plastic. These totes by EnviroSax are so great looking and with all their stylish designs, there's something for everyone. You can buy them individually or in sets and would actually make great gifts. The company itself also practices what it preaches by operating under "Greener" conditions and abiding by fair trade laws. Here are some of their stats on plastic bags you might find eye-opening:

PLASTIC BAG FACTS - USA
-Approx. 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States every year.
-Approx. 100 billion of the 380 billion are plastic shopping bags.
-An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags.
-Only 1 to 2% of plastic bags in the USA end up getting recycled.
-Plastic bags create pollution and kill wildlife in the USA every day of the year.

PLASTIC BAG FACTS - WORLDWIDE
-It is estimated that 500 billion plastic bags are used and discarded worldwide every year.
-1 million plastic bags are used and discarded worldwide every minute of the day.
-Single use plastic bags made of HDPE remain in the environment for up to approx. 1,000 years.
-Over 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles worldwide are killed by plastic rubbish every year.








EnviroSax Bags

Love it! - Sigg water bottles

Enough with the plastic bottles! Go Green and use an uncrackable aluminum Sigg bottle. I'm sure you're seeing them in their fun colors and patterns popping up everywhere. That's because they not only come in a variety of designs to fit your personality, but their special engineered lining combats residue, leaving your drink tasting fresh and metal-free. According to them, Americans add over 30 million plastic water bottles to our nation's landfills everyday - Now that's a wake up call - I carry mine in my tote bag where ever I go!


www.MySigg.com

Love it! - Eco-friendly toothbrush

So the next step in "Greening" up my life was switching to Radius's Source toothbrush. I've been using it this past year and it's great! The brown handle is recycled wood fiber combined with corn-plastic, which is eco-friendly. The lighter Flax color is post-consumer recycled polypropylene. The handle is reversible for left or right-handed, you can attach the head in either direction. Just buy new heads and reuse the same handle. The replaceable head accounts for 1/5 the amount of waste of a standard toothbrush. Imagine the amount of plastic waste that could be reduced if everyone switched to a reusable handle!


www.RadiusToothbrush.com or at WholeFoods Market (I buy my replacements at Wholefoods, they have an entire section for eco-toothbrushes)
Note: The soft head feels softer than the average drugstore brands. So I use the medium.