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Thursday, December 30, 2010

BGB Joins Boston Blogging Community


Boston Bloggers - "A Swanky Little Spot for Blog Friends and Events" has added BGB to their list of boston blogs! So, thanks to Kinsey Michaels for adding Boston Green Blog to the list, and I look forward to seeing how other bloggers in Boston engage their readers!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

5 Things to do with Unwanted Gifts

Christmas is over. (boooooooooooooo). And you may have gotten everything you wanted, or a bunch of junk that you don't know what to do with now. If you have some Christmas gifts that fall into the latter category, here are a few quick ideas:

1. Make some $$$ by selling online. Ebay and craigslist are your best bets.

2. Donate. Especially if it is clothing, it is good to donate during this time of year when so many can't afford heat.

3. Bring it to a Swap event with The Swapaholics or trade it online at Swap.com.

4. Host a Yankee Re-Gift Swap. Extend the holiday party season and hopefully you'll end up with something better than what you started with.

5. Give them to meeeeee! hehehe

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Christmas Decor in the ADKs

I was thrilled when I stumbled across these photos on Habitually Chic because I'm headed to spend part of my holiday vacation in the Adirondacks myself. Adirondack decor is so earthy and homey --- but still stylish (Seriously, these photos came from Vogue).

Happy Holidays everyone, and enjoy the snow!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Contacting Me!

BGB has a new e-mail address!



Please send product reviews, event announcements, comments, questions, and concerns to GreenLivingBoston@gmail.com

Friday, December 17, 2010

Inspiration Book

I write a lot, and I want to make sure that I have fresh, fun, and relevant content. One way I do that is by cutting out ideas from magazines and newspapers and taping them into my "inspiration notebook". That way, when I get writer's block, all I have to do is flip open my book and I have a bunch of great ideas right there.



Wednesday, December 15, 2010

BGB is Named a Top Design Blog!

Sparkah.com has named yours truly as one of the World's Top 100 Design Bloggers! Wow, I have to say, I was a little surprised, but very flattered.

As if you needed another reason to read BGB, now you can say you are reading content by one of the world's best DIY, home improvement, and design writers. sweeeeeeet.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Natalie Portman Inspires Vegan Dior Shoes

     Natalie Portman is a strict vegan, and so does not wear leather. So when Natalie Portman was chosen to be the new face of Miss Dior Cherie perfume, Dior designed a vegan pair of shoes to wear during her photo shoots and filming campaigns!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

BGB Update

I just added a "follow" button to my blog! If you like what you see on on my Boston Green Blog "BGB" so far, and want to keep up with my bite-size portions of sustainable design & style, then I encourage you to become one of my followers.

Haha, so far I am the only one following myself, but I've seen a nice increase in traffic over the past couple of months so hopefully you guys will keep up-to-date with my writing from now on by following.  Yay!

Oh and to keep up-to-date with ALL of my writing, please join my Green Living facebook group.

Thanks.
hej hej,
Cameron

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

How to Spot a SLU Girl in Boston


     The wintertime always makes me a little nostalgic for my college days up at SLU. SLU is 5 miles from the Canadian border and can get insanely cold, which is why SLU somehow breeds a unique culture - a culture where warmth & comfort reign supreme. I was pretty much unaware how different SLU culture was from maintstream America until I realized how easily I could spot SLU alums. So here are my top 10 ways to spot a SLU girl in Boston:

10. She is frequently rockin' brown leather boots -usually Frye brand- instead of heels. Once the temp dips below 30, she trades in her stilettos for boots and laughs at the city girls who get their feet all cold and wet in the snow.

9. She likes whiskey and beer. While she has no problem with vodka or tequila, nothing keeps you warm in the winter like Jim or Jack!

8. She enjoys country music. (On Saturdays at Johnny's you are sure to find some SLU alumni. Its country night!)

7. She skips the coat check and hides her jacket somewhere in the bar.

6. She wears patagonia.

5. She travels with a flask or with a beer or two in her purse. After living in Canton where your average bill for the whole weekend was about $10, she tries to cut costs by bringing her own drinks. Sometimes this does not end well.


4. She rolls deep. SLU kids always travel in packs...or at least meet up in packs at the bars. Even kids that weren't really friends up at school all hang out together in the city.

3. She frequents dive bars. SLU girls are not usually the "clubbing" type. Instead, they like sports bars with cheap beer and a small dancefloor. Examples: Coogans, An Tains, The Point, Stats, Southie Beer Garden, etc. When she is up for a more intense evening she will hit sports bars with a bigger dance floor like The Harp, Johnny's, or The Grand Canal.

2. She doesn't use umbrellas. I'm not sure why, but no one carried an umbrella at SLU. I think it is because it was just too windy for it up there. Instead she has a serious raincoat.

1. Cardigans. SLU girls always wear cardigans. Layer, layer, layer!

Monday, December 6, 2010

Big Discovery: COCO ECO Magazine

I can't believe I haven't discovered this e-magazine earlier! COCO ECO is a gorgeously put-together magazine of environmentally minded fashion. Published bi-monthly since 2008, COCO ECO is bringing awareness to the fashion-savvy.
I already know that this website/e-zine is going to be the inspiration for a lot of my writing for MeridaHome and Examiner in the months to come.



Thursday, December 2, 2010

RRR: This Dress is Yesterday's News

Literally.

This photo shoot by Amy M. Phillips and Fairlight Hubbard, entitled Extra Extra Paper Doll shows that the stuff in our recycle bins can also be high fashion. Yep, this is a super-stylish way to Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle.





See the rest of the photos at Ecouterre

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Sustainable Street Meat?!

Yes.....AMAZING... I am constantly inspired by green innovations, especially ones that affect people's everyday lives. I just found a video on Global Post about a project that allows Mexican street vendors to use solar power to cook their food! So awesome. Whats even better is that the title of the video is called "Solar Tacos" hahaha Yum!


Monday, November 29, 2010

Saving the Best for Last

I am obsessed with the December 2010 cover of Harper's Bazaar. They must have saved the best cover for last so that I am reminded to renew my subscription for 2011!!!


Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Eco-Fashion Resources

One of my favorite things to read about is eco-fashion. Designers are constantly coming up with intriguing ways to make what you wear stylish and environmentally responsible. On this blog, I've gone on and on about how much I love reading Ecouterre, but there are two other eco-fashion websites that I highly recommend:
Ecolissa and EcoStiletto!





Thursday, October 21, 2010

Websites I Read Everyday

So besides Merida Home and Examiner ....and of course Facebook, there are 5 or 6 other websites that I check every day so that I know what is going on in the world (or to get inspired, or just to have a few laughs).

1. Ecouterre - As you've probably already noticed if you read this blog, I love Ecouterre. It is the perfect balance of fashion and environmental sustainability. It makes me excited about eco-fashion and gives me great ideas for my writing.

2. Global Post - I'm kind of a news geek. I like to know whats going on. I listen to NPR and I watch Fox News so that I have a reasonably well-rounded view, but I also like to check Global Post everyday because they have wonderful international stories that you might not hear about otherwise.

3. Habitually Chic - I love this blog because its very photo-heavy (aka: easy to read) and helps my continuing effort to learn about interior design so that I can become a better and more informed writer for Merida.

4. Treehugger - Like many environmentalists, I check Treehugger quite a bit. While many of their articles are a bit politically oriented for my taste, I do like their design & architecture articles and they have some great how-to and DIY pages.

5. BroBible - Yep, I may be a girly girl, but everyone (especially if you went to small liberal arts college in the north east like I did) has a little Lax bro in them. There is always something on this website that will make me laugh, even if I don't like to admit it. Oh, and if you are a fan of BroBible, you should check out Nervous Circle which is another hilarious lax bro blog that is written by a SLU alum. I miss St. Lawrence so much, haha, I think that is the main reason I read BroBible...just to get a taste of that SLU culture that I know and love.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Its Not Whether You Win or Lose

Its What You Do With Your Dancing Shoes!

I know a lot of my recent posts have been about shoes, but this time, I really couldn't help myself. I was browsing on Ecouterre, as usual, and I found these:

No, you are not dreaming right now, that is really a VENDING MACHINE that sells shoes! The vending machines are designed to go in bars and dance clubs so that partiers can ditch their uncomfortable stilettos for some comfy flats. These ballet-shoe flats can fit inside of a cigarette box! Best of all, they are waterproof, so your walk home will be comfortable. So, how did these shoes make it onto my SUSTAINABILITY themed blog? They are biodegradable! They break down at the same rate as oak leaves!

Top 10 Places I would like to see these vending machines:
1. The Harp, Boston
2. Johnny Westsides, Boston
3. The Tick Tock Inn, Canton, NY
4. Anywhere in the entire city of Montreal
5. Club Cato, Copenhagen
6. La Hacienda, Copenhagen
7. Every bar in NYC
9. Butterfields, Stamford, CT
10. An Tains, Boston (No, I would never consider wearing heels to this bar, but on my way home from another bar it would be nice to stop in grab a pair of shoes and a $1 miller lite!)

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Wish List: Fall Boots

I am in the market for a new pair of boots for the fall/winter season. Last winter was pretty mild and I made it through the whole season without boots, and my pair before that got completely destroyed after a few winters of college in Upstate NY. My dilemma is that leather boots would be the most practical, but, as we all know, leather is much more carbon-intensive than vegetarian or vegan materials. So I am going to compromise. I am considering purchasing a pair of leather boots - but very high quality boots that will last me a long time, that way I won't have to get a new pair and throw out old ones every year. Conclusion: Frye boots. Frye boots are gorgeous and extremely high quality. Frye is the oldest continuously running shoe company in the United States. Soldiers wore Frye boots during the Civil War!

So while, leather may not be the most eco-friendly choice, I am still aware of the Reduce, Reuse Recycle aspect of purchasing quality, long-lasting items. Besides, who can resist these:

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Power Walking

Just stumbled accross these while blog surfing: rain boots that use the heat from your feet to power your cell phone! Kinda strange, but wow, that would be handy, especially during a rainy week like this! European cell phone provider Orange designed these boots called Power Wellies. I am not surprised that these boots were designed in oh-so-rainy England, but I want a pair too, so let me know if you hear of Verizon coming out with a pair in the U.S.!


Monday, October 4, 2010

Prismera ECO Earrings


I love these recycled stainless steel earrings by Prismera (http://www.prismeradesign.com/). They are beautiful and made from 60-80% recycled material. I am particularly drawn to this pair because the design reminds me of some of Henri Matisse's late work --- his cutouts (example pictured below). Gorgeous!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Next Time, Lady Gaga, Next Time

Why the meat dress? We could have been equally, if not more, impressed by these awesome food dresses with a lower carbon footprint ----and probably a better smell.

Artichoke Leaf Dress


Bread Dress

Photos courtesy of Grist.org

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Ecouterre turns One!

 My favorite eco-fashion website just celebrated its first anniversary!
It is a wonderful website that constantly inspires my own blog writing. If you haven't seen it, you should definitely check it out at http://www.ecouterre.com/ It is the perfect balance of sustainability, social responsibility, pop culture, and high fashion.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Join My Facebook Group

Today I created a facebook group to provide updates on my green-living articles. Both MeridaHome and Examiner.com pay me per the amount of traffic that visits my articles, so I'm hoping that this facebook group will help drive more traffic and provide information to interested readers!

Please join at

http://bit.ly/bumu6n

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Emeralds for Elephants

Just saw this article on the British Vogue website (http://www.vogue.co.uk/jewellery/news/100617-emeralds-for-elephants.aspx) and I am so excited! Famous supermodel Lily Cole poses as the face for "Emeralds for Elephants" a line of jewelry by 8 top designers. The pieces are currently part of an exhibit, but they will soon be auctioned off, and proceeds will go towards the World Land Trust's Indian Elephant Corridor Project. Plus, all of the emeralds in the jewelry were ethically harvested by a company called Gemfields.  
  

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Trashybags Organization

Trashy bags picks litter off the streets of Ghana and turns them into useful totebags. Trashybags.org has already recycled 10 million snack packages, and the demand just keeps growing for their fun and colorful products like the ones pictured below:

Thursday, June 10, 2010

RRR Spotlight: From the Movies

Remember the days before DVD's? Ever wonder what happened to all of those video tapes? A lucky few have been sewn into hot couture jackets by Kai Yeung Yau of the London College of Fasion.


Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Secret Weapons of a Successful Diet

   I try to be healthy by exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet that is low in calories. I, however, really dislike artificial sweetners, so the key to my diet is to find things that are NATURALLY low in calories and foods that are natural metabolism boosters.

Here are my secret weapons:
Cayenne Pepper
Known to increase metabolism, adding a dash of cayenne adds flavor and a health boost to pretty much anything!



Green Tea
No Calories AND is a natural metabolism booster. I drink either hot or iced green tea everyday! Add mint or lemon for a calorie-free flavor boost. Plus, caffeine is an appetite suppressant.

Mustard
Mustard naturally has NO calories, so I use it wherever I would normally use mayo (sandwiches, egg salad, with sweet potato fries, etc!)


Lemon Juice
Lemon juice has no calories, so splash a little into a glass of water or seltzer to add some flavor instead of drinking regular fruit juices which are high in sugar.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Save the Sea

English designer Katharine Hamnett has designed a new line that is made entirely of eco-friendly materials. Each peice of the line contains the catchphrase: "Save the Sea" that serves to raise environmental awareness even to the most materialistic fashionistas. The line (both his and hers) is available at yoox.com