Spotlight: Behind the Walls Magazine

Love sustainable design? Cutting edge architecture? Non toxic living? Check out the Behind the Walls Magazine kickstarter campaign. I've read through their three issues so far and am loving it! It is like a sustainability-focused Architectural Digest, featuring has diverse content like spotlights on innovative companies, products, and people making a difference in the field. They've partnered with The Wall Street Journal for distribution, but are now looking to take the next step and gain an independent audience. A $25 donation to their kickstarter will give you a 1 year subscription to the magazine! They also have a fantastic website which I highly recommend adding to your RSS reader.

Lets wish them lots of luck - we are anticipating many more informative issues!

New Perspectives: Eco-Friendly DIY Projects

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The best way to save money while going green is by tackling your projects with a DIY spirit. Here are some great examples of money-saving green DIY projects.

Dedicated Décor
Difficulty: Easy
Dedicate your home’s décor to helping the environment by using non-toxic paint next time you spruce up your interiors. Changing existing light bulbs to energy saving LEDs can make a big difference to your electricity usage, meaning your bills will be lower as a reward for your efforts to be more eco-friendly.

Reuse and Recycle
Difficulty: Medium
Upcycling is a huge interior design trend at the moment, and we’re incredibly happy to see so many people getting involved with eco-friendly DIY projects. You can make beautifully designed pieces for your home out of just about anything; just check out Upcycle That for some amazing ideas, including a coffee table made from wooden pallets and a dollhouse made from an old suitcase. Not only will you save yourself a lot of money, but you’ll know that you’ve created something truly unique for your home.

Make Yourself Pretty
Difficulty: Easy
The average woman spends tens of thousands of dollars on beauty products in her lifetime; shocking, right? Well, rather than spending $10 a month on your favorite hair mask, why not make your own using avocado, eggs, coconut oil and honey? There are hundreds of tutorials online, and avoiding products manufactured in factories is a good way to take a stand against the damage they inflict upon our planet. There are so many beauty products you can make at home, so do your research and see how much money you could save.

Solar Powered Cooking
Difficulty: Hard
Believe it or not, you can actually cook using the suns energy. If you live somewhere that benefits from hot weather, then this project is perfect for you. It’s not easy, but just look at what you could create with a lot of effort, hard work and a few power tools from somewhere like Anglia Tool Centre. If you’re after a long term project and are really serious about reducing your energy usage, then this is the perfect project for you. However you choose to make your lifestyle more eco-friendly, just remember that it doesn’t have to cost the earth. DIY projects can be really fun, and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re doing your bit for the environment.

This post is sponsored by Ridgeons Limited.

BGB Featured in La Belle Vie Magazine!

La Belle Vie just released its big spring green living issue. And check out pages 59 - 65 for a piece by yours truly on the importance of leading a sustainable lifestyle!

Thanks to the ladies of La Belle Vie for including me!

"Just Us Gals Boston" Launch

I am very excited to announce my new project: Just Us Gals. I've teamed up with my friends Suzanne (web designer & DIY expert) and Meredith (real estate broker & stylista) to create a new blog designed for specifically for the ladies of Boston. I hope to be the green voice of the blog, while also writing about some of my other passions like art, books, and cultural events. So if you ever get tired of reading my green living tips, definitely go check out Just Us Gals for some fun and feminine posts!

If you like it, follow us on the following platforms:
Twitter: JustUsGalsBos
Pinterest: JustUsGalsBos
Instagram: JustUsGalsBos

I'd love to hear any comments, suggestions, or questions about the new blog!

Peter Lindbergh - Photos, Fashion, Awareness

I was flipping through some old magazines, and I absolutely loved this "Global Warming" themed fashion photo shoot by Peter Lindbergh for Harper's Bazaar, March 2010.

Top Sites for Eco Interiors

I love looking at decor and interior design magazines and blogs (not to mention Pinterest) to get ideas for my apartment. Of course, I especially love decor with a green twist. These are my four favorite green interior decor websites:

1. Apartment Therapy Green Living
Apartment Therapy is a wonderful design blog, and though their "renest" sub-blog no longer exists, they still have a fabulous green living page with lots of before and after ideas, and tips on antiquing, and reusing materials.

2. Pure Green Living
While I don't yet subscribe to the actual magazine, I do often read their blog for ideas. There are many polished and stylish looks to see - all of which are sustainable in some way or another!

3. Inhabitat
Inhabitat is one of the most popular green design resources on the web. They focus more on the green aspects of individual products or designs (such as the lamp made out of repurposed toys above).

4. Green Your Decor
Green Your Decor has a much more personal feel, since the author writes about sustainably designing each room of her own home. She does a beautiful job and gets inspiration from all over the web, which she often shares with her readers. I was lucky enough to interview Jennae in 2010, and I continue to be inspired by her work.


If you like these sites, you should also check out the new Merida Open Studio Blog which also has lots of green design and interior decor advice.


READERS: please note the new banner on the right of this page where you can vote for Boston Green Blog as one of the top 100 green websites. Thanks for your support!

Good Week, Bad Week in Ecofashion

Its been a bad week for dumpster divers because when Pricscilla of Boston closed its stores this week, they spray painted and destroyed the wedding dresses before throwing them away! Wow, how DARE people spray paint dresses by Vera Wang! That is simply unreasonable, these gowns easily could have been reused or donated! What a waste.

On the other hand, it has been a good week for Livia Firth's Green Carpet Challenge. Franca Sozzani, the well-renowned editor of Italian Vogue, recently praised Livia for bringing sustainability to the forefront of fashion.
 “The respect and care for the environment, sustainability, and fair trade, nowadays, are features that cannot be separated from the fashion world,” Sozzani says. “Or at least, from those who wish to preserve also the ethic, and not just aesthetic, side of fashion.”

For more info. on these stories, visit Ecouterre.

Natural Home and Garden Magazine

While running an errand at Home Depot the other night, something caught my eye in the magazine rack: Natural Home and Garden Magazine. I currently get far too many magazines, but this is definitely on my subscription wishlist for next year! It features home decor, DIY, green building and all sorts of green lifestyle tips. Plus the design of the magazine is eye-catching and beautiful. Unfortunately, the magazine website isn't quite as easy-to-read, but it does have some good features, including a variety of green themed blogs, videos, polls and ways to interact with the magazine.