My Favorite Green Bags!

I don't need to tell you all the alarming facts about plastic grocery bags and their long, long, long lifespan in a land fill.  Basically, we all know they are bad and we should be using green bags instead.  So, now the question is...should you get one of the boring green bags that you can buy for $1 or $2 at your local grocery store?  Who wants to be boring?  There are so many adorable green bags out there for a very reasonable price that aren't in any way boring.  Check out the great selections at http://www.envirosax.com/. Get a cute and trendy bag and shop responsibly.

If you are crafty and want to make your own, there are a lot of great patterns out there.  I made a couple of my own green bags from this Butterick pattern and this McCalls pattern.  Originally, I thought I was going to want a bag that resembled the shape and size of a plastic grocery bag like the Butterick pattern.  I made a bright and colorful floral bag in this shape.  The pattern didn't call for a lining, but I added one in to make it reversible in a coordinating polka dot. So now I have options...floral or dots!! 

But, this isn't the only one I made.  I also tried the pattern with wooden handles from McCalls.  It is longer and wider, so it definitely holds more.  I was concerned it would be awkward to carry and difficult to handle...but I couldn't have been more wrong.  This has quickly become my favorite bag.  I can't believe how much stuff I can get in it!  Basically, anything you can fit in your hand cart at the grocery store will fit in this bag. It is, in my humble opintion, the perfect green bag.

Either way, if you buy one or make one, make sure to take your green bag with you everytime you go to the store.  Any store. 

Is It Old or Is It Sustainable?

I have always loved old things, especially things that have been in the family for a while. I love old furniture and mixing it with newer things. So I guess I have always been "green". We can all be green and recycle in more ways than we think. It doesn't just have to be green bags and recycling our paper or plastic, although those are great things to do. We can recycle and reuse many things in our lives, and I want to talk about the many ways we can contribute to saving out earth and still maintain a stylish, chic approach to life. I will share alot of old things as well as new things made out of recycled materials. I would love to hear from you about what you have done or used to create a stylish lifestyle with recycled items.

I am going to start with some of my favorite pieces that I have been using in my home for years. I never thought about them being hand me downs or 'old', used furniture. I thought about how beautiful they were and how lucky I was to have them in my home. I have also realized that these 'old' pieces are well made and have lasted so much longer than pieces I have purchased along the way. Sustainable furniture has been around for a long time, people have been passing down family heirlooms for many generations. Let's see how we can enjoy style and not be filling the dumps with all of the cheap, imitation wood furniture that is so common today.




This is probably my favorite piece that I own. It is actually called a doughbox. A doughbox was a kitchen essential used to keep the dough in that was rising for the days bread that was to be baked. Obviously, I have never used it as a dough box, but I have used it as a side table. It is a beautiful piece that was brought to Kansas on a covered wagon from Ohio by my great grandparents. If it could survive that trip, it is definitely sustainable.
Well, that's it for today, but I'm looking forward to sharing my ideas and finds with you, and I would love to hear about your chic but recycled items.