Farm to Table

Check out this great article on what to do with those seasonal finds at the farmer's market, courtesy of the daily green.





What's in Season at the Farmers' Market?

get your weekend started early

This is a great article posted today on the Daily Green, with recipes and ideas on cocktails you can literally whip up from your backyard.

Organic Cocktails: I Grew It in the Garden, Then Drank It with Booze

One-of-a-Kind Recycled Home Decor

I had to share an article posted this morning on The Daily Green. Here are a few of my favorites.

One-of-a-Kind Recycled Home Decor







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Build It Green

I just got back from a green building professional training course put on by Build It Green, a California based program that certifies homes and industry professionals. The course was well organized and very informative, plus I got to brush up on my construction knowledge and meet new people in the industry.

I highly recommend checking out the organization to learn about green building practices, regardless of where you live. It's not overly technical and they definitely preach the doable versus an over the top doom-and-gloom stance on sustainability.

The one thing I want to say is that we all need to be informed consumers. Don't be afraid to ask questions: you need to know the pros and cons in order to make the best decision at that moment. Things are constantly changing and it's easy to get overwhelmed, but awareness and a little common sense goes a long way. And if you are looking for some help, there are lots of organizations out there to guide you in the right direction.

Green Guide Network is a business directory for green companies. They currently have listings for Southern California but are expanding nationally within the next few months.

The Green Spec Directory lists building products that fit the criteria needed for most green organizations (third party certification, etc.)

Treehugger.com is a great resource for those who don't know where to start with their education.

Or you can contact me at linsi.brownson@gmail.com. I love to educate (i.e., hear myself talk).

Blissful Bedroom

I just received the new trade catalog for the fall/winter collection at Bliss Living. I have to say, it couldn't have come at a better time since I had just attempted to make my bed (which rarely happens) with the various mismatched pillows and blankets. I did finally buy a quilt to fit our king sized bed a few months ago - prior to that we were using the one from our old queen!

Having the requirement of eco-friendly bedding makes it somewhat difficult. You typically can't just go to a store and pick up organic cotton anything, though it is getting better. Furthermore, bedding can be quite expensive and we have a standard king versus the ever popular California king...the excuses go on and on.

Getting back on subject, I was excited to flip through the pages and see a range of colors that felt new and fresh, like the Icelandic Dream collection

(I love the wooden mobile in the background)

and Amelie Green


I'm really drawn to the varying shades of green, especially the touches of olive and dusty sage together. Notice the Canada passport pillow too. How cool is that?


I'm also a fan of the reclaimed wood shelves


Needless to say, it sent me into a bedroom redecorating frenzy so you may be seeing my bedroom before/after posts in the near future.

award winning

I spent this past weekend in the Celebrity Retreat at the Teen Choice Awards. Rachel Hulan of Path Design was chosen to design the eco-friendly lounge, and I went along to help setup and break down.

While some of the actors received surfboard shaped awards, I got to take home my very own prize: a papier mache bird that was used in our lounge decor.



This little guy, from Stray Dog Designs, is so cute! It's handmade from recycled materials and coated in a non-toxic paint. Personally, I think my prize is better...thanks Rachel!

Check out Rachel's blog for pictures of the space.

a noteable project

No matter what I do, I just can't get away from using paper. First of all, I'm a list maker. I need my to-do lists to get me through each day (plus it's so very satisfying to cross things off). Then I need paper for the printer, paper for drawings, paper paper paper.

I do try to cut back by using scrap paper as much as possible. But the pile of scrap printer paper was starting to outweigh the blank sheets so I decided it was time for a new plan.

I thought my piles of paper would be better used as notepads. That way I can make my lists and throw them into my purse, car, wherever (I never leave home without a notepad). To make things more fun I decided to use some scrap fabric to bind them.

So I chopped up my paper into halves and quarters, punched holes for metal brads, and glued the strips of fabric onto the pads. Viola! A whole new set of notepads.

I'm really not much of a crafter but this was easy and turned out pretty well...so just be warned that some of you may be receiving these as gifts.

contained living

I have long been a fan of using shipping containers as architecture; they are inherently sustainable in the fact that they are repurposed industrial waste and virtually indestructable. Building with them is somewhat akin to playing with wooden blocks as toddlers, making it fun and relatively simple to come up with a really cool structure, and the aesthetic is still incredibly unique and interesting.

But the really great part about them is the ability to design and build cost effective structures. This is exciting to me because my contractor husband and I are about to embark on a housing project using these amazing materials and it's bigger than anything we could have imagined!

Still in the research phase, I thought I would share with you some of the inspiring images of container structures that really got the juices flowing. Enjoy.






images courtesy of containerhomes.net








images courtesy of architecture and hygiene

And a shameless plug of my own container design, from a project when I was in school

Check out this video from Modern Marvels

Eco-Luxury in Laguna Beach

Yesterday I attended the groundbreaking ceremony of a new project by Tresor Properties. Touted as the first LEED for Homes Platinum project on the California Coast, the two homes being constructed here are a great example of intuitive design. Going for LEED is no easy task. It requires thinking very far outside the box (or in this case, home) and a high level of accountability on the part of everyone involved. From my perspective, the OC Builder has accepted that challenge.


a modeled rendering of the future homes

One example is the filming of the demolition, which yielded 90% salvage, proving that a little foresight and good planning goes a long way. Check it out.

beachy green

Summer is in full swing and the local heat wave is practically forcing people to hang out at the beach. But with all the cars baking in parking lots, trash that gets buried in the sand, and chemical sunscreens washed off in the ocean, a day at the beach isn't exactly good for the environment.

If saving Mother Earth is your M.O. and you want to do it in style, these eco-friendly beach finds will be right up your alley. Let's see if we can keep our footprint the size of the ones we leave in the sand.


These bamboo and organic cotton beach towels are a perfect blend. The colors are fun, plus the bamboo makes them super soft and the cotton makes them absorbent. Find them at Sea Glass Organic


This bag can go from beach to barbeque. Made from repurposed sailcloth, it's water resistant and will keep its shape when you plop it in the sand. Also at Sea Glass Organic.


I love this organic cotton bikini from BTC Elements...
and this dress from Patagonia to thrown on later


Pack a picnic and stay all day with containers from ReusableBags.com




These fun and flexible bowls will fit easily into whatever space is left in the bag.




And dont' forget the sunscreen!


The Sun Stick from Purple Prairie Botanicals is perfect for keeping in your beach bag all season long.


The Sun Shield system from MyChelle works to prevent sun damage, but it also contains ingredients with anti-aging properties, pain relief and anti-inflammatories. Perfect for the people who have already been in the sun a little too long...but aren't quite ready to pack it up.