For The Bike Lovers Out There- Discover bicycle art made in Moab, Utah

I feel fortunate that I live only minutes away from one of the most amazing bike paths in the southeast- The Silver Comet Trail in Smyrna, GA. It used to be a train route to Alabama, now it is miles and miles and miles of endless blissful scenic riding. At any given time, this regional treasure is filled with joggers, walkers, people with dogs, strollers, and rollerbladers. However, I have found that this path is particularly appealing to serious bike riders from all over. I have noticed that these bike enthusiasts are a unique culture of people; like most other recreational athletes- they stick together and are passionate about their sport.

A couple thousand miles away, in Moab Utah- there is a fabulous store called Earth Studio that understands these bike enthusiasts and the love they have for cycling. They have developed an entire line of bicycle themed interior and garden art. Most of it is made of metal and handcrafted- the collection also includes art made from recycled materials from bicycles. These bicycle sculptures are fun and whimsical, as a person who loves to ride her bike- I recommend this beautiful sculpture to anyone who feels any level of passion for this activity. 

WHO KNEW?! Buying a Smaller (and affordable) Home is also a Good Eco Choice.

Living in the South- we like to make a statement by doing things up in a big way.  Big weddings, big parties, big highways, sprawled out communities, big stores, big cars, big TVs, and big houses seemed to have been the trend for the past decade.  I wonder if the underlying mantra for us Southerners is “Bigger is Better”.  

 

When my husband and I decided to purchase our home in the Atlanta area in 2005; we had to make some big choices about what we needed in a home.  Although I wanted something that resembled my Barbie Dream House I fell in love with a child- we both knew without a big savings account this would be impossible.  Living in Atlanta you quickly learn that having a big commute can also be a big drag; so we decided we wanted to buy a home as close to the city as possible.  

 

Upon hearing our price range, our realtor did everything he could to steer us way way way out into the burbs- I mean the suburbs of the suburbs of the suburbs.   You know what I am talking about; the developed planned communities with huge homes (we call McMansions), pools, tennis, sidewalks, peace quiet.  These communities were perfect in every way- except they were a million miles from everything and there were just 2 of us.  Why on earth would we buy a house that could comfortably house the Brady Bunch?  Our realtor assured us we could contemplate our awful commute into the city in our enormous oversized bathtub with jet sprays.  As tempted as we were, we stood firm.  I gave our realtor a map with a circled radius of where he could show us homes.  Otherwise; it would be a waste of time.  

 

Our search went for months- and we finally found our little house.  A 1960’s 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath brick ranch with an updated kitchen in the middle of Smryna, a community just outside of Atlanta.  Our friends thought we were crazy- our house was in the middle of the most unhip neighborhood we could find.  The thing is though, WE COULD AFFORD IT.  Yes the house is small- but we have just the right amount of space for us and our 3 cats…we were even able to add a dog and a baby to the mix;  and here we are 3 years later, still comfortable in our space.  Our energy bills are manageable, our commute is not bad, and we are not wasting resources, space and money.   I am now hearing my peers who decided to move into homes that were a little too big for them complain about the soaring energy and fuel costs they are now paying.  Some are even contemplating putting their oversized homes on the market during a very very tough time.

 

I admit; I often will catch myself driving through much nicer neighborhoods than the one I live in, with beautifully designed homes and gardens, sighing and saying to myself- “What if”…but I remind myself of how our plain little brick home suits us and allows us to live within our means and be conservative with fuel and energy.  As the mortgage crisis is unwinding before our eyes, I hope others will see what we saw in the smaller homes.  There is value in simplicity.

Art from Recycled Flip Flops

 

UniquEco Recycled Flip Flop Initiative Creating One of a Kind Wildlife Sculptures

The shores of the Indian Ocean in eastern Africa are awash with industrial debris from as far away as China, Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia. Hundreds of brightly colored flip flop sandal pieces and parts wash ashore daily not only causing blight along the coastlines but endangering the marine eco-system in the vast ocean that lies between these countries. The flip flop initiative by UniquEco is a solution designed to clean up the environment by marketing products made from waste back to the consumer who generated it while providing employment opportunities to the poor communities hardest hit by this environmental degradation.

The Champali Wildlife Sculptures from UniquEco Designs are imported by Global Crafts, a fair trade company that works with artisan groups from all over the world. Champali means slipper in Swahili. Local women and children comb the shores to collect the indestructible pieces of rubber champali. Talented artisans and sculptors in the village glue the pieces together in multicolored patterns then hand carve each carefully crafted animal transforming recycled waste into stunning works of art!  These colorful animals offer no matter what their skill level.

These unique pieces can be purchased at www.organicbug.com.  Purchasing one of these colorful animals helps to support workers in this developing region while preserving the beauty and wonder of the natural world. The UniquEco Champali Animal Sculptures are featured in the Summer, 2008issue of O at Home, Oprah’s popular home decor quarterly magazine!