Gifts+Gifting – Fabulously Green

Category archives: Gifts+Gifting

Green Gifting.4 For the Body and Soul

08Dec06

Here are a few great gifts for those on your list who deserve a little extra pampering this holiday season. Maybe you too! All the products are made of organic goodness, to help you feel pampered inside and out. Enjoy!

London Lemon Curd Scroll Soap handmade by You Stink. Consider Sandra a soap artiste. She’s incredibly passionate about soapmaking, and her limited edition soaps are all vegan and full of creamy, sensuous ingredients. Or try some of other indelible delights like spicy Pumpkin Cheesecake with Shea Butter, Apple Orchard, Peppermint Stick or Hot Apple Pie. Perfect for the fall/winter season.

Petula Bath Gift Set available at Zanisa
Skip the wrapping paper and opt for a beautifully keepsake gift box filled with spa goodies. Two long-lasting, triple milled, all natural bars of Savon d’Amande soap made with fresh goat’s milk, natural honey, wild almonds and oats to gently cleanse and replenish the skin. For longer relaxing soaks there is an organza bag filled with almond bath salts designed to detoxify and soften the skin. Yum!

For your favorite guy: Cedarwood Bamboo Soap at Zanisa.
Bamboo charcoal apparently helps stimulate blood flow. Good for sensitive skin with a subtle cedarwood scent. Arrives nestled in a bamboo soap dish tied with raffia — packaging that doubles as a present.

Sweet Heat Chipotle Truffles available at Organic Bouquet.
The Aztecs were the first to combine chili and chocolate for a sweet heat they believed bestowed them with godlike wisdom. Each box contains six handmade chipotle chili truffles for a smoky warm and sweet sensation and six black pepper truffles for an earthy-peppery taste treat. It’s a gift with a kick for the chocolate connoisseur who likes it hot—spicy hot that is.

Gerbera Daisies Bouquet from Organic Bouquet
The Gerbera Daisy is a plant that cares. Why? They actually help to improve indoor air quality naturally. And this arrangement is organically grown to boot. Brings color and cheer during the grey snowy season.

Filed under Gifts+Gifting, Gourmet, Handmade, Skincare+Beauty| Tagged Eco-friendly, Handmade, Organic, Vegan | No Comments

Gift Guide p.2: For Gadget Loving Guys

28Nov06

Here are some green gifting ideas for your favorite urban hipster, technophile, High Fidelity-loving boyfriend, husband, brother or guy pal. Happy hunting.

Movie Billboard Wallets by ModuLab, $19USD, spotted at re:modern
Refashioned from Hollywood’s cast off vinyl billboard posters, these wallets have been a popular eco-style item this year. Chile-based Modulab also makes a wide variety of bags.

The Fab Factor: Supporting recycled style and landfill rescue (pat yourself on the back). One-of-a-kind giving for your special someone.

Headphone Tee by Modern Planet, at elsewares.com
NY-based designer Danielle McGurran is the self-proclaimed “smarty-pants underachiever” behind the Modern Planet collection. Her designs are hand-illustrated sans computers and printed on American Apparel tees.

The Fab Factor: Tees are sweatshop-free (thanks to American Apparel). There’s also the added benefit of supporting an indie designer and domestic manufacturing.

Portable Bamboo Speaker, $129-199 at AudioCubes.com
Japanese genius strikes again. These speakers by Bird Electron use no electricity–not even solar. Say what? I’m too electronically handicapped to explain it, but apparently it optimizes the natural resonance of bamboo to create quality sound. Comes with a stereo-mini plug that can connect to a laptop, computer, iPod.

The Fab Factor: renewable, sustainable bamboo (what CAN’T you make bamboo), energy-efficient, sleek and portable. cutting edge sustainable design.

Dragnet Messenger Bags by FREITAG, on sale $139 at hivemodern
These ingenious bags by Swiss-design duo Daniel & Markus Freitag are made from used truck tarpaulins from European freight trucks. The tarps are virtually indestructible and colored with various logos and images that are cut down to create Freitag’s bold looks. No two bags are alike. You can also shop online or at Freitag.com for thousands of bag styles and wallets. Or design-your-own using Freitag’s handy Bag Cutter design tool.

The Fab Factor: Freitag not only uses recycled materials in their products, but to build their retail store as well. Their Zurich flagship stort was designed using 17 recycled freight containers. Shipping container architecture and interior design isn’t necessarily new (think the Nomadic Museum by Shigeru Ban and the Pallotta TeamWorks Headquarters by Clive Wilkinson Architects) but it does perfectly reflect the spirit of Freitag. Read what the NY Times had to say about the brothers, the brand and the store.

ixi collapsible bike by ixi $799-999 new, or $599 for factory seconds
Foldable, collapsible bikes are ideal for apartment dwellers who are short on space, but light on their feet. The ixi is an FG standout for its smart design AND stunning looks. My husband and I have been drueling over these for months (I almost bought a used one on ebay). But owning a second bike seems excessive so for now I’ve committed to using my mountain bike to get around town. If the ixi price tag seems too steep, there are other optionc. Check out this article by San Francisco Chronicle that covers various bikes with their owners, along with a list of other manufacturers.

The Fab Factor: A lightweight, portable bike like this makes it easier and enjoyable to leave that car behind. Indirectly helps the planet through use of smart, efficient design.

Filed under Bags, Fashion - Men, Gadgets, Gifts+Gifting, Lifestyle Tips| Tagged Eco-friendly, Organic, Sweatshop-free | 2 Comments

Green Gifting p.3: Crafty Books

27Nov06

There’s nothing more rewarding that learning a new hobby, or actually making something with your hands. With so many DIY books out there, these are my personal plum picks for folks who are more artsy than craftsy. More Jonathan Adler than Bob Vila. If you or your special someone wants to bring out their inner designer or fashionista, it may be worth checking out these fab five:

The Sunlight Print Kit: Materials, Techniques, and Projects for Homemade Photography by Paul Grivell Chronicle Books
Sun prints are some of the earliest forms of photography made using three basic ingredients: light-sensitive paper, water, and sunlight. This Sunlight Print Kit provides everything one needs to make gallery worthy prints to design accessories for the home, or invitations, greeting cards, and more.

In Stitches by Amy Butler, Chronicle Books
I’m not yet a sewing maven but I love the projects featured in Amy’s book. From floor cushions to handbags, placemats to organizer baskets, In Stitches features projects to beautify your pad and your wardrobe. Thankfully it’s spiral bound for easy use, and claims to teach without the technical lingo. Amy also offers thoughtful tips on finding and treating new or vintage fabrics. [Fab Freebie: A free preview pattern available here for the plucking.]

Handmade Modern by Todd Oldham, with Julia Szabo, Harper Collins
I flipped through this one at Urban Outfitters last week, and found at least five home decor project I’m dying to tackle–including the Eames-inspired shelves and the bench with under-seating storage featured in the photo below. Easy to follow instructions with photos to entice someone’s handy side and satisfy his or her midcentury modern tastes.

DIY: Design It Yourself by Ellen Lupton, Princeton Architectural Press
Another top choice for my wish list this year (or I may just buy it used on Amazon now because I simply can’t wait). The emphasis here is on DESIGN-it-yourself. Which means there are great projects from where one’s imagination can just take off. Wedding invitations, a website, business cards, CD package for friend’s band. For YOUR band. Also filled with interviews with top designers; the history and theory of the DIY design movement; and hundreds of innovative and beautiful projects for inspiration. More design, less craft. Extra goodie: checkout Ellen’s supplemental website for more ideas. Free.

Generation T by Megan Nicolay, Workman Publishing New York
I bought this book recently to jumpstart my sewing education. Cast-off tees are easy to come by for experimentation. Megan’s book is packed with fashionable patterns for those of us inspired to pick up a machine for the first time. More than a third of the projects are even “no sew” so anyone can start personalizing her wardrobe right away.

Sew Subversive: Down & Dirty DIY for the Fabulous Fashionista by Melissa Rannels, Melissa Alvarado and Hope Meng, Taunton
The cover doesn’t do this book justice. The projects are fashion-forward and a prime source for learning how to deconstruct and refashion preloved duds. This one is another source that’s directed at fashionistas.

Filed under Gifts+Gifting, Lifestyle Tips, Refashion+Refurb| Tagged Books+Resources, Eco-friendly | No Comments

Gifting Ideas: for the Modern Home

22Nov06

Welcome to the first in a series of five fabgreen gift guides for the holidays! These gift ideas are made with love for design and the planet which makes the act of giving truly special. Enjoy! And if you’ve got a great gift idea you want to share I’d love to hear from you.

Today’s Fab Five: Gifts for the folks who love their digs at home or the office. Modern, minimalist, eco-friendly style.

Art Clock by Andrzej Bialuski, $35USD
Bialuski is an independent designer and photographer based in Brooklyn who makes these felt clocks by hand (which means they’re happily biodegradable). The art clock arrives in its own gift box and is powered by one AA battery (for more green power, you can always opt for the rechargable kind). Great way to style up someone’s office or home. Five colors are available . Spotted at elsewares. Gift tip: think twice if your recipient is Chinese. Why? Some of us believe that giving a clock to someone means “your time is up.” My relatives do anyway.

Splash Umbrella Stand by Yasuhiro Asano, $75USD
Can Japanese design get any sleeker? These punchy umbrella stands will definitely make a splash at home or the office. Made of sustainable rubber and available in a bunch o’ colors. Love how diminuitive it is, and if you live in rain-deprived California like I do you can always use it as a vase. Or a pencil holder. Although for $75 you hopefully have some seriously fine pencils. Spotted at generate.

Hanging Vines Table Linens by Lotta Jansdotter, $34USD
I spotted these on sale at Vivaterra. I first fell in love with Lotta’s work five years ago at the National Stationery Show in New York and have been a fan since. Her Hanging Vines is one of her bestselling prints. Handprinted on undyed, natural linen.

Stone Cairns + Vases, $49-55USD for a pair
Another great gift item on sale at Vivaterra. A serene, minimalist accessory for a desk, window sill or tabletop. Cairns-shaped rock traditionally evoke safety, hope and friendship. The stone vases help bring a touch of the outdoors inside when filled with sprigs or buds from your back yard.

Two-Tone Tray by Molly Kinney, $35USD
These handmade bamboo trays are sleek, serene and sustainable. Found at Zanisa.

Filed under Gadgets, Gifts+Gifting, Interior Design, Office Style, Small Space Style| Tagged Eco-friendly, Tabletop | No Comments

Danny Seo: Gorgeous Green Gifting

16Nov06

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Danny Seo, longtime green home expert seems to be EVERYWHERE these days. Quickly becoming a household name, he’s been anointed the title of “green Martha Stewart” by the press. Here’s a quick gifting idea I spotted on his website that I’ll be using this season. Excerpted from his book Giving, a little book packed with inspiring ideas for crafty folks.

Gorgeous Gifting: Instead of Styrofoam peanuts or plastic bubble wrap, protect fragile items with fillers from nature or around the house. Fresh pine, straw, real peanuts and even the stuffing from an old pillow are all effective and prettier alternatives. One Christmas my brother asked for money. She handed him a small box packed inside with little bills scrolled up over a bed of hot red pistachios. My brother ended up more excited about the nuts than the cash! Another tip: try a trick my friend Summer Bowen at BTC Elements uses to package eco-fashions for her customers: colorful shredded magazine ribbons.

Name Your Poison: None of your guests will lose their liquor with these fabulously DIY wine tags made from your leftover paint chips. Best yet, you can reuse them again for future fetes with your inner circle.

FG Variation: I’ve also used my leftover paint chips to make holiday cards.

Thanks Danny!

Filed under Gifts+Gifting, Refashion+Refurb| Tagged Books+Resources, Danny Seo, Eco-friendly, party planning | No Comments

Greening Your Beloved Nano

23Oct06

There’s been much Sturm und Drang (thanks Tim Gunn) over Greenpeace’s campaign to “green” Apple’s iproducts. As a loyal Apple customer since 1986 (yes, that’s right folks! I was happily inculcated as a high school junior with that first SE-30–remember those little things?), so I was disheartened to hear alleged reports that they haven’t committed to removing toxic PVCs (aka “Pretty Vile Chemicals”) from their otherwise impeccably designed computers and gadgets.

That said, many of us cherish our iPods, iShuffles, and those sleek and sexy Nanos. At least you can wrap your Nano in something green…

…or ruby, orange or aqua…

The Fab Factor: These Jimi Cases designed by Californian Mike O’Neill are made from 100% recycled plastics and are fully recyclable when you’ve moved on to the next “it” gadget. They are made in the USA (Pittsfield, MA to be exact). Plus Mike O’Neill is also a member of 1% for the Planet.

Available at Zanisa and Branch Home. Maybe Apple will take its cue from the accessory companies who love them.

Note: Want to see “green” Apples? Feel free to join Greenpeace’s tough love campaign to encourage Apple to make their products lean and green.

Filed under Gadgets, Gifts+Gifting, Recycled, Refashion+Refurb| Tagged Eco-friendly, iPod accessories, Non-toxic, Recyclable, Recycled | No Comments

Posh Paper Vases

30Aug06

The professed paperphile in me loves these sculptural Paper Vases by Team, Inc. Soothing, organic shapes are formed by fanning pages of bookbound, recycled, colored newspaper around a recycled aluminum vase. The results are soft, stunning and refreshingly modern. A fabulously eco-design find. Affordable too!

Available at Plushpod.

Filed under Budget Decor, Gifts+Gifting, Interior Design, Refashion+Refurb, Small Space Style| Tagged Biodegradable, Eco-friendly, Recyclable, Tabletop | No Comments

A Little Alvar Aalto on Ice

07Aug06

A Finlandia vodka on the rocks would probably be incomplete without sculpted ice from this Alvar Aalto-inspired ice cube tray. Designed from a vase design Aalto created in 1937 for iittala, this ice cube tray is made from molded, sustainable rubber. Would Aalto be cold to the idea? iittala, whose company motto incidentally is “Against Throwawayism,” doesn’t think so.

Via MocoLoco

Filed under Gadgets, Gifts+Gifting, Gourmet, Lifestyle Tips, Unique| Tagged Alvar Aalto, Eco-friendly | No Comments

Tenth and Grant: Noteworthy Stationery

04Aug06

Here are some noteworthy newbies from Oregon-based artist collaborative Tenth and Grant. All their stationery and paper goods are printed using eco-friendly soy inks on a variety of recycled papers. And of course, we think they look fabulous!

Periscope Notebook (shown in Plum and Olive) by Austin Whipple. Gridlined little sketchbook made from recycled chipboard.

Bricks and Drips Coasters by Ian Lynam
Inspired by European geometric patterns and Japanese illustrations from the 1950s and 60s, these coasters just bring out the latent party girl in me. $12 for a set of 16 coasters.

An oldie but goodie:

Petals Notecards by Lisa DeJohn, $2.50 each

All are available through Buy Olympia.

Via Worsted Witch

Filed under Gifts+Gifting, Recycled, Refashion+Refurb, Stationery+Cards| Tagged Eco-friendly, Non-toxic, Recyclable, Recycled, Stationery+Cards | No Comments

Gardens for Urban Dwellers

02Aug06

I’ve been thinking about planting an herb garden for my kitchen but as an apartment dweller face a severe lack of yard and space. Leave it to a Japanese design company to create diminuitive garden pieces that can fit anywhere. These Egg Plants by SMP feature sprigs of basil, mint, thyme, parsley, chamomile, lemon balm are as handsome as they are practical. Crack open the ceramic egg where you like, plant the seeds, water frequently, and watch these little babies grow. Available for $14 each at Branch.