The After It's Over, It's Over Party

The fall started to settle in without me. This signaled a slide into procrastination mode as I tried to fend off the eventual – the end of summer. I should have seen the slow down coming. I'm prone to this affliction without much prompting, and I can usually detect the signs. But, the triple whammy of my son going back to school, some deadlines creeping dangerously close, and the cooler temperatures (seasonal transitions are always a challenge - when others are zipping up boots, I'm still wearing flip flops), I started to succumb to the let down. Until...I heard a Ben Taylor song (yes, James' son), After It's Over. The song is obviously a love song, but those three words stuck in my head repeatedly, and now I'm putting on my socks and pushing away any lingering summer melancholy because – after it's over, it's over. I have almost no regrets about this past summer, except for maybe not growing out my bangs sooner – it was just too hot for bangs. Anyway, in the fading light of the last few weeks, I stumbled upon three food-related party discoveries. They made me smile away any persistent seasonal blues and think about throwing a party to help smooth the transition of summer into fall.

Cheese Cake

Out of the ordinary parties don't just happen in summer, and this cake is no ordinary cheese cake. Taking cheese to a whole new level, this cake is ripe for some autumnal inspiration and fall fruit.

Camera Cake

My daughter's boyfriend, who coincidentally hails from the same island as Ben Taylor, is an amazing photographer. His birthday is September 11th, which has become a difficult date to have been born on. This cake would surely give him the honor every birthday deserves. Hmm, do you think this could be made with whole wheat cake flour? And...is it a Nikon or a Canon he uses?!?!

Q Tonic

If you indulge in quintessential summer drinks, a fine gin and tonic can make a summer evening superior. If  G+T's are not your thing, Q Tonic might change your mind this fall. Most tonic water is sweetened beyond recognition with high fructose corn syrup or "corn sugar" (it's been rebranded), and packaged in generic containers. Q Tonic is a whole other breed of tonic that is sweetened with organic agave, has 60% fewer calories than regular tonic water and contains no corn syrup/sugar. You can find it in most health food stores. I've found I can even keep the beautifully designed bottles out of the recycling bin by refilling the bottles with our own freshly squeezed pear juice.

Don't let the end of summer get you down, the fall party has just begun. How do you transition from one season to another?

Credits: Cheese Cake – A Cup Of Jo, Q Tonic - Q Tonic, Camera Cakes - Freshome

Can Green Design Save The World?

Inhabitat is one of the top environmental blogs in the world. Their mission is simple, “Green Design is Good Design ~ Good Design is Green Design.” Inhabitat also believes, “Green Design Will Save The World.” I follow Inhabitat daily, and want to thank them for choosing an idea from an econesting post. Their post titled: Time Flies With the Recycled Aluminum Epigram Clock via econesting displays on Inhabitat's front page today.

Inhabitat is a top notch “green” blog that continues to provide innovative ideas, while provoking the cautionary green vs. sustainable issue. They share a frustration that I also have about considering “green design” as a new category in the field. Is “green design” separate from good design? Inhabitat doesn’t think so:

“We believe that all design should be inherently “Green”. Good design is not about color, style or trends – but instead about thoughtfully considering the user, the experience, the social context and the impact of an object on the surrounding environment. No design can be considered good design unless it at least attempts to address some of these concerns.”

I am pleased Inhabitat picked up A Clock With a Conscience (and a mother's gush), for the same reasons I chose the witty Epigram Clock. It encompasses all that is good about design: It is thoughtful and cleverly designed, with a nod towards environmental impact (the clock contains up to 70% recycled content), and it was created within the social context of giving back (a percentage of the proceeds goes directly to the International Rescue Committee, an organization that responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives). The clock also represents what all design should – form, function and style.

What do you believe constitutes good design? Are you in agreement that green design can save the world?

A Niche, A Knack and A Note

A Niche And A Knack The blogosphere is a curious place. Most bloggers happily tap away at their computers all day. People often ask me how I do it. My stock answer is, "I have a niche and a knack." I also have a Herman Miller Aeron Chair that supports my back, and a husband who watches it (spamers beware). The blogs I find most inspiring and click-worthy have two qualities - a niche and a knack. Great bloggers share their passion (niche), and their interactions with readers flow in a naturally upbeat manner (knack). Aesthetically appealing blog images don’t hurt either. A while back, I wrote an in depth article about blogging. You can read it here.

A Thank You Note

Being a blogger doesn't come with an expense account, but it has some perks – books to review, products to try out, interviews with stimulating people, being able to work in your pajamas, and sometimes a chance to review and visit an eco-resort in Jamaica. I am definitely following up on that last one.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to meet and interview author, Dominique Browning. She is someone I came to admire when she was the editor of House and Garden magazine. Her latest book, Slow Love was delivered by my friendly UPS guy who said to me (again), “What do you do with all these books?” Well, this one I devoured. You can read my review and interview with Dominique here.

Here's how the blogosphere can work its magic: I was elated to see a recent post on Dominique’s, Slow Love Life blog, titled: Knit A Market Bag. It includes a link to my DIY Knitted Shopping Bag post. I can thank Dominique by asking you to check out her lovely blog. I think you’ll find that she has a niche and a knack worth signing up for.

Main Credit: Michael Maslin

Assaulted By Noise? Try Quietude

“Silence is a source of great strength.” ~ Lao Tzu Sound is constant. Whether it’s in the background or in your face, there our culture produces a lot of noise. Finding slices of silence are few and far between for many of us with complicated lives (myself included). Noise becomes yet another byproduct of a busy life.

If you’ve decided to slow down, treatment how do you deal with the constant barrage of noise? I believe we need to be attentive to how noise affects us and design our lives to coincide with our intentions. If you choose to live more simply, have you reassessed how you deal with noise? CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Unplugged: A Mid-Summer’s Reprieve

For the first time in three years, I have not written every day. When I left teaching in 2007, I stumbled into a few writing gigs and landed as a blogger. Discovering this newly creative habit has unleashed a gush of productivity from me. My first year out, and searching for reinvention (from teacher to whatever), writing everyday added a creative challenge to my work life. The self-imposed rhythm of writing everyday also provided some unexpected and truly amazing perks -- new friends from all corners of the world, as well as a few new ones discovered right in my own backyard. Lest I forget, writing has become a steady source of income also. All this growth sprang from my constant companion, my computer. Now, I am on an island with such beauty that it is difficult not to be moved to write. Coupled with the ocean breezes and the sunshine, the offerings of my family and friends become all the more evident. I can’t imagine a more satisfying reprieve. Computers and vacations don’t mix well. The Internet connection here is funky to say the least, and being plugged-in limits meaningful face-to face interactions.

Instead of downloading stockpiled posts like I have done in years past, I took a few weeks off. My main writing gigs (Care2 and Planet Green) seem to be surviving fine without a steady flow of posts from me. Actually, Care2 has reissued some of the oldies in my absence. You can read them here.

Since writing is now what I do and love, and a reprieve from the ordinary (and the computer) is always a good thing, I set myself adrift to see where and when I would reconnect with my readers before boarding the ferry back to my nest. I quickly discovered that a reprieve is not without stirrings and observations about work.

5 Things I’ve Learned From A Mid-Summer's Writing Reprieve

1. Slowing down allows for more reflection. 2. More reflection provides for more space. 3. More space gives way to a different intention. 4. Different intentions delve deeper. 5. Delving deeper blows the lid off everything.

I hope your life has also been enriched by a mid-summer’s reprieve.

Main photo: Ben Scott

Other photos: Osprey nest, friend Hilary and I (in the red hat), and my son unplugged.