“Hey, check where’d you get that great shopping bag? Oh, it’s so cute. Can I touch it?” Did you ever carry a little puppy around? If so, strangers clamor for a touch and to oogle the precious pup. If you needed any more incentives for ditching the plastic bag, this DIY knitted bag will elicit the puppy effect at the grocery store, farmers market and food coop.
Creator of the Monteagle Bag, Kay Gardiner from Mason-Dixon Knitting says, “One ‘eco’ thing about the Monteagle Bag is that it can be made in almost any linen or cotton yarn (including the cheap-but-tough dishcloth cotton brands), and it looks great made of several leftover colors. So it’s a way of using yarn that would otherwise be wasted or (shriek!) thrown into the landfill." CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Magazine Love: Print vs. Online
I was in Toronto last weekend for my nephew’s wedding, there and while we were prancing around that lovely and lively city, treatment I ducked into a newsstand and spent the better part of a precious hour devouring the Canadian and European magazines. I no longer do that in the States unless I’m in a big newsstand in NYC. Many of my favorite magazines (Domino, House and Garden, Cottage Living, Blueprint, O at Home and Gourmet) have been served a swift death. Leaning against the shelf of magazines, I couldn’t help but wonder, “Has the American reading public moved on?" CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Honor System Farms: Feast or Famine
Every Sunday before we head out to stock up for the week at our local farmer’s market, cialis we stop at the farm at the end of our road. The farmer sells eggs, viagra 60mg vegetables, and assorted odds and ends. We bring back our empty egg crates and place them in the community basket. We take what we need and write down what groceries we took (so the farmer can keep track of what she needs to restock). The allotted few dollars is deposited in the cash can. If we happen to come at the end of the day, the cash can is brimming with bills. Visitors can clearly figure out the etiquette of the honor system.
The honor system is a philosophically driven way to sell goods that relies solely on the integrity of others. Farm stands use the honor system to keep costs down. Most would agree that honor system driven farms also provide a warm and welcoming feeling to its customers. Generally, if you treat someone with respect and trust, they will return the favor by being honest. Right?
In Vermont’s Addison County the farmers respond enthusiastically to the honor system, “Customers like that they can pull in, grab what they need, and go. When they come home at the end of the day in the summer, they’ll often find most of the vegetables gone and their till full, so they rush out to pick another round of fresh vegetables for the evening crowd.”
When I Googled “honor system farms,” there were many stories recounted like the one above, but there were a few sad stories that headlined like this: “Honor System Thefts Close Such and Such Farm.” One farmer in New Hampshire ran into this trouble. Retired from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, farmer Charlie Ireland planted six acres of vegetables and had been growing corn, tomatoes, beans and “you name it” behind his home and selling it from a stand out in front of his home for four years. But, he had to close his farm stand last summer because of theft. “Anywhere from 50 to a hundred bucks a day — all summer,” Ireland said was stolen from his farm stand, where passersby slipped cash into a box in exchange for his bumper crop.
Is the honor system alive and well in your neck of the woods? Does it work, or is it an easy target for thieves?
Read the original Care2 post with comments here.
5 Fun Facts About Linen And How to Make A Great Linen Bag
I'm having a love affair with linen. There's a linen covered couch in my den that is understated and relaxing. Linen clothes are breathable and become even softer and more comfortable over time.
Linen bags are an eco-alternative to plastic bags. Linen is antibacterial and antimycotic, which suppresses the growth of fungi. Perfect for carrying produce and groceries.
5 Fun Facts About Linen
1. Linen textiles may be the oldest in the world. 2. Fragments of straw, seeds, fibers, yarns and various types of fabrics found in Swiss lake dwellings have been traced back to about 8000 B.C. 3. Linen was used as currency in ancient Egypt. Mummies were wrapped in linen because it was seen as a symbol of light and purity, and as a display of wealth. 4. The term "linen" refers to yarn and fabric made from flax fibers. 5. Today linen is often used as a generic term to describe a class of woven bed, bath, table and kitchen textiles because.
DIY Linen Bag
On a hot pursuit stroll through the blogosphere for a simple linen bag to make, I stumbled onto Between The Lines. This Parisian craft blog covers "anything that involves fabric, yarn, wool, paper, paint and glue." The creator, Pascal provides the perfect TUTORIAL for an aesthetically stylish linen bag.
Here's the intention behind the creation:
"I like to find out how things are made, how I can put things together in a simple, yet effective way. Sewing is a mental process to me. It's all about techniques, and seeing through whatever I try to make…I like things to be as minimal as possible. Whatever can be left out I leave out." ~ Between The Lines
Reduce, Redecorate and Reconsider What Belongs to You
Can you reconcile reducing consumption while creating a cozy and stylish home? I am a bit of a redecorating junkie. While I would like to always practice what I preach, pills on occasion I am guilty of impulse buying for my econest. I can’t kick myself too much because on close inspection, if I hold a mirror up to my consumption habit, it reflects mostly socially and environmentally conscious spending choices. Either way, moving more towards less consumption is an ongoing goal. I am working hard to get beyond my shopping urges. I came across a phase coined by artist Zoe Murphy – “Love what belongs to you.” This phrase now seeps into my...CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Image: Elle Decor