This apartment belongs to the uber-talented founder of Rubie Green, Michelle Adams.

This image makes me fall in love with white all over again - but boyfriend likes the darker woods.


Michelle is all about sustainable, green design.  This cypress trunk side table is free of toxic finishes.

The striped modern upholstery balances out the traditional frames of the dining chairs





I love the idea of using what you already have.  Under the table cloth (which is actually a drape that Michelle already had but didn't fit any of her current windows), is a sideboard that she found at a thrift store.  She wasn't able to get it repaired as she planned, but instead of tossing it and buying something else, she worked with what she had and made it work.  I think it looks great.


The textiles you see around her home are from her store which carries green fabrics, Rubie Green.



What do you think?

via Lonny Mag (April/May 2010 issue)

Today we have more and more options for going green - and as the planet becomes more and more taxed with population growth and need for resources, sustainable living practices will become vital.

Below are some bathrooms that show that going green does not mean going unattractive - green styles are now just as gorgeous as traditional ones.

LOVE this shower!

There are many foundries that offer eco-friendly bath tile.  Just a few include Bedrock Industries, Aurora Glass, and Daltile.

2 images above via Apartment Therapy


Eco bathrooms can have a very "zen" feel by using a lot of natural materials and textures.
image via Home Furniture Mag


You can fine eco-friendly furnishings, such as a traditional or modern bathroom vanity, in FSC-Certified Wood, Ceasarstone, or Vetrazzo.




There are also a lot of options for eco-friendly bath fixtures, such as low flow faucets, shower heads, and toilets.

 If your budget doesn't allow you to invest in bigger ticket items, such as new floors or tiles, you can take many small steps.  Use earth-friendly  toilet paper and bathroom cleaners.  Also, look into all natural body products.  Everything that you put down the drain makes it's way back into the environment, so use care.

I like Seventh Generation cleaning products, as well as Trader Joe's line of green cleaning products.

Here are some helpful resources for "greening" your bathroom:

Use LEED as a guide to green your bathroom

Top 10 Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products for the Green Home

Information about Eco-Friendly Bathroom Furniture and Fixtures

What do you do to make your bathroom and bathroom habits more sustainable and eco-friendly?

I also use a vinegar glass cleaning solution:
1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent (I use 7th Generation Natural Dishcleaning Liquid in Free & Clear), and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. It works great!

I also fill up a soda or seltzer bottle with water, and put it in the tank of my toilet. It tricks the toilet into thinking the tank is full faster, therefore using less water to refill the tank.


*disclosure: this post is sponsored by Modern Bathroom

Bamboo! I got Chris a pair of silky smooth bamboo pajama pants, and if he weren't wearing them almost every night, I would be. They're super light weight, and really soft. Understandably, I was really excited when the folks over at Pure Fiber offered me a set of bamboo towels to try out. Here's a little bit of info about Pure Fiber's bamboo towels:

"Unlike cotton towels which are slow to absorb water, bamboo terry soaks up that excess moisture in a flash. The difference is unmistakable, but you have to feel it for yourself to truly appreciate the wonderful bamboo fabric.

And bamboo isn’t all about a cashmere-like softness. Bamboo’s natural properties help to combat the accumulation of unpleasant odors from your bath towel. You will be able to use this towel for much longer during those warm summer months before that mildew smell starts to creep up.

Cotton towels typically get thicker to increase absorbency – all of that extra fabric can feel like you are wrapping yourself in a thick blanket. Bamboo does more with less! A bamboo towel can soak up more moisture than a thicker cotton towel, while remaining lightweight and extraordinarily soft."

The first thing I noticed when I opened the towels was "wow, they are really, really, smooth." They are also much lighter and thinner than typical towels. Chris said, "They are so soft they feel slippery."

So, the claim to super softness and being lightweight: True.
I've been using the towel for a little over a week now, and do not notice any odor. Granted, it's not technically summer anymore, but it's been extremely humid here in MD, and we've been having lots of rainy days.

I was most doubtful about the towel being able to absorb as well as my normal towels, but they actually dry me off just as well and in the same amount of time.

Long story short, if you have been thinking about trying out bamboo towels - go for it. The softness is unreal, and their performance is up to par with traditional towels.

Here are some photos of mine:

The bamboo towels are thinner than traditional towels



The washcloth.  This washcloth is wet now, but one thing I noticed is that the bamboo washcloth doesn't get crunchy after it air dries (which my normal towels do), they dry to the same softness as they are after being freshly laundered.

A close up of the texture.

Want some? You can purchase them at Amazon

Does anyone have any bamboo linens? If so, what do you think of them?


*disclosure: I received a set of Pure Fiber towels as a sample

When it comes to garden chores, I can be quite efficient (some might call it 'lazy'). Compost is often the most tedious chore of all. I figured it was time to try something innovative and let technology work for me. So, I got myself the eComposter. This ain't your grampa's tumbler. No cranking, no shoveling, no turning or churning. I just take it out for a roll around the yard and let the high-tech design take care of the air flow and stirring.

For the eComposter, I filled it with all my material:

Add water and mix. It's just that simple! Now we'll see how long (or not) this baby takes to make me some good 'ol garden gold.

Stay tuned....

It's hot here in Phoenix. Really hot. Yesterday was 115* degrees. Today it was 115*. And the forecast consensus shows over 110* degrees for all of next week. YIKES!! If you think it's tough on us humans, be assured it's tougher on our plants. Remember, outside it's not only hot, but the sun is intense. If it's not a cactus, it's stressing.


One of the easiest ways to beat the heat (well, tolerate the heat) is simply installing shade cover. Just by reducing the amount of direct intense sun, life gets a little bit nicer for plants.

The set-up in my garden is quite rudimentary. It's not pretty, but it is effective, and it only took ten minutes to put in place. My new seedlings are much happier now.


This is all a temporary solution for current season. Since my back garden receives west exposure, I have a greater plan for future protection. In summer 2008 I planted some new trees (palo verde, bauhinia, crape myrtle, pomegranate) to create natural shade cover. By next summer 2010, too much sun will not be an issue for me.
(keep cool!)

One fun thing I love about summertime gardening (even though summer is still technically 3 weeks away), is how you have to challenge yourself to be inventive. With the impending heat, it's always questionable what to plant next that will survive.
Instead of wrestling with flowers, and keeping them watered, and fertilizing them, and deadheading to keep them blooming, and wondering when they will finally fade away, etcetera, etcetera....
I thought I'd try something interesting with succulents.

This is an old antique wheelbarrow with the bottom rusted out. It used to be filled with geraniums (a few times throughout the year because they would die from lack of watering, too much drainage, and harsh sun exposure).
First I converted it to a stone garden with a couple cactus. Not quite impressive, I then added another plant or two. Finally, I put together a plan using some small scale succulents, a few cuttings, and a couple feature specimens (in the end, about $15 on plants). It took less than six months to entire planter to fill in, and this photo was taken just after pruning. The planter is located under a large elm tree and receives midday filtered sun and then about 3hrs of full afternoon exposure. It is quite a conversation piece in this downtown Phoenix garden.

Make your own compost!
It's fun! It's Easy! It's free!

Make a pile out of lawn clippings, tree litter, leaves, old dead plants. No need to be too scientific about the mix of brown (carbon) and green (nitrogen) materials. The best thing for compost is kitchen scraps. Make a hole, dump them in and cover them up (helps keep the flies and gnats away).


Turn the pile with a shovel or pitch fork and water it to keep the micro-bugs active. Do this weekly or so.
(I turned this pile every other day when I took out kitchen scraps.)


About eight weeks later I had brown gold - nature's alchemy! Use it as a planting soil, fertilizer amendment, or top mulch. Anywhere in the garden, it's good stuff!
Check out my compost workshop coming up at the Phoenix Downtown Farmer's Market.