little.black.sheep.shop

Watch a Movie + Save the Savanna

No idea what to do with your hunny, your family, your significant other, or with you, yourself + ewe tonight?

Why not go to the movies?

DisneyNature is showing African Cats (narrated by none other than Samuel L. Jackson).

And if you go opening week, Disney will make a donation in your honor to benefit the Save The Savanna projects.

Who couldn't say no to these faces...??

 

{ personally I can't wait to see this lion-gator faceoff go down...}

 

See? Doing your part to help our Earth is easy.

:)

A very green and happy Earth Day to ewe + yours.

 

xoxo!

-h-

 

Green Boutique Shout Out

So I miss my home town from time to time... I miss it quite a bit, actually.

So when my friends and family in Houston all start talking about some fantastic new place there (restaurant, store, entertainment phenomenon), I get a sudden PANG of homesickness and wish I could click my heels three times and just BE there already!

Naturally, when I began to hear a steady stream of murmurings and rumors regarding a store selling organic, eco-friendly, and otherwise green products right in the heart of Clutch City, my ears perked up, and my homesickness went into full PANG-mode!

Found at 5160 Buffalo Speedway in Houston, this is a charming eco-friendly boutique that offers an array of green products that make my heart flutter!

And I have heard nothing but FANTASTIC things about this store... I was gifted one of their shirts made out of organic cotton for my birthday! (Many thanks to Mr & Mrs Holley!) It is seriously so beyond comfortable that I wish I had one for every day of the week!

My brother-in-law also selected one of their amazing purses for my twin for her birthday. It is not only made out of recycled materials - LOVE THAT! - but the kidney-shape and zippered straps make it oh-so-chic too.

(Two thumbs up, Keith!)

So if you live in (or are passing by) Houston, I urge you to visit this store and see what you can find to bring home with you (or to give to a friend).

It feels GOOD buying green... so it's not only good for Mother Earth, but it's good for your pysche too!

To check out One Green Street's upcoming events, visit their website. And if you are not lucky enough to live in H-town, you can keep up with the store's happenings from afar via the store owner's blog!

xoxo!

-h-

 

Real Simple Links

So I'm not a big magazine person... unless I'm sitting in a salon or waiting for my oil to be changed, I don't really subscribe to many magazines.

My one guilty-pleasure of an exception to this rule?

RealSimple.

I * heart * this zine. It has fantastic tips for finances, gardening, raising kids, mental and physical health... and they often have guest authors whose stories I get sucked into.

If you aren't familiar with this publication, I suggest you begin to subscribe... or ask for a gift subscription for your upcoming birthday, christmas, bat mitzvah or kwanzaa. Srsly.

:)

I don't feel guilty about getting this magazine sent to my house each month. Partially because I know I will either

1. Clip cool articles from the pages to send to my friends and family

2. Recycle the magazine along with my plastics and metals

3. Use the magazine in craft projects

And you know what?

You can too!

So in honor of my favorite (and only) magazine subscription, today I share with you earth-friendly links on RealSimple's website.

First up:

Under the category of "REUSE", they share reader's suggestions of

 

Gardening AND recycling? That's DOUBLE GREEN people!!!

 

Then, for those of you with kiddos, check out their tips for

LOVE it!

 

{ Do you have green or earth-friendly tips you'd like to share? Let me know and I'll post them here for ya! }

 

Happy Hump Day everyone!

xoxo!

-h-

 

Wicked Plants

On my recent trip to SF, we made it a point to stop by their Conservatory of Flowers... I was a little bummed that we were going to miss the Wicked Plants {botanical rogues & assassins} feature (which was scheduled to begin the following week)...

{ don't you love, love, LOVE the graphic design on their poster? }

 

If you find yourself currently in the SF area, I urge you to visit the Conservatory before this event is over in October... it looked like it was going to be pretty amazing.

Despite missing out on this feature, our trip certainly did not disappoint!

We saw so many gorgeous and interesting plants and flowers during our trip, my camera found itself clicking away before I knew what was happening!

I thought it would be extremely appropriate to share these pictures with you during Earth Week...

The plants made me appreciate the incredible living things we share this Earth with - things to be treasured and protected.

So here are many of my pics (there are so many because it was impossible to whittle it down to just a few!)

 

{ the beautifully kept grounds in front of the conservatory (you can see the domed white greenhouse in the distance) }

 

{ what i call a "living sign"... this one was quite clever. i had to get very close before i could figure out what living things made up this vista... }

 

{ sedum + moss! what an unexpected duo!! }

 

{ even the building had pretty details on its awnings }

 

{ the tropical section featured luscious green leaves and colorful flowers in all shapes and sizes to lure birds and insects }

 

{ these are a type of orchid (or are at least related), i believe... quite unusual! }

 

{ there were giant fuzzy ferns that towered above us so i couldn't help but imagine being a tiny caterpillar in a shaded glen... }

 

{ my sister spotted this pitcher plant as we walked by... the plant had many tendrils, to carry the weight of the pitchers... and it was awe inspiring to see them this close! }

 

{ the conservatory featured countless kinds of pitcher plants... some with mottled patterns, others with spikes... and this one that featured both! }

 

{ this little guy believed in interior decorating... blank on the outside, but stripes and freckles on the inside! just beautiful }

 

{ this was probably the most menacing looking of all with those large spikes and an opening at the top that looked like a gaping mouth... }

 

{ the colors in some of the plants were astounding... hard to believe you can see almost neon purple and pink in nature! }

 

{ this one was a little dr. seuss-esque... bunches of thin pointed pink spikes with very odd purple tube flowers }

 

{ they had a small pond with gigantic lily pads... made me want to come back as a frog in my next life }

 

{ lucky for me, orchids abounded. i have a soft spot for these delicate flowers... so it was an absolute treat to see so many different varieties in one place. these ones were large and chartreuse with peach centers }

 

{ this section featured more delicate and fragile potted orchids }

 

{ this one showed off a twisted "mustache" of sorts... or at least that was all i could see when i looked at it! and the bottom cup and top petal make me suddenly see the striking resemblance to pitcher plants... no wonder they're related! }

 

{ another "showy" one... do you see the mustache in this one like I do?? }

 

{ there is something about curled baby ferns that gets me... they seem so small and vulnerable. there were so many at the conservatory, it reminded me of my trip to Jamaica last year, which is home to hundreds of different types of ferns! }

 

{ then we headed over to the potted plants section. this display reminded me of my love for casual plant arrangements }

 

{ i couldn't believe this was alive... it is a type of wild yam appropriately named the Tortoise Plant }

 

{ some sort of citrus fruit that looked like a witch's hand }

 

{ this fuzzy flower looked like it was hand-painted... i loved that the peach fuzz covered the entire plant, from leaf to stem to inside the little buds! }

 

{ even nature can be organized... check out the orderly rows of what i suspect to be either spores or the eggs of some insect along the back of this leaf... love it! }

 

{ and finally, little baby buds... i only wish i could have stayed longer so i could come back and see what they looked like when they finally opened up! }

 

So you can see we had a very interesting trip!

It made me want to get my hands dirty with my gardening again - especially since the cold weather has FINALLY worn off!

This week, support your local greenhouses, nurseries, gardens, arboretums and museums. Plan a trip with your friends and family - and get your kids involved. Developing an appreciation of nature in our children could help provide them with a more promising future on this planet.

:)

 

* * *

 

Also, here's a reminder of earth-friendly tips I shared on my blog in years' past...

First, are a few tips regarding greening up your junk mail.

And then a link to earth-friendly craft ideas, courtesy of Kaboose.com. Enjoy!

For these and other tips, stay tuned every day this week. I'll be sharing my favorite "tree-hugging" ideas that I've come across. :)

xoxo!

- h -

Tipsy Wednesday - Deconstructed Bouquets

For my "us" day this week (my hubs + I celebrate Valentine's Day one day late every year - and have done so ever since he missed the big day 5 or 6 years ago, swearing up and down that the holiday was celebrated on the 15th of February, and not the 14th - ha!), the hubs gave me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, among other things.

While red roses are lovely and incredibly aromatic - I personally think they are so cliche for Valentine's Day (and so expensive!). So my hubby knew that going a slightly different route for me would be best. Since it is not the season to be able to get an entire bouquet of sunflowers, he selected a pretty bouquet with sunflowers, daisies, gladiolas, and irises.

I work from home. So I wanted to be able to enjoy the flowers all day long - without having to lug the vase upstairs to my studio in the morning and lug it back downstairs in the evening!!

SO! I decided to split up the bouquet into smaller arrangements that I could place around the house and enjoy in multiple rooms. LOVE that!

 

First... the stars of the show...

{ sunflower!!! }

 

 

{ bird's eye view of sunflower bloom in a mug }

 

{ simple, bright, and perfect for smaller spaces - like my desk! }

 

The sunflowers were placed in individual coffee mugs. (They are currently smiling at me from my desk in my studio!) This is a simple way to show off larger colorful flowers (like individual bloomed roses, or sunflowers). :)

 Then, the cheerful yellow daisies were grouped together in one of my favorite square glass vases (they are now sitting on our table in the front hall):

 

{ friendly yellow daisies }

 

{ so happy, they make me feel like spring is already here! }

 

Finally, I grouped together the remaining flowers. This included the purple daisies, white gladiolas, blue irises, and pink carnations. I have these sitting on our kitchen counter.

 

I really love taking apart pre-made bouquets and making them work for me and my nest!

 

Here are some tips I have learned from doing this very same exercise over the years:

FIRST...

From your arranged bouquet, pick your favorite flowers and showcase them by themselves. Sometimes the most simple flowers by themselves (like a rose or a sunflower or a stem of orchids) are all you need in a small tin or mug.

NEXT...

If you have a lot of one type of flower (daisies or carnations), select them out and group them together. Groupting together many of the same type of flower can make a bigger impact than having them dispersed throughout an arrangement.

THEN...

Finally, see what you have leftover. Don't be afraid to throw away fillers you don't like (personally, I'm not a fan of baby's breath). Take the remaining flowers and see which colors you like together.

If you're not sure, it is always best to group "cold" colors (greens, blues and purples) or "hot" colors (reds, oranges and yellows). Or separate them by how vibrant or subdued the colors are. Although I prefer brighter colors, an arrangement of all pastels can be really pleasing to the eye.

Play around with it and get creative with the vessels you can turn into temporary vases. Before you know it, you'll have several smaller, gorgeous, and unique arrangements that you can enjoy throughout your space!

xoxo!

-h-

Tipsy Saturday - Peelin' Taters

So, I remember seeing a video last year about peeling potatoes.

And at first I thought, Seriously? Who cares? Peeling potatoes is just not that hard!

But... I realized that for larger families and at holiday times, some of us would be desperate for a little elf to take care of peeling all our potatoes for us!! And potatoes are simply a staple at the holidays - and during the rest of the year for many families.

(the tip certainly came in handy for us when prepping our sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving this year!)

So... I'm sharing this awesome tip with you! The video's super cute too...

 

Steps for no-muss, no-fuss tater peelin'

Bring your water to a boil

Score each potato all the way around the middle

Boil potatoes for 15 minutes

(prep an ice bath while boiling)

Dunk each potato into the ice bath for at least 10 seconds

Slip off the potato's skin "jacket"

Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy! :)

 

xoxo!

-h-

Tipsy Tuesday - Save the Bananas!

We love bananas in our house. They make great quick breakfasts, snacks, and desserts. They put the "smooth" in Ryan's smoothies... and I love that they are perfectly portable.

So, needless to say, we always stock up on "nayners" when we go to the grocery store. But, despite our love for these nutrition-packed fruits, we don't always have a chance to go through them all by the time they get brown-spots and start going soft. (At this stage, my Dad would claim bananas are just starting to ripen... Ew. For me, I like the just-turned-from-green-to-yellow nayners.)

 

So if you're like us and you see your bananas are on their way out the door... don't despair! I have two potential solutions for you...

You can either peel each nayner and pop them in the freezer whole (in a freezer bag) to add to future smoothies. Or...

Melt some chocolate chips (milk, dark, white - your choice) in a double-boiler with a spot of vegetable oil mixed in. Peel each nayner and cut them in half. Push a popsicle stick inside one end, and dip each banana half in the melted chocolate.

You can roll each banana in chopped nuts, rainbow sprinkles, mini marshmallows, shaved coconut, or any other treats you can think of at this point, if you'd like. Set each banana on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and put it the freezer. In just a few hours (or even faster if your mouth waters like mine does!), you have a delicious treat!

 

Yum!!

 

xxoo!

Earth Day!

Yup! It's come! The day this week is all about!

Earth Daaaaaaaay!!!

 

 

I really believe that knowledge is power. So it's oh-so important to involve younger ones in earth-friendly programs and learning opportunities that you're taking on. As you make changes in your life, please try to involve your kids, your friends' kids, your neighborhood's kids, kids from your local schools, etc. etc. etc!!!

 

 

And keep your ears open when you involve our younger counterparts... I am constantly shocked at the amazing ideas kids have about the changes we could make to improve our Earth and make it a better place to live for generations to come.

So keep it kid-friendly this year and you'll be surprised at what you learn!

Check out Kaboose to get some great ideas for kids this Earth Day. They have some really cute, affordable, and eco-friendly craft ideas!

xxoo!

-h-

I Heart Honeybees

...And you should too.

You may remember my post about the bee documentary The Last Beekeeper... it touched upon the shocking decrease in honeybees. Bee colonies are continuing to collapse... which affects all of us because they are very necessary pollinators for many of the the foods we eat every day. In fact, some crops rely solely on bees for pollination! 

 

 

So... how can you help? What simple changes can you make to help keep these amazing creatures alive + well?

For one, you can reduce the use of pesticides in your garden area.

Consider planting gorgeous orange marigolds as companion plants - they are natural pest repellents and add some beautiful color to your space.

Or... you can even consider pitcher plants or flytraps that feed on insects to help keep pests to a minimum!

 

 

 

 

 


 

Second, you can also plant nectar-rich plants this year... you will enjoy the blooms and the bees + butterflies will thank you for the food!

Even herb gardening will help. Humans + bees love basil, lavender, chamomile,rosemary, cilantro and thyme, to name a few.  

Finally, consider options to eliminating a hive. Lone bees are generally looking for food - they will not bother you if you do not bother them. So leave them bee!! :)

If you have a hive on your property that is too close for comfort, consider contacting a local bee harvester or a bee farm to remove the bees safely. They will relocate the bees - instead of killing them. Usually this is a cost effective choice too - and the bees will thank you.

If you can leave a hive alone, do so. It will do your garden a great deal of good! 

*  *  *  *  *

So consider bees this year when deciding what to plant and how to address pests in your garden!

xxoo!

-h-

Stripping down...

Earth Week continues!!!

Want to help out Earth this week? Strip yourself down... of paper, of course!

I can't count just how much mail Ryan + I get each week - most of which is unsolicited, unuseful, and ultimately makes my front hallway and coffee table immediately look cluttered.

I'm sure each house in my neighborhood receives at least as much junk mail as we do... and when you start thinking about how much useless mail a neighborhood, city, state, and country receives each and every day, it's shocking!

This mail clogs up our landfills as well as our mailboxes, wastes paper that is made from countless trees, and costs taxpayers money...

So I have a couple of earth-friendly ideas to combat the issue.

 

1. REDUCE

I am a coupon clipper... but there are so many coupons we just aren't going to use. So if you don't want to receive a set of coupons (for example, we receive coupons from RedPlum and ValuPak), did you know you can simply contact these groups and ask that they not send you all that waste?

This site will tell you how to also opt out of a lot of junk mail by registering with a number of websites.

If you stop it from getting to your door, you're already helping!

 

2. REUSE + REPURPOSE

Paper shredders can be your best friend. And colorful coupons and grocery store mailers can make some really pretty confetti! So head to your local office supply store to see which paper-shred-shape you love... and shred all that useless mail when it comes in. You can easily store it in bags (it smooshes down quite easily) or boxes.

And when Christmas comes and you're having to ship items to friends and family, say goodbye to those annoying (not to mention boring!) packing peanuts! And instead, use the your self-made reused confetti!

I know anyone who receives a package from you will wonder where you got such neat packing supplies. And you can pat yourself on the back for reusing what would otherwise be sitting in your trash can.

 

3. RECYCLE

After reducing the junk mail you get, and repurposing it into packing confetti, recycle the rest. Most communities have recycle pick=ups... most will not advertise it. In some neighborhoods, you have to specifically request a recycle bin. So contact your waste company and ask about your options... and add another bin next to your kitchen trashcan for recycled items only. 

Good luck stripping down your junk mail! :)

xxoo!

-h-