Behind the Curtain

Growing Your Own

This year I am taking my container garden a little more seriously. This time I want results, and in order to get them, I have to do research. Luckily, two informative books fell into my hands, Fresh Foods from Small Places and The Urban Homestead. The first one, Fresh Foods, is not the end all be all small garden book, but is a great start and has truckloads of resources. Thanks to this book I got my little garden pests under control, organically, and have begun properly fertilizing my plants. I'm currently using Fox Farms Big Bloom liquid fertilizer and will hopefully be working incorporating some seaweed into my top fertilizer. My next step in proper veggie gardening is to get or build one of these self watering containers that allow for soil ventilation and bottom root watering. (The Fresh Foods from Small Places book has a really good section on building your own. The instructions in the book are better than anything I've found online.)

The other book, The Urban Homestead, is an excellent book that expands upon a lot of the subjects touched upon in Fresh Foods. For example, they have a whole section on fowl and give information about not only raising hens, but also ducks and quail. I didn't know raising ducks was an option, but whenever I get a yard, I'm going to get some ducks out there. Urban Homestead also has a larger section on food recipes that Fresh Foods, with guides on making cheese, jam, soup stock and even moonshine. The end of the book dedicates itself to being fully self-sufficient with info on energy, sewage and transportation. Some of the info leans toward national emergency situations, which doesn't bother me, but it might bother others. The only thing that I dislike about this book is that a lot of the awesome ideas/instruction are for people with a yard. Fresh Foods was equal, if not more leaning toward, people who live in apartments with no space or ground for themselves. So, it seems that for this particular time in my life, Fresh Foods from Small Spaces is for the now and The Urban Homestead is for future planning.

The video at the top of this post is about how the queen has allowed the palace's garden space to be used in growing a victory garden, something that hasn't been done since the war. The video makes mention of the Heritage Seed Library, where you can buy organic seeds and become a "seed gaurdian", helping to cultivate varieties that are near extinction. Unfortunately it is for UK residents only, but those outside of the UK can partake in their organic gardening information.

Hope you find this information helpful and that you find ways of growing your own food in spaces big or small.

The Simplification of Life

Image from The Library of Congress' 1930s-40s in Color set

"Of course, the current mode of life is so greatly wasteful, and we have come to consider so many things as necessaries – whether in food, furniture, clothing or what not – which really bring us back next to no profit or pleasure compared with the labor spent upon them, that it is really difficult to know where the balance of true economy would stand if, so to speak, left to itself. All we can do is to take the existing mode of life in its simpler form...and work from that as a basis."

Excerpt from Edward Carpenter's "The Simplification of Life," from England's Ideal, 1887.
Read the entire essay at the Digital Library for the Decorative Arts and Material Culture or on Google books.

Smencils, Skittles & Etsy Goods

When I was a kid, one of my favorite markers were the ones that smelled like fruits (ooh, and scratch-n-sniff stickers). A little while ago SouleMama posted about Stubby Pencil Studio, who make eco-friendly art supplies for kids, and scented pencils! They have graphite pencils and colored pencils infused with tropical and fruity scents. They even have holiday scented graphite pencils for the holiday season that are scented with Cinnamon, Sugar Plum, Candy Cane, Gingerbread and Sugar Cookie. Perfect for the little ones on your shopping list this holiday season. (I ended up getting one for myself too.)

While on the topic of keen kids stuff, I love this wooden Skittles set from Nova natural Toys & Crafts. Forget putting it on the shopping list for others, I want this for myself!

On Wednesday I am going to post a little list of lovely gifts and on Friday I'm going to counter the spending list with a post full of freebies, tutorials and some recipes. In the meantime, here are some Etsy lovelies:

Hoffman Spats (awesome!)
The Journey Journal (features a map with numerous punched holes so you can track your travels!)
Parlor Games Necklace (really pretty)
Sleep Mask (ala Holly Golightly)
Sterling Silver Banner Brooch with Text (custom text, comes as necklaces and bracelets too)
Rosette Fascinator Headband (plenty of color combos to choose from)
Custom Vinyl Record Silhouette (a nice twist on paper silhouettes)
Black Cicada Ring (very unique)
Awesome Kitty Beds, modern designs

Food Irradiation & Dr. Bronner

A heads-up to you all that the FDA has approved the irradiation of lettuce and spinach. There are arguments on whether this is safe or messes with the produce, with the main argument being it depletes the vitamins and enzymes of the plant. I prefer organic produce that is not messed with, but you can decide for yourself where you stand. To get both sides of the argument, here is the FDA page on food irradiation and the Organic Consumers Association's website. Either way, I just wanted to let people know this is out there now and show you what the irradiation symbol looks like (image to the left), as it quite innocuous. Keep in mind that if you buy processed items, liek pre-made coleslaw, the manufacturer does not have to divulge whether they used irradiated produce to make their product.

In a similar, yet completely different track...A few months ago I switched over to Dr. Bronner's Magic All-In One Liquid soap. For a couple years now I have been switching from soap to soap, never really happy with what I was getting and after hearing so many people talk about Dr. Bronner, I decided to pick-up a bottle. Worst case senerio, I thought, I could use it to mop the floors (as it sold itself for multi-purpose use). I am so glad I took the leap of faith because the soap is lovely! I got the peppermint one, which leaves a great smell, and am using it with some scrubby gloves. I have yet to test it in house cleaning situations (I normally use distilled vinegar for such things), but I have heard it does a great job for the home and even as a shampoo. Anyone else a Dr. Bronner fan?

Flatware Roll-up

I've been wanting to make this silverware roll for a while now (two years!) and finally found the time to pull out the sewing machine and whip it up. It only took me about two hours with the stash finding, ironing and sewing. The main reason I made it is to transport my silverware for lunch at my internship, but I wanted to make it versatile. I added the extra "pockets" to accommodate the silverware needed for a picnic for two (with a serving spoon), but can just load it up halfway for everyday lunches. Picture of it fully open & rolled-up here.

Speaking of lunch at work, I've been finding my bento boxes too small to fit a substantial meal and decided to purchase the laptop lunchbox to see how that will work for me. I haven't received it yet, but when I give it a few test drives, I'll let you know what I think.

Check out these lovely flickr groups for lunchtime inspiration:
Brought My Lunch
Laptop Lunches
Bento Boxes

Elsewhere

Chest Monopod (for easy camera shots in low-light places)

Flip and Tumble, convenient reusable bag.

Interview with Nicholas Jones (artist who does all the amazing paper sculpture with cut-up books)

Solar jar lamp

Story of Stuff (video)

Apartment Composting 101: Vermicompost with Barb Finnin (video)

Peg/Clothespin Bag Sewing Tutorial

Eco-umbrella

A wonderful umbrella from Radley made 100% from recycled plastic bottles. And guess what, the umbrella itself is also 100% recyclable! I'm loving that the umbrella comes in a matching printed case with wrist strap for easy carrying when its not raining.

Corrections & Additions

I've gotten some really interesting emails and comments over the last two posts and I would like to spotlight some of the points they have brought up.

The Nalgene bottle.
Kickpleat mentioned that Nalgene bottles have been banned in Canada because they have Bisphenol-A (or BPA) in the plastic. This compound is thought to leech into water and cause health problems, particularly with fetuses. I've never heard of such a compound, so I'm glad that she brought it to my attention, but the scientific tests/results are contradictory, so there is no definite as to whether it is actually harmful or not.

Here are some articles on the subject:
Handle With Care: A Nalgene Bottle Poll
Facts on Plastic
The Bisphenol-A Debate: A Suspect Chemical in Plastic Bottles and Cans
Wikipedia Entry

If you are on the side that there is no harm in Nalgene bottles, it is suggested that you switch them out every 12 to 18 months due to bacteria and the like. Please recycle or reuse them. If you want an alternative to Nalgene, you could go with Sigg, which comes in interesting designs or Klean Kanteen, which is made from nickel.

Savannah Eats
My friend Nikki brought to my attention that I totally forgot to mention our favorite brunch places in Savannah. With that, here they are:

Soho South
12 W Liberty • link
Best damn coffee in town. Also, there Eggs Savannah is a party in your mouth. It is Eggs Benedict, but with crab cakes and their sauce is so unique and yummers.

Firefly Cafe
321 Habersham Street • link
On Sundays they serve their egg plates with this thing called a "ho cake." I've never know of such a thing outside of the south, but it is damn delicious. Pretty much everything on the menu is good, just show-up eary on the weekends or you'll be waiting a while. Also, their outdoor seating is a fabulous and rare thing in Savannah, take advantage of it if you are there on a nice day.

Those are the two our "breakfast club" frequented on a regular basis. Did I miss one Nikki?

A comment on comments and emails
I want to thank everyone who has been emailing me and commenting on the blog. I haven't had the time lately to respond to you individually, but I do appreciate your words. Thanks so much for bringing things to my attention, like vintage illustrations, typos, general info on what I'm writing, and kind words. Hearing from all of you is a joy.

Feed the Pig

The other day I happened along this website, Feed The Pig (website has sound), which revolves around saving money and the like. My favorite part of the site is the lunch calculator, which lets you calculate how much you would save over a year or more just by brown-bagging it to work. I'm a big advocate for taking your lunch to work, not only for the money saving side of it, but also for the environment saving side of it. If you use reusable items for your lunch, you'll be reducing the amount of disposable, non-biodegradable items that make its way to the landfill (especially since most to-go lunches are packed in styrofoam boxes, the absolute worse for the environment). Here are some neat items to make your take-along lunch easy on your wallet and the environment:


• Reusable sandwich wrap from The Small Object.
The one thing I hated about making my own lunch was all the plastic bags I used for my sandwiches and then I saw this cute little thing. The Small Object posted a tutorial on how to make your own with oil cloth. This will be the next sewing project I'll work on.

• Naglene Water Bottle
These bottles come in many shapes and sizes. I have love these so much that I have three! I know, I'm a weirdo. I have the large one for yoga, a small one for carrying in my purse on a daily basis and the small wide-mouthed one to hold juice for my packed lunch. They also come in many colors and at $8 you will surely find one you like and save lots of money on buying bottled water/juices/sodas.

• OXO Good Grips Travel Mug
Another way to save oodles of cash it so make your coffee or tea at home and take it to work with. For those who are klutzy or just prefer to be able to throw your travel mug in your bag with no worries of leaking I highly suggest this OXO one. It has a button that seals the top from the inside making leaks nearly impossible.

• Bento Boxes from JBox
I'm a bento box fan. It makes me look forward to packing my lunch and puts a smile on my face when it comes to lunch time. JBox has a good selection of cute and simple bento boxes that come in many sizes. There are also plenty to be had on Ebay as well as anything else a google search can kick-up.

• Packing it alternatives
You definitely don't need to spend the money on a bento box. Instead, buy some tupperware and pack it up in a tote bag or make yourself a small drawstring pouch. Get some inspiration on the Brought my Lunch flickr pool.

• Eco Friendly Flatware by PonyUp
Bring your own fork and knife and save on plastic flatware. The bamboo sets from PonyUp come in their own roll, which is convienent. You could also just take silverware from home and wrap them up in a cloth napkin.


I hope this inspires you to pack your own lunch and use eco friendly materials. I'd love to hear other ideas for packing-up meals and even recipes!

Words + Image

"Mel Chin directs his creative energy toward urgent problems that must be resolved if life on earth is to survive. His artist medium is the land that has become so laden with toxins that it is incapable of sustaining life or generating edible vegetation...Chin revives the polluted field by growing and harvesting special plants that thrive n the heavy metals in the soil. These leaching plants are called 'hyperaccumulators.' At the end of each growth cycle they are incinerated so that the cadmium, zinc, and lead they absorbed can be extracted from their ashes and recycled. With each harvest, more and more toxic metals are removed from the soil, bringing Chin closer to his goal – creating purified earth."

Words: Linda Weintraub, Art on the Edge and Over
Image: Mel Chin, Revival Field