The Green Project

No matter where I live, Louisiana will always be home. I remember spending many weekends of my youth in New Orleans eating in the French Quarter, hanging out on Magazine Street and seeing the sights and sounds of the city. My favorite part of New Orleans has always been the architecture. Not surprisingly, I find myself mixing pieces of Louisiana architectural salvage into my own home. The Green Project has just made that easier and even more eco-friendly!

From their website:

The Green Project operates a warehouse store that resells high-quality, salvaged building materials at low cost to the community. The store is dedicated to helping the environment by reducing the amount of usable materials placed in landfills or disposed of improperly. You may bring reusable building materials to our warehouse store, or we can pick them up for a small fee.

The Green Project also supports others who salvage or deconstruct damaged or collapsed buildings by hand, in a way that saves between 45 and 70 percent of the materials. This preserves New Orleans' unique architectural history and benefits New Orleans' residents by returning their ruined building materials to use elsewhere in the city.

Next time you're in the market for building materials, consider shopping somewhere like The Green Project or Habitat's ReStore.

Recession-proofing Your Vacation

This past weekend, my younger brother and sister came for a visit and we had an absolute blast! They were truly a delight to host and I can't wait for them to come visit again! I took them to see many of the traditional Nashville tourists spots plus a few off-the-beaten-path hidden gems.

With little sister outside of the Opry House. She is the tall blonde. I am the less tall (my preferred term) brunette. Poor RPD had to play photographer for much of the trip so he is not in the photo.

Are you still thinking about summer vacation ideas that are easy on the wallet and on the environment? The National Park Service is offering free entry into national parks across the country during the weekends of July 18/19 and August 15/16. Take some time and explore some of nature's greatest creations!

Take a look here.

A Classic Goes Organic

I am back from all that has been crazy in life! I think I've recovered from working during CMA Fest. I spent most of my time running here and there with the artists I was working with and found myself with limited time to check email and no time to sit and blog. But now, I am back to a more routine schedule and will be posting more frequently.

It's offically hot enough to officially be summer weather and a long-time summer favorite has gone organic. The classic boat tote comes in a new eco-friendly organic cotton but still has the same timeless style we all know and love! The tote is a steal at $15.00


Get it here.

Hiatus.

I have not fallen off the face of the planet as my lengthy absence would lead you to believe. I've been working like a crazy woman for a few weeks prepping and then working through CMA Fest here in Nashville. The festival, which was tons of fun, wrapped on Sunday and my fabulous siblings flew in last night for a weeklong visit. I am delighted to have them here, but because of their visit, my hiatus will be extended a while longer. I have fantastic things to tell you about upon my return and I look forward to blogging again soon. Hope you are all well!

In Praise of Billy Reid

In a world full of green ideas and suggestions, it's becoming increasingly more difficult to tell what is realistic and what is greenwashing. Through all of the waves of eco-information, one thing holds true...buying quality IS buying green. If you buy quality (whether or not it's made of eco materials), you cut down on your need to purchase in the future which cuts down on resources used which cuts down on emissions which...well, you get the picture.

Billy Reid is quality. I finally got the chance to mosey on over to the Nashville store in the Hill Center and I was blown away. Immediately, I was greeted by friendly smiling faces and an aesthetic that made me want to take up residence in the store. Comfortable seating works seamlessly among the racks of classic clothing. In fact, it's almost enough to make you forget you're in a clothing store and instead make you feel like you're at a gathering in a classically styled home with friends. Drinks are served in real glassware with a vintage napkin and store patrons are invited to sit and chat for a while. Each piece in the Billy Reid collection is well thought out and built to withstand the changing tides of fashion. The pieces are certainly worth the investment!


If I had known then what I know now, a six-year-old me would have said, "When I grow up, I want to live in a Billy Reid store."