Monday, April 22, 2013

Let's Get This Party Started...with Eco-Friendly Flair!


With the allurement of prom season inspiring a wonderland of possibilities with mesmerizing party decor...and with the eco-friendly mindset of Earth Day on our minds this month, I think it's time to get this party started with recycled party decor! Below I have featured my favorite upcycled party supply items from some darling Etsy boutiques. The recycled hanging metallic stars above can be found in my sweet sister Andrea's shop Storybook Artifact; she is also a Team Leader of the Etsy Recyclers Guild Team!
I hope you will be captivated and enlighted...and may the enchantment and eco-conscious decor influence your decorating for your next social gathering be it a birthday party, wedding shower, bachelorette party, baby shower, or cocktail party! Reclaim your decorator talents with party decor made from RECLAIMED materials! Mother Nature will be proud and she might just drop by your party to drink a mint julep! *~*Happy Earth Day Everyone!*~*





"Comic Head Mannequin Hat Form Display Ira Mency Mr. Fun Times" (which I think would make an awesome centerpiece!) created by our Etsy Recyclers Guild Team Leader Cindy of Retro Chalet!



 This blog article was contributed by the Etsy Recyclers Guild Team Captain Jessica of Eco-Friendly Freckles

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

My New Favorite Color...Seafoam Green!

My new favorite color: seafoam green! It reminds me of Tulsa, Oklahoma's historic Dresser mansion...in particular Mrs. Dresser's seafoam green boudoir! Below are some photos taken in my sister Andrea's (Etsy Shop owner of Storybook Artifact) bridal quarters on her wedding day. I absolutely LOVE this color!  
My Nana Sharee and I showcasing Mrs. Dresser's beautifully organized closet; featuring labeled drawers for her different types of fancy lady gloves!
My husband, Joe, and I...soul mates and lovebirds. This has always been one of my favorite photos of "us".
 Nana helping Andrea tie up her wedding dress corset laces. You can see the excitement and anticipation!
Me laying on Mrs. Dresser's beautiful antique canopy iron bed with minty seafoam green walls all around!
 
Soak up the beauty of this mesmerizing color and check out this refreshingly breathtaking seafoam green inspired Etsy treasury titled "Light and Fresh" curated by Susan Bayer Designs.
Below are two vintage seafoam green embellished plates that I have in my Etsy shop Eco-Friendly Freckles;
Passionflower Plate Andrea by Sadek 1980's Retro Botanical Floral Decorative Display Serving Decor Dish
 
1983 Mother's Day Art Plate - Vintage Raphael Madonna and Child Christmas Stamp Decor Platter

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Favorite Things Blog Feature from The Art with a Heart

 
♩♪♫♬Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snow flakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things♩♪♫♬

As a sit comfortably in my favorite sapphire blue satin negligee on a lazy Saturday afternoon near the end of March about to enter into spring...I suddenly hear Barbara Streisand humming in my head about "favorite things" and picture "girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes" dancing around in my daydream. 

I have been inspired and delighted by having my Original 1960's Twiggy Gogo Psychedelic Dress featured alongside other favorite things (like the dancing girl pictured above) of Charlotte owner of the Etsy shop "The Art with a Heart" in her beautiful blog feature "Spring is in the Air". Thank you Charlotte!
Another lyric in this cheerfully nostalgic song... 
♩♪♫♬Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels♩♪♫♬ Last night I was actually reminiscing about our darling miniature horses when my husband Joe and I used to be their caretakers on a beautiful ranch here in Bixby Oklahoma. This time of year, in the spring, we got to welcome new baby colts and fillies into the world and witnessed the loving bond between the mothers and babies. My twin sister, Andrea, Etsy shop owner of "Storybook Artifact" is about to give birth to a blessed baby girl this April...in fact, any day now! The spring brings many beautiful things!

Saturday, March 23, 2013

All-Natural Make-Up: An Easy Routine Switch That is Good for Your Health!


It's easier than you think to make the switch to all-natural make-up. For years I had been using conventional makeup that I picked up at a nearby grocery store or mainstream pharmacy chain, all of which contained hundreds of chemicals that are harmful to my skin and overall health! Parabens, fragrances, dyes, etc...all of these things truly are toxic and often it is hard to read or find the ingredients list on a tiny bottle of eyeliner! I've heard about pregnant mothers going all-natural with their make-up choices (or no make-up at all) because of the harmful chemical additives in mainstream make-up products, I figure that it is time for me to make the switch for "me" before I become and "expecting mother".

"Three Muses" by Etsy Shop Artist: Fred Cabrera
Up to 60 percent of whatever we place on our skin goes into our blood stream; however, companies are blatantly adding ingredients to our personal care products. These include parabens, synthetic preservatives suspected to cause problems like weight gain, skin aging and certain types of cancer! Do your research, read labels, and don't always trust the words "natural" and "organic". 


You will want to rid your cosmetic bag of all of these hazardous parabens: Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Benzyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid, Methyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid, Ethyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid, Propyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid, Butyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid, Parahydroxybenzoic acid and Parahydroxybenzoate. Not to mention the hundreds of other harmful chemicals leaching in our cosmetics! Save yourself the stress, and find some all-natural, organic makeup that is safe with a similar look and feel as your trusty old go-to cosmetics!

I went with Willow Tree Minerals! I absolutely LOVE their Natural Liquid Nightfall Eye Liner, Ginger Natural Mineral Blush, and Forever Blonde Natural Mineral Eye Brow Pencil...these organic cosmetics wonderfully and easily replaced everything I was buying at the supermarket and are perfect for my soft sunkissed ivory Irish complexion! I was able to continue to use my tried-and-true makeup application techniques without needing to alter a thing!


Give it a try, your skin will be happy that you made the switch to all-natural makeup! Embrace the beauty of Mother Nature and rediscover the gorgeous, glowing, natural "you" with nature-derived cosmetics! Speaking of "glowing beauty" below I have featured a handmade retro pin up pillow titled "Art Deco Damsel" created by my lovely and creative Aunt Mary Lynn from her Etsy shop "LaOohLaLa Boutique".

This blog article was written by Jessica of Eco-Friendly Freckles

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Bamboo Toilet Tissue! 100% Tree Free!


My husband Joe works at a natural health foods store, Akin's Natural Foods Market, and last night he purchased our very first package of bamboo toilet tissue! I couldn't be more thrilled! It is made out of 100% bamboo and thus is 100% TREE FREE! The company that makes this particular bamboo toilet paper is Ultra Green, and I am inspired by the details about the product listed on their packaging:

Beyond Recycled Paper: Before recycled paper became "recycle paper", it originally came from trees. Today, most manufacturers use either a blend of recycled paper with tree pulp or 100% tree pulp to make bath tissue. That's no way to save trees. Ultra Green uses 100% bamboo, a fast growing natural resource. If everyone used this product, we would save millions upon millions of trees. 

 This blog article was written by Jessica of Eco-Friendly Freckles

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Create an Educational Game from Recycled Plastic!

What could be more fun than a Nouns and Verbs game?! Enjoy an educational moment with you darling little one and learn some valuable lessons in grammar with this interactive learning game easily handmade with plastic water bottles!

All you need are two individual-size plastic water bottles and a large collection of water bottle lids. I took a utility knife and carefully made a cut all the way around each water bottle; making each finished piece measure approximately 4" to 5" tall. Then I took red acrylic and blue acrylic craft paint and a sponge brush and painted the outside of these containers; making one red and one blue. I suggest getting your sponge brush a little damp before you dip it into the paint so your brush does not absorb too much of the paint. Next, create and print out a document that on the computer featuring the words "Nouns" and "Verbs" as well as many different nouns and verbs such as:

Nouns:
Woman, Dad, Ducks, Dogs, Doors, Eyes, Mom, Man, Juice, Cat, and Tub

Verbs:
Run, Plays, Eats, Ask, Read, Laugh, Go, Cleans, Sings, Give, and Sits

Once you've created your document on the computer, make sure that all of the words are spread out on the page so you can cut around them (making sure that the words "Nouns" and Verbs" are slightly bigger than the rest...this should all fit on one page). Print your page, and then take your scissors and cut around each word. Once you have all of your words cut out, take some craft glue and paste them on the plastic water bottle cap lids and the words "Nouns" and "Verbs" onto the red and blue painted cups. Let everything dry, next apply glossy Mod Podge to the tops of the lids and on the cups to secure the words for play and usage! Enjoy!

Below I have listed some of my favorite vintage and upcycled toys and books on Etsy...

This incredibly educational "Quiet Book" by Remainewicked...this book is charming book is handmade to order and is created from recycled clothing fabrics!
This delightful, classic children's book called "Under the Window" can be found in my sister Andrea's Etsy Shop "Storybook Artifact"; this darling book brings back found memories of yesteryear with the adorable poems, stories, and illustrations!
This is a fun and educational memory game featuring animals and it comes with a repurposed bag to keep the cards in that is made from recycled t-shirts. You can find this Memory Match Animals Game in this Etsy Shop "Drawn to Letters".

This blog article was contributed by Jessica of Eco-Friendly Freckles

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Upcycled Romantic Bath Salt Containers Perfect for Valentine's Day Gift Giving!


What could be more romantic than a Victorian Valentine's Day bath?! Captivate your lover this upcoming V-Day with the alluring aroma of homemade bath salts infused with your favorite blend of aromatherapy essential oils...carefully selected with aphrodisiac properties of course! All you need are some Epsom Salts which are wonderful for relaxing your tired muscles after a long day and they nourish your body with magnesium which naturally relaxes you too! Most of us are deficient in magnesium, so indulge in a romantic bath with your sweetheart and supply your body with this beneficial mineral. My favorite pure essential oil blend is Frankincense and Rosewood...which you can find both here in the delightful Etsy Shop "Shanti Aromatherapy".

Homemade gifts are the ones we cherish and hold close to our hearts. Give the gift that will nourish the body and libido this Valentine's Day with this upcycled decoupage Victorian bath salt canister! I gave these lovely ladies away for Christmas to all of my favorite females in the family; however, I'm getting this little tutorial out just before Valentine's Day so you can use it if you'd like to create your very own functional masterpieces!

All you need is a large plastic recycled whey protein container...I used Dr. Mercola's Miracle Whey Protein and I am so addicted to their banana flavored nutritional drink! These are perfect for transforming into bath salt containers because they all come with a little plastic scoop inside! Thoroughly clean out the container and then pour in as much Epsom salts as you would like; I suggest leaving about an 1-2 inches of room at the top. Then add in your desired essential oils...might want to look up which ones are aphrodisiacs for Valentine's Day amour! Depending on the type of essential oil determines the amount of drops that you put in; I suggest using the smell test and create a blend to your preference. Now it is time to close the lid (make sure that the scoop is removed) and shake, shake, shake...until you have a beautiful bouquet sealed inside. Place the scoop inside and now it is time to decoupage!

For decoupaging these romantic Victorian bath salt canisters, I selected recycled magazine clippings from one of my favorite catalogs the "Victorian Trading Company"; my mother-in-law Beverly introduced me to this wonderful company when she showed me the gorgeous Victorian greeting cards she had purchased from them. The large full-page covers of the catalogs work beautifully for creating the outside decoupage label of these canisters! You can fit two Victorian Trading Company magazine covers on the outside; measure them to fit, cut, and then paste with craft glue onto the outside of the canister. You can also do something similar to the top; I created a label on the top of the lid describing the contents of the bath salts, you can also give them a romantic, creative name like "Baroness's Bath Salts". I also embellished the tops of the lids with inspirational sayings from Yogi brand tea tags; such as: "When ego is lost, limit is lost, you become infinite, kind, and beautiful.", "Where there is love, there is no question.", and "Compassion has no limit. Kindness has no enemy", etc. When you have finished decorating the outside of canister with your pasted on clippings, apply two coats of Mod Podge; making sure to let it completely dry in between coats. Vwa la! Your masterpiece is complete and now ready for gift giving!

Perhaps you would like to use a printable romantic Victorian print to decoupage onto your creation?! The one featured above is called "Engaged - Digital Art or Card Stock Print from Early 1900's Pompeian Advertisement" which can be found in my twin sister Andrea's Etsy Shop "Storybook Artifact"

Would you like a vintage Victorian bath accessory to give with your homemade Victorian themed bath salts?! Check out my sister Andrea's Etsy Shop Storybook Artifact for many lovelies from yesteryear like the ones featured below...