With Budget Cuts I'm A-R-Y Stationary

I have a confession to make...I love paper. The eco-conscious and the paper-philes don't generally hang out in the same circles, but this year's National Stationery Show indicates that things may be changing. I did not actually attend the stationery show. Insane, I know, that with huge budget cuts and travel restrictions I was not able to convince the powers that be to allow me to travel to a trade show that has nothing to do with my job. I am fortunate that the good folks at Treehugger reported back on some of the amazing eco-friendly paper products that were showcased at the show.

Now, the stationers that made this best of the best list are doing some amazing work. We're not just talking about 10% post-consumer fiber. We're talking reclaimed cotton, carbon neutral, paper mills running on landfill gas, carbon-footprint labeled eco-friendly stationery! And it's gorgeous! The whimsical designs are matched by whimsical company names like Two Trick Pony and Fugu Fugu Press. Check out the dazzling stationery slideshow at treehugger! If you think you'll forget, just jot a note on your hydroelectric-paper-mill-made-soy-based-ink-printed notepad. Oh, you don't have one? Check out these companies and you can remedy that situation.

A Gold Project Gone Green

I must admit, my own career in the Girl Scouts was short-lived - one year as a Brownie and that was it. Luckily there are other girls out there who stick with it, and some accomplish some pretty amazing things. Enter Margaret, a high school student from Winston-Salem who decided that for her Gold Award Project, she would teach small groups how to re-purpose old t-shirts into reusable tote bags.

If you're like me, you don't know what a Gold Award Project is. It's a big deal. It is the highest award that a Girl Scout aged 14-18 can earn, and it has been described as the thing that you really want to be remembered for as a Girl Scout. It should be something that the girl is passionate about and that fills a need in her community. Oh, and this one will just happen to impress hipsters, crafters and the eco-minded everywhere, although that is not a requirement.

Margaret chose her project because it combines many of her interests - sewing, repurposing clothing and living green. She is scheduling sewing workshops to teach as many people as possible how to sew the t-shirt tote bags, and she is requesting that each workshop attendee teach at least one other person (how's that for community building?). In addition, she is sewing t-shirt totes to give away at a local supermarket. In each tote she's placing a copy of the sewing instructions and information about the City of Winston-Salem's recycling program.

Margaret hopes that her simple sewing project will empower others by showing them that one person can make a difference and that small steps can be accomplished cost-effectively and creatively...so that everyone can say NO to "paper or plastic."

Congratulations, Margaret, on a thoughtful, needed, timely, creative and eco-chic job well-done!

Combine Artist and Do-It-Yourselfer, Mix with Reuse and Sprinkle with a Dash of Humor

That's my best attempt at describing Jim Rosenau and his This Into That collection. Rosenau uses second-hand books and turns them into functional works of art. His pieces range from themed bookshelves to bird houses made from books about birds. Shown here is a piece Rosenau calls "One Fish." Five different fish-themed books and a giant hook make a wall-mounted bookshelf. Past shelf themes have included cooking, gardening and woodworking. He'll even do custom made designs. Creative reuse of materials is a topic of interest to lots of eco-smart consumers out there. Jim Rosenau has made it into a fine art!

Chris Jordan Photo Art

We all hear a lot of numbers regarding consumption that are supposed to wow us, but it can be hard to comprehend what the numbers really mean. Enter Chris Jordan - a photographic artist whose work allows our left brain and right brain to communicate and actually comprehend the enormity of the issue. Take Plastic Cups from Running the Numbers: An American Self Portrait, for example. From afar it looks like a funky, modern work that we might expect hanging on the wall in an art museum. Take a closer look, however, and you'll see that the funky, swirly lines are actually made up of plastic cups, 1 million of them to be exact, the number used on US airline flights every 6 hours. Jordan is able to stun the viewer over and over as he looks at cell phones, paper bags, aluminum cans, batteries and more. What I find most interesting is that each work is preceded by a title telling you what you are looking at, how many of them there are and what time period that represents. Even so, as one scrolls through the 3 versions of each piece, zooming in closer and closer, it is the visual depiction that is so stunning. Maybe all statistics should be accompanied by visuals such as this! Check it out for yourself at http://www.chrisjordan.com/.