Wedding invitation stuff....

I am incredibly excited that this weekend's plan include a wedding invitation construction line! These are some of the elements that are being incorporated:

Coveting...Green Patriot Posters

Green Patriot Posters is a communications campaign involving the production of posters that encourage sustainable living. The website www.greenpatriotposter.org invites designers and artists to submit posters dealing with sustainability and some of these are now available in a book. Green Patriot Posters, by Dmitri Siegel and Edward Morris, contains 50 detachable posters and has been printed using 100% recycled paper and vegetable inks. It can be purchased via the Design Museum shop.

Home stuff....

According to Sunday Times' Style magazine last week using jars as vases ('shabby chic' apparently) is on the way down...oh dear. I still think it looks rather good, but perhaps I am just not on the cutting edge of interior design.

Antiques dealer Robert Gordon's home was profiled in the Sunday Telegraph magazine and wow, I just found it incredibly inspiring. The kitchen is particularly gorgeous and such a contrast to the modern, package-ordered kitchens I seem to see so often. Gallery via The Telegraph.

Cool Summer Stuff I want to do but probably won't get round to...

......but don't let that stop you! Weekend time seems to be at a premium at the moment and the next few are already booked up with weekends away and trips to see family up North but there is some very cool stuff going on in London in the coming weeks and I would suggest those of you with some free time check it out.

1. Visit the Urban Physic Garden, a pop-up community built garden celebrating medicinal plants. The garden is open to the public from 11 June to 15 August and there will be talks, workshops, film screenings and other very interesting-sounding stuff going on.

(Picture credit: Mike Massaro)

2. Attend Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair at Old Spitalfields Market on the 29th of August. This fair is a nationwide one and takes place not only in London but also in 30 other towns and cities. All traders are scrutinised for quality and affordability. I haven't ever attended one of Judy's fairs myself but apparently the careful screening makes it more accessible than some...and more likely to induce you to part with your cash.

(Picture from Vintage Style blog)

3. See a film outside on the Summer Screen at Somerset House. Screenings take place from 4 July to 7 August and films being shown include The Princess Bride, Thelma and Louise and The Big Blue.

Coveting....TOMS University Navy Classics

I have noticed an increasing amount of interest in a shoe company that have actually been around for a while now. It seems that TOMS have made it onto some one's 'trends' list as there have been a number of press mentions lately as well as the obligatory sightings on young and lovelies out and about in London. Which has made me think again about how much I like these shoes, not only for their simple, comfortable design but also for the company's philosophy and 'One for One' movement. One for One means that for every pair of TOMS purchased, the company gives a pair of new shoes to a child in need. For more information visit the TOMS website. Their shoes can be bought direct from them or from various retailers in the UK, including Office and Schuh.

The first UK Green Film Festival....

The UK Green Film Festival is being held for the first time this weekend. The festival will showcase films and filmmakers dealing with environmental issues and climate change themes. A few of the films being shown include FernGully, Godzilla and Plastic Planet. It will include the nationwide premiere of the film 'Planeat', a story about a quest to find a sustainable, healthy diet (which doesn't sound quite as thrilling as say, Godzilla, but should be fairly interesting....).

• 2011 Green Film Festival Timetable

Surely the best deck chair in the world......

I have been coveting a penguin design deckchair since I first saw them online about two years ago. And now I have one...and the absolute best part is that it only cost £30 instead of the usual going rate on various websites of about £60. I have to say, and quickly before I get in trouble, that this bargain buy had nothing to do with me. I am the worst haggler in the world, I would be rubbish on The Apprentice. No, the OH deserves all the credit for his amazing haggling skills and at Waterstones no less. He spotted two penguin deckchairs at our local branch recently that had been marked down to £40 as they had clearly been there a while. So of course I wanted one but luckily the OH stopped by to purchase and mentioned that they looked like they had been there for years, so how about he takes one off their hands for £30...and they said yes! Kudos to the salesman for being flexible. So we are now the owner of what I surely feel must be the best deckchair in the world. And it matches my jeeves mug!

Slightly random car boot purchase....

I am not entirely sure what these little pots are supposed to be used for....but they cost me £2 at a car boot and I just couldn't resist, particularly as they match our green kitchen so well.
Any suggestions on what to use them for welcome. Jam would be one option of course, it's just that, to be perfectly honest, I don't frequently offer four types of jam at my breakfast table!

Homemade strawberry lemonade...

I love lemonade and original homemade is my favourite but with a recent excess of strawberries I decided to try the strawberry variety and it was well worth the effort. I found various recipes online, all fairly similar but I mainly followed this one from Gastronomy Domine (I added a little more sugar and I used my handheld blender to liquefy the strawberries as I didn't have time, ie. the patience, to soften overnight). It was pure loveliness in a glass.....

Sale on at Ethical Superstore

Ethical Superstore are in the midst of a massive clearance sale and there are some hefty discounts going on that you might like to take advantage of. Unfortunately, most of the clothes items for sale that I would otherwise consider seem to only be available in very limited sizes (ie. only in large) but if you are lucky enough to find your size it is well worth a look. A number of their other home and grocery items have also been significantly reduced.

My top sales picks are:

Komodo Merino Stripe V Neck Jumper £13.79 (was £56.12 but only available in XL)

Marrakech Mosaic Glass Lantern £8.38 (was £16.75)

Spiezia Lemongrass & Marigold Body Scrub £11.25 (was £22.50)

Stroopwafels from 'The Grocery'

I don't often take a lunch break at work...I know one is supposed to for improved productivity and work-life balance yada-yada but generally I would rather get more done and be able to leave on time. However....the recent spate of sunny-gorgeousness outside has made me resent being desk bound for long periods at a time and so I have been 'popping out' to get some fresh air and enjoy the sunshine on my face. And I do actually work in a very interesting area (Shoreditch) and have discovered some great shops and pubs and cafes in the last few days that I have generally known about but never actually located. In particular I can't believe I have never been into 'The Grocery' on Kingsland Road despite having walked past it a few times. It's right up my street (figuratively and kind-of literally), and crammed with not only lovely organic and/or fairtrade groceries but various organic cosmetics and toiletries as well. In their own words "The Grocery sells organic, fresh and whole foods, household goods and all your favourite everyday brands. Our stock is sourced from reputable local producers and we advocate good trading relationships. We supply healthy, well sourced produce, keeps prices down and tie our efforts in to local community needs." All of which sounds good to me. I am not quite sure where my purchase of Stroopwafels (Syrup Waffles) fits in with these policies but I had been after some since reading about the Holland House Festival on the weekend and The Grocery seemed as good a place as any to pick some up. Will definitely be stopping by there a bit more often in future....

Join the Fish Fight....

Luckily for me, I am not a seafood fan....not because of any sustainability arguments (although there are many) but just because I honestly can't stand the taste. As I was so fond of reiterating during my childhood when well-meaning relatives would try and encourage me to eat fish, prawns, lobster, calamari etc...."nothing from the sea please! I don't eat anything that swims or lives underwater". But this isn't really about my fussy eating habits. This is about Greenpeace's current campaign to improve the sustainability of UK tinned tuna, and they are doing incredibly well but they are still appealing for consumers to help them even more and influence, in particular, John West and Morrisons, to raise their games.

Many of us are familiar with the dangers of certain commercial tuna fishing methods and the impact they have on sharks, rays and other marine species. If you want to know more, I suggest you check out the Greenpeace website (www.greenpeace.org.uk/fishfight) and/or check out Hugh's Fish Fight which is being shown again tonight at 10pm on More 4.

A fantastic number of supermarkets and manufacturers have joined the campaign and improved their methods but for some reason John West and Morrisons are lagging behind. The simplest thing you can do of course is not buy John West and not shop at Morrisons but you can also join the campaign by writing to them via the Greenpeace website. With so many supermarkets improving their methods there really is no excuse for others not to do the same, so make sure you voice your disapproval and let them know it's not a minority 'treehugger' concern but something that everyone is aware of and not prepared to accept!

Coveting....Neal's Yard Remedies Cosmetics

Neal's Yard Remedies have recently launched a cosmetic range. As per their usual product philisophy, none of the products have been tested on animals and contain no parabens, bismuth oxychloride, mercury, phthalates, talc and carmine.

Although there is an increasing range of organic, 'no-nasties' beauty products available now, cosmetics are one area that can be tricky for make-up lovers who are looking for more natural products. Neal's Yard Remedies new range, which includes lip glosses, eye shadows and eye liners, is a welcome addition and I personally have my eye in particular on the English Rose Lip Gloss, which at £9.50 is fairly reasonably priced.

The things that got me through January....

My local library

Carmex (Cherry) Lip Balm

Fenjal Bath Oil

Aero Lambs

Endless cups of tea from my 'Jeeves' mug

Happy February! The days have started to get longer and the daffodils are starting to appear and I am already in Summer planning mode (a trifle optimistic for sure but it is pleasant daydreaming after the cold and grey January we've had).

Where's your money growing?

Today marks the start of the third National Ethical Investment Week (NEIW). NEIW is a campaign to raise awareness of green and ethical options for your finances. I think it's an interesting campaign for a number of reasons....firstly, finance and 'green' choices poses an interesting disconnect. Many of us who try to live in a generally sustainable and ethical way don't make the logical connection to extend this to our finances. It's great to to buy fairtrade coffee and recycle and make various other green and ethical choices but what about what we do with our money? What is our money financing and have we actually stopped and asked that question about our bank accounts, pension funds and investments. Finances may not be the most exciting topic to discuss but it's a huge issue and NEIW tries to raise awareness of this....much like Fairtrade Fortnight.

Easy ways to support the Week:

• Visit the NEIW website to find out more


• Take the NEIW green and ethical money quiz to discover your green and ethical money profile and really get started with thinking about your financial decisions


• Attend an NEIW event taking place in the next week

Where's your money growing? It's certainly a question worth asking!

Coveting....Northern Lights Birchwood Tray

Along with teapots and enamelware (and many other things) I have always been a big fan of trays....it's not that I use trays that often to be honest, but I just love them and am particularly loving this one which is now available at Amnesty International's online shop for the reasonable sum of £21.50. The illustration is by Finnish artist Emma Laiho. And should you be browsing the Amnesty site....I am also loving these gorgeous hand-painted cups, although I would probably want them more if the Winter wasn't closing in as they seem to me more of a Summer purchase.

On the note of Amnesty's website though, it is one of a list of online 'shops' from NGOs and other organisations that are a great source of inspiration for original Christmas shopping (aah, yes...I am joining the hordes of annoying shops that have already started pushing Christmas in our faces!).....but seriously, just thought I'd mention it now for all the super-organised out there......

Beauty Review: Burt's Bees Pore Refining Mask

I have been a fan of Burt's Bees ever since a friend bought me one of their travel kits a few years ago while on holiday in the US. At the time, particularly living in South Africa, the range of 'natural' beauty products was rather limited and I found the lack of synthetics combined with interesting natural ingredients a refreshing approach.

I am actually now on my second jar of Burt's pore-refining mask with french green clay. I bought the first in Summer last year and have just purchased the second, which I suppose is enough of a review in itself.

The mask is 100% natural and basically contains French green clay and dried herbs and flowers. The product comes in powder form and needs to be mixed with a little water to make a thin paste which can be spread onto the face. Although I do find this a little fiddly, and occasionally messy, the advantage is that you can mix up as much as you like and the product has an excellent shelf life. For me, the reason why I like this so much is that my skin is slightly sensitive and I have found that other purifying, clay-based masks tend to irritate my skin. This one does leave my skin slightly flushed for a while, but it doesn't itch and the after effects are that my skin actually feels soothed and perfectly clean. I can't say huge pores are my major skin issue so I can't speak for those who suffer from this affliction but as a general pore-refining, deep cleansing mask this one is the best I've used.

I heart these...

I have always had a bit of a 'thing' for enamelware and I was in a bit of sulk recently as this enamel mug from John Lewis had been sold out before I could get my hands on one. But they are now back in stock and I will definitely be purchasing some. Yes, such simple things give me joy! Particularly as it is also Friday and nearly the weekend, hope you all have lovely ones...

Organic Fortnight starts today....

Organic Fortnight (3-17 September) kicks off today. I have previously blogged about my feelings on organic food and other products [Organic debate (en)rages] so I won't go into it again. Generally though I am definitely a supporter and Organic Fortnight is an excellent way of getting involved in celebrating 'all things organic', to quote the Soil Association's website.

The website gives a number of simple ways to get involved. Those of you near Bristol Habourside on the 11th and 12th of September could head to the 10th Organic Food Festival. Another idea is to visit an organic farm or host an organic dinner party. The website also has an excellent section on 'Organic on a budget' which addresses a concern that I often encounter among those who would ideally like 'go organic' but are concerned about the increase in costs.

This, that and homemade pasta...

So my Bank Holiday weekend was as wild as anticipated! I delved into Gordon's 'Great Escape: 100 of my Favourite Indian Recipes' and made a delicious (in my humble opinion) Badami Chicken Curry and Sag Aloo. Badam translates to Almond in English but the curry had a very different flavour to a Korma, less sweet. Both recipes turned out well although I would modify the curry slightly the next time by adding some extra chillies, it was spicy but a bit mild for my taste. The book seems great so far though. There are a number of other recipes I'd like to try and many that are a bit different from what you might find in a standard Indian cookery recipe book.

The other culinary adventure of the weekend was totally instigated by the OH who bought a pasta machine (this one actually) from a charity store which we were browsing for books. I was, it has to be admitted, a little unenthusiastic. I love cooking of course but it just seems so much easier to buy pasta from the shops. But we followed (well the OH followed and I observed) the recipe in the recent Guardian article 'How to make perfect pasta' and after a bit of trial and error with the rolling and the folding it turned out wonderfully, although we made far too much. Served up tagliatelle-style with a carbonara sauce the pasta was honestly so different from shop bought that it was well worth the effort (probably not for every occasion on which I fancy pasta though). Next we are going to use home made pasta in lasagna and I have a feeling it will be a bit special.

Leaving food matters aside, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Liz Earle shampoo and conditioner. I have pre-ordered their new haircare range which officially launches today. Finding a decent shampoo that contains no sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate can be a struggle for natural beauty product fans so I am excited to see whether the range lives up to the Liz Earle high standards which I have always found with their face and body ranges.