reusable shopping bags, ahoy!

reusable shopping bags are where it's at, natch!
me and the mister have a cabal of fun bags that we tote around when shopping so's we don't always have to take a bag from the store and be all wasteful and stuff. in the event we do have to take a bag from a store, like say, whole foods (where we do our grocery shopping in our 'hood), we take their paper bags and then reuse them for our recycling (bottles, cans, etc.), ensuring that they also get recycled.
the idea of it is starting to hit critical mass, methinks: everyone and their mom is talking about reusable bags these days. proof positive:
1.) threadbanger!

http://www.threadbanger.com/embed/player

this week's threadheads episode was all about reusable shopping bags. they gave us the dowlow about morsbags, buffalo exchange and their token-for-not-taking-a-bag program, and showed off a reusable bag made of scraps of recycled fabric by artist rebekah potter, and more. thanks rob & corrine!

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2.) danny seo:

(image via dannyseo.typepad.com)

this one is about inspiration and good ideas: one of eco-friendly creatrix danny seo's posts this past week was about reusable bags and how stores (like trader joe's) do, can and should make incentives to get customers to bring their own reusable bags. good idea, indeed.

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3.) burdastyle:

(image via burdastyle.com)

got a sewing machine, thread, and fabric at your disposal? not to mention a computer and printer? well make your own reusable bags, then! burdastyle recently made a free(!) pattern for a reusable shopping bag available on their site. looks easy-peasy...make a coordinated collection of grocery bags, and when you're done, make some for your friends! awesome.

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do you use reusable bags? feel free to share more tips or links on the reusable or bag-recycling tip, if you have any!

reviewed by me, for you!: jeu de paumes - interior inspiration

my creative inspiration and creative thought expands far beyond that which is wearable, sometimes (no, often!) venturing into the product design, and interior design realms. fashion is not, by any means, the be-all-end-all.
i want the space that i live in to represent me and feel like my aesthetic just as much as the clothes i choose to put on my back. my creative drive is by no means limited to my person or the human form...it seeps out everywhere and into everything. everything is up for grabs for inspiration and as a target for creative energy.
i often find myself looking at as many or more design and interior design blogs and books than i do fashion. because really, eye candy and inspiration is everywhere, and really, the boundaries between the worlds of design are really, truly permeable.

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so on that note, i've been starting a little collection of jeu de paumes books. jeu de paumes is a japanese company that publishes little books that peep into the abodes of creatives living in major european cities like paris, london, and stockholm. the books are full of color and whimsy, and are brimming with creative inspiration, especially for those who like things quirky. above all, though, the interiors shown feel very accessible: they are full of flea market and thrifted finds, inspirational uses of IKEA wares, and making do with what one has...and most of the spaces shown aren't grandiose or ridiculously outsized, in fact, many of the apartments are quite small. great inspiration, then, for those of us elsewhere who are also living in diminutive spaces (most city dwellers the world over, i'd venture!).
a peek inside two of the jeu the paumes books shown above...

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from paris love apartments:
i adore the bright bed linens shown here, and placement of the quilt above the bed.

if i didn't have two cats and a child on the way, i might go for a white couch. but alas...

because i favor such bright colors (all of them at once sometimes!), i keep finding myself attracted to stark white walls and solid, simple hardwood floors: both make a fine blank slate for an abundance of bright hues.

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from stockholm's love apartments:
these shots are from the apartment of cilla ramnek (and her partner), a swedish textile designer i've mentioned here before. she's also the author of knitprovisation, a book i reviewed on bits and bobbins back in february of last year.

the collage above her computer desk is so awesome...i'm in love!

note the granny square blanket and needlepoint pillows. in an alternate universe, this could be MY apartment. seriously.

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also from stockholm's love apartments:
i love how this couple (who's expecting) just has a simple crib and a few choice toys for their baby-to-be, and it's in their bedroom. something similar will likely be happening in our household.

a few choice, colorful, things makes more sense for a newborn (and for our space) to me anyway. i like the minimalism of it all.

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i found my copies of the paumes books at the kinokuniya here in san francisco (i'd venture to guess the location in NYC has them as well), but they can apparently be ordered online as well, from the paumes website.

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bonus: there's also a jeu de paume inspired community on flickr!

etsy love: raeburn ink

here goes the second installment of etsy love!

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this time, it's all about the patchwork goodness created by jennifer cooke, aka raeburn ink. jen hails from eureka, california, and has a website at www.raeburnink.com and a blog at raeburnwest.blogspot.com. jen produces printed clothing, home accessories, and accessories, all of which feature riotously colored abstracted patterns. according to her website's about page, her work is grouped into "thematic collections are inspired by everything from topographic maps to security envelopes". nylon and lucky have preached the good word about her work, and her stuff has even been sold at one of my favorite department stores, the inimitable barney's new york. and with good reason: her work is envelope-pushing, completely modern, supremely artful. i've yet to see anything else like it...subsequently, i keep coming back to her etsy shop and pining away for everything to be found there. i can't help it...everything there just resonates completely with me and my aesthetic. bravo, jen!

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these puffy patchwork rings made from tiny scraps leftover from other patchwork projects are ingenious...i love the idea of fabric jewelry, and i actually collect it. the fact that these are oversized adds to their charm but doesn't seem as if it would weigh the wearer down due to their materials and obvious loft. completely eye-catching.

i am complete bowled over by jen's work with patchwork: the colors and fabrics she utilizes set her work far away from the pack...she strikes a thoughtful, planned balance between solids and patterns (many of which are her own prints) that simply works, and those solid planes, of course, give the eye a place to rest, but thankfully, not retire, because of their vivid hues. this patchwork pillow is a perfect example of her skills with the aforementioned:

i'd snap either of these bags up in a millisecond. the pink and red-orange photo-print bag is from her i heart japan collection (and uses photos from her journey to that land), and the patchwork bag, like the ring and the pillow, is from her patchwork collection. i featured the blue patchwork bag in my recent article over at the storque, mentioned here on bits and bobbins yesterday.

the latter carries on the same theme and feel as the pillow above: again, the solids work incredibly well with the prints...the mix is just perfection, and again, completely and totally modern in the very best way.

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want more? check out: raeburn ink viva, etsy!