Archive for the ‘Thinking Green’ Category

« Older Entries

Not just talking trash

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

The other night my son announced to my husband and me that he wanted to go to the park and pick up trash this weekend. He apparently was inspired by a book he was reading before bedtime. I’m all for helping the environment, so the next day I called “Keep Akron Beautiful” to get ideas of where to go. So yesterday afternoon, wearing latex gloves and carrying plastic grocery store bags, there the five of us were at Hardesty Park, picking up all kinds of litter. My daughters lost interest after about 20 minutes, but my son raced from trash item to trash item. He was so excited !! We didn’t change the world yesterday, but, thanks to my son’s idea, at least we made a teeny tiny difference.

Posted in Good Deeds You Can Do, Thinking Green | 2 Comments »

“Seeing Green” in more ways than one

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Artists can be as “green” as anyone else: for proof, check out the Artists Archives of the Western Reserves’ upcoming juried show, “Seeing Green: Creating Art in an Era of Sustainability.” Two of my new “FoUNd & Fresh” pieces were accepted into the show (yay!): That Girl and Missed Again, so my husband and I are planning to be at the opening reception this Friday, June 11 from 5-8 (regular gallery hours are W-F 10-4 and Saturdays 12-4, 1834 E. 123rd St.) The gallery is a stone’s throw away from the heart of University Circle, so before the opening, my husband and I are going to try to do the “A Little Afternoon Music” thing at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Every Friday until August 27 from 2-5 you can enjoy live music, made-to-order sushi (not for me, but my husband will be thrilled!) and a cash bar on the patio (unless it rains, then they’ll move the shindig indoors). I’m looking forward to it! Those outdoor gardens are a slice of heaven!

UPDATE: Yesterday my husband and I did get to catch “A little afternoon music” at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, and it was a slice of heaven. The only problem was that we were only there a little more than an hour. My husband had never been to the outdoor gardens, and it was tough choosing between sitting on the patio listening to the fine sounds of Larry Hancock, or taking in the beauty of the gardens. We did both, not doing justice to either, but something is still better than nothing. I loved watching the people in the audience enjoy the music, the gardens, each other … and just being alive.

Afterward, my husband and I went to the opening reception of the “Seeing Green” exhibit. The show was really good and I was very proud to be a part of it. I met some of the other artists, and quickly became a fan of Tiffany Laufer, an author and award-winning filmmaker. She wrote a wonderful children’s book called “Porch Dreams” about a dog who lives his dreams and even learns to recycle — how could you not like her? (bellaboobooks.com)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Exhibits, Flowers, Music, Thinking Green, sunthing special | No Comments »

Come get your FREE remnants, samples, binders, etc.

Monday, February 1st, 2010

samples1

Last year I went to (and blogged about) the Zerolandfill event in Akron where you can get free remnants, samples, etc. This year, I’m giving you more advance notice! The goods come from architects and interior/graphic designers who fill a room with materials usually destined for a landfill. Bring your own bags or boxes to take materials home. Volunteers weigh the bags as they leave to show how much material they kept from landfills. It’s a GREAT way to get piece works for art creations. There are also 3-ring binders, carpet samples (some big enough to actually use for rugs/small rooms), ceramic tiles, glass and who knows what else. All FREE.

Dates are Feb 6, 13, 20 and 27, noon to 3 p.m., 30 North High Street, Akron.

Tags:
Posted in Free or Nearly Free, Thinking Green | 1 Comment »

A plug for my new items!

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

Excuse my self-promotion, but I am very excited about these new items I’m offering! They aren’t on my online store yet, so if you’re interested, please e-mail me at sunthingspecial@gmail.com to place your order!

earrings

Leave ’em Dangling!
Sunthing Special is excited to offer you your own custom-made earrings! Choose 1 or 2 (if you want a complementary, but mismatched set) of my images and voila, a pair of unique, awesome (and lightweight) earrings! Enclosed under glass enclosed with lead-free, silver-based solder. The charm size is approximately .75x.9″. The introductory price (until April 1, 2010) is just $32, including free shipping to U.S. customers. (delivery time approximately 3-4 weeks)

pendantside12

pendantside22Pair ‘em with a Pendant!
Wear “Sunthing Special” around your neck as a stunning work of art! Choose any two of my images (2 horizontal or 2 vertical) for your own two-sided Handcrafted Soldered Charm Pendant. Artwork is enclosed under glass enclosed with lead-free, silver-based solder. The charm size is approximately 1” x 1.25” (vertical) or 1.25″ x 1″ (horizontal). Remember, it’s like two pendants for the price of one, and you can only get these designs here

t-rax How to Hang ‘em
My newly-designed T-RAX (Totally-Recycled A“X“cessory holder) holds up to 10 necklaces and 6 bracelets! It’s “green”, it’s fun, it’s practical and it looks like a funky T-shirt hanging in your closet or on your wall! Just $10 for Akron-area people only! Limited supply, so order now!

undertheseaFoUNd & Fresh
I’ve got a show coming up in Kent in May, and I’m working on a collection of new pieces, what I call “FoUNd & Fresh.” I’m painting with acrylics, then enhancing the works with objects I find around the house – putting a fun, fresh twist on things. One of my first finished works is “Under the Sea,” a 16×20″ canvas panel, acrylic painted with extra stuff added to it, $120

FlaminGO
It may be 30 degrees and snowing outside, but you can add a bit of the tropics to your home year round with my newest mirror! (8″x10″ acrylic painted mirror, $50)
flamingo 

Posted in Thinking Green, sunthing special | No Comments »

You can recycle packing peanuts …

Monday, December 14th, 2009

… at the PostNet store in Akron’s Merriman Valley. I don’t know if all shipping stores recycle them, but it’s worth asking about if you don’t want to just throw all those white suckers away.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Good Deeds You Can Do, Thinking Green | No Comments »

Shopping secondhand pays off

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

If you’ve never thought about shopping at a consignment or second-hand store, think again. You’d be surprised who’s doing it — upon questioning, I realized that pretty much every woman I know does. Some are proud of it; others would rather not make a big announcement about it. I’m not sure how much of a stigma is still attached to it in today’s economy. I guess it depends on whether you want to be perceived as thrifty or as someone who can afford to pay full price for everything. As someone who spent her entire childhood dressed in my sisters’ hand-me-downs (I pretty much had no new clothes until I had my own job at age 12 and could buy them myself) and has dressed her own children for the most part in clothes passed along by family and friends — shopping at a second-hand store is not much different. For now, it works great and saves us tons of money. In a year or so when my oldest daughter really starts to feel the peer pressure of the “right” labels — well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I’m kind of keeping my fingers crossed that because my kids are growing up without attaching self-worth and social status to their clothes, it won’t be so bad. But I also remember how kids are, so I’m not holding my breath … 

Tags: , ,
Posted in Smart shopping, Thinking Green | No Comments »

Raspberries here, there, everywhere

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

raspberries

Today we had about 90 minutes to kill while we were in the Cleveland area, so we stopped by Rosby Berry Farms on E. Shaaf Road in Brooklyn Heights to pick some raspberries. I had never been there before, but it was a very cool to see a farm in the middle of the city. Seriously, you’re just minutes from downtown Cleveland, and every few minutes, a train passes by. We picked 2 pints in about 45 minutes, then the kids had some time to  ride on the tire swing and play with the three border collies. It was a great way to spend a beautiful fall morning, but now I’ve got 2 pints of raspberries to do something with! (I made raspberry streusel coffee cake this afternoon; next will be chocolate raspberry milkshakes!). This is only the fourth time I’ve picked fruit since I’ve been an adult: several years ago we picked blueberries while vacationing in Michigan, and last year I took the kids to Greenfield Berry Farms on Major Road in Peninsula to pick blueberries and raspberries (if you love sunflowers, they’re just $1 a stem), then we went to a place south of here somewhere to pick strawberries. I think it’s a fun way to help kids connect the food they eat with where it comes from. To find a place near you, visit www.pickyourown.org

Tags: , ,
Posted in Free or Nearly Free, Thinking Green | No Comments »

Homegrown Saturday Mornings at Lock 3 are tasty!

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Children's Science Investigation at Lock 3This past Saturday morning, our family decided to check out the “Homegrown Saturday Mornings” at Lock 3 for the first time. They are held the last Saturdays of the month from May-October. Because it was early in the Ohio growing season, there were only a few vendors. But what they did have was impossible for us to resist: fresh chocolate-covered strawberries as well as fresh raspberries and strawberries. We picked up a children’s book about the Soap Box Derby but we did skip the wine tastings. The kids helped out at the “Children’s Science Investigation” and made the beginnings of a crystal. We were in and out of there early — before the live music began at 10 or the Trolley Tours at 11 — but luckily the Peanut Shoppe across the street opens at 9, so we were able to pick up a few more yummy treats before getting on with the rest of our day! Check out their schedule for the rest of the season — I know we’ll be back!

Posted in Food, Free or Nearly Free, Thinking Green | No Comments »

Wedding dresses for $25 …

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

dress

… are on sale at the American Cancer Society resale store in the Westgate Plaza (is that the right name?) on West Market Street, across from West Point Market. I saw 4 or 5 in the window and they had potential! I actually got my wedding dress at a consignment shop (it still had the original tags – I don’t know what happened to that bride-to-be’s dreams of wedded bliss!). Anyone who knows me knows I consider myself to be on the frugal side, and the thought of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a wedding dress makes me cringe. Anyway, if you need a wedding dress for a wedding (or even a Halloween costume) $25 is quite the deal!

Posted in Free or Nearly Free, Smart shopping, Thinking Green | No Comments »

Where to recycle phone books in the Akron area

Sunday, March 29th, 2009

River Valley Paper Company, headquartered in Akron, has paper collection boxes located all over the area (see list here) and they recycle phone books and cardboard, two items which Paper Retriever, a company which also has collection boxes around town, does not accept. Just so you know!!

Posted in Good Deeds You Can Do, Thinking Green | No Comments »

« Older Entries