Author Archives: Danielle

French artist, Bernard Pras, the man who turns trash into masterpieces.
We recently ran across the amazing work of Bernard Pras who is an artist from France. He makes the most amazing classic pieces of art from the most unusual materials. His pieces are striking at first glance but they offer a much deeper experience if [...]

In the United States bicycles are used for recreation, a tool to maintain and improve our shape and physical endurance. The days are gone when bicycles were our main source of transportation.
Bike Blender!
Of course, in Guatemala bicycles are still used for transportation; however, bicycles are being transformed into a different object entirely. Maya Pedal specializes [...]

There are aspects of whimsy and responsibility to using old items in new ways. That is probably why the old idiom, "One man's trash is another man's treasure," has held its footing throughout the years.
Perhaps there are hidden treasures inside!
While there were a few decades during which people might have acted particularly wasteful, today's age [...]

There has been a lot of attention being paid to healthy eating these days. We have been less likely to visit fast food restaurants and more likely to visit the farmer's market in town. Not only are we thinking about the health of our families, we are also thinking about ways to reduce our environmental [...]

In our efforts to teach our children a better way to walk in our world, we were checking out the various (and ingenious) ways that folks have found to replace the chemical soup that we might currently be using to clean our homes. These chemicals can be toxic and should especially be avoided by children [...]

With a mind toward green living you will eventually think about ways to save money and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time. Recycling is a good example, especially recycling aluminum. It is not uncommon these days to see a recycling bin next to a home's garbage can on the curb. We have come [...]

If we reduce waste just 5% we could feed over 20 million Americans each year.
We recently read a Los Angeles Times article online which raised the alarm about the probability of corn prices setting records due primarily to the record drought year of 2012. This situation has us re-thinking our food budget and considering corn-free [...]

When thinking about upcycling and specifically, purchasing upcycled products for gifts, oftentimes brings one to pause and consider whether the item can really be beautiful and unique without being "trashy". Unfortunately, the art of upcycling can still be thought of as reusing garbage by the average consumer. For those of us that know better, and [...]

Fox Business recently featured an article about upcycling where in a woman, Kelly Campbell of Kellybeth Designs, transforms old credit, debit, and gift cards into jewelry and sells them. A brilliant and inexpensive business idea, she uses discarded and donated cards to create eye catching necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. From the article:

Blox Bracelet from KellyBeth [...]

Did you know that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the average American dumps almost 4.5 pounds of waste into landfills every day? Meanwhile there are nearly 300 million iPhone and Android devices in the marketplace. Both of these numbers grow daily.
That’s why the idea for the Create Change App was born.
Sean McKenna and Jenelle [...]