a wonderful world of vintage and import fabrics invites you to get creative, this site even has & do-it-yourself kits. in this day & age, anything can be recycled - even patterns, from the past! but have no fear, if you’re short on time they have ready-made items for the home & fashion using some of the same great fabrics.

This month’s issue of BUST magazine includes a fabulous project of turning your unruly pile of plastic bags into a stylish, knitted tote - yes, even YOU can recycle & have fun doing it! Instructions are included and their blue tote example is inspirational. What a groovy time-passer while on the bus, plane or train.

I always find the unexpected at Uncommon Goods and they have plenty of creative green items made from recycled materials: from handbags made from candy wrappers, rice bags, or billboards to a doormat made of flipflops - who’s to say anyone should ever throw anything away? And if you need some more ideas for how to live green daily, they have a set of Environment Karma Cards to to coach you on how to help the planet.

As most of us start out each new year with new goals and yet another list of resolutions, we at HG have made some too. This year our focus is on being and living green. I have resolved to not purchase anything new for the entire year and thought why not carry it a little further. We could all stand to be a little more conscious of the earth and its diminishing resources.

What really inspired me to take this resolution further was one of the greatest Christmas gifts I’ve ever received - Ready Made magazine! The magazine is filled with DIY projects, many of which use recycled or repurposed materials, like using plastic bags to make bows on gift boxes. I particularly love “Copilot’s Collar” - take an old belt from the back of  your closet, trim it, and Voila - a brand new collar for your favorite furry friend!