“Nobody is bored when he is trying to make something that is beautiful or to discover something that is true.” – William Inge
{bits of beauty deals: verderocks}
Lola & I love our jewelry, especially vintage or vintage looking jewelry. You know what’s even better? Eco-fabulous, vintage jewelry made from vintage, recycled, and fair-trade materials that looks like it costs 5 times more than it actually did…
All these GORGEOUS pieces are the work of Gwen Davis and her company, VerdeRocks. Each piece is carefully assembled by hand. {The metal pieces are even polished by hand!} Prices range from $12.00 to $200.00, which is obscenely inexpensive for the quality and beauty. Proof that eco-friendly doesn’t mean outrageously expensive.
And, because they rock so much at VerdeRocks {hehe, I made a funny…} all {Bits of Beauty} readers will receive 20% off from now until May 24th! Just type in bitsofbeauty at checkout.
{p.s.}
* Mother’s Day is coming up; just in case you needed an excuse…
* Gentlemen, don’t despair. Besides gaining points with whatever lady you gift to, you can pick up one of these for yourself. Afterall, a gentleman is always discrete.
* Gwen, is amazing. Really, she is.
{happy weekend!}
{signs}
It’s 12 minutes, but worth watching. Precious.
{bit of wisdom: fred astaire on manners}
{balloons!}
I know you’ve seen images of people being carried away by a bunch of balloons, but did you know that it’s actually possible? People really do this. It’s called cluster ballooning. I swear, I will try this before I die.
{more}
* See a pro floating away here
* More info about cluster ballooning here
Photos from Sean Talley and Couch Balloons
{piano man}
One more…
{random acts of beauty}
This would be so much fun!
For the Sydney Festival, 30 pianos were delivered to random spots. It was part of the Play Me I’m Yours project.
Originally spotted on Under Lock and Key
Photos {via} Play Me I’m Yours
{10 no-no’s}
The 10 things you shouldn’t do for earth day (or ever):
1. Don’t drive like a psycho, it can lower your fuel efficiency by 33 percent. {If you can’t figure out what “driving like a psycho” entails, just drive around Miami for a day.}
2. Don’t use cleansers and personal care products that contain triclosan or other antibacterial agents, excessively. Obviously, if you’re a doctor or you work with kids, you might need these. But, if you are not, you’re probably just creating a super-mutant bacteria with that Purel habit.
3. Don’t go shopping without a list! Really, this should be applied for ALL shopping {especially if your name is Ms. Jenn. What? Am I talking to myself on my blog? Crap.} According to the U.S.D.A., we tend to waste 30 percent of our household food budgets buying groceries that eventually expire and end up in the trash. As for me, without a list, I can waste any budget on things I don’t need, but I prefer not to. Make a list, stick to it, and then stick it somewhere in your kitchen so you know what you bought and when.
4. Don’t leave the lights on. You know that rectangular thing on the wall that turns things on and off? Ya, hit that to off before you leave a room. You could save as much as $100 per year by turning off a 100-watt light bulb when you’re not using the light. So, turn off 10 lights and you can rock a kick-ass pair of shoes next year.
5. Don’t leave the computer on if you’re going to be gone longer than two hours, and don’t leave the monitor on if you’re going to be gone longer than 20 minutes. Hello, auto energy saving settings! Also, plug electronics into a power strip, and you can reduce the juice-use by as much as 40 percent. Also, get a new Mac. Ok, whatever I’m biased.
6. Don’t leave the water running when you brush your teeth. It’ll save up to 8 gallons of water a day, 240 gallons a month – thats hundreds on your water bill each year. And don’t use those stupid disposable rinse cups. Have you ever tried to re-teach a person currently over 60 this? It’s almost impossible. Teach every child you encounter this tip. For real, if you’re at a bus stop and you see a kid and can only say one thing, say this.
7. Don’t buy “snack packs” that come wrapped in cardboard and plastic. Huge waste of resources, energy and your money.
8. Don’t use so much shampoo, soap, lotion, make-up, gel, and perfume. And, consider finding green alternatives or products. No, you will not be crunchy fabulous if you use eco-friendly products. I use a mostly organic shampoo and conditioner, and I’m pretty sure my hair is better than it ever was now than when I used Pantene. Also, invest in powdered dry shampoo. Essential oils rock for perfumes, too.
9. Don’t buy new. Shop auctions, vintage, your friends closet.
10. Don’t sit at your computer all day. Go outside. Really.
Modified by Ms. Jenn
Original by Diane MacEachern, {via} treehugger
{power and fragility}
I hate to ruin this post with words, because these photos are so utterly, dramatically beautiful. I specifically chose these photos by Itou Kouichi after a week of eye-crossing image searches in order to remind us all that our world is unique, achingly gorgeous, and fragile. Every animal below is the epitome of what we consider “wild.” They are powerful creatures, that could easily kill a human being. That being said, please take note that every animal below is endangered or vulnerable. That is 4 out of over 40,000 threatened species, 16,000+ of which are endangered. If their existence can be threatened so easily, by a lack of balance, then what does that tell us about our own fragility? What are we doing to our world?
{p.s.}
* The US has the 2nd highest total of endangered and vulnerable species, only second to Ecuador.
* Special thanks to Itou Kouichi for allowing me to use these beautiful images on {Bits of Beauty}. More eye and soul candy {here}