It's that time of year again - wrapping paper, packaging and consumerism abound, setting off my unsustainable alarm bells.  To soothe them back to charming jingles, check this awesome list of everyday items repurposed for the holidays plus creative uses for holiday-themed goods.  My favorite is creating a table runner out of last year's holiday cards - gives you the opportunity to revive the memories while creating new ones.

New Uses for Christmas Items

Happy Holidays, everyone, and Best Wishes for the New Year!

If you think the best way to have a green garden is with a huge expanse of lawn, you’re like most people. Lawns are a part of our culture, and are a ubiquitous feature of front yard landscaping. Unfortunately, they also need a lot of water to maintain their lush good looks, and water is a precious commodity in sunny California.

So, how can you maintain your yard’s good looks without that gorgeous lawn? The answer is simple – get creative and go with native, drought-resistant plants.  I was recently inspired by the wonderful landscaping at the Dierberg Winery (http://www.dierbergvineyard.com/) tasting room up in Santa Barbara County. Simple outcroppings of sage and lavender, coupled with rock lined beds and bark, really worked well together.

       

     The American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment recently announced the TOP TEN GREEN PROJECTS FOR 2009. The projects were evaluated in ten different categories listed and described below. This list is also a great source of questions that you should be asking yourself when designing a project.

1.    Sustainable Design Intent & Innovation
 Sustainable design is a key element when design a building. Projects should address sustainable design intentions and concepts from its very beginning. You should consider things like: environmental issues; ecological goals and concepts; sustainable design innovations; program analysis; natural resources; and efforts to "right size" the project and to reduce unnecessary square footage.

2.    Regional/Community Design & Connectivity
Sustainable design should also consider the unique cultural and natural character of a given region. You should consider things like: how the design relates to the local context and to larger regional issues; how the design promotes regional and community connectivity and sense of place, public space and community interaction; transportation policies, incentives, and other efforts to provide for those using transportation alternatives; site selection criteria to reduce automobile use; and how mandated parking can be reduced.