BLOGMANIA!

Welcome to Living Green In A Colorful World!  You've arrived on the perfect day because today we are celebrating Blogmania!


This blog is number 14 of 123 blogs who are all participating in today's event and each and every one of us are giving away FREE STUFF!


All the work finding these giveaways has been done for you, so just keep track and enter to win at each blog you visit.


I know you'll want to visit as many participating blogs as possible today for this one day event.  If you see something that piques your interest be sure to bookmark or follow that blog and come back for a more thorough read later.

My Giveaway:


For today's Blogmania event I'm giving away a special prize pack including 1 recycled Mini-bag by FatBottomBags.com and 2 crochet pattern books by American School of Needlework.  The first is Crochet Cardigans by Lisa Gentry and Marianne Frits and includes 4 patterns and the second is Skirts! by Darla Sims and it includes 2 knit and 3 crochet skirt patterns. 


To enter, simply leave me a comment at the bottom of this blog post. Be sure to include how I can contact you if you win (if there's an email in your google profile that will be fine). I'll be announcing the winner on Monday, May 3rd.  This contest is open to everyone and I will ship the winners package anywhere in the world.


If you'd like to learn more about living green, recycle projects, wildlife, plants, organic gardening and recipes, please follow the blog.  If you are interested in FatBottomBags.com and our plastic bag recycling program, join us on Facebook and get updates right to your news feed.

A presentation of some recycled FatBottomBags 


Now that you've entered my giveaway, please visit these other blogs  participating in Blogmania!

(Blog- 1 – HOST OF BLOGMANIA) Between The Pages

(Blog -2 – CO-HOST) The Black Sheep Dances

(Blog-43 - CO-HOST) Books, Books Everywhere

(Blog-106) Bitten By Paranormal Romance

(Blog-82) Carpe Libris - www.seizethebookblog.blogspot.com

(Blog-59) Curling Up By The Fire

(Blog-46) Tribute Books Reviews

(Blog-12) Off the Keyboard

(Blog-94) Romance Book Scene

(Blog-56) My Favorite Things

(Blog-63) D.B. Reynolds, Writer 

Have fun with Blogmania and good luck with all the giveaways!

Recycling DIY: How to make a May Day basket

May 1st, aka May Day is a fine way to celebrate springtime, friendship and neighborly love.

Ever since I was a young girl, I've looked forward to the arrival of May Day and the chance to bring a little surprise and sunshine to an unsuspecting recipient.

Now as an adult I've moved on from the construction paper creations of my youth, but I still like to be creative with my May baskets.

Today I'm going to teach you how you too can turn an old can, some sticks, wire,  a bit of ribbon from your stash and some pretty spring flowers into a little basket of joy to leave on a lucky neighbors door.

For this project you will need the following:

• a hammer and nail
• needlenose pliers
• a thick piece of elastic (or several rubber bands)
• about 3 feet of medium gauge wire
• a can from your recycle bin
• pruners
• some sticks
• about 2 feet of ribbon, string or leather strip
• some pretty flowers and foliage
• and about 1 1/2 hours of free time

 Step 1:  Using the nail and hammer punch 2 holes in the side of the can near the upper rim.  Try to space them evenly apart

 Step 2:  Cut a piece of your wire about 18" long.  This will form your handle and needs to be long enough to hang over a doorknob.  Run wire through the holes you made in Step 1.  Allow the wire end to poke through about 3".  Using the needle nose pliers, wind the wire around itself tightly.  Cut off any wire ends.

Step 3:  Remove the paper label from your can and place it in the recycle bin.  If you dont remove this, some of the label will show through the gaps in your stick basket.  

Step 4:  Using the pruners, cut your sticks to varying heights at least as tall as your can.  Use sticks from different types of trees for a variegated effect which adds visual interest, or use all the same type for a cohesive more refined look.  It's up to you. 

Step 5:  With your thick elastic or several rubber bands on your can, add the sticks until the entire can is covered.  Vary the height of the sticks for interest.  I like the way this is starting to look.

Step 6:  Leave the elastic in place and run some wire around the can over the sticks.  Use your needle nose pliers and twist until this is tight and secure.  Now remove the elastic.  Check around the can for any loose spots and add twigs to fill those. If you like, add some vine around your handle to camouflage the wire handle.

Step 7:  To cover the wire from view, use your piece of ribbon and wrap around the can several times.  I used a bit of leftover leather strapping on mine for a natural effect.  You may want to use bright ribbon, raffia or even yarn cover your wire.

Step 8:  Fill  your May Day basket with beautiful blooms! Don't forget to add some texture with different types of foliage too. Or for a garden buddy you may want to fill with starts from your garden.  

Step 9:  Hang your basket on a neighbors doorknob.  You could add a little card if you like, but my idea of May Day is to try to be anonymous.  I'm a little to slow now days for the "ring and run" of my child hood.  Instead I just wait for an opportunity and hang these up while my friends or neighbors are out.

What's Growin' on? Wednesday Garden Walk

We don't get a lot of visitors to the house. That could be the $10 per car plus $4 per passenger ferry fee or maybe just that we're well off the beaten path.  Either way that means I don't get to show off all my hard work and the beauty growing around my yard too often.  That's why I'm so glad to be able to share it with you here on my blog.

This week we've had a quite a bit of rain, so my gardening has been limited to the sunny and dry periods between April showers. I was able to spend a couple of afternoons in the sunny times out tending to some chores.

1 of 3 pea plantings throughout the garden

These peas have reached up to about 5 inches, so I'm pretty sure they would now be safe from the curious birds that had been uprooting them.  I removed the recycled fish net covering that had been protecting them from probing beaks and fashioned a trellis from part of this netting.  Now they've got some thing to hang onto as they reach ever higher toward the sun.  No flowers yet, but it's just a matter of time.  We've got the bee house nearby so there are lots of little pollinators ready when they do come into bloom.

Over wintered celery

I removed the netting from another pea planting.  On this one I just tossed the netting up on this big granite boulder that is the centerpiece of our vegetable patch.  I'm hoping those peas and some nasturtiums I planted will just vine up the net onto that big rock.  In that same bed I have the June bearing strawberry starts that I planted last fall and my celery that I overwintered.  I've been told by other local gardeners that it's common for celery to take 2 years to maturity around here.  It's growing up nice thick stalks this year so I'm hopeful to have a good harvest.  With store bought celery, the harvest is made of the entire plant, but in the home garden it makes more sense to selectively harvest stalks as needed, so that is what I plan to do.  

Recycled fishnet to stop curious critters

I have tried growing sunflowers each year that we've lived here but never had a single flower or plant.  This year, determined to have some sunny color in the garden I've planted a mixed batch in this container.  I'm using the netting here to keep those hungry chipmunks and birds from getting the seeds before they have a chance to sprout up.  We've got feeders all around the yard, but for some reason they LOVE to eat the freshly sprouted seeds from the garden.  It must be a tasty treat for them.  Of course I can't rationalize with the wild life, but if they are patient, they'll get a whole lot more food if only they let these sunflowers bloom!

The last frost date for my area is sometime around the end of March, so it was time to open up the greenhouse cover on the original boat garden.  You can see from the photo that everything in there is growing like crazy!  It's so fun to have a little head start on Mother Nature by using a greenhouse covering.  

From the boat we're already harvesting lettuce I planted last September!  I made Lummi Island reef net salmon sandwiches with homemade tarter and oak-leaf lettuce from our garden this week for a special 90% local lunch.

The new lettuce I planted a month ago is sprouting up for our future salads.  With lettuce and other salad greens I try to put in a small new planting every 3 or 4 weeks.  This allows us to have different plants ready to eat at different times and keeps our salad bowl full all summer long.  

Another reason I needed to get the cover off of our boat is the strawberries.  They've begun to bloom!  The plants are looking very healthy and are at least twice the size of our other strawberry plants that weren't under protective cover.  They have more than double the blooms too!  The only thing they need now is some exposure to pollinators and sunshine.   The boat garden greenhouse project is such a success that we are planning to enclose all of our raised beds this fall and reap the benefit of extra early and late season harvests throughout the garden.

I did have a few visitors in the garden this week, but they were friends of the feathered variety.  This wild pigeon came back to visit.  He and his little family live in the woods behind our house and I hear them in mornings and evenings cooing away.  It's a very soothing pretty sound.  The coloring on these is much like a "city" pigeon, gray with blue/green incandescence, but unlike their cousins, these birds are shaped more like a dove and have a distinctive squared off beak and neck ring.  I don't know if these guys are one of my pea pickers, but they do come and feed at our feeders.

And one last bird item from the garden.  In case you missed this on Facebook.  I keep one hummingbird feeder under cover on our front porch and the little birds flock to it on rainy days.  Here's a real short video I shot of them on one of the wet days this week,

Thanks for tagging along on my weekly garden tour.  Come back next Wednesday and see what's been growing on this week. 

For the Love of Lemon Balm

So sweet in the spring

Melissa officinalis aka: Lemon Balm is a wonderful and versatile member of the mint family.  I have it growing throughout the yard for it's beauty, hardiness and sweet lemon fragrance.  

Unlike most mints, lemon balm tends to form clumps rather than runners and so is much easier to contain than others.  However, if left to go to seed you may find starts all over your yard & garden.  To avoid this, simply cut it back when it blooms before seeds are produced.

Why add lemon balm to the garden?  

Lemon balm is a great addition to perennial borders, amongst your herb bed and even in the veggie patch.  One wonderful feature of this citrus scented herb is the way it attracts honey bees into the garden and every gardener knows, bees are the best pollinators.  Along with it being a lure of bitty buzzers, the shiny green foliage provides a nice frame for fancy flowers like dahlias and roses.

What can you do with lemon balm?

This special mint is known to be calming and soothing to the nerves as well as being full of antioxidants.

Tea Time

The most common use for it is as a tea.  Just add a large handful of fresh leaves in hot, but not quite boiling water.  Let it steep for several minutes then remove the leaves and sip away.  Add honey for a sweeter treat.

It's said that rubbing the leaves on exposed skin will help prevent mosquito bites although I haven't had a lot of luck with this, but it does make you smell lemony fresh!

Substitute lemon balm in any recipe calling for mint or lemon juice for a tangy flavor twist.  Mojitos made with lemon balm have a nice lemon/lime flavor. 

In the springtime pinch out some of the young tender leaves and add to a salad for a punch of flavor.

A bowl of lemony goodness and good for you too!

My absolute favorite use for lemon balm is a twist on my "world famous" fresh summer salsa!  Here's my recipe.....

Finely chop the following:

• 1 large tomato [or use 1-2 romas or a handful of sweet cherry toms]
• 1-3 fresh jalapenos peppers [remove seeds and veins]
• 1/2 of an onion
• 1 clove of fresh garlic [garlic in a jar it has an odd flavor in this dish]
• A handful of lemon balm leaves
• A handful of cilantro leaves
• Juice from 1 fresh lime 

Combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Allow to sit for at least an hour for flavors to meld.  There's one last item to really give the salsa a nice kick and a full bodied flavor.  My secret ingredient:

• 1 small can of El Pato tomato sauce with jalapeno

More recipes:

Here's some more lemon balm recipes I found for everything from cocktails to dessert to perfume....

   food

• Lemon Balm Schnapps
• Herbed Strawberry Wine
• Baked Salmon with Leeks & Lemon Balm
• Lemon Balm Asparagus
• Lemon Balm Vinegar
• Lemon Balm Cake

     

   beauty

• Lemon Balm Body Scrub 
• Eau De Cologne 
• Lemon Balm & Lavender Yogurt Cleanser  
• Lemon Balm Hair Rinse

   household

• Natural Lemon Balm Air Freshener 

What a fantastic addition to the home and garden.  Now you can see why I love Lemon Balm!

Marvelous Monday!

Thanks to you Tammy! I'm honored that you nominated me for the Kreativ Blogger award!

Tammy has a great blog over at Art with a (re)purpose where she has posted some wonderful recycle / re-purpose craft tutorials.  If you're not already following Tammy, you will want to add her to your reading list!  She's also a member of the Etsy Trashion Team

So here's my list of 7 things that you probably don't know about me... (or were afraid to ask!!)

1. You know I love wildlife, but did you know there's one living creature I kill on sight?  Yep, that's right!  I'm a slug hunter.  I love to go out into the gardens at dusk and keep count of how many slugs I can off in one night. (my top one night count last year was in the 70s!)
2. I'm right handed, but consider myself right brained too.  I tend to creativity and learn best visually and hands on.
3. I always try to wear a belt if I'm on a boat (with the exception of the ferry).  Why?  Paranoia I guess... it's in case I go overboard then there's something strong that can be hooked if I need rescuing.
4. I dyed my hair until I was 35 or 36 years old.  Everything from red to black to blue but then I decided to let my natural color including my well earned grays grow in.  
5. I was born with a patch of white hair in my otherwise brown locks.  Some call it a shaman's streak, I just called it mine.  Although you can't notice it much now that I'm transitioning from brown to gray (see above)
6. I once raised Malaysian Walking Stick bugs.  They were my son's "pets" and they just kept multiplying!
7. I've recycled over 7000 plastic bags into reusable bags!  OK you may know that one already but just in case you missed my trumpeting last week!

So now I'm going to nominate 7 other creative bloggers for the Kreative Blogger award. These bloggers each show their creativity and they share with us how to be more creative including DIY, craft tutorials, new ideas, recipes and other forms of creation. Be sure to check them out and follow their blog posts, I do! 

1. Alessandra at Just Be Happy Crocheted Creations who is also creating with recycled plastic bags!
2.  RJ at A Year of Living Greener.  She's finding creative ways to make her life more eco-friendly!
3. MangoCheeks at Allotment 2 Kitchen who is creating great dishes from her garden and sharing recipes and tips.
4. Anke Martin from Creative Spirits Connect.  She's posting here creative ideas and blogging about how you can connect with your creative spirit!
5. Shelagh Dunn blogging at Every Small Thing about the creative ways she is making her life more green by changing the small things.
6. The girl with the file box is blogging all kinds of crafty and inspiring ideas and DIYs for us at The Crafters File Box
7. Rose is sharing her creativity at What I Made Today

For you 7 Kreative Bloggers, here are the guidelines for accepting this award:

• You'll want to post the award on your blog.
• Be sure to thank the person who nominated you and post a link to their blog
• Share your own list of 7 things that you probably don't know about me ... (or were afraid to ask
• Nominate and link to 7 other creative bloggers who you follow and pass the award on.  Be sure to leave a comment on their blogs so they know they've received the award.

 

Win free stuff! Blogmania!

Ok, so I normally post planet savers on Sunday, but this week  with Earth Day and whales we've had plenty of planet saver posts.  So instead, I'd like to announce a really cool upcoming blog event.  

BLOGMANIA!

What is Blogmania? 
Blogmania is a bi-annual blog event where bloggers around the web are all hosting  giveaway on the same day.  This event will be on Friday, April 30th, 2010.  It's a great chance for readers to discover new and interesting blogs and win free stuff too!  And don't worry, these giveaways should have easy entry requirements so you won't have to go through a dozen steps just to enter like some giveaways.

I'll be participating this year and will having a special prize to pass on for this event.  I'll be announcing what it is and how you can win on my Blogmania post on April 30th. So be sure to visit Living Green In A Colorful World that day. (Hint:  it's recycled but not re-gifted)

If you have a blog and would like to participate in the fun of Blogmania, stop by our host,  Linda Cokers blog  Between the Lines and More and leave her a request to join in her comments.  There are only a few days left before the big event so be sure to contact her asap.

Giveaways are always fun, and this day there will be well over 100 prizes being offered! That's a lot of chances for you to win cool stuff!  Here's a short ad that lists some of the great prizes being handed out that day.

So spread the word and spread the fun!  See you all at Blogmania!

Silent Saturday

Friday Finds

We're back with Friday Finds where I'm sharing fun, interesting and informative things I've found this week on the web.

Thread Banger has some of the best how to videos that I've found on the web!   Here's a great one for making a dress from Tshirts.  It's even got pockets!

Here's another re purpose T project for turning your old Ts into new halter tops.  Come on sunshine!:



Bicyclists, how about an upcycle wallet from one of your old innertubes?  Instructables will show you how!

Need a heavy duty bag.  Why not try upcycling some old jeans for this denim tote from Crafting a Green World

A quick n easy upcycle for plastic bags:  Make a fused plastic drink coaster from Cut Out And Keep

Oh I like this one!  Make some cushy spa slippers by upcycling an old pair of flip flops (We called those thongs when I growing up)  and an old bath towel  Crafty Nest will take you through each step!

Photo: Kayte Terry

This is one for you if your more mechanical.  You can make quite a beautiful lamp from a cd spindle.  (I'll have to see if I can convince Ben to help me with this project.


How about turning those colorful magazines that you've got stashed for a future project into useful and pretty boxes.  Abstract Octopus takes you through a step by step tutorial to make your own!

Are you a bibliophile?  Why not repurpose an interesting hardback book into a handbag.  Curbly shows you how:


Wow!  I'm absolutely fascinated by this.  Did you know could build a solar heater with aluminum cans and a few other items?  Me either, but I found this while surfing this week. If 10 year old, Rashel Cortez can do it, then it can't be too difficult!  Check this out.  Could be the answer for an outbuilding, green house or shed.  I'm thinking if my studio were heated with something like this I may even venture up there in the winter months.


Well that's all I've got for you today.  Enjoy these crafty and useful ways to get a second use from everyday items.  Drop me a line if you have some sites you'd like to share in a future Friday Finds post.  I'm looking for your DIY tutorials for green projects and upcycle crafts.  Just click on my photo below for email.

Thanks!

Hooray for Mother Earth! It's her day, celebrate your way!

Today is a global celebration 40 years running of our lovely planet earth.  Home to diverse species of plant and animal.Don't be limited by the April 22nd date.  We can all celebrate Earth Day through our everyday actions to live with less impact.

Over at the Project Earth Day website, you can explore key issues related to Earth Day such as Climate change, politics, education, conservation and more. 

Or check out the EPA website where they are encouraging us all to learn, teach and share.  Why not pledge to pick 5 for the environment.

Learn the history.  Here's a link for exploring the very first Earth Day from The Envirolink Network

Here in our little island community there's an Earth Day celebration that will combine work with party as volunteers will help with a spring clean up of the Otto Preserve trail

Personally I'll be celebrating Earth Day with a round of recycling bags.  I think I'm going to make myself a green bag.  It's about time I had one of my own!  Then weather permitting I plan to tend to my worm factory and compost bins.

What is going on in your community?  Are you doing something special today to honor the earth?  Leave me a comment, or click on my photo (below) and send me an email with your Earth Day suggestions and plans.  I'd love to hear how you get down for the planet!

What's growing on Wednesday

Chocolate mint for a tasty sweet tea

It's raining again & you know what they say...  April showers bring May flowers.  Well with our weather lately ranging from 70 degrees one day, to heavy rain the next, we have got flowers and greenery shooting up all around us right now in April.

This week Ben built me another new raised bed and placed it in the corner of our new garden area.  It's about 2' deep 2' across and 4' long.  I'm not sure what I'm going to plant in there yet.  Maybe the leeks since this is one of the deeper beds I have in my veggie patch or possibly peppers since this is a very sunny spot.

Back in the more natural and native part of my yard I noticed the Saalal and Oregon Grape are both showing signs of spring with new growth and even buds on the Saalal.  This is good news for the 6 or 7 hummingbirds I have hanging around my yard.  They really loved sipping from the tiny white blossoms  of our native saalal last year.   

Mushroom in moss

I noticed some new leaves and growth on the huckleberry bushes too.  Huckleberries grow wild here in the Pacific Northwest.  They seem only to grow where an old tree has died.  They favor old stumps and decayed duff piles.  The berries, when ripe,  are quite small like a pea, but still a  tasty treat when added to summer pancakes.  That is if the birds and chipmunks don't get to them first.

Ajuga, aka bugle weed

In the backyard herb and flower bed things are really filling in nicely.  A few days ago I chased a momma and her 2 yearling fawns out of the herb patch where they were happily munching on my day lilies again.  If only they had an appetite for weeds.  But it's fun to see them so close to the house even if they are eating machines.

Big color on  tiny violet

How wonderful to be on year 4 in a garden.  When we moved into this house it did have a lot of established garden area.  I added to that year after year and moved starts of this and that into place.  I'm really enjoying seeing how it all has come together and to see those tiny starts are now fully established plants. This year I'm really beginning to see my plan take shape as different colors and textures of plants are co mingling in the herb and flower beds.

Well, if it stops raining anytime today, I may get out and pull a few weeds.  It always seems easier to pull them up by the roots when the ground is wet.  Other than that I'm ahead of the game with my spring chores.  

unfurling fern

This weekend we plan to plant our dahlia tubers from our recent buying spree at the Whatcom County Dahlia Society's tuber sale.  Ben and I each picked up a mix of sizes and styles of blooms, so we've got our work cut out with planting and labeling them.  It will all be worth it to see them in bloom this summer.  I can hardly wait!

How's your spring garden growing?  Any big plans for new plantings and projects?  Veggies, flowers or both?  Are you going organic this year?  Send me links for your gardening blogs adventures and even mis-steps stories.  I love to hear and see how other gardens are growing too.  Just click on my photo below to email me or leave a comment.

Gray Whales and misinformation spreading like wildfire on facebook

Hi all!  I'm back and want to talk about the recent gray whale strandings here on our Washington beaches.  Today an article was published in the Seattle Times stating that some plastic debris along with other garbage was found in the stomach contents of the gray whale that washed ashore in West Seattle recently.   This is horrible to be sure, but I've noticed that several environmental groups that I follow on Facebook are now making a blanket statement that it was this that caused the death of this gray whale.  Well let's not jump to conclusions here.  It's clearly stated in the article:

"Scientists with the Cascadia Research Collective said the examination did not immediately determine why the 37-foot near-adult male died, but it was found to be in better nutritional condition than other gray whales that died recently. Starvation was not considered a major contributor to its death." -quoted from Seattle Times

I checked out the Cascadia Research own web release on this stranding this morning and found this:

"The debris while numerous, made up only 1-2% of the stomach contents and there was no clear indication it had caused the death of the animal. It did clearly indicate that the whale had been attempting to feed in industrial waters and therefore exposed to debris and contaminants present on the bottom in these areas. " -quoted from Cascadia Research website

Now if you've followed me on the web you already know where I stand on plastic pollution.  I'm completely opposed to plastics working their way into our marine environment and this is why I started my own plastic bag recycling project FatBottomBags.com  I have posted often about the harm of plastics pollution in our marine ecosystem and the garbage patch, however I am not going to jump to conclusions on the death of this whale, nor should you.

Yes, we do need to clean up our act and stop polluting our environment! Yes we need to keep our trash out of the ocean home of these majestic creatures, but let's wait on the conclusion of the scientists and researchers who work with the information, samples and data collected through necropsies of these deceased animals.

There are many ways we can help, but spreading false information and jumping to conclusions is not helping with these marine mammal strandings.  This is one reason why I'm a volunteer with the Whatcom Marine Mammal Stranding Network, to help assist those much more qualified than myself to gather information.  In addition I have a concern for these animals and a concern for the environment.

Ok, off my soap box now and on with my day.

Sunday Planet Saver

Earth day is coming!  April 22, 2010 will be the 40th celebration of Earth Day.  A day when regular people across the globe come together and celebrate the one thing that we all share and none of us can live without..... the earth!

What will you be doing differently this Thursday in celebration of Earth Day?

More about the WMMSN

With so much grey whale activity happening around the Puget Sound the last week or so, it's no surprise that the members of the WMMSN were quickly geared up and ready to go when called in to assist with a grey whale stranded at Samish Island.

The Whatcom Marine Mammal Stranding Network is made up of individual volunteers who share a love and concern for marine mammals. Each volunteer completes training in species identification, recognizing and documenting injuries and illnesses, data collection, establishing safe perimeter and much more.

Whether the animal is dead or alive, each and every stranding is documented and added to a national data base that is accessible by scientists and researches.  The information gathered by stranding networks in coastal areas is important for many research projects. 

I am just thrilled to be a part of such a fantastic and dedicated group of volunteers.  Our group includes naturalists, marine biologists, wildlife lovers, retirees, homemakers, and students.  Each individual adds different strengths and perspectives to make for a well rounded group.

If you share an interest in marine mammals and live in Whatcom County, WA, why not join up as a volunteer?  I'm so happy that I did! 

Maybe you live outside of the area, but would still like to support the efforts of the WMMSN?  Stop over at the website and get your WMMSN T-shirt!  The money we're raising supports our efforts for strandings like this grey whale.

Isn't the front of the T-shirt adorable? It's walking whales!

The back of the T-shirt is a print of the WMMSN Logo

And if you want more information on the grey whale from Samish Island, jump over to the WMMSN website.  There are photos from yesterdays stranding response up for your viewing.  You may be surprised to see how many boats and people it takes to move an adult grey whale off the beach!

Whale happenings in the area

As you may remember from my post  Gray Whale Stranding last year, large whale strandings require a lot help.  

Over the weekend, in nearby Skagit county, 2 dead gray whales have washed ashore in separate locations.  This area is covered by the CPSMMSN,  and it looks as though some of our group from the WMMSN will head down to assist with the necropsies of these 2 marine mammals.  Necropsies are done to try and determine cause of death and gather samples for scientific research.  Unfortunately I can't be there today to help, but maybe for tomorrow.

In addition to those 2 stranding events, a group of transient orcas attacking a different gray whale was caught on tape by whale watchers.  Here's some coverage from King 5 News (Seattle) on the event:

Wow!  Pretty spectacular to see that kind of attack going on right here in the Puget Sound.  

If you can, please "chip in" and help support the Whatcom Marine Mammal Stranding Network

This weeks Sunday Planet Saver is.......

I know I shouldn't blow my own horn, but I'm so pleased with my recycling efforts so what the heck?  Here goes.....................

TOOT!  TOOT!  

This is why I am so proud of myself today, here's my latest collection of FatBottomBags.  Most are available in the store if your interested.  A few are for a special order and a couple are gifts for friends with upcoming birthdays.

This photo contains over 620 recycled plastic bags!

 I think my running tally is now up to somewhere around 6500 plastic bags recycled! And that my friends, is why I'm blowing  my own horn on Sunday Planet Saver. 

Here's one for you too!

TOOT! TOOT!

Why for you? Because I couldn't do what I'm doing without you!  It's so exciting to see that together we are closing the loop with recycling.  So thank you to my contributors who have donated their plastic bags to me for recycling.  Thank you to my loyal and wonderful green customers for purchasing the finished bags.  Thank you friends, family and followers for encouraging me on this path.  Together we are making a difference!

News and happenings at FatBottomBags

I know, it's the weekend. I should be taking the day off. Because I took some down time this week to visit with my lovely family at the cabin,  I thought I'd go ahead and take today to catch up on a few of my online tasks.

I've been busy giving the old website an update.  I've kept the layout that you're familiar with, but I spruced up a few pages and edited some of the photos and verbage.  It seems as though every time I read "our story" I find a little finer or better way to tell it. 

Some new bags available now!

I'm also very pleased to announce a new batch of bags in the online store too!  Here's a photo showing a few of the new ones.  To see the complete set of new bags please  visit the store.  Remember each and every FatBottomBag is unique and lovingly handcrafted by me from recycled plastic bags. Two may be similar, but not identical, so if you see one that you simply adore be sure to get it because it's a one of a kind!

In my last blog post I was lamenting the loss of a friendship. Today I'm re-focusing on the wonderful friends that I have in my online and real life. I've added some of my new green buddies to the Friends page.  These are other folks who are working to make a greener planet. Be sure to check out their great green websites, blogs, shops and groups. If you have a eco-friendly online endeavor and would like to be included in this free promotions page, there's info posted there for you too!

Oh and I received a new batch of bags for the recycling exchange this week.  Lot's of lovely colors for future FatBottomBags. If you are saving your colored plastic bags  for me to  save the planet and receive your own free Mini-bag, thank you!  Please take a minute to read through the requirements and best shipping methods over on the website before sending them off.  Also, if you are wondering where to find colored plastic bags, you may want to take a look at the discussions over on the FatBottomBags fan page on Facebook. Myself and members have begun keeping a list of stores and bag colors.

That's about all I have to report from FatBottomBags for now.  Hope you all are having a lovely weekend and taking a day off!  Now I'm off to play in my garden for a little bit!