Do your part......or at least think about it.

For those not in the know --- The Freecycle Network is currently 5.5 million members strong, with over 4,300 groups and is active in 75 countries. FN also prevents 330 TONS of reuseable/good condition items from going into landfills. Already in its 5th year FN was brilliantly started by an AZ resident who proposed the idea to his closest friends, local non profit organizations and RISE - ",which provides recycling services to downtown businesses and transitional employment to Tucsonans in need."

Have you ever thought of where your garbage ends up? Living in Manhattan has depressed me, knowing that the city I reside in generates an astronomical 25,000 TONS of municipal solid waste a day while according to DOS - reports 13,000 residential waste pick up a day. Gulp, I need to be more vigilant about my intake and and outtake of product waste.

Yes, I recycle as much as I can - cereal boxes, all containers, unwanted magazines/catalogs and whatnot. I know our trash is exported to developing countries such as Haiti and the Dominican Republic along with our neighboring states. As residents we are paying for the transport of the garbage and you would be SHOCKED to learn how much is spent. Take a look at this NYT Letter to the Editor from 1989 on NY's Garbage Disposal. Bare in mind it was written almost two decades ago as a forecast of present day problems.

In 2001, Giuliani closed the Fresh Kills Landfill, the largest waste dump in the world, spanning 2200 acres and NYC's primary repository for 80% of its residential waste. Today, Fresh Kills in Western Staten Island is being developed into a recreational park, one that will be even larger than Central Park. With the closing of FKL - the waste was diverted to other landfills in UpState NY and international locations, on barges.

So with that being said - consider expanding the life span of your belongings and give something you no longer want or use to another person.

You can do a search here to find a local listing for FN or other recycle groups.

Baby Einstein

I have attempted to record Noah's developments but the closest I have gotten has been documenting them on this blog......sigh. I suppose it has also been a help that I photograph him as often as I can. That way I can look at the date at which the photo was taken!

His most recent achievement and our amusement has been to twist caps on bottles and containers. From a water bottle to the milk container he has become masterful at such a useful skill. It started with a Gatorade bottle; a cap that he could grasp easily when I inadvertently left an empty bottle on the kitchen floor. He spent as much as his attention span would allow him to fiddling about with it before he became frustrated. He would yell out at me when he saw me take sips from whatever I was holding and I would frantically chug down the contents before he shrieked.

He has since graduated from Gatorade bottles to water bottles; challenging because the top is so small. With his expansive dexterity has also begun to hold "his own fork" to feed himself scanty pieces of food as well as drinking from a cup.

It excites me to watch his small accomplishments as I know they will continue to become greater.

Shoes for a CAUSE - TOMS shoes

While shopping on Main Street in Celebration, FL I went into a store initially to buy flip flops for John. As I walked in, there was a display of light weight, casual, slip on shoes perfect for Spring and Summer wear.

The fit was perfect and did not pinch my pinky toes or press on my heals. I suppose what sealed the purchase was when the sales person told me that for every pair of shoes sold the Toms shoe company gives a pair to needy children. The cost was reasonable and I walked out with the Picnic Canvas pair.

The story behind TOMS shoes began in 2006 when a guy had a vision to design Argentinian inspired; simple, casual shoes with the promise to match every sale and fit a child with their own pair. So far 10,000 pairs in Argentina and 50,000 in South Africa. Shoes are available for men and tiny Toms - for kids. I think I am going to buy a pair for Noah!

We were doubly successful and both left with smiling feet.

Creative juices flowing abound!

As I blogged earlier this month, I began crafting earrings for a nearby boutique in my neighborhood a month ago. I am delighted and quite giddy to announce that not only have the earrings made a home in the store front and also have been finding a home with many content customers. A little money in the pocket but satisfaction that my designs have caught the attention of someone!

If you could only see my collection of beads. Sifting your hands through the plastic bags of beads is like going through your collection of candy at the end of the evening after Halloween. I have various sizes, shapes and hues of beads that titillate the eyes at first glance.


I am going to utilize the boutique a as a platform to
determine whether the earrings continue to be a success with the customers before I even consider expanding on line. For anyone looking for original, hand made items - take a gander at www.etsy.com - the oasis of all things crafty.


In the meantime, if you happen to read this and would like your own original Lorial earrings - feel free to message me your preferred color(s), gold or silver wire and any other details --- I would be happy to create a pair for you.

Helmet free.

After nearly six months, we went to our final Cranial appointment in Clinton, CT. The results were significantly better than expected considering Noah started at a later age than most babies that usually begin at 6 months. We are extremely happy with the results and even more thrilled that he can enjoy the summer sans helmet.

Noah had three molds made of his head and a series of pictures to document his progress. Photos were of the back, side and front view of his head. Hopefully, I can post the pictures documenting the before-during and after progress. They truly show the deformity, predominantly the right side that caused obvious squaring of his head.



Of course, he grew more aware of his surroundings especially when Cranial had to make a mold of his head that was covered with quick dry plaster. Above is the after picture of the molding process, which did not seem to go by fast enough. It took 20 minutes in which his head was covered by mesh (with eyes and mouth cut out) and layered with plaster strips.

With that being said, we are relieved that it was a positive outcome. His hair can finally grow naturally without the constriction of the helmet and he will no longer look like a footballer in training.

Bambu-zled - going au natural.

I came across Bambu's veneerware and utensils a couple years ago when I was shopping at the uber expensive Eli's on 3rd Avenue. I wanted an alternative to the disposable though not slowly biodegradable plates I have used in the past. I bought the dinner plates and felt good knowing that it would take a mere 4-6 months to decompose because they are made of 100% bamboo.

If you choose to reuse them, be sure to dry them out completely because they will peel away.

So, if you are hosting a small group of friends or a picnic in the park, impress them with your green sensibility - Bambu is a perfect touch of eco-elegance.

Creative juices

Very recently I happened to bring along a bag of earrings I was experimenting with a few months ago because I wanted to show them to this gal that works at Personal Affairs on the Upper East Side. The sales gal and I were talking about jewelry and I told her that I have made earrings in the past. It was an instinct at the time to carry them in my bag but I did not anticipate that it would lead to the possibility that my earrings would be sold at PA. I had a trial period with the first batch of earrings and to my surprise some of them sold at pretty decent prices.

My girlfriend Rudy got me interested in making earrings quite some time ago. Before she had chronic pain in her neck we would spend evenings fiddling with beads and bending wires to create what we thought were master pieces. I personally think Rudy had a more adventurous side when it came to designs.

I have found some wonderful bead stores in the NY Fashion District. After a couple years of collecting spacers, wire, clasps and many other little pieces to make jewelry, I finally found the inspiration and confidence to make pieces that can actually sell and that I am proud of.

Above are some earrings that I fiddled with in the wee hours of the morning the past couple weeks. I am especially proud of them because I feel like they are one of a kind and are an expression of my creativity. I tend to work with complementary colors and keep the designs basic, not to flashy. I have upgraded from plastic beads to semi precious beads of all sizes, types and shapes.

I have learned a lot about the origins of many semi precious beads - most of which, come from Brazil and Africa. I do have beads from Australia and the US though prefer ones from more exotic countries like Nambia, Australia and Russia. Hands down, my favorite beads have to be amethyst and I came across this amazing deep purple Lepidolite beads. I also enjoy Aventurine that comes in many colors and quartz.

The earrings below are particularly striking to me because they are unique and not generic. I used purple flourite beads that I bought on sale at Michael's and Brazilian Cherry Quartz beads.
I have to say that Michaels ever so often has amazing sales on their sterling silver and gold filled findings! Far better deal than some bead stores I have gone to in CT.


I am excited to find out whether the earrings sell in the coming weeks. For now, I continue to make a couple pairs a night and most likely will need to pick up my pace.