The people in my neighborhood really get into Halloween whether they’ve got their own little ghouls and goblins or not, proving the most fun night of the year is for the kid in all of us. You know, that kid who is addicted to Halloween chocolate!

I’m big on using decor to lift my spirits each fall, ideally with the surfeit of tools and supplies stashed in my green storage bins rather than ready-made plastic junk on the shelves of stores.

I found inspiration in Etsy’s Voter Page for …

Tags: art , costumes , craft , DIY , felt , foam , Halloween , holiday , jewelry , rubber , stamps , upcycle

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No one growing up during the upbeat, Mattel-directed Sixties figures they’ll be worse off in middle age, forced to scrounge harder for work, buy less, live smaller.

Those Barbie songs my sister and I sang along to in our pink and green room constituted teenage visions of a supercalifragelistic future that we owned, co-starring Dick Van Dyke, four kids, a shiny Lincoln and full-service yacht.

“Here’s a cake, that you and I can make, I’ll share the recipe, if you say yes to me.”

But due to the recession and soaring costs …

Tags: affirmations , aging , birthday , blessings , book clubs , children , conservation , debt , Disney , family , green , jewelry , Life in the Green Lane , luxury , Mary Poppins , menopause , nature , pets , recession , San Francisco

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My partner in Sixties vintage couture crime, artist Joan Davis, called me the other day and said I had to check out Torso Vintages, an ultra cool used couture outlet in San Francisco’s Union Square.

In town just a few days to pedal her flower-powered paintings, Joan had immediately sensed where to dig up archaeological relics of Pucci and Gucci – the way my pug can sniff a German Shepherd or hamburger a mile away.

I jotted down the name to this source for  shifts and clutches. Sure, there are ample …

Tags: bags , classics , clutches , couture , designer , fashion , Gucci , jewelry , leather , Pucci , retro , Sixties , sunglasses , vintage

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Is there a hole in the heart of that beloved camel cashmere from your freshman year at Stanford?

Don’t become unraveled! The crafty set – people like Stefanie Girard, who wrote Sweater Surgery – take the green approach to spinning yarns, reconfiguring new objects d’smart from those ratty pullovers that once warmed our bones.

Handwash your old sweater (I like to use baby shampoo) and treat it for unsightly coffee or red wine stains. Then circumvent those Jarlsberg cheese holes in the wool and make something cool!

Here’s a …

Tags: cashmere , cozies , crafts , design , dog sweaters , dogs , doll clothes , environment , hairbands , jewelry , kitchen , knitwear , recycle , reuse , sew , slippers , sweaters , teapot , wool

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There’s more to this arm candy than meets the”¦arm. It’s shiny and pretty and even glamorous, but what the naked eye might miss if it isn’t paying close attention is that this leaf is real.

The Real Leaf Cuff Bracelet from Nugaard Designs is made with a leaf from Brazil that’s hand-dipped in 18K gold ($98) or sterling silver (out of stock) and measures around 2 ¼ x 2 ½ inches. The gold is mined in Brazil where gold reserves are plentiful and mining is monitored by the government….

Tags: bracelet , eco , fashion , jewelry , necklace , Trees for the Future

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Today’s Mother’s Day giveaway: this unique twig jewelry tree. Organize your accessories and display them for all to see in ultimate style. Trade in your jumbled jewelry box for this nature-inspired piece, and you’ll never again have to untangle a knot of necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Leave a comment to enter to win!

Tags: decor , eco friendly , giveaway , jewelry , mother's day

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Before I proceed to all the drool-worthy jewels by Mollie Dash, can I just say, how great is her name? Mollie Dash. It’s a little like “Nancy Drew” – maybe that’s why I think it’s so cool.

Now that you’ve got way too much information on how I spent the majority of my youth, let’s get down to business.

Mollie Dash designs jewelry using “discarded, thrifted, donated and yard sale-derived materials.” The Five Strand Bracelet shown above ($130) is already in my shopping cart. It’s best described by the artist …

Tags: jewelry , recycled , recycled metal

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During a particularly frustrating period of my life years ago, I was told by a mentor, “It is virtually impossible to be grateful for a lot until you can be grateful for a little.” She went on to suggest I begin searching for the willingness to want what I have.

At first I didn’t get it. What’s the point, I wondered? What I wanted was relief, an explanation or concrete solution for my chronic discontent, not some silly ethereal quote on which to pontificate. But desperation breeds willingness and those of you who’ve …

Tags: Gratitude , jewelry , necklace , recycled , VivaTerra

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Noted Bay Area artist Joan Elan Davis is still working her magic with flowers – but this time she has moved them off the canvas and planted them skillfully onto the wrist. At least that is where they pop and bloom when you buckle on one of her new cuffs introduced for spring 2009. Aren’t they the grooviest? I love the marriage of the elements she has employed.

The retooled leather straps are adorned with found floral forms and other objects that ooze a 70s sensibility, evoking the spirit of those …

Tags: floral forms , found objects , jewelry , Joan Elan Davis , painters , reused leather , stones , vintage gems

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