Twig Terrariums is forcing us to consider our lives in miniature.

Michelle Inciarrano and Katy Maslow, two old friends, create itty bitty, mini moments in time. Mini moss terrariums, to be specific, and “other small worlds” stuffed into antique, vintage and apothecary jars, occasionally science glass and kitchenware, and other odd glass objects they come across.

Their Brooklyn-based company, Twig Terrariums, specializes in miniaturizing scenes, be it a walk through a pastoral highland or punk rockers tagging a Lower East Side tenement.

They “go mossing” and “terraring” on the weekend (Twig-speak for moss and glass hunting), and can create just about any city or landscape request thrown at them. A grandmother recently came the pair and asked them to immortalize her granddaughter in a terrarium doing her two favorite things: playing the violin and hula-hooping, at the same time.

Most of their other clientele are urbanites with nary a piece of grass to their name, craving, as Michelle puts it, “their own little green world.”

“Our terrarium’s give urban dwellers some much needed nature,” she adds, “and space without having to drive.”

Michelle and Katy work with a dozen varieties of moss, plants and succulents, all easy to maintain greenery. Under a powerful magnifying glass, they style each inch-tall figurine to look like their life-sized subjects in various states of rustication, hiking, mountain climbing, hula-hooping – even mugging.

“They want to see themselves in their little worlds,” Katy explains. If only to retrace what went wrong in Central Park that one fine morning.”

Twig Terrariums pride themselves on being a green company, using vintage glass and upcycling whenever possible or working with a local glassblower for custom projects. Katy and Michelle have a book coming out in 2012, which will contain a glossary of all the terms a DIY terrarist should know, a how-to, and photos.

“When we first started making terrariums, they took over our homes,” Michelle warns of the addictive hobby turned career. “Basically, we want everyone to bring our worlds into theirs.”

And why not? They’re lovelier than a snapshot and sustainable enough for the brownest thumbs among us.

Prices start around $25 and can go up into the hundreds.

The evolution of windows toward sustainability.

It’s something you probably don’t think about very often – windows. They tell us a lot about a building, from its age and style to how energy efficient it is. An average home may lose 30% of its heat or air-conditioning energy through its windows, which is inexcusable considering how technology has improved since the first windows.

It wasn’t until the late 17th century that glass windows became common in homes. They were strategically placed and sized depending on geography and the sun (south-facing windows let in more light) to keep the home a comfortable temperature year round. Windows were small because glass was expensive and small meant less chance for heat to escape.

The current technology can be overwhelming and there are entire courses offered on the intricacies of the energy-efficient window. But suffice it to say that preventing air leakage, reducing condensation and increasing insulation are part of the package. Glass is stronger and thicker allowing for the use of larger slabs – entire walls can be windows. The Farnsworth House is a prime example.

Over time, windows have evolved from a mere hole in the wall to crucial components of a building’s energy efficiency rating. Here are a few of the ways that windows have changed for the better:

1. Stronger glass allows for larger windows. More natural sunlight helps regulate a building’s temperature, as in the new Virgin America’s new eco-luxe terminal at SFO.

2. Sealed window frames prevent condensation and air leakage.

3. Non-toxic gases (i.e. argon) used as filler between pieces of glass prevent loss of hot or cold air.

4. Double or triple glaze windows (storm windows) drastically improve insulation and temperature regulation.

5. Low-e glass coatings let in just the right amount of sun – because in warm climates we want the sunlight but not the heat, while in colder areas we welcome the sun’s heat and want to capture and keep it.

All of these factors improve the energy efficiency of our buildings and add credits toward LEED certification. And you thought windows were just for pretty views.

Image: dorena wm

As it turns out, throwing certain items into the recycling that you are utterly convinced can be recycled is actually worse for the environment. Oftentimes, bad items can taint an entire bin, resulting in the whole load going into a landfill. This largely depends on how well a city’s recycling facilities can sort. But it’s enough to throw a person into high anxiety with every trip to the waste bin.

Not to worry. Here’s a quick list of 10 surprising things on the “Do we or don’t we?” list. And always, if you’re in doubt about an item, check Earth911.com for a facility near you that may take your questionable trash bit.

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Pizza Boxes I know, I KNOW. It seems like these cardboard boxes are made for the recycling bins. But pizza boxes are often tainted with food and grease. Many items are recycled using a heat and water process, which is not problem for plastic and glass. But throw some cardboard soaked in oil into the process, and you’ve got a messy muck. Terry Gellenbeck is a solid waste administrative analyst for the City of Phoenix. As he told Earth911, “The oil causes great problems for the quality of the paper, especially the binding of the fibers. It puts in contaminants, so when they do squeeze the water out, it has spots and holes.”

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Wet Paper Paper fibers that have been soaked are shorter. This makes them less valuable to paper recyclers, who won’t collect and mill them.

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Plastic Bottle Caps Plastic bottle caps are considered less valuable on the market, so most recyclers won’t take them. Make sure you separate them from your plastic bottles. Also, you can check Earth911 to find a facility near you that does accept plastic bottle caps.

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Juice Boxes Check to see if your juice box is specially-processed for recycling. If it isn’t, you have to throw it in the trash. The plastic coating on much of the cardboard renders them unsuitable for recycling.

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Plastic Bags When recycling bins are sorted manually, workers cannot open plastic bags to see what is inside. It isn’t cost-effective and could be dangerous. So they get trashed. (Note: don’t put your plastic bottles and more in plastic bags.) You can often take your plastic bags back to the store for recycling – and consult Earth 911 again for places that will take them.

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Styrofoam Another one that kills me, because how many times do we get handed Styrofoam containers we don’t want? But Styrofoam is a petroleum product and, more importantly, highly flammable. It’s considered a danger to most recycling centers. Again, Earth 911 may provide locations that will take it from you.

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Wire Hangers Most recycling centers are not set up to handle wire. However, experts agree that your local dry cleaner may take them. Often, they reuse them or send them to a scrap metal dealer. Sure, they get the cash, but you get the knowledge you’re not sending wire hangers into the great abyss. Joan Crawford would be proud.

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Paper Napkins or Towels Again, food contamination often takes these paper products out of the running. Try to use wash clothes or handkerchiefs instead.

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Ceramics You would think that your old coffee mug would find a home in your recycling bin. Alas, they are not accepted at most recycling centers. Consider giving them a second life with a houseplant or in your garden.

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Heavily-Dyed Paper When paper is recycled, it is heat-treated. So if something is heavily dyed, it has the same outcome as a blue sock or red t-shirt thrown in with your whites in the washing machine. Consequently, a lot of paper mills won’t take the results. (Pastels are okay.) Life can still be colorful, just a bit toned down!

Images: mukluk, crabchick, kaz k, cogdogblog,stevendepolo,Urban Woodswalker,
eatatree, Michael_Lehet, noego, raphernalia_vintage, minor9th

Sometimes we envision the perfect wall sconce, chair, or bookshelf that will tie a room together just so, but actually finding it can be an uphill battle. Custom Made, an online marketplace for artisans of handmade furniture and home goods, is a great place to look for someone to bring your decorating ideas to life.

Search the site by geographical location or type of furniture you’re looking for (custom cabinetry, handmade lamps, hand-carved signs, and more). Then check out the galleries of various artisans and contact them directly to discuss your individual needs.

Custom Made is filled with portfolios from people who make everything from standard fare like chairs and mirrors, to exotic humidors and custom clocks. You’ll find plenty of furniture made from bamboo and eco-friendly FSC-certified wood. For example, check out this nightstand from Denver-based Tilde Design Studio. Made of Cherry wood and coated in a non-toxic finish, it sports two handled drawers and a secret compartment behind the front-facing apron. Elegant and discreet at the same time? Love it!

If you’re an artisan, you might want to look into having your work featured on Custom Made. There’s a small monthly fee to join, but then you can post pictures of your work and let customers find you. Although Custom Made is a lot like the popular online marketplace Etsy, its main focus is connecting customers and artisans for customized pieces, not selling pre-made work in a retail environment.

Custom Made is a real gem of a website. The next time you see a home furnishing you can’t live without but know it hasn’t been created in an ecologically-responsible manner, hit up an artisan on the site and see if she can whip up something similar for you.

Here at EcoSalon we love glass – and we’ve spent years celebrating its use in milk bottles and gorgeously translucent tableware, its almost magical ability to be renewed and reshaped by the elements into something truly sublime. We want glass to shove past plastic and regain the well-deserved status it’s enjoyed for the last thousand years. Frankly, we can’t wait.

But nothing has prepared us for this.

A German company called Nanopool has secured the patent for a new type of glass – in spray form. It’s being called liquid glass, and it’s laid down in an unbelievably shallow coating (less than 30 molecules thick) that acts like no other surface we’ve ever heard of. Yes, it’s glass, and therefore water-resistant and easy to wipe down – but it’s also thin enough to be flexible and breathable. (Yes – air-permeable glass). If that weren’t enough, it blocks UV, resists heat and forms a surface bond that’s difficult to break, making it potentially as hard-wearing as its large-scale counterpart.

Where could it be used? Answer: absolutely everywhere. It will revolutionize decor. It could be used on any surface (being glass, it is chemically inert) including clothing, and the manufacturers are claiming that it will virtually eliminate the need for scrubbing because most stains will be prevented from forming in the first place. It will make household surfaces much more resistant to bacteria and grime, and keep medical equipment squeaky-clean. It can even be used to protect wood against termites and vines against fungal diseases.

So far, so world-changing. (Seriously so). But there’s one big question mark. Let’s not forget this is airborne silicon dioxide, and there’s a very ugly medical complaint associated with it – Silicosis, also known by the grotesque name of Potter’s Rot. When crystalline silica dust is in regular contact with our lungs (say, if we worked in a mine), it lodges inside them. Hard-wearing, water-resistant and so on? These marvels now become curses – and silicosis is currently untreatable and therefore irreversible.

Liquid glass is an incredible breakthrough – but let’s hope it’s applied to our products before they reach our hands. If not, the consequences could be quite literally breathtaking.

Image: amagill

Every time you leave the water running while brushing your teeth, you vow you will break the habit soon because you care deeply about the planet’s resources. Eating meat makes you feel sad, knowing we are no longer hunters who cannot survive without animal protein, yet those subliminal burger ads are bringing out the Edward in you. And every time you leave the TV on all night, you wake up without the proper REM sleep and a higher power bill.

Be compassionate with yourself. Baby steps, dude. Baby steps.

At EcoSalon, we are proud to hold your hand and walk you through those first steps to becoming the conscious citizen of the world you envision. Here are 10 resolutions to get you from A (affluenza) to Z (zooplankton).

1. Phantom Energy

The no-brainer action you can take right now in your home to eliminate daily waste is to pull the plugs on appliances, machines and lights not in use. You will discover the savings and rewards by checking out this post.

2. Downer Meat

If you are what you eat, do you really aspire to be a sickly cow, pig or chicken? That’s exactly what you are pumping into your bloodstream and your family’s diet every time you buy and serve meat that has been treated with growth hormones and antibiotics and raised in inhumane, filthy conditions. Review how to avoid this putrid protein which is not only harming your body but the natural resources we treasure. Eat this up.

3. Over Dependence on Electric Appliances

Hanging your laundry out to dry will not bring down the hood! Give it a go and see how much it cuts down your power bill. Also, switch to Energy Star appliances to reduce the waste. Other steps include buying rechargable solar batteries, watching commercial-free television (meaning less TV) and yes, finding a mate more satisfying than your computer and other electric gadgets. Turn on here.

4. Refusal to Compost and Recycle at Home and at Work

Seriously, this is the new way of keeping up with the Joneses. It’s not about the new car in the garage but the bins on the curb. Our landfills are rapidly filling up, and said to be the most telling time capsules of our history as a modern people. Reuse and composting is everything because when you are throwing something out, remember, there is no “out.” Get on board, January 1! Back peddle to find out more.

5. All Driving and No Biking

We’ve told you how to improve your gas mileage, but you should also do what you will be forced to do in the future: Drive less because gas is pricey and bad for the air. Bike when you can, walk or take public transportation and get more fit a the the same time. You’ll also save on dreaded parking tickets! Looks good!

6. Wasting Water

Turn off that tap, shorten that shower, switch to a low water flush toilet, use towels more than once, switch out your green lawn for succulents. It’s that easy to make a difference for a thirsty world – growing more thirsty every day. Extra reading here.

7. Using Plastic and Other Disposables

Buy reusable water bottles and challenge yourself at the market to avoid single use plastic bags and packaging of all sorts. Take reusable bags with you, and when you forget, keep reusing the paper ones the market issued until they are ready to be recycled. Carry a reusable lunch box to work. Use cloth napkins, biodegradable utensils and plates. Say NO to plastics no matter what you hear in The Graduate. Save paper, and save trees! More info here, here and here.

8. Being Too Rushed to Buy Fresh, Local and Organic

You love your body, right? Not loving it means not taking the time to shop and eat sustainably, whether frequenting the local farmer’s market to choosing organic from the shelves of your neighborhood market. It’s not just about shedding pounds in the new year, but taking stock in the crock, and slowing down on the cooking and consuming. You will find healthiest people love their bodies this way.

9. Not Shopping Eco Wear

Wear your green on your sleeves in the coming year by investing in eco wear. It’s a matter of putting quality above quantity and supporting emerging vendors of garments woven of healthy fibers sans the harsh chemicals and dyes. Shop the top online eco boutiques.

10. Consistently Exposing Yourself to Chemicals You Can Avoid

Our moms got their hair and nails done weekly, and used make-up laced with poison that seeped into the skin. We don’t have to expose ourselves to chemicals in our everyday beauty and household products, but it takes discipline. Beauty background here.

Image: Sally M

But step inside, and it’s beginning to look a lot like Hanukkah. You want tinsel? We got tinsel. You want some banners and dreidels? Come in, come in, have a jelly donut, sit by the fire. We know from decorating for the holidays. We’re yuppie Jews who majored in art.

For me, getting in the spirit of the season isn’t limited to peeling potatoes for latkes and lighting the menorah. I like going that extra mile (oy, my back!) to hang ornaments, gather festive decor and make merry the Jewish way. Have a peek, darling:

Hang Blue and White Ornaments

Etsy Star of David Ornament

Large handmade six-sided star surrounded by copper band. Pattern created with clear and light blue faceted beads, highlighted with golden foil lined beads. Golden glitter on back. 4×3, $33.

Etsy Mosaic Peace Crane Origami

Beautifully handcrafted at Etsy, $6 each.

Recycled Blue Glass Balls from World of Good

Support fair trade and suspend these balls or collect in a pretty vintage mercury glass bowl. $9 each, handmade from glass bottles from restaurants and homes.

Put up a Banner That Screams “We’re Fun, Too!”

2009 Happy Hanukkah, $25 from eco-friendly Land of Nod

Spread the Wealth By Scattering Gold Coins

Fair Trade Chocolate Gold Coins, $5.25 from Global Exchange

The cocoa used in these chocolates is from Kuapa Kokoo, a cooperative of 40,000 cocoa growers in Ghana. Spread them around the menorah or dining table to add to the festive motif. No snacking until you’ve finished that grassfed brisket and kugel!

Gather Menorahs Old and New, Borrowed and Blue

This mixed media Moving Lights Menorah was hand fabricated by British sculptor Richard Miller with a base made of Vermont green slate and nine movable stone candle holders. The earth-friendly conversation piece is $85 at Eco Atware. Assemble it on a table with other menorahs loved and cherished through the years.

Recycled Galvanized Steel Pipe Menorah. $185 from Two String Jane, at Etsy.

Be the host with the most eco savoir faire. Follow our lead and pair organic bubbly with born-again vessels for celebrating the spirit of reusing and recycling. Your green guests will drink to that! Of course, mine will drink to anything.

Cheers to Monaco Champagne Flutes made from the top halves of recycled glass wine bottles. In a stunning cobalt blue, they’re $53 from Green with Glamour. Pair with yummy Domaine Carneros Brut, organic since 2005. Although Brut refers to the dryness of the wine, Brut-style sparkling wine and champagne is also traditionally a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir.

Seeing the world through rosé colored glasses is possible when you pour the 100% biodynamically farmed Fleury Brut Rose, $49, into clear, elegant flutes. The wine is French but the pair of flutes was harvested at a local thrift shop and sandblasted with a koi design by Bread and Badger from Etsy.

Get a groove on with this swirled pair of Swirled Recycled Flutes, $59 from At West End. Fill ‘em up for friends with the steal of the season, Makulu Moscato, grown with an emphasis on sustainability in the Paarl Ward region of Wellington at the foot of the Hawekwa mountain range in the Western Cape of South Africa. A great deal for $6 at Ingersoll.

Multi-Color Specks Champagne Flutes, set of six $65 from Bellacor, are made through NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, which gives artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents. The blown glass, skillfully painted by Javier and Efren of Mexico, tickles the senses when  holding Blanquette de Limoux Brut, $20 from the Organic Wine Company, a dry, creamy, full-bodied sparkling wine from certified organic grapes.

Main Image: Cowbite

It’s not your grandmother’s wine box!

This 3-liter tube contains a premium, rich and structured California Cab – the first release by winemaker Barry Gnekow, who went looking for a way to drink outside the box and to entertain without the waste.

“My goal was to produce the equivalent of a $25 bottle of wine that could be delivered to the consumer at under $10 per bottle,” he says.

At $40 a tube, The FOUR Cabernet scores many eco points. It eliminates expensive traditional glass-and-cork packaging, cutting wine bottle landfill waste by 85%. The vino package is 100% recyclable and the label is produced by windpower. The cardboard tubes weigh 20% less than glass and can be transported using less gas.

And it’s not just the package that defies the throw-away mentality. The wine, itself, also endures until all 24 glasses are poured.

“The great thing is that it holds about four bottles worth and stays fresh up to 4 weeks after opening,” explains James Robinson of WineStyles, a retail wine store and tasting club in San Francisco. “Often with red wine, people toss out what they don’t drink after a day or two, because it goes bad.”

Robinson poured me a taste out of the spout, and I found it to be delicious, medium-bodied, plummy and lightly oaked, even on its last legs, about two weeks opened.

The wine maker also promises to deliver white wine in a tube, including Chardonnays, at some point this year.

Aluminum Cans
I’m a soda addict, and I can go through a 12-pack faster than a roll of toilet paper. Even if you only drink a couple throughout the week, add your significant other or roommates into the equation, and the cans can pile up pretty quickly. Instead of tossing them in your recycling bin, bag up your plethora of cans and bring them to your local recycling center for some extra cash. You can also take them to a reverse vending machine, as long as they’re not crushed.

Plastic Bottles

The same goes for plastic bottles. Keep in mind that the majority of recycling centers pay by the pound, so save gas by accumulating as many as possible before taking a trip.

Glass Bottles

In addition to aluminum cans and plastic bottles, you can also bring glass bottles to a nearby recycling center or reverse vending machine to get money back.

Printer Cartridges

Hang on to your empty printer cartridges and send them in to be recycled by eCycle Group or similar programs. While you’re at it, get your office in on the action, too. You can also bring them to a nearby Staples, but you’ll receive store credit instead of cash.

PCs and Laptops

Computers become obsolete quickly, and that means more outdated electronics in the landfill. But, it doesn’t have to be. Send in your old laptop or personal computer to Gazelle or search online for similar sites to get money back.

Cell Phones

My puppy recently mistook my cell phone for a chew toy. When I told a friend, she told me that I could send it in to Buy My Tronics for cash – even if it’s mangled beyond recognition.

iPods or MP3 Players

So, you upgraded to the iPod Touch, and you’re wondering what to do with your old MP3 player. That’s an easy one; there are a number of web sites that pay you to send it in, including You Renew.

Car Batteries

If your car battery goes dead, call the company you bought it from to determine their policy. Since dead batteries can be reused to manufacture new ones, many companies will pay you to bring your it back.

Digital Cameras

Get cash for your old digital camera by sending it to Gazelle or other similar programs.

Game Consoles

Have you outgrown your game console? Even if it’s broken, you can still send it in to Buy My Tronics or similar sites for cash.

Calculators

Sure, that heavy graphing calculator got you through accounting classes in college, but it hasn’t seen the light of day since. Get money back by sending it in to You Renew or similar programs.

CDs and DVDs

Trade them in at a local music store or send them in to sites like Second Spin to receive cash in return.

Books

Sell your old textbooks and novels to Cash 4 Books or similar programs.

Feeling really resourceful? You can also recycle…

Copper
Salvage copper from singed electric cords, leaky pipes and other sources, and bring it to a scrap metal center for cash. Chances are, what you manage to recover is worth more than a bag full of cans and bottles.

Brass
Like copper, brass is worth more than your typical recyclables. So, turn rusty old hinges, door knobs, plumbing fittings and more into cash at your local scrap metal center.

Images: bitpicture, shazari, Muffet, Ev0luti0nary, lainBuchanan, Rene Schroeder, strollers, thingsimade, infomatique, Ciaran McGuiggan, Ken@okinawa, automatthias, henrybloomfield,