Just look at what we are giving away this week because we love you.

“What are you, some kind of trustafarian?” your friend demands. But no. You just read EcoSalon.

This week and this week only, at least until we do this again, we’re giving away gorgeous green gear to you, Susty Spice. Five one-of-a-kind designs, one for each day, five lucky winners.

It’s easy to enter. Just sign up for our newsletter and then like us on Facebook. We’ll take care of the rest! Before the orchestra starts up, I’d better get to showing you the goods:

Exhibit A of our temporary insanity is this exclusively designed Pendleton poncho from VivaTerra. They are limited. They are stunning. You could win one. Isn’t our sister company VivaTerra nice to do this? We explained how hot this look is this fall and they completely understood. (If you want to make sure to get one instead of waiting to see if you’ve won, I recommend moving fast because these won’t last.) $395 value.

Nope, not kidding, not even a little. We’re giving this bad boy away. This gorgeous recycled leather tote is used by a number of girls on the EcoSalon team and we can’t get enough. At $279 it’s hardly a ho-hum handbag, yet I can report that it’s really rather a steal considering the superb quality. Let’s just say I wish I’d dropped for this instead of wasting $400 on a Kooba bag that spends more custody time with my tailor than with me.

Regal flash. NYC-based Bright Young Things designer and fierce girl-about-town Eliza Starbuck loves her handmade, fair trade Mirabai necklace. You could win one, too. Please note Ms. Starbuck not included. $214 value.

Now we come to the warm and fuzzy part of the story known as Hug Me. We’re giving you the blanket, the pillow, even the organic pillow insert. How hipster happily-ever-after can it get? For best results, just add a him. Or a her. Or a Pomeranian.  $187 total value.

At $89 per sheet, this is possibly the most fabulous eco-friendly toweling in existence. It’s the kind of oversized, plush luxury you’d steal from a hotel if it were at a hotel. And because we are extra-extra nice, and because one is never enough, we’re giving you two of these bath sheets, along with a hand towel and wash cloth. No need to thank us. Just promise to use paraben-free shampoo on those strands. And don’t steal. That’s wrong. Total value $226.

Winners will be informed next Monday. Good luck! We love you.

The fine print: You can only sign up for the newsletter once; multiple entries will be removed. We keep your information 100% private. In the unlikely event an item is unavailable or out of stock, a comparable replacement gift option will be made available. EcoSalon staff and family are excluded from this offer. If you have already subscribed to our newsletter and are friends with us on Facebook, you are already automatically entered in our weekly giveaways. This one here is for the newbies, sug.

All goods are available exclusively at VivaTerra.

A step by step guide to upcycled velo style. 

When a friend’s tire went flat on a bike ride earlier this year, I asked her if I could keep the tube.

“You want my punctured tube?” she asked, with a slight hint of  ”are you nuts?”

“Yes.”

“What are you going to do with it?”

“I don’t know, earrings maybe?”

I had been mulling the idea over for quite some time. Alchemy Goods and Green Guru are known for their upcycled bike tube designs that I have fallen in love with numerous times, and I figured that if they could do it, so could I, at least on a small scale. A few samples later and several friends were outfitted with new earrings.

From afar, these bike tube earrings look like they might even be made from metal, but in actuality they’re flexible and incredibly lightweight, perfect for when you want a pair of statement earrings but want to forgo the weight that’s normally associated with them.

Where do you find bike tubes? Go the standard route and put out a call out to your velo loving friends – a Facebook request yielded about 30 used tubes that an old friend had been saving in his basement for a good project – or ask a local bike shop. Got a tube? Let’s get started.

Supplies

• Used bike tube
• X-Acto knife
• Scissors
• Paper
• Pencil
• 2 earring wire hooks
• Jewelry pliers

Begin by prepping your bike tube. Cut the tube open near the valve and then cut straight down the middle of the entire tube.

Because used tubes tend to be a little grimy, wash the tube with warm, soapy water and hang to dry. I find the best way to store tubes once you have prepped them is to roll them up and put a rubber band around them, this way you can easily cut of the right sized pieces for what you’re making and neatly store the rest for future use.

Draw your design on a piece of paper and use as a template to cut out shapes from bike tube.

Because the bike tube will naturally curl, make sure you cut lengthwise along the tube, i.e. in the direction of the natural ridges of the tube and not perpendicular to them.

Cutting lengthwise will keep the leaf from curling upwards and allow it to hang straight down instead.

Once you have cut out your leaf, use the X-acto knife to cut out the center sections. Be creative! Some of my favorite designs that I have ended up come from simply cutting freehand.

When you have cut the first leaf you can follow the same form to do the second one.

Use the X-Acto knife to make a tiny insert at the top of the leaf.

Use a pair of jewelry pliers to insert the earring wires into the hole.

And now you’re ready to sport your upcycled designs all over town!

I hate Hallmark holidays, I hate Hallmark holidays, I hate Hallmark holidays…

Let’s have a little chat, my Valentine’s Day hater. I can hear the protests now: Don’t you know every day can be Valentine’s Day if you want it to be? Don’t you know you can tell people any day that they are loved and buy them lush bouquets of flowers or heart-shaped jewelry? Don’t you know you can have hot sex day or night, with or without champagne, and with or without sexy organic lingerie?

For Pete’s sake.

I get it, I do. But is a little Valentine’s day bliss really so bad? Heart-shaped corn syrup candies may not warm the cockles of your heart, but I’m willing to bet someone you love sure likes to know they’re appreciated this time of year. (I’m saying this as much for myself as anyone.) For all of us pink-tinged Scrooges and red-hued Grinches, today we make it easy: copy, paste, click, done.

This scarf by Vivien Pollack Design for $36 comes in all the lovely colors of spring and can be used in many ways on both Valentine’s Day as well as after: A pretty neck tie on a plain blouse, a belt on a high-waisted skirt or dress, a trendy turban, a tie for the bed post, a foreplay mask.

For a cute spin on jewelry, suggest this to someone and have them put a lock of hair, a love note or fortune cookie message referring to love eternal. Available at Beklina, these French enameled lockets for $98 come in fun candy colors much more delicious than a box of See’s.

Nothing says sex me up more than a silk teddy – and one from an eco-friendly catalog? Perfectly sinful from VivaTerra – we like their style (and it’s on sale for $39!).

Valentine’s Day is the best time to give or receive a pretty bottle of fragrance from the one you love and D.S. & Durga is at the top of the best scented list. Experiencing a perfume like The Orchid Drinkers or Five Step Waltz is pure sensory bliss. $86

The grand dame of all the gifts on February 14th is the eternal symbol of love (cue the fast-bowing violins), gasp, the ring. Here’s the most unusual one I’ve discovered, and if you give or get it this Valentine’s Day, send us a picture of you wearing it.

I love the description of the snake ring, or “ouroboros,” a snake biting its own tail: “An ouroboros is an ancient symbol of eternity and rebirth. To wit: Inscribed in hieroglyphics on an Egyptian wall was ‘the male serpent is bitten by the female serpent, the female serpent is bitten by the male serpent, Heaven is enchanted, earth is enchanted, the male behind mankind is enchanted.’”

St. Kilda, $1,292

Top Image From Rainbow Photos

Who am I to argue with the Madison Avenue suits who coined the phrase “diamonds are a girl’s best friend”?

If only diamonds were all we believe them to be. The violence resulting from the diamond mining and trading industry is, in a word, tragic. And, as it turns out, diamonds aren’t even as valuable as we’ve been told.

First, a little primer:

The U.S. happens to be the largest consumer of conflict diamonds, purchasing over $33.7 billion dollars’ worth of the rocks in 2005. Wondering what conflict diamonds are? I’m no fawning fan of DiCaprio, but the film “Blood Diamond” is nowhere near as fictional as we’d like it to be. Conflict diamonds involve abuse, corruption and death. There goes that gorgeous, shimmery, sparkling stone set in platinum I’ve been dreaming about.

Here are several important reasons you should never, ever buy (or accept) a diamond:

We’ve been conditioned to want a diamond. Pavlov much? Who isn’t tired of the advertising and marketing ploys used to brainwash us into believing our value as women rests on the size of our…gem? (Toss that in with measurements and marital status and we’ve got an endless supply of not-good-enough.) Marketers have thrown us a giant, glittering bone, and watched the profits pile up as we’ve chased, fetched and rolled over in order to conform to what we’ve been conditioned to believe is the only acceptable standard.

Diamond prices have been artificially inflated by the diamond cartel. The average diamond sold in the U.S. has been over-graded in quality by 2 grades, and the average U.S. couple pays twice what they should for an engagement ring. Do you really want to enter into a lifelong commitment with a man who’s willing to waste his hard-earned cash on a diamond, especially when said diamond is ridiculously overpriced? Okay, well, me too. Forget number 2 and let’s move on to the third reason to avoid diamonds.

Diamonds are anything but an “investment”. A 1-carat diamond will set him back about $5,000, which amounts to $710,000 per ounce. Worse even than a car once it’s driven off the sales lot, a diamond will never be worth what you’ve paid for it. Try to trade it or sell it or pawn it and you’ll be sorely disappointed. Do you know why? Because their “worth” has been artificially inflated! Diamonds aren’t scarce or rare.

Just don’t tell him this until after it’s on your finger. (Kidding!)

Conflict diamonds. Any lover shallow enough to buy you a diamond to “make up” for misbehavin’ ways is indeed dumb enough to think that the name “conflict diamonds” refers to relationship issues. Ditch that man and his diamonds…fast. Blood diamonds have resulted in over 4 million deaths in Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the Ivory Coast. One shiny rock, 4 million lives.

Diamonds with strings attached. Did you know that only 11 percent of U.S. jewelry stores practice a conflict diamonds policy and 67 percent won’t even discuss the topic when asked if they have one? Just because he bought you dinner, I mean a diamond, doesn’t mean you have to marry him. Presents aren’t promises, and kisses aren’t for keeps.

Diamond mines damage the environment. This is important, even though it’s true of all types of mining, not just diamond mining. Mines are dangerous for workers (including children) and threaten our planet, too. I wish there were a way to dig that deep without so much damage.

And last but definitely not least…

A diamond is not forever. Nothing is forever, my friends. Engagements, marriages, jobs, you name it. If they happen to last a long time, then you are indeed a very lucky person. Why do we kid ourselves into believing that a sparkling rock, delivered to us on the backs of the abused, purchased for more than it’s worth, marketed for more than it means and obtained at the expense of our own dear planet will keep love alive?

And please tell me why I still melt, just a little, at the sight of a beautiful, shimmering diamond ring perched on a shelf in a store window.

(Lastly, did you know? There are some great alternatives: you can buy vintage diamonds – at a fraction of the cost! – and retailers like Brilliant Earth and Green Karat are eco-friendly and cruelty-free, too.)

Each week here at EcoSalon, the editors choose a post from the archives that we think you’ll love. The original post can be found here.

Images: fashionjewelry, stephend9, ruby-jade-sapphire-pearl, smh, nyinquirer, starryskies, hairdecor, hourglass diamond

We all need to be more proactive with our friends and families about what we want for holiday gifts. I remember having an epiphany one Christmas when my mother bought me battery-powered, heated socks that took two D batteries in order to emit that warmth. Trying to sleep while camping was a blast with what felt like chunks of hard cheese nestled on my ankles. Nope, not another year of that.

I say why not tell people what we want so that they don’t waste their hard earned cash on things we’ll tuck away under our dusty dressers and so that we get something we really like? Isn’t that line of thinking sort of ah, sustainable?

This holiday season I want a few really good things but themes keep surfacing. This time it’s pretty lacy things.

Not lingerie, no, I want jewelry made from lace that will break up my tough winter looks and here are some favorites:

I came across Ceca Georgieva recently through Ecco Eco fashion writer Abigail Doan and could not believe something so pretty could come at such a low cost. Please bring me this back from Sofia Abigail!

Textile bracelet from hand sewn silk cord, $15

Another stunning line of lace accessories on Etsy is from White Owl, based in Detroit. Their delicate earrings and necklaces are so affordable and are your entire outfit.

White Owl’s Solange lace Earrings, $22

Seems we fashion writers are strangely on the same page this week with Ecouterre writer Victoria Klein in finding this gem which she says “blends old world charm with modern sensibilities by casting vintage lace and ribbon in recycled metals.”

Heritage with a capital H Victoria? Damn straight.

This is pretty but don’t count on it being price friendly. This little number from L.A. based White Fly will cost you some dough, or, roughly the price of 400 packs of D batteries for the tube socks you’ll get if you don’t share with your loved ones what you want.

White Fly Lace Cuff Bracelet, $4,500

There is something utterly beautiful about a mixture of metallic glamour and death. As the end of October nears, I find myself craving something dark that can linger all year long. Jayson Home & Garden offers the Claw Bottle Opener ($24), a brass wonder for accessing bottles of pumpkin ale. A Porcelain Beaver Skull ($110) like this charming one from Beetle & Flor is the perfect coffee table embellishment, a ghoulish paperweight, or a flawless bookend.

And just in case you need a dark and brooding jaw bone dangling over your collarbones, this porcelain skunk Jaw Pendant ($65) will make you weak in the knees.

“Since childhood, I loved to draw and create things with my hands,” says the Vancouver artist, who first wowed us with her exotic PapelVivo recycled paper handmade card collection, inspired by eastern imagery. She uses the same process to embellish her stunning jewelry, adding that savvy, personal stamp.

It works because Szapiro knows her craft. She studied fashion and graphic design to master the art of paper making and engraving, and says she knew immediately that paper was her true call. Lucky for the planet, she answered it with a sense of repurpose – first with the elegant invitations and cards and now with her imprinted gems made with recycled paper clay.

“Although they’re made of paper paste, the pieces are completely sturdy, strong, durable and resistant,” she advises, adding that the craftsmanship guarantees you will never tire of the classic accessories – such as the multi -colored necklace of round beads with brocaded flourishes designed for a friend heading to Israel.

The thing that’s hard to believe is that these medallions are forged from paper destined for the heap. Goes to show what a great eye and gumption can do to keep the world a beautiful place.

Images: Palomaria

Bario-Neal designers Anna Bario and Page Neal handcraft their boutique and custom designed jewelry in Philadelphia utilizing reclaimed precious metals and ethically-sourced stones. The duo also works with specialized craftspeople on Philadelphia’s historic Jeweler’s Row to hand-make many of its pieces.

“Composed of nearly 300 small, family-owned businesses, Jeweler’s Row is home to the oldest jewelry district in America (est. 1851) and continues to thrive as a creative and manufacturing hub in the industry,” says their site.

These Octillo Earrings, made with reclaimed 14kt gold are from their Camac Collection which is a very personal exploration into their first interactions with jewelry making.

I say these are the perfect earrings to wear when you don’t want to overdo your jewelry. Worn with a busier necklace, you still have a little something on your ears to fill the holes and create a bit of sparkle.

Wool in the summer? Are you out of your mind?! Not at all!

Tanya Aguinigar’s Wool Lace line is created by continuously looping one strand of 100 percent wool yarn into a light accessory guaranteed to dress up any outfit year-round.

The best part of this bracelet? It won’t clatter all over your keyboard as you type.

Priced at $38, the cuff comes in the colors featured, as well as white, and moss green.

Be sure to check out her Jersey Knot Bracelet and dip-dyed, Unraveled Cotton Rope necklaces too.