So much of home design these days is all about short-term, wasteful and disposable stuff.  How many times have you seen half-falling apart Ikea products on the curb, waiting to be tossed? Piles of paper napkins after a BBQ? Reusable napkins and tablecloths don’t just have to be found in fine dining restaurants.

In creating Dogwood & Hastings, I looked to solve the problem of boring (and disposable or near-disposable) home wares; the reusable napkins and tablecloths are durable and made to last for years, sewn in the USA to withstand wear and tear, and printed with original nature images that aren’t like anything you’ve seen before.

For some reason, the vast majority of cloth tablecloths and napkins are either made of nice material and are very plain, or are ultra-trendy prints made from crummy fabrics and sewn by children in China—meant to last as long as a party and that’s it. Neither of those are my style, and the latter are definitely not my ethics.

It’s not just waste I’m preventing with Dogwood & Hastings: According to the Ocean Conservancy’s blog, disposable napkins are a money-suck too: “ If you bought disposable paper napkins for a family of four for five years, however, it could cost you anywhere from $322.64 to $2,635.60 depending on the type of napkins you buy and whether you buy them in bulk.” Even if you bought two sets of four napkins, it would still be much less expensive than disposable—and fabric napkins soak up a lot more than even large paper ones do (and they do it with style!).

Dogwood & Hastings is made from a tough-but-soft GOTS-certified organic cotton sateen that’s printed with nontoxic dyes and cut and sewn by exacting seamstress Betty Collins in Oregon, who is fairly paid. It was all designed in Oregon too; and it’s a zero-waste line (I use the fabric scraps to make labels, tie bundles together, etc.), and 10 percent of the profits go to nonprofits I know, love, and trust, including Riverkeeper (NYC prints); Oregon Wild (Oregon prints); Wildlife in Distress (New England prints); and Grupo Ecologica de la Costa Verde (Mexico prints).

I collaborated with jewelry-maker Natalie Frigo who I’ve become friends with over the last three years (upon meeting her the first time, I made a video of how she creates her designs for my website…and ended up staying and talking with her for hours). Natalie designs her pieces on the Lower East Side of NYC and produces them in NYC too, all from recycled metals. I thought having table jewelry to complement my textiles would be pretty damn cool, and Natalie like the idea too. I sent her samples of the prints, and she designed napkin rings, low-profile candlesticks, and tablecloth weights (traditionally used for al fresco dining to keep the wind from blowing things around; but I think they look lovely indoors too). Called Fortess, the pieces work with—but aren’t at all derivative of—the linens. And they dress up a table for special occasions (sometimes that can just be a Wednesday-night dinner!).

I used photographs of natural ephemera—I love to capture the details of the ecosystems I travel to with my camera—as the basis for the patterns. The final prints are my photographs with minimal manipulation; nature’s colors and complexities don’t really need to be added to, and with each print, I really wanted to capture reality. From the bright pink of a sea urchin’s spine contrasted against a grey-glistening cobblestone, to that particular moment of tonal perfection in a Mexican sunset or sun through autumnal leaves, to the lavender-pink velvety mushrooms of a wet Oregonian November. Nature’s details are so beautiful!

If there’s anything I’ve learned in my life, it’s that “I’m not the only one” —if I’m seeking more nature in my life, more interesting design in my home, and reusable, long-lasting materials, then other people probably are too.

Dogwood & Hastings is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter.

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Images via Starre Vartan

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The team at Ecosalon is excited to announce the following winners in each of the 14 categories in the first ever Ecosalon Beauty Awards.

Public voting was open last week (after our Judges’ panel had narrowed down the results) so these are your choices for best products in each of the below areas. You can check out all the nominees here, as well as which product was picked by which judge.

You’ll notice that raw local honey won in two categories: It was voted the best face mask and also the best “Judges’ Choice” beauty product (an open category in which each judge nominated their fave product that wasn’t covered by our other categories). So this beauty awards will be remembered as naturally sweet!

Congratulations to all the winners!

Best Acne Treatment: Tea Tree Oil 

Best Makeup for the Face: Dr. Hauschka Bronzer

Judges’ Choice: “Local raw honey-such a good multipurpose item for the beauty cabinet. Great face mask, heals wounds, good for immunity.”    —Judge Jessa Blades 

Best Face Mask: Raw honey. “There is nothing better for hydrating and clearing up blemishes.” —Judge Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff

Best Perfume: Pacifica Nerola Orange Blossom Solid Perfume

Best Shampoo:  Acure Organics Pure Mint + Echinacea Volumizing Shampoo

Best Conditioner: John Masters Organics Lavender & Avocado Intensive Conditioner

Best Lip Product: Mineral Fusion Lip Gloss

Best Sun Protection: Organic Coconut Oil

Best Eye Makeup: Zuzu Luxe Mascara in Onyx

Best Eye Cream/Gel: Weleda Pomegranate Firming Eye Cream

Best Body Moisturizer: Acure Organics Lemongrass and Moroccan Argan Oil Moisturizing Lotion

Best Nailpolish: Zoya

Best Facial Cleanser: Jurlique Rose Moisture Plus Moisturizing Cleanser

Best Anti-Ager: RMS Raw Coconut Cream

Honey Photo Credit: Flооd; Coconut Oil Photo Credit: Phú Thịnh Co

Related on Ecosalon: 

Vote Now in the Ecosalon Beauty Awards! 

The First Annual Ecosalon Beauty Awards (Meet Our Judges!) 

The post Announcing the Winners of the 2013 Ecosalon Beauty Awards! appeared first on EcoSalon.

 The AcaBelles at Florida State University took on one of the most popular songs of the fall when they put together an acapella version of Royals by Lorde. I suggest you turn it up loud (the better to hear all the women’s beautiful voices and awesome beatboxing). My favorite part is how much they get into their performance by the end of the clip (compare the first 30 seconds to the last 30 seconds). Click through to see video below! 

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Did Lily Allen Make a Racist Music Video? That Happened

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The post If You Love Lorde, This All-Women’s Acapella Version of Royals Will Knock Your Socks Off (Video) appeared first on EcoSalon.

The first Ecosalon Beauty Awards are here and we are excited! We asked our panel of 8 natural beauty experts to pick their favorite products in 14 categories and now YOU voted on the winners for each.

There’s a pretty amazing cross-section of natural beauty brands listed below (all of us were pleasantly surprised by the incredible width and depth of the choices that are now available to all of us who care about our health and the health of the planet). UPDATE: Voting is now closed, but you can see what the judges picked below! 

We will be announcing the winners on December 3rd!

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I dare you to watch this heartwarming video and not cry. Sarah and Paige are both missing parts of their arms, and their moms brought them together via the International Child Amputee Network (just thinking that such an organization even exists breaks my heart). Over the last 8 years, the two girls have formed an intense bond, using Internet video chat service Skype (full disclosure: the video is actually an ad for Skype). Though separated by many miles (hometowns are in New Zealand and Indiana in the US), they are clearly best friends. Watch to see the terrific surprise and enjoy the beauty of friendship!  

Related on Ecosalon: 

This teenager will break your heart with her truth about being a woman (video) 

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The post Get Your Tissues Ready: Amputee Teenage Best Friends Are Pure Joy (Video) appeared first on EcoSalon.

We are excited to announce the first annual Ecosalon Beauty Awards, coming November 18th—23rd! We’ll be asking you, our beloved readers, to vote when we go live, but to narrow down the bounty of natural beauty goodness out there, we had to turn to our friends, some seriously accomplished women. 

To get you as excited as we are, meet our truly knowledgeable and esteemed panel of judges, who are the cream of the crop when it comes to the the green beauty world. 

Kristen Arnett, Makeup Artist, Editor, and Beauty Educator

Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, aka Mommy Greenest

Better known as Mommy Greenest, Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff is the former founder of EcoStiletto, CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World and was editor of Children magazine—before she had three of her own. Want less judgmental, more sustainable parenting advice? Follow her: @RachelLSarnoff, Facebook.com/MommyGreenest and Pinterest.com/RachelSarnoff. Because you shouldn’t have to be a scientist to raise healthy kids!

Brandie Gilliam, Founder of Organic Beauty Talk

Starre Vartan, Editor Fashion and Beauty, Travel & Shelter at Ecosalon

Starre Vartan is the editor of Fashion & Beauty, Travel, and Shelter at Ecosalon, and founder and editor-in-chief of Eco Chick and its sister site, Eco Chick Escapes, all about ethical travel and style. She’s the author of The Eco-Chick Guide to Life (St. Martin’s Press), and a problogger and oft-quoted green living expert who has been featured in the New York Times, Elle, Glamour and Self magazines. She has style-edited for magazines, styled (and reported on) eco fashion shows at New York Fashion Week, and currently contributes her writing on design to Metropolis magazine, lifestyle for MNN.com, and ethical destinations to LuxuryTravel.About.com. Starre has also consulted for American Express, Mavea, Neutrogena Naturals, and, currently, eBay Green.

Aysia Wright, Founder of Goodebox 

From non-profit work to retail; environmental law to public relations and marketing; Aysia’s eclectic career path has always been guided by a passion to  advocate for more sustainable living. While these endeavors were rewarding and served as a sort of “trial by fire” PhD in applied sustainability, she soon learned the efficacy of stepping off the soapbox and into the marketplace to get the message across and help effect change. Goodebox is her latest effort, helping conscious consumers find the best clean, responsible products that work for them. It’s a helping hand in navigating the confusing and overwhelming market of beauty products with the ultimate goal of helping consumers make the switch to better beauty and growing the market share of responsible brands.

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Mothers, daughters, fathers, sons; we are all taught about our body image from the people who raise us, whether consciously or, sometimes more powerfully, from the actions of our parents or caregivers. Being a woman means internalizing most of this information, both good and bad. 

This young poet explains that big idea in a heartbreaking and spot-on description of her own experience as a young woman (watch below). 

Related on Ecosalon: 

 Polar Bears Are Amazing Underwater Athletes: Who Knew? (video) 

Geena Davis is a Total Badass (Video)

The post This Teenager Will Break Your Heart With Her Truth About Being a Woman (Video) appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you have ever lived with both cats and dogs, you know how different they can be; and for some reason, dogs are often more afraid of cats than vice versa—especially when it comes to the comfiest places to sleep, as this video proves. Who is winning: cats or dogs? I would say the human beings who can’t help but be amused by this ongoing detente between canines and felines perfectly illustrated below, in this video where cats steal dog beds.  

Related on Ecosalon: 

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The post Cats Steal Dog Beds and Hilarity Ensues (Video) appeared first on EcoSalon.

For most women, that time of the month isn’t a favorite, but this hilarious video might just convince you that it’s not so bad. 

Why make a funny music video (below) about periods? Lena D, who put this project together, writes on her YouTube page, “The goal of this song is to reduce shame and embarrassment that women feel regarding their time of month.” I dare you not to get the catchy tune stuck in your head. 

Related on Ecosalon: 

 Polar Bears Are Amazing Underwater Athletes: Who Knew? (video) 

Geena Davis is a Total Badass (Video)

The post This Song About Your Period is the Funny Anthem We’ve All Been Waiting For (Video) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Polar bears are beautiful, majestic creatures. They’re also really goofy, especially when they dribble a basketball underwater. Yes, you read that correctly. 

If this video (below) doesn’t make you smile, I give up! 

 Related on Ecosalon: 

POV Eagle’s Flight Will Blow Your Mind and Zen You Out

Cat Massage: As Ridiculously Funny as It Sounds (video)

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