Nothing goes together like a recession and a paint brush.

If you can’t afford to remodel (and who can?) and are stuck with a peeling, fiberglass clawfoot tub, tap into some ingenuity and resource non-toxic paints and supplies, pure shower curtains, an organic floor mat and go to town.

If you’re opting to go the DIY tub redux route you will want to bone up on stripping off the old finish first. You can visit many good how-to tutorials at sites like ehow. Or,  if you have the budget, hire a tub refinishing service, like Bay Area Coatings. Either way, you are salvaging an old treasure that adds oodles of character to the modern bath.

Here are a few cool designs to inspire:

Steal this teal kids’ bath design from Canadian House and Home.

Basking in blue is oh-so-country French. Eating a baguette in the bain is nice, too. From Apartment Therapy.

How succulent is this cool citrus desert palette from Decorology?

Some lemon aid to brighten the old friend from Country Living.

Basic black is tres chic and sleek, from Happy Living Design.

Stripes to center the mod energy of the citified clawfoot, from Apartment  Therapy.

Check out other DIY ideas at this cute site.

Main Image: Fixer Upper

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Nature-Inspired Tones

Maybe it’s because we don’t want to stand out as much, maybe it’s because the sun is no longer our greatest friend and we’re paler. Whatever the case may be, the front part of 2009 will be inspired by nature and all her subtle tones. If you favor fall’s jewel tones, don’t let this trend bring you down; there are lots of other trends listed here to incorporate and spice it up. (Image: Filly Designs)

Grecian

Gauge this one by how 2009 brought in award show knockouts for the People’s Choice Awards and the Golden Globes where half the starlets were floating down the red carpet with off the shoulder numbers. 2009 will definitely be the year to show skin. This might also be the year you really start utilizing the OnDemand free exercise programs or at least walking the dog faster. (Image: My It Things)

Folk Dresses and Blouses

Once upon a time there was a little pixie who slept on a bed of moss and drank droplets of rain”¦well, you might just feel that way slipping into this trend but more mature.

While bold, Russian inspired embroidery catered to the fashionable palates of 2008, folksy dresses and tops with fringe, beading, tassel and ample space to show your décolletage make us whinny with delight in 2009 and run for push up bras to force the issue. (Image: Johnny Was)

Shoes

According to Miss Meghan, shoe expert, TV personality and author of The Perfect Fit, shoes are getting higher and higher:

– “Platforms are going higher – Louboutin unveiled an 8 inch heel this fall, and while platforms might not get that high across the board, platforms are definitely here to stay.”

– “Designers are focusing on the heel – this has been prevalent among high-end innovative designers like Prada, Miu Miu and Giuseppe Zanotti for two seasons now, and we will see it trickle down into the mass market brands as well in a bigger way.”

– “We saw purple in Milan last fall, and we will see it in an even bigger way this spring.” (Image: Melissa)

Cutaway Clothes and Sheer Paneling

Hold on to you 80s Apollonia (see Prince and Purple Rain for reference). I saw this creeping in slowly last year and here it is, begging us to oblige. Narcisco Rodriguez’s spring/summer 2009 collection is loaded with it and smaller designers are catching on too. Tip? Make sure the skin you show is ready for its close-up. (Image: Style.com)

Bigger, Bolder, Much More Funky Jewelry

Chunky stones, big pearls, strands of gold, eclectic charms and probably way too heavy earrings rule the roost. Anything that doesn’t just sit quietly and glimmer. Personally, I love big cocktail rings and strands of necklaces so sign me on for this trend.

As I go on writing I want to impart my wish for you to not incorporate all these looks together or it will be your fashion demise. (Image: Angel Court)

Really Distressed Jeans

When I first heard about this trend by a local boutique owner I was horrified. Ripped jeans? Come on! But it’s true, distressed, ripped, frayed and torn jeans are everywhere this year but they have to be showing skin in just the right areas: the upper thigh and just below/above the knee are preferred. Skip too much rear exposure.

Just when you wanted to make shorts out of them”¦

(Image: Thrashed Jeans)

Nature-Inspired Accessories

Feathers, butterflies and and recycled wood grace our fingers, heads and chests. While the idea of getting back to nature has never been more prevalent (very transcendental), fashion begins to reflect our innermost desire: to value the simple things.

Wood nymphs beware.

I could go on. Harem pants, the art of color blocking, crumpled fabrics and space suits”¦

(Image: Moth Love)

Why don’t we all take a deep breath and think about where we live, how much we go out, what our lifestyles are truly like and how often we’d need a spacesuit for dinner with friends before we buy. As the year goes on, stay tuned to see how sustainable designers and boutiques will support these trends and how you can support them.

The post From Spacesuits to Greek Goddesses: a Look at 2009 Fashion Trends appeared first on EcoSalon.

Over the next few months, as winter wanes and the night air warms up enough to be comfortably breathed, it’s time to stand in the garden and watch the sky fall.

It’s not difficult to see how meteoroids got their nickname of shooting stars, even if the term couldn’t be less accurate. These lumps of icy gravel (cast-offs from comets powering around our solar system) rain against our planet in a slow, steady drizzle for much of the year, and unless you are remarkably lucky, there’s not much to see. But every few months, the earth passes through the dusty trail of a fragmenting comet – and we’re treated to the celestial firework display known as a meteor shower.

It’s the perfect excuse to grab a warming drink, wrap up well, and sit – or even lie – in your back garden until your eyes become accustomed to the dark. Because meteoroids move on parallel paths, they appear to be radiating from the same point of the sky – it’s the same perspective trick as when you are standing on railway tracks that seem to converge in the distance. Watching for meteors is a job for the more light-sensitive corners of your eyes – most of the time all you’ll glimpse is an after-image of a livid scratch of light across the dark sky, on the very edge of your perception. It’s hypnotically calming and it hones your senses.

So what can we expect from meteor showers in 2009? The best displays for North American observers are:

The Lyrids (mid April).

The Perseids (early August) – the most famous, and often the most beautiful.

The Orionids – caused by the passage of Halley’s Comet, and streaking across the sky in late October.

The Leonids (mid November) – spectacular in history, and a little unpredictable (although the heaviest storms come in 33-year cycles). Remarkable images include this one taken from an aircraft at 40,000 feet.

The Geminids (mid December). Appearing to fly out of the constellation Gemini (hence their name), the rather weird Geminids are regarded as one of the meteor-shower highlights of the year.

For the hardened stargazer, there are other less easily-spotted showers to tax the senses – SkyTour lists the full 2009 itinerary. And as eccentric as it may seem, reclining on the ground is a good way to watch – no amount of yoga (or mulled wine) will unkink the crick in your neck from a long, mesmerized night of craning your head back.

Images: jurvetson / johndan / typicalnaloboy

The post The Best Places to See Meteor Showers in 2009 appeared first on EcoSalon.