I’m not much of a holiday decorator. I don’t spend two days unwrapping little chotskies out of bubble wrap (you know, the same ones I spent two days re-wrapping last year) and setting them up all over my home. I don’t hang hundreds of blinking lights from my roof or station large plastic figures on my front lawn. My holidays are a tad less elaborate and adorned. And I like it that way.

First of all, I hate packing and unpacking of any kind. I’d rather stick needles in my eyes. And I don’t like excess stuff sitting around, especially theme-oriented, color coordinated stuff.

Having said that, autumn is upon us and with the changing weather and falling leaves comes a feeling of nostalgia and celebration. But not to worry – there are plenty of simple, subtle ways to express the approach of the holidays without going over the top.

I’ve gathered an idea or two for garnishing your home – from tabletop to mantle to martini. Things that aren’t always exclusive to the holidays but that celebrate the seasons nonetheless. Here’s hoping you’ll see something that tickles your yearning for decoration, in the simplest most sensible sense.

On the top of my list but the farthest from reality, is this platinum and diamond encrusted skull (image above, For The Love of God). It’s the creation of British artist Damien Hirst, who has a morbid fascination with death and dying, and it sold for $100 million dollars in August 2007. No it isn’t simple or sensible. It’s glamorous and shocking, but I couldn’t resist.

Speaking of glamor, I’m a glutton for black. It goes with everything and makes everything look good. Just check out Leigha’s post last week for more details about bringing on the black.

I’m loving these touches of black with the slightest twist of orange or cream or candied apple (images above). And dried anything, from twigs to flowers, placed in a simple vase, turns an ordinary tabletop into interesting, without going gauche (image below).

All things metallic are hip right now, so use your imagination with gold paint and old buttons or beads. Preferably not all at once, just dabbing a little here and there does the trick.

So the table is set, but what’s the point of a party without a flavored martini?

Pumpkin Pie Martini (image above)

1/2 oz Sylk Cream Liqueur
2 oz Vanilla Vodka
1/2 oz Pumpkin Liqueur (or substitute pumpkin spice syrup)
1 tsp (or more) Whipped Cream
1 Cinnamon Stick for garnish

Pour the cream liqueur and vanilla vodka into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Add the pumpkin liqueur or syrup and shake again. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with the whipped cream, and garnish with a cinnamon stick. Serves 1.

Of course, you can’t have autumn without pumpkins, although I fly on the shy side with these gourd-like squashes. Carving with the kids is great fun, but when it comes to decor for your home, let’s leave the knives in the kitchen.

I’m needing a few of these velvet critters, so soft and snugly (image above). Or try your hand and paint them in plaid or polka dot; winter white or graphic delight (images below).

Draw a black raven or bats, use a doily as a stencil or monogram your initials (images below)….

…clothe them in old black stockings or leftover lace.

Let’s move on to flowers and wreaths; mantles and cakes.

Like I’ve said, crafts and such just aren’t my thing – I seek out simple and easy. So these orange calla lilies (image above) do just the trick. I’m loving how they’re arranged leaning to one side – asymmetrical is where it’s at.

I often have an aversion to wreaths – they are so easily overdone and embellished with too much garnish and frill. But these two gems (images above and below) capture the pure and crisp of the changing seasons and upcoming holiday cheer. You might even find one on my front door this year.

I’m crazy about these cheesecloth covered glass vases (images below), in all heights and sizes. Look closely and you’ll notice the black medical stitches down one side. Fill them with dried flowers or twigs and you’ve got a subtle way to share the Halloween gore without going too far. Add a spider if you’re so inclined.

Last but not least, these cakes made the cut. I’m not a pastry chef, nor am I competent in the ways of the kitchen, but I had to include them for the mere fact that they say Halloween at its most simple and sophisticated. Bon appetit and happy holidays.

Images: Better Homes and Gardens, Molly Findlay, this is glamorous, Delia Creates, Shelter Pop, Wise Craft, coco + kelley, green wedding shoes, style me pretty, Michelle Rago Ltd., Pinterest, Martha Stewart, Simply Grove, Country Living, Fina Art & Paper

The post Autumn Inspiration: Just Don’t Say Holiday Decoration appeared first on EcoSalon.

Air conditioning is overrated. It sucks up a huge amount of energy, costs a fortune to run, and some AC units spit out enough carbon dioxide to choke a water buffalo. Electric fans do a fantastic job of cooling your living space and though they still rely on electricity to run, are much better for the environment.

Let’s take a look at five gorgeous electric fans that will make you forget all about that hulking AC unit you’re used to using.

The Dyson AM03 Pedestal Fan is a completely bizarre and insanely neat bladeless fan that would look awesome blended into just about any decor. It’s roughly three feet tall and sits on the floor or a corner table, pumping out cool air to your surroundings.

This snazzy tabletop fan from Swiss designer Carlo Borer is made of solid European wood and adjusts to generate “a gentle breeze or a gale.” In other words, put this bad boy on your desk and set it to gently waft air around your face or blow your hair around like you’re in a music video. Either way, you’ll look hot while staying cool.

Casablanca Fan Company offers this chic graphite-and-dark-cherry ceiling fan that’s modeled after a European sports coupe. Depending on your room’s decor, this would work in a dining area, home office, or themed game room. The three-speed fan has a built-in halogen downlight and comes with a remote control for easy power and breeze management.

We love, love, love this bronze retro fan from Hunter. It’s speed and tilt-adjustable but, frankly, it’s so beautiful that we’d hardly care if all it did was sit there. It’s 85 degrees of oscillating cooling power is just a nice bonus.

Sometimes you just need a small, portable fan to tote around with you. Check out the Zippi by Vornado. It’s a tiny thing that sits only nine inches high and sports soft cloth blades that won’t slice off a finger if you get too close. Weighing in at just over a pound, this two-speed electric personal air circulator is perfect for travel.

Image: mark.bold

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Edith Heath first introduced us to her understated glazed pottery in the mid-forties with a one-woman show at San Francisco’s Palace of the Legion of Honor, where her unusual pieces were picked up for sale at Gump’s of San Francisco.

It was after that success that she opened her factory in Sausalito, Calif. dedicating the past half-century of her life to the craft of ceramics and the skill of the artisan.

This passion, along with the legacy of her work in stoneware clay body and glaze development, gives Heath its unique place in ceramics today as a modern classic in home decor. As a result of Edith’s timeless and unique design sense, many of her pieces live in the permanent collections of museums such as the MOMA in New York City.

The signature ceramics also live on in our homes as mid-century design enjoys a spirited revival among collectors, modern architects and green designers.

Heath Ceramics is the real McCoy when it comes to purity and sustainability with great uses for the vintage aesthetic, from skillfully pared-down cups and bowls for the tabletop to elegant field tiles for kitchen surfaces.

San Francisco designers like Jennifer Weiss are drawn to the minimal and modern lines of Heath.

Weiss commissioned white relief tiles to use as a range backsplash in a kitchen, adding warmth to an otherwise ultra-clean environment. “The iconic shapes are modern in the true sense of the word since the ceramics date back to the 50s,” says Weiss. “I wanted artwork to stand out in the room and this is part of the art.”

Aspiring to maintain the local craftsman traditions, husband and wife team Robin Petravic and Catherine Bailey bought the business in 2003. They set out to revitalize the handcrafted techniques while expanding the business to a new studio in Los Angeles last year.

The company holds open studios in both its Bay Area and L.A. locations, allowing visitors to tour the factory and kilns and see the large inventory of products produced by local craftsmen carrying on Heath’s legacy.

There is so much to see, from gorgeous field tiles in 80 glazes to organic cotton linens, design books, and of course the famous tableware that includes an understated Chez Panisse line – a collaboration between Alice Waters, Christina Kim and Heath Ceramics for use in famed restaurant.

Through its thriving To the Trade business, Heath also has customized serving dishes for Four Seasons Hotels worldwide and the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel.

In keeping up with green, the company also offers Kiln Shelves made from glazed and recycled kiln furniture to use for exterior walls and floor pavers.

Some of the new elegant and organic Heathware editions are the result of collaborations with designers like Christina Kim of Dosa, who helped craft the beautiful Phases of the Moon Tea Set inspired by Edith Heath’s hand-thrown California stoneware. Finished with a complex glaze, the tea cups come in sets of four with a tray and are offered in either dark or light glazes, representing phases of the moon observed by day as well as night.

The new owners also continue Edith Heath’s community outreach by holding sales events in which they donate a percentage of sales to Architecture for Humanity. You can find all news and events, including sales and open studio tours at the web site.

Also, check out the exhibit: Edith Heath: Tabletop Modernist May 31, 2009 – September 20, 2009, at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. The opening reception is on May 30.

Edith Heath

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Editor’s note: our lovely eco sponsors at VivaTerra are giving you lucky EcoSalon gals (and guys) a chance at a green giveaway each day this week. If you’re not sure what to get Mom for Mother’s Day, be sure to drop a line in the comments for a chance to win a beautiful product from VivaTerra. One comment per person per day, please. Winners will be notified next week. Good luck!

Today’s Mother’s Day giveaway: these gorgeous glass bird vases. Skillfully mouth-blown to resemble the delicate forms of a dove and a chickadee, this elegant set is the perfect way to display the blooming buds of spring and adorn tabletops, windowsills and shelves with a splash of color. Pretty, aren’t they?

The post Mother's Day Giveaway: Win These Gorgeous Glass Bird Vases! appeared first on EcoSalon.

Taking an active interest in protecting the environment and appreciating the aesthetic value of its sweeping beauty go hand in hand. So, it’s easy to see why so many of us green gals like to adorn our homes with spectacular scenes from nature. Here’s the catch: many of these patterns are way too busy (or dare I say tacky) for our elegant taste.

Amenity Home designers Nicole Chiala and Kristina de Corpo hit the mark with their simple silhouette bedding. Ever since, their hand-drawn prints have been in high demand, so they created a line of matching throw pillows and wall hangings. Then, came an array of chic totes and zipper bags. And, now, your dining room can share the same eco sophistication with their recently launched table linen collection. (Available at Amenity Home for $25- $99.)

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There’s nothing more fetching than a ruggedly handsome man in a little tartan kilt. The original 007, Sean Connery, is a grand example. Great Scot! May I fasten that giant safety pin for you, Mr. Bond?

I’m personally mad about plaid, probably because I wore so many wool jumpers as a young lass. Home design, too, is pointed towards Great Glen as the patterns we adore take the high road. Here’s a peak:

Nomad Cube from the eco-furniture collection at Crate and Barrel, $199, available in orange, green and gold colorways. Great for propping your feet or for storing your bagpipes.

   
An assortment of plaid rugs from Tuvalu Home, $28 to $195, sizes go up to 6″x9″. Use to warm up the study.

Snuggle up to Track’s Plaid Blanket (shown at top) found at Branch Home, a contemporary play on plaid with a modern orange grid on white; and it also comes in an optional black weave, $498.

Dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair on this cozy 100% wool plaid pillow from Urban Outfitters, $38. Freestyle Plaid cotton sheeting from Pottery Barn is Oeko-Tex approved, $28 to $119. More mellow, the Coyuchi Birch cotton plaid weave sham and duvet, $25 to $300, at Dax Stores.

It’s time for tea and shorbread bisquits. Serve it all in this assortment of Scottish-inspired colletible vintage china from Railey Creek Collectibles. Includes:

Normany Plaid Sugar Bowl

Blair’s Pottery Gay Plaid plate and mug

Vernons Killns China plaid yellow and brown plate and mug

Vintage yellow plaid floral napkins to cheer up your table, $52, at Rickrack.

For the shoe-free green home, let little ones pad around in these adorable plaid Weebit slippers from Ecowise. $25. They’re so sweet, I’d even use them as a prop!

The post Pure Green Plaid appeared first on EcoSalon.

Has your group of gal pals run out of things to talk about? (Not likely!) But for mixed company at your next holiday gathering, get the ball rolling with these unique artisan creations. Made from sustainable monkey pod wood, the Conversation Balls are sure to keep the witty banter whirling so you can avoid resorting to the dreaded topic: weather.

Plus, they make chic decorative tabletop accents. Skilled artisans carve each piece by hand and follow the lead of the wood’s natural grain pattern to create organically beautiful swirls. Interested in similar decor to adorn more bare surfaces? Check out my post about the Cast Bronze antler and Marble spheres. (Available at sponsor VivaTerra for $98- $198.)

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As global warming delivers temperatures in the high 80s around much of the lower U.S., you may not want to pack up the picnic basket and hunker down for cabin living just yet.

I’d rather embrace the butterflies, since there are so many lovely patterns and accents to keep us connected to the prettiest garden bug we know. Inside or out, they let our imaginations take flight:

The Butterfly Jubilee Fabric from Mod Green Pod is 100% organic, featuring our winged friends in bold shades on an elegant field of gold. You can capture the look on your walls, too, in the hand silkscreened paper of the same design.

Mr. Squirrel chases butterlies on this sweet floor pillow from Amenity filled with eco-fibers and naturally retro-inspired, $110.

Modern and glassy, when you buy this butterfly plate from Plates with Purpose you are doing a service to not only your guests but also the Forbes Hospice. $88.

Butterflies seem to land on lots of vintage tableware, including this Seventies Daher Deocrated metal ware serving dish from Lorenz  Studio at Etsy.

These gold butterfly Corelle dishes seem to fly out of Etsy and other sites that sell them. Highly collectible, you can still locate this bowl at Mimi’s Back Porch. Fill with poporn and rent Butterflies are Free.

Observation and reflection: sit back in your garden chair while reading up on butterflies and taking notes about how to stop climate change. The recycled paper journal ($150) is fromMarcopoloni.

While you’re at it, donate a little extra something to butterfly conservation.

The post Patterns That Make Us Flutter in Winter or Summer appeared first on EcoSalon.

Because my single set of coasters follows my icy beverages from room to room, I came to the conclusion that this is one item you can’t have too many of. And, EcoEtsy artisans’ imaginative creations prove that handmade is the way to go.

Sports and decor don’t mix, or do they? The Recycled Skateboard coasters transform this post-consumer waste into functional accents for your tabletops.

Images of nature from discarded issues of old publications are cut in the shape of a soaring bird to adorn the surface of the unique Recycled Magazine coasters.

Pressed with real branches and leaves for an authentic appeal, the Creamy White coaster tiles are then stained and glazed for a polished look (shown at top).

The post EcoEtsy Favorites: Coasters appeared first on EcoSalon.

That’s putting it kindly. All too often, I invest in beautiful house plants, only to watch them wither away and wonder what I did wrong. I was about to give up altogether, until I stumbled upon this: the Magical Air Garden is the perfect fit for eco gals on the go who simply don’t have the time to tend to their collection of indoor greenery. Tillandsia is a seemingly miraculous life form, requiring just air, light and a little bit of water to thrive. They don’t even need to be grown in soil! Instead, these flora come with smooth river stones and a clear recycled glass vessel, an aesthetically sound alternative. Want more? How about the Grapevine Bonsai or the Antique Stone planters? (Available at VivaTerra for $79.)

The post My Lifestyle May Be Green, But My Thumb Needs Some Improvement appeared first on EcoSalon.