Holiday Green

The eco-friendly, live succulent wreath from Viva Terra.

With minimal water, this wreath made of succulent plants stays green year round. Why didn't Martha think of this? Oh wait--she did. Here are directions to make your own.

Another idea for a Thanksgiving hostess gift is to send potted succulents from an establishment like Succulent L.A.. The mission behind this "flora design" firm, conceived by actress Samantha Mathis and interior designer Ryann Davis, was to create a low-maintenance, environmentally responsible alternative to cut flowers. And trust me--these plants are idiot proof.

They also make pretty place holders (and take-home favors) for your dinner table.

(Potted echeverias from Martha Stewart Living, September '07).

Wise Surprise

Each time I do a post about baby items (which has only been 3 out 143 posts, by the way) I get a lot of speculative comments. So let me preemptively state that I don’t have any of that kind of news. What news I do have is about Wise Surprise, a fab new gift service for mother and child. With presents that fall closer to the aesthetic of B. Braithwaite than Babies-R-Us, you can send a sophisticated gift to all of your new mom friends (as well as house warming presents and green gifts for moms and non-moms alike). When your friends are scattered around the country like mine are, a shop like this comes in handy.

And speaking of cool babies, how about this chic nursery from Orange Beautiful, created for her very own. I would not mind having the grown up version of this room for myself.

Room Inspired Wrap

Photo by Stephanie Diani for The New York Times, via Stylecourt.

Inspired by designer Krista Ewart's use of this red and white Madeline Weinrib rug, I have been on the hunt for a holiday wrapping paper with a similar feel. The closest I have found to date is this Zig Zag pattern from Nepalese Paper. Their gift wraps are hand printed on cultivated bark, a practice which sustains both the environment and the local economy of Nepal. Everybody wins!

The Glam and the Green

This graphic Bisazza ad (at top) always grabs my attention, so I can see why set designers would find these mosaics to be the perfect, dynamic backdrop for drama. Watching an episode of The Real World Sydney this weekend (yes, I know), I recognized an abundance of these funky mosaics throughout the Darling Harbour living quarters (pictured in the billiard room above).

But just because MTV has embraced the Hollywood Regency style this season, don't expect it to be the theme of future Real World sets. The 20th season has already begun production in L.A. with an emphasis on green design, using materials like bamboo flooring and recyclables. Fame-hungry drunks aside, it will be interesting to see if the mega-successful series will inspire a new generation of environmentally responsible designers.

As far as my own efforts to implement green design...antique shopping counts as recycling, right?

Trend Bucking

"Antlers are the new over", declared Jamie Gray in a December Domino post. Whether or not you agree, fall fashion lines are threatening at least one more season of the trend. To better recognize our psychological attraction toward all things hunting lodge as of late, the New York Times weighs in on a myriad of possibilities. The article is a few months old, but considering decorating trends sometimes take years to totally fade out, it will give you something to laugh about when flipping through the next stag heavy Pottery Barn catalog. In the meantime, I thought these candlesticks and branch vases from eco purveyor Viva Terra were a nice autumnal accessory. The aesthetic falls along the same vein without being as big of a commitment as that carved wood deer head--and they are made of recycled aluminum, so we know they are satisfying at least one green-hot trend.