New Year Cheer

Happy New Year!

Am I the only one that never really knew the words to this traditional song?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne ?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
and surely I’ll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine^† ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS 

 

Clearly I was making up words as I sang along :)

Early Rider

Something we may need for the newest family member over the next coming new years, an Early Rider Bike.  Also, known as Strider bikes these have revolutionized the way children learn how to ride a bike.  By simply removing the pedals children can learn how to balance on a bike before they try out the real deal.  No more training wheels. 

Pretty slick :)  Get yours here. 

LEED AP ID+C

Did you know that White Canvas Designs has a certified LEED AP ID+C?

(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Associate Professional in Interior Design & Construction).  

What is a LEED AP ID+C exactly?  It's a credential that provides a standard for professionals participating in the design and construction of environmentally responsible, high-performance commercial spaces and tenant improvements.  It's awarded through the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI)and the US Green Building Council.

We are happy to help in any of your environmental building adventures!  Contact us for more information here.  

ELKA Home

I love the design philosophy behind the company ELKA Home.  And of course have to mention their cute funky style!

Here are their Core Values:
We are driven to produce the highest quality non-toxic upholstered furniture for the benefit of our customers, ourselves and our workers. Along with producing such furniture, it is our self-imposed obligation to share knowledge about toxins, sustainability and healthy living. It is also our self-imposed responsibility to share the fruits of our labor with our employees, business partners, customers and community.
EKLA HOME is a company that embraces input, learning and teaching. The company is defined by the spirit, passion, integrity and intention of its contributing members. We are all interconnected and use the synergy of relationships to make us stronger.
Our upholstered furniture pieces aren’t just pieces of furniture. As heirloom quality, each piece has a story of real people, craftsmen, whose energy and pride move forward with the pieces as they leave our facility. EKLA HOME celebrates the power of people and knowledge as the key components to a healthful work life and a successful company. Oh, and sprinkle these with lots of laughs and fun along the way.

Contact White Canvas Designs if you are interested in purchasing something from this well valued company at a discount or receiving further information!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

From White Canvas Designs to your home 

have a wonderful Christmas and warm holiday season! 

Holiday Decorations

K, if your still working on gifts your running out of time.  Why not just relax and start decorating the house with these adorable tin can angels?

Made in Guatemala by a rural cooperative, these bright, shiny ornaments are sure to add a lively fizz to your holiday decorations- they're made from recycled beverage cans. Bottle tops become angel faces, while the sides of the cans are refashioned into celestial robes and wings. A triumph of ingenuity and artistic vision over wasteful litter, these angels raise living standards for low-income families: a gift very much in the spirit of the season. 3"W x 2"D x 4"H

 $29 for a set of four at Viva Terra.

I might have to get some for our tree for next year!

Homemade Gifts

Try out a few of these homemade gifts instead of getting out the credit card this year...there's still time!

UPCYLCED TEA CUP SOY CANDLE

Making exquisite soy candle gifts can be as easy as a trip to the thrift store. Find your favorite tea or espresso cup, and repurpose it into a great looking gift. Using all natural, unscented soy wax, or those with essential oils added, will ensure that the candle will burn clean.

 Learn how easy they are to make at Design Sponge >

HOMEMADE ORGANIC TOMATO SAUCE

After all of the holiday parties and gathering, your guests may have had their fill of cookies and sweet treats. Make them a more healthy edible gift  they will love. We suggest jarring tomato Sauce made from organic, or heirloom tomatoes. For an added eco touch, use ribbon or reusable rubber bands to attached label to your recyclable glass jars instead of adhesive. When all the sauce it eaten, the gift is totally waste free!

Get the recipe from Country Living >

 PINHOLE ART

Make beautiful art without the use of paint or ink! Pinhole art is created by sandwiching blank paper between a sheet of cardboard and an image. Poke around the image so that the silhouette is transferred. We suggest using using 100% recycled content paper.

Get the full instructions here >

PAPER BOWLS AND BASKETS

Sometimes it isn’t the gift itself, but the delivery that makes the impact! Using magazines or paper bags, you can make bowls and baskets of any size. If you are still feeling empty handed, you could fill the basket with edible  gift such as fruit, baked goods, or other treats.

Get crafty with the how-to from Canadian Living >

 

REPURPOSED AND REUSABLE USB MIX TAPE

Flash drives allow you to hold many more songs than a CD, plus they are reusable! Make your favorite mixed of 20 or 200 songs and load then on one of these little sticks. To make it more fun, embed the drive in an old cassette tape.

For instructions follow this link from MAKE >

UPCYCLED BOOK WREATH

Using a an old book, scissors, and your oven, you can make a really pretty wreath for a friend or loved one. We suggest using a straw wreath form instead of foam, and substituting got glue for homemade adhesive made form flour, sugar, vinegar, and water.

Trash to Treasure blog will show you how >

 

The Modern Dollhouse

I will never forget as a little girl waking up on Christmas morning and finding a completely assembled dollhouse for me and my sisters to play with courtesy of Santa.  It was a magical feeling that I think every little girl should have.

Thanks to Brinca Dada the "Emerson House" brings an entirely new realm to the dollhouse experience.  No longer the Victorian or Colonial style dollhouse that I remember but a modern house built by an architect Santa somewhere.

You can get your child one (or yourself as it still appeals to me as an adult) from here for $329. 

Gifts for the Home

More great idea's from Inhabitat...

Not only is this adorable Potus Pot a cute way to display a favorite plant, it’s one of the winning designs from our very own Inhabitat Spring Greening contest! Each one is made out of an old incandescent bulb, and is a great way to give the gift of an original recycled home decor creation.

 

$32 from the Inhabitatshop >

Do you want to take revenge upon repay your favorite Scrabble opponent for all of the long agnst fun filled nights of gameplay you’ve shared? Well then these cheeky pillows are just the thing. Made of 100% recycled bottle felt, each one is shaped like a giant letter tile and can be purchased in any combination – even I H-A-T-E L-O-S-I-N-G T-O Y-O-U.

 

£45 from Rockett St. George >

If you know someone who is on the brink of burnout and really just needs to relax a little, this bonsai tree kit could be just what they need! Bonsai growing is known for its soothing and relaxing powers and this kit comes with everything your stressed out giftee needs to get started including: seedling training pots, tree and moss seed, seed-starting wafers, growing medium, and river stones. Hopefully they can stop pulling out their hairs and start pruning off branches instead.

 

$54 at Branch >

 

Holiday hosts can always use an extra bowl – especially when they’re brightly colored and festive like these. Made from eco-friendly and fast-growing bamboo, they’re the perfect holiday/thank you gift to give your friends and relatives. Hey, it’s the least you could do for eating all of their food and drinking all of their booze.

 

$12 from Re:Modern >

These beautiful plates resemble giant bubbles and are made by fusing two sheets of recycled window glass together. Each one is unique because of the tiny bubbles that form when pockets of air get trapped during the glass melting process. Available in “sea” or “smoke.”

 

$60-$160 from UncommonGoods >

 If you know someone who is an avid biker – or just someone who enjoys a brewski – get them one of these neat looking bottle openers made of recycled bike chain. You can buy them in red, silver, green, blue or orange and they’re sure to be used pretty much right upon unwrapping.

 $11 at Bambeco >

It’s hard not to be drawn in by terrariums – they’re little worlds that allow the mind to wander and escape from our hectic everyday lives. Give your favorite friend or family member one of these small wonders with Esque’s recycled glass container gardens. Not only are they adorable, they’re also made in a furnace that’s powered by wind energy!

If you agree that useful gifts make better gifts, you’ll love giving this lovely pitcher and tumbler set (hey, everyone needs something to drink out of). Made out of clay and finished with a lovely yellow earth-friendly lead-free glaze, they feature a simple and intriguing “scribble” pattern. They’re even fired in a kiln that’s powered by renewable energy!

Cheese, crackers and a chuckle. That’s what you’ll be giving when you make a gift of these awesome serving platters that look like bottles that just got run over by a steamroller. Each one is made from 100 percent recycled glass, and comes in your choice of cobalt blue or green.

 $18 at Uncommon Goods >

Do you know someone who’s been dying to go green around the house but is totally stumped about how to do it? Then make it a no brainer for them by giving them Eco-Me’s handy home starter kit. The bundle contain’s Eco-Me’s proprietary blend of essential oils that aid in removing dirt, mildew, mold, water stains and other household grime. Just one bottle of Eco-Me essential oil blend replaces 6 different cleaning products!

 

$25.99 at Amazon >

 

There’s something hilarious and endearing about these “beverage pallet” coasters that will put a smile on anyone’s face. Made from reclaimed wood, they’ll protect the recipient’s furniture from coffee stains and will even assist in “shipping” hot mugs from the kitchen to the living room.

 $10 for a set of 4 at Etsy >

 

Is one of the peeps on your holiday list a superstar in the kitchen? If so, pay them back for all of the delectable homemade meals by presenting them with this gleaming new recycled aluminum frying pan. The surface is made of ceramic powder and it has an easy to hold bamboo handle.

 

$36.43 from Amazon >

Give your favorite giftee this little number and both she and all of the birds in their neighborhood will thank you! This minimalistic and elegant birdhouse is made from clay, earth-friendly lead-free glaze, reclaimed cedar wood and natural suede cord, and makes a great addition to any outdoor space that could use a visit from some feathered friends.

 

$98 at Branch >

Colorful and cute, this boombox is made out of recycled candy boxes and gives your favorite music lover a place to dock her iPod. The speakers are clear-sounding and powerful; the boombox arrives flat, making it even more eco-friendly.

 

$18 from Urban Outfitters >

 

Design Break Inspiration: Nanook Chair

Take a break from your holiday madness and enjoy this design inspiration.

• Designed by: Philippe Bestenheider
• Made by: Moroso

A snowflake-inspired seat for the graphically inclined, the painted-wood Nanook puts a stylistic stop to the whiteout of minimal modernist decor.

Angel Wing Platter

This would make a beautiful hostess gift for the holiday party you are attending this year.

Viva Terra's eco-friendly recycled aluminum wing platter alights on your dinner, coffee, or side table with angelic grace, adding its celestial elan to the spirit of the season. A beautiful object on its own, it also provides a convenient server for holiday baked goods and other treats, or a receptacle for seasonal greetings. 22"L x 9", starts at $119

Stocking Stuffers

Useful gifts are always appreciated and almost everyone can find use for an extra set of coasters – especially fun ones like these that are recycled from vintage records! Each coaster features completely random artists from all eras of music and your giftees will have a blast serving each of their guests drinks on coasters showcasing their favorite musical styles.

 $19.99 from Amazon >

Give the delightful gift of gardening with these clever seed starters disguised as match books. Plus this packet comes with 5 matchbooks so you can fill 5 stockings.

 

$12.50 at Brooklyn 5 & 10 >

Brooklyn-based Wrecords by Monkey makes these cute bracelets out of reclaimed vinyl records! They come in all sizes and classic prints like houndstooth, kofia, lumberjack and toile. A great little treat for the rockin’ eco-fashionista.

 $15 from Wrecords by Monkey >

Thanks to Inhabitat for the ideas :)

 

 

Coat Rack

A modern take on a traditional function from Blu Dot, the "Splash" coat rack is a new way to look at an old purpose.

Get yours here. 

Gifts Under $50 from Viva Terra

All items are less then $50 and are a great gift for any of your family members or friends.  Here are some of my favorites:

Wine Barrel Stave, $48

Buddha Bowls, $28

Montmartre Fingerless Gloves, $45

Glass Piggy Bank, $39

Recycled Glass Live Edge Servers, $24-$29

Lavendar Carmels, $16-$29

Gotta love the unique quality gifts you can share with others!

Bigtop Pouf

Back in the day when circuses traveled by truck and rail from town to town, every outfit proudly displayed its signature logo on the covering tarps. Each of Viva Terra's poufs are created from rare and authentic tarp remnants, bringing back fond memories of dancing elephants, daring trapeze artists and bulb-nosed clowns. For kids' rooms, family rooms, or wherever an audience congregates.

21"D x 16"H, starting at $239

Get yours here. 

A Jewelry Holder Gift For Her

This is an adorable gift for any girl in your circle.  The "Folk Bird Jewelry Holder", for $28. 

Something that I would love but would never buy for myself.  Get yours here.

Oh Anthro...

..how I love thee.  Let me count the ways:

Wine Opener, $36

"Peeping Posie Knobs"

Repurposed Reindeer, $68

Reflecting Pool Mirror, $168

Winter's Perch, $148

Austin's Flora Measuring Cups, $28

With so many great gift options it's hard not to shop for myself!