great outdoors

Sunscreen

by marianne on July 7, 2012

Summer is here and it is BLAZING. Well, not so much blazing in Los Angeles (it’s 71 degrees). The sun in southern California, however, is always a vicious beast and pretty much at its strongest right now. Constantly, every day, it beats up my skin with its rays and makes me fear that my skin is aging more quickly than if I were still under the protection of Michigan’s cloudy days. On the upside, I’m slowly growing my sunhat collection!

Recently, I needed to buy some sunscreen on my way out of town, and I cursed my new android phone and its lack of the EWG sunscreen guide app. If I had planned ahead, I could have always done my research on EWG’s 2012 Sunscreen Guide. Long story short: I didn’t plan ahead.

My main concern is that I get an actual broad spectrum sunscreen vs something only LOOKS like it has broad spectrum protection because of misleading labels. Also, I’m not super into chemical ingredients that are hormone disrupters nor the possibility that as a sunscreen breaks down it might release free radicals and actually INCREASE my chances of cancer! Personally, I err on the side of mineral sunscreens. My quick tip is to look for titanium dioxide.

You can read more about sunscreen’s complexities here. Also, NPR had an interesting story this week on Science Friday about how sunscreen works. If you really want to nerd out, you can read about the FDA’s new sunscreen labeling requirements. They were supposed to be enacted before this summer season, but were pushed back 6 months. This is something else I learned from NPR.

Photo by Gordon Parks// LIFE magazine

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Cabin Porn

by marianne on June 2, 2012

in architecture, design, great outdoors, photography

One thing that really irks me is when people use the word “porn” to describe something that isn’t actually porn. Food porn, design porn, etc…it’s just not something I find clever or amusing. HOWEVER, I’ve decided to make an exception for Free Cabin Porn. Because if I can’t be in a cabin right now, at least I can fantasize about it.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

via Shelter Co’s Facebook page.

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Vintage Camper Love

by marianne on May 18, 2012

in great outdoors, travel

I’ve got a pretty serious case of wanderlust. I often find myself fantasizing about a life where Sean and I buy a cute vintage camper go on a road trip. Like, a year long road trip. Just us and DJ. We would visit our loved ones and sell things as we go in order to pay the bills, and I would blog blog blog.

We are at the end of our lease and are apartment hunting. Too bad the rental market is brutal in Los Angeles right now. There is a massive part of me that just wants to say “eff it” and toss our stuff into a storage facility and travel. But, there are the little things…like our Honda Fit, while totally amazing, is not suited to towing a camper over mountains. Oh, and there is that little matter of the credit card debt I accrued while establishing ourselves in Los Angeles (whoops!). Those bills would still need to be paid. Even though we could probably find a camper fairly cheap, we don’t actually have the money saved up. And, Bird and Feather is booked to sell at the Patchwork Indie Art and Craft Festival in Culver City on June 10, and we are selling at the Renegade Craft Fair in LA at the end of July. That pushes us back to August, but by then I have to assume we will have signed another lease, and will once again be burdened by that huge financial strain. Also, if we left in August, we’d have to be back by September for when Katie and Tim visit. So, I guess what I’m saying is: not this year. Hopefully, maybe next. I want it reeeaaaal bad.

Now, let’s spend some time torturing me with images of the life I want, but currently cannot have. I think the little Shasta Campers are my favorite! I didn’t feature any interiors because with these super-cute vintage campers often comes a super kitchy interior, which is really not our style. We will probably try and figure out some sort of rustic/modern interior look that would suit our future camper and us, equally. Or perhaps some clean white with pops of color? Once again I’m getting ahead of myself…

If you are into these, you should also check out these vintage camper ads. Also, feel free to check out the pinterest board I started for vintage campers.

photos: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

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Eco Friendly Rain Gear

by marianne on April 19, 2012

in fashion, great outdoors, style

On any given rainy day, everywhere I turn, all I see are Hunter Rain Boots. They are made out of natural rubber, which is a good thing, but geez-louise everyone has them. They are also pretty pricey, especially for a product manufactured in China.

This mono-wellie phenomenon has sent me on a quest to find some cute, eco-friendly and affordable rain gear. There are some good, affordable options out there by way of eco-friendly rain boots and eco-friendly umbrellas, but not so much in the eco-friendly raincoat department. Since we all only need one good rain jacket, perhaps it’s not so bad to spend a little more money on a product that is better for the world? (Sidenote: if you know of any affordable, eco-friendly or sustainably produced raincoats, please send them our way!)

Ecoverse Umbrella by ShedRain – Navy, $32 - This umbrella is made of recycled and recyclable materials. The canopy is made of recycled PET plastic bottles, and the handle is made of bamboo.

Olivia Rainboots by Kamik – Navy, $34.95-59.99 - These rain boots are PVC free, 100% recyclable, and made in Canada.

Seaside Raincoat by Lizz Basinger – Yellow, $375 - This rain jacket is made of nylon and cotton and is completely waterproof. Nylon isn’t the most eco-friendly fabric, but it’s not the most eco-evil either. There are many things to take into consideration when evaluating whether or not to buy a product. This coat is handmade in Portland, so it gets bonus points because by purchasing it, you are supporting individual artisans and the handmade movement!

The Natural Umbrella – Pack of 2 Black, $32 The canopy is made of recycled plastic, and the handle of 65% shredded wood that will decompose within 2-3 weeks in soil.

Kelly by Tretorn – Gray, $75 Ok. These are a little pricier, but still way cheaper than a pair of Hunter Wellies. They are made of 100% natural rubber with an ecoOrtholite insole.

Succinct Trench by Nau – Caviar Plaid, $275 - Nau, also from Portland, has some serious sustainable street cred. Just look at their Principles of Design for more information on what goes into each product. This particular jacket is made of recycled poly fabric and is waterproof, while being lightweight and breathable.

You might also want to check out Totes Eco Brella (not pictured). It’s currently on sale for $15!

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Spring Book Wish List

by marianne on April 16, 2012

in great outdoors, home

It’s just about killing me that I don’t have a yard RIGHT NOW. I remain optimistic that Sean and I will somehow find our perfectly affordable abode in a highly desirable neighborhood at a price we can afford because I like to “shoot for the stars.”

As a result of my yard-ly ambitions, gardening related books are speaking to me. Below are a few new ones I’m thinking about checking out.

Handmade Garden Projects - This books seems to be the perfect mix of rustic-modern-vintage-DIY-relaxed-cool goodness that I would strive for in my very own backyard. I want a comfy, cozy, and, I guess you could say, ‘raw’ space, but I also don’t want you to have to feel like you need to get a tetanus shot after you leave. Pro Tip: There are a lot of pages available to view on the “click to look inside” feature on Amazon for this title.

Tiny World Terrariums - I actually took the plunge and bought this book. I don’t yet have it in my possession, but it looks like a good one.

It’s written by the ladies over at Twig in Brooklyn. They do some really cool stuff. Also, I have a personal terrarium-related announcement coming up soon.

Small Space Container Gardens - In the event that Sean and I do not find our perfect future living arrangement with a yard of our own, we will certainly find a space with a patio, porch, or balcony.

I’m not super into the cover of this book, but after looking at the publisher’s site, and at the author, Fern Richardson’s blog, Life on the Balcony , it seems that this book might be ripe with the kind of outdoor inspiration we will need.

Concrete Garden Projects - Sean and I have a future craft-date (after Coachella) with our friends Shannon and Brad to make some bitching concrete planters together. We were going to reference these two tutorials on how to make concrete planters, but it would be fun to advance our projects further with this book.

In related news, I recently discovered a new blog, Dearest Nature. All of the content is inspired by nature and there are lots of pretty pictures. Also, somehow I missed this, but Apartment Therapy recently did a round-up of garden related blogs. You can check it out here.

Now, get off of your computer and go outside. It will do you some good.

Disclaimer: If you click through on any of the books we link to on amazon.com and then purchase said book, Katie and I will get 4% of that sale via the Affiliate Amazon Associates program. You have our word that we will only recommend books that we are genuinely interested in and that our decision to share books isn’t because of the affiliate program. That is just a tiny little bonus. Besides, both of us are library girls, and we always recommend that you visit your local library.

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