Danny Seo recently made some pillows out of feed bags he scooped up at an old general store in Pennsylvania for a buck each, by simply stuffing and stitching them. I love this fresh twist on an antique; it's unexpected. But, there's also quite a lot you could do with feed bags, such as upholstering or making tea towels, or framing them. The country graphics are charming and offer kitschy, yet understated style. And, the $1 price won't break the bank! But, if you're not a crafty person, I can see how this wouldn't appeal to you. Luckily, I've found some colorful pillows made from recycled rice sacks to purchase for those of you who fit that profile. To see where you can buy them, read more

Resolutions are often made with the best intentions — and then promptly forgotten. This year, I'm going to try very hard to stick to my eco-oriented New Year's resolutions. Starting off, I'm going to try to keep a better attitude about living green. I won't complain when we keep the heat down, but I'll instead try to cheerfully don a sweater and a pair of slippers. After all, turning down the thermostat saves you green, as well as helping out the environment.


Other resolutions include finally buying rain barrels for the house, expanding my garden, and remembering to use carbon offsets for my plane travel.

What are your green resolutions for 2009?

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Happy New Year! Here's hoping that you all enjoy health, happiness, and beautiful, well-appointed homes in 2009! Thanks for making 2008 such a great year here on CasaSugar. I know that you will all continue to inspire me in the new year.
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This year, when the Times Square Ball drops at 11:59 p.m. on New Year's Eve, it will be bigger than ever, at double the size of any other Ball in history, and nearly 12,000 pounds heavy. However, this ball, which is lit up by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs, is also decidedly green: It only uses as much energy as two household ovens.

LEDs, or light emitting diodes, use much less power than traditional bulbs, and unlike CFLs, don't contain mercury. LEDs can last for years, and sometimes even decades. The LEDs on this year's Times Square Bulb will create 16 million colors and billions of patterns, while still achieving a 10 to 20 percent upgrade in energy efficiency, as compared to last year's ball.

In case you miss the ball drop, no worries: The new ball will reside above Times Square for public viewing from January through December of 2009.

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