CasaSugar

Open House: What's Your Green Resolution?

CasaSugar — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:30:09 -0800

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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What's Your New Year's Resolution for Your Home?

CasaSugar — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 05:22:00 -0800

I have a laundry list of chores and renovations to get done and furnishings to buy to perk up my home this year. A part of me thinks I always will, but some have higher priority than others. For example, my kitchen is aching for a new paint job, and I'm on a never-ending hunt for the perfect console table. Tell me in the comments: What's your New Year's resolution for your home?

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David Tutera's New Year's Eve Entertaining Tips

CasaSugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 05:30:32 -0800

When it comes to advice on throwing your New Year's Eve party this week, look no further than party planner David Tutera, who’s planned star-studded events for the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, and Star Jones, to name a few. He's given me a few tips on ringing in the New Year with your cohorts in style.

Create a sexy centerpiece. Tutera recommends using "every glass you own - martini glasses, wine glasses and champagne stems martini glasses, wine glasses and champagne stems - and place them down the center of your table filled with water." Then, he says to "add drops of pink food coloring in varying amounts so that there are different shades in each glass," and float votives in each glass for a colorful, sparkling centerpiece.

To hear a few more of his tips, read more.

Start the year by giving back. Tutera suggests asking guests to "Bring Their Own Donation," such as old blankets for animal shelters and money for saving the rainforest, instead of drinks or dishes.
Ring in the New Year right. Great minds think alike; like Yours Truly, Tutera suggests making your own confetti from scraps of colorful paper around your home. But, in his twist, you should, "add in inexpensive sequins or even small pieces of coordinating fabric and package them in small bags or cones for guests to throw when the ball drops." He also suggests tying "a small bag of hand-made confetti to each champagne glass that you pass out."
A low-cost party game. Tutera suggests creating a resolution board "from a framed mirror to a fabric covered piece of foam core," and placing it at your front door, inviting guests to share their resolutions. I say: save your resolution board and check in with your guests in three months and see how well they've followed through!

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How-To: Clean Out Your Refrigerator

CasaSugar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:00:18 -0800

Another year, another resolution. It's hard to eat healthy when your refrigerator is stocked with temptation. And it's hard to get off on the right foot with any resolution when your home base is a mess. So, it's time that we all get a fresh start this year with a clean fridge. You may think that the task only requires a dose of motivation, but there's a method to this cleanliness, and I'm going to enlighten you with it. To learn the steps to a cleaner new year, read more.

To begin, clean your kitchen counter and sink and remove everything from your countertops.
Take out your trash, and put a fresh bag in your garbage can.
Put any dirty dishes in the dishwasher and turn it on, or wash them by hand. Unload your dishes and put them where they belong: out of sight!
Turn off your refrigerator and unplug it.
Now, on to the real work. Begin with your freezer. If you have an ice maker, toss all your ice and wash the ice bin by hand. If you have ice trays, toss the ice and put your trays in the dishwasher. If you have neither, get yourself some ice trays!
Toss everything in your freezer except unopened boxes of frozen food. If you haven't eaten your frozen leftovers by now, you never will. If you have curbside composting with your garbage service, you can compost your food and even paper towels, instead of throwing it all in the trash. If you have a backyard compost pile, only place fruits and veggie-based foods in it.
Put the keepers on your kitchen counter.
On to the fridge. Work your way down starting from the top shelf and toss all of your leftovers. Rinse all your Tupperware and other storage containers and put them in the dishwasher.
Turn your dishwasher on.
One shelf at a time, pull every food product out of your fridge, tossing or composting it if it's expired or the sell by date isn't within the last two weeks. Put the keepers on your kitchen counter.
Apply the last two steps to the refrigerator door and any bins you have in your fridge.
Fill your sink with water and a good dose of dishwashing liquid.
Soak each refrigerator shelf in your sink for a delicate few one at a time. Scrub it well with a sponge. Shake dry. Spray it with glass cleaner, wipe, and let dry. Continue with each shelf. And remember, you can also clean with vinegar.
Spray the interior walls of your refrigerator and freezer and their doors with Clorox Greenworks and scrub your heart out.
Now, clean your vegetable bins by soaking and sponging them, and then spraying them with your Greenworks as well. Let dry.
Now, replace the shelves and bins.
Replace your food to your fridge and freezer, keeping them organized with some system.
Remove your ice trays from your dishwasher, fill them, and place them in the freezer.
Unload the rest of your dishwasher.
Make a list of what to buy now that I've made you toss everything.
Remove the Christmas cards from your fridge and store them. Toss or store any other paperwork on your fridge. Start fresh with a paper-free fridge, just magnets!
Wipe down the exterior of your fridge.
Now, have a glass of wine and relax.

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Photographer to Watch: Aaron Chang

CasaSugar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:00:02 -0800

Surfer, world traveler, and photographer Aaron Chang expresses his passion for the outdoor world through his massive, beautifully rendered photographs. Aaron, who has just opened his first gallery in Solana Beach, CA, works in large-format photographic prints that highlight his love for travel and the ocean. An award-winning photographer with over 100 magazine covers to his credit, Aaron is currently working with renowned designer David Carson on his first book, which should be out this December. I recently had the opportunity to interview Aaron about his work, life, and commitment to the environment.

CasaSugar: Did surfing affect your desire to start taking photographs, or was it the other way around?

Aaron Chang: Yes, surfing was the reason I started taking photographs. I saw so much beauty when I was surfing that I was motivated to shoot in order to share what I was seeing with people.

To read the rest of the interview and to view other photos, read more.

CasaSugar: What is your favorite subject to photograph?

Aaron Chang: The ocean. Waves in particular.

CasaSugar: I see that you're involved with Surfrider Foundation. Can you tell readers a little about this charity?

Aaron Chang: I have a passion for the ocean, so my partnering with Surfrider was an obvious fit. We will be partnering with Surfrider for the gallery's grand opening on Feb. 28. A portion of the evening's sales will be donated to them. We will also be working with them on an ongoing basis for future events.

CasaSugar: I love that you use eco-friendly materials. How and why did you begin doing this?

Aaron Chang: I feel it is important to be responsible with the earth's finite resources. Every little bit helps. [Aaron uses material such as recycled scrap metal and earth-friendly dyes.]

CasaSugar: Why did you decide to present your photographs in such a large format?

Aaron Chang: Big is exciting! The new digital process can replicate 68 billion colors with laser precision, allowing us to make prints that were not technologically possible a few years ago. These prints have startling resolution and color at sizes that create lifelike experience for the viewer.

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8 Easy Eco-Home Essentials

CasaSugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:00:46 -0800

If you have a New Year's resolution to live greener, then try starting with the simple stuff. Turning your home into an eco-friendly haven isn't hard. Here are eight essentials to add to your home arsenal to make your abode more green and clean.

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Casa Quickie: Store Behind the Door

CasaSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:30:00 -0800

If getting organized is one of your New Year's resolutions, here's a quick trick to keep your unsightly stuff out of sight. Behind a door is often a great place to store things, whether your junk is stowed in the corner or hanging on a hook. If you have a door that opens onto a corner just right, then go a step further and install a cute curtain to create an insta-closet.

To find out how to do it and to see what's hiding behind this curtain, read more.

Here, the door and the curtain combine to form two sides of a four-sided storage area, which houses a shelf full of sewing and laundry supplies. To create a similar storage space in your home, all you need is a swing-arm curtain rod mounted on the top of the door and a cute window panel or piece of fabric.

Swing the arm out at a 90-degree angle from the door to create two sides of a three- or four-sided space (depending on how your door opens). Hang even more items on hooks behind the curtain. Then, it's all out of sight but easy to access whenever you need it.

Casa Verde: 5 Tips For a Greener New Year's Party

CasaSugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:00:32 -0800

Celebrating the new year doesn't mean that you have to start 2009 with an extra large bag of trash. There are some smart ways that you can decorate and prepare for your party that will keep garbage to a minimum. What better way to start off the new year than with a clean and green conscience?

To see my tips, read more.

Use reusable cloth napkins and dishes, such as these CB2 Marilyn Plates ($ .95), which are made of melamine and can be reused at future parties in 2009.
Encourage your guests to carpool, or arrange to pick them up from the nearest public transit station, if one doesn't run close enough to your home for guests to walk.
Don't put away those holiday decorations yet! Reuse decorations, such as holiday ornaments, as chic centerpieces.
Make your own confetti out of old wrapping paper.
Encourage guests to make green resolutions for the new year.

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Coveted Crib: An Unconventional French Cottage

CasaSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:00:37 -0800

From the exterior, Gary and Samantha Peterson's Chamonix cottage, which was featured in Marie Claire Maison, is resolutely a traditional Alpine house. But push open its front door, and you'll be confronted with cheerfully decorated interiors bursting with acid colors, massively proportioned spaces, and walls dressed in white, throwing you into a ski vacation universe turned upside down. Despite the fact that all conventions have been thrown to the wind, and your average cottage kitsch is notably missing, the Petersons' cottage is a welcoming mountain escape, and certainly what I'd call a coveted crib. To take the full tour, check out this slideshow. Source

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H&M to Launch Homewares Collection in 2009

CasaSugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:00:33 -0800

I may just be speaking for myself here, but I think for most of us (despite good intentions), the new year is a time of failed resolutions. Sad, but true. Such is not the case for H&M, which will embark on a new venture in early 2009, making its foray into the arena of interiors with a range of home textiles and accessories. Whether you're looking for a quick bathroom update, a new look in the living room, or a punch of color in the kitchen, online and mail order shoppers in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands can count on H&M's expertise to inject a little fashion into your homes. And, of course, it will all come at an affordable price: cushions will range from $6 to $19, bed sets from $19 to $63, and towels from $11 to $19. Some key pieces in the range will be 35 different pillow cover designs and 15 bed linen sets. True to H&M’s clothing heritage, shoppers will be encouraged to mix and match, and with palettes of neutrals, monochrome, nautical blues and reds, and bright neons, it shouldn't be hard. There will be something for everyone, too: bold decorators might choose a Jackson Pollock-inspired paint splatter-printed cushions, while the back-to-basics person goes for H&M's organic bedding and cushions in clean white and soft beige. To see a bunch of photos of the collection, read more.

It looks fabulous, right? A bit of an Ikea meets Urban Outfitters vibe, with a little more pep! I can't wait until it makes its way to the States. All I can say is, Europeans, shop your hearts out and show H&M that they're onto something!

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