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HOMEMADE SPA RECIPES

I love to be pampered, who doesn't. And I have found that I can have a super relaxing and rejuvenating experience while pampering myself in my own home. On Sunday evenings I turn my bathroom into my sanctuary. We used to call it a "beauty symposium" when we were kids. We would get our hair curled and our nails painted, we loved it! Now as an "adult" I still enjoy my Sunday night spa time. After my shower I go to town scrubbing and exfoliating and here are some of my little secret recipes.


Bath Soaks:
Add a cup of strongly brewed peppermint tea to the water for an herbal soak, or Add some Epsom salts and a few drops of essential oils. I like to change the oils based on my mood.

Avocado Facial:
Mix 1 tbsp mashed avoado, 1 tsp honey, 3 drops apple cider vinegar and a little sesame oil.
Rub onto your face leave for 10 min. then rinse with water.

Foot Scrub:
Mix equal parts granulated sugar and olive oil and rub into feet. I also like to use a pumice stone on my heels and bottoms of my feet to get them super smooth.

To Exfoliate Elbows and Knees:
Cut an orange in half and rub onto knees and elbows, this sounds so bazaar but it actually works!

For Dry Skin:
For my all over skin I use coconut milk, not oil and rub it into my skin. On extra dry areas, cuticles and elbows I will rub in a few drops of olive oil.

For Puffy Eyes:
Use chamomile, green, or black tea bags, then steep them in boiling water and refrigerate them. Place them over the eyes for about 5-10 min.

Mascara Remover:
3 drops olive oil on a cotton ball, gently rub eyes and rinse with water.

Teeth Brightening:
Make a paste with Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda. Brush your teeth with it, then rinse. I like to rinse my whole mouth with hydrogen peroxide once a week as well, but I'm a anti-germ freak!

Acne Spot Treatment:
A few drops of organic honey and a pinch of cinnamon. mix together and dab on any blemishes. Leave on for about 10-15 min then rinse off. You will notice they have gotten smaller in the morning.


SHIPPING CONTAINER HOMES


Don't forget to enter this weeks giveaway for a $75 gift card to eco boutique, Future Standard. It closes Monday night!

Today, I want to share some great "contained" spaces. You may have noticed this trend taking off in the last five or so years. Shipping containers that are being recycled into very affordable and innovative living spaces. Container architecture is blowing up lately, because its not only budget friendly but very eco friendly as well. These containers are being transformed into very flexible living and work spaces, by large architectural firms and by the everyman.Check out these homes below, some of these interior shots don't look like shipping containers at all.

The interiors of this container were finished the same as most conventional homes, and the exterior is clad in wood, hiding any evidence of it's past life as a container.

The roof on this home is not only beautiful but helps keep the space cool.

Each space in this home has its own little container, and then the central area creates one large great room.

Can you believe that interior shot is a container home? I love the decks and walkways in this Kansas City home.

This one reminds me of Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House

This shipping container home has such a high end look, mixing glass and concrete into the design.

ECO OBSESSION: LOG END TABLES

I am not a good outdoors woman, I'll be the first to admit it. My idea of enjoying the outdoors usually involves a beach, or a boat, or a bike ride. Camping and hiking are unknown words in my vocabulary. But, whenever I need to find some interior design inspiration through nature I'll usually be the one to suggest going on a "hike." Enter the antler trend of 2010. I could hardly wait to get out into the deep wilderness and find my own antlers. So, recently when I asked John if we could go "hiking," he immediately wondered what my real agenda was.

As you may have guessed I wanted a log stump that I could turn into a table. He was sort of onto me as I had begged to have the car pulled over numerous times to collect stumps I had seen next to fallen trees. "Do you know how much a tree stump weighs," he would ask. I was sure I could handle any measly little stump we would come across. The stars must have aligned, because we went for a day trip to the river to relax and read, and low and behold, there it was my perfect stump. The entire time we were there I kept saying how excited I was that we found this stump, and how great it was that it was so close to the car, I would only have to walk about 400 yards with it. Dear readers who want to collect their own tree stumps, pull your car right up next to the stump. I felt like I was on Gladiator carrying this stump back to the car. I ran the last 100 yards just because i knew my arms might fall off. Of course John was no help because I was too stubborn, and had been saying for weeks how they couldn't be that heavy. If West Elm sells them how heavy can they be? I should have trusted the woodsman, live and learn.



I will post a tutorial on how to get your stump looking perfectly smooth and chic as soon as I can get it out of the car... In the mean time we can all drool over how incredibly chic Courtney Cox's Malibu living room looks. I love the rustic touches mixed with the clean contemporary lines. those benches are to-die-for. I'm also loving the grey tones in her side table, I still can't decide if I should stain mine, leave it plain, or gold leaf the sides. In case I have scared you from making your own  table, here are some options that will come straight to your door ready to go. (click images for links).


West Elm's Log End Table


Mr Brown's Alpina Side Table

Arteriors Subin Stump Table


Zinc Door Driftwood Drum Table

GIVEAWAY: FUTURE STANDARD

I am excited to announce the August Giveaway, and it's right in time for all your back-to-school fashion needs! We are giving one lucky reader a $75 gift certificate to Future Standard. Jessica Althoff is the founder of Future Standard, an online boutique that provides ethical clothing and accessories. I love their motto, "We do not compromise on style and do not think our values should get in the way of looking great."


HOW TO ENTER:
1. Like Style me Green AND Future Standard on Facebook 

2. After you've done these 2 things leave a comment below stating how you would use your gift card, if you don't have a blog or google account please leave an email with your comment, so we can notify you if you're the winner!
FOR AN EXTRA ENTRIES
1.  Follow Style me Green on twitter/pinterest, be sure to leave an additional comment on this post (up to 2 extra entries).

2. Mention this giveaway on twitter/facebook/personal blog, be sure to leave an additional comment on this post (up to 3 extra entries).

3. Pin this giveaway on pinterest, be sure to leave an additional comment on this post (up to 1 extra entry).

The giveaway ends Monday August 27th at 11:59 PM.
One winner will be selected using random.org and will be notified by email!

*Remember you have to comment to be entered, if you don't comment you can't win.




NATURAL SPLIT END TREATMENT

I hate split ends, they make your hair look dry and tired. If you have split ends it usually means your hair is not getting enough nourishment and moisture. Harsh shampoos, going out in the sun, blow drying, straightening, dyes, and bleaches all dry out your hair. There are a few things that can help improve the health of your hair if you aren't yet willing to go shampoo-free.


- Eat foods high in vitamins A, B, C, E and K to keep your hair from unnecessary breakage. Try adding more sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens, carrots, oranges, and plums to your diet.
- Use a natural leave-in conditioner in your hair before brushing. One of the worst things you can do is start brushing through your hair with a hairbrush when your hair's still wet. You'll end up with breakage, frizz and split ends to show for it. I use a honey leave in conditioner. Mix 2 tbsp  honey in 4 cups warm water and apply it to your hair after you shampoo/ condition.  Leave it in your hair. It will control hair dryness/frizz.
-Drink at least eight to 10 glasses of water each day, full glasses, not sips. When you aren't hydrated, your whole body suffers. Your skin and hair will show signs of dehydration, and dry hair and breakage are two of the most obvious signs.
-Avoid using shampoos that contain alcohol as it dries out hair. Use shampoos that contain natural ingredients. Excessive washing with harsh shampoos makes your hair ends dry.  Also, do not use hot water to wash your hair.
-Let your hair dry naturally, this saves energy- and if you are going to use styling tools will cut down on the amount of heat you are exposing your hair to later. Having said that, try to avoid styling tools if you can. I usually leave my hair straight and only use an iron for special events. There are natural ways to curl your hair, try rollers or a sock bun with damp hair.
-If all else fails, shave your head- okay so that may be a bit too drastic. But, give this egg rinse a try about twice a month. It's pretty easy, and if you are set on sticking to shampoo and conditioner it will give your hair shine and moisture without using manufactured products.



Egg Rinse:
Mix egg yolk in 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp honey. Gently massage this mask in your hair and cover with a shower cap. Leave it on for half an hour and wash it with a mild alcohol-free shampoo.

DIY BIB NECKLACE



I found this amazing sweater at a thrift store this weekend for $3.00. John thought I bought it to actually wear and kept complimenting it, as though I might need some confidence to wear it- HA! But, as soon as I saw it I knew it was destined for a new life as a bib necklace. It was so simple a child could do it. Here's how I pulled it off: 

 

1. I used a seam ripper to carefully pick the threads that held the "bib" to the sweater.
2. I held the necklace up to my chest to decide where to place the ribbon.
3. Carefully stitch on the ribbon to the back of your bib, hiding the threads on the front.
4. I used 3/4" grosgrain ribbon, and left the ends about 16" long.





ECO OBSESSION: TRESTLE TABLES

My latest obsession comes in the form of reclaimed dining tables. Especially those with trestle bases. What is a trestle base? The trademark of a trestle table is its horizontal support beam, rested across two vertical legs. The classic traditional trestle has "X" shaped legs, while more modern style tables may just have slab legs or unadorned vertical supports. Don't you love them? Now, we don't have to drive through miles of farm land to find old barn wood to build our furniture. Many chain stores offer reclaimed wooden products, making it easier than ever to adopt a greener way of life. Here are just a few great options you could order from a catalog or online.

Vintage Fir Cross-Beam Table from Viva Terra

Emmerson Table from West Elm


Reclaimed Pin Rectangular Table from Williams-Sonoma

Trestle Salvaged Wood Table from Restoration Hardware
Or if you are more of a DIY kind of person you could put your work gloves on and try out this Farm House Table tutorial from Ana White Homemaker. This project seems to be blowing up, so many people have posted pictures of their completed projects. Some are touting that it only cost them $65.00 (imagine if you had the wood for free!) If you build this you have to send me pictures.


REUSABLE GROCERY BAG

It's Farmer's Market season. Our Farmer's Market is on Thursdays, so I usually hit it up after work. There are booths with homemade crafts, aprons, pies, oh the pies! And I always find myself without a reusable bag. Maybe it is just too much to remember as I am walking out the door to work in the morning, but week after week I find myself shoving peaches in my computer bag. I think this tutorial might save me from all that. Between the Lines Blog posted this great how-to on t-shirt grocery bags, that looks fool-proof! I already have a few shirts in mind, and they are so small I can keep some in my work bag for those forgetful Thursdays.


What you need:

- an old T-shirt
- scissors
- matching thread
- sewing machine



Instructions:


1. Take an ironed adult size T-shirt, right side out. (You could use a kid's T-shirt for a smaller sized bag).

2. Fold it in half as shown in picture 2.

3. Cut off the sleeves as shown in picture 3.

4. Cut around the neck-line as shown in picture 4.

5. Sew the bottom of the shirt closed using a French seam. If you're not familiar with the French seam,  you sew the hem closed on the right side, turn the bag inside out and sew another seam, sandwiching the first seam inside. Next, sew boxed corners, as explained here, in step 1. You could iron everything flat now, if you like.

6. Place the bag in front of you on a flat surface. Starting from the bottom, fold over the bag as shown in picture 6, about 2 1/2 inch, that is.

7. Now, starting about 3 inches from the side, with your scissors make 1/2 an inch to 3/4 of an inch cuts through all layers, leaving about 1 1/8 inch between every cut. Continue like this all the way to the other side and stop about 3 inches from the side seam.

8. Next, fold it over some more (an additional 2 to 2 1/2 inch) and repeat the cutting, but now right in between two cuts from the previous line, as shown in picture 8.

9. Go on like this a couple more times, depending on the size of your bag - I did 5 rows in total.

ROSE FACIAL TONER

It was a super slow DIY weekend, I maybe watched a little too much Olympic coverage and, John was sick, so I will have to update you all with some great furniture and jewelry how-tos next week, but in the mean time, here's a recipe for facial toner that I live by. I used to just use witch hazel because it gently cleanses pores and helps remove the last traces of dirt, oil, and makeup. It always left my skin feeling soft, moisturized and refreshed. But, recently I started adding rosemary because it stimulates circulation to skin, and helps clear and revitalize congested or sluggish skin. The rose petals just make it smell great!


 Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups witch hazel
1/2 cup dried rose petals
5 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Instructions:

Mix ingredients together making sure it is all blended well. Strain. Splash, or dab with cotton ball on your face after cleaning skin. Make sure to store in an airtight container.