Who: EcoFirstArt – Santa Barbara, CA

What: Spoon Lamp S

Where: EcoFirstArt – $600 (also available in XL for $800)

Why We Love It: Can’t think of a more fitting centerpiece for a dining room than one made of recycled plastic spoons. This funky pendant lamp/art piece was designed by Claudio and Telma as a way to reinvent the mundane into something modern while creating a dialogue about the waste we generate on a daily basis. It’s actually quite startling when you stop and think about it….

This piece is just one of the many functional art pieces featured on EcoFirstArt – a site after our own heart, dedicated to connecting conscientious designers, architects and consumers with inspired products with sustainability in mind without compromising style. You’ll find furniture, jewelry, apparel, lighting and more.

The small lamp measures 16″H x 16″D and the XL measures 24″H x 24″D.

Who: Shine Labs – San Francisco, CA

What: “Friend” Felt Box with Bamboo Top

Where: Branch.com – $29 & 25% with code DailyCandy25 through March 5, 2011.

Why We Love It: First saw this sweet little box at the ICFF in New York. Loved the mix of materials, the unexpected soft felt box with the rigid bamboo top. The two look great together. It does take some finagling to get the top inserted just right, but worth it. Like the idea of placing precious mementos, keepsakes and jewelry into a well cushioned nest. Lovely stacked or stand alone.

Each box is handmade by handmade locally using renewable materials – 100% wool felt and 100% FSC Certified bamboo free of VOC adhesives. Available in Orange or Charcoal.

Who: Cerapio Vallejo for NOVICA – Peru

What: Wool rug, ‘Tribute’ (2×2.5)

Where: NOVICA – $164.95

Why We Love It: Love the designs, color and story behind this stunning wool rug. Designed by master artist Cerapio Vallejo, this rug is completely handcrafted in Peru and made using locally sourced materials like the dense and soft llama wool. Each step of the process is done by hand; hand dyed with all natural pigment dyes and meticulously hand loomed using the ancient art of kilin. Click to continue »

Just discovered Sophie Blackall’s collection of ‘Missed Connection’ Prints on etsy.com – she gives life to the missed connection section of craigslist by pulling out the most poetic, sweet and bizarre entries and illustrating them with her distinctive and whimsical characters. Who knew missed connections could command prominent wall space…

Ice Skating in Central Park We Collided; Changing Dress at BBQ; We Shared a Bear Suit; $40each.

Who: Wabisabi Green – Encinitas, CA

What: Eco-Art Throw Pillows

Where: Wabisabi Green – $45 for cover only, $65 with ecofiber insert & $70 with kapok insert

Why We Love It: Looking for a way to brighten up your home now that the Christmas lights are down? These bold graphic nature-inspired pillows are a great way to bring a little color and a touch of the natural to your home. There over 32 designs divided into three collections, Zen, Leaf and Shore. The Shore Collection, featuring sea urchins, turtles, and starfish in colors in a sea of reds, greys, blues and white, is definitely our favorite.

The pillows are made of a nice medium weight organic cotton canvas that is quite durable so great for a highly trafficked area. The graphics are hand printed using non-toxic water based inks and you can choose from one of two 100% hypoallergenic fill options, ecofiber made from recycled plastic bottles or silky organic kapok fiber sustainably harvested from the rain forest. The pillows are designed and made in the USA.

***BONUS!! Courtesy of Wabisabi Green, you can enter to win one of their Sand Dollar Reusable Bags!! Made of certified organic cotton canvas, this roomy tote is perfect for trips to the grocery store, the library and everyday errands. Enter by January 13, 2011 at 11:59PM EST. Open to US residents only.

To Enter: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered and congratulations to our winner Leah B.!

Note: Wabisabi Green generously donated this bag for our giveaway. We received no payment to feature this product.

Search for more reusable totes.

The holiday season has begun, as has our holiday shopping. Thought we’d pass along some of the gifts we are thinking of for the holidays with our Green Holiday Gift Guide:

We love a wreath for the holidays. It’s festive, colorful and a gift that can be enjoyed all winter long. We also find this to be the perfect gift for that someone on your list who is impossible to shop for. Here are a few of our favorites for the holidays this year:

1. Fragrant Evergreen Wreath -$29.95
2. Red Hot Chili Pepper Wreath – $69
3. 24″ Cordless LED Pre-Lit Christmas Wreath – $49.95
4. Book Wreath – $40
5. Bay Laurel Peace Wreath – $69
6. Felted Wool Wreath – $59
7. Echeveria Wreath – $98

Who: k Studio – Grand Rapids, MI

What: Personalized Pillow

Where: k Studios -$134 -$152

Why We Love It: Is it impossible to get your family together for a simple family photo? k Studios makes it easy for you with their customizable family pillows. Simple sort through their selection of line drawn characters to find the likeness of your family and you’ve got a new family heirloom – they’ve even got a spot for Rover and Scooby (our beloved cat). Love this idea for the family room and kids rooms too, so they’ll know family is near. Also check out the couple series for any sweethearts on your holiday list.

Designed my mother and daughter design duo, Mary and Shelly Klein, each pillow is made in house using sustainable fabrics like organic cotton, recycled wool and hemp. Each figure is hand-stitched.

Who: Ladies & Gentleman – Seattle, WA

What: Chalk it to Me Piggy Bank

Where: Ladies & Gentlemen – $60

Why We Love It: We have such a soft spot for pigs, particularly piggy banks. In fact we’ve got an antique brass piggy bank found at an estate sale intended as a gift, but that hasn’t quite left our house yet….. he’s just such a gentleman and quite stately in our parlor (we don’t have a parlor, but he makes it feel like one). And now we are thinking he needs a bud, like this so brilliant yet so simple design from Ladies & Gentleman.

Made from silky-smooth pigmented ceramic that can be written on with chalk so you can embrace your inner graffiti artist or clever wordsmith. Of course we like him with no adornments too or with a simple reminder of what it is you are saving for. This does, however, make it quite easy to flip flop over your savings goals – 401k? boots? 401K? boots? 401K? But since boot season is arriving much sooner than retirement….

Who: My House Party – Portland, OR

What: Love House

Where: My House Party – $16

Why We Love It: Since our trip out to Oregon last summer, we’ve been fixated on air plants – a miraculous and beautiful spiky plant that could survive even the most inattentive gardener. Requiring no soil, hence the name air plant, you can ‘plant’ these mini-sculptures in dishes, shells or simply leave them lying in a nook to complete a display. Click to continue »

Who: Lorna Syson Textiles – Coventry, UK

What: Wall Flowers

Where: Lorna Syson – £100 – £3999, in a variety of colors & sizes.

Why We Love It: These ‘Wall Flowers’ by textile artist Lorna Syson are anything but. We fell in love with the rich colors, the vibrancy and complete originality of these sculptural wall hangings. They truly are stunning.

Made of 100% wool, sued and silk, the textiles are screen printed or digitally printed with patterns designed by Lorna or in solid colors.  The petals are then laser cut and meticulously hand woven to create the 3-D form. One piece can take up to a week to create. Click to continue »