Green Thoughts on a Grey Day

As I sit inside my house today, recovering from a 3-day trip to Cold & Sinus Hell, I'm not even sure what to think about tonight's prediction of another 2-4" of snow.  Part of me wants to say, "Are you !@*$% kidding me?"  This is the same part of me that hasn't left the house since Friday night, thanks to being sick.  I'm starting to go a little cuckoo for cocoa puffs in here.  Then again, part of me wants to say, "Meh.  We live in the Upper Midwest.  It snows in May.  Getoverit."  This is the same part of me that figures I might as well enjoy being house-bound if the flakes are gonna start fallin'.  The fridge is stocked, I've got a surplus of Pier 1 candles, and there's a wonderful thing called pizza delivery.

The impending snow and overall crappy, cold weather does make me think about the climate in general.  Which then makes me think about the Earth.  And Earth Day.  Which is on the 22nd.  How timely.

If I'd forgotten about Earth Day, a hazy memory rolled into the college experience of years past, then retailers have definitely made sure I remember it this year.  From promotions to "go green," to offering "upcycled goods," to simply asking what you might do this year to make the Earth a little more healthy, stores are making sure to participate.  I guess selling green = seeing green (and, on a slight tangent, it feels like countless retailers are attaching themselves to all sorts of causes, the Japan tsunami/earthquake being the latest example).

OK, without further ado...

Daily Candy's limited-sale site Swirl offers an Earth Day-themed pop-up boutique this week (I can't guarantee how long this sale runs, so check it soon!).  Among the brands on sale are vegan bags by Matt & Nat, a great handbag line I ran across years ago in Chicago.  Glad to see they are still going strong.  Here are a few of their items for sale:

Poketo, a fun and quirky retailer known for collaborating with artists, sent me an email today about their upcycled leather accessories.  Fun, cute and salvaged!  Take a look:

The second image is a bag that was created from a leather sofa - the vintage (as in Brady Bunch-era) fan in me got a kick out of it.  I even spied some bags that look like they're crafted from suits - you'll have to check it out.

Anthropologie tells me it's hosting Earth Day events at many store locations with this crafty email:

Click here to see if there are any events at your local store.  Weirdly, they don't seem to have anything here in Minnesota.  Odd, since this state prides itself on green initiatives.  Their email also says:

Mega-retailer Target spread its word on Facebook today, asking:

Over 600 people liked this question, but man, over 1200 had something to say about it!  Personally, I always hold on to their bags.  If it's paper, we use them for recycling day (the city of Minneapolis has a  nice program which I really appreciate...  from plastic bags to junk mail to, um, cardboard boxes from Nordstrom and Zappos, they haul it all).  If it's plastic, well, I do this:

Why, NO, that's not a big bag of...  shoes.  

Hey, I wrap 'em up in my TGT bags and throw a pair in my purse to take to work.  They're also great for stuffing wet umbrellas into while on the bus.

Kate Spade's "color of the month" is a very kelly green for April, but I have no idea if that anything to do with Earth Day.  It seems to have more to do with lush lawns and the general celebration of the return of all things green and summery.  Sure is purty to look at, though:

While we're on the subject of green-colored treasures, you might want to glance at my earlier post dedicated to such finds here.

And finally, Threadless has a great little Earth Day shirt for sale on their site:

I wuv.  If you do, too, check it out here.  They're also promoting tree-planting and other nature-friendly wares.

"Green retailing" aside, Earth Day does compel you to give serious pause about the state of the environment today.  While the forecast snowfall for tonight is fairly benign and mostly scoffable, other areas of the US have had far more serious weather:  wildfires burning in Texas and tornadoes that marched a lethal path through the South.  You do have to wonder how much is linked to climate change and how much we've contributed to that.  And whether Mother Nature is giving us a stern warning to clean up our act.

On that didn't-mean-to-be-so-somber note, are you celebrating Earth Day?  Do you try and incorporate sustainability or recycling in your daily life (like my shoe bags)?  Is there an event you're attending in your state or country?  Or, simply, is there a favorite retailer of yours that's promoting Earth Day themed awareness?

Cheers (til the snow starts to fall anyway),

Maggie

Image credits:

Matt & Nat purses - Swirl.com

Upcycled leather clutches and "sofa" purse - Poketo.com

Anthropologie email excerpt - Anthropologie.com

Target Facebook status - Facebook

Shoe mountain images - my own
Kate Spade bags - Kate Spade

"Let's Plant" t-shirt by Chow Hon Lam - Threadless.com