DIY living

Permaculture Magazine (No. 60 Summer 2009)

admin — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:52:00 +0000

Permaculture Magazine seemed like an interesting concept that you don’t hear about in too much detail. I hate the ‘Go Green!’ trend and was interested in learning actual tips on sustainable living. On this front, the magazine was definitely able to deliver.

In this issue, I learned (theoretically) how to build an outdoor wood fire oven, how to care for chickens, tips for inexpensive and green day trips out with the family, and DIY recipes for beauty products, among other things. In addition to teaching, Permaculture Magazine also had stories from real people trying to minimize their carbon footprint by moving to sustainable farms, working on allotment gardens, and renovating old houses into more environmentally friendly ones.

This was all very interesting and inspiring. After reading this issue, I wanted to move out of my city, get a farm, build a wood oven so I can try the delicious looking pizza recipe, and live in a cute, renovated house in the countryside. However, after thinking about this for a minute, I realized that while these are all really neat ideas, they aren’t exactly practical for me, nor, I suspect, are they for a good majority of the population.

Permaculture is printed in the United Kingdom, and maybe they have more countryside and resources available there, but even though I’m from a more rural part of the United States originally, I don’t feel I could implement many of the ideas covered here. Many of the ideas require lots of land, resources, time, hard work, and research. Most of them require a hefty dose of capital to start up, even though they should save you money in the long run.

In the end, the only real things I could do after reading this magazine was to make the beauty products and take some advice from the green day trip outings section. The plus side is that all the beauty recipes are vegan. I did enjoy this issue; however, it seems to only cater to a very small, elite group so unfortunately it’s not for everyone.

Written by: Jen Klee, September 3rd 2009

Crimsonheart Ring

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:55:00 +0000

By BrightCircle

I found another beautiful piece of jewelry on Etsy. I was looking at member profiles on We Make Zines and found a link to a fellow zinester’s Etsy shop. I like seeing cool things other imaginative folks have made, so I decided to take a look at what she was creating and selling.

Wow! BrightCircle has absolutely gorgeous handcrafted jewelry in her shop. She calls her work “free-spirited,” and offers the Serenity Collection of jewelry based on characters from the television show Firefly, the SlinksterMinx Collection of necklaces, and a set of beaded lovelies she calls Geometric Insouciance.

I was totally enamored by the Keys to Secret Cities necklace, but knew I’d seldom have the occasion to wear something so stunning and elaborate. I turned my attention to BrightCircle’s lovely beaded rings and began to browse. When I saw the Crimsonheart ring, I knew I had to have it.

The actual ring is even more delightful than it looks in photos. It is crafted from tiny iridescent red beads, which shimmer and sparkle in the light. The beads are sewn with black thread, which produces an overall deeper color. The ring is really a slightly stretchy finger cuff, which gives the wearer a close, conforming (but not too tight) fit.

I wasn’t sure if the available ring would actually fit me, since I had no clue as to what size I needed. I started a conversation with BrightCircle and soon received a response. She was very helpful and gave me clear instructions for determining my size. It turned out the available Crimsonheart ring was too small, so BrightCircle offered to craft a custom sized one for me. She worked swiftly, and I received my Crimsonheart ring quickly.

I adore this piece of jewelry and wear it every day. I like wearing something so pretty, something that makes me feel happy whenever I see it. I like knowing that I’m sporting something made especially for me, something that I’m not likely to see on every third person I meet. I especially like being able to support another creative zinester.

For striking and beautiful rings at affordable prices, as well as other pretty treasures made from beads, keys, baubles, and charms, check out BrightCircle’s splendid offerings.

Written by: Chantel C. Guidry, May 15th 2009

The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:57:00 +0000

By Kelly Coyne, Erik Knutzen

Process Media

Subtitled "Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City," this volume in the Process Self-Reliance Series bills itself as "a project and resource book, complete with step-by-step illustrations and instructions to get you started homesteading right now." It really delivers, both to absolute beginners and to folks who have already ventured into the world of urban homesteading.

The authors start with growing food. Chapter One offers guidance on the four general strategies for growing food in an urban setting, followed by directions for making seed balls. This chapter gives basic yet useful information about permaculture, then goes into helpful detail about the seven guiding principles of successful urban farming.

Chapter Two gives step-by-step instructions for five projects the authors deem essential for growing food, including starting a compost pile, composting with worms, mulching, building a raised bed, and building self-watering containers. The second half of the chapter includes guidelines for a variety of undertakings, including staring seeds, transplanting, making fertilizer tea, container gardening, installing drip irrigation, controlling insect and animal pests, and rotating crops. The directions are comprehensive; it is not assumed that the reader already has a lot of gardening knowledge and experience, which is beneficial to both novices and folks needing a refresher course.

Urban foraging is the topic of chapter three, and everything from eating acorns to dumpster diving is covered. Six things to know about eating wild are explained in the feral edibles section, along with a list of "some of the most liked, most widespread edible weeds in the continental U.S." There are also sections on invasive edibles, fruit foraging, and reviving day old bread.

Chapter Four focuses on keeping livestock in the city. It includes ample advice about chickens, including where to get them, what to feed them, and how to house them. Other livestock considered include ducks, rabbits, pigeons, quail, and bees.

"Revolutionary Home Economics" is an extensive chapter dealing with the "indoor arts." The first part of the chapter is about food. There are instructions about preserving food through canning, pickling, and drying, as well as by other means. There are also directions for making yogurt, ricotta cheese, and butter. The second half of the chapter is all about cleaning and includes formulas for making DIY cleaning supplies using baking soda, distilled white vinegar, and liquid castile soap. There’s also a short section on dealing with household pests. The chapter ends with valuable tips on what to look for and what choices to make if choosing a new urban homestead.

Chapter Six is about water and power for the homestead and includes information about conserving and harvesting rainwater. There are several projects pertaining to greywater, including running a greywater source directly outside and making a greywater wetland. Topics in the energy section include using insulation and solar heat to increase energy efficiency, alternatives to gas-heated showers, solar cookers, and wind and solar power.

The last chapter, "Transportation," is rather short. It touches on walking but basically emphasizes cycling. The book ends with a comprehensive resource list, including websites, books, and magazines. Disappointingly, there is no index. The Urban Homestead is a fantastic introduction to living off the land, even when there’s not much land available. It's not meant to be read once, cover to cover. It’s meant to be kept on hand as a resource, a book to refer to again and again in the garden, in the kitchen, in the workroom. There’s a lifetime of information packed in to these 308 pages, and the time to start using that information is now.

Written by: Chantel C. Guidry, March 5th 2009