We have another victim of the economic downturn, stylish purveyor of green products, Hip & Zen, is closing shop.  The site is currently offering 75% off their entire inventory.

You’ll find great deals on eco friendly designer fashions, accessories and stuff for the home.

The collection of green homes is growing each year. Despite the current slump in the U.S. housing market, the green building industry continues to grow by an annual 30 percent. Here are 5 eco houses that are setting the bar for innovative design with a small carbon footprint.

Pasadena EcoHouse
Designed by StudioRMA, this EcoHouse, (above), located in Pasadena, California is built primarily of green Structural Concrete Insulated Panels (SCIPS) made of 60 percent recycled material.  Construction is still in progress, but is slated for LEED Platinum certification.  The house will feature a grid-tied solar electric system, a solar heating system, recycled glass countertops, a graywater collection system, as well as other green building attributes.  At 1,975 square feet, the 3-bedroom home will stand on a hillside in the San Rafael Hills and offer a view of the San Gabriel Mountains and Old Pasadena.  More information can be found at thepasadenaecohouse.com.

Portland House
This new home (above) in Northeast Portland, Oregon is the first in its city to receive a platinum LEED rating for sustainability.  Designed by Zac Blodget, a structural engineer for Nishkian Dean, and constructed by Root Design Build, this house is 40 percent more efficient than the current energy code and 25 percent more efficient than base Energy Star certification.  Features include low-emissivity insulated glass windows, zero-VOC paint, a rain barrel water-collection system, and drought-tolerant and permeable landscaping.  Measuring 1,680 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a 1-car garage, the home is currently on the market for $340,000.  Considering typical custom homes sell for $1 million-plus, this home comes at a bargain.  More details can be found at Design/Vert.

LV Homes
These modern kit homes, (above), designed by Rocio Romero, embrace principles of simplicity, quality, environment, and space.  By creating deeper wall and roof cavities, and using rigid and (more…)

Food manufacturer HappyFamily seems to be popping things out of the oven faster than OctoMom.  Organic treats for busy moms’ who can’t “make their own” baby food…

Turning a mere three years old on Mother’s Day, HAPPYFAMILY gave birth today to HAPPYBABYPUFFS, touted as the ONLY organic baby snacks on the market.  Made with whole grains, real fruit and real vegetables, this finger food contains no artificial coloring, (more…)

I continue my search for designer and craftsmen working in reclaimed and salvaged lumber…Furniture designer, Andrew Moe, utilizes reclaimed lumber to create beautiful handcrafted furniture out of his Long Island City based, Moe Design Studio.

pictured above – simple, rustic elegance, the Mancos bed in reclaimed red oak

pictured above – disassembles in a minute, the Oaxaca table in beech with exposed joinery

pictured above – a reclaimed lumber masterwork, the Ridgeway bench in spruce with natural white washed finish

• How do you spell fillibuster?  Spending Plan Tackles Tax Cuts, Global Warming – npr
• Obama Shelves Bush Species Rule – msnbc
• Farms will suffer…California Snowstorms Not Enough to Overcome Drought – usa today
• Common Marine Sponge May Provide Super-antibiotic of the Future – sciencedaily
• Would you like a cracker with that sardine? (video) Fish Feeding Frenzy Caught on Film – bbc
• What was I talking about…Topless Campaign for PETA Features Rick’s Cabaret Dancers – ecorazzi

For all you rustic types we present these handsome coasters made from manly, repurposed, Douglas fir.  The 4×4″ coasters are sealed with a non-toxic natural oil finish and come with a gold leather band for classy display.  $56 @ calvodesign.com

UDATE: July 28, 2009 - Here’s a Marcal small steps store locator (original post, follows…)

Marcal Paper Products is not really a newcomer to the eco movement; as the company states, they’ve been “saving trees since 1950.”

Last month they began to roll-out Small Steps, a new eco friendly line of bath tissue, paper towels, napkins and facial tissue; and they asked us if we’d like to check it out. We said, sure. (more…)

It may not seem like it, but spring is fast approaching.  Time to start thinking about planting stuff.  Here’s a nice Easter gift for those with a green thumb.  These charming gift boxes contain three, 5 foot (5′) biodegradable, plantable tissue seed ribbons that will grow into the blooms that adorn the top of each “hat box” style gift box.  Pictured is the Iceland Poppy Perennials Gift Box: Iceland Poppies (Papaver Nudicaule) are bright and cheerful bloomers in late spring and early summer that attract bees, butterflies and birds.  Bloembox offers several other beautiful flowering options.  $16 @ olivebarn.com

After hearing such remarkable success stories and seeing what the living foods lifestyle can do for the looks of Hollywood superstars, you might find yourself inclined to jump right into the raw foods bandwagon.

But before you throw your pots and pans to the street, to take a few moments to understand how to get the most out of a raw/living foods journey. (more…)