A company with the unassuming name, Antique and Vintage Woods of America, creates spectacular wood flooring from the reclaimed floors and timbers of yesteryear.  Antique, or old growth wood, is over 100 years old, while vintage wood is less than 100 years old.  Antique wood – like the mushroom wood pictured above originally used as the shelving for mushroom growing beds – captures the tight grain structure and character of trees harvested at 100 to 300 years of age  – trees which our country has pretty almost totally consumed and in many cases entirely eradicated.  Pictured below are antique chestnut and mixed softwood pine planks.

The folks at Antique and Vintage Woods is a a premium supplier of antique and vintage reclaimed wood and reclaimed lumber for custom wood flooring and antique wood beams.  The Hudson Valley-based company practices “The Green Earth Concept” – by salvaging and reclaiming wood and brick building materials from old factories, mushroom facilities, old buildings and dismantled barns and incorporates them into new and restorative construction and surfaces – preserving the trees we have left while reclaiming the splendor of a time gone by.

I’m heading to Go Green Expo, but before I do, here’s this week’s small, edited collection of body and planet-friendly fashion and fashion-related faves.

Melissa Ferriera and her Vancouver-based clothing line, adhesif, make one-of-a-kind creative clothing from recycled materials.  The shorts (pictured above) are fashioned after “knickerbockers” and paperboy style shorts.  The bottoms are made from recycled t-shirts and the high waist is made from soft corduroy. The “cat eye” button detailing down the front of the waist is vintage shell and bone – and the whole eco ensemble is meant for fun. The hemline and waist are elasticized for easy on and off. $118 @ adhesif’s on-line shop

Love these!  Rings ($54) for guys and earrings ($48) for girls — all made from recycled skateboards.

This GoLite Wheeled Carry-On is created from 50% recycled nylon!  GoLite just received Backpacker’s Editor’s Choice Green Award for its use of Tier 1 recycled fabrics, (100% for their new backpack).  With Tier 1 recycled polyester and nylon materials, “massive reductions in energy use and resource consumption required to produce them vs. the virgin, petroleum-based alternatives.”  (Read more about it on their Website in the ‘Performance Technology’ within ‘The Meaning of Lite’ section.)  This lightweight, reversible dress contains a UPF of 5o — we just wish that it were made of Tier 1.

Available exclusively at YOOX.com, you’ll find a cute organic cotton tee designed by the hardest working eco girl on the planet, Summer Rayne Oakes.

For men and women, and at $39, all proceeds are donated to Green Cross International, an environmental non-government organization, (NGO), founded by President Mikhail Gorbachev and partner or YOOXYGEN.

• Short-sighted and just plain wrong…Bluefin Tuna Ban Rejected by UN – bbc
• City dwellers beware…Urban CO2 Domes Increase Deaths, Poke Hole in Cap and Trade – sciencedaily
  
• Headline of the day! 51 Headless Vikings in English Execution Pit Confirmed – natgeo
• Why does most of this stuff seem to happen in China? Hen Produces Figure 8 Egg – ananova
• Is there any use for this that isn’t military? Cloak of Invisibility Takes a Step Forward – myway
• Guess it’s time to stop watching Discovery Channel..‘Sarah Palin’s Alaska’ Reality Series May Head to Discovery – ecorazzi
• Waste Industry Hunts Energy Rewards, Risks Abound – reuters

Sylvania was kind enough to give us a selection of their new Super Saver halogen bulbs, for first-hand testing.

We switched the CFL bulbs in a couple of lamps and lighting fixtures, replacing them with equal wattage halogen bulbs.  The results: the halogen bulbs gave off a much brighter, warmer and happy-feeling light than their CFL counterparts.  The CFL bulbs do save more energy – the SuperSaver bulbs are 33% more energy efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs, while CFLs are roughly 75% more efficient.  The Sylvania bulbs come in traditional shapes – no squiggly pigtails – and come in a wide variety of standard watts.  Other features – they’re fully dimable, instant-on and, unlike CFLs, contain no mercury.

With incandescent bulbs about to be phased out, consumers will be compelled to find energy-saving alternatives to light their homes, and — if light quality trumps energy and cost savings in your home – these new halogen bulbs provide a warm and ready solution.   Available at Menard’s, selected BJ’s and online at Sylvania’s website.

related : For CFL Haters…

Electric car buyers will soon have a new option.  EnVision Motor Company has named Gabus Automotive Distributors of Des Moines, Iowa as the sole sub-distributor of Electric Motor Cars (EMC) in thirty-three states in the USA.  EnVision Motor Company, the exclusive US distributor for the EMC line of electric vehicles, plans on selling several thousand of the 100% electric vehicles in the coming months.

Gabus will be responsible for sales, service, parts, and dealers in its 33 state region.  Electric Motor Cars currently manufactures the 100 % electric vehicles in Europe.

The EMC family of long range, highway-capable vehicles features the Electric Wagon (pictured above) which can reach highway speeds in excess of 75 mph and has a range of over 200 miles on a full charge.  The line will also include a cargo van and a pick-up truck which can all be charged via any standard 110/120 volt outlet.

French designer Benjamin Charles created his small-footprint living concept, Leav, as a prefab outdoor housing structure targeting the camping/hotel industry.

A solar thermal panel, integrated to the canvas roof, supplies hot water to the kitchen and bathroom.  To provide this tiny home more stand-alone freedom, dry toilets are situated at the back of the tent.  As Benjamin states in the description of the design, “Leave your daily lives to live under a leaf.”  Very nice indeed.

related: cool prefabs

Sad to see Brooklyn-based, Camilla Boutique, closing its doors.

From eco fashionable items for the entire family, to green accessories and ethically made home goods — receive huge discounts right now; but shop wisely — all sales are FINAL.  Enter code FREESHIPPING at check-out to receive free shipping.

via: MNN

For the many folks who may have an old trunk in their attic or basement, designer Mark Rixon Cerny has developed a great way to give those old trunks new life.  Mark creates his Rixon tables from recycled, vintage trunks that he revitalizes with sculpted custom legs and tops.

The trunks still function in their original capacity as storage units, as well as exuding all their original charm, history and elegance as reborn eye-catching tables.

Be resplendent in green any day of the week with a cap or kicks made of hemp — one of the most durable and easily renewable natural resources on the planet.

We’ve recently opened shop on OpenSky and we’ll be offering some of our favorite eco friendly finds, one at a time.  The items we feature in our shop are Tried and True — tested by our crack staff and eco-minded friends. Remember to shop smart and go for the green.  Here’s to a Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!