Thursday, April 22, 2010

Earth Day, bEARTHday celebration

Today Earth Day turns 40. I sure hope we make better progress in the next 40 years than we have in the last 40. Today is also my birthday. I honestly don't remember the first Earth Day. I was alive, just not cognizant. That doesn't mean I have ever approved of waste. Waste is something I abhor. Probably not your typical eco-friendly person, I am simply out to reduce, recycle, repurpose, and reuse waste through my art and my lifestyle.

Earth Day 1970 was a big success because it was a spontaneous movement at the grass roots level. Although over 20 million people participated in this event, that was less than 10% of the population in 1970. It took hold on major college campuses, but there was less enthusiasm and information about it in the midwest, where I've lived most of my life.

Even though I didn't participate in my first Earth Day celebration until 1990, I have always tried to keep my carbon footprint as small as possible. All my life I've tried to adhere to a few principles. The first is, use what you have. The second is, use what others throw away. In fact, I often make a game of "what if" when it comes to recyclables. The third is, never waste a single ounce of our precious natural resources. And finally, refuse to buy something that you can't recycle, when you have a choice.

Here's a good example of recycling with a choice. I use half and half in my coffee. I like my coffee nearly white. So, I use a lot of half and half. I don't care about my arteries, at least not yet. I DO care about my choice of half and half containers. I have two choices where I live. I could buy the PLASTIC ones that are round and look a bit like the old fashioned glass milk containers. Or, I can buy the wax coated paper containers. I can use the wax coated containers as fire starters in my chiminea. I can also start my seeds in them. I cannot do anything with the plastic ones. The recycling center won't take them. I even tried altering some and the project sucked. So I will go out of my way to buy the wax coated containers and boycott the plastic ones.

Now that I've ranted about the earth and leaving a very small carbon footprint behind, it's time to celebrate my birthday. I'm sure some of you have already skipped the above rant, anyway!

To make this an extra special bEARTHday, CSN Stores offered to sponsor a giveaway on my blog. CSN offers an entire line of recycled products, as well as over 200 stores with products ranging from pet supplies to furniture to housewares and even kids beds.

Since I got to pick the prizes, I thought it would be fun to pair a few items together that altered or mixed media artists might like, some that fabric artists might like, some that paper artists might like, and one that parents and grandparents might like. There is only ONE giveaway, but you have a choice of five packages. Hopefully everyone will find one giveaway package that pleases them the most. This giveaway runs through midnight (by the clock on my sidebar) May 7.



Giveaway 1

Oil pastel set with carrying case, 50 pastels per set

AND

Plastic Button Assortment, 1-lb. Pack

AND


Painting Stencil Set, 2" Gothic Style Capital Letters, Numbers, and Characters

AND

Decorative Eight Compartment Literature Sorter, Letter Size, Mocha Brown shown

AND

Sponge Paint Set, Six Colors, 2.2 Ounces Each



Giveaway 2


Trai-Tex Double Weight Yarn Cones, 2-oz., 12 Assorted Color Cones

AND

Eversharp Bent Scissors, 8in, Blue



Giveaway 3
Wobowl SoftBowl (made from recycled materials)

AND
Self-Healing Cutting Mat, Nonslip Bottom, 1 Grid, 12 x 18, Gray



Giveaway 4

or





Your choice of a 15-Sheet Paper Trimmer or a 12" Rotary Trimmer (because some prefer the guillotine cutter and some prefer the rotary cutter).

Giveaway 5

Vega 600 Telescope

I'm always grateful for comments. They are what have kept me actively blogging for the past four years. It is YOU who have given me the most awesome birthday gift I could ever have: your friendship from around the world. So to enter the giveaway, I'm pretty sure you know the drill. Please leave me a comment on THIS post letting me know which giveaway you want in the event you win. If you are a follower, you will automatically be entered. However, if you leave a comment, that will count as one, also. Followers names will be added at the end of the giveaway. The random generator will pick. Bleubeard will be busy celebrating (or sleeping), so he asked for electronic help.

You do not need to be a follower, you do not need to have a blog, you do not need to blog about this. If you spread the word, that is sweet, thoughtful, and appreciated, but not required. I only ask that if you sign in as an anonymous commenter, please be sure I have a way to contact you. And remember, this giveaway runs from today, April 22 through May 7. The winner will be announced on May 8.

So what better way to celebrate Earth Day, than at the official Earth Day web site. Or, if you want to know a bit about Earth Day history, check it out here. Now put on your party hats, get out your noisemakers, and wish the earth a happy 4oth.

72 thoughtful remarks:

Brian K said...

Happy Birthday Elizabeth! I hope you have a wonderful birthday my wonderful artsy blogger friend! I hope your friends are taking you to do something wonderful! How great to have Earth Day as your birthday as well!

Diane said...

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!! How great that you celebrate it the same day as Earth day's . Have a special day, and make sure you post about it!!

Teresa aka Tess said...

Happy Birthday dear blog friend. What a wonderful day to celebrate your birthday (on earth day). The day your graced this earth I am sure the heavens smiled. I would choose Giveaway no. 1. It would be fun to play with all those oil pastels and stencils. I've recently started buying similar office supply organizers in white so I can alter them. I am finding them much nicer looking sitting on my dining room table than just a cardboard box. Easier to move around too. I do not have this style so would be great to win it. My current CPS and Somnerset mags would have a nicer and much safer home then. I save everyone I get. Read through several times before putting away in a plastic protector. I return to them often just when I feel only look reading or am looking for a particular style or tutorial.
Happy Earthday Birthday,
Tess

~*~Patty Szymkowicz said...

Happy Happy Birthday and Earthday to you dear Elizabeth!
So very nice of you to offer such great gifts for some lucky somebody to win! Thank you for that!
I try not to get discouraged by the people I see that still do not recycle and seem to stomp around Mother Earth ... it IS encouraging that a Green Movement seems to be "popular" again ... I guess it's true, what's old is new :)
Thank you for inspiring and for doing your part in spades for the planet!
Here's to Earth Day Every Day!
Enjoy your Birth day/week/month!
oxo

Angie in AZ said...

Happy Birthday! Hope it's a wonderful, memorable day full of doing what you love with people you love!

I'd love a chance to win a prize! Throw my name in!

just me said...

Happy birthday to you!!! i started to sing (inmy head) the very unirthday song from alice!(the original:)) but yours is a real one today!! hope you have a great day with tons of fun doing things you love to do!

thanks for the tip on creamer, i too always use it and usually buy the local creamer. not because it came in a cardboard box but because it was cheaper! so now i will think about the recycling too!!:)

just me said...

and please enter me in the drawing! my son wants the telescope:) but i think we would get more use out of the rotary cutter! :)

Debby said...

Happy Birthday and Happy Earth Day, sweet friend.
Debby

Caterina Giglio said...

Happy happy day to you! and to the earth!!

Diana said...

What awesome giveaways!
I came by as part of the WOYWW tour--but lucky me now I might have a chance to win something!

Donna: said...

HB2U, HB2U, HBDear Elizabethhhhhhhhhhhhh.... HB2U.... :) Ok.. I won't sing anymore. Your give away is deliscious of course. But mostly stopped by to wish you a special happy,happy ART day. Put me in the bowl for #3.... IF it happens
Again... have a great day.

Dana said...

Well, we've had a Happy Day so far, Liz. I DO remember the first Earth Day. I was in high school in Seattle. We were so enthusiastic I can't believe such little progress in 40 yrs.

Dana said...

Oh, and i want to win and I want #1, K?k

Terri Kahrs said...

Happy, Happy Birthday, Elizabeth! Oh how I wish I were geographically "closer" to help you celebrate your special day!!! I'm dating myself here, but I DO remember the first Earth Day celebration. I was working in Princeton at the time, and the celebration was all over the campus. And, make no mistake, it WAS a celebration!!! Your giveaway is so generous - thanks for throwing my name in Bleubeard's hat! Love & Happy Birthday Hugs, Terri xoxo

WW said...

Happy Birthday, I hope you got to spend it with friends and family.
Giveaway 1 or 2 look the best for me, I love the colors of yarn in 2.

Halle said...

Happy Birthday once again! Hope you had a fun and productive day.

Jeanene said...

Happy Birthday Dear E.I hope you have a wonderful eARTh Day birthday.

Lynn Cohen said...

First: a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!! I Hope you have a fun fun celebration that lasts for days and days!

Ilove being GREEN too! I read the whole rant!

I am greedy I guess as IF I win I'll gladly take Giveaway ONE...I was torn as those spoools of yarn called to me as well...but I liked all the stuff in #1 so #1 is shall be, thank you very much in advance should I be the winner! ;-) xo

Imelda said...

A happy Birthday Elizabeth and what a fantastic giveaway. I would go for nr 1.

angeline said...

Hi Elizabeth, happy birthday! I love reading your (almost daily) blog. You're very productive! I very much love the painting stencils in # 1.

Dianne said...

have a creative and joyful day! beautiful give-aways!
Dianne
so...it appears that I am able to comment from my son's computer...wonder what's wrong with my settings?...

Healing Woman said...

Happy Birthday-Earth Day!

You really know how to have a contest/giveaway! Wonderful assortment of items most everyone will want..including me. Please enter me in your draw.

I love reading your postings and try not to miss any of them.

Lisa said...

Happy Belated birthday! What a wonderful idea with the half and half...something I probably would not have even considered. It truly is those acts of awareness...and then ACTION ...that make all of the difference.

I didn't "celebrate" per se, either - but I am enjoying the increased awareness it is bringing to my family. (It's quite cute hearing a 5 year old talking about saving our earth - encouraging!)

This is an amazing giveaway...thank you oh so kindly!!

I hope you are still celebrating (though it looks like you had a wonderful time with friends already given those photos!)

Liverpool Lou (Anne) said...

Are you posting worldwide Elizabeth? I don't want to sound like I'm commenting just to be in with a chance to win (I am a follower anyway) merely curious as it could be expensive to post those items. Great giveaways nonetheless :)
Anne x

Tammy Freiborg said...

Happy bEARTHday, Elizabeth! What a privilege to celebrate your birthday along with thanking the earth for our shelter, food, beautiful surroundings! Did Bluebeard give you a birthday snuggle?

ikkinlala said...

Happy (belated) birthday!

If Canadians may enter, I'd love a chance to win Giveaway 4.

Hello, I'm Vicki said...

wow what a fantastic giveaway, happy earth day and happy birthday too!!!
if you can send internationally i love giveaway 3 - i want that bowl!!!! it's pretty :D :D i'll post about your giveaway on my facebook page :D

Angela Toucan said...

wow what an amazing giveaway. It would cost you a fortunre to ship it over here, so I won't be entering.
Glad you had a great birthday

Clare Tea said...

happy birthday, Earth. Thank you for taking care of us!

And happy birthday to you! Good on ya to keep your footprint small. Earth would be proud!

anyway, Wow! That's- that's the most amazingly generous giveaway I've seen from an individual for Earth day I've ever seen. I'm almost afraid to enter-

But I've always wanted a telescope since I was a child. My house has a balcony overlooking my entire city , it would be the perfect place to use it.

The oil pastels would be nice too... I have a friend whose favorite medium is oil paints and pastels. It would be such a surprise for her!

Thank you for the chance.

le.paradis.found at gmail dot com

Marlynn said...

Sign me up girlfriend! And Happy Birthday !! gain!!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday! What an incredible giveaway! Thank you for the opportunity to enter the drawing
All prizes are great, however, I would love to be the lucky one and win #1 :)
Greetings from Mexico

Renee said...

What a wonderful post! I enjoyed your rant, and read every word. *smile* I too, try to recycle, and reuse. I like the coated containers too, love to use them to make ice candles with. I love all the creative goodies you have picked out - should I be lucky and have to choose, it would be hard. I love them all. *smile*

Kathy said...

Happy birthday! What a wonderful day on which to have your celebration! :-) I appreciated you reminding us all of our obligations to Mother Earth, our Forever and Only Home. We owe it to her to be mindful every day of our actions which can either hurt or help Her. I am amazed at the generosity of CNS with the giveaway prizes they've donated! I would love to have #1 for myself (I've never tried oil pastels before) and my younger daugther who is a fabulous artist, or #2 for my older daughter, who has learned to knit and loves to create things for others!

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth! I wasn't sure the other day if you meant that it was *your* b-day or just Earth Day.....but now I know! And, gosh, what a generous giveaway !) I'd be happy to win any of those packages!

ACreativeDreamer said...

How lovely...Happy (Belated) Birthday...it looks like a lovely day of celebration, as they should be!

Liisa said...

Love this giveaway! Being an artist myself Im always needing art supplies! yay! Happy Birthday!

Anonymous said...

What a generous giveaway. I don't have a blog.

Linda Wells
lindawellls at juno dot com

Susan said...

Happy, Happy Birthday my friend, hope your day was full of smiles and laughter, and I am very sorry to be late! I am like you recycle as much as I can, and save things I think I can use for something else...much to the chagrin of many of my family members especially the hubby. LOL...when he sees something I have recycled, then he is like WOW!...men LOL

I too hope we do better in the next 40 years.
If I am the lucky recipient, I would be interested in package 1 or package 5.

I see a friend or 2 of mine have become followers of yours and I love that!

How have you been lately?

Hugs,
Susan

jackie said...

E, what a very generous giveaway! I hope your birthday was grand (and I hope you received my ecard)
Thank you for adding my name to the pot!

studio pashnada said...

this is one impressive giveaway!! and giving gifts on your birthday - extra nice.

Marie S said...

OMG!! This is awesome! Please count me in!
Happy Earthday and Bearthday!

Sharmon Davidson said...

Happy birthday! Wow- how cool is it that that your birthday is on Earth Day! I enjoyed your rant about reusing and recycling, so rant on! It's awfully sweet of you to give presents to others on your birthday, and all the prizes look awesome!

Laura said...

Wow what a great giveaway! Happy Earth Day Birthday!!

Anonymous said...

Love your giveaway. Nice to share these gifts on your birthday. I would pick number 1 or 2 were I so lucky as to win.

Sue F.
suzy-q @ execs dot com

HeARTworks said...

Happy belated birthday! Ever since I was young we were well trained to reuse, reduce, recycle and repurpose. Creating art with items that would have been thrown away is very satisfying!

NickA79 said...

Happy Birthday!

BadPenny said...

Happy Birthday dear Elizabeth - what a fabulous giveaway !
We are pretty good at recycling & now have fresh eggs a compost heap & a veggie patch !
( I love no 1 if I were lucky - are you shipping to the UK ? ! ) xx

Unknown said...

WhooHoo ... what a great giveaway! I'd choose gift 5 (my hubby would love it and I'd love to surprise him with it).

Thanks for hosting this giveaway and thanks, also, for posting so many wonderful tutorials for the Inspiration Avenue blog party! :)

Small Footprints
reducefootrints (at) gmail (dot) com
http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com

Val said...

Have had computer issues othewise would have wished you a Happy Birthday on your day. Hope it was fabulous. What great giveaways and very generous of you. I think I would pick Giveaway #1.
(As an aside, we are lucky here in N. AB in that our recycling takes both the wax coated milk containers as well as the plastic milk containers)

danit said...

Hi. My birthday was on May the 1st, (I'm 39 but don't tell anyone). Living in NZ in the last 3 years, I got very aware of preserving our earth.
Thank you for this post and generous giveaway.

Danit

Ragamuffin Gal said...

What a generous heart you have ~ Thanks for the green tip about creamer cartons. I will remember that next and each time I shop! And Happy Birthday too ~ hope your year is wonderful! Many Blessings ~ k

Kim Collister Studio said...

Elizabeth, I hope you had a very SWEET birthday! Celebrating EARTH DAY is awesome. I am all about protecting our environment. It's also very cool to meet a new blogging friend who loves altered art as much as I do. Fantastic giveaway and glad to have found your blog!

Mollye said...

Hi friend, I hope I'm not too late to enter your generous and thoughty giftaway! Mollye

Susan said...

Hi there Elizabeth still interested in #1 or #4
Susan

Numinosity said...

I don't know how I missed this. Oil pastels would be a lovely prize. Happy Birthday. I was in 8th grade for that first Earth Day. I remember it well.
Kim

Nine said...

I love the first ! Happy bEARTHday !

dandelionlady said...

Happy bEARTHday! What an amazing giveaway. You have a beautiful blog here. Thanks so much!

Nancy Lynn said...

happy bEARTHday. I totally believe in recyclying, reusing and repurposing. We need to take care of Mother Earth. I like number one giveaway. Thanks for a chance to win this.

Create With Joy said...

Dear Elizabeth,

What a fabulous giveaway, and what a thoughtful way to get the Earth Day message across! We take this stuff very seriously in our household and every year, try to add something new to our routine to help the planet.

I would love to win Giveaway 1 - I've always wanted a set of oil pastels to play with!

Hugs
Ramona
http://create-with-joy.blogspot.com

carole brungar said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY you!!! , and how kind of you to have such a lovely give-away! Sending hugs your way, Carole :))

The Paper Artist said...

What a generous giveaway. Love #1. Plse add my name to the pot. I'm now a follower, to. Email in profile.

Jan from Wyoming said...

I'm not so sure when your birthday actually was, but Happy Birthday, Happy Year! I remember Earth Day number one, and I know many people who live green lives. I do so as well. I once was watching my MIL saving bread sacks and I don't remember what else for other uses and I congratulated her on re-using stuff. She said, "Well, I lived through the depression!" So there was another time when people were very careful because they didn't have any money!

All of your giveaway items are lovely, but I really need a paper cutter, so if I win, I'll go for Giveaway 4!

No blog, but you can contact me at jleonhardt@bresnan.net.

Thanks so much for giving to others on your very own birthday! And now, I will go enjoy your blog!

Priscilla Schrock said...

Happy Birthday!!! May you have a wonderful year!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday and what a fun idea to do a giveaway to celebrate.

I love pkg #1 the best. :)

MrsLoomis said...

I was actually surprised that this was the 40th Earth Day. Like you, I wasn't aware of it until 1990...because my first-born was DUE on April 22. (Of course, she wasn't actually BORN until May 8....)

Kate said...

Elizabeth, this is such a nice thing that you are doing!

Nancy said...

Happy "B-earth" day...a great way to celebrate. Enjoy your blog. I think #2 looks like my kind of stuff should I be so lucky.

Ina Good said...

Have a great bday!!!Have an artful one!have a happy one!!Have a blessed one! I enjoy your blogI am in to the thread giveaway as I would like to do some quilt fiber project for the first time!! Nice sharing your Bearthday with you and thankyou for all your kindness and generosity and like me recycling to keep our earth friendly! Hugs,Ina

Anne Marie - Toronto said...

Happy belated birthday from a lurker on the Art Techniques yahoo group! I use a lot of recycling in my work, though I'm still in the early stages and admit to still buying stuff as well. Good luck with the giveaway!

leslie b said...

Happy Bearthday ! I am a lurker on Art Techniques as well. I hope you have been having a great celebration. Thanks for the giveaway.

Jan said...

Hi, I read about your giveaway on Mixed Media Art Friends, Belinda's group. I receive the messages in a digest form so I don't get them till the next day so it looks like I missed your giveaway. That's okay, you have an interesting blog and I will go take a look around anyway. I too have always been a frugal person and I try to not buy things that can't be recycled reused or used up. Hopefully more and more people are waking up to this. Happy belated birthday btw.

callisueart said...

Happy belated bEARTHDAY! May mother earth bless you with much creativity in the coming year. Greetings from SueWilliams in South Africa