The Big Move

Well, I've got a webpage now!

A full serviced page on the webs ... crazy, I know.

So, this blog will now be hosted over here: www.christiearlotta.com ... click on "The Blog".



My new page is hosted by Dreamhost ... chosen for their environmental committments. Hey, a girl has to stay green even if she is becoming a network marketer (enjoy $50 off with this coupon)!

;)

The August Tomato Harvest

So many tomatoes, so little time. I think I hauled in about 40 lbs yesterday. FORTY POUNDS. And we're not done yet ... there are more red ones out there already. There are 8 tomato plants in our garden - and we think they are happy ... organic, biointesive practices seem to be working! It is hard to think that it will get better than this next year ... better soil and less chlorinated water (thanks to our soon-to-be installed rainbarrel).





Here is a peek of my haul from yesterday along with some of our green peppers and the yellow squash from Rutgers:














But, let's not forget the ones I had already put in freezer (some chopped, some whole) ...




You can freeze tomatoes chopped, cooked, or whole ... with or without their skins. I like this page from the U. of Nebraska-Lincoln about how to freeze tomatoes.

We are now in the process of making another batch of tomato sauce (well, John is ... I'm just writing about it). ;)



John's sauce: lots of tomatoes (blanched to remove the skins), onions & peppers & garlic sauteed BEFORE adding the tomatoes, generous helpings of oregano & parsley & whatever other spices are next to the stove, some sugar, and finally a lot of time on the stove to cook down (the pot below was FULL when we started).



Yum!!

The Deck That Should Have Always Been

When we bought this house, we immediately knew something was missing. The back of the house was just not complete. There was a dinky landing off the second story great room and a long staircase down to the ground. After sketching up several ideas, we agreed on a deck design and then went about choosing a material.

Here is the brief rundown and our findings/thoughts of our material search:
Pressure-treated lumber – lots of chemicals and needs to be painted/stained every year. Definitely the least expensive option.
Cedar – beautiful and resists bugs but finding an eco-friendly source was difficult, and not local to New Jersey. And, it would also require painting/staining each year. Not exactly cheap!
Ipe – Brazillian hardwood … beautiful, but … comes from Brazil, requires sealing every year and is PRICEY!
Composite Decking – lots of color choices, eco-friendly in that it is primarily made from wood waste or plastic waste. And, no painting/staining!
Trex Eco-Friendliness
TimberTech Eco-Friendliness

We chose Timbertech www.timbertech.com for its local availability, cost & eco-friendliness –
• TimberTech wood composite products are manufactured with recycled wood waste that would otherwise go into landfills.
• TimberTech recycles water (during the manufacturing process) through a closed loop water system.
• Skids, corrugate and product dust are recycled.
• Unlike wood, TimberTech products are a one-time purchase for most homeowners – with a limited 25-year residential warranty.
• TimberTech products do not require painting, staining or sealing.
• Scrap products are reclaimed and put back into the manufacturing process.

We realize that the claim of zero to low maintenance very much depends on where you live (climate, etc). We expect to have to pressure wash this new deck once a year … hopefully we can do it without nasty chemicals.

The other benefits of this deck for us include: easier access to that jungle of a garden, much easier access to the pool, a quiet place to enjoy morning coffees and the ability to put in a sliding glass door off the bedroom. We have noticed that the dogs will scratch up the stairs if we don’t take some measures … we thought about clipping their nails but Stella growled so we ditched that idea. We are probably going to get either some indoor/outdoor carpet or a plastic runner for the stairs. Little sacrifices for our four-legged friends. :)

And, finally, some photos!

This little spot was designed to hold a rain barrel ... hopefully that will get added soon so we can water the jungle garden with yummy rainwater!

The Decorator In Me: Uppercase Living

I love design - particularly interior and architecture. Before I learned that it takes 5 years of college to be an architect (and many years slaving after that), I totally wanted to be one. :)

I spend a lot of time thinking about and implementing interior design strategies and concepts. Many of you know that I absolutely love Eco-friendly design (er, that is the idea of this blog!) - and I swear there will be more on that VERY soon (new deck being put on the back of our house as I type ...)

My new obsession, however, is this Uppercase Living product. Vinyl "expressions" for your home, office, car, etc. Relatively simple to apply and remove. AND, you can customize them!! Now, I know vinyl is not the best material in terms of Eco-friendliness, but neither is most wall or craft paints. Ever take a whiff of those? Yuck!

Photo of the custom expression on our Great Room wall (our "Hawai'i wall). :)

So, I'm so enamored with this stuff that I am now an independent demonstrator! yay for business ventures!!

Want to order, host a party (either house or catalog) or become a demonstrator? Check out the website and then email me!!! :)





**edited to fix the links** sorry all that are on the RSS feed. ;)

The First Heirloom Tomato

So, first let me just say that I have become addicted to the video feature on the macbook. It's addicting or maybe I just always wanted to be a movie star. I don't know. 

But, seriously, we had a tomato tonight. The first heirloom tomato from our garden and it was AMAZING! No, seriously, amazing. Like, I'm not sure we've ever had a tomato so good. 

Uh, back to that macbook video addiction ... here's the clip of us cutting up said tomato. The eating part was too obscene to publish - sorry. ;) 

LOL - funny how I argue with John about where the tomato is from. Don't miss the martini glass to the side there ... yea, that's mine. ;)