at west end and a challenge maybe?

There are a lot of lovely, creative, eco friendly shops with amazing products made/built from sustainable resources and recycled items. A few years ago, a new catalog made it's way to our address and I was instantly in love. At West End has beautiful things, that are rustic and practical all at the same time.

We just got another catalog in the mail and I find myself wanting so many of it's lovelies. Here are a few (and i mean a few, they have a TON of things I like!):

Okay, so I could go on with showing you photos but what I am going to do next will be slightly different. I'm still going to show you goodies but I think there are some very crafty and innovative individuals out there that might be able to replicate the following in a homemade, recycled, crafty kind of way. If you see these items and figure out ways for us every day folks, please share here (with link too). My mind is already scrambling on how I can make a couple of these items. I mean, not as nice or ritzy, but you know, in that humble 'I (We) made this' kind of way.

This is the item that got me thinking of 'hmmmm...maybe out of some sort of carton with old hanger wires or maybe still using a glass jar or..'

'using stick and branches Nat and I have gathered and a bit of cloth...'

'We already save a bunch of glass bottles...maybe if i found a cool crate thing or something at a thrift store? Well, maybe not but if I knew woodworking...'

'nice idea for a family outing, gathering and craft perhaps...'

'Some one who is really crafty, talented and has all the right resources...'

'again with the glass bottles and sturdy sticks we find...'

So I will force myself to stop here and to point out that in know way am I trying to undermine the talents of the craftsmen or the store. I think the shop and it's good are brilliant and would love to buy everything in stock if I could. It's just that I always have this wheel turning in the back of my head for crafts Nat and I could do together or things I could make with my surrounding resources (fallen branches, rocks, other nature items, etc.) and out of used products (jars, bottles, cartons, boxes, etc.) into a great recycled item.

I love looking around, finding cool projects and ideas and posting them to Believing Nature (where all credit is to the blog/blogger/website where I find what I share). There are some very amazing mommas out there that are guiding their children in a knowledge of loving and respecting nature and the earth. If I may, I would like to mention a few here (by their blog name):

GardenMama

5 Orange Potatoes

The Magic Onions

Resurrection Fern

Quince and Quire

SouleMama

Childhood Magic

Maya*Made

Acorn Pies

Natural Suburbia

Of course, there are plenty other natural and crafty folks out there. I am constantly on the look for new blogs (which I have found a few new jems!) and adding them to my Google Reader. I admit, it is hard keeping up with so many that I sometimes I have to unsubscribe, subscribe again, unsubscribe, well you get the idea.

I will be posting something similar at Believing Nature and probably tweet this on my herb and flower twitter to see if anyone would be interested in a new task to discover :)