Amy Pfaffman is an artist and designer who makes gorgeous jewelry pieces from the most unlikely items.  She has a huge range of materials that she works with from resistors to coffee beans and everything you never ever imagined in between.

One line that I found particularly stunning was the assortment of jewelry that she makes from plastic used in architectural applications.  Between the two layers of used plastic, she sandwiches a selection of materials to make graphic and beautiful patterns.  Even the materials between the plastic is made up of 40% post-industrial reclaimed materials.  This is then cut into small pieces to be used in her jewelry.

This line of recycled plastic jewelry includes rings, bracelets, necklaces, bobby pins and earrings.  It's nearly impossible to tell just what exactly the pieces are made from just by looking at them.  All you see is their beauty shining through in the array of colors and shapes intricately laid out between the recycled plastic.  Absolutely stunning!  Any of these pieces would make a great gift for Valentine's Day or any other reason...or maybe even no reason at all.

Green Colored Glasses will most definitely be featuring this designer again and again.  I definitely recommend checking out Amy Pfaffman's site to see some more of her amazing creations.  There is also a list of places where her work can be purchased in person or online.

Etsy crafters JJEvensen live by the motto: "Anything to keep our world green! Reuse! Recycle! Have Fun!".  Having fun is definitely what seems to be missing in the process of living green-er some days.  It's great to see someone bringing fun back into the mix along with their creative and whimsical designs.

The reincarnated kitchen utensils used in their pieces come from a variety of places -- estate sales, online purchases, antique sales and donations.  The pieces are always well used and turned into some pretty surprising objects after the team of Jeremy and Jennifer Evensen are done with them.

One of my favorites is these forks turned into hooks called Peace x Fork You x Rock On.  I love how the tines become tiny fingers which are easily reconisable as the symbols they represent, coat hooks and their previous lives of forks.  Items that maintain their original look so that viewers are forced to reconsider how they look at items they consider trash are definitely my favorite.  How better to start a conversations with someone about green living than to have them ask about a recycled piece.

These Etsy crafters make a huge variety of hooks out of silverware.  Some of the hooks are mounted on boards which are recycled as well.  One of the designs makes the forks look like they're having a terribly bad hair day with spiralled and bent tines shooting off in every direction.  The coat rack pictured here is called the Go Green Stained Funky Forks Coat Rack.

Hooks is only the beginning of what this Etsy store has to offer though.  There are also windchimes made of previously enjoyed utensils, rings, earrings, necklaces, hair barrettes, business card holders, bookmarks, display stands, pot rack hooks and even fork tine nails.

I especially love their line of bracelets made from hammered spoons that literally wrap around the wrist.  Gorgeous, simple, stylish, recycled, fashionable and green.  All of my favorite things all rolled into one!  The one pictured below is made from the handles of two spoons while other bracelets available on their site are made up of one spoon with the bowl hammered flat.  These need to be seen to be appreciated.  My description is not giving them any justice at all!

I recommend stopping by this shop to pick up some unique and interesting items for around your home that will challenge viewers to find new purposes for their cast off goods.  If you have a couple pieces of your family's old silverware that is never used and missing the rest of the set, don't get rid of it.  Try sending it to this couple of Etsy crafters instead and having a new item made that can continued to be cherished and passed down through the generations in a new form!

With Valentine's Day being the next major holiday, I thought I'd share some great, eco-friendly gift ideas for that special someone on your list.  These erotic brooches are literally torn from the pages of used trashy romance novels and repurposed into cheeky pins.  The Etsy seller, rebounddesigns, tells buyers to wear them if they dare!

I love the erotic and retro nude pin-up girl used on the card the brooch is clipped to for sale.  It's intriguing that the naughty bits of a book is covering the pin-ups naughty bits!  This etsy craft rescues books from dumpsters, yard sales and library sales to make these sexy pins. 

She also makes a line of wallets and purses that re-purposes books in bad condition as well.  These sorts of second life products would make great and original Valentine's gifts that will declare your love (& desire!) for your special someone as well as your love for the planet.

The brooches come in a range of phrases that are carefully cut from trashed trashy books.  This ensures that the pin you receive is a virtual one of a kind creation which is mounted to wood and varathane to ensure that the pin is protected.  There are pins listed such as "being deep inside", "slowly stripped off" and "her orgasm hit".

Talbots has challenged bloggers to write about what they would buy if they won a $500 gift card.  I struggled with the decision to even try as in my mind, Talbots is a store more for my Mom's generation.  I tend towards casual fashions made up of environmentally friendly fabrics.  I really didn't think that Talbot's would carry that sort of thing at all.  Truth is, they do!  They've got quite a nice selection of clothes made of modal fabric and a reall cute cape made of a bamboo blend.

The patterened orange tank pictured above is just not what I envisioned Talbot's carrying at all!  It's made of a cotton, modal and spandex blend with a button on the back to keep it closed.  This is definitely the kind of eco-fashion that I'm into -- bright colors that are easy on the eye with fabrics that are easier on the planet than more traditional chemical laden all cotton clothes.  This tank top is on sale right now for only $17.24 so I'd definitely pick it up in a few shades.  At prices like that, can you afford not to?  lol, that's what I always say to my hubby to justify shopping the sales.

The beige tunic with cropped pants is nearly identical to what I'm wearing at the moment actually!  Super comfy and easily dressed up with jewelery and shoes.  This is also made with a modal blend of fabric which is made by spinning the reconsituted cellulose fibers of beech wood.  It's also 100% bio degradable!  Both the top and bottoms are on sale right now so the entire outfit would cost under $50!  I'd get this outfit in two colors simply because it's such a wardrobe staple.  That leaves approximately $340 left of the $500 gift card still.

I'd have to pick up the ruffle necked tee shown below with it's feminine neckline and super soft modal fabric blend.  At $16.49 on sale, three colors would probably do it.  Lastly pictured below is a cute and cozy looking bamboo blend cable knit cape.  It too is very reasonably priced at $44.99.  I'd still have about $240 left -- there's a beautiful modal blend print dress for $52.49 and some awesome bamboo accented espadrills that would look fantastic with it for $33.44.  Throw in a beautiful tumbled leather handbag with a bamboo handle for another $112.49 and I'd have just enough left for some of their gorgeous chunky necklaces to help me match some of my new outfits!!

Who knew that Talbot's could be so fun, fashionable and affordable for women in their thirties who are eco-enthusiasts??  Talbots has really been trying to advertise their chicness by starting a new ad campaign called red chair confessions which should really help to get the word out how fun it can be for women of all ages to shop at Talbot's!  Dowdy outfits was what my mind used to imagine when I thought of Talbot's.  It's certainly not going to anymore!

I'd definitely say that my shopping expedition would be of the light green variety as opposed to the dark green I become when I'm shopping for 100% organic pieces.  Going green and living in an environmentally responsible way is a journey though.  Small steps in the right direction such as shopping for modal fabrics or bamboo accents are steps in the right direction!