The panel evokes a serene feeling, and will remind you about the Buddha’s teachings on enlightenment through meditation in your day-to-day life.  Simply put, Buddhism is based on an idea that inner peace can be achieved by recognizing that suffering exists but also that it has a cause and can be lessened with wholesome intentions and actions.  The Buddha, who is said to have traveled throughout India during the 5th century BCE, warned particularly against greed, hate, and self-delusion.

At four feet tall by two-and-a-half feet wide, the hand-carved panel has been divided into three sections lengthwise for ease of hanging and shipping.  It’s also available in three stains — a warm tung oil honey tone, a darker walnut, and a light whitewash — to best match your decor, and provide a daily reminder to live well.

Click here for purchasing information!

Oregon’s Original Living Christmas Tree Company has been providing Portlandians with their choice of evergreen — various species, six to seven-and-a-half feet tall — for twenty years.  The company will even deliver your selection, with its roots wrapped in burlap, to your door, and then pick it up in a few weeks so it can be replanted by a school, church, private homeowner, or landscaper to live out its next 70-80 years.  The Living Christmas Tree Co. in southern California offers a similar service to residents of the Greater Los Angeles Area — but replants the trees in a cooler locale!

Living with a tree is easy.  Just make sure to give it one to two pints of water per day, and keep it away from heating vents so it doesn’t dry out — or start to think spring has come early.  Avoid decorating with large light bulbs and using flock, too.  It’s worth noting that some studies suggest a correlation between music and healthy trees, so don’t be afraid to sing.

And you don’t need to live in Portland or L.A. to decorate your home with a lovely live tree for the holidays.  You can source, transport, and replant one all by yourself!   The Original Living Tree Company suggests calling local plant nurseries to inquire about four or five -foot conifers — due to the weight of the roots, the company recommends purchasing a shorter tree for ease of moving.  Trees can be set diagonally in the trunk of a car (with a cable to secure the hood) or in a truck bed.  In January, replant in the yard for use in 2012, or call local community organizations and offer to donate it.  You could even post an ad to Craigslist and let someone else replant your tree near their home.

These versatile bowls can be used to hold a variety of things such as fruits or salad. They also will look elegant and expensive on the dinner table.

The serving platter has a nice texture and very appealing colors. It is made of the highest quality wood and is hand carved.

This utensil vase is a very original conversation piece.  It is carved from mango trees in Thailand, with  tree bark accents.

To see the full assortment of our new kitchen products, please visit our website. http://www.verdelifestyles.com/Wood-Kitchen-and-Dining-s/314.htm.

Here we have a very artistic shot of our natural tone bamboo rug with a beautiful pink flower on top:

Next you’ll see the perfect place to set your pet’s food and drink bowls. Dinner and easy cleanup!

Maybe not the most convenient place for a guitar, but who cares, it looks cool!

Switching gears a little, we’ve got a lovely rosette throw pillow accenting a girly bed:

Perhaps on a leather couch?

And finally another artistic shot of a small collection of organic throw pillows displayed across the wood floor:

We hope you keep an eye out for updates on these and more images as the month progresses and other shots make the cut!

All of these new bamboo rugs, part of the Villager Collection, are made from Anji mountain bamboo, harvested from the Zhejiang Province in China. They come in vibrant colors and patterns that you won’t see in your typical bamboo rug, like deep crimson and key lime shades. In addition to the traditional, woven thin slats style, you’ll also find less conventional variations in color and width of bamboo slats. Though these new rugs differ aesthetically from the older ones, they are just as easy to clean and maintain, and are just as durable. In other words, everything that you already loved about our bamboo rugs, you will love about these as well! Stop by to check them out!

One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure: From the New York Times

The Living Christmas company in California, near L.A., is renting out live, potted trees that customers can decorate and keep in their homes for the holidays, and then return to the company once their celebrations are over. The company then stores them and cares for the trees for the rest of the year, and the tree is again available for rent the next Christmas. They also deliver and pick up the tree for you!

This is all well and good, but what if you don’t live somewhere where this service is provided? You can always consider buying a Christmas tree and caring for it all year round, or making your own creation with trimmings and branches.

When using monkey pod wood, usually only the branches are harvested, but occasionally a whole tree is cut. Usually this isn’t done because monkey pod wood grows very fast, so it makes more sense to just cut the branches, but sometimes bigger pieces of wood are needed.

The wood is then cut into chunks that are roughly the size of the product they’ll be used to make. In true sustainable form, scraps are used either for smaller carvings or to heat local homes during the cooler months.

The product is then carved roughly out of a chunk of wood, done while it’s still wet (Monkey Pod wood has a very high moisture content when it’s cut). This means that as the wood dries, it will shrink and crack significantly. Carving is usually an occupation that is passed down generations, which means that those who do it are highly skilled and have lots of experience. The carvers work according to the “feel” of the wood, so each finished piece, like each tree, is unique. The tools that they use are usually handmade and each carver has his own set.

After carving, the furniture is placed in a solar oven for a few months to dry out. Each piece is tested to make sure it’s structurally sound before it’s moved on to the next stage, which is sanding. The furniture is then finished with natural wood oils and then inspected for any cracks or flaws. Several coats of oil are applied by hand, which takes time.

This season, wood furniture, bamboo rugs, and organic pillows are the perfect eco-friendly gifts for those on your “nice” list.  Green products are still hot, but they’re great for those in your life who aren’t necessarily environmentally-conscious, too. Take a look around the website to see what we have to offer!

Here a few ideas to get you started on your shopping spree:

Nothing says luxury like a sleek teak wood bath bar. It can be used in a multitude of ways–use it to enjoy your hot bath with a book, a soothing cup of tea, or just to keep toiletries and towels close at hand.

Add space and light to a small apartment, or just a small room, with a large mirror in a beautiful sustainable wood frame. Mirrors are great for opening up cramped or dark spaces, and their frames can add detail and color to a bare wall.

Our natural, versatile bamboo rugs are a must-have for any green interior, and are indispensable as far as eco-friendly flooring goes.