Au revoir my dearest eco-lovelies !

To my dearest eco-lovelies,

Just a little over 17 months ago I excitedly started this blog, so it is with a bit of a heavy heart that I decide to bid ecojotting au revoir... For now anyway ;)

From Black*Eiffel

It has been such a delight to say the least connecting with all of you fellow bloggers (such as sweet CandiedFabrics and eco-enthusiasts (like D'angelo) all across the globe! From posting fun, quirky, beautiful, cute, silly videos, photos and eco innovative stories... to my Earth Day countdown rolling giveaway and helping promote ecojot's newest give campaign... Delightful is in fact an understatement!

Thank you for keeping tabs on my posts, participating in my giveaways and sharing your thoughts and ideas!

In the coming weeks I am transitioning into some exciting new projects.... Plus ecojot is launching a new company blog, called jot and dot - the ecojot blog:

My new projects will unfortunately limit my time to blog, hence this post... However, if from time to time you'd still like to continue to keep tabs on me and the "fun, quirky, beautiful, cute, silly" videos, photos, and eco-cool videos photos and stories I come across, you're very welcome to bookmark my new more personal blog, a cuppa tee:

I know I've always signed ej for ecojotter, yet my first initial is actually t !

Hope to see you for a cuppa tee ;) And in the meantime, this isn't goodbye, simply 'til next time...

Much love,

ej a.k.a. tee.

PS - For just one more special au revoir video, my absolute favourite of all... one filmed by my very talented taller lil sis... Enjoy! And take care ;)

Ecojot from ecojotter on Vimeo.

And my February Giveaway Winner is...

Lucky #28 ! Sarah-Paige Copeland a.k.a. the candidreviewer who helped spread the word that ecojot isn't just about helping Mama Earth but directly advocating for children's arts and literacy in developing countries now too via blog post... Thank you Sarah :)

And thank you to everyone who participated! I wish I could send you all prizes for taking part in my special Feb GIVING is LOVE giveaway... Was so touched on how you all help share the ecojot giving news... THANK YOU AGAIN!

For a bonus chance to win not just ecojot stationery, but adorable pink mitts, visit DesignerJots' blog before February 28th... Quick you've got three days!

And for something green and inspiring... The other day I received photos and testimonials from the organizers of the 5th Annual Teens Turning Green National Summit. ecojot proudly provided notebooks to all the attendees to jot down all the awesome green ideas being exchanged and discussed! After all it's all about working together and encouraging others to be green, right?

Lastly, I stumbled on this photo today, and like the shot of my nephew as a super cute cupid, I couldn't not share it... How cool is that?

Lots of random from me today ;) Thanks for visiting and taking part! Remember to enter DesignerJots' WIN MITTS + ECOJOT giveaway (only 3 days left!)

xo,

ej

"Struck" with LOVE, giving and sharing!

+Simply love+ by ~mARTy---

25 comments a.k.a. entries and counting! YAY! Just a friendly reminder that only two days remain for my special February Giveaway: Giving is LOVE! If you haven't yet entered or want to enter again, there's still time!

So speaking of Valentine's, as it was after all V-day (and ecojot's new give campaign) that inspired the giveaway, I cannot resist sharing this adorable photo of my nephew Santi... the cutest cupid ever! Hopefully his mum won't kill me for posting this! Yna, please forgive me, just too adorable a photo not to share! Right, everyone? 0;)

So while, it's no longer Valentine's day, here's hoping you have a love-filled week, everyone! May cupid strike multiple times ;) In fact, I don't believe I ever posted this awesome short titled "Struck..." Please do check it out.

Happy Monday! Yup, I'm deep down inside I'm sappy romantic... Guilty as charged ;)

xo,

ej

Introducing the ecoPrinter of the future.

Introducing Prepeat, an inkless and tonerless rewritable printer! While Sanwa website's the Japanese to English translation may not be the best, the device itself is most definitely ecoInnovative! Plus I love their "Use example" graphics, as shown below:

But in all serious, this printer is literally inkless and tonerless... Instead it uses a "special-purpose thermal head." I'm guessing it's similar to many of the receipts we get at stores. You know the ones that usually fade into nothing?

Which has me wondering will the text/graphics fade of pages printed from the RP-3100? Perhaps since the printer only uses "special-purpose rewritable paper made of PET plastic" it won't fade. By the way, after a bit of googling, I learned PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate, a plastic resin and a form of polyester, and can typically be recycled (Yay!)

That's right, I said rewritable! As in "if the documents aren't needed any longer, they can be erased by inserting them into the printer. Then the sheets can be used again, as if by magic."

But didn't let me ruin the ecoFun and innovation by transcribing this great video demonstration:

By the way, the video mentions that the printer is priced at about 500,000 Yen. In case you're wondering that is equivalent to CAD$5,782.13! One PET paper sheet costs about 300 Yen. That's CAD$3.47 a pop. While it's pricey, I gotta say it excites me to see these type of ecoTechonological advances!

For now, I'll stick to my ecojot notebooks and occasionally using my big brother's printer when necessary ;)

Happy Wednesday!

xo,
ej

PS - Just 7 more days till my February Giveaway: Giving is LOVE! As is sharing it :) ends on Tuesday, February 23, 2010! So be sure to enter :)

Luvmud: the perfect way to say "I love you and the earth!"

Still looking for the perfect Valentine's Day gift for your eco-loving special someone? Well you're in luck... Introducing, Luvmud!

"Luvmud, by [architecture firm] super-interesting!, is a heart-shaped gift item that also functions as an educational tool, communication strategy, and community builder. Luvmud is made from soil, worm castings, cow manure, clay, and coconut coir, embedded with herb or vegetable seeds for germination, and decorated with a message written in baker’s icing."

Not yet available in stores or to purchase online, however if you live in NYC that you're in even more luck because starting today 'til Valentine's Day, super-interesting! is giving away their Luvmuds for free at Spring + Art Design: 126a Front Street, Brooklyn (DUMBO).

"Stop by, say hi, get Luvmud!

Limited supply. First come, first serve."

Otherwise, I suspect it's not too hard to make, in fact, according to their website, "NYC kitchen scraps digested by worms help make Luvmud rich in nutrients. Vermicomposting is fun and easy. You can make your own worm compost in a bin under your kitchen sink.

The smart folks at the Lower East Side Ecological Center host workshops, and also sell worm condos and live worms."

So why not try googling "vermicomposting" in your neck of the woods? Check out butternut squash Luvmud below. Shots taken in a three day span!

Whatever you do or don't do this Valentine's Day Weekend may it be eco and wonderful!

xo,

ej

PS - Just a friendly reminder my February/Valentine's Giveaway runs until Tuesday, February. 23, 2010. Click here to enter :)

An ecojot love letter.

penny love letters by gingerlillytea

About three weeks ago Mark of ecojot received the following email titled "A word from a happy customer."

With all my chatter about spreading the ecojot-giving word as my February Giveaway, it only seemed appropriate to share this ecojot-loving letter!

To: Mark and Carolyn Gavin

Hello!

I am writing to share with you how much I truly enjoy the existence of your ecojot line of products. I first discovered your notebooks in a shelf at a national bookstore, and among the other excellent designed booklets and notebooks in that shelf, a cardboard bird-themed spiral notebook stood out. At the time I was not aware of your company’s background, but the first impression told me that you cared about making something simple and beautiful and that you wanted to share these beautiful, useful things with others.

It was that notebook, among other things that inspired me to follow my passion: graphic design. I stood in front of that shelf looking at your notebook for a few minutes, and when I realized how happy looking at this notebook made me, I decided to take it home.

I have been a faithful user of your notebooks ever since, and it was about time to share with you the thoughts of one of your customers, it may not mean much, but I thought you and your sister would like to know that if I’m ever in a class and feeling down, I look at the cover of my notebook or down to the center of the page and it makes me feel happy.

Thank you for that.

Sincerely,
Sarah D. A.

P.S. If you could tell me if there is any way in which I can become involved with the creation of your awesome products, you would make my day!

Thank you for sending your letter, Sarah. I was as touched as Mark and Carolyn to hear your kind words.

Don't you just love receiving love letters no matter what time of year? Happy Thursday!

xo,

ej

Homemade ecoLOVE

A special thanks to d'angelo for suggesting this Homemade ecoLove Valentine's Day gift idea for a yogurt container... A heart-shaped cookie cutter!

1. Simply cut off the bottom.
2. Bend it into a heart, leaving one end a bit longer so you can make notches to hold it together :)

As d'angelo points out, it's "great for getting cookies out of people or homemade love!"

I certainly think the "Green Police" would approve... Have you seen this Super Bowl commercial...

Pretty funny!

xo,

ej

PS - Many thanks to those who've begun spreading the ecojot giving word and in turn entered my February Giveaway: Giving is LOVE! As is sharing it :) Contest runs till Tuesday, February 23, 2010. Please keep spreading the ecojot giving love!

February Giveaway: Giving is LOVE! As is sharing it :)

+Simply love+ by ~mARTy---

Is Valentine's Day really only 5 days away?

I must admit I've been a bit distracted by my recent apartment move, which I'm happy to report went smoothly by the way... Now I must just finish unpacking =/ But I shall stop whining 0;) and get back to Valentine's Day, giving, sharing and LOVE instead!

As you may or may not have noticed I have been excitedly trying to help promote ecojot's awesome new "Buy One, Give One" campaign. In fact, the new section titled "Our Give Campaign" on ecojot's website (that I designed) is now live!

So here's what I'm thinking for my February-Valentine's Day Giveaway... Help me spread the eco-giving love for a chance to win! It's such a fantastic new cause that helps a child in need simply by purchasing a jumbo journal, journal or sketchbook for yourself or someone you love! What's not to love about giving one for one?

So what do you say? I could really use your help spreading the word that ecojot isn't just about helping Mama Earth but directly advocating for children's arts and literacy in developing countries now too!

Simply...

1. Twitter about @ecojot's new give campaign, by including the following link in your tweet: http://ecojot.com/give_campaign.aspx
2. Twitter about this contest by retweeting me @ecojotter ;)
3. Spread the word via Facebook by posting http://ecojot.com/give_campaign.aspx on your wall.
4. Spread the word on Tumblr, DIGG, LinkedIn you name it!
5. Send a friend an ecojot ecard telling them about ecojot's new give campaign!
6. Or even simply tell a friend about in person... After all there's nothing like real word of mouth, right?
7. In fact, tell me what you think about the new campaign as a comment too!

Do any or all of the above, and each indivdual act of helping me spread the ecojot giving word = an entry! Just remember to post a new comment for each entry =)

By now you're wondering but what can I win?

Well I was thinking it only makes sense for you to have a chance to win 1 jumbo journal, 1 - 5x7" journal and 1 - 9x12" sketchbook, so that your win also means 3 notebooks (as shown below) for 3 children who otherwise can't afford school supplies!

So what are you waiting for? To sweeten the pot, winner gets to pick the design covers of his/her choice!

Thanks in advance for helping me spread the ecojot giving love! Can't wait to read your entries!

xo,

ej

PS - Contest open to US and Canadian residents only, and to run until Tuesday, February 23, 2010. Good luck!

Belated HAPPY Groundhog's Day Everyone!

amigurumi groundhog
Originally uploaded by planetjune

From the looks outside here in Toronto, all three groundhogs were right... We've got six more weeks of winter coming our way... It's snowing out! You know that perfect light powdery snow that gracefully floats to the ground?

I am however hoping it'll stop snowing by this evening because I'm moving apartments tonight! So keep your fingers crossed for me ;)

Just in case I'm not back blogging till next week due to the move, unpacking, connecting internet, etc... Just wanted to share this very cheesy, yet still very cute and well done video forwarded to me by my Uncle M (note: if you double click on the video, it will open in a new window and isn't cropped)...

Enjoy!

xo,

ej

PS - Watch out for a special Valentine's Ecojot Giveaway coming soon!

And my January 2010 Giveaway Winner is...

Congratulations montg ! I shall be contacting you (unless you contact me first ;D) to arrange shipment of your January 2010 Giveaway prize: a complete set of ecojot teatime collection... as in a jumbo journal, 5x7” journal and 3x4” pocket notebook! Aren't you glad you decided to send your mum an ecojot card last night? ;)

And remember, your win also equals two workbook donations to a child in need in a developing program with ecojot's new "Buy One, Give One" campaign (ecojot's new business model committed to directly advocate children’s arts and literacy in developing countries). For every jumbo journal, 5x7" journal and sketchbook purchased (or in your case won!) ecojot will donate a specially designed ecojot workbook.

Thank you to everyone who participated! It felt so good knowing you were all spreading a bit of ecoCheer these past couple weeks! Watch out for my February Giveaway!

xo,

ej

From clothes hangers to hangeliers!

What are hangeliers, you ask? Clothes hanger chandeliers of course! Having just blogged about how to make expensive clothes hangers out of plastic bottles, blogging about hangeliers next couldn't seem more appropriate! Thanks for the lead, Pat!







My only criticism is the designers at Organelle Design made the above hangeliers from off-the-shelf plastic and wood hangers rather than finding old, used ones. According to Inhabitat where they were featured last year, "clothes hangers are clogging our landfills at a rate of nearly 8 billion per year." That's a whole lot of hangers! They should have tried and used some of those 8 million!

My compliment is that other materials designers Alex Witko and Courtney Hunt used to make their eye catching hangeliers are salvaged repurposed found objects such as bike rims, chainrings, and zipties.

Even more inspiring was Organelle Design's BYO_ event as in "build your own ____!" event. Their slogan: "resist consumerism.... by reusing it's wasteful by-products!" Check out how it went here. Below is a shot of one of the event's results... a snazzy coffee table 100% made from salvaged repurposed found objects!

xo,
ej

PS - 3 more days till my special ecojot ecard January giveaway ends, so keep sending those ecards for your chance to win ;D

Introducing ecojot's new "Buy One, We Give One" campaign.

Have you heard? ecojot commits to giving one for one.

As I've mentioned, I've been busy helping launch an exciting new ecojot give campaign. In fact, we're currently in the midst of adding information to our main website. As a special sneak peek, here's the 411...

ecojot’s “Buy One, We Give One” campaign is the company’s new business model committed to directly advocate children’s arts and literacy in developing countries. In many poor areas young students cannot afford school supplies, nor are they provided them. In an effort to equip children in need with basic school supplies, ecojot will donate a notebook for every ecojot journal, jumbo journal and sketchbook purchased.

ecojot is partnering with three organizations to make this happen:

• Ve’ahavta - A non-profit Jewish humanitarian and relief committee whose mandate is to accomplish tikun olam, the betterment of the world

• Free the Children - The world’s largest network of children helping children through education.

• The Stephen Leacock Foundation for Children - Dedicated to helping disadvantaged youth in South Africa.

ecojot understands that the success of the campaign is dependent on ensuring that the notebooks are delivered directly to the correct recipients. Therefore ecojot’s first shipment will be sent in a sealed container via the Ve’ahavta KinderKits Program, along with medical supplies, already destined for Zimbabwe. Kenyemba Primary and Secondary Schools will be the first recipients of ecojot’s “Buy One, We Give One” campaign.

Mark Gavin of ecojot says...

“ This becomes a deeper purpose for our business, so we can play an active role in helping better the global village we all belong to.

Inspired by the Toms Shoes model and by Whole Foods founder, John Mackay’s new commitment to conscious capitalism, I wanted to have our business play a part. Being that we make notebooks, it was an obvious decision to donate these to help needy children become educated and literate. ”

While ecojot is officially launching their new give campaign this year, they have in fact already donated 4,000 to 5,000 school supplies so far, and plan to donate 20,000 to 25,000 by spring 2010. Read more about it in a recent CJN news article here.

So now every time you jot or sketch in an ecojot, not only will you feel ecoAwesome, but you will also feel wonderful knowing a child in need is getting a chance to jot and sketch too!

Can't wait to hear what you think about the new give campaign! Have a great week!

xo,

ej

A novel use for plastic bottles... A clothes hanger!

Discovered via my Uncle M, and dvice.com, I bring you the very green, but unfortunately also very expensive... Rethink Hanger!





At 8 bucks a pop, it's definitely a tad on the costly side... However, I certainly do think it's a pretty ecoCool idea!

"Conceived by designer Xuan Yu, it's basically a hook with two holes that hold empty bottles. Once you've polished off a couple of Sprites, screw the bottles into the holes and you've got a deliciously convenient place to hang your shirt — without the awful flatness of a wire hanger."

What do you think? Would you use Rethink Hangers?

Well that's it for me this week.... I gotta say it's great to be back blogging again. Oh and keep those Ecojot Ecard January 2010 Giveaway entries coming! You've got nine more days to send ecojot ecards for a chance to win!

Bon weekend !

xo,

ej

The Honest $10,000 SPAM.

That's right, you're reading today's title correctly, I did say, "honest" and "spam" together, and no, I'm not attempting an oxymoron.... And that is exactly why I just couldn't help blog about this awesome story. Simply click play below for the full scope!

You can visit motherlondon.com to learn more about the ad agency who put on this unique experiment.

Happy YouTube Thursday! Here's to "Giving [which] is Glorious!"

Speaking of giving, soon I'll be blogging about ecojot's new give campaign called "Buy One, We Give One" that we are currently in the midst of launching... So be sure to stay tuned! And in the meantime, keep sending those ecards for your chance to win my special ecojot ecard January Giveaway ;)

xo,

ej

PS - While, I heart this honest $10,000 spam story, please remember to continue being cautious of the many dishonest spam and phishing emails out there.

Metal scraps turned cute "BRENDA - The Born to Be Bad Little Girl Robot."

The moment I saw these photos of BRENDA - The Born to Be Bad Little Girl Robot, I couldn't not blog about her! According to her etsy description, she's even got a story...

She was supposed to be a sweet and adorable, little robot
but something went terribly wrong...

She rolled off the assembly line on Halloween during a full moon.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shocked the factory...
this gal was destined to be trouble.
BRENDA - The Born To Be Bad Little Girl Robot

Designed by Will Wagenaar a.k.a. reclaim2fame, BRENDA measures 15" tall and 9.5" wide, is made of recycled parts and a bit of new hardware, including vintage clockworks and an antique key on her back.

Apparently the last photo (above) is BRENDA "giving Commander Cupcake a hard time."

"Is it really possible for a cute little robot to be evil? Just ask BRENDA."

Click here to check out 38 other items by reclaim2fame on etsy. I'm particularly drawn to "BEGGAR - A Remarkably Persuasive Robot" and "BINKY - A Robot for Baubles And Bangles" a.k.a. "a shiny new ride for your jewelry...." soooo cute!

While I can't personally afford any of Will's creations at the moment, I gotta say... ecoAWESOME! I am particularly impressed with his commitment "to create beautiful and fun new objects using at least 80% recycled materials. Most of [his] pieces are composed of much more than 80% reused material. [He has] been making art and objects from discarded items for over 15 years."

Happy Wednesday!

xo,

ej

PS - Still enjoying reading all your entries into my special Ecojot Ecard January Giveaway :) Keep em' coming till the 31st!

Need or want a new scarf? But wanna be eco about it? Introducing Rekn.it!

First and foremost, I must admit I am loving reading all of your entries into my special Ecojot Ecard January Giveaway! Thank you for participating and sharing them with me :) Keep 'em coming!

Today I blog about Rekn.it an awesome opportunity to take an old sweater, and this month turn it into a new scarf! Here's how it works...

That's right someone's mom in Boston has started an ecoAwesome service where she will (for a small fee) recycle your old sweater into something new again... This month it's a scarf!

Next month it could be beanie (we call 'em toques here up in Canada), iPod case, cut-off gloves or socks. You can vote at www.rekn.it what next month's recycled knitwear item will be!

As the e-newsletter I discovered Rekn.it from put it, "Consider it a second chance for all the ugly, saggy, oversized knitwear in the world, particularly the lumpy cable-knit mock turtleneck sweater currently collecting dust in the bottom of your dresser."

Happy Tuesday!

xo,

ej