Art, Nature, and Life's Muse

Tucked in the south west Virginia mountains, Green Label, Organic Sustainable Threads sends a big message from the small town of Floyd.

Green Label shirts carry sustainable lifestyle messages of environmental protection, recycling, biking instead of driving, growing our own food, and more.

Visit www.greenlabel.com and you’ll be very happy to see what goes on in small town America these days. They keep it simple but meaningful.  Affordable, too.

How about that tag line? “Respect Labor, Respect the Planet, Respect Yourself” It’s my all time favorite tag to date.

I bought my Green Label T-shirt at the Chestnut Creek School of the Arts in Galax, Virginia. The front says, “Nature…what shall endure” and the back has the art school name and logo. The shirt is soft, comfortable, and well made. It’s so nice to be comfortable in clothes that send important messages.

If you’re looking for a quiet, southern vacation, the Grayson/Carroll county region of Virginia offers a nice cultural choice. Down Town revitalization programs are underway and you can find wineries, galleries, hiking and biking along the New River, camping, visitor participation settings, regional music, and golf. The list goes on and I-77, Blue Ridge Parkway, and a few other major routes go right through the area so you can get to larger cities easily.

See you on Main Street,

Becca

Color me slow! Preserve Products has been making new products from recycled materials since the 90′s but I just found them today. By accident, even.

Visit www.preserveproducts.com where you can use the store finder button to locate sellers near your home or you can order directly from the Web site.

I found a bright, blue colendar at a department store and it’s very nice. It’s sturdy and the hole pattern allows for great drainage.  I will shop for Preserve Products from now on because they  recycle and manufacture their products in the U.S. This means U.S. jobs and reduced fuel use for shipping.  Their prices are affordable, too. Can’t beat that.

If you have Preserve Products stories, please share. I’m still learning about this company and their ethics but so far, they seem like keepers.

See you on Main Street,

Becca

New Balance offers tennis shoes made in the USA. Read the labels, not all are U.S. made.

My husband and I both have New Balance shoes and find them a good value. They weren’t what we call cheap but we didn’t have to sell our kidneys, either. Mine were $50 and I don’t recall the mens’ price. In their second season, they still look and feel great.

The materials are U.S. and imported and I respect New Balance for saying so.

The tag from my tennis shoes states that where the domestic value is at least 70%, the shoe is labeled as U.S. made.

Our local For Feets’ Sake carried the mens’ style last year so shop local first if you need tennis shoes. They’re stylish and look nice with jeans or shorts.

Remember our local Farmers’ Market runs every Thursday, 3-8pm. The goodies are fab. Last week, we purchased local bread, fresh picked greens, and a beautiful wooden bowl made in Howell.  Check out the Earth Boxes  if you enjoy gardening but have limited space.

See you on Main Street,
Becca

At last, we have modern boot cut jeans, made in the USA!

Visit www.gusset.com and you will not be disappointed. Home offices are in Bon Aqua, TN and production takes place across the border in the state of Georgia.

I’ve been wearing Diamond Gusset’s straight leg classic fit for years and now, I have mid-rise boot cuts, too. Diamond Gusset offers a low rise, a mid-rise, high-rise, and slim fit. Fabulous.

Diamond Gusset jeans are very well made, flattering, and comfortable. If you ride motorcycles or horses, you’ll love the structure. There’s no giant seam bothering your business while you ride! Yee-HA!! Their mens’  line is fabulous, too. My husband wears them all the time.

If you live near Brighton, 2nd Street is home to Beverly Rae’s clothing shop. There, you find two U.S. made brands of ladies’ clothing in a quaint, friendly atmosphere. Check them out and see what you think.

Oh, oh..my chartreuse Okabashi flip flops arrived a few days ago. Rockin’! U.S. made and you can send your old flips back for recycling when you wear them out. You’ll have them for years.

Okabashi shoes are found at www.okabashi.com all the time but you can find them at Walgreens and several pharmacy locations. I’ve seen them in Meijer’s pharmacy section. These are not $2 flips. They run from about $10-$20 because they have thick soles, sturdy structure, and massaging knobs for added comfort. The colors are bright and fun but you can pick brown or black.

You can order misflops and get a color for each foot!

Looking for you on Main Street,

Becca

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