Pecha Kucha Night a Huge Success!

Where can you get 100 people of different walks of life all together with a common goal in mind? Where was the happening spot in Savannah last night? It was here at Structured Green for Pecha Kucha night!!

The structure was simple, 10 presenters each shared 20 slides, and each slide was only up for 20 seconds. That means your 6:40 of fame starts NOW!

We heard from two painters, a musician/writer, tattoo artist, senior curator, landscape architect, a sculptor, collage artist, and even a chef! All of whom had interesting slides and stories to tell.

You know us at Structured Green, we are our namesake. That is why I was paying particular attention to the chef's presentation. You see, Robbie Wood is not just any chef, but he specializes in supplying people with elegant meals that are completely organic- pesticide and antibiotic free. He owns the Savannah based organic marketing and distribution business called Green Tomato Concepts. Their goal is not just to supply good food but also to educate people about food safety.

Green Tomato Concepts newest thing is The Fresh Box. Essentially, the Fresh Box is a grocepy order of fresh herbs, fruits, vegetables and starches that you order in advance and pick up once a week. It comes equipped with everything you need to make the recipes for that week. For the full description and all the fun to be had in the box, please follow the link to ready more about it. They are also bringing in a line of their own spice blends and then right behind that comes Peachy Baby Organic Baby Food. They are very excited to have the community be a part of their growth as new business!

Looking for local organic food in Savannah? Check out Georgia Organics for all the latest info on local events and where to shop in the area!

So, now you wish you had come to see us last night, huh? I bet! See you next time! Stay tuned at the Pecha Kucha website for info about Volume III happening in June.

Ciao Bella!
Jessie

Pecha Kucha Night: It’s all about the visuals

Savannah Volume #2
Wednesday April 29, 8 PM

Hosted by Structured Green
620 E 35th Street, Savannah

Creative work demands an audience, and Pecha Kucha Night provides a fun concise structure where talk is limited and it’s all about the visuals. Each presenter shows twenty slides for twenty seconds each, packing a fun visual punch that keeps audiences interested and presentations concise. The diverse line-up of presenters on Wednesday night will each take you on a whirlwind tour of the subject matter of their choice, creating a fun art salon atmosphere. It’s a format devised by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham in 2003, spread worldwide to 187 cities, and is now happening in Savannah.

The first local Pecha Kucha Night (or PK Night for short) was held at the Sentient Bean coffee shop, a place near and dear to my heart. I’m Joemy, barista at the Sentient Bean and now Structured Green Intern. Both establishments focus on local community and sustainability, and I’m thrilled to be a part of another amazing local business.

Pecha Kucha is Japanese for the sound of conversation, and we’d love for you to join in. You and yours are invited for one of the most interesting show and tells you’ve seen since elementary school, and I hope to see you there!

Repair or Replace it? Beating the Temptation to Toss.

My coffee was tasting metallic two weeks ago when I decided that it was time to invest in a new coffee maker. All of the sudden my head filled with questions I did not know how to answer. My hardy little 4-cupper had been mine for over a year, and a friends for 2 years before that. But was it really time to send her to the electronics graveyard in the sky? And where do I lay her to rest? Was I really making the right decision, or should I put up with the I've-got-a-penny-in-my-mouth taste for a while longer and take one for the recycling team? Sometimes the nasty happens. Inconveniently, your appliance goes up and it leaves you pulling a Chinese dinner outing 'Christmas Story' style... always at the wrong time. It has happened to the best of us but what are we to do? With the growing importance of recycling in today's culture, is it better to fix it, or should you bite the bullet (wait, that tastes metallic too?) and upgrade. Well, there are a few simple rules you can follow:

REPLACE
The cost of fixing the appliance is more than half or what you paid for it.
The cost of fixing the appliance is more than half of what you would pay for an new upgraded model.
Your appliance is out of warranty.
The benefits of upgrading to a better or more energy efficient model outweigh the costs of repairing your current model.
Current appliance has been repair prone.

REPAIR
Said product is totally retro and holds nostalgic value.
You already have the pricey, high-end model.
Current model cost you over 150 big ones.



"Honey, I hope you labeled
that hot dog casserole!"












And About Repairs:
Sometimes even if your appliance is no longer under warranty, the parts within it may be. For this reason you should still contact a factory-authorized repair shop and inquire- it could score you a free repair.
The road to professional repairs can be full of roadblocks. If this is the case, you may just have to bag it all together. But don't trash bag it! Recycle it!

Just like old paints, scrap metal, and grease (I love bacon), you can not just go dumping your nasties into the landfill. Well, you can... but that wouldn't be the environmentally friendly thing to do! In many cities there are recycling centers that you can either take your items to, or sometimes they have scheduled pick ups at local schools and firehouses. Google your local town electronic recycling center for more information. If you are in Savannah, check out this list, or take it to the new Eisenhower Drive Drop Off. They take hard to recycle items such as: used motor oil, electronics, lead acid batteries, Rechargeable batteries, CD/DVD's, Toner and ink cartridges, as well as the common items. Don't forget that you can also drop off used toner and ink cartridges any time at the entrance to any Best Buy.

Yes. It is great to upgrade to the newest energy efficient and Eco-friendly model, but sometimes you just can't... or don't want to. Do what I did with my coffee maker. Take it off someone elses hands! There are many places in Savannah where you can pick up used appliances for a fraction of the price and often times these models have a warranty from the new sales location. This is also a great way to do your part!

Consumer Reports has a load of valuable information on this subject and tips about different types of electronic recycling and repairing options and advise.

I've got my own little pile of electronics to take to Eisenhower this week, my beloved pot, the worst DVD player ever created, and my favorite hand held boom box I have been rocking out too since I was in 5th grade. I tried to fix it myself, but my step-dad told me it was a lost cause.

See you there!!
Jessie

One Mans Trash is Anothers Craft

This past Saturday we joined the City of Savannah in celebrating Earth Day. By “we” I mean Structured Green and me- I’m Jessie, one of the new interns here! Together with many other vendors we spread knowledge about how to be more eco-friendly in how you live, and in our case, how you shop! We handed out recycled cards with a little information on them about what we do, and something extra- a plank of reclaimed wood with a hole made in it begging for your creativity. It could be turned into a key chain, a necklace, a magnet, or anything you can imagine.

Here at Structured Green we love the idea of rebirth. We take tattered pieces destined for the salvage yard and breathe new life into them, turning them into something beautiful and functional for years to come. Every piece we claim is one less piece that goes into the landfill.

There are many ways that you can do this at home. Check out some of the ideas that were made for the Crafty By Nature Contest at www.craftstylish.com.

Something old:
Have an old jacket that has been in the closet for years and you just can’t bare to part with? Check out the inventive way this woman reused hers and still made it wearable!

Something new:
These leaf pieces are just gorgeous and worth mentioning!

Something recycled:
Saved from the Landfill! This artist is after our own heart!

Something Green:
Empty nest syndrome? Put those old toys to good use! This inspiring woman made rings from old Jenga game blocks! Kim Carneys "Ringas" are pictured.

There are other people in the community here in Savannah who are also making a difference in the Green and creative communities. Green Lifespace is a consultant agency who works with existing businesses to make their enterprise more eco-conscious. ReCORK America, the world’s leading producer of natural cork wine closures is now working with Green Lifespace to provide a recycling collection point for the corks and wine closures in the Savannah area. The uses for the collected corks is still undecided, but studies are underway to determine if the corks could be used as padded mulch for childrens play centers, or as insulation material for packaging and shipping. The corks are also being used as flooring, shoe soles, and fishing rod handles.

I have been collecting metal bottle caps for as long as I can remember. I have yet to figure out something interesting yet functional to do with them that I wouldn’t tire of a year from now. Any ideas? The table top is too overdone. And wall art… I am not sure. It would have to be pretty spectacular. For now they sit in bags and jars in my art room. Maybe one of the ways that ReCORK uses their corks and caps will inspire me! If you have made anything awesome from objects you save (picture me walking around parties and family get-togethers collecting the caps from counter tops and trash cans) by all means, post a picture in response to this blog so all can see!

If you are not feeling crafty this week, but still want to do what’s right for the earth, take yourself and a friend over to the Market at Trustees Garden. There you can pick up locally grown organic produce, dry goods, naturally made jewelry, Green body products, and many other fun things that will surprise you!

Live Long and Recycle!

Jessie

EARTH DAY – APRIL 18th, 2009, Forsyth Park

EARTH DAY – APRIL 18th, 2009, Forsyth Park

With Earth Day coming up on Wednesday the 22nd, Savannah held a Recycle-fest in Forsyth Park, to heighten the awareness of the importance of recycling. Forsyth’s center sidewalk was lined with tents of venders, all of which were relevant to being eco-friendly, sustainable, and recyclable. It was a great turnout, with live music, food venders, games for the kids, and lots of free stuff.
(Fun fact: The entire performance stage was powered exclusively by solar energy, from 8:00am, until the end of the festival, at 3:00pm!)
Structured Green had a booth set up, with information about our recycled and reclaimed wood, as well as lumber from sustainable forests. We handed out samples of wood that we have on hand to construct our furniture, as well as loads of information about our showroom, and company. Also, we met some great people and saw a lot of familiar faces.

Come visit our showroom or website for more information!

Structured Green Team