Microblogging
For the past few months, I have been primarily using Twitter instead of blogging (or using Facebook), because I like the immediacy and brevity of the platform, and its community-building aspects. Looking back over my recent activity, I realize that I retweet (that is, share useful and relevant links from other Twitter users) more than many users do.
Here are a few highlights from the past 6 months of my tweets (omitting all the conversations and time-sensitive items, and the vast majority of the retweets):
May 14:
http://twitter.com/ecoDomestica/design-decor-furniture Too many interesting decor people to #followfriday them all, so I made a List. [The Lists feature allows you to categorize the people you follow roughly by topic. I've found it really useful for figuring out what is trending within a group, and for improving the signal-to-noise ratio so I find interesting news more easily.]
May 13:
RT @GoodMillwork Removing An Old Floor http://om.ly/jaeU [If you need to put in some sweat equity to renovate your home without blowing your budget, tutorials like this one are invaluable.]
A new friend via #EmpireAve brought BC-made http://johnrossdesign.ca/ wood furniture to my attention today. Lovely!! Thanks @BaconEnvelope [Organic, live-edge wood pieces like these speak to our desire to bring nature into our homes and will stand the test of time, unlike the fads for owl images and taxidermy specimens.]
RT @jetsongreen Sylvania Intros Sleek Ultra Bright #LED for 60-watt Retrofits: http://bit.ly/cifXfs [The next-generation LEDs will give brighter, warmer light suitable for residential applications - and a lighting industry insider tells me they'll be readily available within the year.]
@hgtvcanada http://twitpic.com/1ng1f9 – ZOMG that mirror! Great mix of fabrics as always. [Re: room from unaired episode of Sarah's House 4. Sarah Richardson's team's approach to mixing vintage and modern, high and low, and creating spaces that transcend trends has been a source of inspiration for me since Design Inc first came on the air.]
May 12:
RT @sciam Green Nursery: How Significant Is the Impact of Ecofriendly Organic Bedding and Clothing on a Child’s Health? http://bit.ly/bk5GvV [Very significant, actually. Think twice about buying inexpensive fast-fashion for your kids, since the pricetag may not include all the costs.]
I just put out some borax-based eco ant “food” in the veggie garden so it’ll be safer to plant. The Jedi are going to feel this one.
May 10:
lemon juice + aluminum foil = magic http://loopframelove.blogspot.com/2010/05/rust-removal-on-ccm-galaxie.html [This green-cleaning technique can be used on anything that has gotten rusty.]
May 8:
Mmmmm, libraries. http://curiousexpeditions.org/?p=78
#canada #suzukifoundation RT @karranfinlay Participate in our survey of toxic ingredients in cosmetics: http://bit.ly/a1Z1kH [You won't believe how many chemicals you expose yourself to every day through personal care and cosmetic products.]
May 5:
Mmmm. I’d forgotten about the plum colour of Paperstone. So much fun! [Paperstone is a hardwearing countertop material made from postconsumer-recycled paper and a petroleum-free resin.]
May 4:
#yeg Are any local salons or pet groomers collecting hair or fur to donate for oil-spill-cleanup mats? http://tinyurl.com/2u8yvau
May 2:
RT @jamesbedell Are we Auto-Tuning #Green #Design?: One of the lousier trends in pop music is “auto-tuning”…http://bit.ly/cEKnGz
May 1 [in response to reading a tips-from-famous-designers article online]:
Hits of bold colour + grey walls to provide balance = already a decorating-advice cliche. #tryharder
April 28:
Yay! Good Food Box is delivering to my postal code this week – how about yours? http://www.eatlocalfirst.com/Default.aspx#eatlocal #yeg [My first box of the year included frozen organic meat, coffee and chocolate from local gourmand favourites, lots of fresh veggies, organic stone-ground flour, and a bonus package of barley. Yum!]
April 27:
1924 staging #fail: http://www.shorpy.com/node/4281
Check out this little house made of old streetcars:http://www.shorpy.com/node/6760 Vernacular adaptive-reuse architecture!
April 26:
This colours-across-cultures image from @infobeautiful is seriously mindblowing: http://bit.ly/9gpfs0 #color #decor #design
Love it all. But painting TV wall black so electronics disappear? Genius move. RT @mkaufmann @zem ’s ecofabulous house http://bit.ly/bbQV67
April 25:
Rajathani inlay & block prints rock my world. RT @poppytalk Sang and Serena http://bit.ly/cKcZuw [Another huge trend I've noticed in shelter mags and on other decor blogs lately is the use of traditional handcrafts from India, from mother-of-pearl inlay to shisha mirror embroidery.]
April 22:
Happy Earth Day! How are you reducing your year-round environmental footprint?
April 14:
RT @drgrist: Climate Scientists Cleared of Malpractice Accusations in Hacked Email Case http://bit.ly/9rdSLB (via @kate_sheppard)
March 21:
USDOE’s L Prize for the development of a high-quality LED replacement for 60w incandescent lamps: http://www.lightingprize.org/index.stm
Feb 27:
Buying cork flooring? Ask where the cork is grown. Only European & North African cork provides environmental & social benefits.#ecorenotips [full post on what makes cork such an eco-friendly material coming soon]
Need to flush your low-flow toilet more than once? Replace it w/ the hotel standard: TOTO’s Drake (1.6gpf) or Aquia (0.8/1.6).#ecorenotips
Feb 26:
Dear Anthropologie fairy, please ensure the Canadian stores carry the Decker end tables, Terai folding chairs, & Marrakech curtain panels. [They do!]
Feb 24:
Just had a long chat with my favorite ecorealtor. She takes a holistic view: green homes must also support sustainable lifestyles. Love her! [This is an important point that often gets lost in talking about green building.]
Feb 11:
RT @dexigner: PANTONE Fashion Color Report Fall 2010 http://tinyurl.com/yzmdqjm #design *mmmm chocolate truffle
Jan 25:
Supper, then off to Carbon Environmental Boutique for the Non Toxic Beauty seminar cohosted by @localgreenYEG. Anyone else coming?
Jan 20:
Just read another story about bamboo bikes (via @VerdeLifestyles). Someone needs to make reuseable, recyclable lugs so they’re cradle-to-cradle.
Jan 19:
<3! RT @Ecochickie Some of my best friends are virtual: Why online communities & friendships are real & valuable! http://tinyurl.com/ycvqece
Jan 7 [re profile of Looptworks, Portland, Oregon]:
What a great concept – limited-edition fashion created by upcycling castoffs. Coincidentally that’s how I make my pendant lamps on Etsy 
Jan 5:
RT @ApogeePainting @ParkroseGateway: Did you hear about the Fix-It Fairs yet? http://bit.ly/50FJFo (via @ecomod) #yeg needs to do this too!
Jan 2:
Lovely visit with old friends & took down all the Xmas stuff today… also packed a couple of my chandeliers to ship to buyer in NYC. (!!!)
Dec 30:
OK, a terrarrium of moss is one thing – but isn’t anyone icked out by these trendy living-moss-carpet stories? I mean, spores. No. Thanks.
More green moving tips: 1. Purge before you pack. 2. Sell heavy furniture & appliances. Replace with quality (used) pieces in your new city.
Great post by oprah.com’s @simransethi on greening your moving day: http://is.gd/5grEA – moving’s so hectic most don’t think about the waste
Dec 29:
Authenticity is always in style: RT @AshalaGaren 10 interior design trends for 2010 http://ow.ly/QdP7
Dec 28:
Mmmm, beautiful! Have you read The Wabi-Sabi House? RT @KimVallee Japanese design principles from @swissmisshttp://atk.im/o6
Dec 23:
eco renos & retrofits a much-needed trend: RT @astreaminggreen4 Green Building Trends to Watch in 2010 http://bit.ly/5utp50
Dec 21:
Vancouver’s Upholstery Arts have a genius series of articles about upholstery foam at http://www.upholsteryarts.ca/fna – gorgeous sofas too.
Dec 13:
E-SAGE founder Tad has some great green tips for you! RT @tim_osborne Reading: 10 Revolutionary Resolutions.http://bit.ly/4qEHRa #yeg
Dec 12:
I’m astonished & grateful that so many people came out for the#yeg #realdeal #cop15 vigil tonight in -29C! Albertans are a hardy bunch.
Dec 8:
http://twitpic.com/sonsp – Hey cool! You can see one of my SCOOPED lamps on Google Streetview, in the window of Lucid Lifestyle! #yeg
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v462/n7273/full/462545a.html Strategy: Can’t plausibly attack the science? Attack scientists instead.
Dec 5:
Thinking about how the trend toward choosing fewer, high-quality items with an eye to value is also environmentally friendly.
Dec 2:
I’m so inspired by the gorgeous handcrafted spaces that I saw in the (E-SAGE) talk about @OUR_Ecovillage last night. Must go do a cob workshop!
Nov 18:
For those who missed GEA Sustainable Works launch, here are the deets:http://www.greateredmontonalliance.com/sw/sustainableworks.pdf #yeg
Oct 31:
Read @greenyourdecor’s genius Green Your Rental series yet? 1 http://snipurl.com/shtux 2 http://snipurl.com/siksq 3 http://snipurl.com/smvpr
I’d like to get back to blogging about decorating, crafting, and environmental topics more frequently, instead of being content to link to others’ content. But I’d love to know: what topics would you like to read more about?
#EmpireAve EAVB_CFODVTZOHL
Tags: microblogging