'Eco-friendly DIY: Flower Vase'

Practicing eco-friendly goes well beyond buying into electric cars and stocking the supply cabinet and fridge with third generation and organic products.

Going green is a way of life. It begins simply, by taking a look around you and finding new uses for ordinary items like furniture and accessories.

Try starting with an empty glass bottle. With patterned paper and an hour to spare, you can create your own recycled flower vase. This do-it-yourself project makes also a great rainy day activity for the kids.

Here’s what you will need:

- Recycled glass bottles

- Patterned wrapping paper (do not pick thin paper that might fall apart with pressure or the application of glue)

- Krazy glue or glue dots

- Scissors

- Goo Gone (to remove labels)

- Pencil

What to do:

1. Finding unused and recycled glass bottles in your home is a cinch. But remember to scout out empty bottles that vary in height and color. The idea is to eventually mix and match the glass vases amongst your décor, or to rotate them around a room individually. You wouldn’t want all your vases to be identical, would you?

2. Picking your favorite five bottles or less, remove labels with hot water. Apply Goo Gone if the labels do not peel away as easily. Lay the bottles on the flat sheet of wrapping paper.

3. Wrap the patterned paper around the bottle, and make sure to have the paper overlap by at least a half-inch. Mark the desired length with a pencil.

4. Cut the paper to your desired width. Tip: Taller bottles should receive a band that measures at least 5 inches wide and smaller bottles can manage with 2- to 3-inch bands. Use your best judgment.

5. Either using the glue dots or Krazy glue, adhere the paper to the glass and apply glue /glue dots to the area where the paper will overlap itself for extra support. If desired, cut a narrow band of contrasting paper to attach to the top of the wide band. And voilà!

6. Place flowers in the vase or leave them empty and place around your home.

-S. Gonzalez

'Decor Goes to the Dogs'

For someone who has long been considered man’s best friend, it’s about time he had a say about the décor.

The New York Times recently ran a July 21 article centered on our furry friends and the rising popularity in pet-friendly design solutions and furnishings for the average ‘human home.’

Animal lovers, knowing that a happier pet is a well-behaved pet, are buying into the pet accessories. Others go as far as constructing their own feeding stations, with one pet owner transforming her old furniture into a place where her dog and cats can find their food (below middle).

As a former dog rescue volunteer – I used to foster dogs in my home until they were adopted – one of the many challenges I faced was keeping the house orderly. Whether it was spilt water bowls, the remains of a half-eaten teddy bear lying around, or puddles of dog pee, I had my hands full.

Decorator and pet owner Kristi Linauer, of Texas, said that her dog Boo would eat out of the cats’ bowls on the kitchen floor of their home. But moving the cats’ bowls to the kitchen counter posed another problem: kitty-litter encrusted cat paws padding across her counter (highly unsanitary).

Linauer took matters into her own hands, taking an old secretary desk and converting it into a feeding station. How’d she do it? By removing the hatched door, bottom drawers and shelf, Linauer created a top section for her cats and bottom section for her dog to eat, drink and be merry.

Basset-hound owner Toru Hirose turned to an architect to build cabinets (above) that would conceal his hound’s dog supplies and crate. Creating a wall-to-wall cabinet, the architect hid the dog crate and food dishes inside. Hirose’s hound, Marco, enters through an opening in the center.

“How you plan a house influences a dog’s behavior and spirit,” Hirose told The New York Times.

Couple Bill Hilgendorf and Maria Cristina Rueda, of New York, turned their Brooklyn apartment into an indoor cat playground with a bright yellow staircase (above) made from fiberboard that climbs over a doorway and above the stove to a set of kitchen cabinets. While adding an architectural element to the space, the stairs allow the couple’s cats to chase one another up and down the stairs.

Now you must ask yourself: “How can I think outside the litter box for my pets?” You’d be surprised what you might dig up.

-S. Gonzalez

'Get to Steppin'

The Panama hat rests comfortably on my bed post. The tapered pants, mini floral button shirt and cream-colored vest hang loosely in my closet. And the paint-splattered silk shorts are still sprawled on my bed, having just arrived in the mail a few days ago. To a random fashionista, I have carefully sought summer pieces that easily double for day and evening dressing, and will undoubtedly transcend the coming seasons.

Yet something seems awry.

I have forgotten to do a little sole-searching this summer. Those nude platform heels and those black ballerina flats were all purchased months ago. It’s time for a fashion update on what’s still hot this summer (for your feet that is):

On the wedge

Finally, something you can stand on. These Sam Edelman sandals (above) in black and tan options have a slight wedge heel and are now on sale ($74.25 at Bloomingdales). The sandals lace up the middle and tie around the ankles for a cool summer finish. Pair these sandals with high-waisted jeans, cut-off shorts or a feminine skirt. The added height is much appreciated, especially for the traveling urban nomads.

Mule over

If there is any sole shoe trend that is a must this season, it’s the mule (above). No longer a sign of dated fashion – I tend to think of older women at weddings who opt for mules in sequins and other embellishments, or match their satin mules to their dresses. This Elizabeth and James peep-toe mule in black or bone is anything but dated. It’s the epitome of luxury with its sleek shape, snake print leather skin and three ankle straps.

Finer Details

Balance casual footwear with fine embellishment with this Jeffrey Cambell thong sandal (above). The sandal ($99.95 at Nordstrom) is heavily beaded, starting from the start of the foot to the ankle. No need to sacrifice comfort for style. The sandal also has a lightly padded sole, making this one sandal that’s ready to go wherever you are.

Whether it’s a slight wedge, a towering espadrille, demure mule or versatile flat, it’s about time I stop neglecting my feet. It’s about time I (pun intended) get to steppin'.

-S. Gonzalez