Category: Blog

Green Thought Thursday: It’s not easy being green, or is it?

Josephine ButlerBlog, Sustainability2 Comments on Green Thought Thursday: It’s not easy being green, or is it?
Kermit during his visit to Briar Chapel!

Enough with all the hype, Miss Piggy! Who’s my favorite Muppet? Why, it’s Kermit, of course!

And who couldn’t love this green little guy? Miss Piggy certainly can’t resist him (she told us in a recent interview), and our friends over at Briar Chapel (client), can’t either! In fact, the Briar Chapel team loves Kermit so much, they’ve written a blog (or two) about him. For today’s Green Thought Thursday, I’d like to re-share some of their ideas, as well as come up with a few of my own, on how to incorporate green living into your everyday lifestyle. And don’t let Kermit fool you — sometimes, it is easy being green.

  • Install EPA-approved WaterSense fixtures for your faucets, shower heads and toilets. You’ll save lots of water!
  • Grow a rain garden to alleviate storm water run-off. You won’t be sorry — they can be beautiful little sanctuaries!
  • Catch, store and recirculate rain water. It can be used for irrigation.
  • Conduct a blower door test on your home. You’ll be able to pinpoint leaky cracks and drafty windows.
  • Insulate your hot water heater. This is one of the biggest energy consumers in your home! (And don’t forget the pipes!)
  • Weather-strip your doors and windows. It’s a cheap way to save even more on your electric bill.

Now it’s your turn. What are some ways you save green by going green in and around your home? Kermit sure could use some reassurance (he doesn’t have a lot of self confidence….Poor guy).

Read More

Whaddaya Think, Miss Piggy?

Dana PhelpsBlog, Marketing, ,

Whaddaya Think Wednesday is a Q&A feature. We ask people (and sometimes pigs, apparently) “whaddaya think?” on a variety of topics.

Just one post on Miss Piggy doesn’t seem to be enough. As a follow-up to yesterday’s Is Miss Piggy Trending? entry, here’s a fun excerpt from a Q&A with the Divine Swine Dive herself.

Q: You are a fashion icon. What is your secret?

A: I have a few fashion secrets:

  • Never wear anything that requires a hoist to get into.
  • There is no such thing as too much accessorizing.
  • If it’s expensive, it fits.
  • Style comes in all shapes and sizes. Therefore, the bigger you are, the more style you have.

Q: What do you do in your free time?

A: Shop. Eat Chocolate. Pose for photographers. Rinse. Repeat. I’m a diva. I have people to schedule my free time. You have no idea how time consuming that is.

Q: Are you and Kermit together? 

A: Of course we’re together.  In the movie, we seem to be apart, but that’s just for dramatic tension. In real life, we’re fabulously happy and the longest-running interspecies couple in all of Hollywood.

Read More

Is Miss Piggy Trending?

Dana PhelpsBlog, Trends, , , , , 3 Comments on Is Miss Piggy Trending?

Want to know the latest trends? Tune in on Trend Tuesday!

She’s passionate. She’s opinionated. She’s a fashion icon. And she’s making a major comeback.

From her photo shoot in this month's InStyle...

I’ve yet to see a trailer for the new Muppets movie, but I know it’s coming because Miss Piggy is everywhere. For starters, she landed an 8-page spread in InStyle, sporting custom designs by six of today’s hottest fashion designers. She’s the new face of MAC Cosmetics (the line will be out on November 14), and she’s been written about in Glamour, Women’s Wear Daily and on the New York Magazine blog. She’s also been named a judge for Project Runway All Stars.

The thing I am perhaps most jealous about is that Miss Piggy has had more than one OPI nail polish named after her in The Muppets collection including Excuse Moi, Divine Swine and my personal fave, Gettin’ Miss Piggy With It! Of course Miss Piggy has the things you’d expect like a Facebook page (with more than 83k fans) and her own Twitter account.

It’s this everywhereness and the more creative tactics such as the InStyle fashion spread, the sly mention of the movie on Modern Family and Miss Piggy’s interview talking points that seem to include anyone/anything that is popular (from a friendly fashion diss on Lady Gaga to crushes on George Clooney and the Twilight stars — picked up in The Hollywood Reporter no less) that will surely earn this movie’s marketing machine rave reviews.

Don’t forget in all of this Miss Piggy fashion fun, there is a Muppet movie coming out on November 23. Will you be there? Do you think it can live up to the hype? More importantly, which outfit did you most love on Miss Piggy in InStyle?

 

Read More

Take MSNBC’s Advice

Dana PhelpsBlog, Free Advice, , , , , 10 Comments on Take MSNBC’s Advice

Hey, it’s Free Advice Friday! If you  have a suggested topic or question, please leave your idea in the comments section. We also welcome comments on this post! Thank you!

Thanks to an introduction by my friend and author of the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, Mike Michalowicz, I had the honor of being part of MSNBC’s makeover of Asheville Playgrounds on the show Your Business. You’ll see in the clip that several experts give tips in their particular areas, and don’t miss the advice you can glean from what MSNBC did to truly help improve and grow a business — bring in the experts!

 

Read More

Green Thought Thursday: Recycle Your Halloween Costumes!

Josephine ButlerBlog, Sustainability2 Comments on Green Thought Thursday: Recycle Your Halloween Costumes!

Halloween is just around the corner, and in typical fashion, I have yet to put together a costume. The good news is that because I’m running so late, I don’t really have a choice but to go green with my costume this year (and you should, too)!

Did you know that 12,500 tons of used Halloween costumes end up in the landfill each year? That’s why the folks over at Green Halloween® and Swap.com teamed up to start National Costume Swap Day. Hundreds of families across the country gathered to swap out old costumes for “new” ones. It’s never too late to call friends and have a mini-swap day of your own.

Hoping to go even greener this Halloween? Make your costume out of recyclable materials like plastic bottles and paper products. Nearby N.C. State is hosting a recycled Halloween costume contest as part of its Campus Sustainability Day. Winners will receive special goodie packages including tickets to local concerts. Sounds like fun, eh?

Now it’s your turn. Tell me your ideas. What makes for a clever Halloween costume, especially if it involves simple things you can find in your recycling bin? Share your comments below. Happy Halloween!

Read More