Ideas Worth a Second Look. . . .

Conceived in 1998, by Lisa Craig Gautier and her husband, Patrice Olivier Gautier (Senior Director, iTunes Music Store, Apple, Inc.) this nonprofit concentrates on manmade surplus, natural surplus and eco-educational programs. The results are worthwhile, common sensical and often enchanting. Matter of Trust is collaborating with thousands of salons throughout the US and abroad, that donate their hair clippings to soak up oil spills. Last year over 2,600 oil spills occurred in the world. They weren't all are high profile, but most had an impact on the environment.

LavishGiving.com is an online gift retailer that donates 20% of all purchases of USD 100 or more to a charity of the buyer's choice. Which allows them to be generous twice: once when giving the gifts they purchased, and a second time when donating 20% of their value to a favourite charity.

Lacoste joins “Save Your Logo” campaign to protect crocodiles. Brooks Brothers has the golden fleece sheep, Ralph Lauren has a polo pony, and Penguin’s got, well, a penguin–but the most recognized animal logo in fashion may very well be Lacoste’s crocodile. The company has just joined the “Save Your Logo” campaign, started by the Global Environmental Facility, the World Bank, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which allows private companies to contribute to the preservation of animal life by protecting the animal that represents their logo.

Architectural Fun

Whispy lines, curvaceous ceilings, and geometric adhesions - all used in architecture to surround you with subtle comfort, style and impeccable design. There are just not enough adjectives to describe the benefits to all of us in good architecture. We are surrounded by it every day, in every way, and everywhere, yet we tend to take it all for granted. It is impossible to tap even a microscopic peek at examples, so let us just say thank you, to all of you who work in and around this business, you fill our world with magnificence and we are in awe. . . . .

Turn Up The Heat

Click here for more details about this event!

More about the WSCFF Burn Foundation: The WSCFF Burn Foundation was founded in 1987 and is a 501(c)(3) charity to provide funding for burn research and burn prevention education. The WSCFF Burn Foundation is a separate organization from the WSCFF Benevolent Fund and operates as an independent registered charity. The foundation is operated solely by Washington State professional firefighters.

Funding is primarily raised by sales of an annual fire fighters calendar. Several stores throughout Washington State carry the calendar.

Donations from the foundation are then disbursed via grants after approval from the board of trustees. If you need information on WSCFF Burn Foundation grants, please contact them.

Sandpoint Idaho . . you will simply love it!

Staycations are the perfect answer for all of us to participate in the activities right in our region. This week we wanted to highlight, Sandpoint Idaho. If you have not had a chance yet to spend some summer or winter days in this area, you have missed a large hunk of beautiful summer days and nights and incredible winters. This is where skiing gets serious. Fancy yourself a skier? Then you need to fancy a trip to Schweitzer Mountain to see what powder snow really looks and feels like.

Sandpoint, in the northern tip of Idaho, is no ordinary vacation destination. Located on magnificent 43-mile-long Lake Pend Oreille, surrounded by the Selkirk and Cabinet mountains, and with Schweitzer Mountain ski resort minutes away, Sandpoint is blessed with outstanding attractions. The town itself is home to a thriving arts community, the historic Panida Theater, a busy events schedule, a plethora of excellent restaurants, fine hotels. Coming events for this summer include June 18th - Summer Sampler - Taste the cuisine of Sandpoint's finest restaurants. June 27th - Schweitzer Summer Celebration. July 5th - and following on each Saturday through July 26th - Concerts on the Lawn. The Sandpoint Wooden Boat Festival is July 9 - 12th. Many more activities are lined up in July and August - with one of the highlights being the Festival at Sandpoint from August 6 - 16th. One of the biggest events is their Octoberfest - so jot that down for October 2009.

Setting The Example

We are doing it! Take a look below - see one or more things you use on a regular basis? If you do, then give yourself a pat on the back. YOU are turing green in a good way and everyone should be following your example. There are so many little ways we are moving in the right direction. Whether you are a global warming advocate or maybe not, green is always a good color and someplace on that color wheel in your mind, it should be one of your favorite colors permanently.

Let's face it, living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Hawaii and Alaska, well, do we really need to say more? We already have an edge, we just need to make sure we keep it. Congratulations everyone. Keep it up. If you have any great green products or ideas, we would love to hear from you and feature you on our blog.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July from the banquetevent.com family to yours.

Environmental Graffiti

Since 1983, colourful giant animals have been spotted around the world. Some seem to emerge right out of the water, while others hang in the balance like some kind of animal laundry between close-knit buildings. Still others stand guard atop historic landmarks and downtown balconies while top predators revert to their basest instincts in a bid for survival. Created using recycled plastic bottles by Cracking Art Group, these animals represent the art collective’s strong social and environmental ethic while bringing accessible contemporary art to the masses. The art group, which consists of six members from Italy, France and Belgium, derived their name from the term used to describe the transformation of petroleum to plastic, called ‘catalytic cracking’. All six artists use the medium of plastic to give rise to their own interpretation of “our contemporary problems and tensions.”