Abigail Doan

Abigail is an environmental artist, writer, and regular contributor to Inhabitat.com as well as other eco art and DIY blogs. As a mother of twin baby boys, she is doubling her efforts to try to make the world a more sustainable and visually inspiring place for all. Abigail currently divides her time between an urban nest in NYC, an organic farm in rural Italy, and a vibrant, up-and-coming community in Sofia, Bulgaria. When not crocheting with tencel, hemp, or handspun, she can be found gardening and dreaming about her next green enterprise.

Felt Butterfly Rings for Kids and Adults

by Abigail Doan, 05/04/09

Felt is all the rage these days, with the much-talked about Cooper Hewitt Design Museum exhibit, Fashioning Felt, as well as some felt innovation coming along for New York Design Week. With spring in the air and fashion mimicking nature’s efflorescence, there are some super cute ways to don felt while also being playful about it. Enter these adorable felt ‘butterflies at rest’ rings from ROMP’s online store. Brightly colored and totally unique as accent pieces, these sweet papillon come in both small and a large size for children as well as an adult size 7. The perfect accessory to wear to the next family outing at your local botanical garden, zoo, or neighborhood picnic. Butterfly felt magic is obviously in the air for kids, both young and old, this season.

ROMP’s felt butterfly rings are made in England and range in size from 1/2” – 2” across.

The children’s rings retail for $11.00 and the adult rings for $12.00.

+ROMP

Recycled Plastic Kid’s Furniture by notNeutral

by Abigail Doan, 05/03/09

It’s not easy being neutral or blasé about notNeutral’s enviro-friendly and resource-savvy kid’s furniture collection.Their latest sleek offerings are a smart design partnership between notNeutral: Rios Clementi Hale Studios and Loll DESIGNS. Don’t be fooled by the cool, slick surface of these kiddy pieces, though, as notNeutral has created a durable assortment of outdoor furniture made from recycled milk jugs, detergent bottles, margarine tubs, and garbage containers. The pint-sized BBO2 collection offers a whole new spin on ‘putting the garbage out back,’ with kid’s furniture that is designed to turn your backyard or patio into a chic alternative to post-consumer pile up.

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Silhouette Leaf Portraits by Jenny Lee Fowler

by Abigail Doan, 04/21/09

If you envision your little one as a budding eco warrior or simply a cute elfin sprite, you might consider preserving your child’s essence with a customized leaf portrait by Jenny Lee Fowler. We love the ingenuity and resourcefulness of these silhouette cut-outs, a modern interpretation of early Americana or green Victoriana. Simply provide a clear photo of your child’s profile against a neutral background, and the artist will craft a unique likeness that no other print can replicate. It’s a great way to share the spirit of green and support crafty endeavors of the sustainable realm.

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Non-Toxic Crayon Stones for Your Little Artist

by Abigail Doan, 04/20/09

If your Easter festivities left you with visions of jelly beans dancing in your head, you can carry on the celebration with these candy lookalike and colorful kid-friendly crayon stones. The molded shape of crayon stones allows for a ‘proper tripod grip’ for younger kids, as well as being ideal for children with special needs. Made of soy wax (a renewable resource grown in the US) and colored with non-toxic mineral powder, this set of 16 colorful stones allows for hours of eco-friendly play and dreaming, all within arm’s reach. Because of their super delicious, candy-hued palette, crayon stones are suggested for kids 3 and up.

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Satch & Sol Fair Trade Felt Booties

Handmade felt is certainly getting lots of buzz in the design community these days, and felt that is crafted by fair trade artisans in remote corners of the globe feels even warmer and fuzzier to craft connoisseurs. Satch & Sol has gone one sustainable-step further on the felt frontier by partnering with community-supported, artisan cooperatives in …

Passover Traditions and Preparations Go Greener

Passover is a special time for family to join together to celebrate the warmth of home and time-honored traditions. A new generation is also encouraging their elders to put an eco-friendly spin on Passover meals and preparation by incorporating organic spelt or whole-wheat matzo, kosher wine, and local, organic and free-range …

DIY: Natural Easter Egg Dye Recipes

My childhood is full of memories of my mother saving dried onion skins and garden plants as dye for her wool and handspun yarns. Thrifty, resourceful methods like this were part of our rural farm lifestyle. Needless to say, I was pretty impressed to come across some great natural egg dyeing recipes using onion skins and other plant-based materials via …

Kate Quinn Organics Sale at Camilla Boutique

It’s probably no surprise that we are big fans of Kate Quinn Organics, whose eco cute designs are totally precious when it comes to sustainable style for tots. Seattle-based Kate McIntosh Quinn seems to have cornered the growing market for cuddly green separates with her onesies and jumpsuits made from 100% organic fabrics. We were really excited to come across these great Kate Quinn Organics sale items currently being offered by Camilla Boutique in Brooklyn, as they are perfect finds for winter to spring fun.

Recycled Olive Tin Kitchen Playsets

Domestic life can be complicated these days, no matter how much we try to simplify things… but it is good to know that old-fashioned fun can still be had with an empty tin or a stovetop pot. The folks at rafinesse & tristesse have ‘refined’ the art of recycling by creating super-cute kitchen play sets for boys and girls. Crafted out of reworked olive oil tins (with no sharp edges), each kid-scaled play piece is handmade in Germany or Switzerland and serves up hours of playtime and collaborative domestic fun.

Timbuk2′s Pack-Away Shopping Totes and Backpacks

Even though we are strong believers that every day should be Earth Day, eco-friendly choices are not always evident, given all of the dirty greenwashing one must sort through to garner truly green tips. Consumers are also rightly confused by the plethora of reusable shopping bag options, some of which seem like marketing tactics or unnecessary gear. Timbuk2 is making a difference, though, with their smartly-designed ‘hidden’ totes and backpacks for shopping and hauling your necessities around town. Given their lightweight and compact, zip-away packability and the PET recycled fabrics used in their design, we think that these chic green sacs are an ideal way to shop while also looking sustainably stylish.

Organic Skin Care: Mama Belly Oil and Cheeky Baby Butter

In our loving search for the best organic skin care and bath products for our wee ones, it is rare that we, as parents might also partake in the product pampering and nutrients created for our babies’ soft skin. BabyBearShop creates their line with the entire family in mind – from mothers-to-be, to sleepy new parents, to tender babies – their certified organic and 100% plant-derived oils and butters offer luxurious and versatile skin care made with only the finest ingredients. Whether as a remedy for stretchmarks, a luscious massage creme, or even as a soothing butter for eczema, the Mama Belly Oil and the Cheeky Baby Butter are great sustainable investments for families that believe in organic value, through and through.

Eco-Friendly Saint Patrick’s Day Crafts for Kids!

As an Irish chick with a birthday on Saint Patrick’s Day, I am all about spreading the good, green cheer. What other holiday allows you to sprinkle some green magic, while also hunting down organic phenomena like four-leaf clovers and mischievous leprechauns? I have never been one for trying to find the ‘pot-o-gold’ at the end of the rainbow or capturing little …

Alabama Chanin’s Eco Fashion for Moms

There’s no question that maintaining one’s personal style as a new, overtasked parent is a real challenge. Couple this with the time and energy it takes to identify truly fashionable and sustainably-produced clothing and eco accessories, and it is no wonder that some moms resort to …

Toy Block ‘Brickchair’ by Pepe Heykoop

Now that my twins are walking, or shall we say cruising, it seems as if their colorful wooden blocks have popped up in every corner and under every seat cushion of our once orderly abode. Sure, these blocks are stacked and assembled into tall towers and building forms during playtime, but inevitably they are also flung about like the long-range missiles or launchers of well-equipped tots. It was no surprise then that Dutch designer, Pepe Heykoop’s Brickchair made total sense to me when I first spied it. Assembled from toy building blocks, the Brickchair is a clever (parent-friendly) exercise in messing with your kids’ blocks and tidying them up, too.

Rockin’ Guitar Softies by The Grateful Thread

If you think that your kid is a rock star (and what parent doesn’t), we may have found the perfect instrument for the music-loving peep in your midst. Guitar Softies by The Grateful Thread are an ideal way to let your little one jam and rock out without alienating the tunes-shy neighbors or folks downstairs. Handcrafted out of quality fabric scraps, these super-cute guitar cushions are a sure way to catapult your little one to stardom while also adding cool accents to your interior décor or lounge space.

Chi Chi Amor’s Recycled Textile Birdie Tote

There is no question that we love our eco-friendly plush toys and wide-eyed owls here at Inhabitots, but cute products that are functional and also sustainably produced from recycled textiles are sure to ruffle our feathers even more. Chi Chi Amor’s Birdie Tote Bag has to be one of the more adorable things we have seen for kids in the New Year. We love the idea of sending our little ones off to school with a birdie friend crafted out of recycled Guatemalan textiles. The Chi Chi Bird has a real story to tell, and it is a great one to share with everyone you encounter along the path of your little one’s exciting adventures.

Handmade Soft Slip On gUgU Booties

If you have been wondering how to dress your busy little elf for the holidays, look no further, as Upa Project has some super cute and colorful slip on booties for tiny scampering feet. Handcrafted from supple synthetic leather, these soft and pliable gUgU booties are a great way to lovingly protect soft soles while also allowing them to expand and develop naturally. Add to this the fact that gUgUs come in a rainbow of yummy colors, and you will not only have sugarplums dancing in their heads but on their adorable feet, too.

Xeko Pals Organic Plush Toys

Every tot deserves to have a furry friend as a cuddly toy, but what to do when fluffy pals made of synthetic fibers begin to populate a playroom intended as a non-toxic, safe zone? Add to this, the fact that endangered species are on the verge of extinction every day, and it is no surprise that both the planet and kids’ imaginations are in peril. Xeko Pals plush toys are the safe alternative to the usual stuffed animal menagerie, as their eco-friendly materials and conservation-minded agenda provide a greener outlook on interactive and engaged play.