Bioswale? More Like BioSWELL.

Every morning, on our way into the studio, we walk by a beautiful streetside tumble of native plants. Some are bristly, others green, with blossoms punctuating the landscape.

Along Cermak, on each block, there is a post, with an informative sign, and a small vertical wind mill, and a solar panel. (See above for the video we captured on the way in this morning.)

Our neighborhood is fairly industrial, so the green, as it grows throughout this hot and wet season, makes us smile. 

But where did it come from?

In 2012, Chicago's Sustainability Office set out to make Cermak -- a main east-west artery that hosts everything from family restaurants and schools, to artists studios, and factories, even a food truck parking lot -- the "Greenest Street in Chicago." Awesome eco-sustainable-nature/people-loving things they did to make this happen include:

• recycled and reused construction materials
• energy-saving reflective paving
• concrete that includes titanium dioxide to break down pollutants on the surface and up to 8 feet in the air (smog eaters!) 
• environment-responsive lights, powered by solar and wind collection
• diversion of 80% of rainwater to sustainable landscaping (bioswales*)
• use of native and/or drought-resistant plants 
• ADA-welcoming streetscapes
• more bike racks
• educational signage (like the one in the video above!) 

*Bioswales involve grading the land and choosing sustainable plants in order to direct, filter, and make better use of rainwater.

up-close of a bioswale, via Dwell

One day while waiting for the bus, we watched a man pick up litter and throw it away. We followed suit. It definitely takes a community to support a sustainability plan; infrastructure can only go so far. Doing good together feels great. 

We love that our environment matches up with our own SWR mission to make life better for people and the planet at the same time!

FOR MORE INFO: You can access a pdf of the original plan here, and a great Dwell interview with "Complete Streets" program director Janet Attarian here.

These are a few of my favorite RINGS!

Wedding season is right around the corner, and a lot of people out there are getting to work designing their wedding bands. But with all of those options out there, what is the right set for you? Do you stick to something traditional? Simply? Do both rings have to match? To help you think of a few idea's we thought we would share with you some of our favorite wedding bands.

First there are the matching sets.  A classic and beautiful idea, if the two of you can decide on something you both will want to wear!

Some people like to take the more free and fun route. They prefer to create rings that says something about them selves, but with a unifying idea or material between the two rings.

But no matter what you decide to do, we know you will create some rings you love!

A Conscious Wood Company

We are so excited about our new eco-conscious wood source! Horigan Lumber is a local supplier and their philosophy of preserving the planet's resources closely parallels our own. The Horigan Lumber Website states, 

"We are committed to the environment by reducing the number of trees removed from the forest, the amount of fuel consumed for transportation, and the amount of carbon that is released into the atmosphere by sequestering it as hardwood lumber."

The folks at Horigan save wood that is destined to be chopped up as firewood and mulch and turn it into usable hardwood. Allison and Gus visited their warehouse last week! Check out the photos! 

They picked up some awesome hackberry (which we've never used) and willow! All this wood was once trees that existed in the Chicagoland area. So we can follow our supply chain to the exact address! How cool!? 

We are so happy to have found this wonderful company and look forward to working with them again soon! Thanks Horigan! 

http://horiganufp.com/