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Finally completing our long-overdue patio makeover has left me itching to start another decorating project. Of course, this is complicated by the fact that we aren’t living in our own home and therefore don’t have as much free reign as I would like to go on a decorating spree. So I’ve settled on trying to convince my mother of more subtle changes. For example, she could hardly complain if I replaced the outdated, builder surplus light fixture over her dining table with this beauty!

I really have a thing for graphic, visceral artwork that is a combination of the literal and the abstract, so I love the artwork of Parvez Taj. I featured him once before for his gritty, urban artwork on eco-friendly kirei board and he’s back at it again with new sustainable art.  I am no less impressed by his latest work, a full series of prints on bamboo ply.

The new series includes a variety of pieces with kid-friendly motifs, like beautiful images of frogs and parrots. The more “grown-up” images include grungy cityscapes and groups of penguins. I’m personally infatuated! Is it possible to have a crush on a piece of art? lol

For years, I’ve been dreaming about having free reign to decorate a space as I pleased and actually putting my ideas for customization into action. Apparently though, that requires a couple of things, the most important of which is having our own home where we can decorate as we like. Doing a suprise patio makeover for my mother was one of very few times over the last few years when I’ve been able to take a decorating idea from concept all the way through to creation, and I loved every second of it. But by far, my favorite part of the new patio space is the custom-painted bamboo blinds that cover up the ugly storage nook where the lawnmower lives. I had the bright idea to paint the blinds with a simple floral pattern after seeing how Nicole Balch over at Making It Lovely painted a gorgeous rug directly onto the floor of her front porch — when she was nine months pregnant, no less. So here’s how I turned a pair of boring, but functional bamboo blinds into the focal point of my mother’s patio.

Remember how I said I couldn’t find any eco-friendly outdoor pillows when I was sourcing products for my patio makeover? Well, guess what I found when I walked into Target just three days after buying a set of 3 non-sustainable outdoor pillows from Home Depot? Green outdoor pillows.

I wasn’t able to find these pillows at their website or find a website for the manufacturer, Comfort Earth. However, the product tags say that the fabric covers are made from recycled nylon and polyester waste, and that it is recyclable up to 10 times over. The pillow fill is also made of 100% recycled plastic bottles.

I keep promising myself that I’ll start attending more green events so I can become better aware of new products, advancements and innovations as soon as they are on the market so I can share them with you. I had my first opportunity this past weekend at Go Green Expo in Atlanta. I was able to walk through the exhibit halls of the Cobb Galleria Centre at my leisure taking in all the great green products and companies that the city has to offer.