Last weekend, I volunteered at a super awesome event here in Atlanta: Atlanta Streets Alive! For four hours on Sunday, we closed busy North Highland Avenue to cars and opened it up to pedestrians, bikes, dancing, music...people. It was a magical day, and I loved seeing a road that I associate with traffic jams and parallel parking taken over by people soaking up some sun and getting a little bit of exercise.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to take a ton of photos on Sunday, because my volunteer shift was at the info booth on the north end of the event. The upside to working the info booth is that in my downtime I got to peruse the flyers and pamphlets on the table, including the awesome map above showing what Atlanta's transit system, MARTA, could look like if we pass the upcoming Transportation Investment Act on the July 31st ballot.

MARTA is notorious for not going anywhere. We basically have two rail lines right now: North/South and East/West, and the system is badly underfunded. To give you an idea of how big these changes are, take a peek at the current MARTA map:

If you live here in Atlanta, July 2nd is the deadline to register to vote in the July 31st election that will decide the future of the Transportation Investment Act. If you want to see the map above become a reality, vote YES! The folks at Citizens for Progressive Transit (CFPT) shared the language that you'll see on your ballot, so you'll know exactly where to vote yes on the 31st:

Ballot Question: “Shall [YOUR COUNTY'S] transportation system and the transportation network in this region and the state be improved by providing for a 1 percent special district transportation sales and use tax for the purpose of transportation projects and programs for a period of ten years?”

The one percent sales tax will fund rail expansion and repairs to existing rail lines as well as "other transportation initiatives," like adding and maintaining bike lanes. What I heard from the CFPT folks over and over on Sunday was that if this Act doesn't pass on the 31st, Atlanta's transportation future is going to be pretty bleak.

The Montana-based furniture company Vinoture uses reclaimed wine barrels from local wineries create stunning furniture pieces.

The company sources used wine barrels from wine country in Oregon and Washington state, and craftsman Ian Crawford transforms them into furniture pieces. All of Vinoture's furniture is "service industry quality," which means it's built to last. Think about how much a bar stool, chair, or table in a restaurant or lounge has to stand up to. Service quality pieces are much more durable than something you'd pick up at the big box store, which makes them a more sustainable choice.

Here's a quick video showcasing some of Vinoture's wine barrel furniture:

Crawford got started making wine barrel furniture after he threw a party where he used whole wine barrels as part of the decor. When he was left afterwards with 100 empty barrels (that must have been some party!), he decided to see what he could make from them.

He started out making bar stools but now has a wider range of wine barrel furniture and housewares. You can check out the full line on the Vinoture website.

Image Credit: Wine barrel furniture photo via Vinoture.

In many places, bamboo is basically a weed. I mean, seriously, the stuff just...grows. And spreads. You don't need a bunch of chemical fertilizers or a heavy watering schedule to grow bamboo, and it grows fast. That's what makes it such a great, renewable resource.

I'm a big fan of bamboo, and I love cooking, so when the folks at Core Bamboo offered me some samples of their bamboo cookware to try out, I jumped! They were super generous and sent a 9 piece utensil set, a pack of silicone spatulas, and a huge over the sink cutting board.

All of the bamboo they use is 100% organically grown. They use food safe water-based adhesives and finish their products with top grade natural oils. Even their lacquer comes from natural cashew trees. Every product adheres to the standards of the FDA and European equivalent. Wherever possible they use recycled and eco friendly packaging

The spatulas have been super handy when I'm making sauces in my tiny food processor. They came in 3 different sizes and are just the right size to scrape out the sauce that wants to cling to the sides of the container. They're easy enough to hand wash. You don't want to put any of your bamboo cookware in the dishwasher, because it could split in there.

The piece I dug the most, though, was the over the sink cutting board. It has a built in silicone colander that collapses flat when you're not using it but pops down when you put the board over the sink. That makes it super simple to chop your veggies, then scrape them into the colander for a good washing. For a kitchen like mine without much counter space, it also adds a few inches of precious surface area.

It also covers up my super ugly counters, so I can pretend that I have a beautiful butchers block instead. Yes! Much easier than ripping out and replacing the the blue and pink counter top that our home's previous owner thought was a good idea.

Core Bamboo has an enormous line of bamboo cookware, from cutting boards and knives to serving dishes and kitchen storage. You can check out their whole line at corebamboo.com.

This Saturday and Sunday, makers and DIYers from across the country will be showing their work, doing demos and leading how-to sessions at Maker Faire Bay Area.

As a DIYer and maker, I have participated in several Maker Faires and this weekend will mark my fourth with Vertical Theory. It's an event not to be missed if you're a  maker, a DIYer or even just wanting to learn something new. From high tech objects to gardening projects, artists, craftsmen, engineers and designers will spend the weekend sharing their ideas with thousands of attendees.

A very hands-on event, Maker Faire is perfect for families and people of all ages. For deets on attending this year's Maker Faire Bay Area in San Mateo, CA, you can check out their website.

Can't wait for Saturday? Here are a few of the sustainable-minded exhibits that we can't wait to see in the Maker Faire Homegrown Village:

1. Urban Biofilter

Mobile Greenbelts are fabricated out of upcycled and palletized totes. For these modular systems, plants are selected that grow quickly and provide dense foliage for air filtration and wastewater reuse and treatment.

2. Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

Tumbleweed provides the means to to reduce your carbon footprint, eliminate reliance on mortgages and have the freedom of living with less "stuff" by building your own little house.

3. Guerrilla Gardens

Become a modern Johnny Appleseed, spreading seed balls to restore natural beauty. These guerrilla gardens are full of wildflowers native to North America, enjoyed by humans and wildlife alike.

4. TE+ND Rover Project

The TE+ND Rover project consists of robots that care for on-board gardens of native California plants by working with community members through the exploration of migratory ecology.

5. Beekeepers Guild of San Mateo

The Beekeepers Guild of San Mateo is an organization dedicated to educating both new and experienced beekeepers. This exhibit will be staffed by experienced beekeepers to answer questions, offer support and provide products from their hives for sale.

6. The Happy Chicken

Interested in keeping chickens? Learn the basics from housing to feeding to basic healthcare from the folks at Dog Island Farm, a local Bay Area urban farm.

7. Vertical Theory

I'll also be showing my project, Vertical Theory, so stop on by! Vertical Theory provides an alternative food source for urban dwellers. This vertical farming system utilizes hydroponic technologies and felt. The design requires minimal space, resources and maintenance to grow fresh food indoors.

Max McCurdo restores and recycles unwanted products into new and well-designed objects, from bathtub couches to washing-machine drum coffee tables. Similar to the work of Ramon Coronado, this cool reinvented shopping cart chair is another great upcycled piece by McCurdo's company, Reestore.

McCurdo's design is not only inspirational, it's atheistically well designed and I suspect quite comfortable. The "Annie" chair takes an ordinary object and gives it a second life, suitable for any living room or office in need of something cute and comfy with a dash of iconic design. Although a bit costly at £550.00, a great inspiration to DIYers and my fellow makers.

We're all about adding splashes of greenery to small spaces around here, and whether you have a big back yard, a tiny porch, or just a windowsill to work with, container gardening can help you do just that.

The kind folks at Timber Press sent me a copy of Fern Richardson's new book, Small Space Container Gardens, and I have got to tell you, I am in love! The book is all about how to plan, plant, and maintain beautiful container gardens, and she does an great job of demystifying some of the trickier parts of gardening.

Richardson talks you through planning your garden from choosing the right plants for your climate to how to arrange them in their containers and deck out your container garden's space. What really struck me about the book is that so many of her tips are useful for even a back yard gardener. When I read the chapter on using plants to create privacy walls, I ran out back to my husband to show him Richardson's suggestions. Sure, potted bamboo is a great way to get privacy on your patio, but it also just might be the eco-friendly solution for covering up our ugly chain link without the disruption or footprint of putting in a wood privacy fence.

I loved the common sense ways that she talks about choosing your plants and the breathtaking photos of small space container gardens from all over the world. Her ideas are inspiring, and the photos make you want to run to the nearest garden center immediately.

She also includes crafty ways to create containers and accent pieces for your garden, often using reclaimed materials. Even the ones that don't specifically call for reclaimed materials are ripe for upcycling. She offers some ways to make cheap garden center pots super cute, but you could also use her stenciling and painting techniques on containers you find at the thrift store or even ones you already have in your stash.

Whether you're planning a small container garden or want to beautify your backyard, this book is full of helpful tips for beginning gardeners.

Mother's Day is just over a week away, which means there's still time to buy handmade for your momma!

Handmade gifts have heart, and there are so many handmade artisans out there that are not only making products on a small scale but using eco-friendly materials to do it. When you buy handmade, you support an artist that's living her dream, and when you buy environmentally friendly handmade products, you're helping the planet, too. What better way to honor your mom than with a gift that does good, right?

Is your mom into gardening? These Garden Bon Bons are just the thing! They look like decadent truffles, but they're actually seed bombs loaded up with edible flower seeds. Mom can plant them in her food or flower garden and harvest beautiful edible flowers to spice up salads or even garnish cocktails. Fun!

If mom's more of a jewelry gal, she will love these reclaimed sea glass pieces from Sea Find Designs. I just love this necklace with the sweet little bird on it. Go ahead, make a Portlandia joke! Birds are pretty, and I'm not sorry!

Of course, you want to top off your Mother's Day gift with a sweet card that's as eco-friendly as it is beautiful. I'm loving the elegant simplicity of these recycled brown bag Mothers Day cards from Baci. She prints them on reclaimed paper grocery bags!