Loving Mother Earthships

What better way to show our love for Mother Earth than to create a beautiful nature dwelling that uses recycled materials and natural supplies from the earth?! These amazing structures are called "earthships". Many earthships are designed to catch and use water from the local environment, normally harvested from rain, snow and condensation; they are also designed to collect and store their own energy from a variety of sources (solar panels, wind turbines, etc.). You can be completely off-the-grid in an earthship...and when combined with a garden and farm, you can be quite self-sufficent too!

I think earthships are stunningly gorgeous! The earth-rammed walls (made of either compacted "earth": dirt, sand, and sometimes cement; or with a collection of recycled old tires packed with earth) create a warm and inviting space; the floors are also typically made of rammed earth which supports holding in the thermal heat collected from the passive solar. Windows are placed on sun-facing walls which admit lighting and heating ("passive solar"). These large passive solar windows are also generally used to provide lighting for an indoor greenhouse. Earthships are often horseshoe-shaped to maximize natural light and solar-gain during winter months.

I love how earthships utilize so many natural and recycled materials! To live in a home sculpted with your own hands with stucco and earth, and a home created by so many things that would otherwise be packing a landfill would feel incredibly empowering, rewarding, and benevolent.

Not only are so many of the walls created with old recycled tires, plastic bottles, and aluminum soda pop cans, but many of them are embellished with lovely illuminating windows made of glass bottles (some colored) creating a kaleidoscope of colors with an almost art deco design. Isn't it amazing how beautiful a home can be with using recycled supplies?! My husband, Joe, and I would love to build an earthship of our own someday...along with having a garden/farming homestead!

To find out more about Earthships, please check out the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthship

This post was contributed by Jessica of Eco-Friendly Freckles

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The Delightful Joys of Living with Miniature Horses

Hello my name is Jessica, this is my first article on this fantastic Etsy Recycler's Guild blog! Today, I would love to share with you all the delightful joys of living with miniature horses! Above is a picture of me with one of my favorite little horses; I named her Daisy, yet now she is known as "Dolly" and lives a happy life with new owners and her playful pal horse "Sugar Bear".

I adore miniature horses! As a young girl, I was very intimidated by tall, large horses and I was afraid they would try to eat me if I got too close. I know this was absurd, but as a little one I had my fears. Growing up, my twin sister, Andrea, and I would walk across our backyard and stand next to the fence by our neighbors land; we would stand there gazing at the big horses. We thought they were beautiful but were still afraid to reach out and touch one. As I grew older, my fears faded but I never really got over my apprehension; horses were a mystery to me.
Later in life, I met and fell in love with my husband, Joe, he is a miniature horse caretaker and he does a fantastic job! When I first visited Joe on the miniature horse ranch, I immediately was intrigued by the adorable little horses and all of my anxiety of horses vanished as if it was never there. Now when I see larger horses, I pet and greet them and they are so kind in return, and I wonder why I was ever frightened.

Joe and I had one of the sweet little horses in our wedding, which took place on the ranch; "Barbie" was our wedding horse with all of her bows and bells. Here is a picture of her with one of our ring-bearers, Nahuel.Miniature horses make loving pets and are great around children. Miniature horses also make amazingly good seeing-eye, guide animals for the blind. I am enchanted by these furry, lovable animals; it is so peaceful to see them grazing and playing in the pasture. Here is a picture of me trying to pet the new baby...her name is "Gypsy". Here is a picture of Gypsy sleeping in the sun with her furry friend Dakota...their warm coats are so soft!
This post was contributed by Jessica of Eco-Friendly Freckles

See all posts created by Jessica under the tag *Eco Friendly Freckles Column!

Visit her shop, or her blog