From Egg Carton to Jewelry Organizer

We love recycling everyday items into new, more exciting everyday items! This easy and fun tutorial shows you how to turn an old egg carton into a groovy jewelry holder. All you need is an egg carton of any size, paint of whatever color you like best, a paintbrush and some super funky jewels. Don't have any awesome jewelry? Check out our Seeds of Change line, a portion of proceeds goes to benefit the Amazon Rain Forest...how awesome is that?!

Start with a regular old egg carton.

Remove the top of the carton and the flap used to secure the top closed, leaving just the bottom tray where the eggs sit.

We picked a metallic gold paint and a fairly small brush to paint with, but the color is all up to you.

Cover the carton in a layer of paint, making sure to get into all the crevasses of the egg carton.

Let your carton dry and after that you can load it up with all your favorite jewelry, utilizing the support system built for the transporting of delicate eggs.

Love the tablecloth we used? It's our Special Wall Hanging! <3

Back Woods Back Packs

  At Blue Sky we LOVE doing adventurous things so we are always carrying around a groovy backpack filled with all the necessities. We spotted this awesome Blue Sky backpack while biking around Hilton Head Island, SC on the beautiful Lizzy who was so sweet to let us take a few pictures.

This mini backpack is ideal for traveling. Its' compact size doesn't weigh you down when you're on the go, but we can't promise people won't be stopping you to let you know how awesome it is!

Check out our full selection of backpacks here, pick one up and start getting funky! <3

DIY Complexion Mist

DIY Complexion Mist

We love keeping our skin clean and hydrated, but we just can't stand using harsh chemicals! All of our products were getting bulky for traveling and we started thinking maybe there is a way to combine all of the oils we just can't live without into a daily, all-in-one face regimen. We needed something that didn't involve cotton balls or q-tips for when we are on the go, so what better than a face spray! We are hooked, our friends are hooked, you should get hooked too!

1 part diluted Tea Tree Oil (mix 1 part tea tree oil to 1 part filtered water) - Tea tree oil is great for blemishes and acts as a natural antibacterial disinfectant, but because it's an oil, it doesn't leave your skin dry.

1 part Vitamin E oil - Vitamin E oil is an amazing moisturizer. It is light weight which keeps it from clogging pores. Like aloe, it is great for after the sun when skin is left dried out.

1 part Witch Hazel (make sure not to get a witch hazel that has been mixed with alcohol, which is very common!) Witch hazel is a gentle astringent. Like the tea tree oil, it reduces bacteria on the face to help prevent the formation of blemishes.

1 part filtered water.

Combine these 4 ingredients (don't forget to dilute your tea tree oil!) in a spray bottle, and shake before every use to mix the oil and water. Spray 3-4 times on face and neck, and rub in any excess into your skin. Put it in the fridge in the summer for a refreshing complexion mist to hydrate your sun-kissed skin while cooling you off. Throw in your bag and take it to a festival for a very low maintenance way to stay as beautiful on the outside as you are on the inside. <3

Get the pants here.

Get The Look: Donna Pinciotti

image from googleimages

Ever wake up and think to yourself, "Today I need to look more like Hot Donna from That 70's Show?" Well, not to fear, we can help you get that look!

Bell Bottom Pants are a must!

You've got to have a loose fitting blouse with embroidered detail.

Top off the look with a matching bag, and you're looking pretty groovy!

 

 

The Art of Amanda Sage

At Blue Sky we are artists and students. We study truth and its' deep meaningful effect on our souls as well as the universe. Amanda Sage shares that same sentiment. Her visionary pieces focus on the feminine mystique and collective unconsciousness of our world. Amanda hails from Denver, CO but has spent time all over the globe, currently practicing in Vienna. Though her main studio is based in Los Angeles, Amanda can be seen at live painting at music festivals and exhibiting her work in galleries with other visionary artists.

image from amandasage.com

'Mars' is a beautiful display of a fierce goddess. The color and line work in the piece keep the eye moving throughout the image. This piece seems simple compared to Amanda's later work, yet still has the fundamental pieces that make 'Mars' very much her own.

image from amandasage.com

'Illuminance' is an impressionist piece that so beautifully captures the essence of a goddess. Her cascading rows of color once again keep the eye moving throughout the entire piece, constantly intrigued.

image from amandasage.com

 2010's 'Daughter of the Divine Flow' marks an exciting time. The previous two images (the first from 2008 and second from 2009) display beautiful craftsmanship and technique, but around the era of 'Daughter of the Divine Flow' it seems that Amanda really began combining and layering the techniques that make her so unique, in turn creating a much more resolved and mature body of work that we just can't get enough of.

image from amandasage.com

'Limbic Resonance' is a beautiful display of the force fields connecting us to ourselves, each other, and the universe. From the background of the planet all the way to the flowers in the woman's hair, every element is so carefully executed, making not only a piece that is aesthetically pleasing, but conceptually stimulating as well.

image from amandasage.com

2012's 'Spirit' brings us to Amanda's most recent collection. We are reminded of so many different things when we view this piece. Most notably would be the Egyptian collar reference on the neck of the spirit, as well as the Black Rock City, Nevada landscape.


We encourage you to check out her website here to view some more of her work. Make Art Not War!

10 Easy Ways To Give Back To Your Community

Here at Blue Sky we are all about saving the planet. When we started out so long ago, we felt it was our responsibility to be conscious of the way our operation is run in every step of the process. We have always provided a peaceful work environment and fair wages for our employees; we are so proud to be a Fair Trade company! Our clothing is made by happy hands and filled with good energy, how groovy is that?
We also donate to organizations that we feel are really making a difference. There is nothing that gives us more of a sense of fulfillment than donating our time or money to help out those less fortunate. We know it's hard to find that extra time or money sometimes, so we have created a list of 10 easy ways to give back on a local level. Remember that it only takes 1 person to make a difference, and that person can be you!

1. Donate your groovy old clothes to Goodwill instead of throwing them out. Not only are you providing someone with affordable clothes that allow them to express themselves, but Goodwill uses the profits from their stores to help out your community directly.
2. Pick up trash off the ground and dispose of it properly. If you don't pick it up, a bird might!
3. Support your local farmers and buy your organic produce from the farmer's market. Not only will the food be more sustainable, fresh and delicious than imported produce, but you get to talk to the people growing the food that is providing your body with nourishment. What a beautiful thing!

4. After you go out to dinner downtown, give your leftovers to the homeless. Provide someone in your community with a healthy meal who may not have the money to buy it themselves.
5. Adopt a pet from the Humane Society in lieu of going to a breeder. There are so many homeless pets who need a loving owner like you to take care of them. Don't support the inbreeding of man's best friend!
6.  Pick up cigarette butts off the ground and dispose of them properly. We see cigarette butts everywhere, and we get so upset thinking about a precious little critter swallowing a filter that can swell up in their stomach and cause major issues. If you're worried about the cleanliness of picking them up, then carry around some hand sanitizer to keep you germ free.
7. Shop at locally owned businesses. When you shop at a mom and pop boutique you are providing a little girl with ballet lessons, when you shop at a huge corporation you are providing a CEO with a third vacation home. By being conscious of who you are giving your money to, you can make a huge difference!
8. Plant some flowers! You'll release oxygen into the environment and have the pleasure of watching a product of your creation blossom; gardening is proven to cure depression! Eckhart Tolle claims that birds, crystals and flowers are the 3 most fantastic things found on Earth.

9. Walk to local shops instead of driving. You'll get exercise, and be emitting less pollutants into the air; it's a win-win situation!
10. Teach a valuable skill of yours to those who don't have access to it. We like to volunteer at the YMCA's 'Loop It Up' program that teaches less fortunate children how to make art. Watching how proud the kids are of the art they produced is magical!

We encourage you to give back to your human family and spread your love and kind soul unto those who need it.

Save Some Energy!

We all heard growing up 'Turn off your lights when you leave the room," but aside from saving money on the electricity bill, there are other important reasons to be responsible with our energy consumption. Electricity comes from the burning of non-renewable fossil fuels. Not only does the burning of them emit harmful pollutants into our ozone and promote global warming, there is also no way to make more of these precious fossil fuels we rely on so heavily. It's so easy to forget how important it is to be conscious of our energy consumption, so we made a short list of easy ways to cut down on the amount of energy we are using on a daily basis.

Blue Sky homes are the most beautiful homes, especially when energy isn't being wasted! Click here to get the tapestry.

 1. Just like Mom said, turn off the lights when you leave a room! We get so blue when we walk into our happy home and no one is home, but the lights have been left on.
2. Unplug computer, camera, and phone chargers when they are not in use. Even when they aren't plugged into your device, they are still putting out the same amount of energy as if they were charging. What a shame!
3. Use low wattage and energy efficient light bulbs. There isn't a huge price increase, they last longer, and they use less energy. It's a win-win situation!

Click here to see all our groovy backpacks, including this one!

4. Make sure that your car is in good shape and not emitting excess pollutants into the environment. Emissions testing is mandatory in big cities but not in rural areas. If you live in a rural area, we encourage you to be proactive and ask your mechanic to make sure that your car is producing a healthy amount of emissions.
5. Use cold water to do your laundry. Not only will that help keep your colors brighter, it avoids the heating of water, in turn saving energy.

What? Did you think we had things besides than tie-dye in our laundry? :)

By turning these 5 simple steps into habits, you are doing your part as a responsible energy user. Tell your friends too, they might not know how making a few changes can make a difference.