Showing posts with label #Lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #Lifestyle. Show all posts

19.4.20

HOW TO BUILD A GEODESIC DOME ~ ORGANIC SUSTAINABLE LIVING

I  have this re-occurring dream where I see myself strolling out to our backyard and picking the best tasting, fresh, organic, nutritious, chemical free, non GMO fruit, vegetables and herbs all year-round. 

Then....... I wake up. !!


As you know, my husband and I live in Pickering, just outside of Toronto, Ontario, Canada which translates weather-wise into a climate of months and months of cold weather and snow, making our growing season quite short.

Sustainable Living by growing your own food has so many incredible benefits. The following are just a few........... 

  • It is a wonderful way to support the environment. So much of the food that we eat has had to travel long distances to get to our supermarkets.  Just think about all those carbon emissions  as a result of their transport and how that negatively contributes to climate change.  
  • It is a wonderful way to support your well-being - Freshly harvested food grown in nutrient-rich soil in your own backyard means that you are consuming more vitamins, minerals and enzymes which means better health for you. Food which has traveled long distances to get to us loses so many of these vital nutrients.
  • It has therapeutic advantages; Gardening is relaxing to the mind, requires some physical exercise and the entire process of growing your own food is pleasurable and fulfilling. 
  • It reduces your monthly food bill 

So, in an attempt to support our goals of living a truly healthy and sustainable life, I have been researching for quite some time now, a manufacturer/supplier or instructions on how to build a geodesic dome greenhouse  for our backyard. There are many manufacturers out there, but not all have a quality dome structure which will withstand our Canadian winters and snow. You will also come across loads of websites with instructions on how to build one from scratch.

Now you know we love a DIY project and will attempt to build anything ourselves if  at all possible, but sometimes as they say, "you have to know when to HOLD THEM AND KNOW WHEN TO FOLD THEM!"

We decided that we did not want to go the DIY route with this project, by following some obscure directions found on the internet. Our greenhouse will have some DIY elements for sure as we will be constructing it, but from a purchased kit which includes all the necessary materials for a perfect result. 

We want to build this correctly the first time as there really is quite a science to the Geodesic Dome Greenhouse design. 

Firstly let me tell you a bit about a Geodesic Dome Greenhouse as most people have never heard of them. It is a spherically designed greenhouse structure as opposed to the typical rectangular shape like most greenhouses. A Geodesic Dome Greenhouse is constructed from a number of triangular forms made from wood struts and metal hubs and covered by polycarbonate glazing panels which fit together to create the dome shape. The beauty and benefits of this shape are many; the dome can withstand very high winds, the snow slides right off, they are extremely energy efficient and requires little or no heat.


During my research,  I found this incredible company in Colorado called Growing Spaces who have been designing/producing Geodesic Dome Greenhouses for about 25 years.  There are many, many geodesic dome greenhouse manufacturers but in my opinion they pale in comparison to the Growing Spaces dome.

They have a variety of sizes and packages to suit your particular needs. Their smallest greenhouse kit is 15 ft. which includes a covering of UV resistant, shatter-proof polycarbonate glazing panels, a set of pre-cut, color-coded struts and framing. Features like automatic opening vents, solar powered undersoil heating/cooling system, Reflectix insulation, materials for the pond and a shade cloth are included.


Plus ~ for climates such as ours there is a a snowshed entryway that has a door with a window, all hardware, and a 24" foundation wall with structural siding. 



 Here are a few other pics all courtesy of Growing Spaces.







Pretty incredible, don't you think?

Can you see yourself building a Geodesic Dome Greenhouse? 

Can you imagine having your own abundant supply of organic, fresh produce just steps away, in your backyard all year long, even in the winter months?

Can you imagine being truly sustainable and enjoying greater health and wellness?

We surely can!!

Please visit Growing Spaces for more information.

Soulier Design Studio specializes in Sustainability, Eco Friendly Design, Products and Lifestyle.


27.5.17

"SLOW LIFE" IN THE MALDIVES | KICKING BACK ON THE WEEKEND | MAY 27

I have connected with so many exciting, interesting, creative and like-minded people these last few years since I have been actively engaged on LinkedIn.  These new friends have truly enriched my life!!

One lovely friend that I have started to chat with regularly, introduced me to ECO TOURISM.  Eco Tourism is defined as, "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." according to (TIES, 1990) The International Eco Tourism Society.

My friend wrote to me to tell me a little bit about herself and her role as a design intern at this resort in the Maldives of which she provided a link. I had no idea that what was in store for me on the other side of that link was this incredibly beautiful world known as Soneva.

Everyone's vision of paradise is individually unique but this is definitely mine. Everything about Soneva is mind-blowing. I mean everything.  All I can say is Wow, Wow, Wow!! 

On this kinda chilly, rainy May weekend, I would certainly prefer to be Kicking Back at Soneva for sure.

In 1995, on the deserted island of Kunfunadhoo in the Maldives, Eva and Sonu Shivdasani built their home and Soneva Fushi. Living an environmentally responsible lifestyle and building a small villa here, became the foundation of a very successful business model of resorts, spas and world-class hotels. As their website states, "Soneva was the first 'castaway' resort in the Maldives, pioneering a trend for back-to-nature luxury holidays."

I love their philosophy (Slow Life) and their passion for the Environment.  SLOW LIFE" stands for (Sustainable-Local-Organic-Wellness Learning-Inspiring-Fun-Experiences). Soneva's resorts are responsibly constructed by the use of sustainable materials,  recycled waste materials while consciously conserving water or preserving ecosystems; doing their part to reduce their Carbon Footprint. Soneva, hires the local people, buys local products and utilizes sustainable business practices to support the local community.

I could go on and on about this wonderful place but I really must show you some pictures so that you can see what I am raving about.            
Without further ado ...  












Photos - all courtesy of Soneva

I wasn't kidding was I??

Wouldn't you love to be KICKING BACK ON THE WEEKEND and living the "Slow Life" at Soneva Fushi too?

Soulier Design Studio specializes in Sustainability, Eco-Friendly Design, Products and Lifestyle.

Please visit us at https://www.soulierdesignstudio.com

14.5.17

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY | SLO MO SUNDAYS SERIES | MAY 14

Today is Mother's Day!! 


A day to celebrate all mother's, motherhood and the glorious bonds between their children.....


A day of tribute to show our extreme gratitude for all that they have done for us......


So many of our values, thoughts, habits have been forever imprinted in our lives from the teachings learned as children from our Mothers.....


Mother's Day can be an extremely difficult time for those remembering their loved ones.  On a personal note, my siblings and I, lost our mother 39 years ago.  It seems like an absolute eternity. I was just a teenager but I still live my life by so many of the wonderful lessons that my mother instilled in me and so do my siblings.  As I become older, I realize how they have truly impacted and enlightened my life. The most magnificent life lesson that comes to mind is to be respectful to others. It is my belief that if more people paid attention to just this one life lesson, the world would be a much better place.

I can hear my mom saying to me, just like it was yesterday, to always be kind and courteous and to consider other peoples feelings. To always be polite, not discriminate and to respect peoples differences.  My mother's wise words of wisdom have resonated with me my entire life and I too have passed them down to my children.

Motherhood for me has been my life's greatest gift. My beautiful son and daughter, now adults, have grown up to be truly amazing, wonderful people. I could not be happier!!

If you are fortunate enough to be able to share this wonderful day with your mother and show appreciation for her support and guidance through life's many challenges, or if you are a Mother yourself, I wish you the most spectacular Mother's Day possible. Kick up your feet, celebrate being a Mother and enjoy your breakfast in bed on this SLO MO Sunday. (I had a lovely and delicious French Toast breakfast in bed compliments of hubby this morning)

If you are remembering your Mother today, it is my wish for you that her memory cradles you and brings you great comfort.



Soulier Design Studio specializes in Sustainability, Eco-Friendly Design, Products and Lifestyle.

Please visit us at https://www.soulierdesignstudio.com

4.11.15

MOVEMBER CANADA AND THE POWER OF THE MOUSTACHE!! | IT'S A NEW DAY | Nov 4


It is simply amazing the power that a moustache can have!

We are one week into Movember. For those of you that are not familiar with Movember;  it is a global movement which encourages men to grow a moustache for the 30 days of November to raise awareness of men's health issues particularly prostate and testicular cancers as well as mental health challenges.
 
The Movember Foundation is focused on living with and beyond cancer, staying mentally healthy and living with and beyond mental illness.  Mo (short for moustache) Bros begin the month without any facial hair and then grow and groom their Mo for the remainder of November while requesting donations from family and friends to donate to this very worthy cause.
 
Mo Sistas are the women that support the Mo and encourage the Mo Bros in their lives. They participate in fund raising activities and do basically everything that the Mo Bros do without growing a MO. Some women have decided to grow their underarm hair in support of the Mo for the month of November. I applaud their dedication to the movement.
 
  Here are the official Rules from Movember.org 
 
  1. On Shadowe'en (October 31st), the complete moustache region, including the entire upper lip and the handlebar zones, must be completely shaved.
  2. For the entire duration of Movember (Movember 1st - 35th inclusive), no hair shall be allowed to grow in the goatee zone - being any facial area below the bottom lip.
  3. There is to be no joining of the moustache to sideburns.  
  4. Failure to conform to all of these rules may, at the discretion of the official Movember Committee, result in instant blacklisting and may void invitation to the end of Month festivities (this year lip-marked for Movember 35th!)
  5. Movember Committee accepts no responsibility for lost jobs, rashes, food/beer encrustments or any other such mishaps caused to the wearer (or his partner) of a Movember Moustache. You grew it yourself.
  
Some Mo Inspiration...




 
photos | courtesy of Google
 
 There is still time to sign up for Movember. Register here
 
HAPPY MOVEMBER!!

Soulier Design Studio specializes in Sustainability, Eco Friendly Design, Products and Lifestyle http://www.soulierdesignstudio.com 

27.7.14

E i E i OO ! | SLO MO SUNDAY SERIES | JULY 28

Happy, Happy Sunday!!

Here's hoping that your Slo Mo Sunday has been amazing so far and that you are basking in this glorious summer season. 

If you have been following my posts, you know that I relentlessly post about making sure that you include relaxation in your schedule regularly and that it is paramount to living a healthy and sustainable life. Everyone's idea of relaxing is very different; some like to listen to music, some like to spend the day in the kitchen baking, maybe it is going for a nice long walk or watching a movie, or maybe it is a leisurely game of golf.

Whatever it is just make sure that you fit it it somehow! 

As you know, hubby and I love our drives out into the country.  We find that it is a way for us to reduce our stress levels, it calms our minds and gives us such an invigorating feeling. Today, we left our home quite early, we packed up some fruit snacks and water and headed out to an area about a half hour north of us which is primarily farmlands. We prefer to cut through all the sidelines that are off the beaten paths while exploring all the country roads looking for historic buildings, interesting shops and of course local produce from the farmers. 

Our drive this morning was simply tremendous, the weather was just what the Doctor ordered and we snapped all kinds of pictures. We would love to own a hobby farm someday as we are absolutely crazy about farm animals, particularly cows and we certainly saw our share of them today as well.  Here are a couple of pics from our scenic drive this morning.  

Enjoy!


gorgeous field of wheat


here a soy farm (growing in the foreground) has grown a tree fence to separate land from the adjacent farm.


yellow, lavender and green of nature - it's a lovey colour scheme!


one of those sidelines off the beaten path - wow look at that corn


he doesn't look too impressed with us does he? But he sure is cute!


this might be the brother telling us to beat it!


not really feeling the love from this guy either


this turret was in the middle of no where - love the wrought iron piece beside it  
would have loved it for a DIY project and now that I think about it, why didn't I just take it??


great windows in this lovely church



and this is the stately entrance to Hanover Farm - can you imagine the house at the end of this driveway?


this is not my preferred style of home; my husband would move in, in a heartbeat.
as a designer I can certainly appreciate the workmanship in this Heritage Home. 




these last three pics are from the beach (Lake Ontario) just behind our home

We thought this would be a fabulous way to conclude our amazing drive in the country and it surely was.  We just sat for a while on the stone ruins, chatted about our road trip and how we might spend the balance of our Slo Mo Sunday.

How did you spend your day??

Soulier Design Studio specializes in Sustainability, Eco-Friendly Design, Products and Lifestyle.

Please visit us at https://www.soulierdesignstudio.com 

17.7.14

POOL PARTY EXTRAORDINAIRE | IT'S A NEW DAY | JULY 17


Are you planning a POOL-SIDE PARTY?

These fabulous pools definitely take pool partying to a whole new level!

Gorgeous architecture and the absolute perfect settings create the most amazing ambiance.

Join me on this tour of some of the most extraordinary pools from around the world.

Enjoy!

Katikies Santorini - Greece



Villa d’Este Lake Como - Italy


The Raleigh Hotel Miami Beach - Florida


Qasr Al Sarab Resort by Anantara Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates


Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc Cap d’Antibes - France


The Resort at Pelican Hill - Newport Beach, CA


Wildflower Hall - Shimla, India


Hotel Arts Barcelona - Barcelona, Spain


The Beverly Hills Hotel - Beverly Hills CA


One & Only Reethi Rah Resort - North Male Atoll, Maldives

All photos - Architectural Digest

Soulier Design Studio specializes in Sustainability, Eco-Friendly Design, Products and Lifestyle.

Please visit us at 

https://www.soulierdesignstudio.com