Something Green For You Today: Cleaning Cloths Made From Corn Cobs & Peach Pits

Since it's St. Patrick's Day, I thought I'd share something really cool and 'green' with you today.

When it comes to green cleaning products, it seems there are new ones hitting the market daily. But these fabulous Japanese scrubbing cloths by PLUS ONE, made of all-natural abrasives (peach pits and corn cobs) have been awarded the 2009 Wallpaper design award for best cleaning product and NY York Magazine names them a best bet.


above left photo by Hannah Whitaker for NY mag, above right photo from Wallpaper magazine

They last for months, have need no detergent, and fit in tight little hard to clean spots.



Green Depot sells them two to a pack; the yellow for metalware like pots and pans, kettles, sinks and grills (they even work to peel the skin off of veggies!) and the pink one for more delicate surfaces like glass, wood, and teflon coated or non stick pans.


buy them here.


all images and info of the Japanese scrubbing cloths are courtesy of the company and its President, PLUS One and Taka Aoki (shown above)

Talking Turquoise, Brands Embrace Pantone's 2010 Color Of The Year.

If you haven't heard by now that Pantone® named Turquoise, specifically, PMS 15-5519 Turquoise, their 2010 Color Of The Year, you must be deaf. Or colorblind. Each year, Pantone®, the self-proclaimed global authority on color, chooses a specific hue of color to receive the honor and for 2010, it's the blue-green hue of the Caribbean waters.


above: Antigua

Now, what is a little odd is that Turquoise was a big color for fashion LAST year and many lines have discontinued items in that color for this 2010 year (like Apple, Gucci, Beirn And HeysUSA). Perhaps Pantone was picking up on last year's trends? In any case, some Turquoise colored items in this post may be discontinued or found on sale or on ebay.


above: turquoise earrings from Vivre

Keep in mind that Turquoise varies quite a bit in hue given that it's a subtle and delicate balance between blue and green. Therefore some of the items below may be a bit greener (more yellow added to cyan) and some a bit bluer (more red added to cyan). Some color lovers may argue that they are "aqua", "sea green", "seafoam", "peacock" or "teal" - but all are clearly within the family.

Truly Turquoise

Modernica "Build Your Own" Shell Chairs:


Hunter Wellies and Beirn Ballet Flats:


Arktura coffee table:


Elica Mini Om wall mounted Kitchen Hood:


Kara Ross Turquoise Stingray (shagreen) jewelry:

Keep Calm And Carry On poster:


Apple iPod:


Vipp New Limited Edition 2010 Mermaid Collection:


Nixon Watches:


Olympus µ Tough waterproof digital camera:


Rachiele's real Arizona turquoise sink basin:


Turquoise Electrolux Washer and Dryer:


Turquoise nail polish- Quirious, China Glaze, Pop and OPI:



Heys USA Business Case and Carry On luggage:


Garnet Hill's Ocean towels & bath rugs:


Supra Skytop Chad Muska Pro Model kicks:


Hunter Douglas Turquoise metal mini blinds:


Gucci Etretat Rubber turquoise flats (on sale now):


LG AX260 Turquoise mobile phone & Nokia's Mobiwoo in Turquoise:


Marc Jacobs Benny Bag:


More Blue than Green, but still considered Turquoise:

The following items tend to be less green than Pantone's actual color of the year and appear to have more blue than green or yellow in them, but they are still referred to as "turquoise" by their manufacturers.

Nintendo DS:


Stokke Strollers, high chairs and more:

Hamilton Beach blender and toaster:


Kitchen Aid Mixer (Martha Artisan Collection):


Hermes leather, canvas and linen goods:


Versace Atelier Dress:


Versace Fox Fur and leather handbags:


Jonathan Adler's Lacquer and Enamel collections:

The press release:

Pantone LLC, an X-Rite company (NASDAQ: XRIT), and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today announced PANTONE® 15-5519 Turquoise, an inviting, luminous hue, as the color of the year for 2010. Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.

“In many cultures, Turquoise occupies a very special position in the world of color,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that Turquoise represents an escape to many – taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy.”

Whether envisioned as a tranquil ocean surrounding a tropical island or a protective stone warding off evil spirits, Turquoise is a color that most people respond to positively. It is universally flattering, has appeal for men and women, and translates easily to fashion and interiors. With both warm and cool undertones, Turquoise pairs nicely with any other color in the spectrum. Turquoise adds a splash of excitement to neutrals and browns, complements reds and pinks, creates a classic maritime look with deep blues, livens up all other greens, and is especially trend-setting with yellow-greens.

In fashion, Turquoise makes a statement that can look elegant and dressy in fine silk and gemstones, or casual and fun in cotton and athletic apparel. Because of its versatility, Turquoise is a great accent color in jewelry, purses, shoes, hair accessories and even nail polish for women, and ties, shirts and sportswear for men.



For brides wanting a flattering choice for attendant apparel and accessories on their big day, Turquoise is now one of the nearly 200 PANTONE WEDDING Colors available from Dessy (shown above), a leading manufacturer of bridesmaid, social occasion and flower girl dresses, as well as destination wedding gowns under the labels Dessy Collection, After Six, Alfred Sung, Lela Rose Bridesmaid and Sandals Destination Wedding Dresses. PANTONE WEDDING exclusively from Dessy provides a collection of color tools to make it easy for brides to achieve perfectly color-coordinated weddings – from inspiration to “I do.”

Additionally, Turquoise is one of 3,000 colors available in Pantone’s line of superior-quality, eco-friendly paint. PANTONE Paints combine the accuracy of PANTONE Colors with the beauty of high-performance Dutch paints. Perfect for a powder room or bedroom, Turquoise is an evocative, spa-like hue that adds an undertone of warmth and excitement to any cool space. In the kitchen, Turquoise adds a unique flare to tabletop and appliances.

Pantone is pleased to announce PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, an inviting, luminous hue, as the Color of the Year for 2010.

Turquoise Blogs and Sites
Like Orange, Turquoise is one of those tertiary colors that certain designers and interior decorators tend to favor. There are blogs and sites about all things turquoise. Here's a few for you to enjoy.

Y Livings's Selection of Turquoise items (although most are really shades of blue):



Erin's House Of Turquoise:


Everything Turquoise:



Turquoise Chic:

As We Welcome 2010, A Look Back At 2009

above: 2009's popular topics; Michael Jackson, Twitter, Health Care Bill, Iraq war, Tiger Woods, Zhu Zhu Hamsters, Green movement, Twilight's New Moon, Lady Gaga and Facebook.



Happy New Year to my wonderful readers. It's each and every one of you that make the labor of daily blogging worth it. I can't thank you enough for your continued support, encouragement, kind letters and comments.

Although If It's Hip, It's Here received less national press than in 2008, the blog finally broke into Alexa's top 100,000 and readership has almost doubled.

2009 was a very unusual year with lots of political, technological and cultural milestones and firsts, as well as tragic losses and economic struggles. It was the year we lost Michael Jackson and found Twitter. Swine flu spread as did the popularity of Lady Gaga. Facebook reached an all time high and myspace faded fast. And Tiger Woods fell from grace while we enter the Year of the Tiger.

According to Google Zeitgeist, the following were the most popular search topics of 2009 both globally and in the US.

Most popular Google searches worldwide, by category, of 2009:

Fastest Rising (Global)
1. michael jackson
2. facebook
3. tuenti
4. twitter
5. sanalika
6. new moon
7. lady gaga
8. windows 7
9. dantri.com.vn
10. torpedo gratis

Fastest Rising in Entertainment (Global)
1. michael jackson
2. transformers
3. eminem
4. naruto shippuden
5. beyonce
6. peliculas id
7. paranormal activity
8. anime online
9. natasha richardson
10. poker face lyrics

Fastest Rising in Food & Drink (Global)
1. acai berry
2. picnic
3. クックパッド
4. tesco direct
5. senseo
6. peanut butter recall
7. nespresso commande
8. habibs delivery
9. mocktail
10. masterchef australia

Fastest Falling (Global)
1. beijing 2008
2. euro 2008
3. heath ledger
4. barack obama
5. amy winehouse
6. kraloyun
7. dailymotion
8. bebo
9. wii
10. emule

Fastest Rising in Sports (Global)
1. real madrid
2. us open
3. ufc
4. sahadan
5. livescore
6. pacquiao vs cotto
7. wbc 速報
8. pga tour leaderboard
9. confederations cup
10. l'equipe football


Popular Queries By Quarter
The graphs below capture the fastest rising query for each quarter of 2009 (United States only), visualized over the entire year. To find the fastest rising query for each quarter, Google looked at the most popular searches conducted every three months and ranked them based on how much their popularity increased compared to the previous quarter. Note how some queries maintain a moderate level of search volume over an extended period of time, whereas others peak sharply and suddenly.

Fastest Rising:



Michael Jackson:

Disasters:

Late-Night TV Shows:

Celebrity Scandals:

Games:

Athletes:


And these were the most popular Google searches, by category, in the United States in 2009:

Google.com - Fastest Rising
1. twitter
2. michael jackson
3. facebook
4. hulu
5. hi5
6. glee
7. paranormal activity
8. natasha richardson
9. farrah fawcett
10. lady gaga

Google News - Fastest Rising
1. swine flu
2. susan boyle
3. jon and kate
4. adam lambert
5. rihanna (chris brown)
6. new moon
7. inauguration
8. michael jackson
9. nadya suleman
10. missing link found

Google Maps - Fastest Rising
1. mount everest
2. laguna seca
3. in-n-out
4. grand canyon
5. eiffel tower
6. white house
7. great wolf lodge
8. wild animal safari
9. voodoo doughnuts
10. path station

Google.com - Fastest Falling
1. john mccain
2. olympics
3. heath ledger
4. barack obama
5. sarah palin
6. circuit city
7. ron paul
8. iron man
9. spore
10. wii fit

Google Image Search - Fastest Rising
1. lady gaga
2. new moon
3. michael jackson
4. megan fox
5. selena gomez
6. rihanna
7. taylor swift
8. bella swan
9. alice cullen
10. jacob black

Google Mobile Search - Fastest Rising
1. twitter
2. michael jackson
3. facebook
4. imdb
5. cta bus tracker
6. bebo
7. nba scores
8. univision.com
9. steve mcnair
10. espn.com

The methodology used to determine the above:
To compile the 2009 Year-End Zeitgeist, Google studied the aggregation of billions of queries people typed into Google search in 2009. They use data from multiple sources, including Insights for Search, Google Trends and internal data tools. They also filter out spam and repeat queries to build out lists that best reflect "the spirit of the times." All of the search queries they studied are anonymous—no personal information was used.

Except where noted, all of these search terms are most popular for 2009—ranked in order of the queries with the largest volume of searches this year. In some cases, they list the "fastest rising" queries, which means they found the most popular searches conducted in 2009 and then ranked them based on how much their popularity increased compared to 2008. Conversely, "fastest falling" queries were very popular in 2008 but flattened in popularity in 2009.