Why the old way was the best way

My husband has taken up an interesting hobby in the last year - collecting vintage razors and brushes, restoring them, and then using them for the best shave ever. Our generation's men really lost out by our parent's generation introduction to electric razors and plastic disposables. The original razors - straight or safety, really are the best environmental choice. The blades cost about 10 cents each as opposed to a pack of 5 triple blade refills costing about $9. The blades are recyclable (safety) or sharpenable (straight).

Steve's collection took over the library so I bought him a glass door cabinet for the guest bathroom. He's joined several forums, and recently shot a video demonstrating a particular kind of razor called a "Rolls Razor" that comes in a case with a special sharpener. Some of the blades and brushes he has bought and restored he has then re-sold, so his hobby pays for itself and I can't complain.

I am going to encourage him to do a video shaving with a straight since I think people will be even more fascinated by that. This video below got 160 hits in less than a day. I wish my videos were as popular!

Oh, and he restored a neat brush for me, including varnishing the wodden handle (like a boat!), and I use a pink 1960s Lady Gillette safety razor.

Here is the video and what he wrote in his own blog, It's a Guy Thing.

My first shaving video...
No sound, nothing really fancy, just a simple demonstration of shaving with a “Rolls Razor“. Shave Review had stated the he couldn’t get a decent shave with one, and when I said it wasn’t hard, he wanted a picture… So I gave him one.

The trick is to sharpen the blade as you would any other straight razor, using your progression of hones. It really is just a straight on a stick, after all. The stropping action in the case is fine, takes a while because of how short the stroke is, but it works. I just don’t think the hone is fine enough to give it a very good edge.

So, here it is, my first ever shaving video…

Westside Green Living: Let's Talk About Personal Hygiene and Organic Hair Color

Wendy goes on record for being a huge fan of Bambu Organic Salon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. Her real estate office and the salon used to be next door to each other but both businesses relocated in 2009.

Wendy tells why she began to have her hair color foiled and then talks about the benefits of training your hair to need less washing (use less water, less product, hair color lasts longer, and SAVE TIME).




More information:
Bambu Organic Salon on the web, and Facebook

You can watch a video about Organic Color System on YouTube.

Westside Green Living Discovers "Greener Clean"

Wendy makes a cleaning supply run to Target and discovers 3M Scotch Brite has come out with a "Greener Clean" product line.

My new Facebook project/fan page "Westside Green Living" releases its first video

GreenSpacesTV — March 30, 2010 — New Facebook fan page "Westside Green Living with Wendy" presents its first original video. Wendy and her husband Stephen Hughes-Jelen check out NuBe Green (newbie green) on Capital Hill.

Wendy says on her Facebook page, "Very cool place! I brought home the "Organic Salvage Candle" in Blossom, altho I still can't smell it because of the head cold I have. The candle is poured into a former beer bottle. Also tips on dogs and tennis balls, cardboard furniture, plants in paper bags, and 'liquid cardboard'."





According to their web site, NuBe Green "employs a rigorous screening process to guarantee that every item available in the store meets established sustainability and sourcing criteria. While products touted as US-made are often only assembled in the US, NuBe Greens products are made in the US from materials that are grown and/or sourced in the US. All items at the store are made without toxic chemicals and materials in order to offer consumers choices of green products that are healthier for humans and the planet."

NuBe Greens offerings include the work of Seattle artists and artisans as part of its mission to support the local community. Wendy and Steve have fun exploring the many things in ths shop and sharing little tidbits with their viewers.

The original uncut version of this video can be found at http://www.facebook.com/WestsideGreenLivingWithWendy
The original video has several additional segments but was edited here for YouTube's required "shorter than 10 minutes" video rule.

The Story of Bottled Water

Remember the "Story of Stuff"? It opened a lot of people's eyes. Now Annie Leanord has produced the "Story of Bottled Water".

If you agree that all of those plastic bottles are wasteful, my personal recommendation is Klean Kanteens. We own several and take water with us from home. You will too after you watch this video.



If you'd like to know more about the video's creator, check out this blog post at Green House on USA Today.

Some sunny weather in Seattle, even though Spring was already here

 

I am downtown again today for a conference. Well, today is an "un"conference, yesterday was a formal conference, the Pacific Northwest Housing Summit.  They've provided free wi-fi for both events so yesterday I was Tweeting with my handheld until about 1:30 pm when the battery died and I had to go find an outlet to plug it in to. I broke out my net book after that but it is tiny and it is hard to read the screen on my lap. Right now I am in a room with tables (where we have lunch) so it is easy to use and I am taking advantage of it. I am listening to conversation all around me about making and using compelling videos for marketing. There are hundreds of real estate and mortgage professionals here to learn from each other about how to better communicate using social media tools.

Piano Chat Roulette Improv

Oh this is great. Got this from someone on Twitter today.