An Interview With...Mano Verde

To unpathed waters, undreamed shores.

William Shakespeare

Hello all!

This post I have been looking forward to for some time and I am happy to share with you all.

I have always been on the lookout for products which stand out and carry a great philosophy with their products, and Mano Verde is one such example. Not only are their products eco-friendly (even their ecopots' pots are biodegradable!) but are artfully designed and fun for anyone who has ever wanted to dabble in a bit of gardening or for those who are already long time gardeners!

(Photo: Mano Verde)

Their Box Gardens and Ecopots are so convenient for those living in the city as they don't take up much space and yet visually it will provide that extra liveliness on the home front!

The 'Box Gardens' range from culinary herbs, flowers, veggies and berries, healthy shoots, to micro salads.

The 'Ecopots' range from garden trees, indoor trees, to organic trios.

Lastly, the 'Ecotins' range from ecospices, ecoseeds, and ecoteas.

(Photo: Mano Verde)

I had the immense pleasure to conduct an interview with the lovely pair behind Mano Verde: Greg and Tamara.

Enjoy!

How do you begin your day?

Tamara: A quick shower, a cup of tea and cereal while trying to keep my sanity intact getting our two monkeys ( 5 year old Emma and 3 year old Max) hugged, kissed, fed, clothed, and tickled. Then it's out the door to school, then daycare and work.

Greg: With a hug and a kiss from my family.

Favourite quote?

Tamara: "We'll eat you up, we love you so." - from Where The Wild Things Are

Greg: "All you need is love."- The Beatles

What are some of the inspirations behind Mano Verde?

We both love gardening- or more specifically, creating and bringing something to life. The winter lasts far too long here (in Montreal) and the lack of greenery here is depressing.

Together, we wanted to create a business based on the idea of providing a garden that no matter how small- everyone can live through the same experience. To have a bit of green... a bit of life indoors all year long, particularly during the winter, as well as for anyone who doesn't have a backyard or a balcony.

We wanted to offer kits in various forms that are well designed, modern, fun, inexpensive, and functional. The fact that are kits are environmentally-friendly and educational are additional factors which drive us.

What do you like to do when you have time to yourself?

Tamara: Time to myself...now that's something that doesn't happen often. However, when the chance arises, you can find me gardening in the summertime, sewing or knitting- my recent obsession is designing patterns to be printed on fabric.

Greg: Playing with my kids or realizing ideas I have in my mind (woodworking, building, etc).

Three things you can't live without:

Tamara: My family, creative visual stimulation, sunshine.

Greg: Love, food, music, add a bit of water to take a dip.

Complete this sentence: Love is...

Tamara: ... the one thing that when it's missing, makes life seem almost pointless.

Greg: ... ma raison d'être, my motivation.

So what are you waiting for? As Mano Verde says: plant a seed, grow life!

Mano Verde's products are available all across the country. Anyone living in Quebec can find it in numerous locations in Renaud Bray as well as Jardin Botanique

Personally, I have come across their products in popular shops as Indigo and in gift stores down on Little Italy- make sure to check out garden centres as well!

For a location near you, feel free to contact them at info@manoverde.ca

(Photo: Mano Verde)

They have also been super kind and amazing as to send me one of their fantastic ecopots so that I can personally grow one! It was one of their exotic trees and it's a Flame Tree. I am so excited to get started on it- I will let you know about it's progress along the way!

Joie de vivre,

Joanne

An Interview With... Emma Wallace

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams"

Eleanor Roosevelt

Hello all!

I'm here to present a special segment in my blog which I will be putting on from time to time, known as "An Interview With..."

I have the pleasure of putting the spotlight on the lovely Emma Wallace, as my first feature artist, who is not only a singer, but a "maker of songs for those wearing rose-colored glasses, those who love life and happy endings.

She hails from Orlando, Florida, so not only will she take you to ever brighter places, but bring you back to the golden days of daydreaming and all that is classic and timeless.

A memorable moment in listening to her songs:

I remember the first time when I heard her song "Would You".

She kindly sent the song along, and I added it into my playlist "Always Summer" on my iPod, and when I hopped on the subway to get to the city, the song began its tune. It left me with a soft smile on my face as I looked at the atmosphere around me with a hint of a glow, as if i was secretly carrying a handful of colorful balloons without a single care in the world.

From love, to Ginger Rogers, and the inspirations behind her songs, here are nine questions about Emma that will leave you charmed.

How do you begin your day?

My favorite way to begin my day is slowly and leisurely (and quite late! I'm definitely a night owl). If it's not too hot, I like to make a cup of tea, eat some spice bread and fruit, and daydream while looking out the dining room window...

What are some of your inspirations behind some of your songs, can you share a couple of them?

A lot of my inspiration comes from a specific feeling in a song I'll hear and I'll want to capture that same feeling and express it my own way. Some songs that have inspired me are Joe Dassin's "Champs Elysées," George Michael's "Kissing a Fool," U2's "With or Without You" and a ton of classic jazz standards like "Never Gonna Dance" by Jerome Kern and "Don't Fence Me In" by Cole Porter.

Is there a certain method or way in which you work with your songs?

Sometimes I have sparks of inspiration but for the most part, I usually try to write based from a challenge - usually one I've given myself! For example, I wrote "Connoisseur" because I had seen "Ratatouille" (I love Pixar and Disney movies) and I wanted to write a song that would fit in the film and "Fred Astaire" is written from the point of view of Ginger Rogers!

What do you like to do when you have time to yourself?

I love to put on music (I have several Pandora stations all set up), make myself tea and toast (or a scone, if I have it!), and read on the couch! Once a month, I read my favorite magazine from cover to cover while sipping my favorite tea. It's very rejuvenating!

What has been the happiest moment in your life thus far?

I've been lucky enough to have had many, many happy moments in my life! One of my favorites was when I was in Venice with my husband and we were on a ferry to visit the island of Burano. I thought, "If I had all the money and Oscar nominations in the world, I couldn't be happier than I am right now!"

What's a favorite quote that you hold on to?

My all-time favorite quote is by Thoreau:

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."

Favorite book(s):

I absolutely love to read! My favorite books are definitely children's books. I tend to read "slice of life" books, where the characters just go through regular day-to-day experiences. Some of my favorite authors are Eleanor Estes, Elizabeth Enright and Carol Ryrie Brink. I recently read "Diary of a Fairy Godmother" by Esme Raji Codell and I loved it! Filled with wisdom, humor and great illustrations.

One thing you can't leave without when traveling:

A notebook - in case inspiration strikes me!

Complete this sentence: "Love is..."

Doing what makes you happy and letting others do the same!

I then leave you to enjoy Emma's latest single "Song In My Head", courtesy of the artist herself!

Her recent album Temptation is now available on iTunes. Be prepared to be immersed in a Parisian café state-of-mind.

P.S. She also has her own blog as well so be sure to have a look!
Not to mention you can follow her on twitter!
While your at it, check out her myspace page as well!

And that's all for now, ciao!

Note: Images are used by permission of the artist