I'm swamped, so here's a hodge-podge post!

Today's random assortment of my thoughts includes:

• An awesome Etsy artist who has inspired me to rip off her ideas (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery after all, right?!)
• An upcoming Heart & Stroke Fundraiser I'm involved in that you may or may not be interested in attending
• Dine Out Vancouver is COMING! January 24th 'til February 6th!
• A quick preview on what will hopefully be an upcoming post by a guest author
• Hayley Wickenheiser is in town, and you can see her tonight and Saturday for $2!
• and some Green propaganda from my childhood, fondly remembered!

GiddySpinster - Etsy's latest Featured Seller
What a name! I read this lady's bio, saw her art and thought, yep, I'm going to add her to my mental list of contemporary 'heroes'!
Etsy is great in so many ways (and I don't really have the time or patience to expand on those ways here!), and one of my favourite aspects is their Storque blog where they interview some of the more intriguing artists of the masses who run their own 'Etsy stores'.
Read the interview with Rachel on Etsy, and check out those reclaimed stillettos with cacti! Brilliant, says I! Not just an ingenious (and attractive, I think) use of a reclaimed item, but I think it does suggest subtle undertones of feminist thought, too. Very poignant.

The 4th Annual Hoedown for Hearts - February 11th at a to-be-determined location!
Yes, if you've heard of our infamous Heart & Stroke Fundraiser that occurs 'round about Valentine's Day each year, you might be surprised to see that it won't be at The Boone County Country Cabaret this time! No, sadly our old wooden Boone has vanished into the past and has been (and is being) replaced by a new version which is not country, not wooden and honky tonk, not featuring local bluegrass bands but some mainstream DJ's playing mainstream Top-40 to a mainstream 20-something SFU undergrad crowd, not that there's anything wrong with that of course. No, it just simply does not possess enough of that old-West atmosphere that had us trekking all the way out to Coquitlam for a bar night!

So this year we're frantically trying to secure a new location (keep your fingers crossed for us!) to host our Hoedown!
For the record, I loathe most country music, most particularly the pop-stuff. But once a year, I will revel in the cowpoke spirit, put on my pair of boots (I bought them for a past Hoedown, and they only get out of the closet once a year!), and head on out for an awesome night of dancin', drinkin', raffles (a Jackson Grills BBQ, Canucks tickets, gift baskets, etc.), 50/50 draws, toonie tosses to win a bottle o' mind rot (typically Jack Daniels), and this year you can even vote in our guy's moustache competition (shudder - not my idea!).
This is the dullest time of year in Vancouver, so why not come out and make a ridiculous night of it with your friends, all to support a fantastic cause!


Dine Out Vancouver is BACK! January 24th to February 6th!
Yes, I'm excited! The 9th annual, involving 215 restaurants with fixed-price menus ($18, $28 and $38) in and around Vancouver!

By experience, it's worth going to the middle and upper price-range restaurants - give the cheap ones a miss, because this is your opportunity to try out the best of Vancouver's culinary scene for a very good price!
These prix fixe menus aren't limiting, either, as many restaurants offer choices in these special menus.
I've been to Chambar, Wild Rice, and Lumiere (Feenie's restaurant, gone now) in past events and really enjoyed the first two of those three.... sorry, Feenie. Nothing personal.
"Dine Out" is a great way to try new places, and to eat out at the finer places on a puny budget!
I highly recommend The Fish House in Stanley Park as well (Karen Barnaby is the executive chef, and she's very gifted) - and for another money saving tip, if you go to The Fish House on a Wednesday this winter, you can order from their 20th anniversary specials for just $20 a plate, which is an excellent idea! I recommend the cedar planked arctic char and sockeye. Parking is free after 6pm in their lot, too! Consider it!
My personal recommendations for Dine Out 2011:

• Campagnolo on Main Street - I *love* this place!
• The Fish House in Stanley Park
• Bistro Pastis on Fourth 
• Chambar - if you like quality beer and fries, treat yourself to Belgian cuisine
• Wild Rice - if they *ever* bring back the Key Lime Brulee, GET IT! Get me one, too!
• Joe Fortes on Robson (steak and seafood)

Provence Marinaside and the one on 10th Ave are pretty tasty, too!
Too bad Burgoo, Vij's, and Twisted Fork and aren't included (go here another time!). Try Twisted Fork for brunch, but go early to avoid irritatingly long line-ups! The cat is out of the bag, it seems.

"Gendercide" in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
My wonderful friend Jasmine has written a truly chilling but important essay on the violence and horrors in the South Kivu area of the DRC. This one will probably need a disclaimer - not for those sensitive to gender-based extreme violence, though you really shouldn't turn a blind eye to this.
Read up on the issue ahead of time here on the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative website:
http://hhi.harvard.edu/programs-and-research/women-in-war/democratic-republic-of-congo

Hayley Wickenheiser skating, Danielle Goyette coaching, and it only costs $2 and happens twice this weekend at UBC!

Cell phone image, sorry..

Danielle Goyette (left) and #22

Playing for the Dinos (coached by Danielle Goyette - my OTHER all-time favourite female hockey player!), Hayley Wickenheiser's team will be playing the UBC Thunderbirds Friday, Jan 14th and Saturday Jan 15th at the Doug Mitchell arena. With your UBC student card, it's only $2 admission!
Yep, that's my plans for the weekend! Two completely awesome athletes (Hayley: 3 Olympic golds, 1 silver; Danielle: 2 golds, 1 silver and the only goal in the gold medal game in 1998!) and I can watch them for pocket change! Seriously the best hockey deal I've ever been in on!

And finally, 'Stop the Smoggies', 'Captain Planet and the Planeteers', and of course, 'The Lorax'
I succumbed to peer pressure and changed my Facebook profile photo to a 90s cartoon I used to enjoy watching, and that was the cheaply done and rather campy "Stop the Smoggies". I think I mostly liked it because it was weird, but the anti-pollution revolution message was not lost on me! Video here! Listen to those lyrics for the intro sequence, eh?

Captain Planet was even dorkier, but yes, I watched it. I liked Linka from the USSR who had the power of wind. I think I identify with her, though my super powers of 'wind' only promote the greenhouse gas effect, so maybe not. Hmm. Intro video here!
The beloved Lorax by Dr Seuss is still one of my favourite childhood stories, and I cannot plead with you enough to read this to your kids, your neighbour's kids, your friend's kids, and any kid that will sit still long enough to listen. Hey, I just found someone reading it on YouTube!
For a more recent example of some fantastic green propaganda involving food production in the garden and pesticide-free agriculture (or maybe it's just me reading into that!), check out my earlier post on Dirt Girl!

By Donation Yoga (YYoga), and Thoughts on Safe Water

Happy 2011 dear readers! Hope it's the best year for you yet!

from Sarah Jamieson's blog (links below)

The wonderful, warm-hearted Sarah Jamieson is spreading the word about by-donation yoga classes at YYoga, proceeds going to "Off the Mat, Into the World". This charity has an international service project each year (2011 will be Haiti) to support communities in crisis. An excerpt from their website:

Each year, OTM sponsors an international service project called the Global Seva Challenge. The Global Seva Challenge is a transformational journey that builds community, provokes critical consciousness about global issues of social justice and equity, and raises significant funds to support communities in crisis. In our first three years, the Global Seva Challenge has raised over $1.5 million dollars for NGO’s in Cambodia, Uganda and South Africa and has left a powerful legacy in the communities we have served. In 2011, our Seva Challenge will be focused on meeting critical needs and creating long term sustainable solutions in Haiti.
OTM empowers Seva Challenge participants to raise a total of $20,000 each and asks them to do so through collaborating with their local communities. Engaging directly in the Seva grassroots fundraising process builds leadership skills and cultivates dedication and passion to the core mission of the project. Upon reaching their fundraising goal, participants embark on the Bare Witness Tour, a journey abroad where they will spend two weeks working directly with the organizations their funds support.

The Results...
2008 | Cambodia Seva Challenge: $524,000
2009 | Uganda Seva Challenge: $577,000
2010 | South Africa Seva Challenge: $529,000
2011 | Haiti: You decide!

So the very good news for us is that we can try out yoga classes at YYoga, by donation, and support this worthy cause at the same time as working off some of the holiday calories stored up in our bodies! They ask for $10 as a minimum donation, and I can't think of a better way to ease your way into a New Year's workout than by trying a few by-donation classes that you can feel good about on many levels!

Locations and participating classes are posted on Sarah's blog under "By Donation Classes at YYoga".

On another note, I attended a fantastic sermon by Mike Yankoski (author of "Under the Overpass" and co-editor of a new book, "Zealous Love") yesterday that involved some content regarding access to clean water in the world outside of our privileged corner. It was uplifting and encouraging, and not many sermons on the subject of clean water and extreme poverty are.

Mike Yankoski had a great line in his sermon (will be uploaded to the Tenth Church website soon), which I have paraphrased from memory - "When you had a glass of water this morning, or frozen Minute Maid orange juice you made up from a can, did you wonder if it was lethal? Did you worry about serving it to your children?" (It was the 'Minute Maid' that did it for me. I think my parents must've made up a small lake's worth of that stuff in the 80's alone!).

The answer, I hope, is no. And yet I never really take time to be thankful that we do have clean water. I hate that it's a luxury among the human race. I hate the fact that parents bury their children from Typhoid Fever again and again. All of it is so preventable. The stats are literally astounding - I won't overwhelm you with them (I think Mike mentions them in the sermon if you are interested; link below to UN report does also).

Charity organizations bringing help where it is most needed deserve our support, and I'm happy to share the word about YYoga's by-donation classes. $10 for drop-in yoga isn't so bad, either!

It was the 28th of July, 2010 that the UN general assembly declared access to safe drinking water and sanitation a basic human right, and that they resolve to . . . well, I'm not sure what they have resolved to do, if anything, though have heard that there was a push to increase access to safe water drastically for the 884 million who don't (whoops - said I wouldn't overwhelm you with stats!).

I wonder where we as a global population are on that issue. I can't say I've done much myself in terms of digging trenches and helping fit pumps, but I can at least say that I've supported some wonderful NGO's that are working towards it.

  OxFam Unwrapped Canada - "Safe Water" gift - $22

 $15 000 to drill a well (World Vision). Yes, you could raise this money! Be creative - how can you raise funds?

Above three photos: All from World Vision Canada's "Water" gifts catalogue website page (Top - Emergency Water and Sanitation for a Family - $100; Middle - Water Filter for One Family - $75; Bottom - Clean Water for a Family - $100).

Rather humbling, isn't it? I go to the tap all the time without ever once thinking about how insanely fortunate I am to not have to worry if the water I need to drink is contaminated with human or animal feces. Think of this next time you wash your hands, do the dishes or simply go for a drink! It's almost hard to imagine - I'm going to take a bath right after I post this, maybe boil some water for some tea (I have a cold - I need lots of fluids. And a cold doesn't even compare to Cholera....!).

 UNICEF Canada'a Gifts of Magic - Gift of Water page











My hope for 2011 is that we (you and I and everyone we know) make a concerted effort to try to help the people of the world access safe drinking water. You only have to hear Mike's sermon on the mom and dad in Northern Uganda and the 10 little graves to realise why this cause needs huge support.

It's 2011. Everyone should have clean water.

Recycle & 'Regift' the Christmas Detritus!

I really like the city council at the moment. I'm rather enjoying the new bike lanes and how they are landscaped, I love being a part of the GreenStreets program, and I like the chickens-in-your-backyard legislation.

I particularly approve of Metro Vancouver's amusing ad campaigns on reducing holiday waste (pre-Christmas) and their inventive initiatives post-Christmas, like this: Metro Vancouver Recycles. Yes, it's a mother-lode of a resource for finding where you can dispose of this, that and the other, but also where you can donate the unwanted items that found their way into your apartment over the holidays! Metro Vancouver Recycles links to Thrift Stores, recycling depots, and, joy of joys, here I have *finally* found a place to get rid of used batteries, including the rechargeable ones from a rather useless battery-powered toothbrush (another ghost of Christmas past, I should note!).

If you live in Belcarra, Anmore, Pitt Meadows, Tsawwassen, even Lions Bay and Bowen Island, and every larger district inbetween, check out Metro Vancouver Recycles and let your friends and neighbours know about this fantastic resource! Well done, Gregor Robertson et al!

And if you're not from this neck of the woods, I have a few generic suggestions for you:

I can't recall if it was Rich or Wendy or neither of them, but a coworker of mine came up with the terrific idea of advertising "regifting" of unwanted items at work, particularly unopened bottles of alcohol not enjoyed by the original recipient (i.e. a cheap red if you only drink white; tequila when the very sight of it makes your stomach turn, etc.). Regifted items can then be auctioned or raffled off, the proceeds of which going to charity (your local Food Bank will appreciate this, as will other organizations). A small collection of various wines is sure to pull in a fair bit of moula for your worthy cause.

Using up Christmas leftovers is also a great way to curb waste (that's a rather silly saying, isn't it? Because we want to avoid waste on the curbside! Ah well). Here's a few links on what one can do with leftover turkey:
http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/20101216/our-five-favourite-ways-to-use-up-leftover-turkey
http://www.ehow.com/how_4695491_reuse-leftovers.html
http://allrecipes.com//Recipes/meat-and-poultry/turkey/leftovers/Main.aspx

Of the using-up-leftovers sites, I am impressed by this one - Love Food, Hate Waste. Link to their Christmas dinner leftover uses here: http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/recipes 

A very Happy New Year's to all! Bring in 2011 the right way - recycle well and reuse everything! No need to mention 'reduce' - I'm sure the post-Christmas credit crunch will nicely curb our shopping & spending habits for a time.

Avalon Organics Shampoo & Conditioner (on sale!)

On sale at Capers (4th and Vine) until January 1st, Avalon Organics Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner two-pack is retailing for $8.99 - half off!

 

A company recommended by The David Suzuki Foundation's "Dirty Dozen" (new: pocket guide link here) as frequently having products that are free of the 'dirty dozen' ingredients, Avalon Organics has shampoo and conditioners in several different scents (Lemon, Rosemary, Peppermint to name a few). I nearly bought the Rosemary, but then saw the sale and went for the Lavender two-pack.

To read more about the 'Dirty Dozen' lists, see my earlier post - David's Dirty Dozen.

Relax, Honey - It's the Holidays

One of the most popular gifts in our family this year was Meeru Dhalwala & Vikram Vij's latest cookbook, "VIJ'S AT HOME - RELAX, HONEY The warmth & ease of Indian cooking".

A truly fantastic cookbook!

It was so popular that I both gave and received a copy of the cookbook this Christmas (which is fantastic, because I was really tempted to test out some of the recipes before wrapping but abstained). I even had the opportunity to meet and chat with Vij himself when I had a copy of the book signed for my parents.

I tried out three of the recipes tonight for dinner, which was a bit of a mistake - we ended up stuffing ourselves worse tonight than at either of the two family Christmas dinners this year! All three dishes were absolutely amazing! And I made them, me. That's a great cookbook.

Rice Pilaf with Cashews, Cranberries and Saffron was so, so tasty (and easy - the directions were complete and unambiguous).

I also made Sauteed Spinach and Tomatoes (a quick version of Saag Paneer), which would have been perfect had I not attempted to substitute bocconcini cheese for paneer . . . it melted. But apart from the stringy cheese, it was delicious. And the best part of all is that you can make it with canned diced tomatoes and frozen spinach, which gives me a great option on nights when I would usually resort to the frozen pizza.

Prawns in Pomegranate Curry was the main course and although I made enough for dinner tomorrow, it was consumed by my dear fiancee who described it as "Awesome - really, REALLY good!". I liked how the recipe included this:

If you have any leftover juice, add shots of vodka and ice to it and drink as an aperitif to set a festive mood for dinner.

Thank you Meeru & Vij! It's honestly the first time in my life that I've been able to cook restaurant-tasty Indian food at home (I butcher Aloo Gobi. I try, but I always end up with soggy, ill-cooked cauliflowers and inconsistently cooked potatoes in a bizarre melange of various spices). I highly recommend this cookbook to anyone who loves Indian food even half as much as I do - good way to spend a gift certificate.

_________________________________________________

Update: February 14th (Valentine's Day)

Having a lovely dinner cooked for you at home with wine and candlelight is one of the best things going (and certainly a romantic Valentine's gesture).

Recipes taste better when made for you with love. These don't need 'love'!

Mix Vij in, and *WOW* - I had to blog about it!

"Green Beans, Potatoes & Spinach" (pg. 86). There were seconds, but he ate them!

Sablefish (which is on the Green list of most sustainable seafood lists here on the West Coast of North America) is delicious, right up there with Arctic Char in my favourite fish list!

Steamed-to-perfection spiced Sablefish (pg. 139). Awesome!!!

I learned my lesson from last time and took photos before devouring dinner! It was just awesome. I put on some Ravi Shankar (playing ragas) and lit some candles . . . absolute perfection.

_________________________________________________

I also received a Canadian Living "tested 'til perfect" Vegetarian cookbook - stay tuned for an upcoming review!

Last-Minute Gifts: Christmas Gift Summary from Green, Broke & Living in Kits

TWO WEEKS TO GO!

Are you ready? Like, REALLY ready? The holiday season is in full swing already, and between all of the Christmas parties (work, your partner's work, your friends, your family, your neighbours, your church or team or book club) you're going to find time to get 'er done?

I think it might be time to reassess!

Scroll all the way to the bottom for the "Christmas Dinner in a Box" joke gift!

So here we go, the "It's the last minute and I'm scrambling - HELP!" list!

From the post "Handmade Christmas? Start planning NOW!":

• Home Baked Goodies: pound cake in a loaf tin, cookies in a pretty glass jar
• Secret Family Recipe Cards/Books and a copy of your favourite go-to recipe book (new or used, but you might be up against it if you're wanting to buy online) 

From the posts  "Christmas Gifts that Actually Matter (from $1 to $50)" and "Intangible Charity Gifts - More Choices":

• Virtually ANY of these you still have time for! If they can't guarantee delivery of a card to pass on to your recipient, many of these organizations offer e-cards. If that's not going to cut it for you, try the whole "right-click" over the image, "copy" and then "paste" into a Powerpoint slide. You can resize and move the image around, add text and clip art (or more "right-clicked & copied" images from the website or elsewhere) and make your own flyer or card to present to your loved one. The added bonus here is that you have unlimited creative control in terms of design and text!
• Please, please look through these catalogues: I can guarantee that there's a 'gift' out there that is just perfect for someone on your list!

OxFam Unwrapped Canada

World Vision Gifts

UNICEF Gifts of Magic

Heifer International

Food for the Hungry - Canada

 

AlternativeGifts.org

Food for the Poor

World Relief

Harvest of Hope

Changing the Present

Trees for Life

Mercy Corps

Salvation Army Gift Catalogue

CARE gifts

From the post "Frugal Yule - Gifts under $10 and $25":

• Good last minute ideas are: any of the local charity gifts, homemade hot chocolate/hot chai kit, herb seeds and a pot with soil to grow them in, raw materials for learning to knit, crochet or for sketching (needles, hooks and yarn or sketchbook and pencils/pencil crayons), Aquabus tickets, and you could always visit the Ten Thousand Villages store.
• Food, coffee and wine. Edibles are where it's at! Buy the good stuff or the unusual stuff for a real treat. Make your own little hampers or baskets with the favourite foods of your recipient. Need more instruction than this? How about these small combinations to start you off:
• Wine, cheese, chocolate
• Cured meats, condiments, crackers and cheese
• Nothing but chocolates (get the best variety you can)
• Coffees (a variety) and cookies
• Mandarin oranges, chestnuts, fudge and cookies tied with a ribbon (don't forget the candy cane)
• "Christmas Dinner in a Box" - keep in mind you want things that can go without refrigeration (no raw turkey!). This could be a funny one if you find something horrid like turkey-flavoured chips or turkey jerky, craisins, instant stuffing, instant mashed potatoes (eeeew), and of course dessert (like a Christmas cake or maybe a chocolate lollipop shaped like Santa). Don't forget a Christmassy tea or coffee to finish it off! You can even buy freeze-dried camping food at MEC for reasonably cheap ($6-9) like "turkey and mashed potatoes"! Or "classic homestyle turkey" (which also didn't rate very high by customer reviews). The favourite choice appears to be "Grilled Chicken Breast with Mashed Potatoes", which got the better portion of 5 stars.

A Christmas Dinner to go! Perfect for your goofy friend who cannot or will not cook, or for friends in rez (residence on campus) who can't make it home to enjoy a proper feast with the family. If it's for an undergrad, better include some beer.

If all else fails, pick up a wreath or a HUGE bunch of flowers or buy a poinsettia or amarylis plant and a bottle of wine. You can never go wrong with flowers and wine.

Late to press: I just found the most interesting foodstuff for a Vegetarian Christmas food hamper at T&T supermarkets - "Taisun Vegetarian Mushroom Jerky"! The link is to the weekly flyer, so apologies if it's changed by the time you read this ($2.39 instead of $3.59). I've also just discovered the existence of "Tofurky Jurky". . . . sick. I might be vegetarian, but I draw the line at jerky. 

Holiday Workouts You Can Do at Home for Free

What a way to wake up in the morning - gazing lovingly at my gleaming substitute Christmas tree while sipping a cup of tea (which I didn't make, which makes it all the nicer!) and watching the news....

Only the news has to do with EXERCISE during the holidays, something that even I feel is a little off the mark. It's important to keep up with regular workouts, but mixing something in specifically for Christmastime - 'tisn't the season for that if you ask me!

from CTV.ca/canadaam/fitness - Libby's shiny white Saucony's and a purple washcloth

But I have been inspired! Libby Norris was doing a spot on CTV* news this morning (*I listen to CBC news, then I turn on the TV - you can't get the real news off other channels!). She's a fitness guru ('master trainer') with a very inspiring website, particularly an article on "Fitness Under $20", which I think could better be named, "Free Fitness, Provided you have Access to Brooms, Washcloths, Paper Plates and Other Household Items". Her title is punchier, obviously. Other "Frugal Fitness Tips" from Libby on CTV's website, here.

Practically all the exercise equipment you need, according to LibbyNorris.com

Watching her do lunges and push-ups with washcloths on a wood floor did actually encourage me - they're many of the same ab and core exercises I get at my local YMCA's Kick and Abs class (please note: the Robert Lee YMCA website appears to be having troubles this morning!).

I'd like to encourage you to try some of the exercises Libby describes while doing your holiday baking or at the end of a day of shopping; they only take a few minutes and can really help your poor old body keep up in the holiday season.

And if you're like me (i.e. you require a little encouragement to actually DO the exercises), consider signing up NOW at your local rec centre for a fitness pass or classes (and make sure you book a usually free weight room consult with a trainer! It's so helpful to receive recommended exercises). During the stress of the holidays, nevermind the baked goods, it would honestly do you wonders to struggle through and survive a challenging cardio class. There's really nothing like grunting and sweating your way through a tiring, loathsome aerobics or strength training class (or even a spin class or pilates or yoga) to help bust day-to-day stress.

Go forth and sweat! It's good for your complexion (and a million more important things, but who doesn't like clear, glowing skin looking back at you in the mirror?).

Substitute Christmas Trees

There are many reasons why a broke, apartment dweller would skip the whole Christmas tree thing altogether - travel plans, fire insurance, building or city by-laws prohibiting trees, cost, and so on. Some will argue that a 'lovely plastic' tree (yuck) will pack up neatly into a box for storage, but I ask you - have you really got excess storage space? And do you want to commit to unpacking the same old tree for decades (which you should if you buy it - it's not like it'll decompose in the dump)? No, I don't think so either.

For two years in a row, I've gone without a tree at Christmas. My ideal tree is a living one, rootball and all, that can be gifted to the birds in the backyard adorned with then-stale cookies and popcorn strings. Alas, no backyard and several of the above restrictions apply.

First few stars and masking tape frame

Meet 2010's version of the Christmas tree in the Green, Broke & Living in Kits apartment! Inspired by today's sermon at Tenth Church, this 2-dimensional tree is made up of stars (some good, some bad) all leading to the big star at the top. I must admit that only a few of the stars represent people and experiences, but if you were to build your own, you might consider writing on each star the name of a loved one (friends and family) that you remember at Christmastime.

Mostly done... note the masking tape frame being eaten away

Finished

Last year's was a little less 2-dimensional and was accomplished by fluting sheets of green construction paper and pinning them to the wall. It also left a lot of holes in the wall.

Last year's tree, sans ornaments. Fluted construction paper and thumb tacks. Not the best place to put it, in retrospect. Avoid those baseboard heaters and radiators!

But this year, the tree is made of recycled/reused/repurposed materials: last year's Christmas cards, well-reused gift bags in need of retirement, scraps of construction paper, the interesting patten on the inside of envelopes meant to deliver cheques, wrapping paper scraps, book pages (leftovers from a past craft), origami paper, and even the box that stored last year's cards was used.

The tree, effectively, was free. The price is right!

Want to do it yourself? It's easy!

Materials:
- papers, card stock, tags, bags, paper scraps of all sorts (postcards and foils from candy wrappers work, too!)
- masking tape
- a cookie cutter (mine was a star-shape)
- pencil
- scissors
- glue and glitter (optional - good to utilize if you have only flat, non-reflective papers)

How to do it:
Make an acute angle (i.e. the outline of a tree) with two long strips of masking tape. Stick gently to the wall when you've got the shape you like.
Trace and cut-out your stars.
Fold a loop of masking tape to affix the stars to the wall (top-down is how I did it). Make sure you've shuffled the cut stars well, and when you stick them to the wall, attempt to achieve balance in your design - keep the same coloured stars scattered evenly across the the tree shape. It's easy to move the stars in most cases if you're gentle and get your finger under the tape before lifting the star.
As you fill in the tree, make sure that the stars along the side align right against the masking tape 'frame'. As the stars are placed along this edge, you can peel back the masking tape that forms the frame from the areas where the stars have been placed. Use this tape to make loops for the backs of other stars!
If you're going to write names on the stars (or use glitter and glue) make sure you do this after cutting out the shape but before applying the loop of tape to the backside.

Placement of your tree:
A bare wall is an ideal place, but make sure it's not above a heater where it could pose a fire hazard!
Another great place is a door - your front door, the bathroom door, any flat door that isn't exposed to the outdoors (the dampness will not suit this activity).

That's it! Hope this inspires you to make your own non-traditional Christmas tree in your apartment.