Springtime!

Knock on wood, cross your fingers and for the love of God, don't break a mirror or open and umbrella indoors. It looks like spring is here, and with the very possible chance I might jinx it, I'm calling it. The sun that we all love is here this weekend - what are you going to do with it?

Like we highlighted in our "Footprint of the Week", David Suzuki is challenging everyone to spend 30 minutes in nature for the next 30 days. And my goodness, if the weather outside is this fantastic, it should be pretty darn easy.

So what are our favourite things for the Spring of 2013? 

Our top 5 pics for outdoor adventures (that we can afford and fit in our tiny apartments):

This little Charcoal Grill is perfect for a BBQ at the beach on a Friday like today. Add a wicked picnic basket, a bocce set and all your favourite people and you have a the best set up a BC'er could plan for a sunny-set on the beach. 

$14.88 at Home Depot

Shwood Sunglasses are hands down our #2. While they are a little more fragile that I would like, they are made in Oregon from FSC approved trees and are an oh-so-cool one of a kind summer item! While a little out of the price range of affordable, if you're feeling like treating yourself to in this sunny weather, check these on for size. 

This Eton Radio from MEC is wind-up and solar powered. With a flashlight and radio capabilities, it is a great multi-tool to have on hand for any outdoor adventure. 

$51 at MEC

We always have to throw in a good ol' fashioned DIY project. Whether its stringing twinkle lights from the trees or filling your table with these delicious smelling mason jars, every picnic or garden party deserves a little extra light. Outdoor ambience - thats what we love this time of year.

A straw tote to take everywhere this summer? Yes please! And from the H&M conscious collection means you can track the sustainability and afford it all at the same time. Check out their full sustainability and transparency report here.

Political Platform #2 - The NDP in a Nutshell

Hello fellow British Columbians! It is my pleasure to tell you that the writ has dropped. This means that the election for the government of BC has officially begun. You can start paying attention to politics now. Don’t worry you can stop after May 14 (fyi: May 14=election).

If you missed the previous political post you will be very confused by what is happening below. Basically, FairJAKE is presenting a play-by-play of the political parties. But, here is the catch… we are presenting it like it would be on American Idol. Why? Because I think it would be funny if politicians had to sing for our votes.

If you missed the last post, check out our profile on the BC Liberals. This week: The BC NDP

BC NDP

http://www.bcndp.ca/

Leader: Adrian Dix, former executive director for French language education not-for-profit; former Chief-of-Staff for Premier Glen Clark.

Key Issues:

·      Grounded in a history of addressing unemployment and poverty; fought for unions, Unemployment Insurance, Universal Health Care, decent wages and pensions.

·      Approaching job creation by financial assisting student in post-secondary education and skills training.

·      Champions public services, like education and health care.

·      Social Justice, Fairness, Equality, and all that good stuff.

Paula Abdul would say:

            After 12 years of Liberal leadership, it is time for a change. After all, 12 years is a long time and for any democracy to function properly, we need government to evolve and transform. The BC NDP stand up for those who need advocacy the most; supporting low/middle income families, protecting workers and promoting human rights and social justice. You may not trust Adrian, but he does have a sense of humour. Check out his response to the BC Liberal attack ads: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q3GMrVnakY

Simon Cowell would say:

            The BC NDP have proven themselves fiscally irresponsible. The province and the people in it were left broke. Adrian has lied and cheated: he made some fake memos used in a police investigation to protect former Premier Glen Clark. Why would we give Adrian and the BC NDP another chance?

I think that voters haven’t forgotten the BC NDP’s terrible audition round, but they are still considered a major threat for the defending champs. Check back here next Monday for a breakdown of the Green Party.

- Lisa

If by chance, you are going through our monthly book review withdrawal, it will return post-election, on May 15th when Kim tells you how many times she laughed out loud while reading The Stump Farm.

3D Printing: The Future of Design?

When one thinks of ways in which technology is changing the way we do things, the first things that come to mind are smartphones and computers. It’s not hard to imagine how technology affects those industries directly related to it; but how about industries that seem disconnected from it, how about fashion?

For decades now, fashion designers have been using CAD software to create their designs, but the actual construction of the final product relied mostly on manual labour. However, this is slowly changing with the introduction of the 3D printer to the fashion industry.

Industrial 3D printers have been around since the 1980’s, but lately, advances in technology are making this fabrication method more accessible to smaller businesses and even individuals.

  

Designers are turning to 3D printing for rapid prototyping of samples or even as a main means of creating their final product. 3D printing allows the designer to create shapes which until recently were not possible by any other means. Furthermore, the time required to create products has been reduced from weeks and even months to a couple of hours. Once the design is finalized with the help of CAD software (some of which is available free of charge), it is as easy as hitting the print button and waiting for your creation to appear before your eyes. 3D printers can be purchased for as little as $450 dollars; alternatively, you can simply upload your file to companies such Shapeways and wait for your product to arrive in the mail. Shapeways has been referred to as “The ETSY of 3D printing”. Shapeways and other similar companies allow users to create and/or sell their 3D printed products. There are currently over 10,000 vendors, and this number is growing every day.

But 3D printing is not just a geeky way of getting your ideas to come to life; the technology has been recognized by designers of the likes of Michael Schmidt, who created the dress (shown above) for Dita Von Teese.

As the materials and the technology used in 3D printing advance, creating 3D designs will be easier and more affordable. So next time you have an idea, design it, and let 3D printing bring it to life. Here are a couple of links you may want to look at:

Materialise World Conference 2012 Fashion Show

3D Printed Dress on the Catwalk at Paris Fashion Week

Dita Von Teese Dress, Designed by Michael Schmidt and Francis Bitonti

And some more info HERE