You’ve probably noticed that there wasn’t a Top 5 post for March. It was nothing short of spaciness on my part (combined with an unusually busy writing schedule), but let’s get back on-track now that April has passed and May flowers are blooming!

1) VE on GaiamLife: Top 5 Ways to Lose More Weight with Your Existing Workout: “You’ve established a healthy workout schedule, working up a sweat three to five times a week—but why aren’t you losing weight? Depending on how much weight you have been trying to lose, you may have hit your fitness plateau. The solution isn’t necessarily longer …”

2) VE on GaiamLife: 5 Best Ways to “Green Out” Your Town: “Weekly recycling, home composting, grocery shopping at the farmer’s market – you’ve made some good changes to live greener. So what’s next? It’s time to take your eco-friendly inspirations out into your local community to inspire and support others in lightening their footprint …”

3) Unconditional Love and Surrender from Nicole Bridger: “Nicole has come a long way from making clothes for her Barbie dolls at age eight. Five years after graduating from Ryerson University, Vancouver native Nicole Bridger is setting a new standard for style mavens. Victoria Everman chatted with Nicole just before the Green Living Show …”

4) How Green Is Bamboo Fabric?: “Found in your favorite Chinese dishes and on the floors of many modern homes, bamboo has made its way into another key aspect of our lives - clothing. Green fabrics from organic cotton and wool to those even made from corn and seaweed, bamboo is one of the most versatile and features a wide variety of …”

5) Become A Sustainable Fashion Influencer with Nvohk: “Ever wanted to own your own green business? How about a clothing brand? With California-based nvohk [invoke], you can help to change the fashion world, one design at a time. Promoted as an “eco-clothing company managed by the people who wear it,” nvohk: … was inspired by …”

What did you enjoy this month?

What would you like to see less/more of?

[Image courtesy of mikebaird on flickr.com]

Hello leap day readers! Even with an extra day, February is still a day or two shorter than all the other months. I’m sure most of you will be working, since it is a Friday, but maybe some of you took the day off to have a long weekend. What are you going to do with your extra day?

I’m not too surprised that the two articles that I wrote for GreenLivingOnline.com’s Valentine’s Day coverage made it into the top 5 for February.

The FutureNatural giveaway currently going on (just one week left to enter) was not much of a surprise to find in the top 5 - the same with my exclusive coverage of Fig Kids Spring 2008 organic cotton collection (who doesn’t love an exclusive?).

What did catch my eye was the return of my interview with New York creative yogi Tara Hogan - where did that come from!? If you haven’t read it yet, make sure to click over there; it is a darn good one, if I do say so myself.

1) Poisonous Plastics in Your Sexy Playthings: “Whether adventurous or mildly amorous, millions of couples use “novelty” items (a.k.a. sex toys). Often purchased on a whim, these bedside buddies can exponentially enhance your sensual encounters but they may also bring their own fair share of damage …”

2) Natural Beauty Has a New Online Home + EXCLUSIVE GIVEAWAY!: “Move over Sephora, there is new online home for organic and natural beauty projects - its name is FutureNatural. Launched only two months ago, FutureNatural carries some big names in eco-beauty, such as Zoya, Stem Organics, Nvey Eco make-up, Juniper Ridge, …”

3) Green Loving with Eco-Friendly Lingerie: “With Valentine’s Day right around the corner and you’re lucky enough to have a “special someone”, you might be spending more of your time between the sheets than usual. To help you prepare for this monumental occasion, we bring you an extensive collection of sustainable …”

4) Tara Hogan Turns Ink & Wit From Indie to Eco-Modern: “Big businesses aren’t the only ones who are seeing than many benefits of going green these days. Smaller companies and the ever-present indie start-ups are getting in on the act too. Being an advocate for the “little guy”, I’m honored to feature a woman with …”

5) EXCLUSIVE!: Fig Kids Spring 2008 Collection Preview: “Spring has nearly sprung and that means it is time for mac and cheese, short sleeve tees and “mommy, can we please?” Keeping your little ones clothed and looking cool at the same time can seem like an endless challenge, especially when the styles they are craving for could …”

Holy muffins Batman, I can’t believe it is almost February! In just 31 days, it is clear that 2008 is going to be a great year and I’m ready for all it has to offer. January was a great month for Victoria-E.com as well, with a few older posts being revived by readers, some of them even making it on to the Top 5 list.

1) Sun Run Biz Model Makes Solar More Affordable: “Still dreaming of a solar powered house but think you can’t afford it? Even with State and Federal assistance, installing a full solar system on your house can run you upwards of $10,000, depending on your location. A new collection of companies …”

2) Behind the Seams with Karen Stewart of Stewart+Brown: “Karen Stewart is half of the husband-and-wife team that started the California-based Stewart+Brown in 2002. After the birth of their daughter Hazel, Karen and Howard combined their professional experiences from companies like Patagonia, Urban Outfitters and Microsoft to create …”

3) Weekly Green Leisure: All Green Round-Up Jan 5th-11th: “Have you heard about the latest green living magazine to hit the newsstands? Launched in late 2007, All Green Magazine ‘believes that the environmental challenges we face are not without solutions. It is our mission to make consumers, organizations, businesses and …”

4) Sustainable & Stylish Storage for Your Sketches & Scribbles: “I’m likely to be the 100th person to blog about this, but it’s worth the attention. First spotted on TreeHugger.com (written by the ever-eco Worsted Witch, a.k.a Jasmin), Canada’s Mirage Paper Company is launched a 100% post-consumer recycled range. Named …”

5) Weekly Green Crafts: CAGW Round-Up for Jan 19th-25th: “With so many rainy days here in San Francisco lately, I’m starting to feel like I’m already living in Portland (yeah, if only!). Since I already had a funky cough, I didn’t think going out to walk in the rain would be the best idea. So, once I’m done with my daily writing work, I’m stuck with …”

What did you enjoy this month?

What would you like to see less/more of?

WELCOME TO 2008!
Tomorrow, I will have a great post all about what is to come from me and my creative endeavors in this new year. Until then, enjoy the last Top 5 post of 2007 [even though I am posting it in 2008 - just ignore that part].

1) Snapping Takes A Modern, Kitchen-y Twist: “My favorite childhood toy, hands down, was Legos. Truth be told, if you put me in front of a box of Legos right now, I’d have a field day. The ability to mix and match any and all pieces to create something of beauty or function …”

2) Portland Series :: Betsy Walton’s Layered Dream Worlds: “‘I draw, paint, sew, and make prints in my studio in Portland, Oregon … and I love to get email.’ Betsy Walton is a woman after my own (and everyone else’s) heart! The quoted sentence is …”

3) A Sweet Excuse For Sweets: Eat A Cookie, Save the Oceans: “Does anyone really need another excuse to slather on the icing or “double-dunk” our desserts? How about helping to save our planet’s oceans? Oceana; a California, Oregon and Alaska-based …”

4) Rosa Parks’ Quiet Strength is Memorialized in Blooms: “It’s quite easy to get so caught up in all the holiday hub-bub that we forget about just how good our lives actually are. Being born and raised in the States has given me an unimaginable number of freedoms and …”

5) Are You Crafting A Green World?: “Online for just a month now, have you had a chance to check out Crafting a Green World? A part of the Green Options Media network, I’m the blog’s editor and head writer. Recently, two more writers have signed on, both of which are …”

What did you enjoy this month?

What would you like to see less/more of?

The past four days have been full of a myriad of emotions, thanks to my web host failing to fix a “500 Internal Server Error” despite contacting support a number of times. I’ve been with IPowerWeb for the past 5 years, but in just the past year, they have gone over the deep end, causing numerous problems with both my website and e-mail.

Finally sick of the issues (and on the verge of needing to renew my hosting package in February), I’ve switched to Bluehost and in less than two hours, I have gotten all of my files transfered over, my URL redirected, and my e-mail mailbox set-up (it has been down the past four days as well; I can only imagine how much I’ve missed permanently).

Unfortunately, within this down time, I’ve also had over 30 people unsubscribe from my website feed - I hope you all will come back now that I’m up and running again! On the plus side, I’ve had time to knit and read, along with coming up with a nice backlog of swank post ideas, so stay tuned for lots of great info.

1 for two months in a row!) Green Style Spotlight: UJeans: “The world’s most imperative fashion invention of all time (or at least one of the top five) has to be denim jeans. Somehow, since its nearly 200 years of being invented, manufacturers have made it unthinkably difficult to …”

2) Unearth Conscious Living’s New Home: MindBodyGreen.com: “Recycling, organic cotton clothing, paraben-free cosmetics, public transportation - you’ve probably got the basics of green living integrated into your daily life already. Having done so many …”

3) Solar Homes Help Revive Slow Housing Market: “Just three weeks ago, we told you about the sluggish general housing market and how it hasn’t been affecting the green building industry one bit. Thanks to a new article from the Los Angeles Times, more info …”

4) Refab UK’s Vintage Fabric Home Accessories: “After the blue jean insulation is fitted, the low-VOC paints have dried, and the solar panels are functioning, it’s time to focus on the inside of your new home. With air quality indoors being rated as 4 to 5 times worse …”

5) Chicago Hosts USGBC GreenBuild Expo Nov 7-9: “Started in 2002 by the infamous United States Green Building Council (USGBC), the GreenBuild Expo has quickly become the largest conference and exhibition focused solely on green building (both practices and products). Nearly 20,000 people are …”

What did you enjoy this month?

What would you like to see less/more of?

Ho ho ho and … oh, wait, that’s still a few months away … HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! I hope you are all having a wonderfully spooky day; other than it being overcast here in San Francisco, I don’t have much planned for celebrating this special day - maybe next year.

1) Green Style Spotlight: UJeans: “The world’s most imperative fashion invention of all time (or at least one of the top five) has to be denim jeans. Somehow, since its nearly 200 years of being invented, manufacturers have made it unthinkably difficult to …”

2) Wildlife Society Reviews Wind Energy Impacts: “Since 1937, The Wildlife Society in Maryland has been working hard to “enhance the ability of wildlife professionals to conserve diversity, sustain productivity, and ensure responsible use of …”

3) Fluffy Flowers’ Loveable, Recycled Creatures: “I’ve got quite the backlog of creations that I want to post about, so let’s get started! A week or so ago, I found these adorably unique creations from a great crafter in Georgia. Felicia of Fluffy Flowers makes her one-of-a-kind softies out of recycled materials. “I’ve made them from gloves, mittens, scarves, socks, and even …”

4) Green Style How-To: Knitty’s Fall 2007 Frankenknits: “Remember how bummed you were when your favorite sweater got a hole in it? Even with similar structural blemishes, I find it hard to part with my favorite garments — ones that have been worn during so many memorable moments. With a few snips, unraveled rows, and sections of knitting, you can easily …”

5) Portland Series :: Eco-Chic - Inside Portland Fashion Week 07: “It’s that time! Announcing the special collaboration between myself and online green fashion source Greenloop for the upcoming Portland Fashion Week (which I first mentioned last week in my exclusive interview with PFW’s Executive Director). Take a gander at our press release and find out all the juicy details …”

What did you enjoy this month?

What would you like to see less/more of?

What were my fantastic readers enjoying this past month?

1) National Love For My Knitting Prose: “While perusing the October issue of Yoga Journal Magazine (they have a great new site layout, you should give it a browse), I decided to read through the Letters section to see what readers have been saying about the publication. Much to my surprise …”

2) Keep Your Keyboard Company: “Working in a tiny cubicle, home office, or in my case as of late, your living room couch, loneliness and boredom are constant factors. Thankfully, I’m not the only one who realized that - specifically, I’m talking about freelance visual artist Von Glitschka. His latest, newly launched …”

3) Tara Hogan Turns Ink & Wit From Indie to Eco-Modern: “Big businesses aren’t the only ones who are seeing than many benefits of going green these days. Smaller companies and the ever-present indie start-ups are getting in on the act too. Being an advocate for the “little guy”, I’m honored to feature a woman with vision and beauty who sees sustainability as …”

4) Snapping Takes A Modern, Kitchen-y Twist: “My favorite childhood toy, hands down, was Legos. Truth be told, if you put me in front of a box of Legos right now, I’d have a field day. The ability to mix and match any and all pieces to create something of beauty or function is a key part of modern design …”

5) Twenty Gauge Vintage American Steel Furniture: “Some may see steel as a cold, emotionless metal, but from an environmental sense, it has a lot of style and can be easily reused. Southern California’s Twenty Gauge furniture is vintage steel from a fargone American era which has been …”

What did you enjoy this past month?

What would you like to see more of?

Ah Mondays - the busiest day of the week for me. I plan on posting at least one entry a day from now on, and since my schedule is so full, a Top 5 list seemed like the perfect thing for a Monday … maybe I’ll make it an ongoing series? I could call it TFM (top five Monday) for short.

In just the past two months, my website has been growing in leaps and bounds, including content, coverage, and support. In August, I had nearly 7,000 unique visitors; September as brought in around 5,600 already - will I break my August record? Who knows!?

The following websites have sent the most readers my way this month (so far). With one week left, I can only imagine what exciting developments will come to pass.

1) Apartment Therapy - San Francisco (featuring my interview with Bay Area author Meg Ilasco in one of their infamous Slinks posts)

2) Kirin Notebook (featuring a mention of my interview with company founder and blog writer Lara Cameron)

3) Supayana Clothing (now living in Montreal, I’ve been friends with DIY fashion queen Yana since my days in New York)

4) Hugg.com (featuring my post about INV/ALT designs’ snapping dishware, which ended up being mentioned on Treehugger.com as well)

5) Craft Magazine Blog (can’t say enough good things about CRAFT - I’ve interviewed a Bay Area costume designer for their Volume 4 issue and they have mentioned three of my blog posts already, the most recent being my interview with Ink & Wit craft maven Tara Hogan)

What were my fantastic readers enjoying this past month?

1) A New Take On Cracked Dishes: “You just never know what you will find when browsing the web. Often times, you’ll find the most unique creations that you wouldn’t normally be attracted to …”

2) Punky Piercer Runs A Green Letterpress Biz: “Tattoos, non-toxic inks, and tugboats - a uniquely crafty combination for a successful business. In my search to find San Francisco-based small businesses that use traditional letterpress machines, I stumbled upon …”

3) It’s A Family Affair with the San Francisco Craft Mafia: “Guns, drugs, and sewing machines? While you won’t see the San Francisco Craft Mafia shooting others or shooting up, they do wield some mighty powerful crafting talent …”

4) Recycling Gets Creative, Interactive, and Crafty: “Finding a workshop related to fiber crafts (knitting, sewing, crochet … etc.) is as easy as pie, no matter the area you live in, but what about recycling those computer chips and metal hangers? Spotted recently on …”

5) Stark Style on Etsy: “No one can deny that I have a passion for color, but my latest collection of Etsy favorites have been nothing but monochromatic deliciousness - an unmistakably inspirational mix of black, white, and gray. The dichotomy of …”

What did you enjoy this month?

What would you like to see more of?