Should we Still Shop ‘Til We Drop Tis almost the season, and the world appears to be swirling out of control. With a mammoth financial crises in full swing and unemployment rising across the globe, gift-giving is not only more of a challenge in the usual ways, it has become an ethical challenge as well. For example, over the last several years we’ve been told that by spending we can save America. And, now it seems that by buying correctly we can also help to save the world. This is a tall order and a heavy responsibility. Almost enough to suck the cheer right out of the season. So how about this Let’s forget about all that for a few moments at least, and just have fun poking around the rapidly growing arena of sustainable living and conscious shopping.

For starters we decided to ask a few green builders what they would want, or what they would suggest giving to other like-minded souls. As luck would have it, a number of them were gathered at the Fortnightly Club to celebrate the saving of Twin Maples, the Club’s circa 1908 neo-classical mansion in Summit, NJ. The building, which houses their offices, has been the site of numerous charitable events, and has the added fun bonus of looking like a miniature version of the White House. According to Laurie Finn, owner of La Jolie in Summit, NJ, and co-chair of the Twin Maples Centennial Show House along with Heidi Evenson, the project took two years to complete – probably some sort of record considering the challenges involved. It wasn’t easy, she said, but they did it; and they did it sustainably. » Read more: Spotlight on Green Builders – Green Gifts For Green Builders – Their Friends and Families