Waste Not Center

Hi Flea Fans!

Hope everyone is gearing up for the Greenflea! June 11th is just around the corner so get those applications in soon!

I'm happy to introduce you to the Waste Not Center. I've attached their link for you. For those of you who are artists and looking for items to use in your repurposing projects, I suggest you check them out! Once you join, you may shop there for free! They also have memberships for teachers, homeschoolers, and non-profits!

I just found out we will have someone selling potted flowers at very reasonable prices! He may also bring some perennials from his exquisite garden! Here are a few examples of his work.

Green tip of the day:
Check out books from the library instead of buying them.

The flea is hopping...go Matilda, go!

Sorry that I've not posted for a few days. This has been a busy week! We've had several calls this week inquiring about the Greenflea. It's very encouraging! However, we need your help. Let's all get the word out about this event and help make it a success! Post on your social media sites and email the link to your contacts. We not only are still looking for vendors, but we are looking for attendees! You can find our Facebook event page by putting Gahanna Greenflea in your Facebook search and let us know if you are attending!

Gahanna Parks & Rec is also looking for Artists for their ARTSpeak program which also runs on the 2nd Saturday. For information please go to www.gahanna.gov or email kate.mattison@gahanna.gov.

Green tip of the Day:
Plant wildflowers in your garden. They provide a much needed food supply for honeybees and butterflies.

We've got another vendor for the Greenflea!

Welcome to our latest vendor, Forgotten Dreams! Forgotten Dreams is owned and operated by Kathleen Bogue of Blacklick, OH. She is a very talented artist who makes exquisite jewelry from old coins! Her pieces are interesting and unique! Some of the coins date to the 1800's and each piece carries its own story and history. Not only will Kathleen be a Greenflea vendor, but we will soon be carrying her line of jewelry and accessories here at The Little Black Chair.

Green Tip of the Day:
Choose a hemp shower curtain over plastic. It dries quickly and resists mildew.

Meet Matilda...

Hi! My name is Matilda and I'm the Gahanna Greenflea! I've been jumping around the city looking for a spot to make my home. I came across these really great businesses at 116 Mill Street called Honey Grove Botanicals & The Little Black Chair! I really liked that their building was the same color as me, so I decided to take a peek in their front door. It was so warm and cozy in there, and filled with so many wonderful things that I decided to move in! I really like that they are green...just like ME!

They believe in doing their part to transform what they do and how they do it so that the end result is better for the environment. The environment isn't just the world, the rainforest, or the spotted owl; the environment is also the place where we work and play, our home, and where we travel. So when you think about the environment, think of your house, yard, workplace, the shops you visit, and the town you live in.

Being "green" means increasing the efficiency with which you use all of your resources. We can do this by polluting less, using less energy, consuming less materials and destroying fewer ecosystems. The objectives are also to improve our health, increase our productivity, and enhance our quality of life. It doesn't take a lot to be green but the rewards are oh, so BIG!

So, stop by sometime and meet me and don't forget to join me every second Saturday as we lead the way to great things! It's EASY to be green!

It was a good day for the 'flea!

Calls are coming in from people who want to participate in the Greenflea thanks to the nice press we got yesterday. We are excited!!!! If some of these vendors decide to come, we will have an interesting market.

Green tip of the day:
Arrange furniture to take advantage of natural light from windows. You'll be able to wait longer in the day to use your lights and you'll also reap the benefits of Vitamin D if it's sunny!

We made the front page!

Gahanna This Week did an article on the Greenflea which appeared on the front page in today's issue. Thank you Marla!

Things are really charging up! We are in the process of speaking to several vendors who offer products from antiques & vintage glass, potted flowers and herbs, vintage record albums & collectibles, new recycled household products, fresh vegetables, vintage look recycled handicrafts, Eco-friendly vintage bridal bouquets, upcycled jewelry, and even veggie burgers! As you can see, we are striving to offer a wide variety of products! Stay tuned for more confirmed vendors!

Green tip of the day:
Choose products with less packaging. Researchers estimate that 1/3 of all of the trash in the U.S. is from packaging.

Another new vendor!

We welcome to the Greenflea, local artist and entrepreneur, Ellen Root. Ellen is one of our consigners and also has a booth at the Heritage Square Antique Mall in Reynoldsburg. She will be bringing some wonderful vintage and antique pieces to sell at the market. We are excited for you to meet Ellen and see her wonderful treasures.

Todays Green Tip:
Try taking a bus or train instead of your car. Catch up on your sleep while helping to save on energy consumption. A good idea these days with the price of gas being what it is!

Green Tip of the Day

Things are moving along for the Greenflea. Plans are taking shape and vendors are signing up. We're soooooo excited to be bringing this event to Gahanna and the Columbus vicinity.

I wanted to start sending our followers some easy ways to be "green." Here is today's Green Tip.

Keep your refrigerator full. Food retains cold better than air does. Air circulation is needed though so don't overstuff!

Promoting, promoting.....

Today I spent lots of time sending out emails and press releases. I talked with some possible new vendors as well. I also had a phone call from a reporter with This Week News who would like to do a story on us. Thank you Marla!

This evening I spent a lovely time at the Olde Gahanna Community Partnership's Paws in the Plaza event (www.oldegahanna.com) passing out flyers promoting the Gahanna Greenflea. I had many positive comments and a lot of people are excited to come to the "Flea!" I talked with a woman who photographs dogs and then applies the photos onto ceramic tiles! They make lovely trivets, coasters, or keepsakes. I would love it if she would do this at the Greenflea! A very cool repurposed idea! I also spoke to some other folks who may be interested in being vendors...specifically a woman who uses fabric scaps to create new products. I hope to hear back from her about joining us. We would LOVE to have more vendors, so if you know someone who might have products which would fit with our market, please send them our way!

Press Release

Gahanna Retailers are making it Easy to be Green!

Gahanna, OH, April 5, 2011—Local business owners Jeannine Kern and Barbara Drobnick are making a difference.  As owners of The Little Black Chair and Honey Grove Botanicals Bath & Candle Boutique, located at

116 Mill Street

in Olde Gahanna, they are good stewards of their resources by recycling, renewing, and reusing.

Aside from offering a rebate for bringing back the jars in which Drobnick makes her 100% soy candles, recycling all of their trash and packaging materials, using shopping bags from an out of business retailer, and up-cycling used, vintage, and antique home décor items, the pair also offer items from other local artisans and vendors who do the same.  Their goal: to make less of a footprint on the environment and reduce the amount of items filling local landfills.

“I am inspired by timeless designs and a love for the past; therefore the idea of a store which offered re-purposed furniture and accessories, upcycled and salvaged items, and gently used home accessories was the ideal fit with my interior decorating business.  Giving unique and well constructed items a new life is not only smart, it’s GREEN!” remarks Kern about her business.

Drobnick and Kern frequently give back to their community, so they are pleased to announce their latest project, the ‘Gahanna Greenflea.’   The ‘Gahanna Greenflea’ is an eco-friendly, eco-chic flea market featuring “green” products. Merchandise found at the Greenflea must be at least one of the following: Used, Vintage, Antique, Up-cycled, Re-purposed, Restored, crafted with “previously used” materials, Renewable, Sustainable or Eco-friendly, crafted to be “washable” instead of “disposable” or home grown.  “You might find items like you would find at a local garage sale or perhaps a vintage collectible or even an artist created masterpiece!  Our vendors will have unique and one of a kind offerings,” says Kern.

 The Greenflea will be held the same days as the Gahanna Parks & Recreation’s "2nd Saturdays".   “2nd Saturdays” is a city event held on the second Saturday of every month at Creekside Plaza from June through September whose goal is to bring the community together and encourages residents and visitors to participate, have fun and discover local businesses.  The event has activities for children and adults, ARTspeak, an indoor/outdoor art display featuring the talents of area artisans as well as a Concert on the Creek.   Holding the Greenflea when the city has their “2^nd Saturdays” event will create an atmosphere that they hope will inspire families to come down to Olde Gahanna and spend the day.

The Gahanna Greenflea will be held in the rear yard of Honey Grove Botanicals from 10am to 4pm, rain or shine. 

For additional information or to become a vendor, go to www.gahannagreenflea.blogspot.com or call 614-204-0184 / 614-638-7809 / 614-404-7548. 

Our logo

I've been busy working on creating and tweaking our logo with artist Therese O'Donnell Leonard .  I think I finally like the way this one looks.  What do you think?  Let me know!

Therese is our first vendor who has signed up for the Greenflea!  We are so excited to have her!  Therese has fabulous recycled artwork, wonderful vintage finds, and many repurposed items, as well as original art. Her work has become a regular addition at The Little Black Chair.  She is the artist who created, Matilda, our adorable Gahanna Green flea!

We also got a committment from our second vendor today!  Please welcome sisters, LinDee and Suzie!  They offer unique art and repurposed vintage and antique furniture and accessories.  LinDee is a talented local artist who hand paints many of her items.  Suzie is an expert seamstress.  I'm sure between their talents, you'll find something that will catch your eye!

I'll keep you posted as more vendors sign on!