I have been reading about a significant number of green businesses in northern New England as of late, which is great news for the environment and local economy.

In honor of Earth Day this week, this is the first of three blog posts which highlight green businesses in our three northern New England states.  Do you know of any green businesses in your town or city?  Please let us know!

First up, Maine!

1. ReStore (Holden)

ReStore is a surplus building supply resale store.  They receive building supplies, architectural pieces, and other home goods that are left over from building projects.  Instead of letting these valuable resources go to the landfill, ReStore resells them at discount prices.  If you are renovating your home, or looking to install new cabinets or light fixtures, ReStore may be the place to check out!  ReStore is a project of  Habitat for Humanity of Greater Bangor.  Read a recent article in the Bangor Daily News.

I also discovered that there are three other ReStore locations in Maine:

Seven Rivers ReStore 108 Centre St, Bath, 386-5087

Andro Habitat ReStore 44 Strawberry Ave, Lewiston, 576-5286

Portland ReStore 83A Bell St, Portland, 221-0047

2. Sea Bags (Portland)

Sea Bags is a company based in Portland that makes reusable bags out of old sails!  Bags come in a variety of sizes and designs.  Every bag is handmade and the owners keep track of how much material they use on each bag to track waste.  Pretty cool!  Check out their website to learn more.

3. Hick-Chic Bags (Ellsworth)

Sea Bags are not the only ones incorporating used materials to make new bags.  The Maine Maven recently highlighted Hick-Chic Bags, which is a new company based in Ellsworth, Maine.  As their website proclaims, Hick-Chic Bags are made out of “recycled tarps and other cool junk.”  They even take your donations of old materials!  Find out more at their website.

Do you want to stay on top of the latest green events in Maine?  Check out MaineBusiness.com’s Green page.  You can find out about upcoming events, post events, and see what is going on with green news in Maine.

Stay tuned for Green Business highlights in New Hampshire and Vermont!

One more day until Halloween! I hope everyone has their costumes ready to go.

As we get ready for winter, it’s important not to leave accessories off the lists. This includes the winter handbag. Goodwill’s Special Events Coordinator and Antiques Appraiser, Bob Parker, gives us some tips on designer handbags to make sure you don’t pay out of pocket for increasingly convincing imitations.

Designer Handbags vs. Imitations

Everywhere I go I see someone carrying a “designer” handbag, suitcase, or other accessory. It always amazes me that so many average folks can afford to spend thousands of dollars for these items. I am also amazed that they travel to major cities and resorts to shop. I would like directions to the nearest Louis Vuitton, Prada, or Channel Store in Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont. I must have missed them because there certainly are a lot of those bags around. I suspect I have also missed the Fendi and Kate Spade stores. What do you think? Is every designer bag you see someone carrying at Shaw’s or Hannaford’s the real deal? Certainly they are not! The market is glutted with cheap copies that are sold on street corners, at home handbag parties, and online. Fake handbags are a $6 billion a year business. Here are some tips to help you identify the “real thing.”

1. Ask yourself: does it feel expensive?

2. Handles never come wrapped in plastic.

3. Genuine designer bags should not have loose or missing stitches.

4. Coach zippers have “YKK” embossed on the zipper pull.

5. A Coach bag never has the “CC” pattern on both the inside and outside.

6. Fendi bags are made from a fabric called “zuccajaquard,” which is a silk and canvas blend. The lining is always brown.

7. Imitation Gucci and Kate Spade bags never have sticker labels; the genuine bags are embroidered.

8. Louis Vuitton (LV) bags never have a hanging tag.

9. LV labels are never displayed on the outside of the bag.

10. The monogram on imitation LV bags is often frayed at the seam; this would not happen with an original.

11. Genuine LV and Prada bags never have the brand name engraved on the zipper.

12. Genuine Prada bags have the brand name woven into the lining.

13. All Prada hardware is antique brass.

Thanks for reading!