Hippyshopper

Pretty felt fair trade handbags

Aah, look at the pretty flowers!

These fair trade felt handbags from YourTomorrow make me smile.

We can all use a little flowery cheer mid-winter, and these little cuties are practical too.

Made by a women's cooperative in Nepal, the felt is hard-wearing and the colours run-free.

More fashion and accessories.

Reviewed: The Toxic Consumer

The Toxic Consumer; How to reduce your exposure to everyday toxic chemicals. Karen Ashton and Elizabeth Salter Green. Impact Publishing Ltd.

They are nasty and they are everywhere - chemicals, I mean.

Chemicals used in everyday products - to make things non-stick, bendy, flame retardant or stain resistant - are implicated in a staggering range of health issues including birth defects, lower sperm counts and rising rates of certain cancers.

I don't know about you, but I reckon it might be good to limit my exposure to these nasties, and this book gives advice on how.

It is a concise and easy-to-read guide, which offers a thorough explanation for the contents list of most household products.

Having explaining what the common toxic chemicals are and where they are found, there is a handy chapter on reducing indoor pollution in your home. And although I consider myself to be fairly-clued-up on this subject, it made hair-raising reading.

The Toxic Consumer is priced £7.99 and is available from bookstores or direct from the publisher.

Yay or Nay: Should Al Gore give it away?

Michael Eakes is a geek who knows his stuff, so it's not surprising he hit on a good way to get more people to see An Inconvenient Truth: he wrote a letter asking Al Gore to give the movie away free via BitTorrent.  "The film should be free (as in beer)," he wrote.  "Any fee is an economic inconvenience that guarantees a limited distribution.  You must reach everyone, in a way only “free” can.  I humbly urge you to give it away."  What do you think, Hippyshoppers?  Yay or Nay?  [GT]

An Inconvenient Distribution: A Web 2.0 Geek’s Letter to Al Gore

Related stories: An Inconvenient Truth nears theatres | Tuesday blog roundup: Inconvenient truth 2 et al | Schools Reject Free Copies of An Inconvenient Truth

Ecosexuals want a literal roll in the hay

“I was dumbstruck,” says Pearson. “I think I ate my entire meal in silence. Pork plus NutraSweet? That was definitely our last date.”  Part metrosexual, part hippy, the ecosexual wants a "sexy conservationist" or a "romantic recycler" for a partner, and won't take steak for an answer.  Claudia, for instance, wasn’t happy when her boyfriend bought her a kitchen composter so she could recycle leftovers. “I was miffed that he was trying to tell me what to do, and he was miffed that I wasn’t using it,” she says. They, too, eventually parted ways. “It wasn’t just the compost,” Claudia says, “but it raised some control issues that we couldn’t resolve.”  Just read on.  [GT]

In search of a nice Gaia [via Commons blog]

Related stories: "Legalize DDT for indoor use", begs bedbug sufferer | Plonk: kills bugs dead | 2006 roundup #11: The year of DIY solar

Solar Tube Skylights

That you don't have room for a window where the light happens to be is no excuse for not getting natural light.  With the Solatube, you essentially periscope light through a zigzag, highly-polished metal tube, to emit as a beam of sunny goodness wherever you like.  Natural light, being what our eyes were designed to appreciate, makes everything look better and makes you happier, and if you can buy happiness in a non-drug form, well, you'll be a man, my son.  [GT]

Solatube [via Inhabitat]

Related stories: Sunlight Direct Hybrid Solar Lighting | A window on ethical consumerism | Solar insect theatre

Squirrels guess the future of their food

Squirrels may not be psychic as such, but they do know how plentiful food will be in the coming months, and give birth accordingly.  Not only that, but to try to outsmart the squirrels, trees use a boom-and-bust seed production strategy, trying to starve the squirrels in lean years so that even when they do overbreed, the trees will still survive.  "It's a little bit tougher when things are unpredictable like seed production years, but the squirrels obviously figured out a cue," said Stan Boutin, a University of Alberta biologist.  Given that us humans have trouble figuring out the seeding cycle, we would do well to observe the squirrel population more closely.  [GT]

Squirrels are great gamblers on nature's unpredictable seeding seasons

Related stories: Grass armchair from Purves & Purves | Moto's biodegradable mobile | Grow your own herbal beauty products

Money makes you sharp and selfish, says study

A new study may shed some light on the non-sharing of haves with the have-nots.  Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that subjects primed with pictures of money were more self-reliant, but also more selfish.  One group was shown pictures of money, and another, pictures of fish.  Then, all were asked to bring chairs for everyone to sit on.  Those who saw the fish, also brought the chairs closer.  However, those primed with money also spent 70% longer working on a difficult puzzle, before asking for help.  "It always bothered me that most people looked only at the desire for money, and that the bottom line was if you wanted money you had problems," said Professor Vohs.  [GT]

Mind over money

Related stories: Save water, world, money | Money-saving, CO2-cutting gizmo | Old Money recycled currency stationery

Recycled glass carafe and tumbler

Dishwasher safe, this lovely carafe of recycled glass, with matching tumbler is decorated with leafy patterns of red, orange and lilac.  21.5cm tall and 13cm diameter, it's just the thing for keeping water on one's desk in something other than a plastic bottle.  At £10.50 it's an absolute steal, from Natural Collection.  [GT]

Curvy Carafe and Glass [via GreatGreenGoods]

Related stories: 'Green' and gorgeous recycled glass | Brilliant recycled beer goblets | Dazzling recycled worktops

One World Cafe: pay what you will

Don't skip lunch because you can't afford it: move to Salt Lake City instead.  The One World Cafe operates on the SAME principle: So All May Eat.  If you don't have enough money, you're requested to help with the dishes, weed the garden, sweep up, or otherwise participate in operations.  If you have too much money (and I know some of you do!) well, you might be so good as to overpay so that someone else can have a healthy, organic meal.  They've recently formed OneWorldEverybodyEats as a nonprofit venture to help others set up their own One World Cafe.  "Birky at SAME has yet to notice anyone not paying. And Cerreta has had to approach only a few people."   So even in the 21st century, people know right.  [GT]

Where "Check, Please" Is Your Call [via Spluch]

Related stories: Barnet Garden Project provides chemical-free veg and a hand up | Allotmental | 2006 roundup #12: Los Angeles urban farm bulldozed

Ellesmere ice shelf could clog seaways

The Ayles ice shelf, the size of 11,000 football fields, broke off Ellesmere Island several months ago, with a suddenness that surprised scientists, and took only an hour to plunge into the ocean.  "It's like a cruise missile has come down and hit the ice shelf," said Professor Warwick Vincent of Laval University.  Now the remains are floating free, the largest iceberg on record, and are so enormous that they may even clog shipping lanes or do damage as the ice collides with man-made structures.  Coming in at 5-15 kilometers and 30-40 meters thick, the ice chunks are likely around 4,500 years old, but the average oil rig will be no match.  [GT]

Arctic ice shelf collapse poses risk: expert

Related stories: CO2FX: global warming game | Sir Richard Branson pledges £1.6bn for global warming | Global Warming Mug

News Roundup: Wildlife winners and losers and snakes that predict earthquakes

1. A round up of the wildlife winners - and losers - of 2006. [Independent]

2. Red Kite numbers dwindle in Scotland: Gamekeepers accused. [Guardian]

3. Snakes in China used to predict earthquakes. [BBC]

4. Switching traffic lights to LEDs could cut emissions. [MSN]

More Green News

Soil Association chicken survey

Quick! Head over here and fill out the Soil Association's chicken survey. They are compiling information on the gap between consumer's expectations and the realities of chicken welfare.

You need to record your own expectations for the last bird you bought, then contact the retailer to find out the reality. The survey must be completed by 15 January 2007.

We'll report on the results as soon as they are available.

Related: Put your chicken in an Omlet Eglu

2006 roundup #11: The year of DIY solar

In 2006 we learned to make some pretty impressive goods at home: wallpaper paste, non-toxic wall paint, a solar oven capable of baking bread in midwinter, a solar heater costing under £200, and, my personal favourite, a one watt solar panel costing only £1 which is sensitive enough to generate power even in areas as overcast as Wales.  All of these DIYs are affordable, reduce your ecological footprint, and are within the technical capabilities of a normal human.  Between the hippy urge and the democracy of the internet, what were once inaccessibly technical projects are now getting within the reach of the regular home handyman.  (Not to mention the savings, and better air quality indoors from skipping the toxic paints and glues!)  [GT]

DIY Wallpaper Paste |  Make your own eco-friendly paint | Build your own solar oven | Build your own solar heater for under £200 | DIY Solar - even in Wales!

Aviva insurance goes carbon-neutral

The world's fifth largest insurer, and largest insurer in the UK, Aviva, has decided to go carbon neutral worldwide.  By the end of March 2007 they even plan to have offset the 110,000 tonnes of carbon they emitted in 2006.  All their UK energy is sourced from renewable sources, and they're moving into tree planting and wind turbines.  [GT]

Norwich Union-owner goes carbon neutral

Related stories: BSkyB goes carbon neutral! | Economist carbon-offsets global warming issue | Do carbon-offset schemes work?

2006 roundup #12: Los Angeles urban farm bulldozed

There were bigger stories and bigger injustices in 2006, but the story that touched me came from Daryl Hannah's environmentalist video blog, involving the  bulldozing of an urban farm in Los Angeles.  The farm had supported dozens of dirt-poor migrant families with its produce, and the produce - absorbing massy carbon dioxide from the smog - was spectacular.  But, a corporation bought it to turn into warehouse space, and though it sold for $6.5 mil USD to them, they demanded $16 mil USD from the Public Land Trust to give it up.  Folk singer Joan Baez tree-sat to try to save the farm but ultimately it was destroyed.  [GT]

Original stories: Los Angeles urban farm bulldozed | Joan Baez braves bulldozers for LA organic garden | Daryl Hannah on green architecture

Durat - Recycled to last

Durat surfaces are 100% recyclable and made of 50% recycled material, which can be molded into seamless forms in 60 different colours. Suitable for constructing worktops and furniture, it could also be applied to any surface that wants something a bit sturdier than paint (think a bright red Durat ceiling fan, for example, to match the sink trough here) and peeled off for rendering when you get tired of, say, bright red. This ultra-flexible product was developed in Finland and is available in 2900 x 800 mm sheets or finished sinks. [GT]

Durat - Recycled to last [via Trendir]

Related stories: Popoutz recycled plastic bird feeders in glam colors | Recycline's Preserve recycled plastic goods | Spacefruit recycled plastic necklace and bracelet

Solar Powered Bluetooth GPS

While you do want your GPS available whenever you want it, ultimately you don't want it that often.  Not only that, but parts of it are able to rest even when you do want it.  So it's only logical that a Solar Powered GPS should come out.  Sporting a 26 hour battery life from full charge, naturally it's recharging itself somewhere from eight to twelve hours a day.  Accurate to within 3.8 meters and sporting Bluetooth, at only 105g you can take it anywhere (even places it can't take you).  [GT]

Solar Bluetooth GPS [via SciFi Tech]

Related stories: SoLait 100 solar powered milk frother | Solar aircraft construction kit | 2006 roundup #18: Solar panels bust out all over

US FDA OKs cloned meat

Saying that cloned meat is "virtually indistinguishable" from the conventional variety, the US FDA has declared "that meat and milk from cattle, swine and goat clones is as safe to eat as the food we eat every day" and need not even be labeled as coming from clone sources.   Clone sources for food are nowhere near the marketplace presently due to the expense - they're wanted for breeding - but could end up in the food supply as they get too old for that purpose.  [GT]

U.S. Government Says Food From Cloned Animals Safe to Eat | Cloned hamburger meat still seen a long way off

Related stories: Keep organic food GM free | Britons unknowingly eating GM rice | Julie's Restaurant fined for claiming non-organic meat is all-green

2006 roundup #13: Top eco-shop: EcoCentric

There's no doubt that Hippyshopper's favourite new shop in 2006 was Oliver Heath's EcoCentric.  Announced in April, EcoCentric carries products ranging from the Solar Powered Alien Robot Kit or Cue n' 8 Salt and Pepper to the more conventional Bamboo Towels or Swing bags.  Offering sleek eco-style at reasonable prices, EcoCentric is sure to be a green staple for years to come.  [GT]

Original stories: EcoCentric urban eco chic | Green light for Ecocentric | Solar Powered Alien Robot Kit | Cue n' 8 Salt and Pepper | Bamboo Towels from Ecocentric | Swing bags at Oliver Heath's EcoCentric store

After X-mas Sales at up to 50% off

Indie Fixx has collated a really great list of post-Christmas crafty sales with secret discounts of up to 50% off. Grab next year's stocking up front from Crafty Robot, at half-off existing stock. But if you want something a little less seasonal, get 40% off at Lucky Accessories by entering 40%OFFEVERYTHING in the checkout code box. Get an EcoT from OlovesM for only $10 USD plus shipping while supplies last, or free worldwide shipping from Modamuse until 31 January. For more deals, visit Indie Fixx. [GT]

Related stories: Etsy handmade arts and crafts | Indie Craft Documentary | Affordable art at design*sponge

2006 roundup #14: Support elephants, not breasts

Project Elephant, which is a charity designed to prevent elephants from extinction, is good.  The Bombay Bedspread Company gave a cut of their fair-trade Indian bedspreads to Project Elephant (and we're pleased to note that the mention of PE here at Hippyshopper helped generate a bit of that donation).  When you know exactly what's going on with the money, and trust the participants, you can hope to shop in a way that generates bonus dividends for charity.  GreaterGood, which lets you click to save rainforest, provide food, etc, is another fine example of socially-charged shopping.  But what about the pink-ribbon goods?  The Assertive Cancer Patient feels exploited, because often manufacturers stick a ribbon or some pink on a piece of gear and provide almost nothing in actual cancer support.  My personal observation as a disabled woman is, on top of that, that breast cancer is not exclusively a woman's disease.  All this pink is condescending as hell!  Plus, why is it cancer of the breast is the one getting all the attention?  We get strokes, too; shouldn't the problems with our brains be more important than the problems with parts of our body that we can survive without?  Or is there a suggestion that the breasts are so blasted important that they must be saved at all costs?  Toss the brain!  Save the boobies!  [GT]

Original stories: Bombay Bedspread Company: beautiful, ethical, affordable | Donate to Project Elephant via The Bombay Bedspread Company | Fair Trade elephant quilts | GreaterGood gives greater gifts | Yay or Nay: Boycott Breast Cancer month

Obvio Tribrid Sports Car

For only $28,000 USD, the Obvio Tribrid Sports Car sure looks pretty.  'Tribrid' refers to that it runs on any mix of petrol plus ethanol, or natural compressed gas (NCG).  Seats three and gets 12.5km/liter, which is not especially impressive for a typical high-efficiency vehicle, but when one factors that sports cars tend to get between 3-5km/liter... Also, when using straight petrol, the fuel efficiency improves by about 10% (as do, one expects, the emissions).  It can optionally available with an electric battery good for 300-500km per charge, and taking 5 hours to achieve full capacity.  The electric version is $59,000 USD, which makes it slightly more practical than the Tesla Roadster.  [GT]

Obvio! 012 tribrid sports car [via Gizmodo]

Related stories: Tesla Roadster: sexiest electric car ever? | Venturi Eclectic: An "Energy-Autonomous" Vehicle | HUMMER 02 makes its own oxygen

2006 roundup #15: StyleWillSaveUs (with substance)

Online focus on providing style to green substance came to the forefront in 2006, with three of the top dispensers being Treehugger, Sustainable Style Foundation and hot newcomer StyleWillSaveUs.  The days when green could get away with being brown and clunky are far over: now we want to wear our natural parfums and smell just as good as if we were wearing the latest expensively chemical-laden mix named after a pop tart.  Err, I mean, better.  [GT]

Original stories: Site of the week: Sustainable Style Foundation | Site of the week: StyleWillSaveUs | Natural parfums at StyleWillSaveUs | Treehugger

Energy Saving Trust calls for power use warnings, says consumption to double

According to the Energy Savings Trust, by 2011 energy consumption by gadgets will have doubled.  What would help, they say, is to require warning labels on all equipment that consumes electricity, noting exactly how much juice it wants.  This information, similar to how cars indicate their kilometers per liter, would enable green-minded consumers to pick more efficient gadgets.  Or, in the case of power toothbrushes and milk frothers (single-use household gewgaws being a large source of power drain) perhaps even... to do without and go by hand.  [GT]

[via Tech Digest]

Related stories: Google specs standards to save power - LOTS of power | Jamie Oliver to power, turbines to restaurant speed | Donate your spare computer (cycles) to climate change

Atishoo Designer Ladies Handkerchiefs

The handkerchief is coming back, since whatever icky factor it may have is offset by the idea of saving 16,000 tissues over the course of its lifetime.  Given issues are generally made from virgin fiber and often from old-growth forests, using a handkerchief is far more important than you may think.  It's also fashionable: the first collection from Atishoo was featured in Vogue, in a stunning array of beautiful colour and sturdy yet pleasant fabrics.  Sometimes old techs are the best.  £18 per set of three.  [GT]

Atishoo Designer ladies' handkerchiefs [via Treehugger]

Related stories: Florame Provençal wooden diffusers | Battle of the eco BO busters | Natural parfums at StyleWillSaveUs

News Roundup: Deep-diving robot, search for Earth-style planet, and US to help the Polar bear?

1. Race is on to find Earth-style planets. [Independent]

2. Bush administration proposes to protect polar bears. [Guardian]

3. Winter gas supplies face new threat. [Times]

4. Deep-diving robot heads for the Antarctic. [BBC]

5. Government unveiled measures today to help individuals live a greener life. [DirectGov]

More Green News

New BBC1 series - Exploring Borneo

Every night from the 1-5 January, BBC1 is airing a new natural history series, Exploring Borneo.

The programmes focus on the Heart of Borneo; an area about the size of the UK with breathtaking biodiversity. In 2006 alone, 50 new species of animal and plant life were discovered there.

Tune in at 7pm on New Year's Day for the first episode.

[Via WWF]

Related: BBC's Planet Earth

Convenient Truths: A Green Video Contest

Seventh Generation and TreeHugger have put out a call for entries for Convenient Truths: a green video contest.

Videos should show easy, practical and creative ways of reducing your own carbon emissions in everyday life and be between one and two minutes long.

You've got until the end of February to get yours in and there is nearly $30,000 worth of prizes up for grabs. So beg, borrow or steal* a camcorder and have at it.

*Not really. That would be bad.

Related: A Year of Living Generously

Seasonal Unethical celeb: P Diddy

Naughty P Diddy has had his wrist slapped (and quite rightly so) for selling 'designer' coats made with dog fur. Yuk. And I thought all that bling was bad...

The coats - sold under Diddy's Sean John label - were described as having an "imitation rabbit fur collar". However, tests showed that the fur was actually from raccoon dogs.

Raccoon dogs are raised and killed for their pelts under horrific conditions in China.

Find out more (if you can stomach it) from the Humane Society of the United States.

[Via Independent]

Related: Monday Unethical celeb: Julie's Restaurant | Monday Unethical celb: Schwarzenegger

News Roundup: Giant panda gives birth, UK earth tremor and the pesky possum

1. Giant panda gives birth to twins. [BBC]

2. Public enemy number one; the possum. [Independent]

3. Welsh gold is expected to run out in the new year. [Times]

4. Yesterday's earth tremor is biggest in UK this year. [Guardian]

More Green News

If you're happy being green clap your hands...

Apparently being Green makes you happy.

Research by a Masters student at Imperial College London found a "a significant link between environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviours and personal well-being."

So it's not the fumes from your wormery making you all spacey - you are high on the feeling of looking out for the planet and your fellow humans. Hurrah for that.

 
[Via Ecoworrier]

More Green News.

2006 roundup #16: Hippyshopper's fave gadget of 2006: the Bodyflik

The Bodyflik is easily my favourite gadget from 2006.  Simple, easy to use, inexpensive, effective, it's an excellent example of how green design needs to go to effect new behaviours in consumers.  In this case, it's simply a piece of molded plastic with a rubberized swipe on the side.  You use it to flick off excess water from your skin after bathing, just by dragging it over yourself and sluicing it away.  The idea is to cut down on how damp your towels get, so they stay fresh longer and don't need to be replaced as often.  And it works!  By making me dry off faster and need to replace my towel less often, the Bodyflik quickly became part of my regular routine, and now I automatically reach for it after a shower.  Just remember to dry your hair first, or you'll have a stream down your back that'll undo the good works.  £5 for the full-size Bodyflik or £4 for the travel size.  I find the travel size too small to use conveniently, and the full-size not very obtrusive in a travel bag, so skip the small one.  [GT]

Original story: Review: the Bodyflik

2006 roundup #17: Thunderbolt Tea, fair trade tea straight from India

The awesome thing about Thunderbolt tea is that you can order it yourself straight from the plantation in India.  This gets you fair trade tea with a minimum of middleman.  You do have to order semi-large quantities normally, but often they have bin-end sales where you can get as little as a quarter kilo for $11 USD (which is 250 cups of tea, give or take).  You're also getting very fresh, high-quality tea at exceptional prices.  Considering the appalling conditions under which coffee is generally produced (vis Black Gold) switching to this kind of tea oughta be a high consideration.  (If you're worried about losing caff hit, do remember, tea actually has more caff.  Barry's Tea kicks harder than Coca-cola!  I love it!)  [GT]

Original stories: Thunderbolt first flush fair trade darjeeling tea | First flush sale from Thunderbolt Tea | Hustle over for the second flush Thunderbolt tea! | Black Gold: Fast Food Nation for Coffee

2006 roundup #18: Solar panels bust out all over

This year we saw solar panels hit the high street (and your clothes) and the Nano-matching black Solio from Better Energy Systems. The Solio is a first class gadget charger (to the point where Clinton gave them to delegates at his climate change summit) but this year my favourite solar charger is the Sunlinq, which rolls up like a tiny sleeping bag so you can easily carry it around as power for any gadget you like.  Comes in sheets of 6.5, 12 or 24 panels at about half a kilo per, starting at £85.  (Or you can DIY your own panels.)  [GT]

Original stories: Sharp brings solar panels to Curry's | Back in black - the Solio solar charger | Ethical celebrity sighting: Clinton gives out Solio | 2006 roundup #32: From the Solio to the TREAD | Sunlinq Folding Solar Power Panel | DIY Solar - even in Wales! | Solar Powered Trackable Clothing

Solar Powered Trackable Clothing

If you're in a profession where it's important that people be able to locate you instantly (a paramedic or fireman, for example), or a hobbyist given to visiting remote areas, wearing a GPS dot may be either a desirable option or even mandatory for you. However, it means batteries, and if the batteries wear out, the GPS goes off - until now. Cats Eye has very sensibly rigged up a solar powered battery for the trackable clothing, so you can just put it on and forget about it. Next generation should be fully washable and waterproof, making the system virtually autonomous. [GT]

Cats Eye tracking device [via Technovelgy]

Related stories: Bagsy some solar | Solar powered Mars Explorer Kit | Solar powered fan hat

College harnesses cow pat power

We noted recently that cows are producing a lot of global warming gases.  What more sensible, then, than to harness that awesome power for good instead of evil?  Which is precisely what is happening at Walford and North Shropshire College.  At their Harris Centre, cow dung is being collected and processed for power, and it's generating £7500 a year worth - which, pleasantly, is how much power they actually need per year to operate.  Farm manager Adam Joynt said, "If you are going to put food in one end of the cow, we have to accept what comes out of the other.  We can either spread it on the field or we can put it through this digester and get the methane gas out of it."  This technology is used widely in Germany, but has only scratched the surface in the UK.  [GT]

College harnesses cow pat power [via Treehugger]

Related stories: Fermenting seaweed into methane power | Cows hurt environment more than cars | High tech composting

Guardian's top nature books 2006

And what is it all for, after all? Well, it's all so we can have a nice place to live. The Guardian has a listing of the 2006 top nature books, and it reinforces the idea that it's not simply about us, but the birds and the foxes and the rhinoceroses as well. I seem to have missed a lot of lovely books on the British wilderness, so reading up on that will be one of my 2007 resolutions. (So I have five more days to lie about first.) [GT]

The call of the wild

Related stories: Friends of the Earth UK Book Store | MyBookYourBook UK book cooperative | Book STEPS - the Irish holistic mail order book service

Trannon Furniture by David Colwell Design

Sustainable is David Colwell's watchword when designing, and his philosophy in implementing. This shows in his Trannon Furniture, with its simple, clean lines that leave the wood and glass plainly exposed. His pieces are also designed for long haul usage at every step, to be "a delight to own", in all senses: comfortable, beautiful, practical. Shown here is his TS Series table in ash with a glass top. The glass is set on suction cups that are super-strong, but which allow the table to be easily dismantled for transport. [GT]

Trannon Furniture

Related stories: Plexiglass + lavender = table | Sunrise Outdoor Table | &made dual-purpose furniture