Published on July 30th, 2008
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Do you have a desire to find new and interesting organic and natural beauty products but have no idea where to start? Or do you like keep up to the minute with the latest, hottest, best arrivals on the scene?
Organic Beauty Products Are A-Plenty: How Do You Pick and Choose?
There was a time, not so long ago when looking for organic beauty products was a fairly easy exercise because they few and far between. Until fairly recently it was the norm to create products with chemical preservatives and artificial additives a plenty, the odd organic beauty product was typically high profile making it easy to identify. Today things have changed: practically every beauty product on the market contains some organic ingredients. How do you even begin to pick and choose where to go? Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 29th, 2008
Summer picnic in sustainable style . . .
I’ve posted here about Wheatware, a company that makes biodegradable plastic alternative products, including disposable flatware, but Verterra’s got the disposable plate, bowl and platter thing down!
I brought some samples of Verterra’s thoroughly sustainable and thoughtfully produced plates and bowls to my office to give them a rough test drive. I’m a salad girl and I love to use a lot of dressing and mix up all kinds of mushy stuff with my green mess, so this seemed to be a perfect way to see how these products held up.
These simple, but amazing plates are like a sustainable fantasy product - ethically sourced, fair-trade made, 100% compostable, non-toxic, bleach-free, non-leaching, made from 100% renewable plant materials, microwavable AND dishwasher safe, reusable and made by wonderful green pixies . . . okay, that last one was me getting carried away. But wait! There’s more!
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Published on July 26th, 2008
Above left to right~
- The first look shown is an affordable, Aaron Chang suit, with class and style. “A classy, full-coverage one-piece with gold accent straps. Adjustable tie straps criss-cross the back. It has a nice stretch, and will stay put during water sports.”
- The Mikaela Swimsuits by Jungle Gurl, are great. These are cool one-of-a kind bikinis, created from vintage fabrics from all over the world. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 9th, 2008
Unless you were born in the last ten years and never listen to music, you’ve no doubt heard of legendary Rolling Stone guitarist Ronnie Wood - but how many of you know of his wife Jo Wood, organic maven and legend in her own right?
Used to traveling to far-flung, global locales while touring with the band and long a fan of an organic lifestyle, Wood created this line to offer a collection of super luxurious body products that captures the spirit of the exotic places she’s been. Using only the highest grade & rare organic essential oils, plant extracts and essences, all the ingredients are wild-harvested, organic and sustainably sourced, with over 90% certified organic content. The products contain no water but instead use ultra filtered orange juice as a base to deliver extra antioxidant benefits to skin. She says, “My aim has always been to create something organic that’s also exquisitely beautiful. Every product has been made with love & care.” The entire collection is packaged in beautiful 1930’s style etched glass bottles that are eco-friendly as well as gorgeous.
Loaded with some of the world’s most rare, exotic and beautiful oils, the products reveal a depth and sophistication normally reserved for conventional body products & fragrances not to mention their product descriptions read like a great bottle of wine. “With a heart of Iranian Rose Otto, Egyptian Jasmine, Neroli & Bergamot, this is a fragrance of energy and spontaneity. Green Mandarin and sweet orange add a fresh, vibrant layer and the whole combination is grounded in a soft, spicy base of cedarwood.” Mmmmm … Bottle of Amka Body Dew, anyone?
Published on July 8th, 2008
In the green market, the interior design world is about healthy settings with visual appeal. The goal is to create rooms for physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual benefits. That means avoiding things like VOCs, chemicals, and clutter.
You can see that earth and human-friendly designers and decorators are increasingly riding the green wave. And we now know that natural wool, hemp, silk, seagrass, bamboo, cork, and other organic fibers are here for us. Ancient craft techniques are reviving and some know how to blend it all so well into the present. Recycling is one method that seems to create new artistic magic.
One such conscious professional creator is Marla Henderson. She identifies herself as more an artist/producer of interiors than a traditional designer. Marla frequently works with artisans to develop unique spaces. Her course of life leads us to the Babik rug collection she offers today.
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Published on July 5th, 2008
Last season, I made a little inspiration board of stylish spring crushes, and now in the same spirit I’d like to share a small photo collage of styles I love this summer:
Clockwise:
- The Luna Bikini via Green is Black, is a repurposed lycra bikini, with tie back halter triangle cupped top, and bottoms with a gathered tie in the middle back. They are made in the USA and sweatshop free.
- From Nau on, and thank goodness, Nau is back in business this summer with their classic looks in full effect this season, especially with their July specials. Celebrate the return of this brilliant organization with comfortable styles and cozy items half off all month. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 5th, 2008
Continuum Textiles is a sales agency in Vancouver representing textiles and garments from environmentally responsible supply chains. Their partners have decades of experience in organic cotton, merino wool and the textile business.
i-merino is about three years old, but a recent discovery to many. It may be the most sustainable performance activewear fabric on the planet. i-merino is the brainchild of a fourth-generation merino wool grower and first-generation snow boarder, Australian cofounder Stuart Adams. As a devotee of numerous sport and physical activities, Stuart experienced first hand the superior performance characteristics and comfort of merino wool. Merino is a renewable resource where a new fleece grows on the sheep’s back every year. The wool is obtained without harm to the animal. From farm to fabric, the process is fully tracked and certified, so you are guaranteed the wool passes stringent environmental, social and quality controls.
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Published on July 3rd, 2008
Getting the basics for natural and organic living includes earth-friendly fabrics and yarns. Goods from suppliers are expanding almost as fast as organic foods, yet nay sayers ask, “why bother?”
There are many reasons to overcome fashion’s destructive downside. Dye and mordant toxins, polluted waste water, and cheap sweatshop labor for production are a few examples. Fortunately, positive and innovative changes make 2009 fabric choices exciting.
This time of year the rag biz is normally showing retailers winter collections. For obvious reasons, fabric mills are more time-advanced. So while you feel the summer heat now, vision cool sustainable fabrics for next year. You can simultaneously be ahead of the game, and be an educated fashion critic!
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Published on July 3rd, 2008
I’m not really a big shopper, but there are few things more satisfying than finding beautiful baubles to adorn oneself that are also ethically and sustainably created. Okay, so maybe more than a few things are more satisfying, but it is a great feeling to know that while decorating ourselves or someone we love, we can also be more mindful of where these things come from, who made them, and perhaps even where some of the profits of the purchase may go.
I love jewelry, so this is an easy one for me. In my travels over the last couple of years, I’ve come across some interesting jewelry designers and concepts, some of which are really gorgeous in addition to being a feelgood style. Here are just a few I would recommend:
X-NYC Traffic Light Jewelry!
I met a woman (whose card I’ve lost) last summer at an eco-event @ Lincoln Center who had purchased literally tons of the old glass that used to be used for NYC traffic lights. When they changed to LED-style lights, she heard that all this glass was headed for the landfills. She asked if she could have it, and arranged to have it delivered to her instead! She has a method of breaking them down and tumbling them smooth to make some wonderful jewelry. Visit her web landing page to find out more - SoleArts.com
More Beautiful Eco-Jewelry . . .
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Published on July 1st, 2008
How Do You Go Green With Web TV?
While I know that living a green lifestyle is the best for our family and the environment, I have always wondered about the co-relation between TV and green living choices? I am not one for watching TV as a pastime, especially considering the increase in my internet time in the recent years. However even with the expanding world of web entertainment, I have struggled with how to go green in this area. That was until recently…until I discovered Go Green Tube.
Go Green Tube is a brand new tool for the consumer to make educated choices on green products and services. Similar in concept to You Tube it provides a long list of channels that contain videos pertaining to many aspects of environmental issues. Just days after its launch last month, it has accumulated a variety of videos that provide important information about our environment, green technologies, innovations, products, and services so that we as governments, corporations, organizations or individuals can go green using the most effective means possible.
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