Eco-Chick · Fabulously green

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics NEW Dual-Ended Pencil is a Master of Illusion

Aquaknots! Feral Childe’s Spring/Summer 2012 Collection is Aswim with Exotic Coral and Aquatic Horses

On Trend for Spring: Five Vintage Graphic Looks with Indy Flair

Heroines for the Planet: Livia Firth Fresh From the Oscars

Spring’s Strong Brow, Naturally

We’re Loving: ReuseThisBag.com

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by Lindsay E. Brown · 01/04/12

You know the story: Disposable shopping bags are evil for many reasons. Of course, we never fail to leave home without ours, and we’ve become fond of ReuseThisBag.com, a serious source for reusable shopping bags. From grocery and lunch bags, to all sorts of wine totes and woven bags, each is made from 100 percent recyclable materials and can be imprinted to suit you or your organization’s needs.

eco, Reusable Bags, Shopping

My New Year’s Intentions for 2012 and Beyond

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by Starre Vartan · 01/02/12

In seeming contrast to so many writers and thought-leaders who think that New Year’s Resolutions are pointless exercises in torturing oneself, I find setting intentions for the year to be inspiring. I love all opportunities to fine-tune and rethink, to refine and change course, to challenge myself and my goals anew.

Intention: Spend more time in natural spaces

Two years ago I was lucky enough to spend 7 months travelling, and the bulk of that I spent outside in Hawaii and Australia. I have missed being out-of-doors, absorbing sunshine, swimming in salt and freshwater, and breathing the scent of tree sap and decaying greenery.

Plan of Action: Though I’m now back on my home turf of NYC and Connecticut, there are still many opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy the natural world. I’m going to start with iceskating on a regular basis in January and February.

Intention: Have the courage to begin a truly creative project

I’ve had several art/creative ideas floating around in my heart and head for the last couple of years, but have done little to realize them. Two in particular have stuck with me, including a novella-length fictional story that wants to be told, and a fabric that I am dying to see in more than my mind’s eye.

Plan of Action: I have made a list of the steps I need to take to achieve each of the projects I would like to see to fruition. I am going to take one step each week to making both my writing project and the fabric idea a reality. It’s ok if it takes awhile, these are things I want to do for myself, so I don’t have to stress about them, but they must actually move forward. In the past I have expected results too soon, and felt disappointed when relatively big ideas didn’t happen immediately. This time around, I am going to be more patient with myself and the process.

Intention: Simplify my Life

This sounds like a vague one, with an even bigger, vaguer end goal behind it, but I’m going for it anyway! I want to take my life from a static, live-in-one place existence to one that varies with the seasons or the year, and/or means that I can live at least part of each year as a traveller. But first I need to shed my life of everything that’s unnecessary.

Plan of Action: Like many Americans, I’ve managed to collect quite a bit of stuff, and I want to find a home for it that’s both responsible and not wasteful. This will take some time, but I’ve already started by changing the way I consume, and by how much ‘stuff’ I got rid of in 2011. I will keep going.

What are your resolutions, if you like to make them?

Simplicity at Its Best with Wintertime Nudes

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by Starre Vartan · 12/30/11

The depths of winter always make me want to pare down and cozy up. We need to wear more layers, but as the bright colors and patterns of the holiday season are washed away, and a New Year is born, we look to cleanse, restructure, and repurpose. Dressing in neutral tones is an easy way to visually achieve the clarity and purpose of beginnings.

More than ever before, I want everything in my closet (and my life) to matter, to be truly useful, to function at its highest purpose. These nude pieces will layer beautifully now, and will pair wonderfully with whatever colors and patterns are coming in 2012. With classic shapes and beautiful, sustainable fabrics, each of these pieces will find years of wear.

Clockwise from bottom left: Camilla Norrback Renate Bag Norwegian Wood wheat earrings, Priti Nail polish in water soldier, Camilla Norrback Jonas cardigan, and Vivienne Westwood Anglomania pumps for Melissa Plastic Dreams, all available from Kaight Boutique.

Many thanks to Michelle Legro for showing me some serious Photoshop skills (and just generally being awesome).

eco fashion, nudes, organic cotton, remnant wool, trends, Winter

Examine Your Foodprint: Resolve to Waste Less in 2012

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by Lindsay E. Brown · 12/29/11

Sometimes someone’s words really stick with you, whether it be a card, a conversation, a piece of sage advice, or even a tweet. A message that strikes a chord is rare in a time when there’s no shortage of opinions and no shortage of mediums with which to share them. In between our consumption of copious e-mails, texts, posts, tweets and videos, meaningful messages are few and far between.

That’s why you have to appreciate the gems when you see or hear ‘em.

I felt the weight of Maryam Henein’s words recently when she said this to me, “I think that we’re living in a time when we have an opportunity to raise our consciousness. When people talk about 2012, it’s not really about the end of the world. I believe it to be the end of certain systems in place. Whether it’s big pharma, factory farming, etc., it’s all connected. These are outdated models that need to collapse. ”

Long after our conversation, I thought about Maryam’s thoughts on a changing landscape — the “systems” in place that aren’t lifting Americans up and the old ways we’re still doing things that are just so wrong.

I wondered: What’s the one thing we all have in common that we can change?
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cooking, Food, Home, waste

10 Simple Ways to Reuse That Gift Wrap this Holiday!

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by Lindsay E. Brown · 12/23/11

I don’t know about you but I find much of the traditional gift wrap sold in stores to be – how to say this – tacky. But what’s even tackier is all of the waste that’s created from people opening up a gift, crumbling the paper into a ball and then tossing it in the trash.

You’re better than that.

Since you’ll likely be given gifts wrapped in a number of ways, many of which won’t be green, keep these very practical and easy ideas in mind for re-purposing the gift wrap you’re given this season.

1.) Store the wrapping paper and re-use it. You can iron out any kinks on low heat.

2.) If it’s crumbled beyond repair, keep it anyway! You can just shred it and use it as the filler in gift bags.
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Christmas, holiday, Recycling, reuse, upcycling, wrapping paper