Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

Creative Reuse Centers— An Artist's Dream

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by Ann Benoit · 01/27/07

As an artist, finding new places to obtain cheap and interesting materials is always a challenge. Fortunately creative reuse centers are a great way to find inspiration while giving old materials new life. The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse on the Oakland/Berkeley border is a nonprofit corporation “devoted to getting people to reuse materials.”

The East Bay Depot has paper, art supplies, posters, fabric, sewing/knitting gear, teaching materials, books, magazines, candles, greeting cards, foamcore, masonite, chalk/cork boards, pens, pencils, markers, audio tapes, CD cases, shoe boxes, video tapes, glass jars, film canisters, lab glass, mosiac tiles, paint samples, carpet samples, maps, blueprints, x-rays, envelopes, trophies, frames, artwork, toys, puzzles, games, office supplies, binders, rubber bands, traffic light lenses, slides, found photos, paint, glue, printmaking supplies, rubber stamps, beads, jewelry, faux flowers, brick-a-brack, and collectible do-dads galore. This and so much more, with new items coming in every day. 

Similar creative reuse centers that are open to the public (many are only open to schools and non-profits) can be found scattered across the country: Scroungers Center For Reusable Art Parts (SCRAP) in San Francisco, the Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts (M.E.C.C.) in Oregon, School and Community Reuse Action Project (SCRAP) in Portland, Hudson Valley Materials Exchange in New York and the Creative Reuse Warehouse in Chicago.

Most creative reuse centers also sponsor special art events and educational outreach programs designed to teach kids (and the community) about the importance of reuse. These centers are not only a great place to buy supplies, but a great place to donate (instead of throw out) any kind of art supply or material you could imagine.

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Shift Media Brings the Green into Holiday Shopping

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by Danelle Brown · 11/26/06

If you were like me and did not want to brace the ‘black Friday’ shoppers, yet you wanted to find the greatest deals and holiday gifts, have I got a great holiday shopping site for you. SHIFT Media has introduced ShiftYourGift.com, a sustainable shopping site that allows you to do your holiday shopping, donate 5% of your purchase to the Non-Profit Organization of your choice, and promote a healthier eco-friendly and ethical lifestyle in one simple transaction.

Here is everyone’s chance to make a difference. It’s quite simple and only requires the click of your mouse and a credit or debit card.

Take a look at some of the innovative products you will find on line:

• The SOLIO Portable Hybrid Solar Charger allows you to save energy, save money, and avoid having to carry multiple chargers ever again. Small, light-weight and with a sleek modern design, the SOLIO charger allows you to store and use the sun’s natural energy to charge anything: IPod, cell phone, PDA, PSP and digital camera- anytime, anywhere. (www.solio.com)
• Awarded the 2005 Shiny Telewest “Green Gadget of the Year,” VOLTAIC Solar Bags are mobile power generators that integrate light-weight, tough, waterproof solar panels to the outer pockets of stylish backpacks and messenger bags. Good for travel, hiking, camping, or just walking around the city, each solar bag includes a Lithium Ion battery pack that stores any surplus power generated, as well as a set of 11 standard adaptors for charging common small electronic devices like: cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, and PDA’s. (www.voltaicsystems.com)
• Made in the USA, aGaiN NYC’s (fRoM JunK tO FunK) limited edition handbags and accessories are environmentally and socially conscious products made from rescued and repurposed materials (JunK) transformed into stylish accessories for modern life (FunK).

• Other featured products will be Citizen Solar Watches, Heavenly Touch Soy Candles and Lotions by EO Products, Forever Flashlights, Recycled Leather Bound Journals from ScribesDelight.com, Organic Cotton Stuffed Bunny from PeaceToys.com, and more.

Have fun shopping and making a difference in many people’s lives this holiday season!.

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Way Out Wax Does Lavender

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by Kimberly Jordan Allen · 09/16/06

Walking by a mainstream candle store on my way to the health food shop made my head pound almost instantly yesterday. The vulgar synthetic pumpkin smell being pumped out of this place was nothing remotely similar to any natural smell I have ever known. I am always amazed how many people burn these candles indiscriminately in their homes, sometimes all day long, filling the air with a stench that is supposed to evoke the aroma of a sugar cookie, an autumn breeze, or the smell of Christmas – Ugh! These odoriferous bombs make my nose itch. Go natural. Don’t expose your family and loved ones to synthetic, artificially derived fragrances that can cause allergies, asthma, and headaches. There are plenty of natural essential oils that can produce a pleasant scent experience.

As far as natural goes, lavender has always been one of my favorite herbs. At the health food store, I picked up a lavender candle made by Way Out Wax and it filled my house with the soothing smell. I try to support Vermont industries, having lived there in the past, and Way Out Wax makes it easy. This candle company makes some of the best smelling handmade candles around using soy and beeswax while avoiding dyes or artificial fragrances. Lavender has long been used as a stress aide, headache reliever, to deter insects, for skin problems and to alleviate insomnia and depression. As with all herbs, if you plan to use the essential oil directly, research the herb and its properties and cross-reference existing conditions and contradictory indications regarding therapeutic use.

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The Good Life, Greenified

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by Starre Vartan · 08/09/06

Danny Seo is usually referred to as the ‘green’ Martha Stewart, but that’s not really true. For one thing, Ms. Stewart is no slouch in the ecologically-conscious department. She always promotes farmer’s markets on her shows and in her magazines, she frequently advocated for organics, is pro-open space, and uses mostly non-toxic cleansers. I’ve watched her show more than once when she’s mentioned an environmentally sensitive garden fertilizer, or she has covered the plight of an endangered animal. But I digress; she’s no Danny Seo, who is 100% about making home and garden, entertaining and dinners ecologically sound and attractive from start to finish. Seo also makes most of his projects pretty easy and accessible, unlike Stewart’s zilllion-step cakes and eleaborate brunches.

You can check them out in his new books: Simply Green Parties and Simply Green Giving. The parties book has been out for a few months now, and it is filled with really fun ideas if you’re into throwing fiestas (I am!) It’s divided up into chapters that focus on various types of parties, like a baby shower, a houswarming, a birthday, and summer and winter dinners. There are so many good ideas here! Bring a stylish but unwanted vase or bowl to a housewarming and swap, make candles out of soy wax and old jewelry, make an eco-pinata, make a quilt out of old scarves, make a basket out of an old shopping bag. Love it!

The Giving book will be out in September and it is broken into 4 sections: cards and tags, boxes and bows, gift wrap, and handmade gifts. The latter features really gorgeous ideas like filling a used chocolates box with vintage jewelry, putting together edible gifts like a cookies and milk crate or a mimosa set, and making a mini-spa kit for people on the go. The ideas are inexpensive and utilize recycled or reused items. The giftwrap chapter is equally amazing and filled with ‘why didn’t I think of that!’ ideas. My favorite is giving a bottle of wine wrapped up in an old scarf as wrapping, or making ribbon out of old vhs tapes. There’s also a section on ‘giving back’, and a portion of the books profits go to the Humane Society.

I’ve already given the parties book as a gift, and the giving one would make a great one too. Seo’s books make me realize how little creativity there is in modern life when everything is made for you. After leafing through these books I’m inspired to create something gorgeous. And it’ll be better for Mother Earth too.

Note: The books are printed on recycled paper and made without dust jackets.  

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Anna Sova Yummy

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by Starre Vartan · 11/21/05

I attended the Anna Sova launch last party last weekend in Manhattan. The self-titled line of ‘luxury organics’, which includes aromatherapy sprays, soy candles, sheets, duvets and bedruffles (I call it bedwear), towels and paint is truly gorgeous, and I was thrilled to see that someone finally realizes that just because you’re eco-conscious does not mean you want to live in earth tones. There were deep oriental reds, and bright mustard, green apple and fuschia silk linens, as well as variously colored and textured linens.

Anna Sova herself (the Amazonian blonde on the left) was dressed up for the evening. She said she much prefers to be in jeans and cowboy boots (yup, she’s Texan!) and told me all about how she got to the point where she was able to launch her own luxury organics line- and why.

“The paint was my passion,” said Anna, “My paint smells like food because it IS food!” The paint, which comes in a range of colors, can also be mixed to your specifications and is made of milk casein and food grade emulsifiers and preservatives. Truly, it smelled like cake batter, and you can even scent it with aromatherapy oils (though they’ll only last about 6 months). “If you had a store you could paint your dressing rooms with it, and it would smell great as people change,” suggested Anna.

Ms. Sova has been in business since she was 16, and has designed over 4000 products, so she’s the kind of person who’s perfect to bridge the gap between mainstream and eco. I’ll buy it.

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