DIY · Eco-Chick

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How I Wear Eco Fashion: Vegan Gal Whitney Lauritsen

Whitney Lauritsen runs Eco-Vegan Gal where she videoblogs and writes about sustainability and health, and how that ties in with veganism, natch. “I spend my days finding new ways to reduce my impact on the planet and become healthier, which usually comes down to living simply,” says Whitney. She shops almost exclusively at second-hand clothing stores or clothing swaps; “I have no excuse with all the amazing recycled fashion in L.A.!” she says. She also swears by tailoring and repair of old clothes. “Why buy something new when something old can be repaired?”

“In this photo I’m wearing a dress from a company called Taxi CDC, a company based in L.A. that redesigns and reconstructs vintage materials into cool new styles. My makeup is Urban Decay’s Vegan Palette, my nail polish is by No Miss, and my hair was styled with the BarBar ECO-8000. This is a great dress for casual yet cute occasions; I’ve worn it to summer parties and while walking around in the South of France,” says Whitney.

I asked Whitney to share her fave vegan shoes, since that’s an area that plenty of us find challenging to keep animal-free. Whitney filled us in:
- The gold pair are Loeffler Randalls and are “man made” and not very eco friendly except aside from being from a second hand, but they look cute with the blue dress (above).

- The dark pair are by Vegetarian Shoes and I got them from a clothing swap. I wear them almost everyday and they are incredibly comfortable. They look really cute with jeans!

Check out Whitney’s site, Eco Vegan Gal here, and you can follow her on Twitter here.

clothes swap, DIY, eco fashion, Fashion

How I Wear Eco Fashion: Kristen Nedopak, Hollywood Actress and Geek Host

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by Starre Vartan · 02/28/11

Kristen Nedopak is a force to be reckoned with. An actress with a serious comedic bent, she’s host of Think Hero TV and a weekly series onScienceFiction.com, a talented illustrator, superenergetic optimist, and a self-described geek. Her life resembles a fantastical movie montage wherein the heroine dons amazing costumes, interviews stars and up-and-comers everywhere from festivals to red carpets, and behind the scenes, works her bum off (with red hair pulled back into a sleek French twist while wearing nerd-cute glasses of course). And did I mention she throws some of the most kickass parties in all of Los Angeles?

Kristen fills us in on how she puts together her always-unique looks:

My job is to give people an experience to remember, whether I’m interviewing a celebrity or expert or sharing my thoughts about a favorite TV show, it’s up to me to inspire viewers to watch—and continue to watch—the show. I like my attire to be super creative, but it can’t be too over the top. I still have to be recognizable on camera and it has to be comfortable enough to wear all day. It comes down to piecing together an outfit with the right period-esque details to strike a perfect balance.

DIY, eco fashion, Fashion, recycled, upcycled

Repurpose or Reuse Common Household Items in Your Home Decor

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by Starre Vartan · 08/27/10

The following is a guest post by the contributor of DIY-Guides.com, where you can find other useful decoration tips. Photo by suzette.

If you have an old household item that you just don’t use or maybe even don’t like any longer… why not give it new life and use in your home? It will be more eco-friendly – by not filling up our landfills, and help on the pocketbook at the same time. It’s a win-win situation.

So don’t think of a piece of furniture or household item as “old” or “useless” – repurpose it into something useful that will fit and even enhance your home decor.

While searching for some ideas, I found some great ways to repurpose some old items I have hanging around the house. One of them is on how to make new pillows. I happen to need new pillows for my guest bedroom – without having to trash the old ones and spending more money.

I fell in love with this first idea. In fact, I’m working on the pillows right now. And plan on giving these other ideas a try, too. Maybe you’ll find them useful as well:

Turn a Shirt into a New Pillow

As I said, I was looking for a way to make new pillows, so this idea was up my alley. My husband had several button-down shirts in his closet that don’t fit anymore or have had small stains on the sleeves. Perfect. And my guest bedroom is blue and white so blue, white and white/blue striped dress shirts are just what I’m looking for.

Here’s the easy to follow instructions to make your own button-down pillows at MarthaStewart.com. I also ran across another idea using old blankets. So I’ve decided to use one of my son’s baby blankets to make a special pillow as a keepsake. Here’s an easy how-to at DIY Guides.
More »

craft, decor, DIY, Home, reuse, upcycling

Herbs of Spring: Make Your Own Violet Syrup

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by Stephanie Rogers · 04/23/10

Those tiny purple blossoms that are covering lawns, meadows and roadsides right now are much more than just ‘weeds’. You’ve probably never given much thought to the common blue violet, aside from admiring its delicate little flowers – but gather enough, and you can make a delicious syrup that soothes sore throats, turns pancakes pink and makes one seriously delicious (and highly unusual) cocktail. The best part – it’s incredibly quick and easy.

Pick a pesticide-free location to gather your violet blossoms – I spent a lazy, sunny afternoon tightly packing a large mason jar from the large violet patch in my backyard. The common blue violet has five rounded petals and broad, heart-shaped leaves; choose the least blemished and darkest ones you find; the white ones don’t have much flavor.

I tried both of the following recipes: one with honey (which is better for use as cough syrup) and one with sugar. I recommend adding the juice of half a lemon to both recipes for better flavor, though your syrup will end up more magenta than violet. Don’t be put off by the very green and earthy smell of the steeping violets! The final mixture is heavenly. I added a few tablespoons to some sparkling water and vodka; it would also be delicious with champagne, lemonade or iced tea.

A few tips from experience: watch the simmering mixture carefully, because it can burn – and handle it carefully when you’re pouring it into bottles, because boiling sugar is not kind to the skin. I used a ladle with a spout, along with a funnel.

Susun Weed’s Violet Syrup (With Honey)

1/2 pound/225g fresh violets
2 cups/500ml water
2 cups/500ml honey

Enlist all the help you can to pick violet blossoms. Boil water; pour over blossoms; cover. Let steep overnight in nonmetallic container. Strain out flowers. Reserve purple liquid. Combine violet infusion and honey. Simmer gently, stirring, for ten or fifteen minutes, until it seems like syrup. Fill clean jars. Cool. Keep well chilled to preserve.

Violet Syrup (With Sugar) by Linda Ziedrich

3 ounces (about 4 cups) stemmed violets
2 cups water
About 2 cups sugar

Combine the flowers and water in a saucepan. Simmer the contents, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Strain the mixture through a dampened jelly bag. You can squeeze the bag, when it’s cool enough to handle, to extract more liquid. Then measure the volume of the liquid, and combine it in a preserving pan with an equal volume of sugar. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Raise the heat to high, and bring the syrup to a full boil.

Remove the pan from the heat. Funnel the syrup into a bottle. Store the bottle, tightly capped, in the refrigerator.

cocktails, DIY, Herbal Remedies, spring

Alabama Chanin’s Studio Style: More DIY Projects from the Southern Handcrafting Guru

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by Starre Vartan · 02/15/10

Natalie Chanin’s new book, Alabama Studio Style.

A CFDA finalist and long-time Eco Chick fave (see our coverage of S/S ’09 here), Natalie Chanin’s designs are, in these global times, truly Local. Made in the Southeastern United States by women crafting from home, each piece is a work of art, created by hand.

Instead of protecting the design techniques which render her looks specifically hers, Natalie has gone the open-source route, and with her second book, Alabama Studio Style (the first book was the Alabama Stitch Book), she expands upon the (your) hands-on projects that you can create from recycled materials from wherever you call home.

The designer, Natalie Chanin.

Says Natalie of the new DIY tome, “It is wonderful to see a book come to life. Two years ago, when I received my copy of Alabama Stitch Book, it felt like a letdown the first time I held it in my hands. [My publisher] was excited to know how I felt and I just said, ‘It looks exactly like it is supposed to.’ Her reply was that a book ‘comes to life in the hands of the user.’ She is so right.”

“Seeing that others have taken our point-of-view to heart has brought me so much satisfaction and real pride. Part of my mission has always been to advance the traditional arts in my own way, using my modern day perspective. It is always gratifying to see that people have really heard what you have to say and are continuing the process. It has been great to see all the projects, spin-offs and inspirations that have come from that book over the last two years. And more exciting now to see how the two books will play off one another.”

Check out some of Natalie’s favorite projects inspired by the books below:

“I love this onesie from projectecoart for the modeled color, the layers of embroidery to add texture and the sweet flower. I love to dress my own daughter like this!”

DIY, Handmade, local, south