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

Party Planner Extraordinaire Brian Worley’s Girl’s-Only Valentine’s Day Fiesta

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by Starre Vartan · 02/02/12

Ed Note: Brian Worley, an LA-based party planner who was most recently featured in People Magazine, and he’s shared some of his great ideas with Eco Chick (see below)!

For the girls who want to celebrate Valentine’s Day with their friends and have a fun night in, I have included a party plan to help celebrate a holiday that is notoriously for couples, in a way that celebrates their independence and zest for life! Decorate with Orange and Turquoise, rather than Pink and Red, or any other colors that make you happy and enjoy a night of gal-pal bonding!

For starters, here are two quick and easy appetizers to get the party started that anyone can make and are tasty as well:

Artichoke and Olive Dip:
1 Cup Pitted Olives (I suggest Kalamata Olives, the purple of them will give it a nice Valentine’s Day pop of color)
2 Jars of Artichoke Hearts, drained
1 Tablespoon of Capers
1 Garlic Glove
A Dash of Red Pepper Flakes
Sea Salt to add a little flavor, but the Olives should help out!

Mix all the ingredients in the food processor, but make sure to keep it chunky and serve with pita bread. Or if you want to really be healthy, serve with carrot sticks, cucumbers and celery sticks!

Mushroom Caps stuffed with Eggs and Spinach Tartlets

Mushrooms
Olive Oil
A Bag of Spinach
6 Eggs, beaten
A few Strips of Fakin’ Bacon
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Brian worley, eco chic, Organic, party, valentine's day

Green Spaces NY Launch: A Place for Ecopreneurs

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by Alicia Lubowski-Jahn · 11/18/09

Roberto Rhett, Partner, Green Spaces NY with Sentinel Lights (wire hangers and cardboard) by Susan Benarcik.

Green Spaces New York has just launched its Manhattan clubhouse to grow a community of green entrepreneurs. The NYC initiative joins Denver’s Green Spaces Colorado in designing a green workspace and in founding a dynamic forum for eco businesses. The bright NYC 5,300-square-foot loft provides a green standard for office and conference spaces as well as gallery, lounge, kitchen, and party venues.

Green Spaces NY’s Marissa Feinberg and Jennie Nevin pictured between Graham Hill, founder of Treehugger, and Wendy Brawer of GreenMaps.

The sustainable-style recreational, culinary, and office spaces within an expansive Tribeca loft can be rented for a broad range of eco company events. The loft space is also home to Green Spaces NY’s own internship program as well as to its ongoing green programs and events available through ‘EcoPreneurs’ membership (contact roberto@greenspacesny.com for clubhouse membership details).

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art, eco events, party

Eco-Beauty Consultant Jessa Blade's Recommendations for Dry Winter Skin

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by Danelle Brown · 01/28/09

During Eco-Chick’s 3rd birthday party last month, I had the chance to meet eco-beauty consultant and make-up artist, Jessa Blades.

Jessa is the founder of Blades Natural Beauty and is a vessel of information regarding all things organic beauty and skincare.  Shortly after learning about the breast cancer and body lotion connection, I had noticed I was almost out of face moisturizer. I had been sampling various brands over the last few months, and since old man winter has stepped up his game, I realized I needed to try a different moisture rich face cream. I contacted Jessa to ask for her expert opinion on the best eco & body friendly facial moisturizers out there for the winter season. Here recommendations are a perfect follow up to my body lotion post last week. 

Mod.Skin Créme Nutri-functional #1 $48.00

This rich and lightly scented cream can either be used during the day or night use. It leaves a moisturized glisten to the skin without feeling heavy. It can be used for all skin types.(Can purchase on-line, specialty beauty stores/section or pick it up at Whole Foods)

Dr. Hauschka Toned Day Cream $39.95

This is Jessa’s favorite. It is a tinted moisturizer that contains therapeutic oils which reduce the appearance of irritation and irregular skin tones for a variety of complexions. It is ideal for normal skin types, but can also be used over-top of a moisturizer in the winter for extra dry skin. Plus, it has a great scent. (Can purchase on-line, specialty beauty stores/section or pick it up at Whole Foods)

Aubrey Organics $16.28

These facial moisturizers come in 5 different varieties according to skin type. The products are available at a wide variety of stores and being that the company was founded in 1967, their heritage is respected within the industry. (Can purchase on-line, at major retailers or pick it up at Whole Foods)

Lip & Skin Balm by makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift $30

Another one of Jessa’s favorite is this dual balm. You can use it on your lips, face or apply it around the eyes at night time. The balm hydrates and protects the skin with food grade, biologically active ingredients and comes in either-Simply Vanilla or Simply Cacao.

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Eco Chick Third Birthday and Book Party: Fun for All (Species)!!

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by Starre Vartan · 12/17/08

Eco Chick is three years old! To celebrate her growing up (there are over 900 posts!) as well as the launch of my book, based on the blog, The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green, called for a kid’s themed party of course!

Eco Chick Founder and Editor, Starre Vartan, with Eco Chick Writer Kim Jordan Allen

I didn’t know how I was going to pull it together, but in just two days, the fabulous Kate McGregor, owner of Kaight, my favorite ecoboutique, and Arina Vikdorchik (AKA Arina Greenaholic for her eco party-planning fabulousness) offered me a venue, and some extra time and hands to help, and I HAD to go for it!

Kate McGregor and friend, and party guests!

I will, of course, be FOREVER indebted to Kate McGregegor of Kaight, for not only helping me dress fabulously, as well as GREENly but giving me such an amazing space to have my party. Thank you, thank you, thank you Kate! You are an honorary Eco Chick!

Singer/songwriter LiliAna Rose and art director for The Daily Green, Gloria Dawson

Soon, 360 vodka and Wolaver’s organic beer (both of which I buy, drink at home and serve when I entertain!) hopped on board as sponsors, which made me very happy since I consider them ‘my’ fave brands. Natura organic wines joined in with a delicious Sauvignon Blanc donation, and though I’d hadn’t heard of them yet, I was so glad they came to my party (with their wine!).

Ama the Bartender, and one of the many pooch attendees

Thanks soooo much to 360, Wolaver’s and Natura! A party without booze is no party at all (unless it’s a tea party, but this wasn’t).

Starre Vartan and Seth Leitman, author of Build Your Own Electric Vehicle, and Tiffany, Tatiana Gelfand and friend.

I am SO proud to say that all my food sponsors come from AMAZING women-owned businesses! Babycakes, which couldn’t be MORE local (it is about 3/4 of a block around the corner from Kaight) made up pretty purple and green vegan cupcakes, vegan and gluten-free banana bread, and brownie bites. They were so amazingly tasty I walked around with the box at one point but was just mostly eating them myself, hee hee. (I am NOT the kind of girl to skip eating awesome treats at my own party!) Babycakes was founded by the retro-cool Erin McKenna- thanks to Erin and her nice-as-could-be staff!

Brian Clark Howard, editor at The Daily Green, AKA DJ SocialPyramid

One of my favorite snacks, Laura’s Wholesome Junkfood, also supplied sweet vegan treats (their oatmeal raisin bitelettes are my fave low-guilt dessert when I’m at home of an evening). Laura’s is such a cool company, started by a doctor (named Laura!) who started her own good-for-you food biz. Thanks Dr. Laura!

Bonnie Hulkower and Emma Grady of Treehugger, and Boho Magazine‘s assistant editor Ashley Kittelsen and Boho fashion editor Margo Helliwell

SweetRiot, whose founder, Sarah Endline, I met years ago at NYC GreenDrinks holiday party, gave us lots of their directly-sourced, fair-trade, dark chocolate covered cocoa nibs in lovely martini glasses (I was so afraid there wouldn’t be enough chocolate!). And they were even nice enough to give me extras to take home after the party in their cute (recyclable, and original art-covered) tins. Thanks Sarah!

Guest, Elizabeth Harrington of Greenopia, and freelance writer Beatrice Aranow

Continuing with the women’s-owned theme, publisher and ecofabulista Gina LaMorte gave us a stack of Boho Magazines for our goody bags (My book is reviewed in the current issue-yay!!); the bags themselves were donated by Whole Foods (where I shop so much I feel like I practically earned those free bags, haha!). The bags are the cool new reusable Sheryl Crowe shoppers and so pretty! John Masters Organics, who makes my fave new haircare products, offered up samples for the goody bags (thanks!)

Arina Vikdorchik and Starre Vartan

I couldn’t have done this without the dogged persistence and unflagging energy of Arina Vikdorchik, who pulled all the nonsense together and made it make sense. Some unvarnished PR- use Arina next time you want to plan a party, green or not!!!

From left to right, Glenn Michael Gordon, Brook Wilensky-Lanford, Christina Rumpf and Rachel Carter, all of Columbia University’s MFA writing program.

From left to right, a friend, Josh Garrett-Davis, and Rob Verger, Columbia nonfiction MFAers

Thanks too, to all of you who came, including the incredibly supportive and loving cast of characters (I mean colleagues!) from Columbia’s University’s School of the Arts nonfiction (and fiction too!) writing program, my agent, Mary Ann Naples (didn’t get a snap of her, darn!!) of The Creative Culture, my publicity team, Emily Fry and Stephen Lee of St. Martin’s (who do a lot with very little!), Brian Clark Howard, my friend, DJ, proofreader for the book, and URTH Guy, my amazing girlfriend Cara Joy, who started off her day at her farm in Vermont gathering eggs and ended up at a book and blog party in the LES, and was indispensible the day-of, helping everything get done, and of course, Danelle Marqui Brown and Kim Jordan Allen, long-time Eco Chick writers, supporters, and fabulous, amazing, inspiring women all-around.

Shane McQuade, CEO of Voltaic systems and Margaret Lydecker, founder of NYC Greendrinks, and Meiling Chen, ecofashion designer

A big shout-out to my friends and colleagues at Greenopia, who are mostly on the West Coast, and whose NYC guidebook (and online listings) are indespensible for navigating this growing green world.

Arina Vikdorchik and Danelle Marqui Brown, Eco Chick writer

Starre Vartan, Michelle Legro, producer and host of Storyville and nonfiction MFA student at Columbia U. and James Yeh, fiction MFA student at Columbia.

Two people who could not attend but to whom I owe debts of gratitude are Dan “Mobius” Sieradski, Eco Chick’s webmaster, who’s single-handedly kept the site running all these years, and my Dad, who has supported the site since its inception, given me great ideas on how to promote it, and encouraged me to keep going with my ideas and aspirations.

Emily Fry and Stephen Lee of St. Martin’s, and Michael Schwarz, writer and animal advocate

Party Guests and a Pooch, and Starre Vartan and ecofashion designer Christine Marchuska in one of her own designs

Party Guests!

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Create a Gorgeous, Sustainable Holiday Table

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by Danelle Brown · 11/14/08

Environmentally aware party planner Danielle Venokur hosted the “Sustainable Celebrations” event at the new DWR Tools for Living store in Soho. Venokur’s company dvGreen, is a sustainable event design and production company that utilizes organic food, flowers, and table linens, tree-free paper invitations, and more to create incredible events that you can be proud of forever.

At the event, Venokur incorporated items from the DWR: Tools for Living Assortment into place settings for both the adults’ and kids’ holiday table. I thought that the displays were brilliant and full of many great ideas for the holidays.

Venokur shared the following tips that you can use in your home to create a memorable and sustainable holiday meal:

1) Revamp and reuse scarves that you have around your home or found in a thrift shop; use them as is or accentuate them with organic cotton trim to make them your own; the result, unique vintage chic napkins.

2) If you live upstate or near trees, incorporate fallen branches and foliage to create your own custom center piece

3) Use LED candles instead instead of regular candles, they last longer and retain their appearance for many, many years. <

Tips for creating a special sustainable children’s table:

1) Use bamboo flatware for the table setting such as the collection from bambu.

2) Instead of a linen table cloth, line the table with craft paper. The children can draw stencils and color leaves, snowflakes, and other holiday motifs on the table and make it their own.

3) Using organic cotton balls, you can create little snowmen place settings.

4) Reuse craft paper to make a paper flower center piece together with the children before the dinner begins. Place the flowers in a refurbished vintage container and then the children will have something to celebrate- of their own making! during their meal.

adults, dwr, Events, holiday, kids, party, planner, sustainable