Six Magazine

I cannot wait to start reading SIX Magazine. It is dedicated solely to ethical fashion! SIX just launched this month in the UK, and is said to become the new Vogue for ethical & eco fashionistas.

California Colors

Boston is in for another big snow storm this week, and though it was only a week ago, I can't help but reminisce about my California trip.

While in CA, I noticed blue, yellow, and orange ceramic tiles everywhere. I don't know the history of them, but they are gorgeous, and the color combinations are a great reminder of warmer weather!

These are examples of the tiles that I found in a standard taco shop. (I ordered a chili relleno burrito...not at all healthy, but at least it was vegetarian.....and delicious!)

Spring Reading

Forget spring cleaning, with warm weather just around the corner, spring is the perfect time to sit outside in a park and just read and enjoy the fresh air.
While I was in LA, I went to this fun book store in Los Feliz called Wacko (I mean, who can resist that?!) and I found some books that I have to add to my spring reading list:

 This Green Homes book looked particularly interesting because it includes both photos and FLOOR PLANS of green homes, check it out:

Latest Articles

Get caught up on your green knowledge with my latest posts on MeridaHome and Examiner.

Articles on MeridaHome:
Green Drinks Networking Community
Can Polyester be a Sustainable Material?
From Paper Towels to PeopleTowels
Functional and Sustainable Art by Randy Schwartz

Articles on Examiner;
Vegetarian Eating in the North End
Blog Spotlight: Basically Boston
Blog Spotlight: One Year of Boston Green Blog
Greenward Brings Green Living Products to Cambridge
Green Guide to St. Patrick's Day
Blog Spotlight: Beantown Bloggery
8 Skills for a Greener Life
Sustainability Scholarship Opportunity


And here is a little Ansel Adams to brighten your day

Tom's Shoes for a Casual Summer

Since I'm a "low-carbon" city girl, I do A LOT of walking. Especially as the weather gets warmer, I walk just about everywhere. It is great exercise and a wonderful way to learn the ins and outs of the city, but I tend to go through shoes rather quickly. So, I'm gearing up for a productive spring and summer buy purchasing quality casual shoes with a mission: Tom's Shoes.

Tom's shoes has a unique business design where for every pair of shoes purchased, another pair is donated to people in need around the world. The shoes seem kind of expensive, but you're really buying two pairs of shoes, one for yourself and one for someone that may have never owned shoes before. The photo below shows a few children in Argentina with their brand new Tom's shoes:

I ordered my olive classics yesterday and CANNOT wait for their arrival!

And, yes, I know Tom's are a bit hippy-ish, but lots of people have been able to pull them off stylishly. I'd say that my personal style is sort of bohemian prep and I think my new shoes will fit seemlessly into my summer wardrobe.

See ya on the streets!

Back East

I'm back! My week on the west coast was FABULOUS (more details to come), but first I thought I'd share 10 green things I noticed on vaca:

1. The Holiday Inn by LAX, while admittedly not the nicest hotel in the world, still features some great green ammenities including low-flow toilets.

2. Solar powered parking meters. I knew I'd see more solar panels out west, but I'd never heard of the solar powered meters!

3. There is a cute chain of stores in Southern California called "World Market" which is like a Trader Joe's with some home and decor items as well. Lots of free trade/organic options.

4. No smoking on the beaches. I hate finding cigarette buts in the sand.

5. The San Diego Zoo has a wonderful focus on conservation as well has human impact on the environment. They even have a huge display dedicated to climate change and atmospheric CO2 levels.

6. High fines for littering. Litterbugs could potentially owe the state $1000 or more.

7. Less packaging: The super popular fast food chain In n Out Burger used a lot less packaging for burgers and fries than your typical McDonalds or Burger King.

8. Green books galore! My bro took me to this fun little shop in Los Feliz called Wacko that had a number of eco decorating and architecture books that I plan to get from the library asap.

9. Farmers Markets are well advertised. Maybe the fact that they have a longer growing climate makes for more popular farmers markets.

10. Single stream recycling.

100th Post!

Its kind of sad that this blog is over a year old and I'm just now getting to the 100th post, but... I promise to bring more stylish green content in 2011-2012!

Lazy Chef: Broccoli Mac & Cheese

I am introducing a new series of posts to BGB: Lazy Chef. My lazy chef posts will feature my own super-easy recipes for healthy vegetarian eating. I do NOT enjoy cooking, but I certainly enjoy eating, so I am excited to share my tricks for quick satisfying meals with a fairly low carbon footprint. My first lazy chef post is Broccoli Mac & Cheese, which I actually ate for dinner last night!
   

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Cook the pasta as directed, and while waiting for it to cook, defrost/heat the broccoli in the microwave. Usually 2-3 minutes in the microwave should do it. Strain the pasta and put back in the pot and add the warm broccoli. Stir. Add cheese packet, 2 TBs of organic olive oil and a handful of grated cheese, Stir. Top with bread crumbs and serve!

This recipe is made with mostly organic ingredients and has more nutritional value than regular mac & cheese. It is delicious and will ast for more than one meal if you are cooking just for yourself.

Prep time - 0 min ...everything is already prepped!
Cook time - 7-10 min

Dexter Should Go Green

I've recently become obsessed with the TV series Dexter. I'm watching it on Netflix and am about halfway through the second season. For those of you that don't watch the show, its a dark but intriguing story about a vigilante seriel killer that is constantly struggling between right and wrong.
HOWEVER, in all of his struggles, and in all of his inner dialogues, he never considers the consequences of dumping his murdered victims in the ocean! He wraps them in trash bags and dumps them over the side of his boat. Not cool Dexter!

St. Patricks Day!

St. Patrick's Day puts a whole new meaning to "go green". Drinking green beer is only one way to celebrate this year because there is a cute new line of eco-friendly St. Patrick's Day themed jewelry! Lucky Charms by alex and ani are made from post-consumer recycled metal! 

Search Amazon.com for alex and ani 

Taj Tribute

The single best class I took at SLU was an art history class focusing on the Taj Mahal. It is the most beautiful building in the world with quite an interesting history.
Anyway, today I am inspired by these photos of powerful women posing at the Taj.

Leavin on a Jet Plane

Next week I am making my first ever trip to the west coast! Obviously, traveling by plane is probably going to practically double my carbon footprint for the year, but, I don't have time for a roadtrip, and I need to visit my brobro and my bffs in LA and San Diego!

Here is my eco-chic packing list thus far:

1. Sunglasses - I know they are soooo 2008, but I am still obsessed with my wayfarers.

2. Sunscreen (preferably one that has less chemicals, like Burt's Bees)

3.  Water Bottle - traveling always makes me thirsty so I'm bringing my empty reusable water bottle to fill up on-the-go.

4. Travel Coffee Mug - there is no such thing as a vacation from caffeine.

5. Hair Elastics - won't have space/time for carbon intensive hair styling (like with blow dryers or flat irons).

6. Book - Just took out 2 books from the Boston Public Library: Twenties Girl and Eco Chick Guide to Life. Looking forward to reading these on the plane and at the beach!

7. Gum - I am one of those people that has an awful time with ear popping on planes, plus I've recently discovered this eco-friendly brand of chewing gum:

Why Spring is Green

1. Walking to work instead of taking the T.

2. Cooler showers.

3. Turning down the thermostat.

4. Local fruits come in season.

5. Lights are turned on for less hours in the day as it gets lighter outside.

6. More time outside, less time watching tv.

7. Air drying clothes outside.

8. Opening the windows and breathing VOC-free air.

9. Walking to/from bars instead of taking cabs.

10. Picnics!

Blog Spotlight: Ecofabulous

So by now you probably know about my obsession with Ecouterre.com and Inhabitat.com but I am about to add a new blog to my list of favorites: Ecofabulous! I love their tagline: "Sexy.Sustainable.Style" and they have style/design articles for both fashion and home. They also have a bunch of lifestyle green guides which I am excited to read through.

Coco Eco on Issuu

Yay! I just discovered that you can access Coco Eco magazine for FREE on issuu.com!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BGB!

Today marks the one year anniversary of my first post on Boston Green Blog! Yay! Happy Birthday to my blog!

Nature Inspired Canopy Beds

When I was a little girl, I really really REALLY wanted a canopy bed. I still don't have one just yet, but aren't these nature inspired beds interesting?

Reading List

I just reserved my copy of Sophie Kinsella's Twenties Girl from the Boston Public Library because that is my book club's next read. After I finish that, however, I really want to read the Eco Chick Guide to Life by Starre Vartan. Since I am going on vaca later this month, I'm planning on doing lots of reading, so I will let you know how it is!

Green at the Academy Awards

at the pre-Academy Awards party, the winner of this year's Red Carpet Green Dress contest was announced. This year's winner was Samata Angel, designer of this gorgeous pink & eco-friendly gown.