Sorry

Sorry for the lack of content lately... yours truly has been sick. Yuck!

August Boston Green Drinks!

Boston Green Drinks is meeting TONIGHT from 6-8pm at Kingston Station.

Sadly, I won't be able to attend because I am recovering from a nasty case of bronchitis and I want to be 100% for my trip over the long weekend. But I highly encourage everyone else to attend Green Drinks and report back for me!!!

Thanks!

7 Ways to Green Your Tailgate

Football season is finally here! Here are a few super simple sustainable tips to enjoy the games!

1. Bring Re-usable flatware, plates and cups. If that isn't possible for your tailgate, opt for a biodegradable brand of one time use dinnerware.

2. Stock up on veggie burgers and organic veggies to make your grilling session well-rounded.

3. Expand your pallet with some organic beers (like Peak Organic)

4. Don't forget solar powered i-pod speakers.

5. Turn OFF your car engine and battery during the tailgate. I know its tempting to keep your car on in order to use the air conditioning or radio, but its not worth it!

6.  Be prepared for the weather - bring rain gear!

7.  Carpool - obvi!

Oh Louise Designs

Get Local with Style

I'm probably the last one to realize this, but I am so excited that DailyCandy has a specific page for Boston. Until now, I have been reading the "online" version of the website instead of the localized Boston version. The Boston version is fabulous for a number of reasons -

1. It makes it easier to find out about great local sales (like Second Time Around's current huge sale! Def time to pick up some second-hand swag!)

2. It highlights styles in our area - Boston may not be considered as fashion-forward as LA or NYC, but we are coming into our own. 

3. Events events events! 

I love Daily Candy because they often touch on eco-fashion or sustainability themed activities. Today's page not only has STA's sale, but also features "sustainable barbeque" on the weekend guide, and Vermont wine tasting!

Eco Fashion Fall Wishlist

Here are my eco-friendly favorites that I WISH I'd be wearing this fall!

Sub_Urban Riot Crop Top

at Ecolissa

IOU Project Pants in Red

photo by Style Fiesta

TOM'S Classics in Gold Glitter

Vaute Couture Recyclable Pea Coat in Camel with Recycled Satin Lining

Organic Silk Scarf from Ethical Ocean

Sir Tom organic hemp clutch

Recycled 14 Karat Gold Earrings by Rebekah Green

Latest Articles

   I can't believe how fast the summer is flying by! In case you missed them, here are my articles from the past month:

On MERIDAHOME:

        Can't Hide from Cow Hide: Making the Business of Leather Production Cleaner and Greener

        Boston's Bike Sharing Program - Hubway - Launches

        Coola is the Cooler Way to Have Fun in the Sun

On EXAMINER:

        6 Ways Twitter will Make you Greener

        9 Ways to Green your Vacation

Rainfest 2011

So remember Friday afternoon when that incredible thunderstorm/hailstorm rolled through Boston at around 3:30pm? Welp, it pretty much demolished the rest of the outdoor events for Friday night at GreenFest. I was looking forward to the eco-fashion show hosted by Nancy's Gone Green, but apparently they were worried about clothes getting wet and cancelled the show. It was extra-unfortunate because the weather cleared up and it ended up being a beautiful night. Oh well, we'll just hope for better weather next year. 

I missed the events on Saturday because I was off to the Seaport district to see my idol, Grace Potter, live in concert! If you are a fan of classic rock with a modern twist, you will LOVE Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. (plus she and the drummer, Matt, met at SLU!) I highly suggest checking them out next time they are in Boston! 

GreenFest 2011!

Today marks the kickoff of GreenFest 2011! Woohoo! The entire weekend will be full of eco-themed cultural events on city hall plaza. I am particularly looking forward to the fashion shows and trying some new foods. I am also hoping to go to the film festival and see some of the musical performances. Hope to see you there!

Click here to see the full schedule of activities.

Sustainable Sparkles

This is kind of old news, but I was going through a stack of old magazines and came across a little blurb about Natalie Portman's engagement ring. The $35k dazzler was made with recycled platinum and features a conflict-free diamond (plus it was designed by her fiance!) The ring is gorgeous, classic, and eco-conscious!

DonQ: Drink Sustainably!

   When I first got a PR e-mail from DonQ Rum about their sustainability intiatives, I was immediately skeptical, I mean, a big-name eco-friendly rum? Sounds too good to be true! But, being a true lover of Dark'n'Stormys, I had to test it out (literally! see photo below). The rum was delicious, especially when mixed with all natural ginger beer from Whole Foods. And after reading through their literature, I am confident that DonQ's commitment to sustainability is genuine and cutting edge. They are working to make their distillery the "cleanest and greenest in the spirits industry!"

DonQ rum is produced in Puerto Rico and therefore is also committed to paying fair wages and protecting the unique wildlife of the island. DonQ has an incredible waste reclaimation program and green energy commitment. Unlike other Caribbean and Puerto Rican rum producers, DonQ does not dump dirty wastewater into oceans and streams. They also have a significant portion of their website dedicated to their green initiaties which can be found at http://www.donq.com/

Thursdays at the ICA

Sorry I've been MIA the last couple of days. August may have a laid-back vibe, but there is so much to do before the summer is over! I'm trying to enjoy the warm weather while it lasts, especially before August thunderstorms take over the skies.

But thunderstorms don't have to ruin all of the fun, one great way to spend a rainy Thursday evening is by going to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston's seaport district. The museum offers free admission every Thursday from 5pm - 9pm!

Miessence is the new Mary Kay

Miessence beauty products come highly recommended and are made it the most sustainable way possible and are possibly the safest products on the market health-wise. And being the careless person I am, I thought I could march right into Sephora and pickup some Miessence foundation...but no! They don't carry it.

This morning I did some research on where to buy the products. They are available on the Miessence website and on amazon, but since I want the product to match my skin tone exactly, I don't want to buy it online. This is when I discovered that Miessence is set up like Mary Kay! Anyone with the entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for organic products can sell Miessence products. Now I just need to find someone that does so in the Boston area! If you know someone that sells Miessence...let me know!!

Naked Fashion - A New Must Read!

Naked Fashion by Safia Minney is a new must-read for eco fashionistas. The book also collaborates with sustainable fashion spokespeople such as Livia Firth and Emma Watson. I obviously haven't read the book yet (it JUST came out) but I am definitely putting it on my list. It looks inspirational, saying that  "fashion is a tool, a media for anyone who wants to change the world."

Love this City

Smoothing Over Bad Habits

It is August which means everyone is grabbing as much beach time as they can before heading back to school or just being sucked into the cold routine of fall. I have already preached about sunscreen enough times this summer  (and of course suggested my personal favorite natural sunscreen brands: Burt's Bees and Coola). But I know that sometimes tanlines are impossible to avoid. A common bad habit  is to try to minimize stark tanlines by heading out in the sun again, which of course damages and ages your skin.

Instead of baking and re-baking yourself to try to even everything out before the first day back at school or work, try The Tannee. This is not a "green" product, but may be a skin-saver if you are tempted to head back into the sun. The Tannee is a tan-line correcter that you simply smooth onto the un-tanned parts of your skin and blend into the tan parts. It evens out lines without causing you to become a prune in ten years! I recently tried a sample, and was impressed by the un-streaky results, but I plan to use the product very sparingly because I want to avoid tan/sunburn lines entirely!

Pet Peeve: Why No Clothesline?!

I moved to the North End two years ago. I've lived in the same apartment the whole time and I absolutely love it. It is perfect for me - close to my friends and work and I have a great deal. However, I have one issue with my apartment, I am not allowed to hang a clothes line outside! I live on the top floor, so it would be super-easy to set one up on the roof, but I signed in my lease that I wouldn't. Hmmphh.

Air drying clothes is great because your clothes won't shrink, it preserves the colors, you'll save energy and money, and the sun makes your whites whiter! I know that people want to keep the North End looking clean because it is such a tourist destination, but I happen to think clothes lines are cute and quaint! I'm sure the tourists wouldn't mind!