what's wrong with wool

So by now we know not to EAT meat and definitely not to WEAR fur or leather (gross) but what about wool? This seems to be fuzzy (pun intended) topic because many people think that the sheep are simply given a "hair cut" every now by a nice shepherd which is then woven into a little sweater by someone's grandma. Well, sorry to break it to ya, but not only are most of the sheep raised in horrific living conditions, non-organic sheep's wool is dowsed in harmful (to us and the sheep) chemical pesticides and insecticides. In addition, one of the world's largest sources of wool, Australian merino wool, practices a technique called mueling- essentially cutting off chunks of flesh to ensure the greatest wool output. When the sheeps are no longer needed/ usable for wool production, they are shipped of for slaughter. This is all illustrated nicely in this video by PETA narrated by Pink:

While organic wool seems like a great alternative to conventional, it unfortunately comes with a heafty price tag and isn't nearly as widely available. I'm still a firm believer that second-hand is the most eco way to go because you don't have to factor in the impact of production, packaging, shipping etc. let alone labor practices and inhumane treatment of animals. One eco-company that I'd like to highlight is Vaute Couture. Created by Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgart, these gorgeous coats are artfully made out of inovative fabrics such as recycled soybean pod fibers! I'm still always on the lookout for ways to stay warm without harming animals or the environment.

What are your thoughts on wool?

plastic state of mind

a mani-cure

Ever notice how manicurists sometimes wear those mask over their mouths? Or just the general chemical-y smell of a nail salon? That's because...you guessed it...conventional nail polish is LOADED with harmful chemicals. Yuck! Dibutyl pthalate (DBP) Formaldehyde and Toluene are some of the main guys you should avoid when picking a polish. So how can you get shnazy nails without intoxicating yourself? There are quite a few brands out there devoted to leaving out the nasties. Now, I understand that polishes without chemicals tend to cost a few dollars extra, but think about all the chemicals you are keeping out of the atmosphere! To make this initiative more exciting for myself, each time I needed a manicure (which I realized was more often when I was using chemical-laden nail polishes that dried out my cuticles) I instead bought myself a new polish from an eco brand and did my nails myself. Not only have I built up a bit of a collection, but I've also gotten pretty good at painting my own nails, if I may say so myself :) I actually look forward to trying out some fabulous nail art.

Source

The first eco-polish company I discovered is called Priti. The founder Kim D'Amato created the line while she was pregnant in 2005 due to the fact that she was switching over to all organic food, but could not find adequate substitutions in her beauty regimen. Ok, so I know you're supposed to be supper careful with your body when you're preggers and all, but isn't that a little scary that people don't think twice about the impact of their weekly manicures anyway?! Also, find out why you should just say no to the nail dryer at the nail salon

I set out to revamp my nail collection and see if these safer alternatives could actually hold up. The first bottle I purchased to replacement my conventional deep black polish was from Priti. While perusing the cosmetics at Whole Foods, I came across a brand called Karma Organics. First of all, love that name, and secondly, after testing out their organic nail polish remover made with soybean and lavender oils, which actually left my nails more moisturized than before removing my polish, I was hooked. I will admit, the remover takes a bit more elbow grease to take off darker colors, but it's totally worth it. I also picked up two of their polishes, a dark dark purple-y red shade called Venom and a greyish color called Concrete Jungle. Yeah, I judge books by their covers, so what?

The last brand that I have tried out is sold exclusively online, and goes by the name Zoya. I'll admit, I was hesitant to give them a try because I'm totally that girl that tries out every shade of polish on a different finger before choosing one, so picking out polish on a computer seemed a bit sketch. However, I stumbled upon this coupon for three free bottles, so I thought it must be a sign! Out of all the polishes I've tried out, Karma Organics is my fav. They have a great selection of nail polish colors and products, the price is pretty reasonable for the quality, and I can easily find them at my local Whole Foods so I can see it for myself before I buy!

Do you have any eco tips for your tips?

the new MEAT in my life...

I started my new internship at VERAMEAT today. Here's a little but about the company taken from their website:

Each piece of VERAMEAT jewelry mirrors a self-sufficient life form with a sculptural presence. Hand-crafted in New York City from such fine materials as ecologically sound recycled silver and pure 14k gold, VERAMEAT designs are artfully refined contemporary heirlooms to inspire your own individual flair.

VERAMEAT is Vera Balyura, a teller of winding tales in search of the extraordinary. Born in Ukraine, she recalls woodcarving with her grandfather, horseback riding in Utah & moving to New York to be a high fashion model all before the age of 14. Each design reflects a personal (yet universal) inspiration—from traveling the world, making music, maritime ny sagas, botanical structures of light, futuristic visions of rogue spacemen in beer, and before history.

VERAMEAT’s collection is characterized by richly articulate surfaces, wearability, and subtle details exacted with precision inherited from her grandmother, a surgeon. The repertoire is playful and ferocious: Hearts stitched by hand into Godzilla Robot’s gilded circuit board show he has love; A Deathly Beautiful Ballad keeps vigil reinventing your finger; Dinosaurs devour fried chicken yum; When Knight in Shining Armor bumps against your heart, you’ve made a friend for life.

I'm doing typical intern-y stuff like putting together orders to ship out and bookkeeping what not but Vera is super chill and cute and so is her little doggie Fred (who is a girl!) We talked a bunch about how she started her company, the industry etc. while I packed up jewelry in boxes. I already want to buy so many of her pieces but even after my employee discount I think I will be broke if I don't narrow it down to one or two things. I'm going in again tomorrow because there is a lot to be done between all the holiday orders and preparing for the biggest shipment yet---to Urban Outfitters! Huge! I'm really excited to be jumpin' on the band wagon with such an awesome company that is obviously going places while staying conscious of it's impact on industry workers and the environment.

hopefully santa reads my blog ; )

"Gift giving is the purest expression of friendship,"

-Jack Donaghy (30 Rock)

I've been makin' my list n checkin' it twice...here's what I've come up with:

Not that I NEED yet another pair of glasses, but these vintage inspired frames by Warby Parker deliver one pair of glasses to someone in need with every purchase. Now that's eye wear with a purpose!

Again...no where near a necessity but isn't life so much cooler through a kaleidoscope?

Ok so these I actually NEED. Osborn Alpaca Party Vegans are handcrafted in Guatemala and inspired by their traditional kente cloth. These shoes are comprised of woven cotton and the soles are made out recycled rubber tires instead of leather, thus vegan. Aren't they just perfect all over!

By purchasing PACT Organic Underwear you are supporting and encouraging organic cotton farmers, responsible labor practices, and businesses that form partnerships with nonprofit organizations dedicated to positive change in our world. This limited edition Winter Lights Collection was designed by Yves Behar especially for the Lighting Hope for Haiti program. The prints represent colorful plays of light and celebrate the nostalgia and festiveness of holiday lights.

SHROOMS! Can never have enough shrooms! This year I really want to start growing my own herbs and veggies and this Easy-to-Grow Mushroom Garden looks so fast and easy to use.

A dress form has been on my wish list for about 5 years now and I keep putting off getting one because it is a bit of an investment (financially and spaceially) but I finally need to suck it up and just buy one already. I know it will make my life so much easier!

This hand embroidered and sewn necklace by spinthread is gorgeous and so meticulously made. It's the kind of thing that I could figure out how to make myself, but definitely don't have the patience for. Plus why no support fellow crafters while your at it?

My roommates will probably kill me for adding another appliance to our already overcrowded kitchen, but having a slow cooker seems like such a life saver in the cold winter months, especially when I'm super busy between class, interning and working. How nice does coming home to a warm, fully cooked meal or waking up to yummy steaming oats sound?

Well, hope I was good little girl this year. Happy holidays errbody!

xx

November Linky-Links

Today is America Recycles Day! Woo. Even though I am not in America, I would like to celebrate by noting some dope recycled things out there

-these bangles made out of recycled newspaper are real cute. and they're made in Brooklyn!

-I recently discovered and quickly became obsessed with Osborn handcrafted shoes. They started to ditch leather soles use recycled rubber tires aka also vegan! yeeee!

-Genius! Jar tops that allow you to transform your old jars into real kitchenware. So futuristic.

-Bodkin often uses vintage or salvaged textiles in combination with other eco-fabrics like organic cotton. I was totally blown away by the hand-dyed cotton pieces in their Autumn/ Winter 2010 collection. Check out the laundry list of natural items used to make the dye!!

-8 ways to reuse a t-shirt. dope!

-"Just because it's a green shoe doesn't mean it has to look like an Earth shoe or Birkenstock." True that. And if you don't already agree, check out these awesome shoes by Olsenhaus made out of recycled T.V. screens.

in other eco news...

-The Free People blog is has a ton of great diy projects, like this diy dream catcher. Who would have thought to use it for anything besides catching your dreams?

-VOTE for your favorite eco-fashion designer

-The Rise of the Power Vegans:Steve Wynn, Russell Simmons, Bill Clinton and a comparable cast of heavies are now using tempeh to assert their superiority. A look at what gives.

-The only reason I an excited to return to cold weather: new vegan boots!

-Food as art: art as food.

-Why you should bake with weed!

-A look at fashion industry labor regulations- or should I say not-so-regulations?

Oh, and couldn't leave out these gems...

-Four Loko banned in New York. Probably a good thing?

-The Sabbath Manifesto:designed to slow down lives in an increasingly hectic world. So jumpin on the band wagon on this one!

-50 reasons to be pretty damn euphoric you live in New York City.