Enter June 15, Inc. and their have-to-have eco-chic totes. I first noticed them  last year at the Mar Vista Green Fall Festival and then again at the [...]]]>

Eco-friendly totes are everywhere, and they may be practical, convenient and keep plastic bags out of landfills, but rarely do they make you stop, look, and go “ooh.”

Enter June 15, Inc. and their have-to-have eco-chic totes. I first noticed them  last year at the Mar Vista Green Fall Festival and then again at the WISH Charter School Holiday Boutique a few weeks ago, where we both were vending. And yes, I succumbed.

In the short time I’ve had mine – the turquoise with cane handles and red bird print – so far, every time I’ve used it, I’ve been asked where I got it.

I just happened to look as I was writing this post and the June 15 bags are all on sale!

Owner Sandrine (who by the way is a lovely person) makes these bag out of jute, a natural sustainable fiber and splinter-free rattan cane made from sustainable palms.

For me, the combination of rustic, tough material and punchy graphic design make them uniquely uber-attractive, and just perfect for a designer like myself.  And did I mention they are sale right now?

I haven’t seen a copy yet but it looks like it it full of great information, including for beginner growers and patio [...]]]>

… that my organic “Go Veggies” baby bodysuit is featured in Birds & Blooms‘ special edition book Grow Veggies for Less!

I haven’t seen a copy yet but it looks like it it full of great information, including for beginner growers and patio farmers.

LOS ANGELES – Mar Vista Recreation Center, a City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks facility at 11430 Woodbine Ave. on the Westside, will hold its 2009 Community Fall Festival on Saturday, October 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

“Mar Vista [...]]]>

Rotem Gear will be an artisan vendor at this event!

LOS ANGELES – Mar Vista Recreation Center, a City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks facility at 11430 Woodbine Ave. on the Westside, will hold its 2009 Community Fall Festival on Saturday, October 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

“Mar Vista Goes Green” is a free event presented by the Department of Recreation and Parks, the Mar Vista Park Advisory Board, and the Mar Vista Community Council. The goal is to increase awareness of and participation in protecting the environment – and have some fun.

Entertainment will include performances by the Stilt Circus troupe, the Red Ribbons square dance group, the Summer of Love show featuring live music from the 1960s and 70s and band members sporting styles from the era, and more.

For children there will be a morning puppet show by Kiddle Karoo and her Kooky Krew promoting environmental awareness. The rest of the day will have a Kidz Go Green Zone with nine inflatable slides, bouncers, arts and crafts led by and using recycled materials provided by the Rediscover Center, face painting, games, and a petting zoo.

"Green" Logo Fashion Tee is one many designs by Rotem Gear that will be available at the Mar Vista Go Green Fall Festival

Students from area preschools through middle schools will be able to display their work at a youth art show. In addition, professional artists will present their own accomplished works, and an artisan marketplace will give festival-goers a chance to purchase arts and crafts from local artists.

Organizations with demonstrations and exhibits will include Heal the Bay, Ballona Institute, Surfrider Foundation, Buy Green, EcoPlum, L.A. Rainwater Harvesting Program, The Garden Nerd, Certified Wellness, and Reptile and Amphibian Rescue Network. There will also be information on recycling, composting, water conservation, and drought-tolerant landscapes.

Attendees who want to reduce their carbon footprint by riding a bicycle to the event will receive free valet service from Bikerowave, which will also provide information on how to keep bikes in good condition, and perform minor repairs at no charge.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase. For more information about the Mar Vista Community Fall Festival, call (310) 398-5982.

No, I’ve been too busy to bake cookies, but I HAVE been doing my part for the green side.  Besides redesigning and reconceptualizing (ooh! big word! Don’t run away — I promise I [...]]]>

… organic, fair-trade, vegetarian, whole grain, locally produced, solar-oven-baked, low-carbon-footprint cookies, that is. Or would be if we actually HAD cookies.

No, I’ve been too busy to bake cookies, but I HAVE been doing my part for the green side.  Besides redesigning and reconceptualizing (ooh! big word! Don’t run away — I promise I don’t babble in marketing speak!) um, so yeah, like I was just saying, besides redesigning and reconceptualizing this blog, I recently created a whole new shop with a green slant on life.

Jay Gregory of We Can Be Green

Oh snore, you say, another green website. No, really! There is something different here. OrganiGoGo sells edgey and cute eco-awareness designs on certified all-organic t-shirts, reusable tote bags and SIGG bottles, but here’s the unique angle: it helps support my fellow independent designers by showcasing their awesome designs that express their own commitment to alternative energies, wildlife conservation, global warming and so forth. Every sale in the shop goes entirely to the artist who created it.

Not only did the shop get a hug-and-a-nod from my friend (and participting OrganiGoGo designer) Kristen Fox on her blog It Should Be Easy Being Green,, it was a featured web link of the week at Broke and Beautiful.

Then  just this week OrganiGoGo got a super review at We CAN be Green.  Blogger Jay Gregory tested one of my  “I Grow My Own”  white organic tee about which he wrote, “My first impression was WOW! … I could also tell that high quality certified organic cotton was used in its creation; this is no flimsy mass produced shirt.”

I love it when someone’s first impression is WOW. Thanks, Jay!

In that vein, I will say that the ladies’ white (not juniors’ natural) shirts that we get from ECOnscious are a bit on the sheer side, so some people might prefer to layer them, as I do. But they are soft and lovely and comfy.  So come to the green side already !

Our organic line now consists of 2 men’s [...]]]>

We’ve just added a line of organic shirts to join the lone fitted shirt we’ve had for a few years now, and we couldn’t be more excited. Nearly all our designs are now available on these soft, sustainable shirts from either American Apparel or EConscious.

Our organic line now consists of 2 men’s tees (regular and fitted), 2 women’s tees (ditto), a kid’s organic tee, a toddler tee, a baby tee and a baby snap bodysuit. There’s something for everyone in the family and just in time for Earth Day (April 22)!

Fruits and vegetables practically pulsate in rhythm around the fun lettering “Livin’ La Vida Locavora.”

And fun upon fun — only hours after we presented this design, it got featured on the Nifty Wares site.  Farmer [...]]]>

That’s right, we love supporting local food whenever possible and we’re celebrating with a new colorful, tropically-infused design.

Fruits and vegetables practically pulsate in rhythm around the fun lettering “Livin’ La Vida Locavora.”

And fun upon fun — only hours after we presented this design, it got featured on the Nifty Wares site.  Farmer hats off to them!

Available on tees, hoodies and market totes. From $15.99.

La Vida Locavora Women's Zip Hoodie. $43.99

The above women’s zip hoodie is a brand new item, by the way, and comes in pink or heather gray.

Of course we have more local food/local farming, community supported agriculture (CSA) and other sustainably-themed designs … all here.

While the Mug Project calls itself “a community of individuals and organizations that advocate the use of mugs to reduce waste caused by single serve beverage containers,” it’s also a social networking group to [...]]]>

We were inspired to join the Mug Project thanks to a post in Emerald City by LA’s own Green Girl.

While the Mug Project calls itself “a community of individuals and organizations that advocate the use of mugs to reduce waste caused by single serve beverage containers,” it’s also a social networking group to share mugshots (ha), and locations of coffee shops that support and encourage customers’ bringing their own mugs by charging less for coffee.

They also have a funny video here, in which a guy “cheats” on his reusable mug with disposables — but we were promoted to ask why the mug talks like Miss Piggy with a Wisconsin accent?

But back to the Mug Project — it’s easy to join and might give you that extra espresso shot in the arm you need to start bringing your own mug and cutting down on waste. We’ve already put one of our own Rotem Gear mugs in the car, ready for that opportune moment.

You can come on over and join the Mug Project here. What’s one more social network?

In a related topic, Green Girl also recently posted about an interactive Google map for finding cupcakes in Los Angeles! For which you will need coffee .. see how we got that cyclic thing going?

Beyond all [...]]]>

We admit it — we’re Mac-heads. And one of our favorite resources is SmallDog.com. Not only are they knowledgable and authorized Apple dealers, but you’ve got to love a company whose employees bring their dogs to work, regardless of size, *and* you get small (toy) dogs in every order they ship out.

Beyond all that likeability, though, is their commitment to “striving to reduce the environmental footprint of running our business, including the environmental impact of the electronic products we sell and service.”

Last Saturday, the day before Earth Day, Small Dog Electronics offered free ewaste recycling at their South Burlington, Vermont store. They collected well over 35 tons of old electronic junk that might have simply been tossed in to the landfill, where toxic elements such as lead and mercury would leak into the ground. This junk will be parted out and ultimately ground down. The powders will be elementally separated, recycled, and reused in new gear.

According to the EPA, 2.5 million tons of electronic waste, or “ewaste” is generated every year, including iPods, cell phones, printers, monitors, and especially computers. More than 60 million computers are buried in landfills around America, containing elements such as lead, mercury, and arsenic. Unfortunately, only 10% of this waste is ever recycled.

SmallDog has recycled over 65 tons (!) of electronic waste since the program began.

See? It’s not just the toy dogs we like
(Source: SmallDog’s TechTails Newsletter)

Have an old computer that still has life in it? Consider putting it up for adoption at your local freecycle.

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Today’s Eco-Reco:

We love the one-of-a kind glass baubles — pendants, bracelets, rings and buttons — that Sprout Studio creates with reclaimed, found imagery. There’s something magical about the clear glass — maybe it reminds us of sea glass, or maybe it’s the unique image in each one, like a crystal ball image of a moment frozen in time. Our advice is, if you see something you love, grab it, because once it disappears, it won’t be be back!