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Recycled Fashion: Always a Bridesmaid Dress

I’ve been in two wedding parties; Cori chose a navy crepe sheath for the bridesmaids, while Kristen chose a silky lavender halter dress. I was lucky to like both dresses; we’ve all seen horribly poofy and pastel bridesmaid dresses in movies (and it’s likely you’ve seen one or two monsters in real life, too). As a regular thrift shopper, I’ve also seen discarded dresses on the racks—if these dresses were living and breathing, I’d say they hang hopelessly. Which is why I liked reading today about a new site that recycles old bridesmaid dresses, Newlymaid.com. Now, if you’ve got a bridesmaid dress taking up space at the back of your closet, you can ship it to Newlymaid, where they’ll use the material to make upcycled creations or donate the dress to Clothes4Souls. Then you receive a discount on one of the site’s little black cocktail dresses made from recycled fabric. Voila: More closet space and less for the landfill… . Oh, and I cannot wait to see “Bridesmaids.”

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Style Souvenir: Strawberry Bag

New regular feature I’ll be posting about style souvenirs…

This is Maggie from Venice, whom I encountered on a sunny Saturday, wearing a whimsical wool strawberry bag. When I complimented her on the bag, she thanked me and added, “I got it in Indonesia, at a strawberry farm.”

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Drink Recipe: Hibiscus Green Tea

This drink is simple to make and tastes crisp and refreshing. I made a large batch for a Cinco de Mayo celebration (turning in into a hibiscus green tea margarita with a splash of tequila and a lime slice and adding hibiscus tea ice cubes), but you can also make a single or small serving easily.

The hibiscus tea isn’t really tea; it’s an infusion made by simmering dried hibiscus flowers in a pot of water for about 10 minutes. (I get the dried flowers from my favorite specialty food shop in LA, Surfas). Without sweetener, the hibiscus tea is super-tart, similar to cranberry juice. To make the tea, I blend 1/3 green tea with 2/3 hibiscus tea, let it cool, then sweeten it to taste with agave syrup. Yum.

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Glossy and Pretty in Pink

Kate Moss has the ability to make almost anything she wears look desirable, from a handbag to lipstick. Seeing her smoking-hot new ads for Dior lip products makes me want slick, pink lips. But since greening my life, my beauty choices are now toxin-free, which means shunning most commercial makeup brands (including Dior). My favorite “green” products (safer, without harmful chemicals) for shiny pink lips inspired by the Kate Moss pout seen in the ads:

Jane Iredale’s PureGloss in Candied Rose, Pink Candy, or Cosmo

Jane Iredale’s PureMoist lipstick in C.J., Daisy, or Sabrina, topped with Jane Iredale PureGloss in Tourmaline

RMS Beauty’s Lip Shine in Bloom, topped with Jane Iredale PureGloss in Tourmaline

Hemp Organics Lip Tint in Kiss, topped with Jane Iredale PureGloss in Tourmaline

100% Pure lip gloss in Juicy Pink Grapefruit

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NY State of Mind

In response to the news, I’ve found myself in a New York State of mind. This morning, just when the coffee was kicking in, I packed my lunch in my I Heart NY tote bag and put on a Ramones T-shirt—without deliberately thinking about making any kind of I Love NY fashion statement. It was when I started humming Billy Joel’s ode to the great empire state that I noticed my choices. Good live version of “New York State of Mind” here.

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Kitchen Sources for Beauty: Baking Soda

I have already phased out cosmetics and personal care products that contain harmful chemical toxins in favor of safer alternatives. Recently, my green beauty experiments have led me to the kitchen, to use pantry ingredients that are actually good enough to eat (see previous post on olive oil). For a facial exfoliator, I’ve begun to use baking soda weekly or as needed, simply blending about a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda with water and gently rubbing the paste on my face using a circular motion. It’s safe, easy, effective—and a lot less expensive than other facial washes and scrubs. I’ve also filled an empty shampoo bottle with distilled water (DIY distilled water: boil filtered water, let cool, use) and a tablespoon of baking soda and use it instead of traditional shampoo a few times a week.

(Public service footnote: Learn more about this from the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics and find out what’s in your products from the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep website).

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Long Live the Typewriter!

News reports of the last typewriter factory closing? Boo. Here is my vintage Underwood typewriter (a flea market find from several years ago), currently being stored with my family and used here by nieces Mary and Lucy.

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Smell It, Taste it: Mmmmm, Chocolate

I read a report today that Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld loves chocolate but does not eat it. (This immediately brought to mind the story of Peter, AKA No Coffee Guy, whom I met during a weekend at Fire Island. Before going out one night, Peter’s housemate was brewing a pot of coffee and Peter commented about how good it smelled. But when I suggested he grab a cup, he replied that he didn’t drink it. He loved the smell, he said, but didn’t drink it. Then he added that he had never tried it. Loved the smell but had never tasted it? He could not provide a reason why and I was puzzled. Not trying crack? I get that. But coffee? That was the first sign that Peter was going to be a drip. Yes, pun definitely intended!) Back to Mr. Lagerfeld. He is quoted in W magazine as saying that the smell of chocolate is enough for him, that he can eat chocolate with his nose. Puzzled again. Barring a serious health issue, how bad can chocolate be when consumed in moderation? Mmmm, rich, dark chocolate. I consume some every day and savor every bite, even if it’s only one tiny piece. Lagerfeld finished by saying he would love a perfume based on chocolate. Someone should send him Cacao, the beautiful perfume already made by Aftelier Perfumes. As with all of her other amazing scents, Mandy Aftel uses only natural ingredients (no synthetics), and this one has a base of chocolate and vanilla with citrus and jasmine sambac top and middle notes—all to make it absolutely intoxicating and, well, delicious.

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Peeps and Food Rules

I’ve always been a fan of Peeps marshmallow treats and discovered that putting a flame to it gives it a sweet caramelized coating. I’ve toasted Peeps over a Weber grill and a fire pit; the one pictured here was toasted on a skewer over the flame of the gas stove.

I have been breaking a couple of my food rules on holidays like Easter, when I give in to temptation and eat candy with artificial colors and artificial flavors (and other ingredients I ordinarily avoid). Peeps and Jelly Belly jelly beans are against the rules, but I made an exception. This year, I also had a bag of Surf Sweets jelly beans, which are made without artificial colors or flavors, and I ate more of those than the less-natural Jelly Belly beans. It’s always exciting to find a better-for-you replacement for a favorite sweet treat. I haven’t had Red Vines licorice in a year and still miss it, but I developed a love for the more-natural licorice from Paul Newman Organics. So far, I have not found a pure version of Peeps, but I have an alternate plan for next year. I use Michael Pollan’s “Food Rules” as my guiding force in making choices on what foods to consume, and one of Pollan’s rules is you can have junk food if you make it yourself. So, for next year: homemade Peeps with ingredients I choose and approve.

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Easter Florals

I grew up on the East Coast and Easter helped to signify the long-awaited arrival of Spring. Except for the few years I remember a snowfall or cold snap, Easter meant that crocuses were popping up and we were able to play outside in short sleeves again. Also, I was able to dust off the sandals to wear with my Easter outfit. I delighted in picking out a new Easter outfit each year, usually a dress or matching skirt and top combination in colors that matched the Easter eggs we colored. This year, I shopped my closet and wore a green and purple silk floral blouse I picked up at a thrift store months ago but had yet to wear (not new, but new to me).

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Recipe: Arugula Salad with Strawberries and Parmesan

I saw a Martha Stewart recipe for arugula salad with strawberries and thought there was parmesan in it, but I had that wrong. I like shaved parmesan in a salad, so I improvised and added it to my version of the salad anyway. I love the peppery arugula with the sweet strawberries.

Arugula Salad with Strawberries and Shaved Parmesan Cheese
Baby arugula
Sliced strawberries, quartered
Shaved parmesan cheese

For the vinaigrette, whisk together two parts olive oil to one part balsamic vinegar, with a squeeze of honey, a dash of sea salt, and cracked pepper.

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My Big Green Resolution

closet_photoAt the start of 2010, I made a resolution that felt big for me. It started with my desire to make a stronger commitment to green living—making more choices that were better for the environment. But I am a collector. I have a lot of stuff. And I really like my stuff. I have a closet filled with clothing and accessories I love (yes, love) and my house is full of treasured possessions. Still, I felt the need to simplify. I felt overwhelmed by the drive to acquire. Stuff! More stuff! So I decided to give up shopping for new stuff for the year.

I would refrain from buying new things I wanted. For things I needed, such as food and toilet paper and soap, I would stick to my resolve of buying the eco-friendly choices. New jeans, a new handbag, or new silverware? No. For any non-necessities, I would buy only pre-owned items—after carefully considering whether the purchase was necessary. I would shop at thrift stores, consignment and vintage shops, yard sales, on eBay and Etsy. I would be spending money on items already produced and in circulation (and withdrawing my consumer support for new products), which would help to reduce my carbon footprint.

I expected this to be a challenge and ended up being surprised with how easy it was. (And fun—thrift shopping is like treasure-hunting.) I thought I would write about my temptations and possible slips, but exceptions I made were few and far between (new underwear, practical running shoes…) and felt permissible. Then there was the upside: saving money. When the year ended, I decided to keep going and it’s become my new normal. Just like that. And while I’m shy about suggesting how others should live their lives, I like to share my example and offer it as a challenge to anyone who might like to try. For today or a week or a month or a year….