UUNNNNGGGGGG I MISS THE WATER

IF MY BLOG HAD A BOYFRIEND

ECO IMAGING

ALL IMAGES (C) LAUREN JENNINGS 2010

NATURAL TALENT

Laura Siegel debuted her first collection this past May at the Chelsea Piers in New York to a crowd of eager industry pros who'd heard of the young sustainable designer. Most were shocked to learn that the gorgeous and sensual collection floating down the runway before them was made entirely by hand: hand dyed, hand woven, hand sewn, hand embroidered, etc, using all natural fibers and dyes. It was breathtaking.

Siegel went to serious lengths in order to keep every element of her design process as sustainable and natural as possible. From sourcing fibers such as bamboo and tencel during production to using a near by location (it's upstate, 2 hours on Metro North) for her shoot, every step was a conscientious one. Her apartment was converted from a livable state to one not unlike a meth-lab in which boilers, sieves, drying racks, and pots of dye covered the kitchen and living room counters and floor. She kept a log of every color produced from herbs, flowers, and other natural dyes, turning an ordinary notebook into an exploding bible of muted mauves and rich rusts. She crafted hand looms out of dining room chairs and turned her closet into a library of yarn hanging in bunches from racks and beams.

Because she sourced all her accessory supplies herself on a recent trip to Cambodia and Vietnam, her room resembled a museum with baubles of clay and molded metals on display. Different strands of colorful wooden beads hung next to experiments with dried flowers, shells, and raffia. She even took a metal crafting class in order to design rings specific to engravings she'd sketched on her trip. The result is an enormous yet delicate metal gem that sits on her right hand, a conversation starter for sure. The jewelry, bags, and shoes elevate the collection from tribal to sublime.

When asked what she sees in the future for herself and her line, she shrugs and mentions travel, the earth, and the people she encounters. A natural nomad, she is only interested in supporting the craft of the natives she meets while exercising her knowledge of modern design. Her next season will be indeed inspiring many to take off to the East.

It's invigorating for anyone interested in the future of fashion to know that sustainable design can take a departure from the stale and bland to a world where the designs are as magnificent as the natural world that inspired them. Siegel is with out a doubt at the forefront of this exciting shift.

GARBAGE PATCH KIDS

JUST ABOUT THE MOST SHOCKING THING I'VE SEEN LATELY.

MARKET SUNDAY

MEET THE VENDOR

Sprout Wellness

The natural skin care market is a burgeoning one these days, but with all those new choices out there, how is one to decide what to buy... hmmm.... what are the factors most would weigh in the hunt for the perfect product that is also perfect for the world?

Does the average all natural lotion/face wash/chapstick/shampoo/toner do this?

clean? check.

smell yummy? check.

moisturize? check.

all natural? check.

BUT does is also...

leave a tiny carbon footprint? probably not.

Meet Sprout, a local, adorable, vegan beauty line I stumbled upon at Artists and Fleas in Williamsburg.

It started with a chapstick. With only ten bucks left after a hefty spending day (sunny days make me want to shop, dont ask) I came across Adina's table at Artists and Fleas and decided that vegan chapstick would probably be a good way to spend my last few bucks. Needless to say the lip balm (containing only organic cocoa butter, organic extra virgin olive oil, and local candelilla wax) worked wonders on my sunburnt lips. Then I started sampling Adina's other products while we chatted a bit about her company and Sprout's mission.

Made right in her BK apt and sold down the street at a few green vendors, Sprout is one of those homegrown and simple endeavors that make we want jump up and down. Not only is it made from super organic ingredients, but a product like this is the ultimate holy grail for consumers who are equally concerned with a product's manufacturing and travel history. Purchasing quality local things gives me a kind of simple joy and satisfaction that has replaced my old "isn't this so cool it's all the way from [enter random exotic location]" sensation. You know it hasn't been sitting on a freight or in a warehouse, it didn't use tons of fuel to travel obscene distances, it wasn't made by underpaid workers in unhealthy conditions. I was just made by a girl in her kitchen who probably had a lot of fun doing it.

So far I've tried the citrus lip balm and the all-over-cream. Both felt like heaven and smelled awesome. You can literally hear your skin sighing. As the daughter of a dermatologist, I've been a guinea pig for skin care products my entire life, and I can honestly say Sprout holds its own. I will definitely be stalking Adina for weekends to come, learning more about her company and completing my dilapidated skin care collection. If you live in New York, you can too, but if not, follow her here.

*Note to curious readers, the sugar scrub will tempt you to eat it, and although possible, it is not recommended.

HOLY BOK CHOY

I for some reason decided that bok choy might be a good idea for dinner the other night. Hoh my God, was I right. Probably the easiest, quickest, and most delicious decision I've ever made.

Bok Choy with Pine Nuts and Olive Oil

Step one: boil water

Step two: place bok choy in steam basket

Step three: steam for two minutes (literally. two. minutes.)

Step four: drizzle and sprinkle and done.

Side note: Tried the veggie plate containing bok choy at Josie's restaurant (right downstairs from my apt, who knew?) and was equally amazed.

Side side note: Cut the bottom tip off bok choy to make a very pretty flower stamp. This also works with other lettuce and cabbage heads. A very brilliant 5 year old taught me this.

the very brilliant 5 year old

THE TURNING POINT

Oprah calls it an "ah ha moment," Malcolm Gladwell calls it a "tipping point," I just saw it as a natural evolution as more and more signs pointed in a direction that made me really happy and, more importantly, was good for the earth. I try my best not to make this blog too autobiographical, but I feel that this one time in the beginning it would be alright to explain myself. This post is about what, and who, recently lead me here in the hopes that it might be a path worth exploring for yourself.

1. Our trip to Paris.

My roommate Lauren and I left New York pretty suddenly in March to get away and stay with her (now our) friend Jacquie. There was something about staying in a quaint Parisian apartment, eating freshly baked bread and pastries, having simple, home cooked gourmet meals at night, and just living plainly but chicly that really made an impact. I learned that I lived too fast in New York, and that vintage shopping, market going, and pastry eating was more than plenty to keep me sane. Jacquie taught me a tremendous amount about taste (in the design and food sense), taking life in strides, and being a lovely Parisienne (even if she did marry into it). You can learn more about her and follow her here.

Jacquie's Gorgeous Set Table

2. Food, Inc.

It truthfully started a long while back with Fast Food Nation, but to be contemporary about it, Food, Inc. is what pried opened my tightly shut eyes to the food industry's horrible, horrible, corruption. I mean who the fuck knew?? I watched the documentary soon after arriving back in New York and it just made me queasy, knowing what I had lived on in Paris and what I'd already been binging on since back in the States. Sick. I mean I grew up in the south, I grew up around hog farms, I lived through Hurricane Floyd, I saw the destruction the industry has on the earth and I didn't even think about it. I ate my BBQ and I was happy. Happy and unhealthy.

3. Earthlings.

As Ellen said, Food, Inc. is 'like a Disney movie' compared to Earthlings. For me it was the nail in the coffin for animal products. I won't say much more about the Joaquin Phoenix-narrated documentary, except that I threw up and cried for a while after watching it and haven't eaten meat, dairy, or eggs since. Only. Only watch this if you're serious about being vegan, because you won't have much of a choice afterwards. You can watch the captivating and enlightening interview with the beautiful Ellen below. You should check out the whole thing (why wouldn't you, it's Ellen), but she speaks of her vegan ways and influences about halfway through. And you can visit the [intense] Earthlings website and watch the trailer here.

God she's awesome. Thanks ML for posting that interview, btw.

4. The Kind Diet.

I'd seen that Alicia had a cookbook out a while back, but only being marginally vegetarian at the time I thought, "cool," but it didn't really apply to me. Then, the day after I watched Earthlings, I went to the farmer's market to get my veggies, but on the walk home realized I had no idea what to make with them, and it just dawned on me that her book would be perfect. I had no idea that Alicia would become my personal best friend and gal-pal through the whole transition. Her book is like Clueless for curious yet clueless herbivores. Everything she says is genuine and adorable, but one of my favorite quotes of hers in the book is on page 21 and continues to page 22.

And maybe it's not in our nature to eat meat. If I were to put a child in a room with a live lamb and say, "That's your dinner... go for it!" what do you think she would do? Chances are I'd come back an hour later to find them cuddling on the floor together. A young tiger would know what to do... but a human? I understand that some of our ancestors had to kill, but they did it for survival, used the whole animal, and expended enormous amounts of energy in the hunt. That's a world away from scarfing down a double cheeseburger for lunch at your desk.

Alicia's tone is perfect throughout the book. Exactly the down-to-earth funny tone that you'd expect your best friend to have whilst explaining her absurd-why-would-you-ever-give-up-meat switch in diet. My mom was visiting when I was in the middle of reading it, and she is now a proud owner of the book as well and possibly a new vegetarian! It's just delightful. Visit Alicia's blog [my new homepage] The Kind Life here.

5. No Impact Man

Just a great, great documentary about a great guy living in a great city [New York] trying to neutralize his carbon footprint. Made me realize the greatness of living in a great city doing great things for your health and the earth. It's so informative and FEEL GOOD. Learn more about and follow my last inspiration here.

So there you have it. Whether you know me and was wondering 'what the hell' when you learned I was now vegan, or you don't and you just stumbled across this blog, those are the 5 main reasons I'm happier today than I've ever been.

Bam.