Green Options » Courtney Carlisle

LaVanila’s Scents Warm You Up

Courtney Carlisle — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:44:56 +0000

With blizzards and airport delays, there’s no doubt about it - winter has arrived.

Fortunately, the new vanilla coconut moisturizing body balm ($25) from LaVanila combines luscious coconut, creamy sandalwood and madagascar vanilla to creates a scent that preserves the feeling of a so cal summer. It also comes packed with vitamins to nourish your skin.

Check out their healthy fragrances too - they are a yummy way to channel Fiji and Tahiti while you are all bundled up.

Vamp it Up - the Ultimate Eco-Haute Accessory

Courtney Carlisle — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:36:36 +0000

Looking for something fun, sexy and sophisticated to tote around in the New Year? Oh - but it also has to be environmentally responsible? This may be your lucky year. With the success of the Twilight series, it doesn’t get much sexier than Vamp Bags.

I met the Vamp girls, Deanna and Tara, in Boulder, CO (home town of English Retreads) this fall and got to take a sneak peek at their upcoming 2009 collection (see Frenchie below in red) as well as bags from the signature line that are still fan favorites.

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Q+A with EcoStiletto’s Amazingly EcoChic Rachel Sarnoff

Courtney Carlisle — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:41:30 +0000

In the short time since she has launched the haute green newsletter and site, EcoStiletto, which encourages all the ladies to stiletto-size their carbon footprint from an Ugg Boot to a tiny Manolo, Rachel Sarnoff has made a huge impact of her own.

I got a chance to get the scoop on her inspiration and objectives and couldn’t wait to share them with the FGS readers. Keep reading to hear about her Fashion Week eco-find and what gets her going to inspire other green fashion mavens.

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Revolution Organics 22 Uses Body Balm and Chapstick

Courtney Carlisle — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:59:03 +0000

What has 22 uses wrapped into one eco-friendly package? The revolutionary body balm stick ($28) from Revolution Organics is a multi-purpose, travel friendly product that resembles a large tube of chapstick but has the ability to soften lines, soothe chapped lips, tame unruly eyebrows and fly aways and even nourish your cuticles.

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Make this Year a Green Halloween

Courtney Carlisle — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:47:52 +0000

With childhood obesity rates and even scarier, type II diabetes rates in children under 10 years old sky rocketing, it’s time to take up the mantra of Green Halloween and start to “think outside the candy box.”

I learned about this program in the spring and am so impressed by what the founder, Corey Colwell-Lipson has accomplished after taking her idea to Whole Foods a year ago.

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Green Weddings: What Green Drinks to Serve?

Courtney Carlisle — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:13:23 +0000

One of the hardest things about planning my upcoming wedding is figuring out what to serve - we want to offer a full bar and local fare, but how far do we have to go to ensure that it’s organic, free range, local and so on…as if we didn’t have enough details to handle in the first place?

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Celebrate Green! A Year Round Guide to Eco-Friendly Events

Courtney Carlisle — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:32:48 +0000

Not like you have to ask me twice to throw a party or give me much of an excuse, but Celebrate Green! ($19), the new book from mom and daughter team Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson, makes me want to host events year round.

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Green Weddings: The Reading List

Courtney Carlisle — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:54:46 +0000

From the minute you get engaged, you are bombarded by questions about your wedding - what are your colors, where will you have it, when will it be? Fortunately, there are experts to help guide you in answering all of these questions. And, for eco-savvy brides-to-be, there are several options when it comes to serving up a green wedding.

For all of the green girls who will be wearing white soon, here are some books to help you take small, sustainable steps down the aisle.

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Eco-Savvy Party Invites

Courtney Carlisle — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 02:17:58 +0000

Have a birthday party coming up or want to invite your son and daughter’s friends over for a Halloween party this year? Check out the adorable sustainably printed invites from Smock paper.

Not only are these letterpress invites printed on bamboo paper, one of the most sustainable materials on the planet, but the company is also a 1% for the Planet company.

The team behind the gorgeous wedding letterpress company, Bella Figura, is the same team behind Smock. They run as environmentally friendly as possibly and never come up short on fabulous and whimsical style.

Keep on Rocking in a Green World

Courtney Carlisle — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:59:56 +0000

It’s true - the adorable Galup rocker by Argington ($89) gives me rocking chair envy. I want one in my size! Crafted specifically to be adjusted for 2 to 6 year old kids as they grow (so quickly!), this sturdy chair is a great addition to any nursery or big boy’s room.

Argington does a great job of merging simple and sophisticated taste with sustainable sensibility.

Since the company uses 99% wood products in their furniture with virtually no mdf, particle board, flake board or other similar engineered wood products, parents can rest easier knowing their children won’t be inhaling harmful fumes from particle board.

The wood also comes from managed renewable forrests established specifically to provide long-term responsible solutions towards the growing demand of timber related products.

Check here for availability.

Castagna Electrifies the Fiat 500

Courtney Carlisle — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:01:42 +0000

In the fifties, beach goers could jet around in the Fiat 500 Jolly meant to be a zippy golf cart replacement when running to the yacht or out to the course. The hot Italian car design firm known for bringing the past into the present, Castagna, is building the Tender Two, a modern-day take on the Fiat 500 without the doors and back seat but keeping the zippy style and adding a few special features.

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Kangaru Eco Drive

Courtney Carlisle — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 05:23:46 +0000

The Kanguru Eco Drive ($80) is one of the longest lasting, inexpensive to operate external hard drives currently available according to the company.

It’s also more environmentally friendly than most. Using it’s patented Power Saving mode that has three settings - Power Down, Standby and Idle, it automatically gauges drive usage to reduce energy consumption and prolong the life of hard drive. In addition to the power saving modes, it also comes with power monitoring software to help it use 75% less power than similar hard drives.

Mac and PC compatible, the USB 2.0 drive is 3.5″ and comes in a variety of storage capacities.

Fashion Takes Flight with Sparrow Handbags

Courtney Carlisle — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:37:16 +0000

From shoppers to clutches, the cruelty-free vegan handbag collection from Sparrow is not only socially conscious but also fashion forward. Each bag is designed from organic and sustainable materials into functional and fun to carry purses.

The prints are created and designed in-house using non-toxic inks while the bag bottoms are cut from recycled tetra boxes, and handles are crafted using stiff hemp webbing. Each element is thoughtfully and conscientiously crafted marrying great design with eco-savvy.

EcoStilettoKids Launches with Event in LA

Courtney Carlisle — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:33:43 +0000

EcoStiletto is launching EcoStilettoKids, the newest blog on the block for eco-kids, that is devoted to all things green parenting-related, from sustainable faux fur teddy bears to the waste-free lunch kits—plus the cutest organic kids’ clothes, reusable diapers

This Sunday, September 21st in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, as part of Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots celebration of the United Nations’ International Day of Peace, the division in hosting it’s launch party and calling all eco-residents to join in the fun.

Peace Day at Griffith Park will be hosted by Pierce and Keely Brosnan and feature a Hot Moms Club EcoFashion Show announced by Shiva Rose and Anna Getty, where I’ll also be walking (in eco-friendly stilettos, natch).

In the EcoStiletto Kids Launch Party tent near the Merry-Go-Round, visitors can:

pose as an eco-celebrity on the EcoStiletto green carpet
get formaldehyde-free mommy-and-me manicures courtesy of Recess for Your Hands and Feet
make an organic flower bouquet with the experts at Wisteria Lane Flowers
take home a sample pack from California Baby
enjoy O.N.E. Coconut Water (YUM!)

Come out and play if you are local or check out the new section next week!

Mark Your Spot without Leaving a Trace: Bushnell BackTrack GPS

Courtney Carlisle — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:16:10 +0000

One of the hardest things about camping is leaving everything the way you found it. Well, Bushnell is trying to make one part of that as simple as possible with the Bushnell BackTrack GPS Navigation System that lets you digitally mark your starting location and find your way back without leaving a trail of bread crumbs to follow.

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EcoTraveler: Alisal Guest Ranch

Courtney Carlisle — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:30:36 +0000

In Solvang, California nestled among old oaks and the sycamore grove, is the Alisal Guest Ranch, a working dude ranch opened to the public in 1946 for a little outdoor R&R. This historic property has played host to celebrities, presidents and local fans for decades. John F. Kennedy and Jackie Onassis even spent their honeymoon at the ranch, which backs up to the well-known Reagan property.

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EcoTraveler: San Francisco’s Orchard Garden Hotel

Courtney Carlisle — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:05:27 +0000

The Orchard Garden Inn claims to be San Francisco’s “Purely Green Hotel,” and as a one of the only LEED certified hotels in the country, I would say it’s off to a good start. Wanting to support such eco-minded entrepreneurs, I checked out the boutique hotel this weekend.

The hotel staff were lovely and although our room wasn’t ready when we arrived, they made accommodations for our bags while we took a day trip to Napa to visit vineyards, such as Domaine Carneros, a gem for delicious California Bruts made from organic grapes - more on that later. When we returned and checked into our Terrace Suite, the staff were just as welcoming and amiable as they had been earlier that day, a true plus for the service industry.

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From Tractors to Runway Passchal Recycled Handbags

Courtney Carlisle — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:08:59 +0000

Passchal is the first-ever eco-luxury accessory line created from recycled tractor tire inner tubes, and it is fabulous. Created by Angela Greene and Ken Kobrick, an innovator (who doesn’t carry a purse at all) and ex-welder, the operation started in a 900 sq ft home in Virginia and has gained a lot of traction since its 2004 launch.

Passchal collects inner tubes from VA, Ohio and GA tractors, which then undergo a rigorous but environmentally friendly, multi-day cleaning process before being crafted into bags. To date, Passchal has recycled approximately 20 tons of inner tubes creating their line of bags.

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Eco-EEEvolution in Desktop Computers from Asus

Courtney Carlisle — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:21:06 +0000

The highly anticipated Eee Box from Asus launched last month, giving gadget geeks one more eco-alternative for their computing needs, whether for business or pleasure. Slimmer than a paperback novel, the Eee box mounts onto the back of any VESA LCD display to save space.

Not only is this nifty little set up space saving, but according to the company, it’s time saving as well. They claim that it takes only 7 seconds from booting up to getting online.

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Dude, It’s a Dell Hybrid

Courtney Carlisle — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:55:42 +0000

I cannot believe that I am actually lusting over a Dell desktop computer - albeit, this is no standard computer.

Dell’s Studio Hybrid taps an energy-efficient Intel^® Core^TM 2 Duo Mobile Processors to use 70% less power and is Dell’s most environmentally savvy desktop computer to date.

It’s compact size (it’s 81% smaller than a standard desktop tower according to the company) and 6 jewel-toned cases make it perfect for prominent display in your eco-office, but I have to say, the bamboo sleeve is definitely hot.

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