Author Archive

Delia Montgomery

Delia, d/b/a Chic Eco on www.ChicEco.com, established herself as an eco fashion guru by learning "who makes what in the world of environmental fashion and design."

She gets her kicks this way. From sustainable fashion apparel to paint and flooring, discoveries are a rush and even better when she connects suppliers with retailers as a broker. Aspects of her business vary with services, but Delia is known to be the contact that embraces weird gigs.

Delia enjoys freelance writing about environmental design, fashion and art, ― from both consumer and supplier perspectives. Her published portfolio includes Conscious Choice, Fiber Ethics, Design Works, Natural Matters and Yogi Times (U.S. and Canadian magazines), as well as OmPlace, Feminist.com, EcoMall and other green-minded websites. Her bimonthly Eco Style column for In Business, a magazine dedicated to helping innovative individuals grow sustainable enterprises, ran nearly eight years until the publication dissolved 2008. For six years she wrote The Environment for Chevy Chaser, a monthly Kentucky community paper.

Delia is originally a Kentucky Blue Grass gal who relocated to the tropical Puna District of Big Island, Hawaii late August 2007. She constructed a yurt early 2009 and attempts to live off the grid as much as possible. Organic landscaping is developing with a full eco system in a semi-urban setting. Reputed as a slum neighborhood, she's determined and challenged with the tiny lot. Also in the lava zone, but then everybody in the region is. She happens to dig the earthquake vibrations while living alone, yet amongst everyone else's pets. Heck, it's paradise to her!

Respecting Earth by Urth Means

For the past two years, founder Monica Ralli of UrthBags in California, developed strategies to inspire people. Her goal was to create a stronger sense of eco-consciousness on our overly-disposable planet.

Monica also planned how to stimulate the job market. She intended to provide work that would benefit local craftsmen and women’s organizations worldwide. Simultaneously, waste would be reduced significantly.

The handbag materials are milk cartons, juice boxes, telephone books, and newspapers. The craftspeople are artisans from across the globe. Designers are both staffed and sourced.

Yurt Living: More Window Shopping

It’s ironic I’m writing about windows while my yurt in the tropical rain forest of Hawaii is enduring the heaviest rainfall I’ve ever witnessed. The awnings are proving their worth well.

Why don’t I close the windows? Well, I’m getting there. It’s just that I don’t have a deck around my 3-foot elevated yurt and therefore a ladder is required. The picture tells the story.

Big Wardrobe Shopping in UK

Emma, who helps run the Internet’s numero uno fashion recycling website, contacted me to ask if I could imagine opening my wardrobe and choosing from over 10 million outfits? Of course I replied with enthusiasm and she said “welcome to the future of Bigwardrobe.com.”

Emma explains that it’s like a small environmentally-friendly version of eBay. Yet the merchandise is strictly apparel with three categories of men, women, kids. Love the tailored coat offering pictured.

Yurt Living: Window Shopping

Seems yurt manufacturers have been surveying customer comments. Good thing, as that’s how progressive changes occurred at the Colorado Yurt Company. They recently added a new design because customers relayed their preference to open their windows from inside.

This is good news for yurt dwellers without an exterior walking deck and with a raised platform. For those, it’s go outside with your ladder.

Fully Operable Windows is the new description in Colorado. It opens like a traditional home window with a crank. Each window is big enough to meet code requirements for egress. Made with a thermal pane and Low-E glass in a Doug fir frame. E-glass means low emissivity glass, a new technology for energy efficiency.

Stinging Nettle Thrives in Netherlands

Who is king on stinging nettle fabric? Well, Brennels claims to be the only company in the Netherlands to grow stinging nettles on a large scale. Driving forces are sustainability, fabric and fashion.

What’s new is the digestion process to produce lighter and more delicate nettle fibers to spin into fine yarns. The company has around 70 hectares of agricultural farmland in the north of the country dedicated to production with three years of extensive research under their belt.

Yurt Living: Weddings + Special Events

Selene and Alex Cole have a US-neighbor company, Little Foot Yurts, in Nova Scotia. Their style is based on traditional Mongolian and Kazakh yurt designs.

Most regions in the US have some style of yurt company these days, so what’s the big deal? The answer is rental and setup services.

Sewing Thread Technology

Designers may brace themselves with glee because recycled threads are coming to market!

German thread maker Amann, with the new Lifecycle Threads brand name, distributed press releases to the trade last August.

Yurt Living: Creative Flooring Suppliers

Since yurt kits are typically shipped to the building site without a floor, anything other than a local resource requires orchestration. That’s because the floor is ideally finished before the yurt is erected.
Alterego in Maryland can discuss the feasibility of FSC certified hardwood, cork, bamboo, linoleum, or rubber floor materials for your yurt structure. The company is owned by architects who offer sustainable products with modern designs.

Eco-luxury Infant Clothes Competition Summary

If you didn’t catch the Best Eco-luxury Infant Clothes Designer competition winner, read about Carrie Jekogian for LolaBabiez Organics here.

The first runner-up is Tina Bossy for Bossy Baby and the second runner-up is Rachel Hart for Miss Sugar Pops. Be sure to read the related posts below to discover all the terrific nominations.

Yurt Living: Floor Options

Very few globe-scattered yurt companies offer flooring. The exception is special event yurt providers and concierge service companies.

If you purchase your yurt near the location of your site, the yurt salesman may help connect you with an appropriate supplier. Otherwise, you are entirely responsible for the yurt flooring. No need to get the heebie-jeebies though.

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