ecofabulous » Lifestyle

Winner Announced for eBay’s Creative Reuse Competition!

caitlin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:21:48 +0000

Last fall, ecofabulous teamed up with eBay’s Green Team to launch the Creative Reuse Contest for the third and final phase of the re+purpose campaign. DIY maven and ecofabulous founder, Zem Joaquin, created three DIY projects (a cabinet, a telephone bench, and a couch) to serve as guides and inspiration for the contest, encouraging talented people across America to give new life to old objects and submit before and after pictures of the creative ways in which they’ve repurposed what already exists in the world today.

After much deliberation (there were so many incredible submissions!) the winner of the contest was selected – Joshua Pfenning, a Los Angeles furniture designer, who transformed an abandoned couch into a mid-century masterpiece, stripping the original down to the frame and reupholstering it in a green velvet fabric with a soy foam padding.

“I’m delighted to have been part of this competition, drawing so much inspiration and motivation from eBay design enthusiasts nationwide,” said Zem. “We had a staggering number of fabulous entries – from DIY desks and cabinets to purses and even cars! People truly expressed themselves via their projects, showing their creativity and commitment to the environment; winner Joshua Pfenning wowed everyone on the eBay Green Team with his great eye for design.”

Along with a $1,000 shopping spree on eBay, Joshua also received an eco consultation with Zem, which happened last month at his LA studio. “I knew intuitively that refurbishing found furniture had a positive environmental impact, but I had no idea how easy and affordable it was to integrate sustainable design elements into my work, ” Joshua said afterwards.

With part of the prize money, Joshua bought himself a used espresso machine off of eBay. He’s putting the rest of it into his latest couch repurposing project, which is in the works. We’re hoping to get a sneak peek of the project (over a nice cappuccino, of course) when it’s all finished!

For more ecofabulous insights, sign up for Zem’s List and be entered to win free eco goodies each month!

Testing, Testing 1, 2, 3…

caitlin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:39:53 +0000

Late nights spent shouting over loud music, day long speaking engagements, or a tickle in the throat – all can be cause for a less than perfect voice. And when the occasion calls for brilliance, it’s the crowd you want speechless, not your performance.

Take it from famous musicians like Joss Stone and Rob Thomas, Vocal-eze Professional Throat Spray is a life-saver. A proprietary blend of marshmallow root, osha root, licorice root, echinacea and other natural ingredients, this little spray gets you back in the groove without the use of harsh, synthetic chemicals ($10.99). So whether you’re a teacher, preacher, musician or sales rep, keep a bottle of Vocal-eze handy because as they say, “the show must go on!”

For more ecofabulous insights, sign up for Zem’s List and be entered to win free eco goodies each month!

Ecofab TV: 2010 Global Green Pre-Oscar Party

caitlin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:33:42 +0000

Last week’s 7th annual Global Green Pre-Oscar Party in Los Angeles saw Hollywood celebs like Jessica Alba, Leonardo DiCaprio, Radha Mitchell, Sebastian Copeland, Suzy & James Cameron, Serena Williams, former Spice Girl Mel B and more. Rockin’ out with environmentalists and citizen activists alike, these sustainably minded celebs came out to walk the green carpet and support the evenings theme, “Greener Cities for A Cooler Planet.” Check out the video below produced by Coco Eco Magazine with interviews by Katherine Butler from Greenopia:

With a lineup like Mia Maestro, Benji & Joel Madden from Good Charlotte and Camp Freddy, the Avalon was one big eco-friendly party – all to support Global Green’s efforts to combat global climate change by creating green buildings and cities.

Guests also saw a special sneak peek of Suzy Cameron’s (wife of James Cameron) eco-friendly Oscar gown made by Jillian Ganz, winner of the first “Red Carpet, Green Dress” contest started by Suzy to raise money for the green nonprofit elementary school Muse (more on this soon!).

Thanks again to all the amazing sponsors (Caroma, 360 Vodka, Newton Vineyard, Pureology, Alternative Apparel, Office Depot, Sempre, LACarGUY, VOX Entertainment, EcoSystem and Angeleno Magazine to name a few). For more photos, click here.

For more ecofabulous insights, sign up for Zem’s List and be entered to win free eco goodies each month!

*Photo credit: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Global Green, John Shearer/Getty Images for Global Green

Book Club: Shift Your Habit

caitlin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:00:56 +0000

Long-time advocates of the “small steps add up to big change” philosophy, we’ve been huge fans of shiftyourhabit.com since the day the site launched. Tomorrow marks the highly anticipated release of Elizabeth Roger’s book, Shift Your Habit: Easy Ways to Save Money, Simplify Your Life, and Save the Planet. Rogers shows how a family’s small daily shifts can add up to over $50,000 in savings per year! With over 500 small shifts that add up to make a big difference, pre-order your copy today and get ready to discover that “the true heart and soul of living green is efficiency.”

For more ecofabulous insights, sign up for Zem’s List and be entered to win free eco goodies each month!

Ask A Local: Zem Joaquin’s San Francisco

caitlin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:10:59 +0000

Ecofabulous founder and SF Green Queen, Zem Joaquin, got her first taste of sustainability as a child, growing up on Joan Baez’s commune in Palo Alto. A firm proponent that you don’t have to sacrifice style for sustainability – especially in a city as hip and green as San Francisco – JetBlue asked Zem about her favorite local spots in this City by the Bay. Click here to read the full article, including her favorite dishes at local restaurants, her top-secret spots in the city and what makes the ecofabulous story so uniquely San Francisco.

For more ecofabulous insights, sign up for Zem’s List and be entered to win free eco goodies each month!

The True Meaning of Green: Top St. Patty’s Day Picks

caitlin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:55:10 +0000

An excuse to wear funny hats, dance in the streets, drink green beer and pinch all your co-workers! St. Patrick’s Day is a fantastic festive holiday, but one that also generates tons of waste (12 million greeting cards are sent each year!). This time around, fight green, drink green and dress green with our top ecofabulous picks that are high on fun and low on environmental impact.

	Tee-Top O’ The Morning To Ya: Steer clear of the office pinch in this super soft organic cotton green tee from SUST ($45). If you’re looking for something with a little more holiday personality, try this one ($24) or sport your hessnatur “World in Your Hand” tee ($20) for a message that boasts the true meaning of green. Since Patty’s Day seems to be a favorite holiday among the ecofab men, pass this pick along to the lads in your life ($28).
	Irish Bread Basket: Want a traditional experience? Whip up a loaf of organic Irish soda bread for guests – it’ll give your party a little authenticity (and help soak up the beer!) ($22.50).
	Leprechaun Appreciation Day: Be politically correct this Patty’s Day with a greeting card from Seltzer Goods that shows your support of the little green men. Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper using veggie-based inks ($3.50).
	Hello Dolly: Handmade of upcycled fabric (vintage shamrock fabric from the 1950’s!) and stuffed with natural carded wool, these baby gnome dolls are beyond adorable ($28). You can even place a custom order to have the doll mirror your child’s features – glasses, blonde hair and all!
	For The Littlest Leprechauns: Send ‘em to school decked out in this hipÂ 100% organic cotton hoodie – it’s reversible, so if a midday spill or stain occurs, just turn it inside out and voila! ($32). For tinier tots, pick up this festive organic onesie ($30).
	For True Green Drinking: Better than just dying the color, choose a truly green beer! Here’s a great list of 10 top eco beers – some are organic, some use clean energy to power the brewery, and others use delivery trucks powered on veggie oil or insist that all labels are printed on post-consumer recycled paper. Who knew that drinking could be so good for the environment? The list includes one of our favorites, MateVeza, for a an extra kick to keep that jig dancing going all night long!
	Glass Half Full: Pair that environmentally sensitive cerveza with a glass that shares the same ethics – choose from beer glasses made of recycled car windshields (the “no drinking and driving” message is clear here!) or sip from an upcycled beer bottle glass ($20 and $34 respectively).
	Green Eggs & Ham: Add a little Patty’s Day coloring to anything on the menu with this all natural, vegan, gluten-free food coloring. Made of vegetable and fruit dyes, add it to one of the eco beers mentioned above for a seriouly festive drink ($15).
	True Irish Eyes: If you’re not quite ready to sport the full leprechaun outfit, try dressing up with a touch of organic green eye shadow from Nvey – #165 Lime Green will do the trick ($24).
	Walk the Talk: Put a little jig in your step! Keds Green Label shoes are made of 100% organic cotton, with 100% recycled PET shoe laces and an outsole made of 20% recycled rubber ($55).

For more ecofabulous insights, sign up for Zem’s List and be entered to win free eco goodies each month!

Join Us At The Global Green Pre-Oscar Party

caitlin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:24:03 +0000

This Wednesday March 3rd, join Orlando Bloom, Suzy & James Cameron, Sebastian Copeland, Penelope Cruz, Rosario Dawson, Adrian Grenier, Woody Harrelson and many more (including the ecofabulous ladies!) at this year’s Global Green Pre-Oscar Party in Los Angeles. The star studded rock-n-roll event will be held at the Avalon in Hollywood with performances by Camp Freddy, Benji & Joel of Good Charlotte and Mia Maestro.

Come party with a cause! Tickets start at $75 and proceeds go to Global Green’s initiatives for national green building, including the creation of healthy green affordable housing and schools.

If you’re not a local Angeleno or already have your Oscar week events planned out, you can still donate to Global Green online here. And not to worry, we’ll make sure to have all the best celeb pics from the green carpet – we’ve been down in LA with Vie PR & Showroom working with a few select guests on their totally ecofabulous outfits and can’t wait to share some of the incredible designers that will be featured!

For more ecofabulous insights, sign up for Zem’s List and be entered to win free eco goodies each month!

VIDEO: A Wake Up Story

caitlin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:08:33 +0000

Check out this incredible new video from Healthy Child Healthy World! A must see for every parent and anyone who cares about eliminating toxins from our homes and further supporting the development of a chemical-free childhood. It all comes back to one simple question, “What’s more important than the health of your child?” Join Healthy Child Healthy World, take the pledge and then share with friends!

For more ecofabulous insights, sign up for Zem’s List and be entered to win free eco goodies each month!

Greener Gadgets Conference

caitlin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:58:15 +0000

Calling all green techies! Stay tuned as ecofabulous editor Sara Little reports live from the Greener Gadgets Conference in New York – a day devoted to energy efficiency and sustainable design for electronics. From innovative recycling technologies to packaging solutions to greener product manufacturing to a focus on utilizing renewable energy when designing for developing nations, this conference covers it all. Follow Sara on Twitter at @saralittle as she sends out updates, and keeps us posted on the highly anticipated Greener Gadgets Design Competition!

For more ecofabulous insights, sign up for Zem’s List and be entered to win free eco goodies each month!

Elsewhere in the Ecosphere

caitlin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:17:03 +0000

Here are today’s picks for what’s wow in green:

Seoul Transforms a Lost Stream Into An Urban Park

BioBus Brings Science Class to Schools with Insufficient Resources

New Airline Recycling Rankings

China, USA & India Offer UN Climate Pledge to Reduce Carbon Emissions

Olympic Medals Made From Recycled E-Waste

For more ecofabulous insights, sign up for Zem’s List and be entered to win free eco goodies each month!