Eco Boudoir Lingerie

Eco Boudoir is one of the most hot, comfy, and mind boggling expensive eco lingerie brands out there... and I am totally obsessed with how beautiful each luxury design is. But guess what ?!? Some of last season's heavenly creations are now on SALE, which makes them almost affordable! Knickers, Camisoles, Shorts and Naughty Eye Masks are all 50% closer within your grasp, so when you fantasize about wearing these skivvies your fantasy is 50% more real too!
You can find these eco luxury sales @ http://www.eco-boudoir.com/ and my favorite UK store http://www.thenaturalstore.co.uk/ .

Put A Filter On That Tap

I noticed there's a new tap water revolution encouraging us all to drink city water since it is more eco friendly then buying bunches of energy consuming bottled water. But it seems in many of the pro-tap articles a huge health issue is being left out, and that is all tap water has toxic chemicals in it to kill bacteria and in many older cities the water comes through old lead pipes. When I lived in NYC a main pipe in Union Square had finally broke- the old lead pipe was an original from when the first city plumbing was installed underground... it finally had rotted and collapsed around the year 2000. Before it collapsed people were bathing and drinking that rotted pipe water. I would venture to say that a health crisis is just as bad for the environment and economy as all those crazy bottles we have to recycle. In one southern county I lived (here in North Carolina) the city would provide a yearly review of the tap water and all it's chemical/mineral content. I was not surprised to find chlorine (aka bleach) in very high amounts and on the same document there was a warning for the elderly and chronically ill not to drink the tap because of the chemicals they used to "cleanse" the water.

The argument also for tap water is that bottled water is no better... hmmm... and this I have to say : Yes, if you buy bottled water from companies owned by Coca Cola you are getting filtered tap anyway, so don't support a crazy cooperation selling bottled sink water. The other issue to check with bottled water is UV filtering. UV filtering causes ozone which in turn kills bacteria, the water has to be blasted with so much bacteria killing ozone that if a human being were to breathe the amount of UV air used they would suffocate to death. The reason most bottled spring water has strange chemicals in it once tested is due to these ozone molecules breaking down, once they break down they begin to adhere themselves to other molecules- and voila, any chemical reaction is possible! This typically creates a bunch of nasty aldehydes...super yuck!

So if you rather indulge in the tap revolution, make sure you stick a filter on it... a good pricey filter that will last a long time- just like you want your body to do. And if you drink bottled water instead read the labels for UV filtering (Fiji and Volvic do not UV filter their water), and make sure to recycle those plastic bottles- or fill them with sand and build a eco hut out of them, or start a plastic bottle chandelier boutique... be creative with your trash !

To find quality water filters and water conservation gear for your tap try Real Goods @ http://www.realgoods.com/category/home-outdoor/water-quality-conservation.do

An ALL Sustainable Wardrobe

I have a totally sustainable wardrobe. Seriously. Everything I wear and own is Organic, Fair Trade/Fair Wage, Vintage, and there's one hoody bought locally and given to me as a gift. How did this happen? I started over from scratch, literally - one day I drove away from my house, I sold it, left everything for donation and started completely new... that new life started with a visit to a local organic clothing store in Asheville, NC. And there I found bunches of inspiration - mainly cause alot of what was in the store was dorky and a flooding plethora of ideas entered my mind. (The early stages of The Oko Box! Yay! ) I have had alot of people tell me they feel they have too much clothing , and so I made a 3-6 month rule for myself about donating anything I don't use for that amount of time (seasons need not apply). It feels so much better, lighter, and free this way!
(In this picture -which I look really too intense in... I am wearing Organic Loomstate Jeans, thrift store 80's Pumps, a thrift dress I re-worked into a tunic, American Apparel socks, Oko Box Organic Necklace and my Kitty).

Blue Fish Plus Size Organic Clothing

Plus Size organic clothing is reallllllllly hard to find, so whenever I do find it, I will post it ! I know that many times the problem is most the Plus Size eco friendly duds are ... well... really a dud, maybe meant for the nursing home more then the active and hip. But sometimes there is a needle in the haystack that you can take over to the sexy punk side, and Blue Fish has one or two needles.
Blue Fish organic cotton clothing has their own sizing method that doesn't match any method in existence, so I will take a shot in the dark and say their clothing can go up to sizes well in the 4x range. Many of their fashions can be rather odd and pretty hippy-fied (especially this spring), but there are some cool pieces to note, like the fingerless gloves with sassy hand printed designs, various leggings, the hoody pictured here, and some other random pieces you'll have to sift through. Use your right brain, and imagine these pieces with your favorite jeans and favorite shoes, to find something that will fit your personal style.
Good Luck ! http://www.barclaystudio.com/

UPDATE!!! On April 26th 2008 I wrote another post about Plus Size Organic Clothing with some really cute eco designers!! Check it out HERE!

Kelgwo Organic Weave

Kelgwo is a small textile art atelier in Chiloe island, south of Chile in South America. The designers work with local wool, which is hand spun and dyed only with local plants and roots following ancient techniques- white and grey are the natural colors of the sheep. And the result is these beautifully woven pieces that look like they are from another realm altogether. Many of their creations can be worn several ways, as with the Open Weave Dress pictured above - it can be made shorter or longer and as a top with a hood, all depending on where you put your arms through the weave. FUN !
Check out all their dimension defying designs, like shawls, scarves, tops, coats and even table wear @ http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5356938 .

Broken Umbrella Drying Rack

This is barely even a DIY-er except that you carried the umbrella around till it broke, so now you can rip off the fabric (save for another cool DIY project) and use the wires as a clothes drying rack! Neato! (Compliments of the READYMADE Broken Umbrella Challenge). Clothes Dryers use tons of energy and are pretty horrible for the environment- spring & summer time is a great season to hang dry clothes instead. This umbrella drying rack is portable but not very pretty, so you may want to come up with a way to decorate or conceal the rod... any suggestions?

Check out other things you can do with your broken umbrella @ http://readymademag.com/macgyver/

Organic Tanks for the Queer and UnQueer

SKIN ON SKIN is the first organic queer friendly clothing line to pop up in the eco fashion niche. And let me tell ya something, I am loving on these tanks. Somewhat bizarre and mesmerizing artwork with either blatantly gender blasting messages or some more subtle like "Dig Deeper" (which would be my style since I am not queer enough to sport the word queer across my chest - super weird but not queer). These tanks are ultra sexy, ultra tough and totally affordable at $20-22. And here is their poetic statement " It's not about black or white or rainbow. It's about respect, culture and self-expression. It's about making a statement and wearing it loud. BUT MOST OF ALL, IT'S ABOUT COOL CLOTHES FOR COOL PEOPLE!" 4 percent of Skin on Skin sales benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and 1 percent For The Planet. Check these gals out @ http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5331735

Poo Poo Paper

You know you love poo poo - and that's why this paper made from elephant poo poo is going to be your new favorite stationary! http://www.poopoopaper.com/ is a company completely dedicated to creating beautiful journals, note cards, stationary and other paper products entirely from the grassy stuff left over from a dried elephant turd. How cool and dedicated is that ?! It is so eco friendly that just one blop of dung makes 25 LARGE sheets of paper equaling 10 standard size journals. No cutting down trees, no recycled paper production, just good ole' natural organic poop that was not being used anyway :). The most frequently asked question is does the paper smell and the answer is no, they are even working on scented poo poo paper (lemon & cinnamon flavored turd paper- yay !) The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company donates a portion of their profits to elephant welfare programs and conservation efforts.

PS - if you are really diggin' paper made of poop but would prefer if came from a different mammal, you can also get SHEEP POO PAPER! http://www.creativepaperwales.co.uk/how_made.asp
And KANGAROO POO PAPER! http://www.creativepapertas.com.au/

DIY Plastic Bottle Chandelier

This is the perfect DIY project for me, since I drink Fiji Water and have a way too huge collection of the bottles bagged up for recycle in my truck. Here are the instructions via DIY MAVEN who got the instructions via someone else... via .... on and on.... aren't all ideas recycled anyway ?

All you need:
a strand of icicle-style Christmas lights with 100 bulbs
a leather bracelet a-la 90's rocker style (although my suggestion would be a couple of white zip ties)
2 ceiling hooks, like they use for hanging plants
10 1-liter plastic soda or juice bottles
an X-acto knife or a very sharp bread knife

All you do:
1. Cut the bottom 1/3 off the bottles with the X-acto knife.
2. Remove the bottle’s lids and discard.
3. Slip 2 icicle light strands through the tops of each bottle.
4. Hold all the strands together with the leather bracelet or zip tie. You can fashion a loop with the additional zip tie (threaded through the first zip tie) to hang the chandelier from the ceiling hook.
5. Hang fixture from ceiling, and your done.
The original poster suggests that you shouldn’t leave the chandelier unattended, just in case the plastic bottles melt (!). To forestall meltage, I’d look for LED icicle lights, but they would increase your investment.

***You can order LED and Solar holiday lights from Real Goods, which are more eco friendly and healthier then melting plastic : http://www.gaiam.com/category/solar-living.do?gcid=S18376x028&keyword=real%20goods%20solar
Or for LED lights on SALE go to: http://www.christmaslightsandmore.com/Mini-LED-Lights_c_27-1-0.html

Pomdee Upcycled/Recycled Journals

I love Pomdee. I sell her fantastic healthy Soy Wax candles at http://www.theokobox.com/ . Her love of crafting has now extended to the funky fun eco journals pictured here..."This is a 100% recycled Journal made with a record album cover! I have cut the cover to the size that is typical of most journals 6"x9" and used recycled paper (no lines) on the inside, it comes with approx 80-90 sheets of paper and this is 1 of a kind!" Yay, I love upcycling !
Yes- before there was blogging, way back in the old days, we wrote stuff down with real ink pens on these white sheets of paper we cut too many trees for. With modern guilt free recycled paper we can now get in touch with our 1990's pre-blogging historical roots, and write like the ancients did.
Pomdee's Shop: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9596958

On The Inside Intimates

On The Inside is a local (Asheville, NC) designer that uses a mixture of new, recycled and organic cotton fabrics. These are sooooooo freaken cute (pictured here), the way the dots lead tightly from all the right places...which I bet you can hypnotize your lover with ;)

Their panties are always lined in organic cotton so your most treasured spot will breathe and be healthy. Each design is handmade just for you, which means no sweatshop labor and more community support. Does On The Inside know if they go completely over to the eco side they would rock the organic world?!? Check out their fun selection at : http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=958411616

DIY Eco Panties

This project is totally fun, totally eco, and I am still getting good mileage off my DIY Eco Panties! Now because I tend to give DIY instructions, the same way a Cajun lady from New Orleans gives a recipe (a little dis and a little dat, no don't get dat measure cup) ... I will add on a link to some 'real' instructions from One Hour Craft for their DIY Sexy Panties Post.

What you will need :
1. Siccors
2. Sewing machine, or alot of patience to hand sew with needle
3. Cute colored thread to match or contrast with your fabric
4. Left over fabric, old garment you want to cut from, or organic fabric - mine was left over fabric.
5. Lacey stretchy elastic - I cut mine off thrift store lingerie, that was otherwise not wearable.
6. some type of ribbon or fabric strips to make side ties -my aunt gave me an box of ribbons she no longer wanted.

My Secret Pattern :
1. I used an old pair of panties - you know you have some too, the kind that are gettin' saggy in the butt now, the ones you use for your period so they are mostly ruined, those panties you avoid and don't feel sexy in ... Cut the side seems open, and lay it flat to voila have a perfect pattern you know will fit you just right !
2. Now cut your fabric a little bigger then those pattern panties (unless you want them a quarter inch skimpier like I did) so that you can make a seam on the inside when sewing on the stretch lace.
3. Use the stitch on your sewing machine that has a little give, and sew the stretchy lace along all the edges on the outside of the panties.
4. Sew on dat ribbon to da left and to da right......
5. Try those babies on and do a dance of eco crafty joy !

And seriously, this is such a quickie eco craft with great reward !

So here's some more structured instructions (that include putting in the cotton liner which I had skipped) from the girls at One Hour Craft : http://www.onehourcraft.com/?p=421 !

Men's Organic Clothing

Men are the minority when it comes to the organic clothing market, so much so that most designers don't even make a men's line and the ones that do usually make only a small collection. But dang - look how freaken hot this organic cotton button down is...(even though the model looks a wee bit pouty, like maybe he wants some chocolate ice cream to go with that organic top .) You can get this Machja Belumo Shirt @ www.theokobox.com , where I keep a nice selection of hip organic clothing for you guys :) This Spring I will have even more from MACHJA for men, including their signature organic denim and french polos.

Urban Fox Eco Lingerie

I am addicted to eco lingerie...seriously this is my confession. And so I feel my search is never complete, my appetite for lustful yet organic lingerie is never satisfied- I always want more. Which is why I am super excited to have found URBAN FOX organic intimates that are made of bamboo and organic cotton, plus are so cute that this chick doing nothing but reading a book looks
completely awesome. The girl hanging from the stripper pole looks special too, cause what could be better then an organic striptease! woo ! The only thing is, from the looks of their website here http://www.urbanfoxeco.com/ there is no where online to buy these beauties, and only two stores in California where you can go find them (you lucky gals over on the west coast!) Keep fingers crossed that I can get these designs online at http://www.theokobox.com/ sometime soon...so we all can partake in these colorful skivvies!
UPDATE : Urban Fox is of course on ETSY, my fav place ! Check them out @ http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5485698 !

Organic Wedding Gowns

Luckily for those of you who happen to want to get married & have a strong eco conscience you can finally merge the two ideals into one creative endeavour. My grandmother had been a bridal consultant in New Orleans, and we would look at bridal magazines endlessly. The dramatic fashion fascinated me much more then the idea of marriage - and still does...but the environmental impact & waste does not. So here's my secret collection I have been working on of fabulous wedding dresses for the eco inclined.

*http://mycorset.com/ - Designer Rene Geneva makes incredible, show stopper, eco wedding gowns and corsets (as pictured here)- using sustainable materials such as hemp, organic cotton, and eco silk. This is for the high end eco wedding, these ethical bridal dresses can price well into $3,000 range- but holy crap they are awesome!

*http://www.threadheadcreations.com - Choices! Choices! At Threadhead Creations you can choose from a handful of organic bridal designs already on the rack, or design your own dress, or even work one on one with designer Rai-Lynne to design your very own dream dress. All materials used are sustainable fabrics like hemp/silk blends. These dresses are very affordable (as far as organic weddings go) starting at $475.

*http://www.getconscious.com/ - These guys make extraordinary eco wedding gowns for every genre, from the clean lined strapless, to the flowy Marilyn Monroe, Flamingo Dancing, Mermaid, and various other fun designs. Seriously, these dresses have character! Their prices start around $630 and go up well into $2,000 range for their eco couture styles.

*http://www.wholly-jo.co.uk/ - Custom made eco wedding dress created exactly the way you want it, by someone who lovingly will help you design just the right one for you. Only drawback for gals in the USA is this designer is based in the UK - Prices start around $600. Check out her picture gallery for inspiration!

*http://www.rawganique.com - Not my favorite store (because they don't always return e-mails from customers and dang their website is cluttered), but they do offer a reasonably priced eco wedding gown for $369, made of fine hemp linen. And for those of you on an eco budget, this is the cheapest option on the market.

*http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5151828 - Blue Sky Bridal is an eco esty store that carries pretty organic & vintage wedding veils, wraps, and corsets. Prices start as low as $35.

*DIY - A great way to go would be hire your local seamstress who can wip up your pretty dream dress from a picture or pattern (look for vintage patterns on e-bay), and purchase the organic fabric online from a store like http://www.nearseanaturals.com - who sells swatches and samples so you feel it before you decide what you want. The types of fabric with the most traditional look and feel would be hemp/silk blends, tencel or eco silk.

*VINTAGE - Try http://www.ebay.com/ for a crazy amount of used & vintage wedding gowns - sometimes priced as low as $5 ! Whoa that's freaken cheap and totally eco friendly! :)

UPDATE:::(April 22 2008) :::ISADORA is a designer on http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10810680/who has designed a beautiful stylish bamboo wedding gown. At present the photo is rather blurry but even through the haze you can see it is absolutely gorgeous!!! It runs about $750, which for an all eco wedding gown is pretty reasonable, or rather comparable to a traditionally made gown (aka-sweatshop/bad for the earth).
**GAIA CONCEPTIONS : Eco Designer on Etsy, Wedding dress is made with locally grown and milled organic cotton, this is a simple formal wedding gown that you can have custom designed, starting with this basic example. AWESOME price at only $250!!!
**Brides Against Breast Cancer This is the place to buy once worn and new donated gowns, and supporting breast cancer awareness ta' boot. They tour the USA with their collection, plus it currently says their online store is "coming soon". That could be now- so check it out :) www.makingmemories.org

Also, here is an article local to Asheville NC, where our local organic clothing/fabric maker SPIRITEX has added organic, bamboo, hemp and silk wedding gowns & bridesmaid gowns to their collection. I imagine they can be ordered, and are absolutely stunning. A must see for the eco-bride!
Green Wedding Gown Guide for Asheville.

NOTE: I have now updated this article and all the links, and added new gowns!!
Go HERE for the full organic wedding dress guide - http://oko-organic-clothing.blogspot.com/2008/05/eco-bridal-organic-wedding-dress.html !!!

Menstruation The Organic Way

Number One : Stop being scared and grossed out by your own blood - it's yours, and it ain't no thang but a chicken wang. Did you know that some hippies even water their plants with the menstrual blood ? Hmmmm...totally organic fertilizer. :)
"6.5 bil tampons and 13.5 bil sanitary pads - plus their packaging - end up in U.S. landfills or sewer systems each year. And while some tampons contain noxious perfumes, chlorine bleach-related dioxins, and carcinogenic preservatives called parabens, reusable menstrual cups are made from safe rubber or silicone and reusable pads are made with organic cotton" (Ideal Bite).
So here's your eco-choices for your health & planetary health :
*The Keeper : Menstrual Cup made of natural gum rubber (latex). The life expectancy of The Keeper - with proper care (ex: not washing in harsh chemicals) – can be up to 10 years!! FDA approved. If you have a sensitivity or allergy to rubber (latex), please order The Moon Cup, which is made of medical grade silicone.

*DivaCup : . . . not a tampon. . not a pad. Finally a better way! Modern Menstrual Cup* Reliable* Easy-To-Use *Latex- Free *Medical Silicone *Hypoallergenic *Comfortable *Convenient *Odorless *Reusable *Ecological *Economical - Hell Yeah!

*Natracare Tampons : A tampon that is made from only certified organic cotton to avoid unnecessary exposure to chemical residuals and synthetics. Natracare Organic cotton tampons and chemical free pads are high quality products made from only pure and natural materials that are not chlorine bleached and are free of rayon, plastics and synthetic materials. (Note: even organic tampons fill up landfills!)

*http://www.gladrags.com/ : All of your reusable menstrual options! Look for GladRags reusable organic cotton pads, The Keeper menstrual cup, The Keeper Moon Cup, The Diva Cup and Jade and Pearl sea sponge tampons.

*http://www.lunapads.com/ : These guys rock, not only do they sell cute reusuable pads and the Diva Cup, but they have Luna Panties which are actually 100% organic cotton sexy bikini briefs & thongs with a built in luna pad holder. Yay !

Want More? Read a discussion at the Ideal Bite Blog, where ladies discuss why they love their re-usable cups & pads - http://www.idealbite.com/blog/comments/apparently_im_the_one_whos_ok_with_bodily_fluids/

Eco Fashionista Hoody

I think this may be the most comfy and cutest eco hoody of all time! Made of 70% Bamboo, 25% Organic Cotton and 5% Spandex for stretch, it feels like smooth butter on your skin. On the front the print reads "ECO- chic, smart, fabulous" and amongst the floating leaves on back it says what you what to flaunt "eco fashionista" ;)
Thanks to Melissa of Mountains of The Moon for making such a perfect design ! "From start to finish, the collections in our Hemp Enlightenment line are designed, patterned, manufactured, dyed and tagged (using eco-friendly materials) in the USA in small, 100% sweatshop-free facilities that are family owned and operated. We choose to use eco-friendly materials like hemp, tencel and organic cotton that are known for durability and long-life. By selecting fabrics that are not only grown and processed using eco-friendly methods but that also last longer than conventional fabrics, we are able to produce clothing with longer lifecycles than the average garment."
This rad hoody will be available March 1st 2008 at http://www.theokobox.com/ .

Organic Models @ The Oko Box

Thanks for the shout out from http://www.thegreenset.com/ who eco-blogged about how cool the oko box's real human models are! (http://www.thegreenset.com/2008/02/im-ok-youre-oko-box.html ) All the models are local gals who live real lives, have real jobs, and have real bodies (no boobie jobs or tanning beds used - although an occasional push up bra may be snuck in). I take pics of real people so that I can learn about each organic design - how it fits, how the sizes truely run, how to wear it. This pic is from a photo shoot yesterday for the new improved OKO BOX website which will launch around March 1st 2008. In order from front to back is Megan, Jessica, Courtney, and Myself (Leslie)- we are all wearing organic, eco & vintage clothing and accessories. How awesome is that!?!

F*@k Plastic Tote

How do I love thee, let me count the ways... hmm, about a million plastic bags worth, that you can save! This organic tote has got it right, and I think I am in love with the straight forward message :) - catch yourself one of these cheeky bags at http://www.bringyourownbag.ca/ . And hopefully in the not to distant future you will see this very tote at http://www.theokobox.com/ .

YO! Bring Your Own Bag

Check out this fun grocery tote by http://www.fresheggshere.com/ ! Fresh Eggs has several other graphic choices including ones about saving water, wind turbines, anti-imperialism, nuturing nature, and even robot marriage- but I was particularly mezzzmerizzzed by the floating YO in the yellow circle. I always carry my own bag for running errands & delivering packages to the post, which I pack into my Ecolution Hemp Shopper (http://www.theokobox.com/ ). If I do happen to forget my hempy shopper I feel a pang of guilt when they hand me the plastic bag and I swear to make good use of it. But really there is no good use, not even for cat poo (since now they have biodegradable poop bags for that stuff ). According to Vincent Cobb of http://www.reusablebags.com/ & the EPA "U.S. plastic bag, sack, and wrap consumption is somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags consumed worldwide each year. Of those, millions end up in the litter stream outside of landfills—estimates range from less than one to three percent of the bags. Like candy wrappers, chewing gum, cigarette butts, and thousands of other pieces of junk, millions of the plastic bags end up littering the environment, and it takes months to hundreds of years for plastic bags to breakdown. As they decompose, tiny toxic bits seep into soils, lakes, rivers, and the oceans." GROSS ! ... so, YO -don't forget to BYOB!

Get your tote @ http://www.theokobox.com/ & http://www.fresheggshere.com/
Get your Bio Bags @ http://www.ecoproducts.com/

Recycled Denim Mini

Coming this March http://www.theokobox.com/ will have these super cute, super fun and super mini recycled denim skirts for $35. They are made from old jeans of every brand and size, reworked into a sassy skirt you can flaunt with your favorite shoes and spring top. I like my recycled mini with fish net anklet tights, 80's thrift pumps, and my organic VOTE tank (also available @ http://www.theokobox.com/ .) I sew each one of these mini's with character, love, and thread purchased at small local-owned fabric store. I have plans to make recycled denim shopping bags & other accessories from the left over jean scraps after the skirts are done. Yay !

Organic Food At Your Door

The small Smokey Mountain town I live in only has it's Farmers Market April till when it gets cold. In the meantime (November-March) I have to hunt my organic produce elsewhere, and for those of you also in rural areas or who are not able to drive there is an organic option for you : http://www.diamondorganics.com/! The great thing about Diamond Organics is that if you buy an organic sampler box you get FREE shipping, and it comes the very next day to your doorstep all fresh and full of yummy organics. They also carry other organic grocery items ( meat, fish, cheese, olives, tofu...) , gourmet cooking supplies, and prepared organic meals which you can add to your sampler box for a lesser shipping charge. In bigger cities, there are local programs that deliver a weekly organic produce box to your door for good prices. I named The Öko Box after the local organic produce box my BFF in Berlin got delivered every week- he was inspired to try all sorts of culinary adventures. He called it his "Öko Box", because "Öko" is German for organic.

Hemp Slippers

Yay! Time to play footsie in cute & comfy hemp slippers by Ecolution. Coming this March http://www.theokobox.com/ will be carrying men's and women's Hemp Tree House Slippers for $36.50. They smell oh so good and come in a hemp zipper pouch that you can re-use to carry your other eco goodies- like that solar powered shaver, recycled toothbrush, organic body lotion, or your eco vibrator made of elastomer. ;)

Happy Valentines !

Here is a pic of me and my boyfriend wearing our semi-matching organic Wildlife Works Tees that I gave him for Valentines ! Check out www.wildlifeworks.com , they are doing a great thing over there, by using consumerism as activism. Spread the love :)

Please No Cut Flowers

I write this as a tribute to the most cut-flowery-est day of the year : Valentines. I have never been a cut flower type of girl, I always wondered why someone wouldn't just give the whole plant with the roots still attached. I didn't particularly like to watch the brightly colored flowers fade away in the scummy vase, and I have secretly thrown cut flowers away in the trash immediately after receiving them to avoid the whole process. So I believe there should be a quiet riot movement towards giving flowers you can continue to grow - flowers with roots, pot, dirt, and a life to live! How fun that would be! http://www.organicstyle.com/ has a nice selection of live organic plants and trees, as does http://www.seedsofchange.com/ . Seeds of change has a large variety of organic seedling groups to choose from like Culinary Herbs, Lavender Mist, and Sweet Peppers. http://www.vivaterra.com/ has organic topiary tree perfection like Olive, Lemon and Hibiscus - and usually there are local suppliers at your farmers market and gardeners who belong to local organic growing associations who will sell you awesome live plants. Another idea is to give the whole process of life, and offer your loved one some Valentine seeds you can lovingly grow together- like the dramatic Amarenth plant pictured above from Seeds Of Change called "Love Lies Bleeding". Um, well, maybe not that one ;)

Recycled Rubber Is Tough

This should be the poster girl for the Recycled Rubber Association ! According to the RRA the recycling of scrap rubber plays an important role in both the environmental stability and development of North America. I was totally amazed to find that rubber can be recycled into an array of new products : various types of flooring, door mats, vegan guitar straps, speed bumps, bracelets, shoes, fashionable s-n-m gear, and even garden mulch ! (Although I have to say I would never mulch my organic garden with rubber, no matter how safe they claim it is.) Recycling rubber is quite scientific and I have no idea how to make sense of this -A process for reclaiming sulfur-cured, vulcanized rubber by combining finely ground scrap vulcanized rubber within a specialized, twin-screw extruder capable of providing strong shearing and just-on-time mixing; adding a reclaiming agent to the extruder; and masticating the rubber scrap and reclaiming agent within the extruder until the rubber scrap is devulcanized -..... but, um, using something old to make something new is certainly an earth friendly deed. I have a pair of hemp covered recycled rubber tire flip flops made by http://www.splaff.com/ that I have worn hard through the mountains and after every shower, and they are still going strong. There are also cute eco shoes I wish I owned that use recycled rubber like Chicago's MOHOP ( you can view their collection @ http://www.mohop.com/ ) BTW- If you are feeling the desire to test out some wild & gothy recycled rubber fashion like the "Tough Arms" babe above, you can check out a plethora of recycled designs @ http://www.zuss.com/ .

Wildlife Works For Me

For Valentines I got my boyfriend & I wildlife works tees- and I can write this because I can not hold onto a gift for the life of me, this is the second early Valentines gift I gave him this month. (The first being the organic olive lover's gift set from ... http://www.vivaterra.com/ which actually ended up having not so great olives in it ). Luckily the wildlife works tees are really awesome, and we we will flaunt those babies twinkie style on the big V day !

"By purchasing a Wildlife Works product, you're joining our conservation revolution. You're wearing the brand that says you won't sit quietly by while the last wild things in the last wild places disappear forever. And our products are as good for the planet as they are for your soul. Our premium quality contemporary sportswear designs and home fashions are inspired by endangered species and their habitats. Made from organic cotton, hemp and other environmentally friendly fabrics. In the future, we plan to use 'Consumer Powered Conservation' to expand our activities beyond Africa, reaching around the world to more areas where animals are under threat of extinction - such as India and British Columbia."

Get you & your honey these soulful urban style tees @ http://www.wildlifeworks.com/ !

Plus Size Organic Clothing

Since the world of organic fashion is a fairly new niche, there hasn't been alot available in the way of Plus Sizes. I have searched around for various stores who can supply this need - since obviously people of ALL sizes would like to contribute to the fair trade & organic clothing movement. Here are a few websites I found with the help of http://www.lovetoknow.com/ :

"Rawganique.com
Rawganique offers a selection of organic hemp clothing in plus sizes. Items found in their online catalog include:
Unisex low-rise hemp jeans
Unisex hemp or linen yoga karate pants
Unisex hemp yoga pants
Euro-style hemp jacket
Organic cotton work overalls
Organic Pima cotton underwear
Women's relaxed hemp shirt
Audrey Hemp wedding dress and evening gown

Generous Fashions
Generous Fashions motto is "living life large." Their large selection of plus size clothing includes some organic selections:
Rose Collection – Organic rayon and satin
Organic Wearever (shirt dress)
Early Evening Batik Collection (Long)
Mixed Bouquet Jacket/Blouse Collection (Teal)
"V" Caftan Top

SoulFlower.com
Soul Flower has been around since 1999 when it started as a boutique specializing in "phunky" clothing and other gift items. Today, it sells strictly online or through their mail order catalog. The selections are reminiscent of the "hippy" era:
Tier Tie-Dyed Skirt in greens purples and blues
Indian Kurta Plus Size in beige, black, white, or olive
Plus Size Patchworked Wrap Skirt in multicolor

Woman Within
Woman Within's online shop offers speed, privacy, and among their many styles a small selection of organic fashions:
Organic cotton stretch knit pants
Organic cotton stretch knit flyaway cardigan
Organic cotton stretch knit tank "

UPDATE ! :::::: http://www.barclaystudio.com/ A wide range of artsy wild Plus Size Clothing for Ladies :)

UPDATE APRIL 2008:::: I now wrote two other articles after this one about more Plus Size Organic Clothing - a few places which you can get adorable retail & wholesale beauties up to sizes 4X. This article/link below will lead you to all the sources I have found thus yet...
http://www.oko-organic-clothing.blogspot.com/2008/04/organic-plus-size-clothing.html/
If for some reason the link above doesn't work, just look in late April 2008 Archives :) on this blog for the Title " Plus Size Organic Clothing !".

Teeny Weeny Organic Bikini

Very few eco designers make organic bikinis but this is the summer to sport your eco attitude at the beach (or in your backyard)! There will be new sexy swimwear designs by Kelly B & Machja available @ http://www.theokobox.com/ . Even independent designers on Etsy have created eco swimmies this season, like this awesome silky bamboo bikini pictured here, by Eco Chic. It can be purchased for $80 @ her shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5217140.

Bad Ass Natural Soap

If you think the soap bar pictured here looks more like wool then soap, it's because this beautiful work of art is a WOOLIE - a fantastic combo of soap & scrubbie! "A soap in sheep's clothing! Colorful woolies each contain a full 4 oz. bar of Simmons special soap with wool hand-felted around it for a gentle, sudsy, scrubber all-in-one! As you use it, the felt continues to shrink along with the bar of soap." The idea of Woolies came to Simmons Naturals as a fusion between their original business creating handspun yarns and woolens @ Sheep Thrills, and their passion for making the best natural soap products. Simmons has been making non-toxic soap since the 80's, and now they create these super healthy soaps in a solar & wind powered facility. These soap makers rock ! And you can purchase their products at http://simmonsnaturals.com/ .

Ryann @ Eco-Auction

As with all designers, there are more garment creations then the mass produced items sold to stores. Many times beautiful designs go unproduced because not enough buyers in the industry happen to choose that piece during the season. The brilliant masterpiece gets packed away in storage, never to be seen or used. Such undeserved rejection! At http://www.theokobox.com/ I am bringing these phenomenal pieces back into the light, and sharing them for Auction starting at their wholesale prices ! So ya'll can duke it out for these affordable one of a kind organic items.

Pictured here is the current eco-auction design for bid, the RYANN pencil ruffle skirt made of hemp and recycled poly blend fabric, that looks and feels like thin denim. So cute and the bidding begins at only $68! Coming this spring are more unseen items by Brooklyn Designer RYANN -here's a hint : all organic cotton pants, dress and tank ;)

To view RYANN's eco savvy collection go to http://www.iloveryann.com/

Be Thy Own Physician

I won't even beat around the bush - I don't really like going to the doctor, whether they be allopathic or alternative. If they want to pump me up with pharmacopia or do a Native American sweat lodge, either way I rather do things peacefully and cheaply at home. So I give mad props to the doctors who got together to create www.healthhometest.com . Not only is it way cheaper then going to the doc or shaman, but there are many cool FDA approved tests to soothe your inner hypochondriac. Hormones, Diabetes, Thyroid, Anemia, and even some types of Cancer can be detected from a simple test at home. There are also tests for allergies, mold in the home, heavy metals, drugs, pregnancy and AIDS - some give instant results, while others need to be mailed into a medical lab who will mail your results back to you. So if you are feeling poor, have no insurance, or are doctorphobic Health Home Test may be a great alternative to neglecting your precious body.

With that being said - I have to post the traditional warning : Medical Advice Information on this site is provided for informational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent disease or other conditions. It is not intended to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. You should read carefully all product packaging. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, always contact your health care provider.

All Occasion Recycled Doggy Cards

INSIDE Card: "In every living thing there is the desire for love." - D.H. Lawrence
Meet Bonkers. He is one of the many doggy models @ http://www.verysupercool.com/ - a place to fufill all your doggy greeting card dreams. There is a card and breed for every occasion, and each one is created using eco friendly materials. "We were green before green was cool. All of our cards are printed on uncoated, 100% post consumer recycled paper and have been since our very first print run. When compared side-by-side with coated, mass-produced, 30% recycled card stock, our cards consume 20% less total energy and 7.5% less solid waste."

On the back of each card is the dog's true story, so now you can really get to know Bonkers before you ask him on a date to the doggy park....

Pet Passions: Food, Water, Children, Yoga, and Pica Chu (a huge, stuffed toy that is as round as he is.)
Pet Peeves: Having his ears cleaned, and those despicable paper towel rolls.
Story: At nine months and sixty pounds, Bonkers definitely turns heads. He’s full of personality and sports a very impressive under bite that is best appreciated in profile. He goes absolutely bonkers for water and has proven that he can’t be trusted near public fountains. Food and people (children especially) are his real passion--he has never met a food or a person that he did not love! When he encounters children, he immediately bows down and lays at their feet!

To purchase these recycled cards go to http://www.verysupercool.com/ :)

Overpackaging On Pregnancy Tests

Have you ever noticed the amount of overpackaging for some items ? Sometimes I am so used to the wasteful way most companies package things, I don't always notice right away. A perfect example is pregnancy tests. There is only one or two long skinny sticks which you must urinate on to answer your burning question, but they make the box really wide to advertise the 'great certainty' of their test. It's so huge that usually the stick is just tossed around in a vast sea of air, and I have to shake the directions out of the abyss. There should be a packaging law that each product has only a certain amount of space they can use, comparable to the size of the item inside. And that space should be a pretty tight radius.
BTW- Have any of you ladies seen the new digital preg tests ? I have wondered if they are even less eco friendly cause there is more technology inside them then the old school ones. Not to mention, you actually have to wait that full 3 minutes before any result pops up ... and that is a loooooooong 3 minutes.

Lalo125 French Organic Fashion

If it seems like I am a little obsessed with http://www.etsy.com/ it's because I am. The concept of Etsy in and of itself is brilliant, but even more so it has become a hub of great organic fashion. This multi-vendor store carries pieces that are handcrafted, entirely unique, and each etsy find always has a personal touch infused by the designer. Lalo125 is no exception - this designer from France makes sexy, fun, and cutting edge organic clothing. Her photos can be dramatic and rather blury, but in a bizarre way I can't help but like. My favorite organic piece is pictured here- on the bottom portion of the tunic is a cat and William Butler poem swirling into a spiral which reads "Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths, Of night and light and the half-light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams."

You can visit her store directly here @ http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5373312 !

Doie @ The Oko Box

All of Doie's garments are made from ecologically sound bamboo fabric and 100% silk trim. Bamboo is one of those fabrics that makes me sigh with relief when I touch it- so smooth, buttery, and yummy. It feels like silky water slipping through your fingers. Bamboo is the fastest growing grass in the world, reaching it's maximum height in just 3-4 months. Which makes this versatile plant the perfect subject of all things eco : fabric, flooring, cutting boards, bowls, sheets, furniture, jewelry, stir fry (mmm)... PLUS it's 100% biodegradable, anti bacterial, and afforable due to it's fast growth . Basically bamboo kicks ass on the eco front ! And look how cute it is on eco fashion model Summer Rayne Oakes (see pic)- the flirty bamboo top she is wearing will be available @ http://www.theokobox.com/ this spring in white and grass green. :) Yippee !

Sustainable Jewelry

I really love sustainable, natural, non metal jewelry! Metal necklaces would frequently turn my neck green, give me a rash, make me itchy and felt cold against my skin. I would wear more jelly bracelets and cheap metal bangles then Cyndi Lauper ever dreamed of. Eventually it dawned on me that the itchy green on my skin , was not so green to sport. Which is why during a contemplative creative period in my life, I began making my own organic cord necklaces. Every necklace at http://www.theokobox.com/ is lovingly handmade with locally produced organic cotton fabric- and carefully sourced pendants made of earthy materials such as stone, glass, and shell. There is no metal clasp in the back, it simply ties into an elegant bow, leaving the necklace length open to fall where you like. Each one arrives in a small gift box, resting on a cloud of soft color grown organic cotton . It only costs $16.50 for this organic gem !

Featured above : "Liquid Sky" @ http://www.theokobox.com/

Organic Toys for Your Pets

I found the purrrrrfect place to buy organic pet toys, for both your dog and kitty friends ! http://purrfectplay.com/ has all handmade ultra safe toys for your special animal friend- not to mention really cute pictures of cats and dogs that make you gush . "Our pet toys are crafted in the United States, exclusively from organic, dye-free, and chemical free natural fibers. You can also find many other products your pets will love such as: yummy organic dog biscuits, hemp pet collars, fair trade collar charms, and skin friendly dog soap. 5% of each and every sale goes to no-kill shelters. " The coolest thing is in their selection of notecards- there is a sympathy card "for those whose companions have gone on".

Organic Seeds & Gardening

Looking to start your own organic garden ? Go to http://www.seedsofchange.com/ for a rad selection of organic seeds and all the accessories you could possibly need. Last year my garden had some issues- drought, tainted creek water, hungry muskrats, a black walnut tree looming above, and a bad break up with a boyfriend (tainted love?) - all of which made it not so successful and even caused a round of food poisoning ! Oops ! So this year I am going to prepare better for outside elements, and try again.
Gardening in the city is quite different than gardening out in the woods, which is where my 5 previous organic gardens were created. The city seems to have more pollution, hungry animals, and weed killer sprayin' neighbors. Whatever the challenge, I have come to fall in love with gardening, and just the thought of pulling out my tools makes my heart flutter. Playing in the dirt and sun is so much fun !
If you are the indoor gardening type instead - here are a few tips I learned :
1. LIGHT ! You really do need sunlight, and the more the better when growing most anything edible.
2. Make an eco system in that pot - gather things from outside in your nearby park, like pine cones, bits of dried grass, leaves, and other natural elements that will decay and help your plants thrive.
3.Plant your garden in the right dirt - buy manure compost, chicken poop compost, or mushroom compost, and mix it in sandy soil or rich top soil. Find out what your plants like and give it to them. A good soil mix goes a long way, and is the best "fertilizer".
4. Make sure your pots have proper drainage - if a pot doesn't have holes in the bottom to drain water, your plant will most likely have a short lifespan due to wet rotting roots. Also, make sure your pot is made of a plant safe material. I planted my favorite lavender in a decorative pot given to me, but it had paint on the inside which slowly killed the giant lavender bush off.

Watching plants grow from seed is really awe inspiring, and worth trying out :) !

Safe Eco Toys For Adults

Not many people stop to think about whether their sex toys & accessories are truely safe - because is there really an alternative ? More health conscience consumers are creating demand for eco friendly sex toys, in an industry that has been largely unregulated. For political reasons that you won't have to reach far into your imagination to guess, sex toy safety is a highly hush hush ignored subject. And the icing on the shoosh cake, is the Abstinence Only programs that have now taken place of sex education. Frankly, like most people, I had no idea what sex toys were made of. What I found out was a wee bit disturbing.

Phthalates are a substance used to soften plastic- it's used to make the toy feel more real. But phthalates have been shown to interfere with the natural functioning of the hormone system. These toxic chemicals have been linked to reproductive problems, liver and thyroid damage, can impair sperm, cause testicular cancer and damage the planet. Some sex toy industry leaders have taken their own initiative to create eco minded alternatives. A new safe plastic that has flexibility but not all the nasty chemicals has been introduced, called elastomer. "Elastomer is phthalate-free, hypoallergenic, soft, and durable" according to Babeland, and there's an ever growing selection online @ http://store.babeland.com/search?q=elastomer&submit.x=4&submit.y=7 .

If elastomer is not your thing either, you can go with glass sex toys @ http://www.babeland.com/ . Glass is an easy to clean, plastic free way to go for those who have extra sensative skin. Just be careful not to toss it off the bed and cause fractures in the glass ! Ouch !

Writer Kyeann Sayer of http://www.treehugger.com/ suggests these natural options : "Carrots and Zucchini? Some very good friends of mine have made use of carrots. Now, I am no sexologist, but if it's organic and clean, what harm could a grocery implement do? Benefits: custom picked by you, biodegradable, and a convenient post-bliss snack?"

he he- How gross and awesome !

Safe Organic Toys For Kids

Did you know that most children's toys (or that teddy bear you secretly sleep with) is loaded down with toxic substances ? Hazardous materials used to create most toys contain antimony -the heavy metal used as bio warfare & as a fire retardant , lead, formaldehyde, or PVC/vinyl that uses phthalates as "plasticizers," to make toys soft and flexible. Many other materials manufactured for toy production are harmful to the environment and are cheaply made by grossly underpaid workers. Which means the "affordable" toy is soon to end up in the landfill at the end of it's short lifespan. Landfills that those very children are going to have to deal with when they grow up !

Organic and fair made toys are not only safe for your kiddos, but also they are sooooo much cuter then anything the Dollar Store has to offer. Natural materials biodegrade and when your little one puts that teddy in their mouth you won't have to panic about excessive lead from China. Check out finger puppets, hand puppets, an owl backpack, the goodies pictured above and more safe toys @ http://www.branchhome.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=12&zenid=rleegm5eu9o8a3ofqf95uhqsv2 .

Fair Trade Vegan Sneakers

For those of you who love Chuck Taylors, but want a fair trade 100% vegan version of these comfy shoes try http://www.autonomieproject.com/ .

"Classic low-top sneaker made with 100% organic cotton or conventional cotton canvas upper and tough rubber sole. Sole is produced and stamped with FSC-certified all natural and sustainable latex. A Fair Trade premium is paid to both the rubber producers in Sri Lanka and to the shoe stitchers in Pakistan. Certified by the Fair Labeling Organization and the Forest Stewardship Council. 100% Vegan. "

These awesome sneaks are priced around $54 , and worth every fair trade powered penny.

UPDATE : www.theokobox.com will be carrying all the Organic Canvas styles of Autonomie Project sneakers in March 2008 !