Adaptive Reuse

I'm a fan of adaptive reuse. This can apply to fabric, buildings, land, whatever. I just don't like to see something good go to waste. That's only one reason that I am a fan of the movies at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary. I mean, who would have though to use a cemetery as an entertainment venue?  

If you haven't been to one of the movie showings here, you're definitely missing out. It is a truly unique Hollywood experience. It's like the Hollywood Bowl, but with a little bit of an edge. You get to pack your own dinner, wine, candles and then watch a movie projected onto Rudolph Valentino's mausoleum. Tomorrow they're showing "Cool Hand Luke," with many more great titles to follow.  Check out the schedule and sign up for updates at Cinespia.

New Tables Listed! - UPDATE - SOLD

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Green Shoes

(Adorable green/white polka dot shoe from Simple. Purchase here.)

Sometimes I tend to work in a very stream-of-conscience manner. This is how I arrived at the topic of green shoes.

I was going through my emails and happened to see an advertisement for Payless' eco-friendly shoe line, Zoe & Zac, embedded in one of my emails from Ideal Bite. I was like, "oh cool," and proceeded to investigate what it was all about. It turns out Zoe & Zac is rather controversial, as all the shoes are made in China and shipped to the US. I didn't really expect otherwise, as everything in their line costs less than $30, but this obviously doesn't merit them receiving a perfect 10 on the nebulous "green scale" that those trying to be eco-friendly are judged by. I tend to be a little more liberal in my judgements, and feel that just the fact that they are using eco-friendly and recycled materials is a step up from the other cheap shoes Payless sells.. However, before you shop you should know they are made in China and many have been critical of this.

After this bit of reading, I remembered that I needed to find some flip-flops for Mr. GGG, as his have become unfit for public consumption. This does not stop him from wearing them out in public, so I needed to find a replacement for this sorry pair of sandals quickly. I went to my shoe site of choice, Zappos, and was pleased to find that I could search for shoes under the category of "eco-friendly." You can read and judge for yourself just HOW eco-friendly these brands are. For example, Birkenstock clearly states their shoes are made in Germany, but Simple refers to their "business partners" and doesn't explicitly state where the shoes are made. 

Green Shoe Brands: (click on name to be linked to web site)

• Simple
• Birkenstock
• Patagonia
• North Face
• Rafters                       

(Just for fun, here is a silly video about one lady's shoe fetish. I present...Shoes!)

Twitter

I just joined "Twitter." Who knows why - I can barely find enough interesting things to say on my blog, let alone on a daily or hourly basis! However, I'm told it's necessary for marketing. So, come join me.  I'm registered under "glamourgoesgrn" and you can join up at www.twitter.com if you're interested.

Outstanding in the Field

Marilyn Snee, the incomparable sommelier from Upstairs 2, mentioned I might be interested in writing about Outstanding in the Field, a coordination between local farmers, artisans, chefs and wine makers.  Their mission is to "to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it." They do this through hosting dinners all across the country, in beautiful, natural settings, using local talent and resources. Many of their 2009 dates are sold out, including the two nights in Los Angeles, but if you click here you can see the dates and locations still available and make a reservation online. I will of course be writing about my dining experience, but you'll have to wait until October as that's when the dinner is happening!

Doucette Duvall

In my continual search for cool vintage fabric for home projects, I stumbled across a really great company that makes new clothing out of vintage materials. 

Doucette Duvall is a New York based company that uses all vintage materials and trims in their designs, as well as recycled packaging. While their line is limited to dresses and coats, they offer several different designs that run the gamut from a super short mini-dress to more conservative cuts. My favorite dress from their Fall 2009 collection is the "Dottie." (pictured to the left) 

Noon Solar - Coolest. Bags. Ever.

I think the title says it all, but you many want more details, so here it goes.

While I was watching Current TV (Coolest. Station. Ever.) today, I saw a short clip called "Sun Powered Purses." Now, some of my more fashionable friends may be laughing at the idea of me blogging about purses, since I am certainly not an expert on this topic. In fact, I don't think I've purchased a purse since I was in Hong Kong last summer. (Actually, come to think of it, I bought two purses in Hong Kong. One was an every-so-sexy waterproof nylon purse that looked like a camera bag and really completed my super-tourist look, and one was a Chanel knock-off that I didn't even realize was supposed to look like a Chanel, I just liked the design.) 

That disclosed, these bags actually DO something and look pretty darn good too. Noon Solar, the company that makes these amazing bags, installs solar panels on the outside of each bag that power a battery back that can charge your cell phone or iPod! They are also made of biodegradable materials. They even have a "man-pack" and a "murse" (my descriptions, not theirs) so don't think for a second these are only for the ladies! The "Augusta," pictured above, is my favorite, but check out all of their great designs.  I'm sure you'll find something you love.