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I feel a bit guilty writing about oppressive heat in the fog-swaddled San Francisco Bay Area while my friends back east and in Europe are wilting under record-high temperatures. But as someone who spent a recent Parisian summer sweltering in an attic level apartment, I feel I’ve earned my heat wave street cred. For unlike my east coast cronies who groan about triple digit days before retreating to refrigerated offices, I have had to face the heat European-style. For those of you who don’t know what this …

Tags: air conditioning , heat , heatwave , hot , Paris , summer , temperature

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Rejuvenating with a drop of citrus is a refreshing way to continue the Chromatic Theology series. To some extent, the distinctive attributes of orange will be present in color variations – mandarin, magma, creamsicle, rust, marigold, sweet potato, etc.

Never underestimate the power of color. Each post in this series will explore an individual hue, but the characteristics of the topic color can be translated into tints and shades. Keep in mind that the effects and emotions we discuss are most prominent and intense in pure, saturated color. (In case you …

Tags: A Creative Mint , chromatic theology , Color , color psychology , color theology , color theory , home decor , interior design , James Merrell , Little Brown Pen , Living Etc , orange

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There are more loopholes and lawlessness in the world of beauty than flies on a bacon-covered cupcake. Seriously, someone might as well be spackling green paint on cans of oil for all the falsely organic stuff out on the shelves. As we may have mentioned once or twice, you need a PhD to determine what’s organic, what’s natural, and what’s a toxic waste dump disguised as face cream.

So what to do? We know to avoid parabens (preservative linked to cancer,) phthalates (solvent linked to reproductive issues,) petrochemicals, sodium laurel …

Tags: beauty , DIY , face , health , honey , how to , scrub , sugar

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Titania Inglis F/W 2010

There is no doubt that Fashion’s Night Out (FNO) is an occasion to celebrate fashion as we know, love, and covet it – up close and from afar. With a globe-spanning agenda aimed at rattling the timbers of gilt fashion houses and retail venues, FNO is also great way of celebrating the very fiber of what inspires us as unique style makers and shoppers.

Whether you are in NYC, LA, Rio, or Reno, there is something for everyone this Friday, September 10. Given my passion for all things fiber, textile, and eco-related, here are a few of my …

Tags: Ecco Eco , eco fashion , Fashion Night Out , slow fashion , sustainable designers , Textile Arts Center

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Naturally, I came across two articles in the New York Times discussing the effects of computers, technology and PDA’s on our lives, just as I was preparing to head out on a solitary 3-week artist retreat in Colorado. The need to get away from the whirlwind of daily life in order to find time and space for reflection was not a new concept for me.

The articles focused specifically on the brain, and its need to recharge (ironic digi-analogy, yes). The first, “Outdoors and Out …

Tags: brain , computers , digital devices , gardening , health , mind , neuroscience , plants , relaxation , technology

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Tweed, camel, natural materials and textures, and understated elegance: could these snuggly boots be any more perfect for fall 2010?

They say all the things you would want to say if you could actually afford an outfit from those outrageous Aspen catalogs, minus the unfortunately high-wasted jeans look said catalogs still insist on, and the unsustainable manufacturing practices and materials. (You know the catalogs. Lots of shining beautiful people lounging around impeccable bedecked ski lodges looking successfully anorexic and conveniently rich in designer velvet jodpurs. It’s marvelous how many different …

Tags: boots , contest , eco snuggly boots , Fashion , giveaway , sponsored post , VivaTerra

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Each week here at EcoSalon, I beg my favorite bloggers and designers to hand select a beloved green product, whether it’s a finish, furnishing, or accessory. The end result? An endless anthology of aesthetically perfect products for your perusal.

This week it’s the modern pacific musings of Isla Schmidt from Somace. Isla is charming, creative, and brimming with outrageous talent. She is one third of the inspired Somace trifecta (including Edward Macey and artist Kaypee Soh). The Somace blog and store have a few things in common …

Tags: accessories , artwork , bamboo , decor , Diamond Head , eco friendly , green , green friendly , handpicked , home design , home furnishings , interior design , Isla Schmidt , Kaypee Soh , lifestyle , Somace

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It’s our last day in NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana – as the locals call it), and my schedule is free. After being on the go-go-go traveling all over the region and processing some of the hardest emotions I’ve ever felt, I’m ready to go home.

Go home, yes, but not forget.

Whenever you talk with anyone down here about the BP spill, the story invariably starts with “before Katrina” or “after Katrina.” Her impact is still felt deeply by the people here, every day. The trauma has given them a signature …

Tags: BP Spill , FEMA , Katrina , Lower Ninth Ward , New Orleans , Parish , Superdome

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Bugs are big right now. Or should I say – bedbugs are big. The little bloodsuckers are all over the news more than a bad dress at the Oscars. And it’s getting worse. The latest infestation to hit the news waves? Google’s Manhattan office has ‘em, causing some to speculate if the bugs will next leap through the Internet to infect new homes.

But there’s more to life than the pesky red/brown bugs. Because there are other bugs on the planet besides bed bugs! (Pshaw, did you think I was …

Tags: bedbugs , bug , california baby , health , insect

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Effortlessly sexy? A thrown together look that can go from day to night?

Tobi’s online eco-boutique has an “Eco-Tobi” which offers lots of looks to choose from, with a healthy amount of sizes left. I love this Alternative Apparel silk and modal cardigan for its sheerness and earthly hue. The only thing I would suggest is to leave the last couple buttons open on the bottom of the cardigan, so you don’t have pulling like in this photo. On sale for $37.

…

Tags: 7 For All Mankind , Alternative Apparel , DLC Brooklyn , Eco-Tobi , jeggings , Matt and Nat bag , Melissa Shoes , silk and modal , skinny jeans , stylish steals

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