Exquisite :: Conscious Style and Living

25 Days : Give the Gift of Knowledge
November 30, 2005

Ok, so you have someone in your life in desperate need of inspiring. Perhaps your old friend Betsy who keeps saying she would love to be "green" but doesn't want to look or live like a hippy. Now you know it doesn't have to be that way (you read this blog right!) and I know that, but dear darling Betsy just needs a helpful nudge in the right direction.

This is where the old adage "Show, don't tell" comes into play. Shower her with a gift subscription to a magazine that will keep giving each month. The good news is the choices are plentiful. Natural Home and Garden is a wonderful introduction for the person interested in greening their home environment, Plenty offers a smart look at eco living, Ode presents an optimistic international perspective and an intriguing new offering called Sublime is shaping up in the wings for release early next year.

Updated 12-02-05 due to the unfortunate news that Organic Style will no longer be published and Breathe may no longer be published.

Sublime via Treehugger

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26 Days : Nui Organics Wool Baby Blanket
November 29, 2005

While at the Green Festival in San Francisco I had the pleasure of meeting Amanda Searancke of NUI Organics. A native Kiwi and enthusiastic proponent of high end sustainable style she was a delight to speak with. As she showed me their products I was stunned by how soft these baby blankets are. Made from 100% organic Merino wool, sustainably farmed in the New Zealand High Country, they come in variety of styles using three natural colors: cream, silver and cocoa. Undyed and unbleached there are no harmful chemicals to irritate baby's delicate skin.

So if you know someone who has a baby or will soon be bringing one into the world help give their little one a warm and cozy start to life. $160 from giggle

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27 Days : Organic Wool Ramona Coat
November 28, 2005

Although I no longer live in the chilly Northern Irish latitudes my desire to cozy up in long tailored coats always strikes this time of year. So for those of you that do have a need for warm layers I bring you the Ramona Coat. Designed by the budding Delano Collection, under the brand Sage and seen here on the ubiquitous Summer Rayne Oakes, this nicely tailored coat is made from 100% organic wool with a soft rayon lining woven from bamboo fiber.

Delano Collection are worth keeping an eye on. With inspiring substance behind their design sense this team has promised to bring a stable of luxury sustainable lifestyle brands, including furniture and homeware offerings, to market in early 2006.

The Ramona Coat is priced at $595 and available directly from Sage or if you are in New York visit Gomi NYC.

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28 Days : An Ecosphere of Your Own
November 27, 2005

You have one, I have one, we all have that certain someone in our lives who is impossible to shop for and while NASA did not invent the Ecosphere as a gift for the difficult it did create these sealed glass bio-spheres to study self contained environments for astronauts. Creating a delicate balance the sphere is populated by algae, little red shrimp and microbes in a miniature ocean of filtered sea water. Requiring no feeding or care, only indirect light and moderate temperatures, Ecospheres can live for up to several years and some proud owners have reported spheres lasting up to ten years. Engage your imagination and read what Carl Sagan had to say about his Ecosphere then order your very own, or one as a gift from Postmodern Pets or Brookstone. Priced from $59.00 - $500.00

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29 Days : Perfectly Designed Yoga
November 26, 2005

So what do you get the yoga enthusiast in your life? Easy answer. The new ecoYoga mat designed with a natural latex rubber underside (instead of toxic PVC) to grip the floor and a jute fabric/rubber mix on top for comfortable grip by feet and hands. Completely renewable, biodegradable and machine washable it is a perfect complement to any yogi's practice. Available for $45 in the U.S. from Blue Canoe.

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30 Days : Plush Cotton Luxury
November 25, 2005

With thirty days to go till Christmas I have been thinking quite a lot about the impact one person can make this holiday season. There is no doubt about it, our individual power as consumers may in fact be the most valuable tool we have for social change and by purchasing well designed, organic or sustainable products we can rest easy when it comes time to pull out the egg nog and light the candles.

So here is an idea to kick off your holiday shopping. Organic cotton towels can make a luxurious and affordable gift. Loop caters to both the spa and home market offering plush and absorbent 650 GSM (grams per square meter) towels, hand towels, wash cloths, bath mats and sets. Prices range from $9 - $61. However, if you would like that little bit of extra luxury Anna Sova carries both 700 GSM and 830 GSM bath sheets as well as towels, hand towels, wash cloths, bath mats and sets. Available in a variety of rich colors prices range from $7 - $293. The best part about it is the 830 GSM bath sheets are on sale for 50% off at $30 each.

So, getting back to the concept that a gift really can make a difference, every organic cotton towel you purchase saves one pound of pesticides and fertilizers from going into the environment. Source: Sustainable Cotton Project

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Black Friday Goes Eco-Luxe
November 23, 2005

After a hectic month of traveling I am settled back in at home and looking towards the holidays. The month of November has been truly inspiring, starting with the Green Business Conference rolling into the Green Festival and culminating with the incredible groundswell of eco-luxe offerings I see lining up for the holidays. It is in this spirit I have joined Almost Girl's Black Friday Blogging 2005. As much as part of me sympathizes with Buy Nothing Day I don't think the issue is so much that we consume, rather WHAT and HOW we consume. This holiday season you will have more choice than ever to give and receive sustainable and stylish gifts. So stay tuned to KristenAndersen.com for thirty days of gorgeous eco gift ideas for the discerning eye and if you sign up for my free email newsletter I will start your holiday season off with my Green Giving Guide.

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