Capital Fringe Festival Goes Green!

I just noticed that The Cap Fringe Fest has posted "How to Be a Green Artist" and "How to be a Green Audience" guidelines on their website. [Grrr - why isn't something as important as that not linked from the very first page? Anyway . . .]

It is very exciting for me to see organizations, events, etc., that consider themselves "progressive" to finally be waking up to the fact that sustainability is the MOST progressive thing you can be doing right now.

So, check out how to be a green audience ("Take the metro!" "Don't Litter!" "Take a young person to the theater!") and then go see some shows (support local artists!). One in particular that I would like to recommend:

"Caberate Coo-Coo" by Happenstance Theater.

Classy acts! Captivating Characters! Hosted by Guitar Prodigy Scooter Undercroft, Featuring Izzy and Diz Aster Singing Cheery Songs of the Great Depression, Nicolo the Juggling Accordionist, the Amazing Illusionist Catastrafi, Hotsy-Totsy Dancing Cigarette Girls, the Melodious Pit band, and surprise(d) guests! (60 minutes)

A MUST SEE!

"Attachment": An Environmentalist’s Ode to a Disposable Cup

Oh disposable cup in all your paper (or plastic) glory!
So accessible on almost every street corner, in every market and café
Oh, you, and your promises of a commitment-less encounter
You just care about me, and my convenience, you say.
Your smooth edges whisper, “Its really okay. Everyone does it.”
“My destiny is preordained by powers bigger than the both of us.”
“It’s just the way it is.”

So many embrace your shame-free enticements.
I see them every day, holding on to you tightly – but only for a short time.
They say good-bye and walk away.
It appears so easy for them, my small one.

But not for me.

In our brief moments together, I get attached.
It seems so crass – to use you and then just throw you in a bin.
I look at you and wonder where you came from . . .
which country’s trees birthed you, how far the oil in your small plastic hat traveled.
As I cradle you in my hand, I start to worry
What will happen to you when our time is done?
Will you end up in a far away landfill, never to decompose again?
. . . just a forgotten piece of our human race’s debris?
Or will you end up floating in a river or ocean, confusing the birds as they hunt for food?

I’m sorry, little vessel – all this is just too much to consider.
I don’t mean to hurt you,
but the truth is that I just can’t get involved with you at all.
Your guilt-free façade will never compare to the stability I feel
With my loyal

reusable

mug.

Goodwill has Been Good to Me!

Although I had absolutely no intention of buying anything at the Goodwill Travelin' Trunk show this past Saturday held at Greater Goods . . . well, what do they say about "the best laid plans of mice and men" . . .?

I came away with:
- 2 shirt dresses
- 1 little Lucy workout vest
- 1 skirt
- 1 vintage linen table runner
- 1 Ralph Lauren plaid baby romper

All for under $25!

There were more racks of clothing this time, though it was all a bit less well-edited than usual (but, obviously, significantly better edited than if you just went to a Goodwill store). The selection mainly consisted of secondhand items in great condition. Mostly the basic lables: The Limited, H&M, Ann Taylor, etc. However, I did find a few interesting vintage pieces that, sadly, didn't fit. I saw a great taupe Karl Lagerfeld pencil skirt - probably from the 80s - which, alas, was too large. There were also a few cute vintage dresses - too small. I loved a bright yellow leather moto jacket - but someone snapped it up before I realized I should really try it on.

And, for the first time, the Trunk Show had vintage fabrics, linens, ribbons and buttons (and even one beautiful, genuine obi belt). There were dozens and dozens of pieces of vintage lace and hand-crocheted vintage doilies.

I talked to the ladies from Goodwill running the show and they said that they are going to try and do a Trunk Show every month! Woohoo!

Here are some pix of the scene (cute Goodwill outfit photos later - including stuff from my very fruitful trip to a Goodwill in southern VA a few weeks ago) : )

Vintage ties galore!

Perusing the boxes of ribbons and buttons.

Vintage lace!!

I loved these pretty reusable bags being sold at Greater Goods.

Me, concentrating . . . don't want to miss anything . . .

The scene at Greater Goods.

CUTE! eco-friendly baby toys being sold at Greater Goods.

All photos by Mark Silva.

Vintage . . . SCORE!

I bought this vintage skirt last fall at Junction, a vintage and resale shop on U street (DC), and just found this super fun pic that my boyfriend took of it. The skirt is hand-embroidered with amazing detail - its like a work of art - I could hang it on my wall.

THIS Saturday - Goodwill Travelin' Trunk Show!

I love this event! Vintage and secondhand items - in awesome condition - for Goodwill prices. Carefully culled from racks and racks of Goodwill donations, this is an easy (and inexpensive way) to add a few "new-to-you" things to your summer wardrobe. I ALWAYS find fun stuff at these events.

The deets, yo:
Date: Saturday, June 27, 2009
Time: 12:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: Greater Goods,

1626 U St. NW Washington, DC

The bonus for this event is that is will also feature donated

vintage fabrics and buttons.

You MUST come check it out! It's being hosted by Greater Goods again.

Here's a cute post from Danny Seo about Goodwill (its from 2007, but I just found it!)

July 11th! Put it on Your Calendar NOW NOW NOW!!

HipHipHooray! A very exciting event is happening on July 11th! Listopad's new digs - called Treasury - are opening up on 14th street. Maybe they'll give us a little preview of their lovely vintage wares . . . hmmmmm?

PLEASE JOIN US JULY 11TH FOR TREASURY’S GRAND OPENING WEEKEND! MUSIC, REFRESHMENTS AND SALE PRICES ON OUR DEBUT COLLECTION OF SUMMER SEASON VINTAGE CLOTHING, ACCESSORIES AND MORE!
Saturday, July 11th and Sunday July 12th
Noon to 8pm on Saturday, Noon to 7pm on Sunday
Music by special guests, snacks and drinks by us!

Ebay Vintage Dress in Action and Thoughts on Waste

Remember that lovely yellow vintage dress I bought on Ebay? After a few nips and tucks at Chaudre, here it is in action in Georgia.

So pretty . . . and SO eco-conscious. Even the carbon emissions from shipping it to me from Oklahoma (which I know some of you cynics & haters out there are thinking about) are teeny compared to the amount of resources I saved by buying something old (yet new to me!)

We have so many things in our landfills that could be reused instead of disposed of. Especially clothing, shoes, belts, jewelry. Many people don't even DONATE their items, they just throw them out! How totally wasteful. By taking good care of the things we own and then passing them on to others when we no longer have a need for them, we reduce the demand to make new things and all the negative impacts on the environment that go along with making new things. Seriously. The one thought that I try to communicate to everyone I speak with about the environment is that EVERY SINGLE time you buy something new, you hurt the environment. It doesn't matter if you will keep that new thing for a long time. By buying new, you keep creating demand for new things to be made. Instead, what if we focused on creating a demand for used things (yeay Ebay and Craigslist!!)? What if we all demanded that things be made TO LAST use after use after use? Would things be made better? Would an amazing array of stores sprout up to help us locate and buy all the used things we want? I hope so!

In terms of fashion . . . well, the last decade or so has seen a huge increase in "fast fashion" - trends going "in" and going "out" - the marketing machine convincing us that we need this new thing, this season because it will make us look like we understand what is actually going on in fashion. Bullshit, I say. Don't misunderstand me, I love my fashion mags. I love seeing the creative visions of good designers season to season (even though they have become so damn similar recently because, really, how innovative can you be if you are doing 8 collections per year). But I also look at Elle mags I've saved from a few years ago and think, "what the heck happened to this fabulous Dolce & Gabbana dress? Did every single one made end up in a landfill somewhere? Are they all in the back of someone's closet? Because I would buy it. I would buy it right now!" Why can't we all just wear more old stuff? There is plenty of yummy "old" things out there somewhere . . .

Even Elle mag recently did an article on how to shop for secondhand/vintage designer items on Ebay. Check it out here. I love this article.

Reduce and Reuse, fellow eco-fashionistas!