Journey through the Eco-Chic Expo

Samples from Theo Chocolate, originally uploaded by Eco-Chic Expo.

Thank you to everyone who made it out to the 1st Eco-Chic Expo on May 1st. It was an eco-fabulous day. Rather than bore you with words about the day, visit our Eco-Chic Flickr album and journey through the day with our stunning photos.

Meet the Exhibitors: NEST and Natural Balance Home & Office

There's no better way to go ec0-chic than incorporating natural elements and philosophies into a space, whether at home or away from home. Eco-Chic Expo is thrilled to welcome two local design firms that specialize in creating unique, sustainable spaces.

Piper Lauri Salogga incorporates Eastern philosophies into her designs at Natural Balance. With a focus on serving her clients with both interior design services and recognizing how to create calm, rejuvenating spaces, Salogga indeed creates a natural balance.

Seattle's Sara Eizen of NEST offers interior design services, home organization and color consultation that's always eco-friendly and even budget friendly! Discover her talent for room redesign in this rec-room redux.

What's more is the pair's collaboration on Sit+Sip an innovative and ec0-friendly program and website dedicated to creating "events and resources to green up your home with style." This design dream team's past events have included home accessories swaps to give new life to home furnishings.

Come find out how to give new life to your space with a few ec0-tips this May Day!

Freshen Any Space Naturally

There are so many ways to spruce up a room sustainably. A new room update doesn't require spending a dime if you gather up a few eco-chic tips!

An easy and natural way to create atmosphere in any room is through scent. Consider the delight from delicious kitchen aromas or the smell of a bubble bath. At the May 1st Eco-Chic Expo, exhibitor Satsuma Designs will help guests create these scents to turn each day into a springtime stroll. Here's a little recipe they've cooked up.

Sweet Smells from Satsuma Designs - Natural Room Scents

- Fill a clean bottle with a narrow top 2/3 full with water

- Add 2 TBS vodka (top or bottom shelf doesn't matter!)

- Ad a few drops of your favorite essential oil or extract (we love grapefruit and any citrus scent that is so fresh! Also consider almond or vanilla extract that you might have in the pantry)

- Soak bamboo diffuser reeds in the bottle for 15 minutes

- Turn the reeds and enjoy!

- Please turn the reeds every third day to freshen the scent.

Satsuma Designs will be handing out bamboo diffuser reeds for guests to take home and mix up their own happy scents.

See you on May Day!

A Massage for the Greater Good

This just in...

Exhibitor Clear Awakening Massage will donating all proceeds from chair massages done at the Eco-Chic Expo to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. You'll relax a bit more during your massage knowing that you are helping blood cancer patients live longer, stronger lives.

Meet the Exhibitors: Theo Chocolate

Dark or milky, salty or sweet, and always, rich, delicious and green. That’s Seattle’s own Theo Chocolate. Green you say? Yes, Theo Chocolate is the first in the U.S. and best of its kind to use all natural, organic ingredients in all of their delectable treats. From their Fremont chocolate factory, the company has been mixing their magic since 2006 and has enjoyed international attention winning numerous awards in the specialty food industry. Not easily done in a very competitive gourmet confection industry where Theo Chocolate is a star.

Eco-chic Expo is thrilled to welcome a Seattle household name like Theo Chocolate to our May Day event. What’s better is that the Theo team will be sampling their seasonal sensations. Come by to try their heavenly flavor creations such as Spicy Chili or Fig, Fennel,and Almond (our personal favorite!)

Meet the Exhibitors: Full Circle Farm

You may not know it, but chances are if you've eaten out in the Seattle area, tasted tidbits at a neighborhood farmers market or enjoyed eye-catching produce at your local co-op, you've dined on Full Circle Farm's organic fare. Full Circle Farm is a prolific, sustainably tended farm nestled in the Snoqualmie Valley. With over 50 crops of organically grown produce on 400 acres, Full Circle Farms is true testament to what a few acres and a dream can become.

The team of farmers at Full Circle Farm now supply restaurants, co-ops as well as operate their popular community supported agriculture (CSA) program that delivers to the Eco-Chic Expo venue host, Ravenna Eckstein Community Center.

We're so lucky to welcome Full Circle Farm and their fresh veggies to our May Day event. Please come by find out how tasty and fresh eco-chic can be!

Meet the Exhibitors: Sustainable Style Foundation

Seattle's on the edge. The leading edge of the sustainability movement and it has the Sustainable Style Foundation (SSF) to thank. This almost decade old organization is leading the charge with its mantra to 'look fabulous, live well, do good.' Is there anything more eco-chic?

The stylists behind SSF are creating a stylish space for Eco-Chic Expo guests to chill and chat about all things green and gorgeous. Come by to relax and hear about how local Seattle companies, even global brands, look to SSF for guidance on best practices in getting green. With their new SSFTags program, the not-for-profit organization is making great strides in helping companies evaluate their efforts in a variety of categories: Human Rights, Environmental and other business practices. Now when you see an SSFTag you know you can trust the brand to show its commitment to helping customers look fabulous, live well and always do good.

Come share your style!

Meet the Exhibitors: The Green Chair Project

When we first conceived of the Eco-Chic Expo, The Green Chair Project was exactly what we had in mind for partners. We're thrilled to welcome this local, University District collective of Northwest artists using recycled materials to create one-of-a-kind designs.

The Green Chair Project and proprietor Carina Manz will be on hand to share their wares, even giving guests a sneak peak into the creative process and what The Green Chair Project offers to its members and future artists. From art in every medium to more daily delights such as bath and beauty item, beautiful tote bags from recycled fabrics, there's something for all of our guests from The Green Chair Project.

Pull up a chair and stay a while!

Meet the Exhibitors: Seattle's Eco Consumer, Tom Watson

Eco-Chic Expo is thrilled to welcome green expert and EcoConsumer, Tom Watson. Watson is project manager for King County's Recycling and Environmental Sciences Department, Seattle Times columnist and a local phenom when it comes to sharing knowledge and green living tips with Seattleites.

From work to play and every other part of life, Seattle's own EcoConsumer will be on hand to share his insight, tips and tricks to going green. Stumping even dear Holmes, learn the latest from this pro about simple and savvy ways to live more sustainably.

Welcome, Doctor Watson!!

Meet the Exhibitors: Jurnee Products: Green Baby, New Mom & Sibling Gifts

Beyond their beautiful prints and presents for every member of the family, what makes Jurnee Products extra special is their commitment to community businesses. Their journey to source the most fun and eco-friendly products for their gifts sets and apparel takes them home to Seattle every time.

From their popular aromatherapy packs to the bright bags that beckon even the most disciplined window shopper, Jurnee Products partners with local companies. This May Day at the Eco-Chic Expo guests will be delighted by the assortment of products on hand for babies, their siblings and of course, mama.

Find your way to Jurnee Products this May Day!

Meet the Exhibitors: Clear Awakening Massage

The name alone relaxes and inspires us to take a minute to pause, doesn't it? Massage therapist, Carissa Garrard uses all methods of natural and holistic healing at her Queen Anne practice, Clear Awakening Massage.

Eco-Chic Expo is thrilled to welcome Carissa to our event where she'll be sharing her magic with complimentary mini-massage. Guests will also hear from Carissa about a range of massage and Ayurvedic therapies to achieve optimal health and balance. "When we have a clear awakening, we evolve, our lives are enriched and we become enlightened," she shares.

I was inspired by Carissa's whole approach to her practice as I discovered in her blog Awakening in a Modern World where she offers tips, tools and musings on ways we can be more connected to ourselves, our environment and each other, Au natural.

Now that deserves a cleansing deep breath!

Meet the Exhibitors: Jello Mold Farm Makes May Day Bloom

No May Day is complete without a gorgeous hand crafted bouquet of organically grown blossoms! C'est vrai! And this May Day at the Eco-Chic Expo guests will be delighted by the visions and scent of blooms from Jello Mold Farm.

Nestled in the rich farmland of the Skagit River Valley, the gardeners of Jello Mold Farm, Diane and Dennis, lovingly tend over 150 varieties of organically grown flowers. The pair is an inspiration for living the dream (whatever yours is!). As they tell it, their romantic dream has become a happy reality; a life spent sharing the seven acres they call home with swans, bald eagles, voles, beetles and nematodes (I'm not sure either!), but it sounds divine.

We're thrilled to welcome Jello Mold Farm, Diane and Dennis to our celebration that will put a little earth day into our May Day!

Meet the Exhibitors: thinknow design

Simple, Elegant, and Sustainable. These words describe the sustainable and fashion-forward line of jewelry by thinknow design.

We met the designer of this fabulous jewelry line, Becky Ellis, last summer and were blown away by the simplicity and beauty of her creations. When designing the jewelry, Becky sets out to create pieces that fit into four core values:

• Have we created a simply elegant product that is unique and beautiful?
• Is this product as green, recycled, rapidly renewable, and harmless to the environment as possible?
• Is each design special enough, different enough, and unprecedented in a wide world of international fashion?
• Have we captured the essence of simple materials and cultural patterns in such a way that is attractive, inspiring, and even innovative?

We know from experience that it takes a lot of hard work and creativity to design something sustainable and beautiful. Congrats to Becky on nailing it. Her designs are sure to create a frenzy on runways in 2010.

In addition to creating gorgeous, sustainable jewelry, Becky is also the graphic designer for the Eco-Chic Expo. Thank you for the beautiful artwork!

To preview some of the thinknow pieces that will be available at the Eco-Chic Expo, visit thinknow design .

Meet the Exhibitors: ReUsies - Re-usable Sandwich and Snack Bags

To hear them tell it the two women behind ReUsies were going through a staggering 10 plastic lunch bags per day per family. Too much plastic, they agreed!

They quickly devised a (business)plan to decrease their support of SC Johnson's Pension Plan (the makers of Ziploc) and create an all natural and reusable snack and sandwich bag that was cute and easy to clean. ReUsies are made of 100% cotton and lined with 100% water resistant nylon that's also BPA, lead and Phthalate free. With a secure piece of Velcro to close, ReUsies don't fall open. The bags are machine-washable, dishwasher safe and easy to clean thoroughly by hand. Choose from over 60 styles in two convenient sizes, we think they've succeeded! And we're not the only ones.

The Seattle-based company has been praised for their ingenuity in the children's market where eco-friendly products make an important impact. Imagine junior growing up reusing his lunch bag instead of tossing a handful of plastic into the landfill. The old adage about telling, showing and teaching a child a lesson comes to life at ReUsies. Find up what they're up to here.

Prices run up to $8.75 and will be discounted to Eco-Chic Expo guests.

Thanks ReUsies!

Meet the Exhibitors: A Greener Kitchen

You recycle, try to use less water, and take the bus whenever possible.  What's the next step in becoming more eco-conscious in your life?  How about greening your kitchen?  A Greener Kitchen, one of our exhibitors at the Eco-Chic Expo, promotes sustainability in the kitchen with a fabulous collection of environmentally friendly kitchen tools, gadgets, and accessories. We recently had the opportunity to chat with Lacey Lybecker, owner of A Greener Kitchen,about the "green" kitchen revolution.  Lacey shared with us some simple ideas to get you on your way to an eco-fabulous kitchen.


How did you get interested in greening up kitchens?

About 6 years ago, I discovered the wonders of cooking. I was fed up with the junk food habits I developed when I was in college,and started exploring whole foods and how to turn them into a creative meal. I quickly learned that you need to have the right tools to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Turning into a kitchen tools and gadgets geek, I started dreaming of owning my own kitchen store. The focus on green came naturally as my husband and I have become more eco-conscious in our own lives.

What are some simple things people can do to make their kitchen greener? 

We believe that being green doesn’t have to be all or nothing; every small step makes a difference. A great place to start is the heart of your home – the place where you cook and eat. A Greener Kitchen shares a few practical tips to you can use to start greening up your kitchen.

• BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) - Cut down on paper and plastic by toting your goods in an eco-chic reusable bag. Use them at the grocery, farmers market, drug store, and clothing store too!
• Compost Food Waste -Use a stylish bucket to collect food scraps; when full add to your backyard compost bin or city yard waste container.
• Eat Sustainably - Visit a farmers market to buy locally grown ingredients or test out that green thumb of yours and plant your own produce.
• Use Your Dishwasher - No need to feel guilty washing your dishes in the dishwasher. As long as you only wash full loads, you can use up to 37% less water than washing by hand.
• Pack Your Pantry Wisely - Buy goods in bulk; the less packaging the better! And stock your cabinets with tools, gadgets, and accessories made in an eco-friendly fashion.

If you could make one eco-friendly improvement to your kitchen today, what would it be and why?

I would love to incorporate an e-composter into my kitchen. We compost our food waste through the city's program, but it would be great to use for our soon-to-be-planted garden (another green improvement that I would call part of the kitchen!)

Thanks Lacey for all the great tips! We can't wait to learn more about greening our kitchens at the Eco-Chic Expo. A Greener Kitchen will be demonstrating how to naturally clean your bamboo cutting boards as well as showing us some cool new products for your kitchen.

Eco-Dogs are Eco-Chic: Dine on Delicious Dante's Inferno Dogs

You won't go hungry at the Eco-Chic Expo: an interactive green lifestyle event on May 1st in Seattle! Much acclaimed hot dog purveyor Dante's Inferno Dogs will delight us with his EXCLUSIVE Eco-Chic Expo Eco-Dog. We can't wait to sample these all natural dogs and are awaiting the big Eco-Dog reveal.

We love Dante's Inferno Dogs for lots of reason.

1. Delicious!

2. Cooked and served up by a savvy guy inspired by the book 'A Confederacy of Dunces', a personal favorite

3. A green operation. Dante's Inferno Dogs makes it easy to feed a hungry crowd with a small footprint when he comes to you.

Come join us on May Day in Seattle at the Ravenna Eckstein Community Center, learn from our excellent exhibitors and satisfy your hunger with an Eco-Dog.

You want onions with that?

Sweet in Seattle: Sugar Sugar Spa Treatments at Eco-Chic Expo

What's more eco-chic than natural beauty? Not much! That's why Eco-Chic Expo is thrilled to have partnered with Seattle's only all natural sugaring spa, aptly named Sugar Sugar. From their brand new location at 510 NE 65th Street in Seattle, Sugar Sugar pros deliver the best in professional organic beauty products and all natural aesthetic services.

Join us on May 1st at Ravenna Eckstein Community Center from 10a-2p where Sugar Sugar will be indulging guests in complimentary (that's FREE!) brow and lip sugaring. If you haven't experienced sugaring, you're missing out! It's an all natural, chemical free hair removal solution for all.

See you then!

Sneak Peak at Eco-Chic Expo

Soon to appear in store fronts and businesses across Seattle: The Eco-Chic Expo Poster.  We love it.  Thanks to Becky Ellis at thinknow for the fabulous artwork.

Meet the Exhibitors: mamaswap.com

mamaswap.com is a Seattle-based online consignment community for gently used kid's clothes and gear created by parents for parents. Posting your used kid's items for sale is quick and easy and can even be done single-handed while you multitask with your other hand! Plus, you'll earn more money selling through mamaswap than you will selling through a traditional brick and mortar consignment shop or even on eBay. And it's way less of a hassle than posting to Craigslist!

One of the best things about using mamaswap.com is our "swap meets" - a four-hour window scheduled every 2 weeks where sellers and buyers exchange goods purchased on the site as well as mingle.

Sarah Bell, the Head Mama at mamaswap will be hosting two live "swaps" at the Eco-Chic Expo up on our stage; one at 11am and another at 1pm. In addition to our regular swap fun, we will be adding two "exchange" tables; one for $10 items and one for $5 items. Bring something for the table and swap it out for something new-to-you!

What better way to refresh your toys, gear and clothes in "green" way than sending them off to greener pastures to be reused by another family?


Do you want to be part of mamaswap's live swap at the Eco-Chic Expo?  Visit mamaswap.com for more information about signing up and swapping logistics.

Eco-Chic Expo Exhibitors

Let's hear it for our confirmed exhibitors to date! They're ready to delight our guests this May Day by demonstrating how to go a little greener this season. We'll share more daily about these great, green-minded companies.

Welcome aboard!
A Greener Kitchen
Dante's Inferno Dogs - come by for the exclusive Eco-Dog
Eat Your Yard
mamaswap.com
Natural Balance
Nest
Phyzz Yoga
Satsuma Designs
Sugar Sugar
Sweet Beauty
Theo Chocolate
Thinknow
Tread Light Gifts

photo courtesy of thinknow and Tread Light Gifts

Meet the Exhibitors: Sweet Beauty Spa

We are excited to announce that Sweet Beauty  - Organic Chocolate Spa Treatments will be joining us for the Eco-Chic Expo. There are a million spa products out on the market but there are some very unique qualities of Sweet Beauty that we think make them stick out far above the rest.

Here is what we love about Sweet Beauty:

• Every Sweet Beauty Spa product starts with a base of organic fair-trade certified chocolate and cocoa butter, sourced from Theo Gourmet Chocolate in Seattle, Washington.
• Every batch of Sweet Beauty products is hand crafted by founder, Lisa Francoise.

• Sweet Beauty guarantee that all their products are made from 100% natural ingredients, obtained from responsible sources and preserved naturally. The products contain no parabens, pthalates, sulfates, fragrances, artificial colors, synthetic emulsifiers or silicones.
• Did we mention that these products are made with Chocolate?? There are numerous benefits to using chocolate in Spa products such as incredible antioxidant protection and profound effect on your mood, creating a feeling of deep relaxation and satisfaction.

To find out more about Sweet Beauty, the ingredients or products you will be able to sample and buy at the Eco-Chic event, visit  Sweet Beauty Organic Spa Treatments.

Meet The Exhibitors - Satsuma Designs

What happens when you take bamboo and create eco-luxurious products for babies? The result is Satsuma Designs, a Seattle based mother-owned company that manufactures eco-friendly, yet elegant and practical gifts for babies. Satsuma Designs loves babies, it's why they do what they do. Every design in their collection, business decision, and inspiration comes from their mission to create cozy, all natural products for little ones. They stick true to their mission by donating 5% of each purchase to St. Joseph's Baby Corner in Seattle where they are providing essential care to babies in need.

Here's a sneak preview of some of the fabulous products by Satsuma Designs available at the Eco-Chic Expo.

Panda Bear Bamboo Hooded Towel 

Bamboo Velour Blanket  - For babies

Bamboo Velour Blanket - This one is for adults.  No more cold winter nights.

Location, Location, Location

Our first Eco-Chic Expo will take place at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center in the very eco-friendly neighborhood of Ravenna. If you have never been to Ravenna, we invite you to join us on May 1st for the 1st Eco-Chic Expo and then spend some time exploring the neighborhood.

Some of our favorite eco-picks in Ravenna:

• Thrive - experience the delectable dishes of this vegan, gluten-free, dairy free restaurant. So good, you might consider adapting a raw food diet.
• East West Bookshop - a resource center for conscious living, offering a wide selection books & products representing new insights into the mind, body, and spirit from around the world. Pick up a cook book and head over to...
• Whole Foods Market - at the world's leader in natural and organic foods, you are sure to find all the organic and natural ingredients needed for a scrumptious meal.

What's your eco business in the Ravenna Neighborhood of Seattle?

Eco-Chic Expo Seattle Debuts this May Day!

Join Seattle's leading sustainable lifestyle companies for a savvy green and stylish May Day!

Check back often to learn more and see who will share their tips and tricks on living easy and green.

Sponsored by:
MamaSwap.com
Tread Light Gifts
Satsuma Designs