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!

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: 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: 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!

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!