Green Eve

Photo Diary: Paris, Je T'aime

2013-10-13T21:38:00.000+01:00

Paris, Paris, Paris! Where do I begin?! From the breathtaking architecture to Haussman's boulevards and the vibrant cafe culture, Paris is a city oozing with romance and overwhelming beauty with every corner of every street.

It was not my first time visiting the city, but I couldn't help but be in awe of it. No words will ever do it justice, so let's hope these snaps I took from my visit this past September do, even if a little:

Mangnifique, non? Can't wait to be back!

Anoud xx

IMAGES BELONG TO ANOUD AL-FAWWAZ.

Salma's Clean Baking: Souffle & Vegan Ice Cream | Coconuts and Cocoa

2013-09-26T12:42:00.000+01:00

As promised, my dear friend Salma from Coconuts and Cocoa will be contributing posts to Green Eve to spread her amazing health and fitness tips and bless us all with her tasty yet healthy recipes! I will say no more, and leave you all to indulge (pun intended) in her post below:

Gathered around the TV, post dinner, my family and I were (of course) watching the Food Network.

Our conversation dominated our attention towards the television until one snapshot of a delectable dessert shut us all up:

Soufflé.

That gloriously thick chocolate, looking rich enough to buy enough carpets to cover a sultanate’s palace, just glooping in the bowl along with an oozing, sinful amount of butter; and that fluffy, sky-high cloud of whipped egg whites and sugar that looked so whimsical it just made us smile.

The two married together in a performance so practiced you’d have thought it was an act. The pale gold white and deep, dark chocolate danced and flirted with one another until they melded to become a whipped chocolate dream.

It was then that my father looked to me and said:

“Can you make that?”

As some of you know, I’m a bit of a performer in the kitchen. I stare at the pantry for a good twenty minutes, sniffing and tasting spices and mustards, and once I make a decision on what tastes go together, I throw it all in and jump around, fingers crossed, hoping it’ll come out alright, and it usually does.

Baking has never been my forte because it requires precise measurements that allow the scientific bubblings behind the ingredients to work.

So, when my father asked me to whip up a soufflé, I turned to our good friend: Google.

Clean baking and eating is something I absolutely advocate. However, it’s not always easy to find a clean version of certain baked goods because of the necessities of the exact ingredients.

Lo and behold! Thanks to the green movement of the 21st century, there were recipes to choose from that allowed me to make something naughty, but with ingredients that were nice.

No processed ingredients, flour, white sugar, no bad shtuff, thanks.

I adapted it to suit what I preferred and to what I had available to me in my pantry, but for the most part, it’s a pretty simple and easy recipe.

On paper, that is.

There were a couple of moments when I had my heart in my throat because it wasn’t going as planned, but I’ll point those out to you later in the recipe.

Speaking of which, let’s get to it...

Clean Paleo Chocolate Souffle. Serves 2 in medium ramekins.

Ingredients:

3 TBSPNs grassfed organic butter / ghee (substitute could be coconut oil, but haven’t tested that)

2 TBSPNs unsweetened raw cocoa powder

3OZ /89grams dark organic chocolate (I used a combo of 78% and 85%)

½ tspn vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

2 egg whites

2 TBSPNs coconut sugar (can be granules or nectar, It works with both)

Pinch of salt

Pinch of baking powder (the original recipe called for cream of tartar, but I didn’t have any)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 190C (375F).

Butter your ramekins with a third (or however much needed) butter, then dust with cocoa powder, shaking out the excess.

Melt the chocolate and remaining butter in a bain Maire (glass bowl over simmering water in a pot, make sure NOT to allow the bowl to be immersed in the water, not even touching!!).

Once melted, add in the vanilla, and wait for it to cool slightly before adding in the egg yolks, one by one.

It was at this point that I added the egg yolks when the chocolate was still too hot, leaving me with chocolate seizing up and panic rushing through me. I almost gave up but seeing as I had no other chocolate to start over with, I let it cool and put it aside. I then used a few good scoops of the beaten egg whites to mix in and loosen up the chocolate. Thankfully, it worked like a charm and it became rich and pour-able again.

Set aside your chocolate mixture, and beat the egg whites, sugar, salt, and baking powder until firm peaks form.

Another mistake I made here was beating the egg whites too soon, and then having them stand on the counter during my chocolate panic, only to have them become watery and unusable. I just had to toss them out and start over with new egg whites.

Once your egg whites are whipped, fold in a third into the chocolate. Don’t worry about being too careful here, you’re just lightening up the chocolate mixture so that when you mix in the rest of the whites, the air won’t be knocked out of it from over mixing.

Then, fold in the rest of your egg whites into the chocolate to form a glorious, pillow-y chocolate fluff.

Carefully spoon the mixture into your ramekins, filling them about ¾ of the way up, and running your finger around the edge of the batter and ramekin so that they can rise straight up.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes. They will rise up in the oven and look glorious.

They will deflate when you take them out of the oven, so let the serving be done right away for a bit of a show-off, then enjoy them when they’re slightly cooled.

They will be light, fluffy, yet decadent. Very much like a fancy brownie.

For even more deliciousness, I suggest serving it with clean ice cream. Oohhh what a treat!

For clean, vegan, ice cream, all you need are:

Ingredients:

Peeled, sliced, frozen bananas,

Milk of any form (coconut, almond, rice..); just a splash.

Optional:

Cinnamon

Vanilla stevia or extract

Method:

Simply throw all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and scoop out to enjoy! It’ll have the consistency of soft serve ice cream.

Enjoy! Stay happy, stay smiling, stay hydrated.

Original blog post: http://glipho.com/coconutsandcocoa/clean-paleo-chocolate-decadence-the-souffle-bonus-ice-cream-recipe

Photo Diary: Scenes from Amman, Jordan

2013-09-09T13:55:00.001+01:00

Whereve you are in the world, hope you've all enjoyed your summer!

Anoud x

IMAGES BELONG TO GREEN EVE/ANOUD AL-FAWWAZ.

Snap of the Day: Curiosity of the Cat

2013-08-23T17:07:00.000+01:00

Not to sound biased but my cat, Sassy, has the most beautiful blue dreamy eyes. I especially love it when her pupils are narrowed when provoked or focussed. Yesterday, she sat next to me on the couch and curiously and carefully watched birds out the window. As the sun hit her face and shined on her eyes, I couldn't help but snap away the beauty that I was witnessing.

I have taken so many pictures of Sassy in the past 11 years that I've had her, but this one has got to be my favourite. Hope you like it as much as I do!

Anoud x

IMAGE BELONGS TO GREEN EVE/ANOUD AL-FAWWAZ.

Great Ways To Do Good | Guest Contributor Post

2013-08-13T16:53:00.000+01:00

I was recently contacted by fashion enthusiast Morgan Gray who wanted to share a few of her thoughts with Green Eve's readers. Morgan recently started her own blog: "Gray & Gabbana" to make her voice heard in the fashion community; she is big on philanthropy and believes that there is more to fashion than meets the eye! Here's what she has to say about the philanthropic aspects of fashion:

Sometimes we do good directly, by performing random acts of kindness or donating to a worthy cause. However, that isn’t the only way to contribute. We can easily and effortlessly support companies who do good with purchases that you can be sure help to carry on the good works in the world.

Philanthropy and Fashion

Who doesn’t enjoy fashion! Most of my favorite companies to support seem to have a pretty cool social mission. Whenever I want a fresh look or a trendy pair of sunglasses, I shop at Warby Parker. This benefits my pocketbook and me because they offer affordable designer eyeglasses that stack up to the competition. No need to spend over $300 for a new look. Also, the company gives back by partnering with non-profits that train low-income entrepreneur women to sell affordable eye wear to those in need in their respective countries. So for every pair of glasses the company sells, they donate a pair!

I adore cute, quirky hats, and I’ve found a couple of my favorites at WORN. This organization, a part of Catholic Charities Fort Worth, helps immigrant women supplement their income with hand-knit items they can sell. Each woman in this program has relocated to the Fort Worth area from a war-torn, poverty stricken part of the world, and WORN provides them and their families a hand up.

Philanthropy

Each month, I try to make sure that a portion of my earnings goes to a worthy cause. Naturally, I have a few favorite organizations to support. Vital Voices, an international organization that focuses on investing in women is one of my all-time favorite philanthropies. To date, their international staff of over 1,000 pro bono experts has trained and mentored more than 14,000 women from more than 144 countries. After their experience within the program, these women return home to mentor other women and girls in their own communities. The result is a powerful movement of women helping women to impact their world for change.

Every person has the power to impact the world for good. There are many ways in which we can do good—there really is something good in this world for everyone. I hope these ideas have inspired you look into your own favorite ways to give.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Environmental Impacts & More...

2013-07-21T09:00:00.000+01:00

I’m sure most of you have heard about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), but as I was myself up until recently, not many know what exactly are GMOs and how harmful they really are. My dearest friend from way back in the day, Salma, who recently started her own blog: Coconuts and Cocoa (all about eating healthy, clean and keeping fit), asked me if I was familiar with GMOs and I only knew the very basics. She was doing research for her next blog series dedicated to GMOs, and I was interested in learning more about them so we decided to collaborate together through posts on each of our blogs. Salma’s first post of the series will introduce GMOs in detail while I will cover their impacts on the environment and the different initiatives from around the world to get GMOs banned/labelled. So here goes!

First of all, what exactly are GMOs? For a simple answer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), GMOs are “Organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally”. But for more details and a thorough (and beautifully-written) explanation, I suggest you read Salma’s informative post here.

Now onto the negative impacts of GMOs... How bad are they? And what exactly are their environmental impacts?

Here’s a rather short but informative video that summarises the ugly truth about GMOs...

The ecological impacts of GMOs still remain vague and the least understood, even though ironically their impacts on the environment are the most consequential to our plants, crops and generally our health and well-being.

However, what is certain and confirmed is that the overuse of herbicide-tolerant GMO crops has led to an increase in herbicide use (use of toxic herbicides like RoundUp has increased 15 times since the introduction of GMOs) and resulted in an outbreak of herbicide resistant “superweeds” and “superbugs”. Superweeds and superbugs basically are those that adapt to resist herbicides, and can only be killed with even more toxic poisons like 2,4-D (a major ingredient in Agent Orange). This results in an overall more aggressive and increased use of herbicides.

Greenpeace explain the impacts of GMOs brilliantly in this short and sweet video below.

Another serious environmental impact of GMOs is cross-contamination. This is a problem especially noted in the United States, where engineered crops covering around half of all harvested cropland. With seed or pollen from those GMO cropland drifting onto neighbouring plots, organic farmers are struggling to prevent cross-contamination. Unfortunately, current industry standards for separating GMO fields from organic cropland have proven to be inadequate as insects, wind, floods and machinery spread seed and pollen over extensive distances. This is especially problematic for farmers who aim to sell their crops to countries that strictly regulate or ban GMO foods, as it harms their exports and profits.

Efforts to Get GMOs Labelled and Banned

The topic of GMOs has been a controversial one worldwide, especially in the United States. The reason for that is that all industrial countries besides Canada and the US legally require that a food item is labelled if it contains genetically modified ingredients. The European Union, for example, has very stringent GMO regulations. In fact, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Luxembourg and Bulgaria have placed bans on the cultivation and sale of GMOs. In contrast, in the US, the food industry claims that GMO foods are not harmful and insists they are perfectly safe. However, 92% of Americans think GMO should be labelled and about 1.4m Americans have signed petitions to get GMOs labelled or banned.

The most notable effort to get GMOs labelled is “Just Label It”. Watch the campaign video below, which features celebrities like Michael J Fox, Ziggy Marley and many others voicing their support for GMO labelling.

If you're a US resident, make sure you check out Just Label It for more information on how you can donate to the cause and take action.

More general petitions and worldwide initiatives:

Avaaz Petition

Causes Petition

Walk Your Talk Petition

Make sure you all are more aware of the food you consume; find out exactly where it comes from, how it was cultivated and what toxins it may contain. Remember, all that glitters is not gold! If it looks too good to be true, too unnaturally appealing then don’t go near it. Your health is most precious, guard it well and maintain it with naturally nutritious food. And that right there is your stairway to the fountain of youth; natural all the way!

P.S. keep checking Coconuts and Cocoa for more of Salma’s GMO-related posts!

Anoud x

A Dose of Inspiration: Pick Me Up Quotes

2013-05-09T10:55:00.001+01:00

It's that time of the year again when it's exam period just when the sunshine is starting to creep up on us. Days are longer, people are happier and nights are more pleasant. It's always ironic and frustrating though when you can't actually enjoy it as instead you are indoors (probably at the library) gearing up for exams. So the stress is inevitable and we are all feeling tired and down. So this month's Dose of Inspiration post is all about pick me up quotes. Some of them are overused and typical, but hey they work! Here are a few that I've gathered over the week from tumblr....

Best of luck to all those sitting for exams this month! Hope some of these quotes helped boost your motivation and put you back on track... :-)

Anoud x

Photo Diary: North Wales - Bodnant Garden & Penrhyn Castle

2013-04-19T12:11:00.000+01:00

The UK is a beautiful place, with plenty areas of breathtaking views. I love going around with friends and exploring various sites around the country. This past weekend, the girls and I went on a day visit to North Wales to check out Bodnant Garden and Penrhyn Castle. Unfortunately, despite the relatively warm temperatures, the morning started off with heavy rain while we were at Bodnant Garden. At first we decided to stay at a local traditional tearoom and sipped on warm tea as we heard the wind and rain collaborate in a mighty rainstorm outside. After an hour or so we decided we needed to suck it up and brave the weather. The garden was beautiful! The blossoming flowers of all shades of pink and violet, the blooming trees and the fresh wet grass all made it worth our while. Of course while walking through the beautiful grounds, my umbrella was violently attacked by the wind and eventually collapsed but even that couldn't distract me away from the lovely site. C'est la vie, no?!

Our next stop was Penrhyn Castle. Thankfully, by the time we got there, the rain had stopped and the sun was bright and shining. The wind however was as strong as ever, and we were warned to avoid walking close to the trees. As you'll see in the pictures, the view from the castle was amazing. The green hills, the glimmering lake and the snow covered mountains of Snowdania in the distance were a pleasant sight to witness. Inside the castle, we were even more mesmerised. The glass stained windows, the intricate ceilings, the exquisite bedrooms, kitchen and dining room looked like something out of a 19th-century fairy tale. I tried to take as many snaps of the interior as possible but no picture would do it justice and I was too caught up with the details of the manor that I couldn't take proper images; but I tried my best!

Enjoy x

Bodnant Garden

Penrhyn Castle

P.S. while at Penrhyn Castle, I thought to myself that this place would make the perfect setting for a horror movie and when I got back and started researching more about its history, I found this blog called "Ghosts of Penrhyn Castle" which got me all excited. Check it out if you're into horror movies and such, interesting stories :-).

Anoud x

ALL IMAGES BELONG TO GREEN EVE/ANOUD AL-FAWWAZ.

Disney Earth Day Video Series

2013-04-04T09:13:00.001+01:00

The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF) has been very active in supporting animals since it was first appropriately created on April 22, 1995 (Earth Day). Till now, the fund has generously raised $20 million towards wildlife conservation projects.

In celebration of their anniversary, the Disney Corporation is producing video series called Stories from the Field, where Disney representatives will be raising awareness on endangered species.

Check out the first video below!

Yet another reason to love Disney, right? :-)

For more information on DWCF, take a look at their website here.

Anoud x

Image: waltdisneyboards.com

Photo Diary: Sunsets, Concrete & Manchester Through My Window

2013-02-19T18:46:00.004+00:00

With the recent extremely confused weather this past month in Manchester - from snow and hail to torrential rain and wind and then to serene clear skies and sunshine - I find myself obsessively capturing the shifting climates. Being the happy snapper that I am, and blessed with an amazing view of Manchester city centre, it really is impossible for me not to immortalise my changing scenery through the handy lens of my iPhone 4. If you follow me on Instagram, or even Twitter, you'll know that I am especially fond of sunset snaps and you're probably tired of seeing them by now. But sunsets really are lovely, specifically the ones in February, where the sun sets later in the day at dusk. But enough of me babbling on about skies and sunsets, I'll let the pictures take over from here. Enjoy!

Snow, snow, snow.

Literally less than an hour after the snow picture above was taken: sunshine and a clear sky!

Living in a snow globe.

Typical Manchester mills in the back. Oh and a lollipop from SED.

This reminded me of the Lion King.

Sunset again.

This was taken a few days ago. I was so tired and was in bed about to snooze away till I saw the sun peeking through and had to take a picture. I was too tired to walk a few steps to the window (yes I know, I'm lazy) and decided to take it from where I was. It somehow worked and I love how it turned out.

Took this about half an hour ago. It was a lovely day today :)

It's incredible how these pictures are all of the same view, yet each one is very different and it all comes down to the weather!

As I said before, all the pictures were taken with an iPhone 4 and most of them were edited using Instagram or Camera+.

Anoud x

ALL IMAGES BELONG TO GREEN EVE/ANOUD AL-FAWWAZ.

H&M Conscious Collection Featuring Vanessa Paradis

2013-02-05T15:54:00.001+00:00

With the cold and snowy weather here in the UK at the moment, the only thing that has been keeping me going is the thought that spring is right around the corner. Besides the sunshine and happier faces that come with spring, the H&M Conscious Collection is yet another thing to look forward to during the season. For this year's collection, the high street giant teamed up with French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis to be the face of the 2013 Conscious Collection. The collection is yet to be revealed, but watch below a video of behind the scenes footage of making the campaign film directed by Johan Renck.

What a beautiful woman! And lucky one might I add (hello Johnny Depp!). But seriously, can't wait to see this year's collection!

Anoud x

Eco-Friendly Jewellery: Odette New York

2012-12-10T19:52:00.001+00:00

If you remember, over the summer I posted about my new found obsession with Alkemie, an eco-friendly jewellery brand. And this week, I discovered a very similar brand (and equally as amazing) based in New York called Odette. Odette is a Brooklyn-based jewellery line, which was founded in 2006 by artist Jennifer Sarkilahti, is made using hand fabrication and ancient and modern wax carving techniques. The designs behind the pieces are inspired by 'organic and industrial shapes, natural specimens, uncommon artifacts and primitive forms'. Now here's the exciting part, Odette's jewellery is cast in recycled sterling silver, brass, bronze, diamonds and 14k!

Lovely, right? Well the good news is that you can find Odette stocked in the UK in Anthropologie and also in Couverture & The Garbstore in London. Click here for all other international stockists.

Make sure you check out the wesbite here to browse all the collections, and be sure to also like their Facebook page & tweet them while you're at it! :)

Anoud x

Images: odetteny.com

Christmas Gift for Her: Stella McCartney Biodegradable Heels

2012-11-26T15:10:00.000+00:00

Stella McCartney has always shown her dedication to sustainability and environmentally friendly fashion by proving to the industry that you do not need to slay a crocodile to create luxurious items. With Christmas right around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about her biodegradable shoes for Fall/Winter 2012, as they may be something some of you would consider gifting the special fashion-savvy girlfriend/friend/wife/sister etc,..

Stella's cruelty-free kicks were first spotted on the runway of Paris Fashion Week back in february, and they are made of pleather and faux-croc with soles made from Aspinat, which is a biodegradable thermoplastic made from natural and renewable raw materials. The shoes are unconventionally beautiful with a strong contrast between the chunky white sole and the dark upper sole.

Shop the collection here!

Happy guilt-free Christmas shopping!

Anoud x

Images: stellamccartney.com, ecouterre.com

LifeStraw: A Humanitarian Innovation

2012-11-13T10:30:00.000+00:00

Access to clean drinking water in many developing countries has always been a challenge, and many have suffered as a result of dehydration or polluted water that in no way suitable for human consumption. To be more exact, over one billion individuals, or one seventh of the world's population, lack access to a safe water supply! With bacteria like typhoid, cholera, e.coli, salmonella and many others found in polluted water, you can only imagine the hazards and diseases resulting from drinking from it. So safe water interventions are crucial to transform the lives of millions and ensure they have access to the basic human right of clean water. And this is where LifeStraw comes in.

I came across LifeStraw a few days ago and was fascinated at how a simple product can have such a great positive impact on the lives of many. A simple innovation, but with a huge impact, it reminded me of the water bottle light bulb idea! LifeStraw, which was invented in 2005, is a 25 cm long, 29 mm diameter, plastic pipe filter that has the potential to save millions of lives. At only $2 per unit, LifeStraw serves as a purification tool with a life time of 700 litres (around 1 year of water consumption per person, or 2 years for kids)! Because water cleaning systems are costly and complicated to deploy, there was not much that can be done about water born diseases up until now. LifeStraw has shown positive results when testes on tap, turbid and saline water against common bacteria such as Staphylococcu, Salmonella, Enterococcus, and Shigella. So now with the simplicity of this personal water filter, an individual's annual access to CLEAN water can be secured!

Here's a video to further explain the product and demonstrate how it exactly works:

To find out more about LifeStraw and find out how you can help donate this product to communities in need and spread the word, please visit their website here.

Anoud x

Images: gizmag.com

Plastic Bags: The Wonders of Nature... NOT!

2012-10-17T10:57:00.001+01:00

I love sarcasm, and probably use it way too much to communicate my ideas sometimes, so it's no surprise that I loved 'The Majestic Plastic Bag'. I came across this 'mockumentary' this morning and thought it was a great way to shed light on the evilness that is a plastic bag. The video is part of the California Plastic Bag Ban and was made by Heal the Bay to highlight the alarming reality of the plastic bag pollution situation in California. Check it out:

Also, if you are in Jordan, then you need to get involved in the UNESCO "Balash Kees بلاش كيس" campaign which aims to:

Reduce the use of plastic bags by major supermarkets in Jordan and change consumer behaviour.

This can be achieved by:

- Increasing awareness of the public on the negative environmental impact of plastic bags in Jordan.

- Promotion of environmental-friendly alternatives.

Help add your voice to the "Balash Kees" campaign and urge supermarkets and shoppers in Jordan to put an end to plastic bags once and for all!
For more info, take a look at the campaign's Facebook page here and find out what you can do to help spread their message.

Anoud x

Earth Hour 2013 Official Video

2012-10-03T11:32:00.002+01:00

It's October already?! What?! Yeah, time is most definitely flying by and before we know it will be time for Earth Hour again! Yesterday, the official Earth Hour 2013 video was released with the theme "Dare the World to Save the Planet". Check it out below.

For more info, check out EH's official website and don't forget to mark your calendars for Saturday March 23, 8:30 PM.

Anoud x

D.I.Y: Post Box Recycling!

2012-09-21T12:52:00.000+01:00

Last month when I was in Amman, one of our house's old mail boxes got replaced by a new fancy one. The people who replaced it wanted to take the old one and throw it away, but my mother was smart enough to ask them to keep it, cause she knew I'd want to change it up and reuse it somehow. So I did! I thought why not recycle it myself, paint it and give it some character to reuse it as a multi-functional décor item! Of course I had to get the help of my cousin Basma and her artistic skills. So here's a step-by-step guide through pictures on how to do it and what items you will need:

Items needed:

1. Old/unused mail box

2. Rough grit sandpaper

3. Blade

4. Spray paint (in whichever colour you would like the base of the mail box to be)

5. Paint and brushes or colouring pens

6. Pencil and eraser for sketching

The mail box before. As you can see it's pretty worn out and rusty.

This is the sandpaper that we used to get rid of the rust and smooth the surface out. You can find sandpaper in any building materials supply store.

Cut a square portion of the sandpaper and scrape down the rusty parts and edges till the surface become smooth.

After lots of scraping, the rust starts to disappear.

Go over the edges of the rust till you no longer feel a difference in surface and the entire edge smooths out.

For large rust flakes, carefully use a blade to scrape the diminishing paint off.

The final result: rust is gone and you are left with the bare material of the mail box.

Use a can of spray paint to establish a new base coating for the mail box. I used white, but you can use whichever colour you want!

Begin spray painting the base colour on.

Basma decided that it would be nicer to hint at the mail box's vintage nature by giving the front surface a rough finish. We did this by using a plastic bag to continuously dab and repaint the surface to achieve a rough texture.

We also decided to not paint the lid and keep it looking rusty, to add an edge to the mail box and keep it looking vintage.

Also gave the paint a faded look and left the sides not completely painted again to give it a vintage look.

Start thinking of what designs you want to paint on the box. Get on Google and start searching for inspiration!

Grab a pencil and eraser and start sketching.

I decided I wanted the main design to be a Hand of Fatima with the Green Eve heart in the centre.

Painting on the rough texture proved to be difficult and needed a few layers over a couple of days till the pigmented colour appeared clearly. It is much easier to use coloured pens, but we realised that a little too late. Oops!

I went with a very random design; mainly inspired by nature and the outdoors, while keeping the main focus on the Hand of Fatima.

I then went ahead and added starts, just to keep it looking busy, as I was going for that look.

My favourite part of the design: some little paws!

The different uses of the mail box once it's done: a flower vase!

Or even to hold some newspapers/magazines/books.

The finished product. What I love about this is that you can always paint over it and redesign it to suit whatever mood you're in! For winter, I'll probably paint the base a deep purple and add some silver or gold baroque design.

Let me know if you decide to try this out yourself. Trust me it's fun!

Anoud xx

ALL IMAGES BELONG TO GREEN EVE/ ANOUD AL FAWWAZ.

UN-HABITAT - I'm a City Changer!

2012-09-02T21:32:00.000+01:00

Today was the start of the UN-HABITAT's 6th World Urban Forum (WUF), the world's first multilateral conference exploring urban issues, so I thought this post is appropriate. FYI: Established by the United Nations, WUF examines the impact of rapid urbanisation on the world's communities. The UN, along with the conference's participants, aim to find ways to achieve environmentally-friendly and sustainable urban growth and development through this yearly meeting. The WUF also attempts to improve to eradicate urban slums and improve the conditions of poverty-stricken city dwellers through improving their access to basic facilities.

So, in honour of UN-HABITAT's effort, whom I had the amazing opportunity to intern with this summer, I thought I'd shed light on their amazing campaign: I'm a City Changer. I'm a City Changer is a worldwide campaign that seeks to raise awareness among citizens on urban issues in hopes of achieving better cities. Through sharing and spreading individual, corporate and public initiatives that improve our cities, I'm a City Changer is a global movement.

The campaign works to achieve sustainable urban development in cities worldwide through six key components. These main components are:
1. A Resilient City
2. A Green City
3. A Safe and Healthy City
4. An Inclusive City
5. A Planned City
6. A Productive City

Find out more about each component here.

Through the campaign's website, you are able to read and view stories from all around the world about initiatives undertaken by individuals and corporations that aim improve their own city. Click to read about the various city-enhancing initiatives here, and of course don't forget that you yourself can share your own story as well! You can find out more on how to do that here.

How great is this campaign? And how cute is the video? Love it!

Be sure to like UN-HABITAT on Facebook to keep up to date with their latest news and events and follow them on Twitter while you're at it!

Anoud x

Photo Diary: Green Eve Gets Graffitied!

2012-08-25T15:13:00.000+01:00

Last week, while working on the Jabal Amman photo diary, we went to the British Council parking lot, located in the heart of the area. As a way to promote art and upcoming Jordanian talent, the British Council opens up the lot every Friday for those who wish to spread their art on the walls through graffiti. To our luck, we found a few of Jordan's best graffiti artists working on a few pieces, so we got to see them work their magic. What was even more exciting was that one of the artists knew my cousin Basma and was kind enough to offer to graffiti the Green Eve logo. Wize One, a leading Jordanian graffiti artist, noticed the Green Eve logo plate as we were taking pictures of it against the colourful art-filled walls, and he was amazing enough to suggest we get it graffitied! I had the biggest smile on my face as I saw the colourful take on the Green Eve logo come to life. It would've been PERFECT though if the spray paint that was used was eco-friendly. I'll leave you now to enjoy the pictures below:

Big thanks to Wesam Shadid (Wize One), Suhaib Attar, Emsallam and the rest of the crew for the wonderful work and for their lovely spirit! And of course, as I mentioned in the previous post, my sister Hala and Bassoum, my photo diary buddies!

Anoud x

ALL IMAGES BELONG TO GREEN EVE/ANOUD AL-FAWWAZ.

Photo Diary: Green Eve Around Jabal Amman

2012-08-17T18:44:00.001+01:00

This afternoon, I dragged my sister Hala & cousin Basma (who you've been introduced to in this post) to some of my favourite areas in Amman. Ever since I've seen the recycled Green Eve plate that Basma did, I have been wanting to do this photo diary. We went to Jabal Amman, one of the older areas of the city, and took photos of places and scenes while incorporating the Green Eve plate in the shots. I absolutely love old Amman; I love the atmosphere, the people , the architecture and the beautiful sloped hills & white old houses. I always tell my parents I wish we lived there. I feel like life there is much more animated and people are friendlier and happier than in the more modern parts of Amman. But enough of me talking, I'll leave you all to check out the photos below:

Later on during the day, the most spontaneous and random thing happened. Long story short, the Green Eve logo got grafittied (I know it's not so eco-friendly, but the artist was already working on a project and was kind enough to offer to get it done, so it was really hard to say no!). Unfortunately, you'll have to wait a few more days till the pictures are up, because they deserve a post of their own. But here's a little preview below:

Be sure to stay tuned for that! Hope you all enjoyed this photo diary... It is surely one of my favourites ever! Big thanks to Hala for modelling and for driving me around, and to Basma for a) making the GE plate and b) for modelling and to both of course for helping out and tolerating the heat and my bossiness on a hot Ramadan afternoon. Oh and I must thank Abood, the lovely kid and his bird who so lovingly posed for us, and his mother of course who was wonderful enough to let us!

Much love and Eid Mubarak to all,

Anoud xx

ALL IMAGES BELONG TO GREEN EVE / ANOUD AL-FAWWAZ.

Art Spotlight: Debra Hurd's City Scenes Paintings

2012-08-12T11:17:00.000+01:00

Last night I came across a breathtaking photograph by Mark Whitt of Amman with a spectacular view of the city's famous Hill of the Citadel. I was so inspired by the photo that this morning (plus my internship work today is rather slow), I began searching and browsing the web for pictures of cityscapes and skylines. I've always loved cities and was fascinated by them. But now that I am studying urban planning I understand what it really takes to make cities tick, what it takes to make them these hubs of life, culture and development (sustainable) that they are. And with that I have developed a great passion and admiration for cities and what defines them. So naturally my search went on enjoyably for hours, as I was plastered to my computer screen with wide eyes of fascination at the pictures that I was viewing. My search led me onto a new dimension of capturing the beauty of a city, and that is cityscape art; that's when I discovered Debra Hurd's beautiful oil paintings of vivid city scenes.

Debra works with oils and uses a knife to achieve the dramatic and bold colours and textures that her paintings are knows for. She explains: "A very ordinary scene can be perceived differently when painted with a bit of exaggerated color and awareness of light. The ordinary then becomes the extraordinary. Color is critical. When I'm asked which color is my favorite, I tend to think in terms of which two or three colors I like in combination."

Here are my favourite Debra Hurd city-related paintings:

Music to the eyes, no?

Be sure to visit Debra's website here, and her blog here as well to find out more about the artist and view more of her beautiful art. She is known for her depictions of jazz, rock and blues musicians, so you must check out those paintings!

Anoud x

Images: debrahurd.com

Eco-Friendly Jewellery: Alkemie

2012-08-02T10:00:00.000+01:00

If you know me personally then you surely know that I am a self-confessed jewellery addict. I love unique, intricate and daring pieces and I think that jewellery in general is a great way to express yourself. Early this morning I was browsing through shopbob's jewellery section (I love that you can sort items by "Earth Friendly"), and I came across the brand Alkemie. Alkemie is an eco-friendly jewellery line created by husband and wife Dara Gerson & Ashley Lowengrub. The entire Alkemie collection is handmade in Los Angeles and is forged from 100% reclaimed metals. Also, the leather used is sourced from sustainable cattle farmers and is dyed with eco-friendly dye. I have to say, browsing through their collection online, I felt like a kid in a candy store. The pieces are simply beautiful, and the fact that they are made carefully with sustainability in mind makes them that much more amazing!

Here's a little about the brand's philosophy, as stated in their website:

Dara Gerson & Ashley Lowengrub found their way to creating jewelry that is both beautiful & socially responsible because of their love of mother nature and the amazing planet we live on. Drawing inspiration and motivation from their daily lives, their love for culture and the planet as well as their strong beliefs todo no harm, Dara and Ashley Lowengrub are true pioneers.

Prior to starting Alkemie, each had successful jewelry lines working with traditional metals. Years of experience in the jewelry industry had made Dara and Ashley weary of the toxic working conditions and environmental impacts of the gem and fine metal industries- until one day they decided it was something they could no longer continue to support. After learning more about the harmful social and environmental effects of mining, they sought out local eco-friendly materials.

Thus Alkemie Jewelry was born- a brand that would immediately pioneer and change the jewelry industry with its social and environmentally responsible practices. Alkemie Jewelry has earned a devoted international following based not only on the originality of their designs, but their leadership as a socially and environmentally progressive company. All designs are made of 100% reclaimed metal & manufactured by hand in downtown Los Angeles, California.

Alkemie promotes fair trade, local living wage and eco-sustainable business practices to combat the existing harmful effects and conditions of the metal and gemstone industry; including social issues such as children working in dangerous conditions to mine and mount stones, as well as environmental issues, like toxic chemicals from mines seeping into the surrounding land and severely damaging precious watersheds.

Dara and Ashley’s motivation to live environmentally and socially conscious really comes from exemplifying responsibility to their daughters. One of the major motivations of Alkemie Jewelry is to present an example for future generations.

It's impossible to choose one particular favourite item, but Alkemie's bangles are definitely my favourite, so are their rings, cuffs, earrings and pretty much everything!

Alkemie's bangles. Amazing, huh?

This still gets better... Alkemie, as a sustainable company, believes in the importance of supporting practices and causes they believe in through chairy. And so, by pruchasing a piece of their jewellery, you will contribute to their charitable acts, as each month a portion of the company's online sales are donated to a charity they support. This month, Alkemie is donating 5% to the Seva Foundation: a non-profit organisation that "provides financial resources and technical expertise to help communities build sustainable solution to poverty and disease".

How amazing? Just perfect! Unique and beautifully crafted jewellery pieces that are eco-friendly and support charities that aim to create a more sustainable world for all. Literally guilt-free shopping!

Here are a few places where you can get your hands on some of Alkemie's unique pieces:
Alkemie's website
Shopbob
ShopStyle

P.S. check out their men's collection here and be sure to check them out on Facebook here!

Anoud x

Green Idea: Water Bottle Light Bulbs

2012-07-26T09:33:00.001+01:00

Last year in Nairobi, Kenya a simple idea using a plastic bottle, water & bleach transformed the lives of many of the city's impoverished communities. It all started in Korogocho, when Mateo Magalasia stumbled upon a YouTube video that demonstrated the use of the water light bulb technology in Brazil. The technology uses water and bleach in a plastic bottle to refract sunlight and moonlight, providing light equivalent to a 55-Watt light bulb!

Members of the youth group Koch Hope installed the water light bulbs throughout various households in Korogocho, allowing many families to finally enjoy adequate light to carry out many day-to-day activities and, most importantly, save energy. Veronica Wanjiru, a resident who has a water bulb installed in her home said: "I've seen a big difference, especially with my children's education. If they're given homework, they can finish it on time. And they don't have to wait for me to come and light the candle or go outside and do their studies outside so that they can finish their homework."

Watch the videos below to see how the water light bulb works, and hear from residents of Korogocho on how this technology has improved their lives:

What a great, sustainable way of providing light for those in need. It's amazing to see that such a simple idea can have a great and lasting impact!

Anoud x

Image: ernalenergy.blogspot.com

A Dose of Inspiration: Wildlife Photography

2012-07-22T09:26:00.000+01:00

It is a known fact that I am an eternal inspiration-seeker, always on the hunt for something to nurture my imagination. I love animals, and watching wildlife videos and shows is, to me, one of life's greatest pleasures. Watching National Geographic on my laptop while snuggled in blankets on a cold rainy day is the best! So for today's post I thought: what better DoI than some of the most amazing wildlife photography?

When it comes to photographing animals, it can be very challenging to capture the perfect moment. That is why, when looking at some of the photos below, you will be fascinated to see how captivating and perfect the moment captured is. So here are some of my favourite wildlife snaps, enjoy!

Photographer: Andy Rouse, Rex Features.

Photographer: Rina Caffarella.

Photographer: Antero Topp, HBW/Rex

Photographer: Leighann Perron, My Shot.

Photographer: Andy Rouse, Rex Features.

Photographer: Lesley Bender.

Photographer: Oliver Klink.

Photographer: Gina Pflegervu, My Shot.

Photographer: Michael Aw.

Hope these photos intrigued your thoughts and sparked your imagination on this rather dull Sunday morning.

Anoud x

Interview: SMART WASTE

2012-07-20T09:46:00.001+01:00

Earlier this month, I wrote a post about Smart Waste, which is a non-profit Lebanese association that is devoted to the advancement of environmental matters in an interesting approach, by combining creativity to waste management. I wanted to delve into more detail to learn more about this association, so I interviewed Soha Atallah and Ms. Nell Abou Ghazale, the founders and brains behind this wonderful, green organisation.

Can you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us your role in the association?

I am Soha Atallah, LibanPack Director and National Coordinator of UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization). I have founded Smart Waste with Ms. Nell Abou Ghazale who also works with me at LibanPack, the Lebanese Packaging Center. Smart Waste is a personal initiative with Nell and it is completely independent from LibanPack and has other objectives which are mainly dedicated to the advancement of environmental issues, primarily that of increasing awareness about the detrimental impact of products at the end of their life cycle on the environment.

How did the idea of SMART WASTE come about and how was the association created?

We have difficulty in throwing solid waste, and the idea started as a personal hobby of creating useful objects out of solid waste. Actually we have been thinking of creating items and objects made out of recycled materials and waste since a long time ago and the designs were actually ready in our heads and they were just waiting to be implemented, especially since some of our furniture made of recycled materials are not easy to implement and require specialty skills. Therefore, when we got the opportunity to participate as Smart Waste in the Garden Show Exhibition we decided to bring Smart Waste to life and we have implemented the design and showcased them in the exhibition. We were very happy that the people liked our ideas and were so enthusiastic of supporting our mission for preserving the environment.

Some of the products created by Smart Waste

How does SMART WASTE operate exactly?

Smart Waste collects dying products that would otherwise end up in our landfills or in nature and give them a new life by transforming them into high-end objects. Besides being creative and user-friendly, each piece is carefully crafted by Smart Waste and is unique.

We are actually recycling metal, wood, glass and paper. In the future, we will work hand in hand with other structures who work towards the same goals, on creating campaigns in schools and other youth organizations, to raise awareness on recycling and reusing the daily waste produced in Lebanon. We have suppliers of raw material who provide us with the items we need for the collections we want to create. Sukleen is one of them.

Another product by Smart Waste

Where are you exactly located?

For the time being we don't have a shop or a showroom at the moment; we are operating online through our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/smartwastelb and our website: www.smartwastelb.com. We can be reached by phone on 03 446 029 and 03 828 141. We are also participating in exhibitions such as the Garden Show and we will also participate in the Jardins de Mazaar Exhibition that will take place in Faraya from 14-19 August 2012.

How many members do you currently have?

Our Association is still very young so at the moment we are only 4 persons.

Can anybody join the association and if yes, how?

Yes our NGO is open for membership and this will be possible as soon as we finalize the full papers for registration at the Lebanese Government.

The Main Objectives of Smart Waste are:

1) Reuse Waste: By combining creativity to waste management and the "Recycle, Reuse and Reduce" concept, Smart Waste rethinks waste as raw material, for the creation of new and attractive products with an added value linked to their identity.

2) Protect our environment: Smart Waste prolongs the life of products that would otherwise be disposed if in nature at the end of their life cycle, and thus initiate a momentum towards the protection of the environment.

3) Find Sources of Income: Smart Waste also contributes to the generation of income to unemployed individuals tasked to execute projects under the large umbrella of Recycling.

Soha Atallah wearing one of their funky creations!

Ms. Nell Abou Ghazale surrounded by Smart Waste items that they have created!

For more pictures, kindly check their facebook page.

I'd like to thank Soha and Ms. Nell for the time they have taken to answer my questions and what they have accomplished so far really is intriguing. This green approach is actually the first that I have heard of in Lebanon and is a great example for people to learn from. I wish you the best of luck in expanding your association and the work you do, and I look forward to hearing about Smart Waste again in the near future to see what more will be achieved!

And I would like to wish you all a peaceful and blessed Ramadan!!

Jazi xxx