Little Green Stilettos

Craft Cravings: ReSewCool

2010-06-30T22:34:00.004+10:00

Ok...I am not sure if it is the school holidays, a string of cold winter days (combined with a drafty old house) or work paper fatigue but I am having serious craft cravings. I came across these wonderful craft kits called Re*Sew*Cool by the sister-out-laws (tee hee)...I saw them in the new issue of Peppermint Magazine (don't forget to check out my Peppermint Patty feature). I ordered the skull bag tag and DS cover for A...the perfect thing to do down at the snow (or rain as the case might be)....here is hoping she might need a little help....xxx

Weekend Project: Owl Mobil from Craft Schmaft

2010-06-25T22:10:00.008+10:00

Owl Mobile from Craft Schmaft

Ok....it is that time of year (school holidays) when Mothers in Australia breath a sigh of relief that they do not need to pack a lunch for school on Monday....but at that same time quiver at the thought of children home for 2 to 3 weeks in winter...luckily for me this holiday coincides with a renewed love affair with crafts (I have even signed up for sewing lessons)...the girls and I went to the craft show last weekend (don't ask how many beads we bought) and came across the most wonderful project from Craft Schmaft (how cute is that name?!)...we all fell in love with these owls made from socks, some fabric and felt...plus, we were already in mobile making mode having just finished a cloud mobile for L's room (I told you I am in the craft zone)...so, tomorrow we will design our owls (teaching the girls how to make a mood board) and then a visit to the Salvation Army and Spotlight to select our materials...check out these owls and other divinely adorable sock softies at Craft Schmaft....promise to share the results...hoot, hoot....xxx

PS Please share any wonderful craft ideas you have!

Photo: Craft Schmaft

The apple does not fall from the tree...

2010-06-03T19:38:00.008+10:00

OK....I have lots of reasons to be a proud Mother...I have three gorgeous and caring children that make me laugh (and sometimes scream)...they give the best hugs and make the best Mother's Day cards you could ever want... they are the kind of kids that take care of kids who are bullied in the playground and save drowning lizards from the pool...and...they are passionate about the environment...A, my eldest, has just started her own green blog, Mint Mission. It is about the environment and Antarctica...and she hopes to create a place where kids can learn about and discuss the environment...as I have always said it is up to us girls to save the world...lets hope the next generation of girls do it...Good luck A! Can't wait to read your blog. Mum...xxx

Valentines Day: Arts and Craft Plates

2010-02-01T22:18:00.005+11:00

Ok...I have totally been in an Arts and Crafts mode over the last few months and one of my New Year's Resolutions is to spend more time on my creative side (avoiding the ever growing stack of work papers on my desk)...we had handmade gift tags for Christmas, melted shaped crayons and cinnamon caramels as gifts, paper snowflake decorations and beautiful Christmas cookies decorated by my niece (she might have eaten more of the decoration than actually went on the cookies once she discovered it was edible). Now, I am not big into Valentines only because I think Hallmark invented this holiday...however, I am in love with these plates and think this is a great project for the kids with a few plates from the Salvation Army (which is around the corned from Spotlight where the pens are sold)...I found this over at CraftBlog which is kind of a Net-a-Porter for crafties...totally chic and simple...I am even thinking my white mugs could do with a bit of redesign. xxx

babycakes: Kid's Lunchbox Heaven

2010-02-01T21:40:00.005+11:00

babycakes: Vegan, Gluten-Free and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York's Most Talked-About Bakery

Ok...here in Australia it is the start of the new school year...this year has been a totally stressful start to the year...perhaps it is my third starting Kindy and adjusting to the idea that I will never have another child in pre-school... or just the sheer organizational requirements of getting three kids out the door, in uniform, with book bags, homework folders, sunblock, hair ribbons, etc. by 7:45...or, maybe it is just wishing I was back in Wyoming (where we spent most of January) skiing and looking at Elk...my bright spot?....babycakes cookbook - seriously. You do not know how many 'healthy' recipes I have tried for snacks only to have my kids look at me in horror (most of them did taste pretty awful)...then, my sister (thanks Mel) sent this to me from America...it is full of vegan, gluten-free and (mostly) sugar-free recipes from New York's very cool babycakes bakery (Natalie Portman LOVES it)...Anyway, Martha Stewart can eat her heart out...the recipes are divine...here is what my kids (and me) are snacking on this week:

Carrot Cupcakes from babycakes
3 cups gluten-free flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
2/3 Cup Coconut Oil
1 Cup Agave Nectar
1 Cup Rice Milk
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1/2 cut Hot Water
3 Cups Shredded Carrots

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.

Whisk together dry ingredients. Add all wet ingredients except for hot water and stir until a thick batter is formed. Add the hot water and continue stirring till smooth. Using a spatula, fold in carrots till evenly distributed.

Fill muffin cups almost to the top. Bake for 25 minutes (cupcakes will bounce back when pressed). Let sit for 20 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. EAT. xxx

Handmade Kids' Christmas Presents: billy boy & mia

2009-12-03T14:40:00.006+11:00

I am so excited...I just received this gorgeous creature (Posie Pretty) in the mail from billy boy & mia (the Christmas Tree is my addition). She is handmade using vintage fabrics and is one-of-a-kind...she is a special Christmas present for a little poppet...according to the green book, if every child received just one alternative-to-plastic toy we could save almost 25 million pounds of plastic and enough energy to bake thirty-one million Christmas cakes...cute and saving the world...what could be a better present?

Beautiful and Green Christmas Tags

2009-12-02T16:43:00.010+11:00

Ok...I have to admit it, I am a bit of a wrapping snob...I am one of those people that refuse to have their presents wrapped at the store, I always have a theme for my Christmas wrap and I never, ever throw out a ribbon or bauble...while the obvious green answer to wrapping is not to wrap, it would take all the fun out of Christmas morning...so, here are a few kinder options for the Earth this Christmas.

I bought these beautiful hand made tags at RubyVictoria at Made It...(Made It is Australia's answer to Etsy and if full of beautiful handmade gifts....)

And...how cute are these Pocket Carnival cards??? Best of all, they are printed on 100% recycled cardstock...

And...I love the nostalgic feel to these Red Letter Studio tags which comes in a pack with three different designs...

Finally, the greenest of all and my favourite...who could go past a beautiful handmade card from my little L.... (photographed with the vintage lace I bought for Christmas Ribbon this year). xxx

A Little Green Stiletto Christmas

2009-11-27T18:35:00.007+11:00

I seriously love Christmas...growing up with a Swedish Mom (hi Mom!), Christmas was a month long celebration that included advent calendars (the old fashioned ones, not the ones with cheap chocolate), Santa Lucia Day (the Queen of Lights), endless hours of baking special breads (saffron buns were the favourite), wrapping home-made candies, decorating two Christmas trees and unpacking boxes of wondrous decorations collected over the years. Santa would have been proud...But there is no hiding from the fact that Christmas is not great for the environment...mounds of wrapping, too many plastic toys, excessive (and often wasted) food...followed by out-of-control spending at the sales...Bah Humbug...not...this Christmas we are going to have a magical Little Green Stiletto Christmas in our house...stay tuned.xxx

Photo Credit: Peter Greenberg. Photo from Santa Lucia Day.

Peppermint Magazine - Issue #4

2009-11-25T21:15:00.007+11:00

So excited...Peppermint Magazine's (Australia's only eco fashion magazine's) 4th issue arrived in the mail today...kids are asleep, husband is out, have finished reading my work papers for tomorrow, can't make my book club next week so I don't have to speed read the book on my bedside table...so it is just me, a glass of local white wine, my new soy candle and Peppermint...total bliss...xxx

P.S Can you believe Christmas is around the corner?...How many of your friends would love a subscription to Peppermint in their stocking?

P.P.S. Check out the A-List Eco section by Peppermint Patty (that's me!)

1 Million Women

2009-11-25T20:38:00.005+11:00

One of the things I am most proud of is being an Ambassador for the 1 Million Women campaign. The 1 Million Women campaign's goal is to inspire Australian women to take action on climate change by cutting 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Natalie Issacs, the founder and CEO, is one of those people who you meet and instantly fall in love with for all their energy and passion (and of course she is totally gorgeous as well as green)...The website has one of the best tools to help you figure out where and how to save 1 tonne of green house gas (1 tonne is not a lot...it is probably about 5% savings of your household emissions)...there are so many divinely easy ideas...I promise it is so much easier to lose 1 tonne of carbon than 1 kilo off your hips... In less than 6 months, 12,ooo women have already signed up! Yeah! So...help the cause...click here and join and show Australia that Women can save the world...xxx

PS My friend Anouk at Moon Group did the amazing campaign...

Happy Belated Birthday to Little Green Stilettos!

2009-09-30T22:07:00.003+10:00

It is true...we are one! Little Green Stiletto's Birthday was last week and in typical fashion, I missed it (this is from the woman who forgets her wedding anniversary)...oh well...better late than never and what better way to celebrate with a pink cupcake (my weakness)....xxx

Meat Free Mondays

2009-09-30T21:22:00.004+10:00

Meat Free Mondays is a UK-based campaign to encourage people to go meat free once a week to help reduce their impact on climate change (did you know 18% of Greenhouse gas is caused by livestock production and consumption). It's biggest supporters are Paul and Stella McCartney who have started a Support Meat Free Monday website (is there anything she doesn't do!). I just love this idea...so simple and they make it so easy with lots of wonderful recipes (many from Linda McCartney herself)...as some of you know I have made my attempts at complete vegetarianism but have found being a flexitarian (don't you love this term!), a much better option. So, while I eat a 80% plant-based diet, I like the flexibility of the occasional meat (especially when at a dinner party). So, on the eve of Vegetarianism month, why not take the challenge and go Meat Free on Mondays with me? I thought I would try and post a new recipe every Monday to help us along...let me know if you have any favourites...xxx

New Old Chandeliers

2009-09-10T14:48:00.005+10:00

My new (old) chandeliers arrived today. They are so divine...Vistosi Italian Glass Chandeliers from the 1960s. One of the reasons I have not been writing is that I have been searching for the perfect lights for our living room. It is almost as hard as finding that perfect black dress...you know the one that is divinely elegant, that no one else will be wearing and does not require you to skip eating so as to either afford it or fit into it. Add to that being green and well, it is a challenge...especially in Australia where there are not many 20th Century design stores (the 60s were really and incredible era for design!). So I was over the moon when I found these at Mondo Trasho in Melbourne..especially when I heard their name "Italian Icicle Chandeliers".

OK, so I had to have them shipped up...but I think that more than offsets buying something new which would have been shipped from who knows where...plus I love wondering where these lights were before...So, while it took a lot of time to find, I now have my perfect LBD lights which are also so glamorously green. Would love to hear about other favourite green finds for the home. Looking for the perfect rug now...xxx

In Love with 101 Cookbooks

2009-08-04T04:21:00.008+10:00

As many of you know, I am a quasi-vegetarian...ok, this might sound like being half pregnant and I guess in a way it is. I would say that 80% of my diet is non-animal. While I do have fish a few times a week, the only time I eat meat is if I am at a dinner party. I eat cheese occasionally and rarely use milk products (finally off the coffee!). Just remember, 18% of greenhouse gases are produced by animal production (mostly cows)...one of the biggest impacts we can have on the environment is reducing our consumption of meat...for more on this topic see Veg Out.

The best thing about being a quasi-vegetarian is experimenting with new recipes (previously, vegetarian curry was the extent of my repertoire). One of my favourite places for recipes is 101 Cookbooks by Heidi Swanson (pictured). Besides being totally gorgeous, she is incredibly talented...photographer, designer, writer (what doesn't she do!) and has won countless awards. Her website is devoted to vegetarian cooking with a bit of travel to exotic places thrown in. Here is a sample of some of her recipes...Giant Black Bean Salas, Porcini Mushroom Soup, Vegetarian Tortilla Soup, Lentil Almond Stirfry, Lemon Chickpea Stirfry, Baked Sweet Potato Falafel...next recipe I am going to try is her Marathon Cookies which I think will be perfect for the kids lunchbox. Yum...Let me know if you have any good vegetarian recipes. Bon Appetit. xxx

Image: 101 Cookbooks

Sweet Dreams

2009-07-31T21:18:00.006+10:00

A long week despite the fact that school did not start till Tuesday (or maybe that is why it is a long week)...so looking forward to my bedtime cup of tea...deciding between Penelope Sach's Petal tea and Planet Organic Chamomile...both are divine, organic and local...if everything could be this easy...let me know if you have any favourites...sweet dreams. xxx

Photo: www.vi.sualize.us

Slow Fashion

2009-07-30T19:36:00.005+10:00

We have all hear of Slow Food..."Slow Food is good, clean and fair food. We believe that the food we eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work. "

Well, the same applies to fashion...the Sydney Morning Herald did a piece on this a few months ago (which of course I can't find) and I thought it was worth mentioning as the new Spring clothes start to appear in our favourite shops (I love summer clothes)...so here is my take on Slow Fashion....

S...is for Sustainable...for me it is much more important to know whether something was made under fair work conditions than whether it is local. I understand the whole Food miles (or clothes miles) thing, but lets be real, how are less developed countries going to develop unless we buy their goods? I have been to many a factory in China and they were a far cry from a sweat shop... Problem is it is not always easy to figure this one out...I will need to do a bit more reserach here, but let me know if you have any ides...

L...is for Lasting...it is so tempting these days to buy more than we need...we even have a name for it 'disposable fashion'...perhaps because I am a bit older and a lot of the disposable fashion just does not suit or perhaps because I still love my designer evening bag I bought in France years ago (big clue - it is quilted!) and wonder how I will decide which daughter will get it...less is more when it comes to green...

O...is for Organic...almost 20% of pesticides in the US are used to grow cotton - blah! While it is hard to find organic cotton here, it is worth trying...babies clothes are easier...Gorman always has a good selection and at the least towels and sheets are easy to find...

W....if for Worn...let's face it...stars like Renee have made Vintage all so chic...plus now with all these wonderful recycle shops you can get great recent designer clothes...everyone knows I love Di Nuovo and Belinda's Frock Exchange is another great find.

So...I believe that clothes should look good and last; that they should be made in a way that does not damage our environment and that factory workers should receive fair pay...so go Slow this season...think about what you really need (scary concept), take a day with your best friend to go to the vintage and recycle shops (how nice to be out of the mall) and stop for a beautiful long meal with some nice jasmine tea (Jackie's in Paddington is my favourite for their sashimi salad)...Let me know if you have any other suggestions. xxx

Green Lemonade Love

2009-07-30T14:35:00.006+10:00

Back from School Holidays and definitely feeling the need for a bit of a detox....too much red wine at the snow. Very much in love with Natalia Rose's Green Lemonade and Raw Food Detox Diet (if this Detox can make you look like her, I am up for it)...a bit extreme in some ways (raw food till dinner)...the usual suspects are banned...flour, sugar, processed foods...but red wine and dark chocolate are allowed (yeah!)....in a nutshell, her philosophy is that we do not eat enough enzyme rich foods (raw fruit and veg) and do not allow our digestive system enough rest...so, basically you have juices and fruit till lunch, then salad and then a larger meal at dinner which can incorporate some cooked foods (though you are not to combine protein with starch)...works for me as I love juice and salad and would prefer a big dinner (with red wine and chocolate)...the cornerstone of the diet is the Green Lemonade juice...sounds yuck (a technical term my kids use), but is delicious (seriously) and honestly makes you feel so much better...I am drinking it twice a day now. So what has this to do with being green? Well, one of the biggest changes I have made in my life is around our food consumption...more organic, less processed, more local...less cooking just seems to be a natural extension of this and while the Raw Food movement can be extreme (I promise not to buy a food dehydrator), there is a lot we can take from this approach to a more greener diet....besides, I LOVE my Green Lemonade.

Green Lemonade from the Raw Detox Diet

1 head celery or romaine lettuce

5 to 6 stalks kale (I use spinach as well)

1 to 2 apples (you may want to use more apples if you are not used to vegetable juices)

1 lemon (I love lemons so often use 2)

1 to 2 tablespoons ginger (optional)

School Holidays!!!

2009-07-03T10:01:00.006+10:00

Today is the last day of school for many Australian kids for the winter break...I know that school holidays can be a bit bittersweet, but I have to say I have come to love them....no packing lunches, searching for the missing sport shirt, rushing out the door to make Cello rehearsal at 7:40 or soccer training at 7:15, the logistic coordination of picking up 3 kids at the same time from completely different activities and the dreaded 'have you done your homework' question...pjs till 10, lots of play dates, video rentals and just hanging out are truly a holiday...let's see how I am feeling in 3 weeks.

Not sure what school holidays has to do with being green, though I have been thinking of coming up with a green project the kids and I can do over the holidays...veggie garden? Any other ideas? xxx

PS. This photo is from TummyMountain's shop at etsy (she has the most divine prints).... I loved it so much I have ordered it for my daughter's room...she loves swings and I think it captures that wonderful feeling of "whoosh" you get when you swing...plus, swings are very green...outside, no electricity or batteries - just kid-powered fun.

Peppermint Magazine and Me!

2009-07-01T11:10:00.008+10:00

The third issue of Peppermint Magazine is out....and...so exciting....Little Green Stilettos is in it!!! My first PR...For those of you who may not know it, Peppermint Magazine is Australia's first eco fashion magazine...sort of a Green Vogue...lots of divine clothes, inspiring green girls and beautiful images (how cute is the front cover?)....all printed on recycled paper. Go to Peppermint Magazine to order your copy and check out Little Green Stilettos featured on the last page...Now I really am a Peppermint Patty...xxx

Magnolia Square

2009-06-26T15:35:00.013+10:00

My friend Kate sent me this link and I am loving it! Sort of a cross between Daily Candy, etsy and your favourite flea market. Next week is their first show in Sydney with over 50 different retailers (details below) and the products are divine (I would so love the typewriter key jewelry)...they also have two blogs....Snippets and LITTLEsnippets....this might be the first year I really have my Christmas shopping done early...Hope to see you next week. xxx

Green Resolutions: Winter Stocktake

2009-06-26T13:48:00.010+10:00

I can't believe it is already the middle of the year...but it must be...the sales are on, winter break is imminent, the ski gear is about to come out, I am wearing my Scanlon black sweaters everyday and the fruit shops are filled with apples...

As this is the 26th week of the year, it is a good time to take stock before the rest of the year slips away...My Green Resolutions were to: buy more organic, buy More products from recycled materials and re-start my Yoga practice....On a scale of 1 to 10, I would have to say I have been a 5.

The organics are proving somewhat challenging...I so wish we had a Whole Foods here. I went to one when I was in the US and the range of organic fruit and vegetables was amazing and the checkout bill was less than a pair of Jimmy Choos...Here, it is really hit and miss with the local organic stores, my kids look at the apples and expect a worm to jump out and $50 a bag is a good guideline of what it will cost you...my favourite is still Lettuce Deliver which has beautiful produce and more reasonable prices. I am back online for my weekly delivery now...I have been trying to fill in with local produce (and have resisted the beautiful cherries from California).

The same challenges are here for recycled products...pretty much all our paper products are from recycled material (toilet, tissue, copy - we don't use paper towels)...but apart from that it has been pretty difficult to make any serious headway on this...to be honest by the time I check whether a product is organic, where it is from, whether it has preservatives or food colours, what sugar content it has, I am too exhausted to figure out whether the box if from recycled paper or not.

The good news is that I am back into my Yoga which I am loving...Why is Yoga green? I guess it involves no energy-intensive equipment (you can buy Yoga Mats from recycled materials!) and makes me feel a bit more in a green-frame of mind if that makes sense...

So, some small steps, but I hope when 2010 roles around I might have moved from a 5. Let me know how you are going on your resolutions. xxx

Gone fishing....

2009-05-25T23:02:00.005+10:00

Just to let you know I am taking a short break for a much needed holiday (without kids!)....be back in two weeks....while I am gone check out the 1 Million Women Campaign and get started on helping reduce 1 million tonnes of carbon in Australia. xxx

Photo: www.vi.sualize.us

Ikigai: Online Natural and Organic Beauty Boutique

2009-05-11T13:26:00.007+10:00

Kate Hanson's Ikigai website is a beautiful
little boutique for natural and organic beauty products.

I would not describe myself as a serial beauty junkie, but I do love indulging myself now and then...I definitely have a weakness for body lotion and I am still looking for the perfect bronzing powder.

As part of my greening, my bathroom is almost completely chemical-free...everything from cleaning products to toilet paper to my mascara. There are obvious environmental benefits, but the health benefits are just as important, especially for our kids. Did you know that the average woman absorbs about 2.2 kilos of chemicals from beauty products each year? Yuck! (see The Ugly Side of Beauty).

One of my favourite places for Organic Skincare and Beauty products is Ikigai. It is a heavenly site with beautiful products and some of the best information online about ingredients and skincare. Plus with every order you get some smaples, free gift wrapping and free delivery for orders over $99 (which is not hard to do)!

Kate Hanson (one of my Eco-Heroes) started this business...here is what Kate had to say about Ikigai in her interview with Kim at Pink-to-Green:

Ikigai is Japanese meaning the things in life that bring meaning and joy – the things that fulfill us. That resonated for me, the idea of pampering yourself, but at the same time making ethical choices that don’t damage the beautiful world around us.

I love the John Master's Hair Serum and all the Pangea products are beautiful... and I definitely want to give the Glow Intensive Rejuvenating Serum a try which is Kate's favourite and promises to make us all glow a little more...so put some joy in your life and order something divine...xxx

Photo: Ikigai website

Happy Mother's Day xxx

2009-05-08T21:38:00.008+10:00

I hope you have a beautiful day....don't forget Mother Earth...why not do something wonderful for her on Sunday? xxx

Peppermint Magazine and Chamomile Tea

2009-04-30T21:48:00.005+10:00

Ughh! I can't believe it has been so long since I posted. I could have sworn it had only been a week or two...but then again I could have sworn I ate only one chocolate chip cookie out of the jar (even though they are organic and made with fair trade chocolate your hips do not know the difference)....

Anyway, last night was one of those special nights when my husband was out, the kids were asleep and I had no work to do....so I ran a bath (I know....but I do it so infrequently and I did not fill it to the top) and made myself a cup of my favorite organic chamomile tea and settled in with the second issue of Peppermint magazine (for the second read)...

For those of you who do not know Peppermint (hello!)...it is Australia's first eco-fashion magazine. I just love everything about it...I love the beautiful recycled paper, the vegetable dye, the glamorous cover...but most of all I love the fact that you can fill a whole magazine with so many gorgeous options about how to be glam and green....makes you feel like if it was up to us girls we could save the world (while wearing stilettos of course)....{For those of you interested to learn more about the environmental impacts of our obsession with fashion you can read The Greening of My Closet.}

If you are looking for something to curl up with a cup of tea and be blissfully inspired, subscribe (seriously - it takes a minute)...it is so reasonable at AU $40 for a year of fashion for a girl with Little Green Stilettos .... xxx

PS You can subscribe from overseas!

Little Green Stilettos

Craft Cravings: Re*Sew*Cool

Weekend Project: Owl Mobil from Craft Schmaft

The apple does not fall from the tree...

Valentines Day: Arts and Craft Plates

babycakes: Kid's Lunchbox Heaven

Handmade Kids' Christmas Presents: billy boy & mia

Beautiful and Green Christmas Tags

A Little Green Stiletto Christmas

Peppermint Magazine - Issue #4

1 Million Women

Happy Belated Birthday to Little Green Stilettos!

Meat Free Mondays

New Old Chandeliers

In Love with 101 Cookbooks

Sweet Dreams

Slow Fashion

Green Lemonade Love

School Holidays!!!

Peppermint Magazine and Me!

Magnolia Square

Green Resolutions: Winter Stocktake

Gone fishing....

Ikigai: Online Natural and Organic Beauty Boutique

Happy Mother's Day xxx

Peppermint Magazine and Chamomile Tea

Craft Cravings: ReSewCool