Spotlight On: Green Apple Active athletic apparel

     Now that my first cold of the New Year is done with, I can get back to my (non) resolutions.  Getting more active, making better food choices, and making more sustainable choices are on my list of (many) things to do this year.  I've figured out that cute work-out clothes motivate me to get moving so gone are my old basketball shorts and ratty t-shirts.  I've incorporated cute shorts, dri-fit tanks, and fun colored sports bras to my work-out wardrobe.  

     Thanks to credit at Ideeli*, I shopped one of their athletic apparel blowout sales and ended up with a Green Apple Active sports bra.  Green Apple Active is a California based athletic apparel brand encouraging an "eco active lifestyle for free souls". 

     The bra is made of mostly bamboo fabric and comes with removable molded cups.  Most of my current sports bras do not have molded cups, but I do like the extra protection from friction or frigid weather. 

     The thick, cross-backed straps give great support and shock absorption to keep me comfortable throughout my whole work out.  I love that they use bamboo fabric because, in my experience, it is very soft and comfortable.  

     I am disappointed that the item is "designed in Manhattan Beach, CA" yet also "Made in China".  Because of this, I requested further information from Green Apple Active.  Cristofer, CEO/VP and Creative Director of the company let me know that they used to be produced in California but the factory was forced to close due to lack of workers.  There are still garments produced in the Arizona and some in Mexico, however production of certain garments has moved to a facility in China.

     The other day, they tweeted about an upcoming sale and I am pleased to have more information.  From now until January 18, 2013, you can get 25% off your order with promo code "BAMBOOLOVE".  Other than their website and Ideeli/other flash sale sites, Green Apple Active can be found at various yoga studios or retailers.  Check their retail locator for more information.  

     Does anyone have any eco-friendly athletic apparel suggestions?

*This link contains a referral invite.  If you sign up with this invite and make a purchase, I will receive a $25 Ideeli credit.

Shopping Local in Las Vegas - Neon Holiday Bazaar

Event flyer

     Just in time for the Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping weekend, the Las Vegas Neon Holiday Shopping Bazaar set up a one day pop up shop on Saturday, November 24 at the Jackie Gaughan Plaza outside the El Cortez.  The shop featured some popular food trucks and booths featuring vintage boutiques, independent retailers, and designers.

The crowd at Neon

     When I arrived at the event, I was glad to see an old favorite vintage store - Annie Creamcheese.  My songbird friend, Stevie Jewel, introduced me to the Annie Creamcheese store on one of our many shopping expeditions.  I went to their display and loved the funky jewelry at affordable prices.  They had more items in the trailer, including lots of designer shoes and bold dresses.

Annie Creamcheese at the Neon Holiday Bazaar

     I was excited to finally check out Leather Couture by Jessica Galindo.  I've seen photos from Lollieshopping but had never been able to see the merchandise in person.  I am a fan of leather and hardware so Leather Couture's pieces were right up my alley.  I especially liked the rings.

Merchandise from Leather Couture by Jessica Galindo.

     Another booth I was looking forward to was The Jeweler's Daughter by Polly Weinstein.  I love seeing the success of former classmates and I believe Polly was actually my high school student body president at some point.  Her jewelry line shows that you can take the girl out of Vegas (she went on to study at Sarah Lawrence), but you can't take the Vegas out of the girl.  Love the playing card suit inspired rings and earrings, and this beautiful Stardust inspired necklace.

Stardust Necklace by The Jeweler's Daughter.

     I was drawn to the unique displays at the Ruffled Robin Boutique.  There were so many pieces made from recycled and vintage materials.  These necklaces made with tiny perfume bottles were so cool!

Necklaces from Ruffled Robin

I bought this metallic leather and chain bracelet with copper lock and key charms.

     My relatives were in town for the Thanksgiving weekend so I didn't have too much time to shop before dinner but had a great time checking out these boutiques and more.
      I am really pleased to see events like the Neon Holiday Shopping Bazaar succeed among both Las Vegas locals and tourists.  A tourist town known for being a haven for everything in excess hasn't been the easiest place to find interesting shopping and cultural events, but looks like Vegas is stepping up it's game.
     A longstanding local culture event called First Friday was alright when I was in high school, but I really only enjoyed going for the company of my best friends.  Now it is bigger and better - with more artists, food trucks, and even children's activities.  A newer monthly event featuring small businesses, musicians, and food trucks is VegasStreats.  I've only been to one Streats event but hope to catch the next one coming up on December 8.
     The Neon event was so much fun and hope to see more like it in the near future!  For more information, check out their website.

Shopping More Consciously: Why I Started This Blog

        My sister and I recently went shopping at an inexpensive chain retailer and even armed with coupons on coupons, I didn't find myself wanting to buy much of anything: a few camisoles to replace ones that had worn out, a pair of slacks for work while I'm losing weight and between sizes, and a flyaway cardigan in a trendy color. 
        Even if the clothes were cute on the rack, many of them felt static-y and flimsy with loose threads all over. If the item actually fit properly, it just didn't seem worth buying. Cue inner rant on "fast fashion". Cue guilt and curiosity about how the prices of these items can get so low - where are they coming from, who is making them, how little must they be getting paid for the company to sell so low?      
        The store was closing so we checked out and went home. Having a shared love of movies starring Rachel McAdams, we watched The Vow before turning in. Shots of the Chicago skyline and neighborhoods I know made me miss Chicago - the city that sparked my love of shopping local and wanting to know the contents and origin of my food, clothes, and other goods.
        After the movie, my sister was eager to (yet again) show off what great deals she scored when the musings in my head came out.

Image courtesy of stockphotos / FreeStockPhotos

          Out came my grievances with fast fashion, child labor, and poor treatment of the people working long days making those clothes. Out came my rant for people to start buying from American designers that sell items actually made in America and my related rant on "patriotic" people on Independence Day sporting Old Navy flag tees made in China. Out came my rant on the awful things the fake Chanel purse she bought in New York may have funded. Out came my rant that people should know that what you put on your body should be just as important as what you put in it.
        I could tell my sister was falling asleep and wanted me to stop talking, but was too tired to get up and leave. She said it was cheaper and easier to go to a big retailer and it didn't matter if she made a different choice because not everybody else will.  It took too much time and was too expensive to find alternatives.
        To me, that is the problem. Why don't people make time to make better choices? Or even to learn about other choices? Or at least try to consider sustainable or ethical products and practices? As consumers, you vote with your money and choose to buy one thing over another every day. If you are looking for a lipstick or pillowcase or scented candle or canned corn, out of the countless brands on store shelves, you choose a certain type or brand on whatever basis you deem important.
        Though the "illusion of choice" is another matter for another day:

          I know the change toward conscious consumerism needs more than one person, one household, or even one group of people. But it does start with small steps. Not everybody thinks like me and my hope is that somebody reading this blog can learn with me and fall in love with new options. I have discovered many brands on my journey that don't sacrifice cute or accessible to be better made and have some transparency in their sourcing and production practices.        
        It's not going to be perfect and not always practical or possible to buy organic, local, ethical, and sustainable. Even some 'eco' brands I rave about aren't perfect.  And I'll still write about conventional brands and chains I'm excited about and attend events that aren't always zero energy.
        But I know I'm still excited for an upcoming chance to shop local for the holidays. I know I'm excited about going to GreenFest in Los Angeles this weekend to learn and mingle.  I know I am excited to study for my LEED Green Associate accreditation and be on my way to better building design. I know I'm excited about the Chicago Fashion Incubator in which a major retailer like Macy's provides space and start up for homegrown Chicago designers. Expect to see posts about those programs and events and more.  

         I hope to show you that going green is more than a trend or a buzzword - it's a way of life. As long as I am learning and trying to do the right thing, I can share that knowledge with others and help other people make better choices too.
       As my sister said at the end of our conversation, "I'm saving the world in my way, and you're saving the world in yours."

Lollieshopping 5-Year Blog-iversary Winter Style Up at Town Square Las Vegas

         After moving back to Las Vegas, I wanted to find some local bloggers to keep me up to date on cool happenings, food, and shopping in the area.  Some of my favorites so far include homecookingmemories, icanstyleu, and of course, lollieshopping.
         Laura of Lollieshopping just celebrated her 5th year blog anniversary and brand new look for the site which she debuted at her "Winter Style Up" event at Stoney's Rockin Country at Town Square Las Vegas.

         When I left for college, Town Square was still pretty new but I did enjoy shopping there for the year or so I was around and most breaks when I came home to visit.  There have been so many openings and changes to this shopping center so I was glad to go to this event to check out some new stores and meet people who love shopping as much as I do.

         Upon entering, I was given a gift bag with discount card.  There were booths set up from different retailers at Town Square including Tommy Bahama, White House Black Market, La Nora, Sephora, Quiksilver, Patty's Closet, XTC Boutique, and Francesca's Accessories.

Super hot accessories from XTC Boutique 

         I also really loved the centerpieces:

         After a drink and some snacks from Brio, the show was about to begin.  The first featured winter work wear looks. My favorite from this portion was from White House | Black Market.  I never understood why my college roommate loved this store so much but the look they featured was really cute and I could really use some work appropriate threads for my new internship:

         Lucky for me, I won a gift card to help spruce up my closet with:

         Patty from Patty's Closet was invited on stage to discuss dressing appropriately but still looking cute for the holiday season.  She says to never underestimate a little navy dress.

        The next segment featured casual looks.  My favorite was a major surprise!  Who knew Stoney's had such cute clothes available?

     

        Nathan from the brand new Aveda Experience Center came by to talk about the services they offer.  I am definitely tempted to check them out!

        The final segment featured looks to wear for a night out.  My favorite came from La Nora.

         This store is new to me but looks like a good place to get fun, trendy pieces without breaking the bank.

A rack of fun pieces from La Nora.

         We were then free to shop around with Laura and take advantage of the discounts to retailers like Sephora, Inglot, Steve Madden (who provided all the shoes in the fashion show), and more.
         I met up with an old friend and we definitely took advantage of the Inglot discount.  I am a makeup girl at heart and was thinking all day about the fun colors and magnetic Freedom System palettes at Inglot.  I got two new purple eyeshadows - Pearl 445 and Pearl 446:

 

         These shadows apply so much more smoothly and evenly than similar colors in my stash.  Eventually I plan to take some comparison shots but trust me!
        Can't wait to use some of the fun offers and samples from the gift bag!

          Also found out that Town Square is now offering a loyalty shopping card called "The Inner Square".  Bring in your receipts and card to the concierge desk and get points to save up toward rewards like gift cards, drinks, movie tickets, and even an Apple TV!  For more information, check out: http://www.mytownsquarelasvegas.com/rewards
         Another exciting announcement from Laura - there will be seasonal style up events at different venues around Town Square so definitely check back on my Twitter or her blog to find out when and where the next one will be!