Eco-Celebrity of the week - Willie Nelson

Today I'm excited to tell you about one of my favorite musicians...who happens to be ranked as one of the top Eco-Celebrities ~ Willie Nelson! Known for his legendary outlaw country music, long braids, and pro-marijuana stance; Willie is also a long-time advocate for family farmers and environmental causes.

25 years ago, Willie began his activism career by teaming up with Neil Young and John Mellencamp to organize the first Farm Aid Concert in 1985 to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. Dave Matthews joined the Farm Aid Board of Directors in 2001. Farm Aid has raised more than $37 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture. Farm Aid is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to keep family farmers on their land.

Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews will be performing at Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Saturday, October 2. Buy tickets and check out the rest of the incredible line up here.

The eight-time Grammy winner, has toured so extensively he’s on his fourth tour bus, Honeysuckle Rose IV, which runs completely on biodiesel. That brings us to another of the causes Nelson is known for - BioDiesel! Willie became interested in biodiesel when his wife purchased a Volkswagen Jetta that ran on vegetable oil. He says at the time he had no idea what she was talking about, telling an interviewer he thought “she’d been in my stash a little bit.” Nelson now peddles his B20 biodiesel in several U.S. locations. BioWillie, as it’s known, is a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel. It’s been found to have a positive environmental benefit with minimal cost increase. Willie says demand is there, but more product is needed to keep our highways smelling like French fries. Earth Biofuels, maker of BioWillie diesel, boasts a board of directors that includes Morgan Freeman and spokesperson Julia Roberts.

info via therenewableplanet.com

In honor of the 25th Anniversary of Farm Aid, coming up on October 2 and the AWESOMENESS that is Willie Nelson...we raise our glass to you Willie - our Eco-Celebrity of the week! Keep up the great work!

My Big Fat Green Wedding: Favors

The wedding day is fast approaching and as we all know by now, we have a pretty resourceful bride on our hands. Most aspects of the wedding incorporate a green or sustainable element (from the venue and locally sourced food/produce to the bride's gown), so of course the favors for the guests were to be no exception.

As a token of their appreciation, the bride and groom have chosen to come full circle with their favor creation. Since the actual ceremony and luncheon will be an intimate affair, in lieu of the traditional flower boutonnieres, the couple chose to present the men attendees with a Beer Buttonaire, made by the bride herself with so much love and care.

The women will also receive special Beerings, crafted with the same design on the watercolor invitations; images of beautiful yellow and green California Poppies that embody the spirit of Big Sur.

Guests will also receive a foot soak to ease the pain after many hours of dancing. Unbleached muslin bags, purchased from Save on Crafts, will be filled with a scented, organic chamomile and Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, a perfect blend to toss into the tub to end the day at this beautiful resort and spa.

As we know from this previous post, the bride creates these Beerings to not only save bottle caps, but also as an additional way to give back and create awareness. If you want to make a difference, other creative Beering designs can be purchased at Beerings for Change.

Have a great week. xoxo, Laura

Deborah Lindquist ~ The "Green Queen" of the Fashion World

For the fashion forward and style savvy, it's not always easy being green. In years past, when you heard the words Eco-friendly Clothing, most likely you imagined something you'd buy at a head shop. Well, thanks to the couture-inspired creations of Deborah Lindquist, it's a different world today. As one of LA's most sought after environmentally-conscious designers, Deborah creates exquisite apparel out of a mix of "reincarnated" and new Earth-Friendly fabrics. Launched in 2004, Deborah's Eco-conscious clothing line combines her love for the environment with high fashion couture. And not only does Deborah offer a gorgeous line of ready-to-wear designs, she recently started designing beautiful wedding gowns for the Eco-conscious bride. And you know we are tickled Green to share them with you!

Deborah's "Green" Wedding collection is bursting with couture inspired gowns, chic column skirts, bustier tops and cashmere shrugs & sweaters. For the bride-to-be looking to make an unforgettable impression while still showing her commitment to the environment, these stunning designs are made with pre-loved and sustainable fabrics and materials.

And if you're looking to make an Eco-statement in your everyday, Deborah offers a full line of unique, trend-setting designs, synonymous with style, fashion and sex appeal. Her current collection "Rocker girl meets the Gypsy" features pre-loved materials that have become staples in her collection such as: vintage cashmere, wool, leather, beaded wool and vintage buttons. She has also introduced new Eco-fabrics for her latest collection such as hemp blends, organic wool, peace silk, micromodal blends, organic cotton and alpaca. Check out these looks...who knew Eco-fashion could be so stylish?

Recognized as one of the finest fashion designers in the world, Deborah has dressed such mega stars as Sharon Stone, Jessica Alba, Christina Aguilera, Rhianna and many more. Want to dress like a star? Check out her website and view her latest collection. Deborah Lindquist IS where Eco Meets Couture!