Eventful Wednesday: A GWE Thanks Giving

Here at Green with Envy we wanted to share some of the things that we are giving thanks for this year:

Sweetgreen - their salads and their partnership

Wonderful Clients - from intimate to large scale, our clients are always great

Great opportunities - this year has brought us new experiences and creative adventures

Our supportive hubbies, Dan and Steve

Our wonderful children, Siena and Leo

Family & Friends

and our blog followers

Happy Thanksgiving!

Eco-Monday: Combining Social Media and Energy Efficiency

During the Sweetlife Festival last year we were given the pleasure of working with OPower. 

This Arlington based company is dedicated to improving the relationships individuals have with their appliances and ultimately aims to decrease the amount of energy and money spent on bills. Recently, I came across a press release that featured OPower's newest development which will combine the use of Facebook and has gained the support of the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

This new app, due to launch at the beginning of next year, is designed so that consumers can keep track of their own power consumption. The inclusion of Facebook allows consumers to compare their energy use online with their friends as well as compete virtually with others to maintain the lowest energy costs. The Natural Resources Defense Council feels confident that by using social-media, people will be less likely to keep their energy use information private and thereby they would become more aware of exactly how they are using their energy. 


The users of this app will be able to compare their energy usage with users from around the nation as well as share tips and ideas about how to cut energy costs and be more eco-friendly. The idea stems from OPower's love for grassroots movements whereby the consumers have the power to influence and change the world around them. Quoted from an article on Earth Easy, "When we feel powerless as individuals to effect any significant change in the face of global threats such as climate change, it's understandable that we ignore or find ways to dismiss the threat. With this new energy-saving application, users can see how their efforts count."

Eventful Wednesday: CityDance Ensemble goes Green

Recently we were given the inside scoop on CityDance Ensemble's newest development, which we are excited to say has a green twist! In partnership with the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County as well as the Music Center at the Strathmore, CityDance Ensemble will be transforming a current dance studio into a state-of-the-art dance theater named BlackBox Theater. This theater is not only unique because it is the first environmentally friendly theater in the DC area, but also because CityDance has formed a partnership with Christopher K. Morgan and Artists to create their first Resident Dance Company.  

1. The entire electrical needs of the BlackBox Theater will be powered by solar energy. In using these solar panels, any surplus electricity that may be generated is instantly returned to the power grid and therefore reduces the overall carbon footprint. 

2. The lighting of the entire theater will utilize LED and High-intensity Discharge (HID) lamps. These HID lamps are unique in that they make more "visible light per unit of electric power cosumed".  

3. The production team has partnered with MechoSystems to bring in a unique shading system that makes a bold commitment to protecting the environment. This system will increase overall energy efficiency by filtering sunlight to decrease the gain of solar heat in the space. By lowering the heat brought into the space, BlackBox Theater can cut their cooling costs and eliminate a decrease the overall carbon footprint.  

Eventful Wednesday: Nestination India Re-Cap

After crunching all the numbers, the Nest board of DC's raised just under $8,000 for the women of India at their fundraiser on October 14th. We were truly able to turn the event space into a fantastic outdoor cocktail party that combined delicious food, great entertainment, and tons of educational information. Dr. Virander K. Paul, Minister of Press and Information for the Indian Embassy, was in attendance that evening and happily shared information regarding the success micro-financing has brought to the country of India. Rebecca Kousky, founder of Nest, shared powerful story about her inspiration for partnering with Indian women and truly demonstrated the heart behind the event. We would love to thank City Dance Conservatory and Dhoonya Dance for their wonderful performances that evening as well as Indique Heights for their delicious traditional food and unique venue. Enjoy the photos!

hand crafted items sold at the vibrant market

items featured at the silent auction

delicious traditional food made by Indique Heights

Meredith looks wonderful with her tradition bindi and henna

This information station described how the Indian women produced Ikat fabric

City Dance Conservatory

Dhoonya Dance

Eco-Monday: DC Central Kitchen

Today we are taking a look at a unique type of recycling that has a huge pay back: food recycling. As a student from the University of Maryland it it often discouraging to me the amount of food that is thrown away on a daily basis from our school cafeteria or restaurant. Recently, I have learned about an amazing non-profit organization called DC Central Kitchen which combines food reclamation and production to turn recovered food into hearty meals for 26 communities throughout America. And if this wasn't sweet enough, the entire production runs on "Student Power". By partnering with high schools, colleges, and universities, DC Central Kitchen is able to use their kitchen space and employ the helping hands of thousands of youth volunteers. 

According to their website: "The best part is that students run the whole show. They plan the menus, get the food, run the cooking shifts, organize the drivers, and teach culinary skills to unemployed adults. Then, they keep track of all of the paperwork (so we know everything’s being done safely), organize fundraisers, develop curriculum, and recruit new students to get involved. They accomplish an incredible amount of work every day."  

The Campus Kitchen Project is only one branch of the total outreach effort DC Central Kitchen has taken on in their mission to use food as a means to combat the interconnected problems of poverty, hunger, and homelessness. To read more about their programs, volunteer, or get involved visit their website here. 

Eventful Wednesday: Nestination India

Nest, in partnership with Maiyet and in combination with the Indian Embassy, is hosting their second annual Nestination. This year Nestination India will happen on:

                                     

When:            October 14, 2011 from 7pm till 10pm

Where:           Indique Heights

2 Wisconsin Circle,
Chevy Chase, MD 20815

What is Nest?

Nest is a nonprofit organization that empowers female artists and artisans around the world. Using a unique combination of interest-free microfinance loans, mentoring from established designers, as well as a market in which to sell their crafts, Nest helps its loan recipients create successful small businesses. Nest instills pride of ownership, preserves ancient artistic traditions and successfully moves women from poverty to self-sufficiency. More importantly, in India Nest is creating a stable home environment for many of the Indian families. Many gypsy women of India that have been given loans by Nest have decided to settle down in one area, send their children to school, and develop their craft. These micro-loans are supplying a greater opportunity by supporting education and family development.

What can you expect at Nestination Indian?

The event is expected to draw an international crowd of over 400 attendees. The evening will weave a combination of cultural activities such as traditional artisan demonstrations (ikat, block printing and beading), henna station, welcome traditions including bindis and marigold strands, a sitar player, a popular Indian DJ, samplings of Indian cuisine and a special speech delivered by The Indian Ambassador or appointed Indian Embassy Representative. Indique Heights, a locally well-known Indian restaurant, will be supplying a night of traditional cuisine. You will also be able to walk through a re-created Bazaar which will feature over 400 products that have been hand-made by the women in India.


Learn more about Nest and this Event
Purchase Tickets Here

Come for a night of cultural immersion, great tastes, fun activities, and an opportunity to learn about the women of India. Your support will be so impactful and you can wear a tradition bindi while doing it! We would love to see you there!

Wedding Wednesday: TOMS shoes are made for walking--down the aisle!

If you are ready to walk down the aisle, look no further for footwear. Launching in early March, TOMS Wedding Collection will offer a selection of refined fabrics for brides, grooms and the wedding party. Whether you are a classic bride, love a little sparkle or want to go retro, TOMS will have the right shoe to suit any brides's taste.  With so many stresses leading up to the big day, everyone should walk down the aisle in comfort and style.

And with every pair you purchase, TOMS will also give a pair of new shoes to a child in need, so you'll be happy to take those new steps as husband and wife knowing you made a difference.  

Grossgrain ribbon can make any bride blush

All that glitters is not gold

Crushed velvet for the retro in you

Leather to go with any look

Something Borrowed, Something Blue (and sparkly!)

The look in action

Enjoy! 

Xoxo, Laura

Engaged with a Cause

As part of our Wedding Wednesday Series, I wanted to take a  moment to congratulate a new friend of mine, Julie Gerdes and her hubby-to-be, Andrew Becnel on their recent engagement.  I met Julie a month ago, when she joined the DC Chapter of NEST, a non-profit that is close and dear to my heart. In many regards, Julie is a traditional bride; she's giddy about her special day and spends countless hours poring over the details, wants that magical dress, the favors, the photos, and the lovely venue. But what really  impressed me about her was her desire to give back to the community and those less fortunate, all through her wedding.

Working in development for a non-profit, Julie is well aware of the barriers that NGO's go through to raise that last dollar.  She has experienced first hand the difficulties of the fundraising process and has vowed to make a difference through 'Wedding Philanthropy', or how to GIVE BACK via your wedding.

Julie's philosophy through the planning process has been simple: you are spending the money anyways for the big day, so why not make vendor selections who take your money and give 100% of it back to charity or find other creative ways to help out the surrounding community with your payment.

Unfortunately, Wedding Philanthropy is not on the forefront of trends, like how to Green Your Wedding, for example.  But through her blog, Julie highlights a number of vendors (businesses, non-profits, corporations, and plain ole' good Samaritans) who have found creative ways to 'Engage' in Wedding Philanthropy.

She writes about places like The Bridal Garden, the ONLY non-profit bridal boutique in New York City, where 100% of the profits go to helping fund education programs like the Brooklyn Charter School.

AND

She highlights people like Walter Grio, from Shoot For Change (SFC), based here in DC.  Walter does something extraordinary...in his spare time, he shoots events, special occasions, family outings, editorials, yet does not collect a single dime for himself. Instead, he asks that his clients donate 100% of what they would be paying for his services to a selected charity.  Last year alone, SFC raised over $19,000!

Here at Green with Envy, we encourage our clients to be both environmentally and ethically responsible when selecting choices for their event  (whether it's a wedding, a corporate event, or even a fundraiser). I think we'll be adding third 'enouragement' to our list.

Please check out Julie's Engaged with a Cause Blog to  learn more about Wedding Philanthropy and how you can make a difference on your big day.

Happy Reading...xoxo, Laura

Deals for Deeds: A new way to give back

With all the recent news Groupon and LivingSocial has been making, I thought it'd be nice to give a shout-out to a new type of Deal-of-the-Day Site; one where you not only get the disocunt, but you also do a good deed.

At Deals for Deeds, a Washington, DC based disount site, things are done differently. Way differently. Unlike the traditional disount sites, Deals for Deeds partners with local businesses to connect them with new customers while also helping out local non-profits to reinvest in the community. With each and every discount deal you purchase, you also make a difference. Here's how it works:

1. YOU SAVE: Visit their site, browse through their daily offer, and get great disounts on local restaurants, spas, sporitng & entertainment events.

2. GIVE BACK TOGETHER: Deal for Deeds works with local businesses to feature exclusive offers on a product or a service and agree ahead of time that a portion of the deal will go to the featured non-profit (This week, Miriam's Kitchen, which provides meals for the homeless). So when you buy a deal, a percentage of YOUR MONEY goes directly to a charitable organization.

3. WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE: From the funds raised on their site, Deal with Deeds helps non-profits achieve a certain goal. Whether it's 500 meals for the homeless or a new swing set for the neighborhood park, you can see exactly what you helped make possible.

I commend Josh Hoffman and Harrison Miller for adding a creative twist to the discount business. Not only are they choosing local businesses to showcase on their site, but they also look to partner with businesses who incorporate an element of environmental responsibility and awareness. Everyone loves to get a good deal, but now you can enjoy that discounted massage knowing you did your good deed for the day.

Happy week! xoxo, Laura.

In the spirit of giving • charity: water • charity: ball on December 13

The past few years have been a wake-up call for so many people. Gone are the days of buying tons of expensive gifts for all of your friends and family. Although it's nice to receive, we've all learned how important it is to give...especially to those who are in need. In the spirit of giving, I want to share with you an organization that is truly making a difference. And with your help...they can elevate their mission to a whole new level.

charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of public donations directly fund sustainable water projects in areas of greatest need. In our day to day lives, it's hard to imagine not having clean water; something we as a nation take for granted. But right now almost a billion people on the planet don't have access to clean, safe drinking water. That's one in eight of us!!! 80% of all sickness on the planet is caused by unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation. It kills more people each year than all forms of violence, including war. Children are especially vulnerable to the consequences of unsafe water. Of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation, 90% are children under 5 years old. Many people in the developing world, usually women and children, walk more that three hours every day to fetch water that is likely to make them sick. Those hours are crucial, preventing many from working or attending school. These facts are overwhelming, and completely heart-wrenching. It's time to pay attention to this devastating situation! It's time to do our part. As little as $20 can give one person clean water for 20 years! We can't afford not to give!!!

Over the years I've given to many causes...but really never saw the actual effects of my donations. One of my favorite things about charity: water is they are closing the loop. They are proving each water project by connecting donors here with people they've helped in developing nations. Using GPS technology, photography, video and the Internet, charity: water proves all work done in the field, telling stories of communities changed by clean and safe drinking water. I don't know about you, but that would make me feel pretty darn good!

In it's 5th year, charity: water is hosting their annual charity: ball on Monday, December 13th at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. And for the 5th year, Adrian Grenier is hosting this multimedia exhibition and gala evening to benefit the work of charity: water...an organization very dear to his heart. It's no secret that Adrian is a champion for environmental and social causes worldwide, and that's why he continues to be one of our favorite Eco-celebrities. But what can a night out on the town really accomplish? A lot more than most people think. charity: ball 2009 proved this - 1,200 guest attended, 125 volunteers gave their time and guests donated more than $1.8 million. By the end of the evening, charity: water had raised enough money to serve a million people with clean, safe water. That's a lot for just one night, even in New York City! And guests had a chance to participate in the Waterwalk, where they lugged Jerry Cans full of water across the Waterwalk to get a taste of life in rural Africa. They wrote notes to be hand-delivered to a community in Ethiopia that will receive a well this year. The event was a huge success, and this year is shaping up to be another triumphant occasion. Tickets are $250 and can be purchased here, and 100% of the price of your ticket will benefit the work of charity: water and help them grow. If you are in the New York area, the charity: ball is one not to be missed. Guest will team up with celebrities and businesses to LEARN, GIVE and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

To learn more about how charity: water builds water wells and how these wells improve the lives of millions of people, visit their website. It's not just about providing clean water to bathe and drink. These wells are the catalyst to disease prevention, gender equality, improved food supply, better hygiene, putting kids in school, and building a sustainable future for these developing nations.

This is such an inspirational cause and I urge everyone to get involved. Please take a look at the work charity: water is doing. It will warm your heart and you WILL want to get involved. Find out how you can help by volunteering or making a donation. Everybody can afford to give $20.00. Please reach into your hearts and your wallets and let's help charity: water continue to make a difference in the lives of millions!

Thank you for your support and happy holidays from your Green with Envy girls!