sustainable style foundation*

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From Sustainable Sean...

The Sustainable Seattle office where I spend most of my time these days happens to be located right next door to the office of the Seattle Chapter of the American Jewish Committee and the Seattle Jewish Film Festival (SJFF). So I was really excited to see that SJFF was going green this year. WAY green! In fact it the major theme of this year's festival. The festival not only features films that feature an environmental theme, such as Lemon Tree, it offers many resources to help filmgoers go green as well, like The Jewish Climate Challenge. Want to know more about the films and resources? Follow the link above or you can find the full SJFF program here.

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From Sustainable Sean...

It's always great when sustainability sneaks up and surprises you. That's exactly what happened recently to me at Serious Pie, one of Seattle chef Tom Douglas' restaurants. Chef Tom Douglas is a big supporter of local, organic produce so I always look forward to eating at one of his several restaurants in Seattle. Serious Pie is all about pizza...but not just any pizza, some of the best pizza you'll ever eat. If you stop in during the rush our, you might think you're in Manhattan because every seat is filled and your usually elbow to elbow with your neighbor. Come in during the off hours though and the atmosphere is comparable to a favorite pizzeria in Italy. Regardless of how busy they are, the service is always sincere, attentive, and gracious. One of my favorite pizzas is the chantrelles truffle cheese pizza. Love chantrelles (I used to forage for them personally when doing wildlife fieldwork in the Cascades) and love truffles. So as you might tell, I'm a big fan of Serious Pie and have been for quite some time. The surprise came in the salad special. The main ingredient...Miner's Lettuce! Also called Indian Lettuce, Winter Purslane, and Sweet Beauty, Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) is a native plant that has been a nutritious staple in local diets for centuries, from the first people of Seattle - the Duwasmish - to modern day pizza buffs. The salad was magnificent with D'Anjou pear and a white balsamic dressing. Serious Pie just notched up the sustainable food trend...who needs local organic when you can go NATIVE organic.

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From Sustainable Sean...

I love, Love, LOVE writing restaurant reviews and my recent visit to Tidbit Bistro makes this review all the more savory. I'd heard wind of Tidbit from several friends, both foodies and susties (sustainability types), so when a friend invited me to join an ad hoc visit to Tidbit, I was pretty excited. My experience was everything I expected and more. Tidbit has combined a bit of Italy and a bit of Spain to create a ambiance and menu that makes the most of both. The space is both urban and nostalgic while the menu offers contemporary takes on traditional favorites. I started with the crostini con fungi that may have been small on size (as stuzzichini should be) but it was big on flavor leaving me completely satisfied. I chose the whole leaf caesar with grilled chicken for my entree and I can now say I've had the best caesar of my life...seriously. The quantity of salad was perfect, the dressing perfectly creamy, and the chicken delicious in its own right. I honestly think of that salad nightly and will continue to do so until my next visit. To top it all off, I had one of the best tiramisu in my life as well...and I've had LOT of tiramisu, including several in Italy! But the icing on this cake, for me, was the commitment to sustainability that came through loud and clear throughout my experience at Tidbit. From being a certified member of the Green Restaurant Association to their commitment to community, they truly get it. Tidbit happens to be the ONLY certified GRA restaurant in Seattle as of April 2009. Add to all this, the staff were fantastic bringing two of my favorite elements of European restaurants to a little corner of Seattle...fantastic service and a personal connection between staff and customers. You really do feel like any one of the staff that you interact with during the night could be your next best friend. So here's an accolade that works in any language...Bravo to Tidbit Bistro!

For all you Seattle SSF fans, pick up this month's issue of Seattle Magazine and check out Kelly Moore's latest contribution to eco-entertaining. SSF Co-founders Rebecca Luke and Sean Schmidt, along with friends and green gurus Lynne Barker and Megan Griffiths, chat about environmental issues and green giving for Earth Day. You can get a sneak peak online: "Entertaining: green goes glam".

Now for something for completely different. The Ingterra Project's new Community Change Cards are the coolest thing ever! Its all about shopping locally and sharing the benefits locally. It works kind of like a card. The magnetic strip and bar-coded card functions as a community loyalty card and is not used for payment. The customer pays with cash, check, credit or debit card. Businesses swipe or scan the community card first and then proceed as usual with the transaction. The data is sent using the existing MasterCard or Visa credit card terminal. Cards are now available in Boston and Seattle with more cities coming soon.

Attention Seattle area SSF Members...It's time for another edition of our very popular Cocktails for a Cause (CFAC) events. As always, we'll have music, cocktails, munchies and fun while learning about great nonprofits doing important work in our community. See you there!

2008 Cocktails for a Cause Holiday Progressive Party
(all events are in downtown Seattle on First Avenue between Stewart & Virginia)

**Date Change** - Due to inclement weather on December 17th, 2008 we have changed the date of this event.
New Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2009

6:00-6:45 Peter Miller Books
6:45-7:30 Baby & Co.
7:30-8:15 Polite Society

>> more info on our Cocktails for a Cause events...

I attended the International Sustainability Institute's Trash Fashion Bash tonight and must say that I was totally blown away by the amount and quality of the designs. Many of the designs were from the fabulous design divas at Haute Trash but there were many local designers that wowed the crowd too, from a tofu packaging wedding gown by Chaco to women's business suit made from circuit boards. And then there were the models! Several SSF favorites including Lynne Baker (pictured at left) part of the City of Seattle's green building team (and frequent SSF OSSA Award judge), Diane Sugimura, Director of Planning & Develolpment for the city of Seattle, Joanie Parsons of Parsons Public Relations, Kaye Smith-Blum of Butch Blum who was one of the evenings MCs. There were many other architects, urban planners, and even several budding high schoolers striking a pose for sustainability as well. Any why did the models look so fabulous you ask, well, becuase SSF Co-founder and Senior Stylist Rebecca Luke was on the scene in wearing her les Egoistes hat training all those high-profile sustainability celebs how to strike a pose on the runway of course. All in all, another great example of how we all can look fabulous, live well, and do good.

In her Laboratory blog, sustainable style maven Jill Danyelle reports that Nordstrom has officially started down the green path. Having worked for the company for 14 years (this is Sean blogging here) I know they've been doing organic and other sustainable textiles for years so it is a dream come true to see them starting to publically showcase their offerings. A quick visit to their dedicated Organic Style boutique turned up over 5 pages of products for women, men, kids, and the home. Not a bad start at all but I can't wait to see their organic style collections keep growing...and to go on sale of course!

It was so great to check out what I predict, and hope, will be the worlds’ premiere destination hotel in the future last night. I went to the 1 opening where hotelier Barry Sternlight (W Hotels), recently highlighted in Vanity Fair’s Green issue, mentioned that this project meant a lot to him personally. Designed to be a luxury eco-friendly hotel and residence, the overall feel of the model suite was very hip. You got the feel of the environment without the “lodge” feel. The neutral palate was surprisingly warm and was completely Zen. SSF’s you can” live well, do good as well as look fabulous”, was completely demonstrated in the design of the space as well as the forethought behind its operating model. I did hear from Barry that if you drive a Hybrid, your parking will be free…let’s hope this policy will have to change because there are so many alternative fuel cars coming in. As far as food at 1, B.R. Guests founder Stephen Hanson, known for his fabulous franchise of restaurants in New York, Chicago & Vegas, will be the master mind behind the dining concepts. If it will be anything like the food served last night, we know it is going to be out of this world. It warmed my heart to hear the chef go on and on about shopping at our own Pike Market where the fabulous tidbits from ceviche, to oysters and mini kiwi dipped in chocolate were created from. There is already a list for the residences as you can imagine…stand by for more news on this project. It really is going to be the wonderful to have Seattle be a landmark for another amazing concept. 1residences.com. RL

SSF has been pleased to see the size of the crowd at Seattle Greendrinks grow to some pretty impressive numbers over the past four years. The monthly get-together (every second Tuesday, around 5:30 pm) at different environmentally-minded businesses and organizations around town (SSF has hosted before) has become a great way to network and stay connected with other sustainability professionals and enthusiasts (and anyone who's attended a Green Drinks in any other city has probably experienced the same). Seattle Greendrinks recently launched a new website that aims to keep the community growing and informed all month long. In addition to event announcements, the site offers forums, member blogs (after you complete the free registration) and job postings, with promises of much more to come soon. It's a great way to keep up with the latest on Greendrinks here in town, and will hopefully help the community's continued growth. Surf on over to the new site and click around for awhile; the only thing that's really different from the event is the beer.

Reminder: Seattle Greendrinks is tonight! It's being hosted by Stewardship Partners and Conscious Choice at Evo, at 122 NW 36th St in Fremont. This month boasts an after-party, featuring the band "Tilted Blue," starting at 8:30. See you there!

Attention, Seattle-area sustainable style enthusiasts! Please Save the Date: Friday, April 6, for the next Cocktails for a Cause event. We're really excited to be partnering up with La Rousse to host the event, which will highlight the good work of Chaya and feature a trunk show of Del Forte's fabulous organic denim (and a discount!). Here are the details:

Date | Friday, April 6 -- 4 - 7 pm
Location | La Rousse, 430 Virginia St (here's a map)
Cause | Chaya

As before, we'll have music, a featured cocktail, munchies and fun; stay tuned for the official invitation, with more details, coming next week. We hope to see many of you there!

One of the critiques about Al Gore's documentary version of An Inconvenient Truth (what?! You haven't seen it yet? Get a copy of the DVD and watch it!) is that, while chock-full of information, was a little hard to swallow for those in the audience who weren't well versed on the theory and general science behind global warming. To help spread the message to a more diverse audience, Al Gore has begun training people from around the globe to give their own version of the slideshow he presents on the film; the idea is that different people can put a different spin on it, to appeal to the audience they're likely to encounter while presenting in their individual community.

One of the lucky folks chosen for an early round of presentation training was Lisa Shimizu, whom keen readers will remember from our interview with KEXP radio last summer for the music issue of SASS Magazine (read the interview here). We wanted to talk to the hip, listener-powered station about their recently (at the time) unveiled global warming PSA, encouraging their listeners in Seattle and around the world (via their live stream) to take action to fight global warming in their lives, and Lisa was the one heading up the campaign. Lisa went to Nashville, Tennessee to meet with and get trained by Al Gore, with the promise that she take her version of the show on the road and spread the word about climate change. She recently began presenting her show, tailored to youngsters, here in Seattle, and our friends at Grist were there to check it out. As it turns out, the message translated, as Shimizu's presentation was well-received by young and old(er) alike -- check out the full article for details on what it's like to teach global warming to first graders. Kudos and a big thumbs up to Lisa & Grist for helping to preach the gospel of global warming to an audience that will really have to do something about it: kids. [Grist] and [KEXP's Global Warming PSA]

Just a quick reminder about EPIC, Vancouver's first sustainable living expo, happening this weekend. Designed for the Ethical Progressive Intelligent Consumer, EPIC will introduce the new breed of environmentally friendlier, smart, stylish products and savvy services that allow shoppers to feel good about their purchases in more ways than one.

Tickets are available online at a reduced rate, and at the door for $12 for general admission and $10 for students and youth ages 13-18; children 12 and younger are free. The event promises to be a weekend full of sustainable style, including ideas and products in the fashion, food & drink, health & beauty, technology, transportation, home & leisure and business & community industries. We think it's going to be a fantastic event, and encourage anyone who hasn't already made plans to attend to consider making the trip to Vancouver. Get all the details at EPIC's website. We hope to see many of you there!

Seattle-area sustainable style enthusiasts, please Save the Date on December 13, for the next Cocktails for a Cause. We're giving some extra notice before the official invitation because the venue is changing, and we're switching to the second Wednesday of the month (instead of the first), so please take note. Here is what you need to know, for now:

Location | Form/Space Atelier at 1907 Second Avenue, across from The Moore Theater
Date | Wednesday, December 13
Time | 6 - 8 pm
Cause | The Vera Project

Everything else stays the same; we'll have music, cocktails, munchies and fun; stay tuned for the official invitation, with more details, coming next week. We hope to see many of you there!

Attention Seattle-area friends of SSF: November's Cocktails for a Cause is right around the corner, and we'd love you to attend. Next Wednesday, November 1, we'll gather at The Palm Room at 5336 Ballard Ave NW (in Ballard) from 6-8 pm for a cocktail, music and fun to benefit another worthy Seattle non-profit.

This month, we're highlighting the efforts of The Ruby Room, a local nonprofit organization that provides formal gowns to Seattle area high school girls who are unable to purchase their own dance attire. Dresses and accessories are collected throughout the year and made available at boutiques in the spring. Each girl is paired with a personal shopper volunteer who assists her in picking out the perfect gown. The Ruby Room will be gladly accepting donations of gently used dresses and accessories at the event; if you have some collecting dust in your closet, please consider bringing them along!

For the uninitiated, Cocktails for a Cause is the Seattle Chapter's monthly event that highlights the good work of a fellow area non-profit with an evening of cocktails, music and fun. Each event features a different "cause-mo" cocktail of the night, and donations will go to benefit the featured organization. This month, we're happy to bring back The Palm Tea, a cocktail designed especially for this event by Kathy Casey Food Studios, for the event's "cause-mo".

There'll be live entertainment from DJ Patrick Napper, a no-host bar and munchies; donations for the evening's libations and food go to support The Ruby Room, so we hope to see many of you there!