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!
Ed Begley, Jr., of St. Elsewhere, Best in Show, and, most recently, Veronica Mars fame, is expanding his résumé with a new reality show. "Living with Ed" will premiere on HGTV on Sundays at 10 pm ET/PT starting January 7, 2007 (after a special sneak-peek on New Year's Day after the Rose Parade), and will feature Begley, Jr. and his wife, Rachelle Carson, who, according to the press release, "often sees red over living green with her quirky, eco-obsessed husband." The result, being called a "family docu-soap" is set in the couple’s entirely solar-powered, modest, two-bedroom Hollywood home; the six-episode series will take "viewers inside the unconventional lifestyle and comically contentious chemistry of the duo, and also offers real tips on ways to create a more eco-friendly home." It sounds like it'll be a combination of Ed's zany antics (timing his wife in the shower with a stopwatch), honest-to-goodness improvements (using a stationary bicycle to powers the toaster) applicable in the real world, and sincere, dedicated work to living a more sustainable lifestyle (the lush organic vegetable garden out back, cooking the harvest in a solar-powered oven). We'll look forward to seeing the real thing early next year. [HGTV press release] via [AutoblogGreen]
Check out SSF pal and eco-model extraordinaire Summer Rayne Oakes, who grabbed a new pair of Levi's organic Eco Jeans (we've seen 'em coming 
The Huffington Post has created the HuffPost Hybrid Movement, a virtual photo album for everyone to post pictures & captions of their hybrid cars. To help encourage the movement, they've rounded up a few celebs & high-profile people to pimp their rides. Larry David, tongue ever in-cheek, quips "I needed something to make me feel smugly superior." Tom Hanks goes off on a hybrid rant, saying, "I love my hybrid, it's got a battery and a gas engine and a computer, a super computer, you know the computer batman had? Well they shrunk it down now and they put it into this car, and it's like you're driving the batmobile in this thing. It tells you when the battery is driving or the battery is recharging when the gas.now talk about freedom dave, another one, I've owned this car for a month and I had to fill it up with gas just the other day, I put 14 dollars worth of gas in my car, that's how much it cost to fill up, in l.a. I bought two gallons of gas. Now I'm not lying it did cost me 14 bucks, If I had it now I could drive home to l.a. I'm not going to do that now because it could take awhile and rita gets cranky in the car for along time, but its got a computer on it that thing the batman thing." Whew -- that's a mouthful! Arianna Huffington brings us back to earth with, "Driving a gas-sipping hybrid is a smart and easy way to help end America's dependence on foreign oil. So my Toyota Prius is an automotive two-fer: a pleasure to drive and patriotic to boot." Hybrid drivers everywhere are encouraged to snap a picture, load it up on the site and leave a message about how much they love it. Let's hope it's as contagious as actually owning the cars has been. [HuffPost Hybrid Movement] via [Ecorazzi]
For those of us here in the States, Thanksgiving is just over a week away, which means that many of us are dreaming of the perfect stuffing and tryptophan-induced naps. Before preparing any cranberries or mashed potatoes, please keep in mind where your food is comes from, and remember: local is the way to go. Just like the Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving, eating locally is so much better for you, for your community and for the planet. This year, give thanks not only for another year of health, happiness and good times, but for your local harvest. The folks at 100milediet.org have invited everyone to join in the 100-Mile Thanksgiving; whether it's one dish or the whole meal, there's tons of ways to do it. You can share your ideas and get some ideas, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. EatLocalChallenge.com, Locavores and Local Harvest all have great ideas and resources for enjoying a local Thanksgiving. The Washington Post recently published an article filled with ideas for eating local around the nation's capital; it's a great guide to area farmers markets, co-ops and small farms where people can get their turkeys, vegetables, pies, and all the fixin's. Wherever you are, you can get at least a side-dish or two's worth of local ingredients. Already an afficianado? Check out the TreeHugger's 100 Mile Thanksgiving Challenge, and win a year's worth of organic milk from Organic Valley.
SSF would like to give a friendly wave and virtual hello to Green Girls Global. Inspired by the late, great City Hippy blog, GGG is "a weblog about people from various different places with various different experiences, skills and interests talking about how they and people where they live are trying to live a life in a way that is positive for the environment, people and animals." They've just gotten underway, but are already chatting up responsible tourism, fashion and food. We'll be keeping an eye on them and wish them well. Good luck! [Green Girls Global]
SSF fav FLOR is having a holiday sale, and everything is 15% off! Their mix-n-match modular tiles are a great way to sustainably spruce up a room on a budget. The Heartfelt Carpet Tiles (pictured) are a clean, minimalist take on textured felt, and work great for larger spaces, but there's lots more to be had, though you have to hurry -- the sale only runs through the end of this week (November 17). With the vast selection of patterns, colors and even shapes, there is definitely something for everyone in the FLOR catalog. Check it out and add code "FSH1506" at checkout to activate the sale. [FLOR] via [Fabulously Green]
With the holidays rapidly approaching, the good folks at EarthTech Products have created a special section in their online store for the sustainable style enthusiast. They've got an impressive variety of goods that will please just about anyone on your list, from solar gadgets to 3D wallpaper to recycled glass table settings. We're huge fans of the V2 wallpaper from MIOculture (pictured); it's made from 100% recycled paperboard, and looks fabulous painted or plain, in a small set or an entire wall. We featured the Soldius1 solar iPod charger last week in our