Not long ago I had the pleasure of meeting social entrepreneur, Mary Fanaro, creator of the OmniPeace. OmniPeace is a humanitarian fashion brand, donating 25% of all profits to charities promoting peace, education, human rights and ending extreme poverty in Congo, Africa.

OmniPeace reaching out to communities in Congo, Africa

As a t-shirt and jeans girl, Mary Fanaro created the silhouette of Africa logo and printed them onto various styles of t-shirts. Mary’s t-shirts are made from all eco-friendly materials and are available for men, women, and children sizes.  The easy chic tote bags are perfect for work, daytime errands… and make fantastic gifts!  Beyond the fashion,  Mary has worked closely with UNICEF & the V-Day Foundation to build and help maintain the City of Joy, a healing center and safe community for Congolese women and girls.

OmniPeace Sequins Tote, $75

OmniPeace Jute Shoulder Bag, $30

Though Omnipeace is much more than a T-shirt and tote bag line.  They’ve placed a call for action to aid the people of Congo – and YOU can easily help!

Congo Pledges

1.Urge Industry Leaders to Make Conflict-Free Products by emailing the 21 Biggest Electronics Companies here.

2. Call your Senators and urge them to cosponsor the Congo Conflict Minerals Act of 2009 (S.891).  Just dial the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for the Senator’s office.

3. Fill out the form to send President Obama a copy of the call-to-action OmniPeace Hangtag from the Congo t-shirt line.

Through high-profile endorsements, OmniPeace gained popularity in the public eye.  Celebrities from Jessica Alba to Alicia Keys,  David Beckham to Common have all been spotted wearing & supporting the OmniPeace line.

Jennifer Aniston, Sheryl Crow, Mary Fanaro, and Courteney Cox in/for OmniPeace

I am inspired by OmniPeace and Mary Fanaro because of generous and dedicated outreach to those in need (and those who are often overlooked).  Mary has built schools for children in Africa and has created support groups for women and children who have been victimized by rape and violence.  At Green with Glamour, we celebrate individuals who care for the environment and others around them. Living a green lifestyle is not only about wearing eco-friendly clothing or reducing your carbon footprint but is about bringing peace to the world around us.

October 1 is a special day to me… it’s a day to celebrate Vegetarianism!  I’ve been a vegetarian for (gulp) almost 26 years  – Vegan for 2) and finally my grandmother has accepted that it not a “phase”.  It’s my life.  And for the past 2 years, my once steak-savoring husband has joined the ranks.  When he went Veg, I was shocked!  He was someone who truly enjoyed just about every meat around.   But whether it was exposure to my lifestyle, his ever-growing love for animals, whatever… his priorities shifted and here we are.  If he can do it – anyone can!

Do the planet a solid and give up meat for 24hrs… and here are some suggestions if you want to get involved!

It could have been a potato sack and she would have looked stunning, but the final look consisted of the following:

The Carta top by The Battalion

The organic Tabitha trench by Kelly B

The Bernie pencil skirt by Toggery

 Finished perfectly with the Embrace necklace by Jennifer Dawes for C5.

It could have been a potato sack and she would have looked stunning, but the final look consisted of the following:

The Carta top by The Battalion

The organic Tabitha trench by Kelly B

The Bernie pencil skirt by Toggery

 Finished perfectly with the Embrace necklace by Jennifer Dawes for C5.

The cool, indie-vibed, Nashville-based line, Prophetik is a good fit for Green with Glamour.  Their pieces are street chic, sustainably produced and always seem to be linked to an addition worthy cause – land conservation in Tennessee, AidSudan, or their latest effort, a collaboration with AEACP (Asian Elephant Art Conservation Project).  The Elle dress, featured this month in GwG’s nod from Lucky Magazine is the result of their AEACP effort.  THIS DRESS WAS PAINTED BY ELEPHANTS!!!  That gorgeous pattern splashed all over this organic silk stunner was actually painted by these magnificent creatures in Thailand AND part of the Elle’s proceeds go to building a sanctuary for the artists in their homeland!  Watch videos of these artsy elephants painting… it’s awesome!

I realize that this is not what you want to hear, but please read on… being informed never hurt, right?  I’ve fallen in love with The Farm Sanctuary, an amazing animal rescue with locations in South Cal and New York.  Now… I’m the FURTHEST thing from a nature girl or farm-y person, but I am an animal lover and I’m constantly inspired by humans devoted to animal welfare!

Here are just a couple facts that everyone should know about what we’re buying/supporting:

DOWN

• Down, the very soft feathers from the breasts of geese and ducks, is plucked from birds slaughtered for food or from forcibly restrained, live animals.
  
• No matter how they are removed, feathers normally come from birds who live miserable lives of confinement inside large warehouses.
  
• Birds who undergo live de-feathering may be plucked three to five times during their short lives.

SILK

• Silk comes from the caterpillars of the silk moth, who protect themselves by spinning silk strands to form a cocoon.
  
• Each worm may produce up to a mile and half of continuous thread. To retain an unbroken thread of silk, moths are commonly boiled, baked or steamed alive when they are ready to emerge.

CASHMERE

• Goats raised for cashmere are typically reared in filthy, crowded conditions.
  
• Shorn months prior to their natural shedding time, the goats are often exposed to cold temperatures and become more susceptible to illness.
  
• Goats are often ear notched, de-horned and castrated without anesthesia and sold for meat after their first fiber harvest.

MOHAIR

• While a growing number of goats are being used for milk and meat in the United States, the majority are still used for mohair.
  
• Intolerably sensitive to the cold and parasites, the goats often suffer from chills after their fleece is removed.

SHEEP’S WOOL

• Sheep have been purposely bred to produce excessive wool. As a result of having an abnormal amount of wool, many sheep suffer from fly infestations, skin sores and wool parasites.
  
• During shearing, the majority of these animals are handled roughly and their fleece is removed as quickly as possible. Injuries are common and shearers frequently cut into the flesh of terrified sheep.
  
• Lambs typically suffer from painful mutilations, such as tail docking and castration, without anesthesia. Sheep may also undergo mulesing, a painful process by which a four by six-inch piece of skin is cut from their tails and backside.
  
• When the sheep are no longer producing prime wool, they are commonly transported to slaughterhouses in overcrowded trucks. Many sheep become “downers” and are left to suffer and die slowly from neglect.

A bitter pill to swallow, I know… but here are some GREAT alternatives to all of the above!

This is Jack, a recent stockyard rescue!

I realize that this is not what you want to hear, but please read on… being informed never hurt, right?  I’ve fallen in love with The Farm Sanctuary, an amazing animal rescue with locations in South Cal and New York.  Now… I’m the FURTHEST thing from a nature girl or farm-y person, but I am an animal lover and I’m constantly inspired by humans devoted to animal welfare!

Here are just a couple facts that everyone should know about what we’re buying/supporting:

DOWN

• Down, the very soft feathers from the breasts of geese and ducks, is plucked from birds slaughtered for food or from forcibly restrained, live animals.
  
• No matter how they are removed, feathers normally come from birds who live miserable lives of confinement inside large warehouses.
  
• Birds who undergo live de-feathering may be plucked three to five times during their short lives.

SILK

• Silk comes from the caterpillars of the silk moth, who protect themselves by spinning silk strands to form a cocoon.
  
• Each worm may produce up to a mile and half of continuous thread. To retain an unbroken thread of silk, moths are commonly boiled, baked or steamed alive when they are ready to emerge.

CASHMERE

• Goats raised for cashmere are typically reared in filthy, crowded conditions.
  
• Shorn months prior to their natural shedding time, the goats are often exposed to cold temperatures and become more susceptible to illness.
  
• Goats are often ear notched, de-horned and castrated without anesthesia and sold for meat after their first fiber harvest.

MOHAIR

• While a growing number of goats are being used for milk and meat in the United States, the majority are still used for mohair.
  
• Intolerably sensitive to the cold and parasites, the goats often suffer from chills after their fleece is removed.

SHEEP’S WOOL

• Sheep have been purposely bred to produce excessive wool. As a result of having an abnormal amount of wool, many sheep suffer from fly infestations, skin sores and wool parasites.
  
• During shearing, the majority of these animals are handled roughly and their fleece is removed as quickly as possible. Injuries are common and shearers frequently cut into the flesh of terrified sheep.
  
• Lambs typically suffer from painful mutilations, such as tail docking and castration, without anesthesia. Sheep may also undergo mulesing, a painful process by which a four by six-inch piece of skin is cut from their tails and backside.
  
• When the sheep are no longer producing prime wool, they are commonly transported to slaughterhouses in overcrowded trucks. Many sheep become “downers” and are left to suffer and die slowly from neglect.

A bitter pill to swallow, I know… but here are some GREAT alternatives to all of the above!

This is Jack, a recent stockyard rescue!

I have tell you… I am personally detached from the war(s) that the U.S. soldiers are fighting in Iraq & Afghanistan. I don’t know any soldiers – I can’t even think of anyone I know who’s related to or acquainted with an active soldier. I certainly support the individuals over there (particularly those who enlisted as a means to pay for college – or to better their situations in general), but I’m angry as hell that they’re over there – and I want them brought home. One thing that has never occurred to me are the “best friends” that these people have to leave behind when they ship out. That being said, I heard an amazing NPR piece the other day about an organization called Canine Corps.

LOOK AT THESE GORGEOUS CREATURES!!! These are dogs that would have been turned over to shelters or worse! Their “owners” are all active soldiers – who when called for duty – were faced with little or no options for their pooches care. Canine Corps (along with Paw Prints Sanctuary – a safe haven for elderly, handicapped & chronically ill dogs) is the incredible brainchild of a retired couple in central Pennsylvania. Rather than buy their dream condo in Myrtle Beach, they’ve spent their retirement savings on building an amazing facility for all of these dogs in need -a brand new “barn” with roomy pods for each pooch, heated floors & a plethora of sofas on which these babies can lounge until their soldier comes home!

Canine Corps care for these dogs at NO EXPENSE to the soldiers! They operate by way of donations and volunteers, so if you find what they are doing as inspiring and important as i do… DONATE or if you live in central PA, VOLUNTEER! xo db

I have tell you… I am personally detached from the war(s) that the U.S. soldiers are fighting in Iraq & Afghanistan. I don’t know any soldiers – I can’t even think of anyone I know who’s related to or acquainted with an active soldier. I certainly support the individuals over there (particularly those who enlisted as a means to pay for college – or to better their situations in general), but I’m angry as hell that they’re over there – and I want them brought home. One thing that has never occurred to me are the “best friends” that these people have to leave behind when they ship out. That being said, I heard an amazing NPR piece the other day about an organization called Canine Corps.

LOOK AT THESE GORGEOUS CREATURES!!! These are dogs that would have been turned over to shelters or worse! Their “owners” are all active soldiers – who when called for duty – were faced with little or no options for their pooches care. Canine Corps (along with Paw Prints Sanctuary – a safe haven for elderly, handicapped & chronically ill dogs) is the incredible brainchild of a retired couple in central Pennsylvania. Rather than buy their dream condo in Myrtle Beach, they’ve spent their retirement savings on building an amazing facility for all of these dogs in need -a brand new “barn” with roomy pods for each pooch, heated floors & a plethora of sofas on which these babies can lounge until their soldier comes home!

Canine Corps care for these dogs at NO EXPENSE to the soldiers! They operate by way of donations and volunteers, so if you find what they are doing as inspiring and important as i do… DONATE or if you live in central PA, VOLUNTEER! xo db