We don’t typically re-post other people’s writing here, but considering how much we love Rory Freedman (best-selling author of Skinny Bitch) and the healthy-living blog, Crazy Sexy Life… we though we’d be fools to not share this wisdom:

1. Don’t say “yes” when you mean “no.” It’ll make you resentful. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

2. When driving, if someone wants to get in front of you, let him in front of you. And do it with a smile. It’ll make his day better, and it’ll make you feel good. You just changed the world.

3. Try to make a gratitude list each day. Include big things and little things. Invite your friends to make their own lists; you can all email one another each day, sharing your gratitude.

4. Don’t be a problem solver when a friend just wants you to be a listener.

5. Call your parents or grandparents. Sometimes, a five-minute phone call is all they need to feel loved.

6. Be a good neighbor: Be considerate inside and outside your home/apartment so your noise doesn’t bother those around you. That includes opening and closing your front door quietly.

7. Pee in the shower. If we each did this once a day, it would save an enormous amount of water and toilet paper (trees).

8. Write a “fan letter.” Tell someone you know, or someone you’ve never met, why you admire him or her. You’ll make someone’s day.

9. Curb your jealousy. Be happy for others.

10. Be willing to be wrong. If someone has a grievance with you, really try to see her point of view. If called for, apologize. It’s hard to do, but it feels really good and makes life so much easier.

11. If you are in a room with someone you don’t know, introduce yourself right away. It takes away the social discomfort immediately.

12. Pick a cause close to your heart, and get involved. You don’t have to quit your job and dive in headfirst. Just get involved on some level and do what you can when you can. Go slightly beyond your comfort zone but don’t overextend yourself.

13. Be a good friend to your friends. Tell them what’s good about them, that you appreciate them, and make the effort to spend time with them.

14. Go vegetarian. Animals raised and slaughtered for food suffer immeasurably. Visit GoVeg.com for a free vegetarian starter kit.

15. Do your best to think good thoughts. They affect your health, happiness, and the people around you.

16. Do something frivolous for someone you love. (It doesn’t have to be extravagant.) It feels so good to do nice things for other people, it’s almost selfish!

17. Practice accepting compliments. The person complimenting you is giving you a gift. Receive it graciously, even if it is difficult.

18. Be generous with your compliments. Don’t blow smoke up anyone’s ass. Just say nice things when they occur to you.

19. Forgive those who have wronged you. Holding onto anger and resentment poisons your body and your life. There are no benefits in staying mad. Let go. It’s okay.

20. Forgive yourself. It’s okay to be imperfect and to have made mistakes. Try to do better, that’s all.

Our patron saint of eco-design, Emily Deschanel, has graced GWG with her Eco-Faves again!  Every season, Ms. Deschanel chooses her favorite, new products at Green With Glamour… and we couldn’t be more thrilled!

From recycled silver hoop earrings to the perfect sushi tray, the lovely Emily has chosen some winning & stylish new pieces!

Click here for the full scoop!

So just this last Saturday I was privy to a party in Malibu thrown by none other than Chris “Ludacris” Bridges – and it was a fundraiser for his Ludacris Foundation, an organization dedicated to “Helping Youth Help Themselves.”

I have to admit, before this party, I knew nothing of Ludacris’ charitable work or the Ludacris Foundation, but since I’ve been nothing but impressed with the man and his efforts:

VISION – To inspire youth to live their dreams, uplift families and foster economic development in the community.

MISSION – To show young people they are the architects of their future and instill our “Principles of Success” – a roadmap for achieving dreams. To connect with our youth to build stronger families and communities.

HISTORY – Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, William Engram and Chaka Zulu were the inspiration for the development of The Ludacris Foundation (TLF). The foundation is based on the principles Ludacris learned at an early age: self-esteem, spirituality, communication, education, leadership, goal setting, physical activity and community service. Officially established in December of 2001, The Ludacris Foundation was created to make a difference in the lives of youth. These men have illustrated their deep-rooted tradition of community service, which has broadened with their celebrity status. The Ludacris Foundation is committed to helping youth help themselves.

As for the party…

The man is smooth… He was thoughtful to his audience.  He was loving toward his attending family and friends.  He was generous with his stage time.  And his sunglasses were simply divine (I’m thinking they’re Mosely Tribes, but I can’t find… let me know if you have any info on them, please)!

And I certainly enjoyed my time there… saw Gene Simmons (creepy) and Andrew Keegan (cute), but Apple Levy, the Founder of The Green Girls, definitely got the scoop – with interviews and the taped performance.  Click & enjoy!

The prettiest of prints… Julia Roberts shows off her feminine side with the Semina Print by Loyale!

Available at Green With Glamour… but ONLY 1 LEFT!!!

The latest effort, It Might Get Loud, by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth – um… and also the new Melrose Place pilot) is a documentary about the electric guitar “from the point of view of” Rock-n-Roll legends, Jack White (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather – and my dreams), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin and The Yardbirds) and The Edge (U2).  I heart music documentaries… Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll (Chuck Berry) lifted my spirit and Let’s Get Lost (Chet Baker) crushed it.  Hell, I even saw Truth or Dare in the theatre.  And now, comes my next chance to fall in love with, potentially question the motives of and get an altogether different perspective on 3 more remarkable musicians!

Hits LA & NYC theaters this weekend!

The latest effort, It Might Get Loud, by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth – um… and also the new Melrose Place pilot) is a documentary about the electric guitar “from the point of view of” Rock-n-Roll legends, Jack White (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather – and my dreams), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin and The Yardbirds) and The Edge (U2).  I heart music documentaries… Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll (Chuck Berry) lifted my spirit and Let’s Get Lost (Chet Baker) crushed it.  Hell, I even saw Truth or Dare in the theatre.  And now, comes my next chance to fall in love with, potentially question the motives of and get an altogether different perspective on 3 more remarkable musicians!

Hits LA & NYC theaters this weekend!

I’m not her biggest fan.  It’s not that I don’t care for her, it’s more like I don’t identify with her, but… check this out.  Rachael Ray has offered up $200,000 to charities the help animals in need. In what she’s calling “Mutt Madness”, Rachael has launched an initiative to help raise money for organizations that practices no-kill animal wellness.

According to Ray’s site:

”If you’ve got a [charitable] organization that practices no-kill animal wellness, then enter to win up to $50,000! How does it work? Our panel will choose 64 qualified organizations to participate in a fun, brackets-style program where the public votes for the winners. After 6 rounds of cash rewards, the grand prize winner will receive $50,000! All in all, we are giving away over $200K to organizations that have shown a serious committment to helping animals in need.”

Right on, Rachael!

There’s definitely something sexy about compassionate, young dads, right?  Unselfishness is about the most attractive trait a man can possess, in my book.  Think Brad Pitt, think Blake Mycoskie, think Robert Kennedy Jr. and now – think Tobey Maguire.  Mr. Maguire, father of 2, has written an impassioned letter to Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, to draw attention to the current unhealthy & meat-driven meals served in U.S. schools and ask for more nutritious, more vegetarian-friendly dishes for our future voters, community leaders, teachers, etc. during their school day.

“My wife and I just had our second child, so this issue is tremendously important to us…Let me ask you please to ensure the Child Nutrition Act provides more fruits, vegetables, and healthy vegetarian foods. Young people deserve healthful food, and I can’t imagine a better investment in the future of our country.” – Tobey Maguire

To read Tobey’s letter in it’s entirity, hit up Ecorazzi.  And to sign the petition for healthy school lunches, click here!

I love this story!

Gorgeous pop songstress and animal rights supporter, Leona Lewis, approached a homeless man last week who was leading a rabbit on a leash down LA’s Melrose Avenue.  When she inquired as to what his plans were for the little bunny, he responded “… probably eat him.” The quick-thinking and compassionate Leona promptly offered the gentleman $100 for alternate food in exchange for the rabbit – which he gladly took.  The lovely Ms. Lewis took the sweet bunny back to her home garden where the newly-named “Melrose” is living happily.

 This is not the lovely Ms. Lewis’ first act of animal love.  According to Ecozazzi, “Leona is a vegetarian and an avid animal rights supporter. Last year she turned down a $2 million offer from exclusive London store Harrods to open its summer sale because the store sold fur. She is currently living in LA to record her second album.”

She’s not just a brilliant actress, she’s not just gorgeous and remarkably stylish… Cate Blanchett also an environmentalist and a philanthropist!

It was actually a trip to Australia in 2003 that prompted me to really re-evaluate how I live and explore the environmental impact of the lifestyle decisions I make everyday. Think about it… because Australia is a remote island (though beautiful, cultural, and lush.  I would live there in a minute!) their resources are pretty much limited to exactly what they have on the island (importing there is crazy-expensive) and everything “discarded” just stays there as well… so their recycling & waste reduction is top notch.

So, enter Ms. Blanchett… the Australian activist.  She’s taken on the honorable task of “greening” the Sydney Theatre Co. The result – the installation of the largest capacity building-mounted solar array in Australia!

The theatre group announced last week that it will be installing a 2,000 panel rooftop solar system to be completed by 2010. The project is expected to make The Wharf (the building where STC is housed) use 70% less energy from the grid. Funding for the 500KW array is coming from various government grants and organizations — including the chief executive of Suntech Power.

According to Ecorazzi, “the entire green renovation is expected to cost somewhere around $3.7 million. Besides the solar, there will be efficiency upgrades in the use of energy and lighting — as well as a rainwater harvesting, storage and distribution system to supply all of The Wharf’s non-portable water. In other words, it’s a kick-ass eco-upgrade.”  Brava, Ms. Blanchett!

The Watson Twins (also known as our dear friends, Leigh & Chandra) were the first gorgeous babies to model on the front page of Green with Glamour… way back in March ‘07.  The twins were fresh off doing an album (Rabbit Fur Coat) & tour with another Silver Lake native, Rilo Kiley frontwoman & darling girl, Jenny Lewis.  Now, Jenny has just released her new video, See Fernando (I don’t know how Perez H. gets these exclusives, but… Sigh.). Anyway, have a look at this super cute video and keep your eyes open for our gorgeous friends!

The whole scene makes me want to tease out my hair, throw on a pair of cigarette pants & heels and karate chop a handsome, spy-like hipster.

The Watson Twins (also known as our dear friends, Leigh & Chandra) were the first gorgeous babies to model on the front page of Green with Glamour… way back in March ‘07.  The twins were fresh off doing an album (Rabbit Fur Coat) & tour with another Silver Lake native, Rilo Kiley frontwoman & darling girl, Jenny Lewis.  Now, Jenny has just released her new video, See Fernando (I don’t know how Perez H. gets these exclusives, but… Sigh.). Anyway, have a look at this super cute video and keep your eyes open for our gorgeous friends!

The whole scene makes me want to tease out my hair, throw on a pair of cigarette pants & heels and karate chop a handsome, spy-like hipster.

Sofia Coppola is currently working here in LA – apparently shooting a filmic ode to Chateau Marmont and the stories that could possibly lie within its walls.  Sounds lovely, right?  I love that old hotel, so I’m intrigued by the film… but it gets better.

A little bird (um… my friend) spent Monday on the set of Coppola’s new film, “Somewhere” and told me that the production is impressively “green”.  First and foremost – NO PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES!  For anyone who’s been on a set (or a concert, a conference, etc.) you know the obscene amount of water bottles that are used once, discarded and headed for the nearest landfill.

Instead, the “Somewhere” production is using bio-degradable corn-based, re-fillable cups & utensils, as well as vegan-friendly catering from Hugo’s and high-end, healthy craft services.  Yay!

2 of my dearest friends Leigh & Chandra – otherwise known as The Watson Twins -  just wrapped up a tour with the guys from Found Magazine and I was lucky enough to spend a couple of nights on the road with them.  It all started at the L.A. show last Wednesday (also attended by Seth Rogan, Fiona Apple, Mirand July…).   The performance opened me up to an approach to recycling I’d never before considered.  If you’re not familiar with Found, it’s what creator Davy Rothbart calls (I forget his exact wording, but you’ll get the gist) “a massive community art project”.  In a nutshell, the concept is to find, share and cherish love letters, interesting receipts (I swear… they actually have discussion-worthy receipts), hilarious hand-written contracts, etc… all that have been discarded or lost by their original owners and found  by people all over the world – and then sent in to & published by Found Magazine.  Out of context, these scraps of paper are almost always hilarious, sometimes touching and every once & awhile a bit nasty.

A recent find

 Well, the Rothbart Brothers are on the final leg of a break-neck, cross-country “Denim and Diamonds” tour and if you or anyone you know will be in one of the cities listed below… I strongly suggest you check out the show.  Davy (also of This American Life) reads and disects a well-edited selection of his favorite finds with a wonderfully comedic delivery, while his brother Peter sings sometimes laugh-out-loud, sometimes tear-provoking original songs inspired by the very pieces of paper that make up their magazine.

Peter (L) & Davy (R)

June 28, 2009
Denver, CO » Curious Theatre, 8 pm, 1080 Acoma St., 303-623-0524
[ Sponsored by The Onion and Decider; tickets are $8 ]

June 30, 2009
Salt Lake City, UT » Brewvies, 8 pm, 677 South 200 West, 801-355-5500
[ Tickets are $5 ]

July 01, 2009
Boise, ID » Visual Arts Collective, 8:30 pm, 3638 Osage St., 208-424-8297
[ Tickets are $5 ]

  If you can’t make one of their shows, pick up a Found Magazine or two… you’ll never look at a scrap of paper blowing down the street the same again!

One of my favorite side projects is writing a weekly article on “green” home design for The Green Girls.  In fact, I’ve been named one of their “gurus”.  Totally flattering, right?  Well, on Saturday June 27th the 1 year anniversary party for this stellar blog goes down at the only LA “green” night club, Ecco Ultra Lounge… and you’re welcome to join us! Here’s the scoop:

Who: TheGreenGirls.com was launched June 28th 2008 by founder Apple Levy.  Inspired by the concept of bringing together people of all shades of green who are making a difference.

Live DJ Performance by celebrity DJ: Rob Patterson from KORN

What: TheGreenGirls.com has experienced tremendous growth in the last year & the 1st year mark is cause for big, green celebration.  Join TheGreenGirls.com as they celebrate their first year anniversary.

When: Saturday, June 27th 2009 9:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

That’s right… that’s me lower, center.  Hi!

Where:
Ecco Ultra Lounge
1640 N Cahuenga Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 464-2065

How: ONLINE RSVP ONLY (Drink Tickets will NOT be available at the venue)

** Must be 21 & over

TheGreenGirls.com loves to party for a good cause & the 1st year bash is no exception!  A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a cause that Apple Levy is personally involved with.

 
Invite list includes the Green Girl Editors (Gurus), Green business professionals, network of greenies, celebrities, PR firms, TGG audience, readers & individuals interested in helping our environment.

This is a night to party and have fun. You must dress to impress!

Organic Filip Vodka, Reed’s Non alcoholic drinks & POM Wonderful 100% Juice are provided to The Green Girls guests! (Max 200 RSVP)

One of my favorite side projects is writing a weekly article on “green” home design for The Green Girls.  In fact, I’ve been named one of their “gurus”.  Totally flattering, right?  Well, on Saturday June 27th the 1 year anniversary party for this stellar blog goes down at the only LA “green” night club, Ecco Ultra Lounge… and you’re welcome to join us! Here’s the scoop:

Who: TheGreenGirls.com was launched June 28th 2008 by founder Apple Levy.  Inspired by the concept of bringing together people of all shades of green who are making a difference.

Live DJ Performance by celebrity DJ: Rob Patterson from KORN

What: TheGreenGirls.com has experienced tremendous growth in the last year & the 1st year mark is cause for big, green celebration.  Join TheGreenGirls.com as they celebrate their first year anniversary.

When: Saturday, June 27th 2009 9:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

That’s right… that’s me lower, center.  Hi!

Where:
Ecco Ultra Lounge
1640 N Cahuenga Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 464-2065

How: ONLINE RSVP ONLY (Drink Tickets will NOT be available at the venue)

** Must be 21 & over

TheGreenGirls.com loves to party for a good cause & the 1st year bash is no exception!  A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a cause that Apple Levy is personally involved with.

 
Invite list includes the Green Girl Editors (Gurus), Green business professionals, network of greenies, celebrities, PR firms, TGG audience, readers & individuals interested in helping our environment.

This is a night to party and have fun. You must dress to impress!

Organic Filip Vodka, Reed’s Non alcoholic drinks & POM Wonderful 100% Juice are provided to The Green Girls guests! (Max 200 RSVP)

What can I say.  I’ve seen it twice since it opened on Friday.  Not thrilled with the tiger & chicken usage, but… all else – brilliant!

What can I say.  I’ve seen it twice since it opened on Friday.  Not thrilled with the tiger & chicken usage, but… all else – brilliant!

We live in a time when celebrities have an inordinate amount of power & influence over the rest of us.  It’s not their doing, it’s ours.  So what’s better than a famous person using their influence to inform and raise awareness for causes in need, social woes and noble efforts?  Think Paul Newman, a long-time advocate for organic farming and social equality.  Think Audrey Hepburn, a Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF.  It’s not a new thing for celebrities to be do-gooders, but there are certainly more do-gooder celebs now than ever.

So we’re starting a new feature here at Living GwG.  Each week we’ll choose one person of the famous kind who’s really done something special that very week, something that will truly have a positive impact on the planet – and spotlight their good deed!

To kick it off… our first Do-Gooder: Adrian Grenier.  You know him as the star of HBO’s Entourage and possibly from all the way back in the day in, The Adventures of Sebastian Cole.  You may also know him from his years of “green” awareness raising and his countless “eco” projects.  And potentially, you know him as the host of Planet Green’s home/lifestyle renovation show Alter Eco.  So, you know him.

Well, here’s what he’s doing this week that makes him our favorite Do-Gooder…

Adrian is lauching a new eco-friendly app that will help consumers weigh products’ environmental and health impact. Fantastic, right?  Called “Ecohero”, it’s being developed by the same Texas-based firm that created the popular shopping comparison app ShopSavvy.

  Cheeky photo compliments of Ecorazzi.

From Forbes article, Ecohero will also contain other functions, such as a carbon calculator and eco-encyclopedia. To encourage users to live environmentally, the app will record their (submitted) activity and suggest eco-friendly ways they can offset their activities. “We wanted to provide a social way to use the apps,” Muse says. On-screen, the app resembles a “utility belt” that rotates with the swipe of a finger. It will launch this fall with six “micro-applications.” The group plans to add more “tools” to the belt in the future, including “lite” versions of existing eco-friendly mobile apps.

For those not familiar with ShopSavvy, the app uses the mobile phone’s camera to take a snapshot of a product’s barcode. That information is then sent over the web and shoppers can find out where to get that particular item for a cheaper price. Grenier’s app plans to implement the same system — but you’ll be able to see just how green (or non-green) that particular brand of orange juice is. What????? YES!

If all goes well (Fingers crossed! Sponsors are still being lined up), expect Ecohero is to launch for the iPhone and Android this August.

I always get so excited for the Green with Glamour seasonal celeb photoshoots – they’re festive, fashion-y and oh-so-sexy!  For the Spring/Summer 09 look, we were feeling pretty damned good about ourselves and went for a “top of the world” theme, deliciously shot on the rooftop of The Chapman Building (many thanks to GwG’s dear friend and loft tenant, Matthew Vafiadis!)  The location was divine, but I have to admit the whole inspiration for our “world-topping” thing came once I knew the lovely Jorja Fox was on board to be our “model”.  From afar she just seems to ooze a relaxed confidence, right?  Well, let me tell you… up close she does not disappoint!  Arriving poised, professional and completely good-spirited, Jorja set the tone for a luscious photoshoot & overall brilliant day!

So… we let the champagne flow, munched on vegan yummies (curried mango & tempeh sandwich recipe here), soaked in the gorgeous day and went to work!  More Jorja’s GwG ensemble here.

Jorja shines and Lelah snaps away while I soak in the surrounding talent!

Artfully shot by photographer, Lelah Foster, the finished photos are a dream come true!  Utilizing the open space, the soft sun and the colors & shapes of downtown LA, Lelah perfectly framed Jorja’s smouldering beauty and determined gaze.  I know… I’m gushing, but it really was a perfect day.  Model = amazing, Photographer (& assist., Chad) = brillsville, Clothing = perfection (of course!), Make up & Hair = a divine cross-section of editorial meets wearable (Big thank yous to Alyson Granaderos and Tamami Ito respectively!!!), and behind-the-scenes photos and general production helping hand = my husband & #1 supporter… total harmony!

I mean… seriously!

And to push the feel-good even further, once the GwG photos were captured, Jorja swapped her designer clothes (check what she wore here) for a PETA tee and posed for the campaign to STOP the clubbing of Canadian seals – some serious multi-tasking!  At the end of the day, we are beyond thrilled with the results and so proud to have Jorja – and the rest of the team – play such important roles in the world of Green with Glamour!

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