Lately, I have been missing L.A. I know that with Los Angeles comes a lot of stereotypes of superficiality, jerky movie stars and a surplus of unnecessary plastic surgery. But underneath all that, L.A. really is a great place, and in it there are people who care about the environment they live in (it has a lot more vegan and vegetarian options than most of the places I have traveled).

That is why I am writing this post about Entourage star Adrian Grenier! Entourage exemplifies the lavish Hollywood lifestyle, but in real life, Adrian Grenier is working hard in order to lighten his carbon footprint. (Okay, I know he was born in Santa Fe and was raised in New York, but they have to film the show somewhere, right?)

Adrian at the Season 8 Premier of Entourage

Grenier has actually used his Hollywood success to his benefit by producing documentaries and shows that feature real green experts and teach people how to live be greener. He truly uses his celebrity and experience with film for good. To read up more on some of Adrian’s green T.V. work, go here: http://pg.treehugger.com/tv/alter-eco/

On May 13^th of 2010 Grenier’s SHFT Gallery, an eco-friendly website opened up a pop up store in Los Angeles. His site is working to as a new media platform for those who want to live their lives in an eco-friendly way. He started the site after his show with producer Peter Glatzer, “ALTER ECO,” premiered in June of 2009 on Discovery’s Planet Green.

Grenier at Premiere of Pop-Up Shop in LA

You may think that Adrian’s face would be put to better use in front of the camera and not behind an eco-friendly website, but don’t worry, he also has modeled in order to promote a sustainable style. His website worked with Gilt Man to promote eco-apparel and accessories.
Adrian also supports green and animal friendly charities. Reading Jeffrey Sachs’ “The End of Poverty” influenced him, and it has inspired him to advocate for foundations like Best Friends Animal Society, Feeding America, Global Green and UNICEF. Grenier hosted the “Fund Rager” for Kiva and co-hosted the first annual charity:water Ball with Jessica Stam in 2006. He also supports Entourage co-star Mark Wahlberg’s youth foundation.

Grenier Model's Gilt's Eco-friendly Schwag

Although the end has come for Entourage, we have no doubt that Grenier will continue to do great things for the environment and will promote a celebrity lifestyle that we can all be proud of!

Big news!  As Green With Glamour’s president & creative director, I’ve been the given the wonderful honor of designing the VIP lounge for this year’s AFI film fest at the historic and beautiful Mann’s Chinese Theater.  I can’t reveal the actual list of celebs who will be attending the festival, but I don’t mind telling you that J. Edgar (Leonardo DiCaprio, Judi Dench, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Ed Westwick and more – directed by Clint Eastwood.  WOW, right?) is the big picture this year.  And because I love you… here’s a sneak peak at what will be included.

Because the theater is very gorgeous, dark and moody… lighting is paramount.  And of course, WhyrHymer, was my go to resource!   Brandon Morrison’s designs are such stand out pieces, that I know they will make a major impact in the space.  And it’s currently a little undecided, but we’ll either also be featuring his red Atomic chair (above) or his stunning Kalifornia rocker (below).

I’ll also be dressing the space with organic pillows from Wabisabi Green and recycled cotton throws from In2Green.  The pillows are fun, Chinoiserie-ish and decorative and will provide wonderful pops of color.  And the throws will give the lounge a more comfortable feel.

Wabisabi Green pillows

In2Green throws

And, fingers crossed… I’ll be rounding out the look with Cisco Home’s Katso tables.

Cisco Home’s Katso table

The AFI Film Fest’s schedule is now available and tickets are for sale… come check it out!

With the buzz about Jennifer Aniston’s pregnancy with what could be twins, I thought it was important to highlight another pregnant woman, who dresses in eco-chic. No I’m not talking about Jessica Alba, although we love her green diet and style, Bones’ star Emily Deschanel is expecting later this year with husband, David Hornsby (who is hilarious as Rickety Cricket on Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia for those who have not seen it).

Emily and David with Nearly Matching Sunglasses

Despite Emily’s very talented family members, the star is very down-to-earth and constantly tries to share her Eco-Faves so others can benefit from green living. And pregnancy has not stopped Emily’s dedication to Veganism, which she has stuck to for the past nineteen years. The star says she can turn anyone vegetarian. To her credit, she has inspired Bones’ co-star and original vampire hunk David Boreanaz (Angel sucking blood, yet collecting hearts long before Edward fought werewolves for Bella’s heart) to try and eat vegetarian at least one day a week.

Emily and Starlet Sister Zooey (The New Girl, 500 Days of Summer)

Deschanel’s accessories also prove to be eco-friendly. Starting with her biggest, her car! Deschanel drives a Prius, and not just because she wants to go in the carpool lane (the Prius’ stickers for the carpool lane will expire later this year). Emily’s character on Bones dons eco-friendly, fair-trade bling. You’ll never catch Doctor Temperance “Bones” Brennan in fur or leather.

Emily and Bone's Co-star David Boreanaz

We have to admit that we are a little biased in our love for Emily’s style and eco-favorites. Before the actress found out that her family was expanding, she would contribute her eco-must haves to the Green With Glamour site.
Best of luck with your first child, Emily! Keep up the great work and good luck turning the world vegetarian, one meet eater at a time!

With Cowboys and Aliens drawing near, I can’t help but be disappointed that Daniel Craig is not as eco-friendly as co-star Harrison Ford. Then again, it’s hard to imagine a James Bond who is conscience of saving the planet, when he’s so busy saving the people on it.

Bonds in Tuxedos

Turns out, Bond alumnus Pierce Brosnan defies these expectations. Turns out Brosnan played a Bond less reckless than Craig’s for a reason. He cares about the planet! He also is a part of the “Unite Against Children: Unite against AIDS” campaign with Liam Neeson and is a large supporter of same-sex marriage.

Brosnan's Eco-Mansion

Living in true Bond style, lets start with Brosnan’s £6.5m eco-friendly Malibu mansion, which he purchased in 2010. The house is filled with solar panels, which heat his pool, house and guest cabana. And there will still be some energy left over. Heat wont be the only thing conserved; compost, waste and water will all be disposed of in a green fashion.

Mr. Bond's Aston Martin

As far as his Bond mobile, Brosnan was given an Aston Martin Vanquish as a gift when he was making films like GoldenEye and The World is Not Enough. But because he and his environmentalist wife care about the planet, he hardly drives it around. He even took a Hydrogen 7 to the Golden Globes!

Brosnan with his wife Keely

Brosnan’s real-life Bond girl is even better than those on-screen. Kelly Shaye Brosnan, an award winning broadcast journalist, has focused her career on advocating for animals and the environment as a whole. She also served as the host for a show called Great Bears on the Outdoor Life Network.

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond

It turns out that even though Bond has a license to kill, Brosnan and his family have just the opposite, a license to save the planet.

Check out Brosnan’s tips on how to be more eco-friendly: http://www.piercebrosnan.com/popup-eco.htm

In honor of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, there is no better green celebrity to discuss than Emma Watson.

Watson at last premiere with Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint

Before the actress attended and dropped out of Brown University, she partnered with Italian designer Alberta Ferretti and People Tree to make her first eco-friendly clothing line. Since then, People Tree, an ethical clothing company that uses fair-trade certified cotton and accessories made from recyclable material, has collaborated with Watson in order to make three eco-collections. You can check out her lines here.

Watson Models First Line, Pure Threads

But before Watson even attended college, she lived the green way of life. In an interview at the age of 18 Watson said, “I cannot not be green.” Needless to say her obsession with electric cars, recycling and public transportation nabbed the interest of Greenpeace. The environmental group wanted her to be a global ambassador for the organization in 2009, but nothing came of it.

Watson Models Dress From Her Collection

Watson, now 21, represents Lancôme’s Trésor Midnight Rose perfume and would like to work with the beauty product company to form an eco-friendly line of make-up. As far as beauty tips, Watson follows the mantra “less is more” when picking her make-up and clothing.

Lancome's Newest Perfume Campaign

Although Watson says that she sometimes has trouble dressing in high fashion clothing because she is so young, it is her age that makes her clothing line and possible makeup line so exciting. Her line appeals to women her age, and her ideas are fun and up-to-date.

Watson and Grint in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I"

There are so many avenues for Watson to take her career now that she is finished playing the part of Hermione Granger. We are just glad that she considers green living to be worth her while. Ten points for Gryffindor!

Earlier this month I read an article called “7 Reasons Vladimir Putin is the World’s Craziest Badass” and was very impressed. Not only did Putin put himself in the cockpit of a firefighting plane when flames engulfed the Ryazan region, but Kyrgyzstan has named a mountain after the Russian Prime Minister.

Putin Commends DiCaprio for his Efforts to Save the Tigers

That’s why I was surprised to hear that Putin praised pretty boy Leonardo DiCaprio for his efforts to save the tigers by calling him “a real man.”

But I can see why. Not only has DiCaprio pledged one million of his own to help save the tigers, but he has traveled throughout Asia in order to personally lend a hand.

DiCaprio Sets up Camera Trap to Help WWF Study Tigers

Dicaprio’s dedication has spread to the online community. He has teamed up with the World Wildlife Fund in order to create Save Tigers Now. The site is a global campaign to “double the number of wild tigers by 2022, the next year of the tiger.” According to the site, the current population of wild tigers could be as low as 3,022 and increasing this number would promote a healthy ecosystem.

In order to direct people to the site, DiCaprio’s Twitter account is packed with tweets about saving the tigers, urging others to join the fight and encouraging the cause’s loyal supporters to keep fighting.

Wild Tiger Babies

Despite his continued work in Hollywood (the actor will star in Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar and Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby as both films’ title characters), DiCaprio has the time to devote himself to other causes as well. His New York City condo, which he bought in 2008, has rotating solar panels, low emission paints and a 24-hour fresh filtered air system.

DiCaprio's Eco-friendly New York Condo

It seems that his upcoming role as Jay Gatsby is not the only things that makes Leo great. Check out his collaboration site  with the WWF at http://www.savetigersnow.org/!

We all love gossip.  Admit it.  Maybe you don’t care about the “Housewives” (I know I don’t) or the sexual exploits of whichever politician has most recently been “exposed”, but you know there’s something – be it fashion, Hollywood, international affairs, whatever… about which you like to hear the scoop.  And if it’s the do-gooding ways of celebrities who care about the environment, civil and social rights, animal welfare, charitable causes – or are just all around compassionate, Lindsay’s Celebrity Low-Down is your new best friend.  Check out her post on Green Is Sexy co-founder, Rachel McAdams here.

Lindsay’s reaction to finding a good scoop!

Using her own brand of dry wit mixed with carefully mined information, Lindsay’s upcoming posts are sure to be fun, fast and thoughtful.  Welcome to the GWG team, Ms. Berg!

Beverly Hills, 78704

Call me old fashioned, but sometimes it just seems more interesting to lounge around with champagne in a rocks glass, thinking about the hazy, smoke-and-mirror Beverly Hills days than it does to text and Tweet about my new poly/schmoly/meteor-influenced engineered bathmat.

But, to really lounge in a manner that would make Greta Garbo proud, you do need a few things. First, it’ s absolutely essential to have a diaphanous dressing gown, because anything else would, well, create strap marks. Two, you need a chic chaise or settee to faint upon when the world makes you weary and three, you must vant to be alone with your thoughts on occasion.

It’ s a good thing Greta hasn’ t called, because she wouldn’ t have had anywhere to faint upon, at least until very recently. On a hunt for the perfect Hollywood-style settee for my new living room in Austin, my husband and I happened on this sofa under a tarp at an estate sale.

Dowdy and dull, but full of potential…

It was damp. It was torn. It was perfect.

The wood was in great condition even if the springs and upholstery weren’ t, and it was just begging for a martini and long lost conversation with Slim and Frank, so I bought it and immediately took it to my new artist of foam and fabric for a makeover, silver screen-style.

The plush-and-lush remnant fabric says “ action!” , and the new cord and rebuilt cushions should be able to withstand any drama that might befall them – even the histrionics of a passed-over starlet.

Hey, just because my zip code is Austin, Texas doesn’ t mean my living room can’ t be a little West of that. And Greta, Marlene, Rita – call me.

I just love getting assignments from magazine editors!  They always ask me for lists… of anything from big ticket goodies to super budget-y finds.  I get to (online) shop and dream and create new vignettes in my head.  It’s just about the best thing ever.  My latest assignment was given to me by The Knot… a really chic wedding magazine.  The list – a simple rundown of my 10 decor obsessions for Spring.  Done!

The Goods…

Handmade Blue Nature stool at Barneys New York, $5998

Recycled cotton Nesting Dolls throw at Green With Glamour, $115

Organic Botanical Embroidered bedding at Pottery Barn, $49-$299

Carmel chair at Green With Glamour, $2950

Recycled glass goblets at World Market, $37

Bucephalus living sculpture by Robert Cannon at Eco First Art, $8600

Courtney pendant lamp at Green With Glamour, $625

Organic Crab pillow at Green With Glamour, $73

Recycled polypropylene Casbah rug at CB2, $80

Gold Kalamkari napkin at Ten Thousand Villages, $6

Here’s to a happy & stylish Spring!

My husband’s mother, Laila, and sister, Deena, both live in a suburb of Cairo and have recently experienced (luckily from a fairly safe distance) what the rest of us have only watched from afar. This is a letter I recently received from Laila – writing with a voice she says she “thought had died a long time ago.”

Thank you very much for caring. I have lived history for the past nine days. Many of my friends have been in the square almost every day. I would have gone myself  but I am staying near my American teachers we are trying to all manage with three cars. Most of my drivers live pretty far away.  Millions of Egyptians have marched shoulder to shoulder in peace asking for a change.

Treason did take place on Friday when the Minister of Interior Affairs ordered the police forces to retreat. He wanted to teach the government a lesson for asking the army to help. There is an investigation going on as I am writing to you . We hope the people responsible for this decision  will be tried and in my opinion severely punished. The  president announced that he will  leave in six months , that he will  help prepare a transition that will not cause chaos. Our new Prime Minister gave several interviews asking  the people to trust the new government. The new Prime Minister is by all accounts a very respected man, but he is not a politician. He is known to be a very honest man. I do believe we need today an honest man to guide us out of this mess.

Some men from the old regime,  very wealthy powerful men, paid thugs and criminals to disturb the peace in the square. They tried to force the Prime Minister  to order the army  to use force and crush the uprising. Once president Mubarek leaves  in six months these men risk to lose millions of dollars. The thugs and criminals they hired and paid caused the horrible attacks that you all saw on CNN. The young people in the square defended themselves bravely. The army kept their cool and the government refused to ask them to fire on either party. This was the worst night for me. I was so sad to see greed take over.

Many writers, poets and artists pleaded with the young people in the square to hold on to their ideals, but to allow the country to go back to normal. The Prime Minister promised the protesters that he will continue to protect the protesters and their right to express their opinion. He apologized for the attacks.  He promised to bring those responsible to justice.  The situation as you can see is much more complex . Nothing in Egypt is black or white. The Moslem Brotherhood refuses to leave. They will only do well in the presence of chaos.

If you want to know what  I have been doing , well I have been writing twelve hours a day. I believe that the answer to Egypt’s major problems is to educate its people. As most of you know I have been working very hard with my daughter Deena, who is the Head of ISE to educate young Egyptians. I invite you all to visit our web site at www.isegypt.org .To encourage the street to take over today would hurt the entire country. The street is vastly uneducated. We are all praying for a peaceful transition.

The young people who started the whole movement were able to do what no one in Egypt was able to do for thousands of years. It is close to a miracle. We are all worried now because  many political parties particularly the Moslem Brotherhood, aided by Tehran, are trying to ride the wave of the protest and rob the revolution. The brotherhood is very well organized, wealthy, and capable of taking over if Mubarek were to flee today. This could very well turn into Tehran. This is my fear for now. Most Egyptians are praying today for peace and a lot of them are now in the square.

We are all praying that Egypt will prove to the world that as an ancient great civilization  we owe the world today a different type of protest. I will keep on writing. I hope one day to be able to publish what I have written in the past ten days. I promised some of my students from Radnor that I will give them the chance to work on the movie. So for those of you who know me well I just refuse to grow up and stop dreaming.

Laila Amiry
Founding director of the International school of Egypt (ISE)

Once upon a time there was a gal who had a love for making lists… and an equal love for well-crafted, stylish essentials – be they for fashion, travel or home.  Somehow the 2 loves seemed to go hand-in-hand.  A list of essentials – that’s really all one needs, right?  Nine glorious, high quality and long-lasting items to make life more stylish and fun.   A travel bag,  a sleep mask, a tunic, a camisole, a scented candle, an ottoman, note cards, travel backgammon and a clutch!  Well, that girl was me – and that list if essentials is our newest endeavor…

Introducing the 1st design from Green With Glamour’s product line, The List by GWG!

The Clutch

Allow us to introduce the very first design from GWG’s creative director Deana Bracken. A longtime fan of animal prints and vintage textiles, Deana set out to create the ultimate, “eco” and animal-friendly bag for Fall. After putting her eye for style together with the design savvy of Refind Originals, Anita Hopper, The Clutch was born!

Of never-used, vintage, short pile Leopard print faux fur (think velvet-y consistency), The Clutch is available with two lining options – scarlet red hemp/silk (non-Vegan) or camel-colored hemp twill (Vegan) with interior pocket and zipper closure.

Limited edition, available Fall/Winter 2010 only.  $99

The good people at People StyleWatch show some love for the Media bracelet available at Green With Glamour!

Reasonably priced (Under $100) and super chic… Not even Jessica Alba could ask for more!

Though this is classically a sandwich with various deli meats, here’s a delicious version that we Vegetarians can enjoy!

If you, someone you know or just someone who’s work you appreciate – creates incredible, sustainable home and gift pieces… LET US KNOW!  Green With Glamour is getting (lovingly) hounded by magazine editors for the best and brightest designs for Fall and Holiday… and we want to know about EVERYTHING that’s out there, so we can offer the best!

Send suggestions to pr@greenwithglamour.com and we’ll a serious look!  If you send third party designs – and your pieces are chosen… we’ll give you a written nod on the site.  Fun, right?!  BRING IT!!!

Ah spring. It has arrived. For us here in So Cal, it’s sunny and 80 and for our readers in the Midwest or East it’s a balmy 55 and rainy, but it’s welcome all the same. It’s inspiring me to freshen things up a bit. Buy a few new pieces to brighten up the wardrobe, make an appointment with my hair stylist for a sassy new cut and, of course, add a little pop to my cosmetics with some spring colors.

Josie Maran Cosmetics has a shadow and powder palette that will do just that. The Natural Wonder Powder Palette has five eye shadows, two blushes and a bronzing powder – after all, it’s never too early for a summer glow. The products are paraben free, not tested on animals and housed in a biodegradable case.

Natural Wonder Powder Palette

The cream blush might be a little much once the humid days of summer roll around, but I’m thinking it’ll be just perfect for that moisturized, dewy look over the next few months. And I’m also digging the toxin and petro-chemical free lip gloss in joie de vivre.

Cream Blush

A little joie de vivre!

You can get Josie Maran Cosmetics at a myriad of places, like their website and Sephora. So freshen up those winter colors and enjoy the lovely weather at your most fabulous.

Just a little love from an unexpectedly GWG magazine! In the April 2010 issue of Country Living, the Taj napkin by Hammocks & High Tea from Green With Glamour is chosen as one of their top 30 “eco-chic” picks for the home.

They truly are lovely napkins… great pick, CL!

Ah, the Taj… almost too pretty for food.

Check out other GWG/magazine love on our As Seen In page!

Take a peek inside the home of Deana Bracken, GWG’s president & creative director – featured on Apartment Therapy/Re-Nest!

Deana’s Vintage Glam Hilltop Cabin
Green House Call

Name: Deana Bracken, Interior designer and owner of Green With Glamour
Location: Silver Lake, Los Angeles

Moving from nearly 1800 square feet into under 600 square feet was a considerable design challenge, but the larger apartment was just too big for our needs. So this quirky, teeny 1923 hilltop cabin was a welcome change. Not only did the smaller space force me to purge many unnecessary furnishings that I had amassed over the years, but our energy use has taken a serious and glorious nose dive as well.

I would describe my personal style as vintage-glam-meets-mid-century-mod, with a dash of uptown bohemia (although I adore working with all styles for client projects—from craftsman to super sleek contemporary). My number one design inspiration is my grandmother. Her approach to living is a bit more formal than my own, but the way she makes elegance look easy has always spoken to me.

As for “green” elements, my primary focus is re-use, although I do like to trick out the surfaces with décor from Green With Glamour. Just about every element (furniture, lighting, rugs, pottery, even most of the artwork) in the house is second hand, including my grandmother’s massive 1971 Chesterfield sofa. I have had amazing luck finding thrift store gems on my many trips to Palm Springs. Whenever a vintage piece is in need of re-upholstery, I look to stylish, sustainable textile designers like Mod Green Pod and Rubie Green for gorgeous fabrics—and of course, my upholsterer works with kapok (upon request).

The bedding is organic cotton from West Elm. The headboard I made myself from a discarded hollow door, organic cotton batting and a wonderful hemp linen I found at Near Sea Naturals. I’m not big on window treatments (luckily the house is incredibly private), but I did fashion the “dining room” drapery from remnant silk and all of the paints are no or low-VOC.

When I first saw the house, every room was painted this horrible dusty pink, so that was clearly the first thing that had to go. Though I’m typically a big fan of boldly colored walls, the cabin is so small and weird, I opted for a bright, warm white for all walls with the exception of a half wall in the kitchen on which I used a metallic Ralph Lauren paint leftover from a design project.

However, I would say the greatest issue with this space is that it’s tiny. The bedroom is barely big enough to fit a queen sized bed (leaving only an 18″ path on one side), but luckily the built-in shelving and closet spaces are quite efficient… so the overall vibe of the room is quite cozy. The living/dining area and the kitchen are actually fairly spacious, so once I paired the furnishings down to only truly beloved pieces, everything seemed to fall perfectly into place. The bathroom is ridiculously small (including the shortest claw foot tub I’ve ever encountered). The walls are old and rough, so I upholstered them with a bold-patterned remnant fabric that covered all of the flaws and tried to keep every other element in the room clean and white as to not look “too much.” The kitchen has a very late 70s/early 80s vibe which actually works wonderfully with my vintage pottery, heirloom china and glassware collections… and the view is incredible. It actually makes doing dishes way less of a chore. The covered patio is one of my favorite spaces. The view goes on forever, it’s roomy enough for about 8-10 people to sit comfortably, but even better for romantic dinners for two.

We’re feeling the warm weather coming our way, so we diving right in with a cool, bright tank.   Turquoise is one of those colors that looks good on most everyone – and a flattering top… how can you go wrong?!  Enter Robert Rodriquez at Bergdorf Goodman versus Covet at Green With Glamour- or in more topical terms, $275 versus $27!

Luxe details, flattering cut, hand-washable…$27* (originally $99) by Covet at Green With Glamour.

Luxe details, flattering cut, dry-cleanable… $275 by Robert Rodriquez at Bergdorf Goodman.

Both lovely tops for sure, but $27 trumps $275 for us any day (well, at least in this economy)!

*$27 is with current %0% OFF promotion – use code TWT50 at check out for full discount.

My latest article for The Green Girls:

It’s no secret that I fancy a good example of the “Uptown Bohemian” look… be it a powder room, a handbag or a hotel lobby.  Well, take a look at this vintage image of the socialite “swan”, Gloria Vanderbilt.  Though GV certainly had her hand in the disco denim revolution of the 1970’s, let’s take a moment to celebrate this patchwork masterpiece!

A modern day Gloria Vanderbilt with son, Anderson Cooper.  Perhaps she’s moved past the patchwork, but the style still lingers!