Sunday, June 29, 2008

Jewelery always cheers me up!


Seeing a theme here? Accessories are an econista's best friend. Here's a wonderful etsy designer who makes paper jewelery. By wonderfully intricate folding colorful pieces of paper, shop owner FrucciDesign, handmakes modern pieces that have a sense of the organic. Just visit her site and swoop up some of these happy adornments.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Handbags always cheer me up!


I haven't visited U-handblog in a long time, and wow, I forgot how fun the site is. Lisa Lam's blog not only displays her wonderfully sweet handmade bags, she includes tutorials for you to make them as well! Plus, you can buy some of her bags, some fabrics and trimmings to help join in the fun. Perhaps the best therapy is a few quiet hours behind a sewing machine, something I haven't done in a year. I think I'll do some therapeutic diy time this coming holiday weekend.

Where have I been?

I haven't been anywhere! The weeks have slipped by as I, like so many Americans these days, put in long hours to stay afloat. Every time I've sat down to dig up some content, I felt discouraged and annoyed. I'm sure you get what I'm saying.

I always complain about "feeling" global warming in my bones, like, the air just seems different than it did just 10 years ago. But over the past few weeks, there have been fires all around me here in SF and the pink sunlight filtered through the smoke is eerie. In the Midwest there's massive floods and once a week another American community is in peril. And the headline on Yahoo yesterday about the first summer without any arctic ice is just the topper. The main stream news doesn't seem to care, they're living in a NYC bubble, out of tune with the rest of the nation and stuck in an endless loop chatter about hillary and obama, obama and hillary.

Part of the reason for my malaise is the state of the economy. It feels kind of stupid to be absorbed in all the neat stuff we can buy to green our lives, when the future seems bleak. What ever the reason for the instability, falling dollar and recession, I find myself trying to plan for the worst.

Lucky for me, I'm not in massive debt and I have some savings, not much, but some. I have found my econista research flowing into research into gold bullion, gold jewelery and other hedges. I already have my earthquake kit consisting of water, powerbars and a handcrank/solar radio. But what else can I do to prepare for a possible recession, or worse, depression (don't get me started on the parallels between now and the start of the great depression but let's just say - investor speculation, in this case, on oil).

I am finding myself holding my breath, like many people, hoping that this presidential election will have some impact, if only psychological, to save us from the financial abyss that is before us.

My apologies for this depressing post and my negative attitude. But looking for the next cute organic cotton dress isn't very high on my priority list these days.

Hearing from my readers, if I have any, would get me back into sync with the movement, so email me. econista@yahoo.com and let me you you're out there.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Introducing Bodkin



Bodkin Brooklyn is a collaboration between designer Samantha Pleet
and writer Eviana Hartman using certified organic and reclaimed materials. Their collection is definitely welcome on the green fashion scene and econista is going to keep an eye out for more from this fresh, contemporary team. Jump to an interview with the duo

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Etsy roundup

I was recently doing "research" at etsy.com to see if there are any econistas out there making some eco-chic stuff and wow, I found a few wonderful designers making handmade leather handbags. These eco-chic pieces aren't exactly a steal with prices comparable to top designer handbags. So why buy a cute leather no-name purse for the same price? First, it's a one of a kind, not made in some awful sweatshop a world away by overworked people. Second, you support a talented designer who's spending hours on their craft. And third, because it's a great story to tell your friends when they say "I love your bag, who's it by?" Here's a roundup of my favorite designers.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Camilla Norrback Spring 08


Camilla Norrback's Spring Collection is much more memorable than her previous ones. At first, I thought she was a new discovery, then I realized that I'd covered her before. But for some reason, this season speaks to me. It's filled with sophisticated style that is sweet and feminine. There is an understated sexiness that is playful while being mature. Effortlessly elegant, isn't that's how all us econistas wish to be?


Camilla Norrback has chosen to produce the major part of the garments in ecological or environment-certified natural materials. For a fabric to be labeled ecological it must be environment-friendly produced in every step – cultivation, processing and colouring. The methods employed are chosen to affect the environment as little as possible, using natural alternatives to toxins and chemicals. Environment-certified fabrics are processed and coloured in an environment-friendly way, making sure that pigments aren’t released into the groundwater and that the finished fabric contains no toxins or heavy metals that are harmful for the future wearer of the garments.

To buy, check out her website Camillanorrback.com