Visit Gussy at the Cupertino Earth Day Festival!

We’ll be there tomorrow 10-2 ! (Cupertino City Hall): http://bit.ly/dUwBQW

The City of Cupertino will proudly host its 3rd Annual Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 9th from 10am – 2pm at City Hall Plaza.  This is one for our record books, with over 80 partners, 5 workshops, 3 live musical performances, a certified farmers’ market and lots of hands-on activities!  This free event will showcase the ABCs and 123s of growing greener for the greater good.  All are invited to explore the many programs offered by the City of Cupertino and its environmental partners to create a healthy, safe and environmentally vibrant community for you to live, learn, work and play.  To learn more, visit www.cupertino.org/earthday.

*from city of Cupertino website*

to green wonders and wanders,
Gussy

Wearing Green Today?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Gussy – are you wearing green?

Gussy wears it every day and thinks you should too.  It’s easy, will make you look and feel great – and hey – save you from getting pinched (in the wallet)

How to be fashionably green every day you ask? 

Choose to Reuse.

• Take a look in that closet and reinvision a couple things – can those beloved jeans become cutoffs for the spring?  With a little snip and stitch can that sweater become a vest?  That poofy sleeved, light pink, to the floor bridesmaid dress a black strapless cocktail number?  Want that favorite shirt that’s now too tight (it’s not your fault, all the rain this winter forced you to stay indoors, away from the gym and in front of the TV watching Netflix marathons of Glee) – Gussy can turn it into a matching set of earrings and a bracelet.  Take a second and new look at things you already have before buying something new.
• Let others reuse your wardrobe by selling or trading your old stuff at a clothing exchange store like Crossroads.  Not only will your things find new homes with others, you’re keeping them away from landfills and getting paid to pick up and shop for new (to you) finds of your very own…

So, apple, sage, forest, reused…all shades of green are worth wearing…every day..

to green wonders and wanders,
xo – Gussy

Indie Mart this Sunday in SF!

See you at Indie Mart this Sunday:

Thee Parkside (1600 17th Street
12-6
75+ designers

http://www.indie-mart.com/

!!

Don’t Miss the Maker Faire!

The world’s largest DIY Festival – today and tomorrow in San Mateo!

http://makerfaire.com/

 See you there!

to green wonders and wanders,

Gussy

Celebrate Earth Day April 22 – Do Something For Your Mother!

Mother Earth of course…

So we all agree that Every day is Earth Day…but we  need special occasions to really motivate the celebrating.  This Wednesday, April 22nd,  Earth Day – is just the ticket.

So what to do?

At Gussy, you know our mission is in waste reduction and reuse so we’re doing our part this week – putting down the beads and jewelry findings – and joining the Great American Litter Pick-up program in our area.

http://www.sanjoseca.gov/prns/antiLITTERprogram/doc/LitterPickUpFlier09.pdf

Thousands of these and similar events are happening and it’s a piece of cake (or pizza afterward as most programs will throw in some free refreshments and lunch at a thank-you party afterward) to take part.  Find your local events here:

http://earthday.net/

and for heaven’s …er…earth’s sake, celebrate and do something this Earth Day (or week) to give back and let her know you care…

More things to do:

-Watch and learn Earth Day TV at:   http://earthdaytv.net/

-Take part in the Great American Cleanup – March 1 – May 31st:  http://www.kab.org/site/PageServer?pagename=gaclanding

-Start composting! : http://www.howtocompost.org/

-Recycle more – take the pledge! : http://earth911.com/earthday/

-…especially that e-waste: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Electronics/Collection/RecyclerSearch.aspx

and get outside with that piece of cake and enjoy what your Mother gave you…

to green wonders and wanders,

Gussy

Handmade Nation

Hit the totally fun and fabulous film screening of Handmade Nation sponsored by the SF Film Society last week.

A doc that highlighted and interviewed artists and crafters involved in the new, young and indie DIY art and craft scene gaining momentum around the US.

Printmakers creating band posters – needlepointers making portraits of Tammy Wynette – glass bead artisans creating intricate and ornate necklaces – punky skull motif rugs being made from scraps of reused fabrics – and remember latch hook?  Sigh – breathe – too many wonderful things to mention them all.

What I loved most is how they all highlight within this DIY movement a great synergy between old and new.  I tell folks that Gussy is about giving old things new lives. While I mean it literally, many of these artists are doing it symbolically by knitting laptop cases instead of afghans.  They’re using old techniques to create new designs.

In our ever-quickening world of fast-made products, I also felt the film conveyed a return to and celebration of things that are slowly, lovingly made by hand.

I was so inspired. In fact, I think I’ll go work on some slowly, lovingly handmade earrings right now.

find out more about the film at:

http://handmadenationmovie.com/

to green wonders and wanders,

Gussy

Green New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year from Gussy Green! 

While we reflect on this past year and commit to our Green New Year’s Resolutions, we’ve collected some great ideas for you and your own eco habits for 2009.

Our favorite is a “green pledge” from iVillage:

Green Resolutions

Easy, eco-changes for the New Year

1. Give second lives a chance -  I will only buy paper towels, tissue, toilet paper and office paper made from post-consumer recycled content.

2. Go veggie on Wednesdays – For the 52 Wednesdays (or whatever day of the week you choose) in 2009, I will forgo meat and stick to veggie options (saving me money and saving the planet large amounts of greenhouse gases emitted from the raising of livestock)

3. Learn to love local – Each month I resolve to learn what foods are in season and look for them at my local farmers market.

4. Recycle recyclables – I will finally learn what is and isn’t recyclable in my town and put <em>everything</em> that can be recycled into a recycling bin—always! (This includes the times I’m on the street and am tempted to throw my newspaper into the corner garbage.)

5. Boycott water bottles for a month- Instead, I will carry my reusable bottle with me at all times, knowing that short-term actions soon become habits.

6. Fill the car up (with bags) – I will put a big stack of reuseable bags in the car for grocery shopping and replenish them weekly.

7. Add variety to my mobility – Once a week I’ll take an alternative form of transportation (i.e. carpool if I drive, use the subway if I take cabs, walk or bike if I take the subway)

8. Get informed and get involved – I’ll find out what environmental issues are being debated in my community and write a letter to my council person to give my opinion.

9. Lead by example – Whether it’s doing a little or doing a lot, the best way to affect change is to let others see me doing it.

Easy.  Here are a couple more lists with good ideas:

http://www.lowimpactliving.com/blog/2007/12/27/green-new-years-resolutions-2008/

this one’s funny:

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/new-years-resolutions-47121520

Our resolutions?  In addition to making more Gussy Green one-of-a-kinders from reused, repurposed and recycled materials, we’re committing to more personal eco-commitments like:

-only buying eco and animal friendly makeup
-replacing all paper towels with cloth
-making my veggie diet more organic

Have some Green New Year’s Resolutions of your own?  Or want to hear some more ideas?  Check out and take part in our Facebook discussion:

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=6654&post=24407&uid=23372227422#/topic.php?uid=23372227422&topic=6654

to you, 2009, green wonders and wanders,

Gussy

Gussy went to Japan!

Where have we been?!  Japan, that’s where.    We’ve been so inspired since our trip awhile back that we’ve been offline and working hard on a new collection based on the inspiration we found at every turn in Tokyo. 

Favorite place by far was a little street in Harajuku.  Out the train, take a left and (insert birds and choirs singing) Takeshita Dori!!!  It’s an insanely crowded street of shops and the best place in Tokyo we’ve found for fun vintage and second – hand treasures.  Fashion, jewelry, shoes, we were beside ourselves and spent time there almost every day of our visit.   Panama Boy (found a great vintage brooch) – Life Market (vests, scarves, more brooches) and Thank You Mart (tons of vintage shirts) were full of new finds with every perusal.  Check out our pics and make sure to add this place to your list if ever going ( and let us know what you think and what you find!) 

Domo arigato gozaimasu Harajuku!

to green wonders and wanders,

Gussy

RAG Co-op

RAG Co-op, (Residents Apparel Gallery) is an SF cooperative clothing boutique with great eco-style.

I met with Manager Misty Rose and Art Director Jennifer Bair last week as they prepare, on behalf of RAG, to host the Craft and Couture Runway Show for the upcoming YBCA’s Independent Fashion Festival this weekend. For more info, visit:

http://www.ybca.org/tickets/production/view.aspx?id=6007

A certified Green business, RAG not only incorporates sustainability into their business practices (using recycled paper, energy efficient lighting, composting and more since opening in 2002) , they also feature local designers, many of whom use eco-fabrics and local manufacturing in their designs.

With over 50 designers currently taking advantage of the ability to rent space within the shop, RAG has created a truly unique space for up and coming designers to showcase their work. It also creates a constantly changing inventory and smorgasbord of different apparel and accessories for us eco-loving shoppers. With reasonable prices to boot – I picked up this beauty – a hemp sweatshirt by Funk Divine for $88..

Swing by for some great eco-finds of your own:
RAG Co-op, 541 Octavia Street, San Francisco – Mon-Sat (12-7), Sun (12-6)
http://ragsf.com

to green wonders and wanders,

Gussy

Gussy Green at Be Your Own Boss Event!

What a great time we had last Saturday with a booth at the Ladies Who Launch, Be Your Own Boss event in San Francisco.  We debuted new pieces from our “Vintage Fab” collection including bracelets, necklaces and hair clips, as well as some new funky funs from our upcoming collections, ”I Heart Japan”, and “Mad About Mixed Media”!   Great responses and lots of sales!  Look for these and more products up online within the next few days!  Find them at gussygreen.com…

To green wonders and wanders,

Gussy