Tabloid fodder food for thought: some of Drew Barrymore’s green tendencies

My sister has a problem. She is majorly addicted to the weekly celebretard-filled tabloids, and cannot get enough Kristen & Rob, Brad & Angie, Jennifer Anniston & _ (insert that week’s dude here)__, Britney Spears, John & Kate + 8 + Ed Hardy, eating disorders, drug problems, infidelity, etc, etc. (Judging by the list I was just able to ramble off in .2 seconds, it seems like her problem is contagious and spreading.) Like with all addictions, she wastes countless fortunes to satisfy her cravings—I think a year’s subscription to US Weekly alone is around $150, and she has subscriptions to ALL of them.

On the bright side, she knows a lot of pop-culture shit.

On the even brighter side, she recycles. Her version of the 3 “Rs” when it comes to tabloids is as follows:

Reduce: When she’s finished reading them, she gathers them all up to reduce the massive amount of clutter she would have otherwise.
Reuse: Once gathered, she hands them all over to me. This eases her conscious a bit, in that she rationalizes that the money was better spent if multiple people get to benefit reading that week’s gossip.
Recycle: After the magazines are in my possession, she knows I’ll make sure they get disposed of properly and responsibly. So although she’s the one doling out the green... I’m the one that keeps it green.

Due to the constantly fluctuating pile of mags sitting on the chest at the foot of my bed, I always have mindless reading material on hand, which makes my daily hour long train rides back and forth to work much more palatable. It was during one of these trips that I was reading an OK Magazine (major headline was about how Angie wasn’t attracted to Brad anymore because he gained 10 pounds. Good thing I was sitting down when I read that mind-blower.) when I feasted my eyes on a juicy page filled with Kelly Green appropriate tid-bits: insight into Drew Barrymore’s life pertaining to green doggies and shopping. W00t w00t!!

Although more expensive than the $3 reusable shopping bags you can pick up at the grocery store, the proceeds from the sale of Drew’s favorite $195 beaded burlap “Feed” Masai fabric bag will actually provide enough money to feed two Kenyan school children for an entire year, through the United Nation World Feed Program. Talk about guilt-free shopping…

Drew loves dogs, and ironically—spoils her dogs rotten, healthily. Her yellow lab-chow mix Flossie loves the organic, all-natural Halo Liv-a-Littles. They have no chemicals, no preservatives or artificial flavors, and come in pink packaging. (Wonder if I’m good, if my dog would share these with me?) A lot less expensive than the “Feed” bag, these treats can be purchased for $5 at most pet stores and high-end grocery stores around you. (If you were wondering, Flossie prefers the chicken and cheese variety.)

Stay tuned, more green news inspired from trashy gossip coming your way…

A Gay (in the happy sense of the word) Marriage of Ideas

I don’t know how this girl at work does it, but even though her desk is separated from the hallway by a wall that obviously obscures her line of vision, she always calls out my name as I walk by. She doesn’t give off much of a creeper vibe, so I didn’t think she had cut out peep-holes through the office wall or anything, but I couldn’t satisfactorily figure out how she always knew it was me when I walked by. Finally, one day I just asked her.

“Dude, how do you always know when it’s me walking by!?”

She contemplated for a second, and then responded, “Well, different people just sound different when they walk.”

Hmmm, so simple, and yet intriguing. (And, also, a bit relieving to know that it wasn’t a case of super offensive B.O. that was pre-announcing my imminent arrival.)

I mulled this over as I walked down another hallway to the bathroom, my jumble of necklaces jangling with each step. She was right, I realized, my J.Crew obsession has made me a freaking, walking noise machine. Whether it’s the weird noise my skinny cords make when my legs rub against each other, the stomp of my high-heels, or the clink of my accessories against the over-sized buttons on a blazer, it is almost physically impossible for me to walk silently, and/or creep up on anyone.

It makes me feel better to be able to blame things on anything besides myself. My scape-goat for the noisy walking? Easy- the stack of J. Crew catalogs that I keep next to my bed (for getting dressed inspiration) dictate the varying textures and pieces I adorn myself with now.

So, if you’ve read my few previous posts, or been shopping within the last few years (whether in a mall, online, or just innocently peaking through the delightful catalog surprises that arrive right to your snail-mailbox), you have undoubtedly seen for yourself the handiwork and expertise of my burning girl crush, Jenna Lyons, the creative director of J.Crew. Under the support and watch of CEO Mickey Drexler, Jenna has beautifully and profitably expanded her company to now include cute (but noisy) jewelry, shoes, clothes, etc. In addition to her awesome additions, she is also the one to thank for making sure that everything is so expertly styled in all of their marketing pieces so that you can't help but drool over every page. (I am not exaggerating, I KEEP a STACK of J.Crew catalogs on my nightstand, for good reason!)

Jenna, in a completely non-creepy way, you are so my muse…

Although J.Crew stores can be found in most malls, the thoughtful details of the merchandise, and the personal touches incorporated into their mass marketing (catalogs and email blasts) ironically make this retail giant feel like your favorite neighborhood boutique. Lending to the boutiquey feel, all J.Crew outfits have an unique flair about them, there are personal shoppers readily available to personally assist you, and if you need help with anything- the appropriate J.Crew specialist is made to seem easily accessible with hand-written looking notes online and in the catalog to call “Ashley, the wedding specialist” at her desk number. It’s so smart! The merchandise is accessible to anyone in the country, yet despite this they have maintained an “one-of-a-kind” feel.

If I had to describe J.Crew’s aesthetic, after a lot of thought, I’d have to say that J.Crew’s emphasis is on timeless Americana, it's a style that a teenager, thirty something, or grandparent could all wear and make their own. There is a definite ‘prepster’ vibe to it, but it’s almost tongue-in-cheek making fun of preppy clothing, and depending on how you put the pieces together any desired look is achievable.

J.Crew’s emphasis and impact on “American” style could perhaps most easily be proven by the fact that out of all the clothing companies in the world- the new first daughters wore J.Crew children’s pieces for their father’s presidential inauguration.

Under the umbrella of “an easy American style,” J.Crew could easily expand to incorporate many successful “green” concepts and tactics. (At last, where I become relevant! ☺) There are so many avenues to go, it’s hard to know where to start with spilling my guts on this topic, but just a few- in rapid succession:

- They could create an internal organic clothing line (obviously I was going to say that one).

- They could design stores with all organic features- lots of windows for natural lighting, bamboo floors, recycled hangers. (Come to think of it, Jenna would probably totally love this idea- while researching (stalking) her online, I learned that she likes things to look a little lived-in.

“I like things that get better with age,” she has said. “Maybe it is frayed a little on the edges, maybe it is starting to wash down a little too much. I actually think that that looks good. That, to me, is classic.”

A store that used recycled wood pieces for hangers, and floors, and had threadbare oriental rugs and vintage chandeliers, and refurbished dressing-room doors and counters would be so cool to look at, shop in, provide new uses for pre-existing things, and be totally J.Crew.

J.Crew does not do any advertising beyond their catalogs and website. Staying within these parameters, there are cool marketing, eco-inspired methods they could take to increase foot traffic and sales.

- Already offering student and teacher discounts, they could offer an additional discount for bringing in an old J.Crew catalog with purchase. This way- the catalog is still serving it’s purpose by showcasing the clothes that make it necessary to go to the store, J.Crew can take all of those catalogs and make sure they’re properly recycled, and at the same time they’re getting tons of trackable info about their customers. Win, win, win!

- Along these lines, they could also offer some incremental discount for bringing in reused J.Crew shopping bags? J.Crew would save money on having to produce less bags, the shopping bags that do exist would get taken better care of- and if people were using them more often- it’s free publicity for J.Crew, and less junk taking up space in land-fills. Everyone’s a winner*.

- They could also take Juicy Couture’s idea of offering a discount for donating gently used J.Crew clothing to a charity of J.Crew’s choice. (While there are TONS of noteworthy charities throughout the world, I feel like their focus should remain on issues in America?) Again, they’d be increasing sales while doing good for the country, and at the same time they would be generating a “hey I'm doing something good!” feeling at point of purchase to stave away any feelings of buyer’s remorse.

Really, I could go on and on, but all I’m saying is that I love Jenna Lyons, and thanks to her I love J.Crew. In combining all of my loves- Jenna, J.Crew, shopping, fashion, the environment- I think there could be so many fun and exciting ways for J.Crew to go in the future.

Jenna once said that her goal was to be able to hear people say "Oh, my God, I have to go to J. Crew." Just from over-hearing passerby’s in the mall and purveying the shopping bags people are carrying while I people-watch in the food-court, I think that she is one of the lucky/enviable/extremely hard-working people whose dream has become a reality. It would be hard to improve upon her specific brand of perfection- but I’d certainly love to help contribute to a J.Crew “eco” expansion.

Hey, if I'm following the trends Jenna sets, I should dream big, right?

*Well… everyone would benefit, except the bag makers. But, survival of the fittest would force them to evolve and adapt- and either make more durable bags, create ways to make shopping bags more earth friendly, or… ?

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Ah, my world- she is a-changing.

Not to brag or anything, but my recent verbalized environmental consciousness appears to be rubbing off on those near and dear to my green heart- which is the best inspiration as it only spurs me on to do more!

(Lucky you.)

So, my boyfriend called the other day after a shopping spree at Walmart with some green news he thought (correctly) I'd get a kick out of. Turns out that Walmart is now printing receipts on the FRONTS and BACKS of the piece of paper- cutting their receipt paper usage in half. I loved hearing about this, as I think it is such an elegant, easy way to make a note-worthy change. And, the beauty of this, along with a lot of other "green" methodologies, is that in addition to benefiting the environment these companies are also benefiting their budgets by making such little changes. (Also- I am not trying to say that I know the powers that be at Walmart, and that my green nagging had anything to do with the new receipt format. All I'm saying is that now my boyfriend noticed the change that may not have registered [no pun intended] with him otherwise.) Baby steps...

A changed person I can take credit for is little sister #2. Once, the cause of my bathroom dumpster diving (HAD to retrieve her carelessly tossed shampoo and conditioner bottles, and properly move to the recycling bin) is actually starting to notice exactly what she is consuming, and taking responsibility for how she is disposing of it. My crowning moment came when she proudly pulled out a tiny little drawstring bundle out of her purse the other day.

"What the heck is that thing?" I inquisitively inquired.

"Oh, just my new reusable shopping bag. It folds up into itself, see?" To which she proudly demonstrated. My heart swelled, now if she'll just remember to use it...

Not to be outdone, little sisters #1 and #3 have also come up with their own green scheme, to sometimes hilarious results. The back of our backyard butts up against a wooded area, and over the back fence any unusable food item is now tossed. Whatever the animals don't eat can decompose into fertilizer, and that much food is kept out of the landfills. It is comical in that my mother absolutely cannot find out this haphazard compost pile, for fear of "attracting the animals." (And frankly, considering I was just diagnosed with Lyme's disease AND West Nile Virus, maybe that neurotic matriarch is on to something after all...) My in-the-know little brother is distressed by the whole operation, because, well, he's not sure that the squirrels like popcorn and lettuce. To which little sister #3 retorts, "Then it can rot! Better then being in a landfill!" He usually doesn't have a response, and sighs as the girls win yet again.

Although there is still lots and lots of room for improvement, little sister #3 sums it up as simply and eloquently as only a 14 year old could; "There are 7 people in this house, if we all just make small changes it can add up to a lot of change. And, any good we can accomplish is better then nothing at all."

And that is exactly why I'll keep on writing.

"I'm not a smug twat."

A "double fister" would be an accurate term to identify me were you to see me out shopping.

In my one hand will always reside my goes-with-everything, holds-everything, can't-live-without, cherished pink Balenciaga Motorcycle bag. In the other hand is my $.99 Trader Joe's canvas reusable shopping bag. The dichotomy is not lost on me.

The Trader Joe's bag was initially purchased for food shopping, it's amazing how much can fit in those bags! And, the handles never break! And, if something icky spills or leaks, you can wash the thing! But, at this point my adderall has worn off, and due to my ADD I find myself totally digressing from the point...

Unless you've been living under a rock, (or like me, trying to focus more on the new US Weekly instead of the depressing news) you've most likey been exposed to the glut of recent media describing the cons of plastic bags. They use tons of precious resources to make, are used once, and then sit and rot for thousands of years in land-fills if they were fortunate enough to land in the trash. Otherwise, they sit and rot for thousands of years in the ocean, in the park, in your backyard, under your sink, etc. Considering that the average American individual goes through 500 of these bags a year, it's crazy to think about the astronomical amount of land-fill filler, litter making, resource sucking that we are unknowingly creating everytime we run to the store to get something.

Luckily, the expansion of my thinking lead to the expansion of my trusty Trader Joe's bag's uses. Like a puppy that needs to be socialized, I tuck it in my purse and try to bring it with me everywhere. I really don't care if I'm at Bloomingdales or CVS, I have no problem telling the sales clerk that I don't need no stinkin' shopping bag, and then into my little sack the purchased goods proudly go.

Don't get me wrong, if these bags were comparable to beauty pageant contestants in the Swim Suit portion of the competition, my Balenciaga would kick Trader Joe's ass. Aesthetically, the Trader Joe's bag is downright ugly. But, it has a grrreat personality. And would dominate in the interview portion. Dependable, sensible, versatile, practical, economical, and environmental, this bag's got the whole package. (Depending on the item, it literally does have the whole package, too.)

The hardest part for me, really, is just remembering to bring it back into the car once I've unloaded it at home. The hardest part for you, really, should be picking out a cuter one then mine now that there are so many available options.

I feel like it's almost outdated to bring up at this point, (and certainly decreases my street creds to mention) as it's already been reproduced about a million times, and been photographed on the arm of countless young Hollywood do-gooders; and yet I think Anya Hindamarch's $75 canvas "Not a Plastic Bag" bag was an inadvertantly awesome PR move that launched countless imitators and a great, actually beneficial trend. If seeing Keira, Ivanka, or Petra carrying the bag inspires girls to go Reusable, then so be it.

This version amuses me, and may amuse you as well if you're as cheeky as the British designer Marissa Vandersee who satired Anya's "It"ness:

Juicy Couture's take is the bomb, and if that shit isn't already copyrighted, the heart/recycle logo will soon be all over this website. Biatch.

This one by Beau Soleil is just chic, clean, and simple, yet clearly gets your message across:

Both of these available through Pulsestl.com, for some reason the "Green is the new Black" really appeals to "The Hills" loving part of me, and I feel like a "Team Green" bag has to be right around the corner...? As for the second bag- I just really heart hearts. ♥

Much more then just a fashion statement, interestingly enough in Malibu, as of May 12, 2008, plastic and biodegradable shopping bags were actually legally outlawed. Both types of shopping bags proved to be too destructive to the surrounding marine life. Now, residents are forced to find and use some sort of reusable bag.

When this law hopefully gains fire and spreads across the country, hopefully you are an already prepared and practicing citizen. If not, the good news is that there will probably be even more options for you to choose from then.