August 28th, 2008. Written By Elena Crevello.
 Go Green with Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson stops by UCLA this Sunday (8/31) evening for a show, and one that he has worked hard to make eco-friendly. So get there ahead of time to get your “Green Passport” stamped and check out the different tents set up that will keep you informed on how to live in a more environmentally friendly way! Jack Johnson will be matching every dollar contributed to non-profit organizations, like Health the Bay. If you visit three different stands and get your “Passport” stamped you are automatically entered to win the chance to watch the show from the stage… eeeeek! Plus, learn more about Jack’s All At Once project, a new social action network where you can discuss issues and events, explore non-profit groups, and take action to make positive change in your local and world community. And click here to learn how you can be a “green fan.” For more info, visit jackjohnsonmusic.com. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster.com (act fast, they’re nearly sold out).
 Open Up your Ears in Echo
The F Yeah Fest, which is in its fifth year, is going strong once again this Friday (8/29) thru Sunday (8/31). With a plethora of performances by bands and comedians like Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm), there is so much to do and see at our own little local music festival I could just cry. Most of the festival is held at the Echoplex and on Sunday there is a five hour scavenger hunt that will take you all over Los Angeles and the winning team gets $500. So come support this local festival and help it grow. For more info, visit fyeahfest.net.
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 Puttin’ on the Ritz for Fat Sam’s Grand Slam Jazz Band
Danny Masterson, the That 70’s Show guy and mind behind Jazz Nights at Guy’s, has brought back this unique evening of jazz and drinks. Teddy’s at The Roosevelt is now the home of this Jazz night, which will make you feel like you are taking a step into a 1920s speakeasy, well at least that’s what it’s supposed to feel like. Men aren’t allowed in without a tie and jacket and ladies must be in dresses–this strict dress code is enforced so no showing up in those hoochie jeans and a tank top, ya hurd! The Roosevelt is located at 7000 Hollywood Blvd. West Hollywood, 90028. Music starts at 11 p.m. every Thursday night.
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 Hunt for Vintage Treasures
Vintage designer genius, Shareen Mitchell, has opened up a new store in Venice adding to her already bustling downtown warehouse. If you have not visited her Downtown store, you must make it a priority to go. Her pieces are all one of a kind and truly inspiring, not to mention well-priced! The new shop in Venice is homey and delightful, and just like the downtown store - NO BOYS ALLOWED. XOXO. New location at 1641 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice, 90291. Hours: Wed., Sat., Sun 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Thurs. 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Web: ShareenVintage.com.
Categories: Downtown, East Side, Non-Profit Org., Thursday--Weekend Guide, Venice, West Hollywood
August 27th, 2008. Written By Tracy Hepler.
 As we all become more eco-aware about what products to buy and companies to support, wouldn’t it be great if there was a one stop eco-shop to find all of these things?
Santa Monica residents are in luck: The Green Life eco-boutique is celebrating their grand opening this weekend. The Green Life sprung from owner Scott O’Brien’s senior thesis at Loyola Marymount University. Scott had begun moving towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle. After months of researching and sampling, Scott realized that he could take his thesis out of the classroom and into the real world.
The Green Life promises, “eco-friendly living with the utmost style”. With products like Amenity Organic bed linens, Pangea Organics skincare, and Mrs. Meyers cleaning products, you know that you aren’t sacrificing your comfort or the planet. Plus new products arrive weekly, so there is always something new to discover. Sounds like the Good Life in deed.
ydt EVENT: If your Labor Day Weekend has you staying in town, come check out the grand opening! There will be an official ribbon cutting on Friday, August 29th at 11 a.m. Followed by organic wines and catering provided by Rawvolution throughout the day. Plus, discounted pricing all weekend long. See Event listing here.
The Green Life is located at 2409 Main St. Santa Monica CA. Phone: 310.392. 4702. Web: thegreenlifeeco.com
Categories: Santa Monica, Wednesday--Wellness & Beauty
August 26th, 2008. Written By Danielle Davis.
 Some research shows that exposure to dirt actually increases happiness. Consider that just one more reason to begin composting: it’s an excuse to play in the dirt.
Why else should you consider composting? By throwing food scraps and paper waste (which can be up to 30% of a household’s waste stream) in a compost bin or pile instead of the trash or recycle bin, you can create the single greatest plant food on the planet with which to keep your or a friend’s garden growing. It’s reciprocal-you scratch the dirt’s back, it scratches yours.
Compost is what you get when your green waste (that’s tea bags, banana peels, carrot tops, eggshells and the like) and brown waste (wood chips and paper) decompose. In a few weeks or months, the result is super nutrient-rich stuff, full of the carbon, nitrogen and microscopic organisms that make for excellent flower and plant bedfellows.
I especially like vermicomposting (yes, that’s worms!) as it’s tremendously easy and can fit into an apartment dweller’s limited space on a patio or under the sink. (The Nature Mill composter is a another compact option that breezily fits into your home and routine.) Earthworms eat their body weight every day and are hermaphroditically abundant breeders. The result: they can eat up all your foodscraps (except for meat, dairy or oil) like nobody’s business.
By composting you become a zero-waste eater and get the best natural fertilizer know to humankind: worm tea (a mighty polite term). For free workshops that share how to get happy composting, check out two L.A. resources, one county, one city.
Smart Gardening, a program of the County of L.A.’s Department of Public Works, has free beginner and advanced workshops all around our fair County on composting and other green, water-saving gardening practices that will make you grin. L.A. City’s Bureau of Sanitation also holds free classes and bin sales on certain Fridays and Saturdays in Griffith Park and elsewhere. Check out that schedule here.
Here’s to playing the dirt.
Categories: Tuesday--Green Living
August 25th, 2008. Written By Joli Selten.
 Sabrina Helas got herself fired from corporate America so she could work for real people like you! Tired of the fake and drawn to the genuine, she abandoned the entertainment industry and followed her soul’s longing to bring people joy through her professional endeavors.
She’s an eco-conscious “Anti 9-5”er who runs two boutique photography businesses and an urban refuge to mainstream life in her home—complete without television
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Her flagship business, Cookies and Water Photography mixes the vintage perspective of documentary-style photography with a genuine understanding of dogs and their nuances. She shoots our canine companions in their space, on their time, because she understands capturing their essence is only possible when they feel free to be playful and comfortable on familiar ground.
In her newest endeavor, Milk and Cookies Photography, she specializes in exhibiting every child’s spontaneous and gigantic personality by using natural light and organic setups found at home or parks, or the like. Helas’ childlike spirit guides her intuitive way of shooting kids, and her understanding of light and circumstance bring honesty to each photo.
After spending her whole life in the urban environments of San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles; and being sensitive to the current state of the world, she has made it her mission to take things back to basics. Everything is shot digitally, which eliminates film and its chemical processing.
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All supplies in her home-office are recycled (including her desk), and all business is conducted online eliminating carbon-footprint paper trails. She is currently transforming her home into a sustainable homestead by growing her own fruits, vegetables and herbs and replacing lawn with draught resistant succulents and alternative ground covers. Though she dreams about having chickens and goats some day, at the moment the only non-human in her house is her personal joy—a rescued, huggable hound named Kramer.
For more information, please contact Sabrina Helas at www.cookiesandwaterphotography.com or www.milkandcookiesphotography.com.
Categories: Monday--Active Lifestyle
August 22nd, 2008. Written By Tracy Hepler.
Though I am not a vegetarian, I have learned the value of consuming less meat and that delicious food can be prepared with out it. Still, a part of me is skeptical of vegetarian restaurants. My inner meat-eater has loud opinions at times.
She was grumbling a bit when I went to Bulan Thai in West Hollywood, but that quickly came to an end. The restaurant is small, but the ambience is relaxing and the aromas intoxicating. The menu offers traditional Thai dishes with meat alternatives such as tofu, veggie chicken, pepper steak and shrimp. The food is so delicious and filling that you don’t feel as if you are missing out in any way. Foods can be prepared to be vegan by request as well. All of the food is prepared in a healthy style, free of MSG and excessive oils. You certainly feel this as you leave the restaurant. Even though you have stuffed your face full, your stomach does not hurt and food comas do not follow. The service is quick too, you never have to wait too long to get your order.
 If you are a veggie or vegan who is looking for a place to take your non-veggie friends, this is definitely the spot. I’ve taken serious meat-eaters and heard them rave. With most entrees costing less than $10, the prices can’t be beat. If the idea of choosing is too daunting for you, I can personally recommend the Panang Curry and Pad See Ew, both with veggie chicken.
As a kid, my father would always say “I tip my hat to greatness” whenever he experienced something that truly surpassed his expectations. When you create something that exceeds the ordinary, it most definitely deserves praise. This is true of Bulan Thai Vegetarian Kitchen.
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The original Bulan Thai is located at 7168 Melrose Ave, We Ho, 90046. Phone: (323) 857-1882. Fortunately for East Siders, they just opened up a second location at 4114 Santa Monica Blvd., Silver Lake, 90029. Phone: (323) 913-1488. View menu here.
If you have already been to Bulan, share your experiences with us on our thread (Click “Thread with Us” below).
Categories: Friday--Food & Fashion, Silver Lake, West Hollywood
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Hunt for Vintage Treasures
