VOZ: Featured by Journey of Action

VOZ has officially taken it to the next level! Jasmine and Kyra and the amazing artisans with whom VOZ works have been busy the past few months preparing our first line. Look for much more exciting news to come before year's end, including info on how/where to get your mits on the VOZ products here in the US, Europe, and South America, as well as an invitation to our official coming-out parties; one in Santiago, Chile and another in Los Angeles, CA! (YES! VOZ is coming to LA! Look out!)

For now, check out this amazing video by Journey of Action, which shines a light on the how, why, and what behind VOZ.

Gorgeous New Website is Up and Running

With only 15 days left on our Kickstarter campaign, I'm super proud to show off VOZ's brand new spankin' gorgeous website, designed by Janina Lovern, the awesome artist behind Secret Agent PR's own website (which will be back up and running in April!)

The new VOZ site tells a definite story and we're proud to call it home. Obviously, we're still working out the kinks, but tell us what you think!

Now, all we need is to meet our Kickstarter goal so that we can start producing our first line of products. We're almost there, less than $1000 away from our fundraising goal. Every penny donated counts. Every e-mail forwarded on to friends helps.

Support us by donating on Kickstarter.

Follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

Thanks in advance!

Speak Change, Wear Beauty, Support VOZ

Several years ago, I spent some time working with the indigenous Mapuche people of Southern Chile. At the time, I was pretty useless; fresh out of grad school with lofty goals and few real skills. Relegated mostly to grant writing and research, I nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Ninth and grew to love the people and communities around me. I left feeling as though I could, and should, have done more. Fast forward a few years and some amazing chance encounters - not to mention several months of hard work - and finally, we're ready to do something BIG.

VOZ is a new sustainable fashion brand that I am launching in collaboration with an amazing team of rockstar women (actually, the lion share of the design and heavy lifting are attributable to the other rockstars...I just get to shout it from the rooftops!) The idea is simple. We connect traditional artisans with young designers, give traditional designs new relevance in an urban market, and provide indigenous artisans with the means to elevate their families out of poverty while preserving their cultural heritage. Think: artisanally-crafted modern threads for the socially conscious fashionista...

The process is brilliantly simple and genuinely empowering. Mapuche women artisans are invited to participate in collaborative workshops. They bring their creativity to the table and our designers work hand-in-hand with them to create new products that are simultaneously attractive to the modern consumer, but respectful of the Mapuche heritage. The women are not told what to make, they tell us what they want to make. They're paid a fair wage. And, we are creating a training program that will empower the best weavers to lead their own workshops, teaching their peers. When one considers that most Mapuche women have no other choice than to leave their rural communities to seek work in the city, VOZ offers women another avenue to make a living wage and stay close to their homes, families, and communities.

However, to make this a reality, we really need your help. Please show your support by donating what you can to our Kickstarter campaign. If we reach our goal, these funds will be enough for us to start production on our first line. (We need wool and we want to pay our amazing weavers!)

Consider your donation as a pre-order on your very own VOZ product as any donation over $50 means we'll be sending you a special reward.

If you can't donate anything, we just ask that you help us spread the word.

• Please join our Facebook page and share this link with everyone you know - http://kck.st/hHFMhR
• Follow us on Twitter and RT this: Speak Change, Wear Beauty, Support @madebyvoz #ecofashion -http://kck.st/hHFMhR
• Forward our story and kickstarter link to your friends and family - http://kck.st/hHFMhR
• Stay in touch. Sign up for e-mail updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter

We appreciate your support! Speak Change, Wear Beauty, Support VOZ!

Welcome to Huis!

My mother, the globe traveling recent retiree, is finally settling into retirement and has started up her own little Etsy shop called Huis, which means "house" in her native Dutch. Basically, she's always loved to sew, knit, crochet and embroider, etc. and now that she has extra time on her hands, she's taken to experimenting and selling the good stuff on Etsy.

I snagged the prototype of the Owly Baby Blanket for Cael and can attest to high level of adorability and softness. And if you're not in to baby things, there are lots of other things to choose from, including pillows, throws, and assorted table textiles. She's just getting started so check back often to see new listings.

In addition to what you see on Etsy, she also embroiders "birth certificates" if any new parents out there are into that (framed embroidered birth record - baby name, weight, city of birth, and a custom motif).

To help launch the new store, Huis is offering a special giveaway. The first person to buy anything receives a complimentary set of Blue Vine place mats and napkins for two. Comments and feedback are welcome!

Top Green Twitterers

Just finished a quick post for American Express OPEN Forum on Inhabitat's Top Ten Green Twitterers. These are outstanding peeps tweeting about interesting issues. From a dude who's swimming 1,500 miles in the cold Atlantic to help teach (and fund) his students, to gumshoe journalist and a sustainable dad blogger, the list is culled from other amazing top green lists and a few of my own finds.

Feel free to comment on the site or retweet and definitely add these folks to your lists!

Food + Design Meet Again with the AIA/LA Restaurant Design Awards

It's that time of year again. The call for submissions is open so if you know of any great establishments that should be on the list for consideration to win either a jury award or the People's Choice this year, let them know that they have till April 30th to submit. Rules, regs, deets and deadline listed here.

The jury includes Ben Ford (celebuchef from Ford's Filling Station), Lonnie Moore (nightlife and restaurant empresario from the Dolce Group), Michela O'Connor Abrams (Publisher of Dwell Magazine), Joey Shimoda (of Shimoda Design Group), and all-around design expert Clive Piercy (of Air Conditioned).

Should be a good competition!

Photo: Bottega Louie, one of the winners of the RDAs last year

Blood Orange Tart-venture

After seeing Lottie and Doof's amazing rendition of an blood orange tart, I had to take a stab at it. I think Tim's turned out much better than mine, clearly. But beyond aesthetics and the fact that I'm the world's shittiest food photographer, there's just something about the citrus and the caramel that I wasn't quite crazy about.

It's a gorgeous looking tart with golden crust and vibrant, almost graphic red oranges. But something wasn't quite there for my lowly palette. That said, the buttery crust is ridiculously good and easy to make so today I'm going to make this tart with pears instead and see what happens. It might also be great with oranges with a nice healthy coating of marmalade to sweeten things up, and perhaps served sans caramel.