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.

If Only I'd Had a Kitchen...

One of my usual stops in Paris is any one of a dozen markets. There's something intoxicating about being yelled at by vendors, sampling all varieties of olives, fruits, and other sundry goodies, the crazy smells of fresh fish, ripe cheese, and raw meat. When I lived in Paris, I'd do my weekly shopping at the big market at Barbes-Rochechuart. Unfortunately, that's a weekend market so on this particular trip I went to the Marche d'Aligre in the Marais.

This particular market is pretty cool because it's mid-week and gets way fewer tourists. There is a historic covered market area at the center of the market and a big square where the flea market is usually set up. On either side of the square stretches the long street with all the food stalls. Most of the butchers are housed under the permanent structure. And all around in the surrounding area are great bistros and boulangeries.

Strolling through the market made me wish I had a kitchen to which to retire with a basket full of purchases. Shopping here in LA - while the farmers markets and Fresh & Easys and Trader Joe's are much appreciated - is just not the same.

La Patisserie de Reves

While it might appear that all I did while in Paris was go from sweet shop to sweet shop, that's not entirely true. (I interspersed patisseries with bistros, bakeries, and baby shops!) But on a jaunt down Rue du Bac, I came across quite possibly the most beautiful patisserie I've ever seen. Philip Conticini, the undisputed king of patisserie at the moment in Paris, is the proprietor of La Patisserie des Reves, translated "Patisserie of Dreams." (Damn straight.)

While Phil may be the mad genius behind the goodies, whoever designed the space itself should get props as well. Conticini's confections are deftly displayed as works of art, placed under glass vaults suspended from the ceiling. Others are arranged in a tantalizing array in the window. From brioches to mille feuilles to seasonal gateaux, this place rocks the senses.

If you're lucky enough to buy something delicious to take home, the distinctive pink pyramid packaging is enough to tell you that you're about to ingest something that belongs in the gastronomical Louvre. La Patisserie des Reves is the very definition of eye candy for the soul and for the palette. I do believe I left a few drool marks on the glass outside.

East Meets West to Make Sweet, Sweet Love

I happened to book a hotel right next to Sadaharu Aoki's Vaugirard boutique. His shop is less a bakery and truly more of a boutique....(or sweet heaven on earth). White, clean and clinical, all the attention is directed naturally towards to the colorful rows of masterful and delicious desserts.

Classical french forms made with distinctly japanese ingredients. Eclairs, financiers, cookies, tablets of chocolates, rainbow colored macaroons, jams, truffles, cakes. My favorite was green tea eclair. Simple, straightforward, unpretentious and too yummy to describe. I kind of want to cry just thinking about it. Luckily, for those of us who don't live in France, Sadaharu offers an online boutique. But nothing compares to the real thing. Next time you're in Paris, go indulge.

Montmartre Moment

It was a sign that I managed to fly into Paris without hitting any of the airline strikes. Luck was on my side. The clouds even cleared while I was strolling around Montmartre. Even though it's been years since I lived in Paris, it still feels kinda homey. And even though Montmartres is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the city, it's still my favorite hood. I always like being

slightly above the city (looking down on the plebes...). Even on a cold winter day, the place was packed with tourists. But yet, the charm is still there.

You can still always find a windy little side street with no one on it. A traveling musician camped out on the steep steps, belting out American tunes in a heavy but non-descript accent. Painters braving the cold on Place du Tertre, hawking their Montmartre caricatures. Ah, I just love the hood.

Weekend in the Western Highlands

I'm no stranger to mountains or pretty landscape. Having grown up in Switzerland, the Alps kind of dwarfed any mountains that I've since discovered. Living in California, the foothills are a permanent backdrop to everyday life. But there's just something different about the landscape in Bonnie Scotland. I guess time has softened the lines of the Western Highlands, so while the snow capped Bens are impressive, they seem softer, less foreboding, less jagged. Frankly, the Bens just seem older and wiser. Fresh water lochs meet salt water lochs, which in turn meet the cold expanse of the sea. There's just something wildly romantic about the landscape. If I ever get around to writing a line of bodice-ripping novels, I know where I'll be sequestering myself!

Glencoe

Oban

Geese landing on Loch Lomond

Sunset on Loch Lomond

Cafe Flourish Makes Me Eat My Words

I typically only have a few cooking/eating rules. No salad is complete without a little bacon, chicken, or steak on top. Cupcakes need to be made with flour and lots of sugar. When in doubt, add cream. If something's missing, add butter.

While I totally get why people like vegan, vegetarian, and macrobiotic foods, I just can't say that I do. I've always felt a bit cheated when I've left the table after past adventures at vegetarian eateries. Something always feels like it's missing and I end up needing a taco fix. Today, however, I have to eat my words (instead of emergency tacos).

I tried a surprisingly satisfying tempeh reuben at Cafe Flourish and have to say that their organic plant-based cuisine - what I tried of it - was entirely delicious. I think I might actually have liked the Love, Rueben better than its meaty cousin, with its marinated tempeh paired with russian dressing, avocado, soy cheese and moist rye bread.

While I didn't try it, my friend ordered the Simple Pleasure, an avocado drizzled in truffle oil and topped with sea-slated grated carrots with a spritz of lemon on the side and a nori square to finish. Granted I'd eat pretty much anything drizzled with truffle oil - avocado, omelette, or paper towel, but this little dish sounds totally yum, right? Fresh, tasty, filling, AND healthy.

The gluten-free brownie was even more impressive; chocolatey and decadent. Just the way a mid-day dessert should be. The carrot cake cupcakes also looked really tempting with their perfect icing inviting a finger test. There was only one of each left in the display case by the time I thought to take a picture. By virtue of the fact that they go so quickly, you can guess how good they actually were.

While Chef Sarasai was loathe to part with her secret recipe for the amazing brownies, she actually gives occasional cooking lessons at Sur La Table at the Farmers Market for those dying to know more about her food.

So there. I admit it. I was wrong. Food that grows on one leg can actually be very tasty, even without the addition of cream, butter, or sugar.

I apologize for the shit-tastic photos but I ate the subject matter before I could shoot it. Oops.