The Fashion of Recycling

I try to do my part to help heal the environment. I am lucky enough to live in a city that does single stream recycling and does weekly collection. Despite this, my job does not recycle (which is ludicrous to me since I work for the government), so I have to collect items in my little cubicle. The other day my recycling was "stolen", I'm assuming the cleaning staff thought that they were helping me out, but I feel horrible because I'm pretty sure my little stash just joined the rest of the garbage.

In addition to my recycling, I also am an avid thrifter which is a great way to reuse someone else's items, but it is an acquired skill and takes a lot of patience and is not for everyone. When I heard about H&M's commitment to the environment several months ago I was so excited to find out the details so share with as many people as I could. Well the H&M Conscious Collection, which is more than just a new clothing line, is finally at a store near you!

Courtesy of H&M

The collection has a mix of prints and complimentary solids that exude a lush, tropical environment. I was unable to find fiber/manufacturing details about this specific collection, however pieces that I purchased in the winter from their children's conscious collection were made of organic or recycled cotton and Eco-conscious manufacturing practices. The website boasts that H&M is the number one user of organic cotton world-wide, details their better cotton practices as well as their commitment to seven areas of sustainability, so I will assume that this collection is made with at least one of these practices.

The best part of this campaign is that shoppers can bring old clothes to any H&M store to have them recycled. For each bag that is donated shoppers receive a 15% off voucher. There is a limit of two shopping bags that can be donated per person.

It is so exciting to see a mass-market clothing company not just talk about making changes, but also follow through with initiatives that can help to restore the environment! I support you H&M!

The First Lady Play: A Review

On March 16, 2013, I attended the evening performance of the production of "The First Lady". This story is the brainchild of Mae F. Davis who has poured her heart and soul into creating this piece. While the concept of the play is noble, and it does deliver the Playwright's intended message, like many amateur productions it did need some polishing. At times the plot was a bit redundant, the leading lady received motherly advice from two different women, and while the words were different the message was the same, as was the static  set, making the performances feel a little flat. Unfortunately the conflict between the leading lady and the antagonists was also underwhelming. I wanted to see more from the actors after the initial conflict, but the script didn't leave space for the actresses to deliver.  The play was also lengthy and cumbersome, about ninety percent of the plot took place over the course on a single day. Despite this the acting was a lot more polished than I had expected it to be and the singing voices of all of the actors were well rehearsed, in harmony and even beautiful.

Rhonda Christopher as Lady Belford. Courtesy of John Jayfresh Photography

I am not a lighting nor a sound tech, so to me everything appeared well orchestrated. However I couldn't help but notice that one of the actors kept adjusting their mike which yielded quite a bit of feedback. Despite the flaws, this production was an uplifting experience with a group of talented Christian actors. I enjoyed the message and anticipate that the encore performance on June 8, 2013 at the Arts Bank Theater will be much more polished. Stay tuned!

Spa Day! Spa Day!

So nice I had to say it twice! Sorry I've been away for so long. I have been really focusing on getting to the gym and lowering my cholesterol. Between workouts 3-4days a week and constantly working overtime at my full time job, I have barely had any free time. So I decided I needed a treat!

After my Friday night workout I headed around the corner to Cosmos Nail Salon hoping that they would still have time for me even though they were closing in thirty minutes.

Photo Credit: Cosmos Nail Salon

Photo Credit: Cosmos Nail Salon

Out of all of these colors (this is only part of their selection) I chose OPI's Chocolate Moose for my toes and Essie's Cafe Forgot for my hands.

The next day I headed to my Pilates class and then it was off to the Loews hotel for a Tranquility Massage and Facial. The facility was beautiful, services were great and I felt completely relaxed when I left.

 
After all of this pampering I figured it was a perfect time to head to the MAC store and pick up a few treats. I recycled 6 empty containers and picked out my free lipstick. I picked up MAC Red and I also needed a new Russian Red since my sister "walked away" with my other one. It has been gone for several months and I just noticed it two weeks ago because I've been rocking Dare You. I really enjoy wearing this color alone or with different lip liners (Vino and Currant) to create darker, bolder lips.

A day of pampering would not be complete without macaroons from Miel on 17th street. Miel has a few new flavors. I really enjoyed the lemon blueberry macaroon. What a great day to end a beautiful day!