Wow – last day of July.  Where’s summer going?  Time to reveal this week’s small, edited collection of eco savvy fashion finds.  With Fedoras all the rage, here are a few eco-minded head turners that may exude a Sam Snead meets Brangelina vibe.

(above) Livity’s High Grade Organic Fedora, ethically and Fairtrade made of sea grass and organic cotton; in light green, blue or orange; (£32) @ fashion-conscience.com

(above L to R) The Brixton Drifter, (black, of course) — made of sturdy straw @ skatewarehouse.com; ($39.99).  A solid hit, the Brixton Castor Fedora comes in 3 shades of straw:  black, natural or tan; ($39.99) .

(above) Strut your sustainable stuff in hemp & organic cotton, the Froggy Dogthooth in hounds tooth; on sale, ($38) @ headchange.com.

(above) Livity’s Raffia Straw, Zig Zag Weave summer fedora; Fair Trade and handmade, on sale ($42) @ headchange.com.

(above) Stay spiffy this fall in a stylish wool fedora – choose from 5 neutral colors; from Ohio-based, Amy Hamilton’s GranvilleMillinery Company.com;  At-the-Ready ($168).

Enjoy your weekend.  And remember – love what you have, and only acquire that which you may truly need.

Sleek, sexy, simplicity.  New Zealand’s Andre Hodgskin Architects originated the bachkit design, a concept they refer to as ‘organic architecture’.  The accompanying pictures feature bachkit’s latest TOTAL bachkit home.

Bachkit’s philosophy states that purchasing a new modular home should follow a similar process as purchasing a new car. Make your choices of options and customizations and they’ll do the rest — handing you the keys to your low impact modern home after a 12-week construction schedule.  Simplicity, flexibility, and sustainability are all features of bachkit’s approach.

Designs take advantage of New Zealand and Australia’s climate by creating generous surrounding decks and a flow that maximizes indoor-outdoor living, comfort and views.  Whatever the climatic conditions, the sliding glass and aluminum louvre shutters mean year-round flexibility.

Some customizable, eco-friendly features:

more info @ bachkit

Love to work-out but hate carting that disposable plastic water bottle?  Check out this “hydration vessel” from Kor – sustainably good looking and smart.

Kiss that toxic BPA (Bisphenol A) good-bye and say hello to body-friendly, Tritan by Eastman.  Fill this eco daddy with tap water & ice cubes and stay hydrated while on the go.  Hinged lid easily opens and closes with one hand, so you can keep pedaling.  Not intended to keep beverages hot or cold like a Thermos.

Available in Ice Blue, Sawgrass Green, Orchid Pink and Sunrise Orange – depending on which color purchased, a donation is made to a specific water-related cause.  750ml capacity, ($29.95)

Thanks for the sample!  more info @ KORwater.com

• Is your cheeseburger fighting back? Holy Cow! Cattle Embroiled in Violent Incidents – aol news
• The new boss – same as the old boss…Incoming BP to Discuss Long-Term Recovery Plan for the Gulf – cnn
• Should we really be scrapping our space program? Mars Site May Hold ‘Buried Life’ – bbc
• Doing it right out in the open…Expo Shows Illegal Pet Trade Rampant in Indonesia – yahoo! news
• Leave the car in the garage…Best Hope for Saving Arctic Sea Ice – Cutting Soot Emissions – sciencedaily
• So much for abstinence. Let’s get it on…Sex Boosts Brain Growth, Study Suggests – livescience
• Not the wildlife experience you want on a nature cruise…Dead Whale Found Pinned to Alaska Cruise Ship – msnbc

Truly fabulous deals on C&C California dresses, sweaters, tees, bikinis and more via Green Grechen.

Enter Code:  SUMCLRX40 to receive 40% off + free shipping on orders totaling over $100.  For more eco friendly steals and deals every week check out Green Grechen.

How sweet it is – an upcycled chocolate brown Shetland wool sweater is ecofashioned into a soft, small purse (7 in. x 7 in. x 2 in. deep).  A beautiful little handbag, and clever way to keep once-loved material out of the landfill.  Handmade by professional seamstress Karen Meyers, this one of a kind can be found online at her etsy shop; ($48).

My bosses here at altCon bought me this bed as partial payment for my work here as their correspondent and canine product reviewer, and I love it.  This Organic Buckwheat bed is very Zen – and much heavier and more durable than others I’ve previously destroyed.

The big bonus is the aromatherapy feature – this bed smells great (lavender, peppermint and chamomile), repels fleas, makes me smell springtime fresh and has a calming effect that quells my compulsion to chew the bed up as I’ve been prone to do with lesser quality beds.  Plus, I enjoy lounging on this sweet-smelling throne while making my two, brother-dogs all the more envious!

The bed, which is striped on one side and a rich chocolate brown on the other, has a removable, washable organic cotton cover with an inner liner of 100% cotton flannel over buckwheat hull filling and a kapok cushion.  Organic buckwheat, unlike typical pet bed fill, is grown without herbicides or pesticides and is hypoallergenic – important features for the modern green dog.

Don’t get sticker shock – this bed goes for $139 @ olivegreendog.com.  Isn’t your dog worth it?

Here are some of the latest rustic throw pillow creations from designer Ross Meneuz and his Fauna line.  The sepia tinted pillows have unique shapes and are hand-printed with water based inks on organic cotton.  Definitely not your typical zebra stripe throw pillow.

$24 to $36 ea. @ designpublic.com

Consumer Reports recently posted on their blog about the recent upswing in gas-pump and ATM debit card skimmers.  Banks have reported a sharp rise in this type of crime, especially at gas pumps, where some crooks are even using Bluetooth devices to make their job even easier.  Stealing consumer’s ATM info is more lucrative for thieves since accessing your bank account is as good as cash – unlike normal credit card theft where goods are usually bought and resold.

Many crooks install their own device behind the keypad of the ATM and grab your card info and password right off the machine.  Others physically swipe the card into there own device during your transaction.  Here are a couple few tips for reducing your risk:  (more…)

Second in a series of three posts…by our green globetrotter, Jessica B. Howell, (photo, R).

Two weeks ago, in the midst of an unusually chaotic week, I found myself at Detroit Metro Airport. It was raining, the kind of rain—interlaced with pops of lightening and rolls of thunder—that you hope won’t occur while you’re waiting to catch a flight. The kind of rain that makes you wonder if nine hours of transatlantic travel isn’t better than curling up on the couch at home. Definitely the kind of rain that makes you question whether spending two days in Schwabish Gmund, Germany, is a smart decision. After all, shouldn’t it be a prerequisite that you’re able to pronounce your destination before arriving?

My reasoning for heading to Schwabish Gmund (think rolling, German countryside dotted with idyllic, historic villages) was to visit Weleda’s Biodynamic Medicinal Plant Gardens, where the skin care company not only harvests the plants used in their products, but mixes up and manufactures many of them.

Sure enough, as soon as we arrived at the sprawling gardens, blossoming against a backdrop of perfectly blue sky, I knew it was well worth the half-day of travel it took to get there.

Eva Maria Walle, (above) manager of Weleda’s gardens, kicked off our visit with a personal tour, pointing out a potpourri of herbs and flowers whose properties are critical to Weleda’s potions.

During our stay, sweeping, bright orange fields of calendula were being harvested—the full-bloomed flowers plucked one-by-one from the stem for use in the brand’s baby care line and toothpaste.

Later on, even the amateurs had a chance to do some harvesting… equipped with gray buckets and wide-brimmed hats, we got to work pinching bittersweet nightshade, and carefully avoiding the pale green berries on the same stem, before dropping them by the handful into the buckets. The herb, with its pretty purple petals, is used to treat eczema and is used in Weleda’s medicinal products.

Browsing the rows and rows of plants, kneeling to inspect the property’s Insect Hotel and dining under a living roof at the organic cafe, (above) was akin to stepping back in time. The gardens, in all of their beauty, shine more brightly because of their function than flowers.

It’s planting with purpose, per se. And I like it. Seeing the process, with its seasonal rhythms and natural spirit, completely changes the consumer experience in my eyes, but more on that next week when I touch on some of the products offered here in the U.S. (visit weleda.com)

(above L to R:  Insect Hotel; Harvested Herbs )

Photo Credits:  (copyright, Jessica Howell & The Alternative Consumer)