BETTERSHELTER GREEN AWARDS
BETTER IDEAS FOR A BETTER FUTURE
Call for Entries for First Awards Celebrating
The Greenest People, Products, and Projects In Orange County
Costa Mesa, CA – October 22, 2008–- bettershelter, the cutting edge development team behind the eco-friendly community 12@ELDEN and 1.7 Ocean, has just announced a call for entries for the first ever bettershelter green awards.
Celebrating the greenest of green in Orange County in 2008, winners in each category will be selected by a distinguished jury and announced at an event held in their honor on Thursday, December 4 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. The awards ceremony will take place at 12@ELDEN, the newly released eco-friendly “Hybrid Housing” project (2379 Elden Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92627).
The bettershelter green awards is an opportunity for the people, products and companies making an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, define what it is to live green in Orange County and develop products and techniques to change the way people live and think in an effort to be more eco-friendly to be recognized for their efforts and for the difference they are making in the Orange County community. bettershelter will be accepting entries in the following categories:
§ interior design
§ landscape design
§ architecture design
§ retail design
§ product
§ individuals
§ companies
To download an entry form, go to www.bettershelter.com. Deadline for all entries and materials is November 18. To be eligible, all projects must be completed between October 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008.
About bettershelter
Bettershelter is a full service development company that focuses on providing unique and affordable housing for those who appreciate architectural design in Orange County. The company’s latest offering 12@ELDEN, exemplifies the best Orange County has to offer when it comes to green construction mixed with design, style and that hard to come by - hip factor. Making living green user-friendly, 12@ELDEN is the combination of today’s green practices and products mixed with the conveniences of modern life resulting in what bettershelter calls “hybrid housing”.
To learn more about the company, which is located in Newport Beach, log on to the website at www.bettershelter.com or call 323-286-7214.
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TO Media Co. is a public relations firm dedicated to the products and people setting trends and defining style. Specializing in consumer and lifestyle press for international brands, industry leaders, and start-up entrepreneurs, we provide public relations for retail, toys, recreation, sporting goods, fitness, beauty, home décor, food, fashion and accessories brands.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Kristine Taft Jewelry Offers Laidback California Lux
Fred Segal called. They want 720 hand-made bracelets!! Great news for a new business owner right? The problem – Kristine Taft misread the order. Thinking it was only 90 pieces to be delivered in 7 days she quickly realized it was in fact 720 pieces. Not one to go back on her word, she worked day and night stringing tiny crystals at her Crystal Cove bungalow until she met the order. Welcome to Kristine Taft’s career as a jewelry designer. Kristine Taft’s creations featuring her signature California-luxe style have always been so unique and beautiful that she often times sells pieces right off her neck! Kristine started her business just 8 years ago and as a result of her great success – from high-end boutiques selling her pieces to seeing necklaces from the collection appear on celebrities and on the red carpet – she is now launching her own website so loyal fans of her work and those outside of California can order from her collection or design one-of-a-kind custom pieces.
http://www.kristinetaft.com/
Cultured Travel - Halsea Launches Latest Line of Travel Bags
Newport Beach, CA – Launching her fourth collection of travel bags, Sally Bartz of Halsea, the beach-chic travel accessories company, is proud to announce her latest collection called Little Harbor.
Little Harbor is a fresh take on a coastal classic, inspired by a recent trip to the lakeside town of Harbor Springs, MI. The pattern is a crisp white bamboo lattice print on a kelp green or coffee background. The beautifully detailed bags are trimmed in leather.
The Little Harbor Collection includes the following pieces:
· Roller Suitcase – The cornerstone of the Halsea collection: fits in the overhead compartment for easy traveling. ($335)
· Roller Duffle - Halsea’s largest bag to-date. Great for longer trips, it opens like a doctor’s bag so you can see everything inside and features a retractable pull and plenty of pockets. ($355)
· Large Tote – A very roomy tote perfect for a day at the beach, or the farmers’ market. ($135)
· Wallet Clutch– Looks like a clutch but acts like a wallet. The perfect 2-in-1 piece so you don’t have to pack an extra handbag for evenings. ($88)
· Cosmetic Bag – Plenty of inside pockets to carry a gal’s lotions and potions. ($55)
· Small Make-Up Bag - Small, zip-top case -- perfect to carry just the essentials. ($40)
· Halsea Home – décor items including pillows, table cloths and fabric-by-the-yard are also available in any of the exclusive Halsea patterns.
All styles are made of laminated printed canvas, and feature Halsea’s signature shell-pink satin lining – a feminine touch for sure, but also practical - ensuring that even the smallest accessories are easy to spot. Designed to mix and match, Halsea fabrics coordinate so that fans can expand their collections with the introduction of each new print.
“The Little Harbor print reminds me of the kind of classic seaside elegance where preppy reigns,” Sally mused. “It invokes a time when things took on more meaning the longer you owned them, and the little touches, like needle point pillows, were appreciated. When the highlight of the day was dusk spent with family and friends, sitting on the beach playing cards, telling stories, laughing with the kids.”
About Halsea
After spending the last decade designing accessories for surf apparel giants such as Roxy, Volcom, Modern Amusement and Paul Frank, Sally Bartz started Halsea for gals who want sophisticated, casual beach style. Having created the line based on the laid-back California style of the 1970’s, her days growing up across the street from the beach is often the inspiration behind Halsea products.
Halsea is a beach-chic company that offers travel bags and home accessories. The Halsea Shop is located at 409 31st Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663 and can be reached by calling 949.673.7743.
All Halsea products are available on www.halsea.com
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Little Harbor is a fresh take on a coastal classic, inspired by a recent trip to the lakeside town of Harbor Springs, MI. The pattern is a crisp white bamboo lattice print on a kelp green or coffee background. The beautifully detailed bags are trimmed in leather.
The Little Harbor Collection includes the following pieces:
· Roller Suitcase – The cornerstone of the Halsea collection: fits in the overhead compartment for easy traveling. ($335)
· Roller Duffle - Halsea’s largest bag to-date. Great for longer trips, it opens like a doctor’s bag so you can see everything inside and features a retractable pull and plenty of pockets. ($355)
· Large Tote – A very roomy tote perfect for a day at the beach, or the farmers’ market. ($135)
· Wallet Clutch– Looks like a clutch but acts like a wallet. The perfect 2-in-1 piece so you don’t have to pack an extra handbag for evenings. ($88)
· Cosmetic Bag – Plenty of inside pockets to carry a gal’s lotions and potions. ($55)
· Small Make-Up Bag - Small, zip-top case -- perfect to carry just the essentials. ($40)
· Halsea Home – décor items including pillows, table cloths and fabric-by-the-yard are also available in any of the exclusive Halsea patterns.
All styles are made of laminated printed canvas, and feature Halsea’s signature shell-pink satin lining – a feminine touch for sure, but also practical - ensuring that even the smallest accessories are easy to spot. Designed to mix and match, Halsea fabrics coordinate so that fans can expand their collections with the introduction of each new print.
“The Little Harbor print reminds me of the kind of classic seaside elegance where preppy reigns,” Sally mused. “It invokes a time when things took on more meaning the longer you owned them, and the little touches, like needle point pillows, were appreciated. When the highlight of the day was dusk spent with family and friends, sitting on the beach playing cards, telling stories, laughing with the kids.”
About Halsea
After spending the last decade designing accessories for surf apparel giants such as Roxy, Volcom, Modern Amusement and Paul Frank, Sally Bartz started Halsea for gals who want sophisticated, casual beach style. Having created the line based on the laid-back California style of the 1970’s, her days growing up across the street from the beach is often the inspiration behind Halsea products.
Halsea is a beach-chic company that offers travel bags and home accessories. The Halsea Shop is located at 409 31st Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663 and can be reached by calling 949.673.7743.
All Halsea products are available on www.halsea.com
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LOWD SUGA’ JEWELRY DESIGN ANNOUNCES GREEN INITIATIVES
Lowd Suga’ Designer/Owner & Actress Arianne Zucker
Makes a Personal Commitment to Environmentally Friendly Practices Adding a Green Twist to Her Popular Designs
Makes a Personal Commitment to Environmentally Friendly Practices Adding a Green Twist to Her Popular Designs
Los Angeles, CA – October 22, 2008 -- Does “going green” have to mean re-usable shopping bags, recycled cans and compost?? NO!! Lowd Suga’ Jewelry Design by Arianne Zucker has unveiled the first of its “green” designs exclusively at http://www.lowdsuga.com/ and is in the process of implementing some exciting changes to the way their jewelry is designed and created in an effort to be more environmentally responsible.
“I personally believe that each individual can be an instrument of change, doing what we can to prevent further damage to the earth and our environment,” says Arianne. “I love creating unique jewelry designs, but I want to do it knowing that as a small business owner, a consumer and citizen of this planet, I am doing it in the most responsible way.”In addition to diligently researching additional green strategies for the future, Lowd Suga’ is implementing greener business practices today starting with designing jewelry that is inspired by three things – acting locally, reusing and recycling.
What Lowd Suga is doing to reduce its footprint:
The focus of our initial green efforts will be in the following three areas:
Acting locally -- We are focusing on finding materials, stones and vintage pieces for our designs right here in LA.
Re-use – Challenging their creativity and resourcefulness, Lowd Suga’ is constantly looking for ways to repurpose vintage pieces, stones or embellishments for the Lowd Suga collection resulting in limited edition or truly one-of-a-kind pieces due to the nature of the resources.
Recycle – At Lowd Suga’, the goal going forward is to use primarily recycled metals and design pieces that use little or no metal at all. In an effort to reduce the environmental impact of this industry, there are new processes being developed to melt down metals that already exist (meaning they were excavated prior to 2008) and reuse the metal source which in turn makes recycling a more feasible solution while also reducing the pollution levels on the environment which Lowd Suga’ is committed to supporting.Why Jewelry has such a large footprint:
What many consumers may not know is that the excavation of metals is one of the leading sources of pollution on earth and the jewelry industry is one of the major reasons for this excavation. Since most jewelry is made of or with some kind of metal it becomes the responsibility of leaders in the industry to re-evaluate the impact they have on the environment and do what they can to minimize the damage.
From the ground, through the purification and shaping process each individual necklace, earring, bracelet or ring has been down a long road that is wrought with environmental pitfalls. It is for this reason that Lowd Suga’ is committed to changing the way they do business.
What many consumers may not know is that the excavation of metals is one of the leading sources of pollution on earth and the jewelry industry is one of the major reasons for this excavation. Since most jewelry is made of or with some kind of metal it becomes the responsibility of leaders in the industry to re-evaluate the impact they have on the environment and do what they can to minimize the damage.
From the ground, through the purification and shaping process each individual necklace, earring, bracelet or ring has been down a long road that is wrought with environmental pitfalls. It is for this reason that Lowd Suga’ is committed to changing the way they do business.
The complete Lowd Suga’ collection as well as additional information about Lowd Suga’ Jewelry Designs by Arianne Zucker is available at www.lowdsuga.com.
Halsea's Latest Press
As publicists, it is so exciting when you see all of your hard work pay off. But truly, the most rewarding is to see how the publicity you are getting affects your client's business in a positive light.
Sally Bartz of Halsea is a great example of how we have played a role in growing her brand and business. Here is just a small sampling of her latest press featuring her beach-chic travel bags.
http://www.halsea.com/
bettershelter's 12@ELDEN, Steve Jones and the bettershelter green awards
12@ELDEN, the eco-friendly development of 12 homes in Eastside Costa Mesa, is about to officially open.
In time for the opening of 12@ELDEN, bettershelter, the cutting edge development team behind 1.7 Ocean and 12@ELDEN, will be hosting the first annual bettershelter green awards.
Be on the look out for more informaiton about that later. In the meantime, check out the latest press profiling bettershelter's style-maker Steve Jones.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Pixie Dust Decor's DIY Night Light
Home-made gifts and DIY projects are hotter than ever. Pixie Dust Décor, creators of childish-chic children’s décor, bedding and fabric, has seen an influx of orders for their custom textiles that people are turning into fun projects at home. Below are Pixie Dust creator Stacy McCallum's directions for an easy night light that anyone can make.
DIY for You
Night Light Project
Supplies:
Self adhesive night light Hollywood Lights (available at Joann’s)
¼ yard fabric
1 yard trim (ricrac, pom poms and grosgrain work well)
4 clothes pins
fabric glue
Directions:
Using included night light template cut fabric to fit front of night light and adhesive surface
Cut your trim to size. One piece for each side of to frame night light
Using fabric glue dot along edges of night light, adhere trim pieces, use clothes pins to hold trim in place until it driesFor a finished look, overlap trim at corners and adhere to the back side of night lights.
12@Elden - Going Green Never Looked So Good
Love, love, love these bright and airy eco-friendly houses by bettershelter. 12@Elden makes living green easy to do. Check out the latest photos from this new development in Eastside Costa Mesa.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Gifting and Lifestyle Expert Diana Martin Announces Her Picks for the Top Gifts for 2008
Gifting and Lifestyle Expert Diana Martin has just announced her Top 10 gift picks that will be sure winners this holiday season. Trendy yet timeless, each of these gifts is elegant, luxurious and will make a lasting impression on their recipeint.
Martin turned her passion for art and her knowledge of international etiquette into a business of giving. For over 20 years, the CEO’s of household name companies, such as Lexus, Nestle and Kodak, have turned to her when they need to buy meaningful gifts for every occasion, whether the budget is $500 or priceless one-of-a-kind commissions. But, Martin’s primary concern is the psychology of gift-giving – the ways in which the right gift can help build and enhance relationships.
Martin turned her passion for art and her knowledge of international etiquette into a business of giving. For over 20 years, the CEO’s of household name companies, such as Lexus, Nestle and Kodak, have turned to her when they need to buy meaningful gifts for every occasion, whether the budget is $500 or priceless one-of-a-kind commissions. But, Martin’s primary concern is the psychology of gift-giving – the ways in which the right gift can help build and enhance relationships.
All of the items pictured can be purchased through Diana Martin’s Prezents Inc. – 949.631.2727. Diana will be debuting her newly redesigned website at http://www.dianamartingifts.com/ in the coming weeks, so be sure to check back soon!
For additional product/pricing information or hi-res images, please contact Lauren & Allison @TO Media Co. - 949.722.8488