Yummmmmy Summer Wrap Recipe

Let's take a little break from organic summer fashion and focus on something almost as delicious, organic summer food. Here is one of my fave recipes for Yummy Wraps, full of goodness from your garden or local farmer's market.

All you need is your favorite wraps (I like spinach tortillas), and your favorite organic veggies, chopped (summer squash, peppers, salad greens, tomatoes, mushroom, corn, whatevs). Mix it up in a bowl. I like adding olives to mine as well, and some good ole' vermont sharp white cheddar. Spread some hummus (make your own or buy fresh from a local market) on the tortillas, added the veggie greens mixtures, and roll 'em on up. (I was tempted to just write "rock and roll 'em up" but I stopped myself). You can also lightly grill them if desired. Eat and share. Best enjoyed with a margarita, btw.

Happy summer eating!

It's All Summer's Fault!

Has it really been a month since our last post? Wow. Completely unacceptable, we know. In our defense, summer days in Chicago are few and far between... So when we're not producing FW09, designing SS10, and/or spending way too much time doing much-less-glamorous tasks in the office, we're spending any of the sunny free time we have at least attempting to be outside.

It's really all summer's fault. It's nearly impossible to resist those sweet moments that only summer can bring, when you're sipping on an organic vodka/lemonade, wearing your favorite summery organic cotton sundress (paired with strappy nude sandals, a vintage turquoise beaded necklace and your favorite oversized Audrey Hepburn-esque thrift store hat, but who's keeping track?), munching on olives, cheese and fresh veggies from the farmer's market, watching the sky turn pink and red with your adorable 13-1/2 year old black lab/chow mix at your side... Sigh... Trust me, I am known as the group workaholic (what's a weekend?), but not much can keep me away from a warm summer sunset.

We also had a very busy last month, producing the first ever official eco-fashion show at the amazing Rothbury festival (see pic above), which housed close to 40,000 festival goers and some incredible music. Did we mention that it's the most eco-friendly festival we've ever attended? (See two posts back for more info on our new favorite festy EVER). We'll post pics from the eco-fash show as soon as we get them from the fancy-shmancy professional photographers. Oh, and good news... They already asked us back for next year to produce and even bigger and better show! My wheels are already turning.

Really, there are lots of excuses as to why we've been MIA on the ol' blog, but it's easiest to just stop here, blame it on summer, and promise to post a lot more before July is just a memory. K? K.

Summer Lovin's,
mb & the motm eco-girls

Smart. Sustainable. SHOPPING!

What do you get when you cross sustainability and shopping (and throw in some of Chicago's top eco-designers and eco-boutiques)? Well, the Sustainable Fashion Cafe, of course!

Join Mountains of the Moon Eco.Fashion for a lovely evening of sustainable shopping and conversation at this unique fashion event, hosted by Fashion Focus/Chicago Fashion Resource (the same fine folks who put on Chicago's Fashion Week) and Conscious Living TV.



When: Thursday, June 18th from 5 to 8 PM
Where: The Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph Street
What: Come meet our designer Melissa Baswell in person and shop Mountains of the Moon's amazing Spring/Summer Collection(including fabric choices in some designs that are not available on our website)! Along with MotM's collection, browse the designs of six other Chicago eco-friendly fashion and accessory designers, and three of Chicago's sustainable boutiques. Mingle, sip on on a cocktail, shop, enjoy.

AND, if you mention our blog, we'll give you $10 off (only at the Sustainable Fashion Cafe). Come unwind with us after work! We'll see you there.

Mmmm, Eco-Fashion + Music in the Summatime

Really though, what sounds more amazing than things like delicious sunshine, blissfully beautiful live music, good friends and eco-fabulous sustainable fashion? Lucky for you (and us), all of these fine, fine pleasures are available at the Think Tank Green Your Wardrobe Fashion Show (aka the official Eco-Fashion Show at Rothbury Music Festival).

Debuted in the summer of 2008, Rothbury is a near zero-waste music festival "guided by a bold environmental sustainability mission" and "committed to throwing a huge party with a purpose." We like. Located on an absolutely gorgeous site full of lush forests and sparkling waters, it becomes home to 30,000 music, art, and earth lovers the weekend of July 3rd to 5th.

In addition to a vastly impressive artist line up that includes a ridiculously wide variety of acts (the Dead, Broken Social Scene, Umphrey's McGee, Willie Nelson, the Black Crowes, Girl Talk, Les Claypool, and on-on-on), Rothbury offers the Think Tank, a unique "event within an event" that includes buzz sessions, workshops and events put on by "leading scientists, scholars, writers, progressive political and corporate leaders, youth leaders, Rothbury artists" and the community. SO cool.

The best part (at least in our fashion-obsessed minds) is the Green Your Wardrobe Fashion Show that will take place as a Think Tank event on Saturday, July 4th. We may be a little biased, as Mountains of the Moon was asked to produce the fashion show along with our friends at Good Will, and little old indie eco-designer me was chosen to emcee. Bias aside, we think learning how to green your wardrobe while viewing the chicest in sustainable apparel and accessories, all set to the fine tracks of our official DJ, STS9's David Murphy, sounds like a pretty delightful way to spend a summer afternoon. From high-end designer organic dresses to the most stylish recycled vintage, we have a feeling that this may in fact be THE eco-fashion show of the summer.

Mosey on over to the Think Tank Green Your Wardrobe Fashion Show event page on Facebook for all the deets (and while you're there, RSVP "attending!").

Nothin' quite like eco-fashion and music in summa summa summatime, oh no.

xoxo,
melissa

You Did it & Oh How We Love You!

Many, many thanks, hugs and eco-friendly kisses to all of you who took the time to vote, spread the word, and just plain encourage us during the long journey toward our ultimate goal: our founder Melissa Baswell (yep, that's her, rockin' out to the left) winning the Intuit Small Business United Grant! Now don't get TOO excited... We didn't win the big one ($25,000). We did, however, win one of the four "first place" grants. That's right. And a $10,000 business grant plus $2,500 in Intuit products and services is not too shabby for a small, green fashion company. We couldn't have done it without you! Check our fabulous press release below, ya know, just in case you have a favorite magazine or blog who might want to write about about a lil' ole' sustainable fashion label from Chicago. And speaking of Chicago, we're the only Chi-town business, and the only green business, in the top five winners. We're pretty excited to be able to represent things that we really love and that help shape our business in so many ways, like our eco-fabulous city and the wonderful world of sustainable style.

Remember kids, although this amazing grant given to us by the kind, generous folks at Intuit will really, really help us out in these crazy times, we still need your help to stay alive. Please continue to tell your friends about us, blog about us, and when you're in the mood for some sassy eco-fashion, shop with us! In fact, we're gonna give you 30% off your next orders on our website to thank you. Just enter WA30 in the coupon code box at check-out.

xoxo,
The Ladies of Mountains of the Moon


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Mountains of the Moon Eco-Fashion
PO Box 25192
Chicago, IL 60625
877.875.0689
melissa@mountainsofthemoon.com
http://www.mountainsofthemoon.com


Intuit Announces Mountains of the Moon Eco-Fashion as Small Business United Grant Competition Winner

Eco-Fashion Designer Melissa Baswell Proves Sustainable Fashion a Promising Business Idea: Wins $10,000 Grant to Grow Business

CHICAGO, IL – Jun. 04, 2009 – Chicago-based fashion designer Melissa Baswell’s passion for fashion (and the environment) began at the age of five, when she discovered her two favorite hobbies: sewing, and exploring nature. In high school, she was the president of her high school’s Ecology Preservation Club, and wore her own handmade clothing created from natural fabrics. While a student at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Baswell divided her free time between interning with an environmental nonprofit and designing clothing for her friends. Well before the green movement became popular, she was using sustainable materials in an effort to create fashion-forward clothing that would break the stereotype of eco-fashion being defined as bland and boring.

Eventually, Baswell formed Mountains of the Moon Eco.Fashion, a sustainable clothing label aimed at creating chic clothing that helps, not hurts, the earth. Called a “pioneer of the eco-fashion movement” by Fashion, Evolved, Baswell and her designs have been showcased at the Museum of Sustainable Style and the EcoModa Sustainable Fashion Showcase. Last fall, a dress designed by Baswell from recycled candy wrappers was exhibited at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art.

Baswell is an active member of several eco-friendly fashion communities, and is heavily involved in the green community, as a member of Green America, an exhibitor at Green Festivals nationwide, and as a key speaker at Green Apple Music and Arts Festival. Baswell will co-producing and emceeing the Think Tank Green Fashion Show at Rothbury Music Festival in July.


Baswell's story was one of the nearly 2,000 submitted for the Small Business United Grant Competition. She was among 50 finalists who each received a $5,000 grant and were invited to create videos telling their personal business stories. Judges selected the winners based on quality, creativity and public ratings.

One of five winners nationwide who will each receive a business grant, plus $2,500 in Intuit products and services to support their growing businesses, Baswell’s company, Mountains of the Moon, is the only green business to win.

“The Small Business United Grant Competition brought the small business community together to share stories, give and receive advice, and inspire each other,” said Kiran Patel, executive vice president and general manager of Intuit’s small business group. Melissa Baswell says she is thrilled to represent sustainable fashion through her award. “In a time of economic uncertainty, winning this grant will allow our company to really grow. I hope that my story of overcoming adversity will inspire other green business and eco-fashion labels to continue to work hard toward achieving success through creating positive change.”

The competition is part of Intuit’s Small Business United initiative, launched earlier this year to give America’s 27 million small businesses a boost. More than 1 million people have visited the Small Business United Web site to seek advice from their peers and to take advantage of the campaign’s other offerings, which include free Intuit products, services and resources.

###


Mountains of the Moon Eco-Fashion (www.mountainsofthemoon.com) is a Chicago-based sustainable clothing line featuring eco-friendly contemporary and designer clothing for the eco-conscious and fashion-conscious consumer. Mountains of the Moon’s line is produced locally using only sustainable materials, and can be found at select boutiques worldwide.

We Need Your Help!

Please listen to this short audio blog for details on how you can help us out in a big way! xoxo

Gabcast! Mountains of the Moon Audio Blogging Sessions #1




Once you have listened to eco-fabulous audio cast above (it's only a minute long, so never fear), pretty pretty please (with organic sugar on top) help us out by doing the following:

Watch our video: Passion, Perseverance, & Pigeon Poop: the Story of Mountains of the Moon Eco.Fashion

And then vote for Mountains of the Moon!

TO VOTE:
(NOTE: Please use Firefox as your browser if you can. The voting doesn't seem to work in some versions of Internet Explorer).
1. To the right of the video there will be three links (in blue) that say Inspiring, Useful, and Funny. Click on Inspiring.
3. You will be prompted to either sign in (if you voted on our story in the last round, you can use the same user ID and password; if you forgot your password, click on the forgot password link and they will e-mail it to you), or create an account. Creating an account takes less than 10 seconds, and you never have to use it again dear readers (and Intuit will not send you spam or e-mailers, we promise).
4. After that, click on Useful, then Funny. Once all of these links says "Thanks," you've voted for us!
5. Now pass it on! Post to your blog, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, message boards, and forward to your friends, coworkers and family.


Just like you have helped us to exist over the years, you can also help us continue to create positive change and stay in business through economically uncertain times with the help of this grant.

If you have any questions or trouble casting your vote, e-mail us at customerservice (AT) mountainsofthemoon.com.


We love you ever MORE now!
xo,
melissa & all the motm team

We Made It! Now Pretty, Pretty Please Vote for Us!

Well dear readers, we've got some news for you, oh yes we do...

Recently, we entered a small business grant competition, where we told the story of Mountains of the Moon, and discussed owner/designer Melissa Baswell's (that's me!) challenges in starting an eco-friendly fashion company. 1,900 businesses entered, and our lo and behold, our lil' old story was chosen as one of the 50 finalists! We were then given about a week to make a short (less then 4 minute) movie telling the story. As we do with our company and clothing, we put a lot of time and passion into creating the video. (And stayed up until 3 AM way too many nights in a row for there to be no organic wine involved).

We hope that you love us as much as we love you, and that you will take a few minutes to watch our video and learn more about how we overcame struggles in an industry that wasn't always open to eco-friendly fashion. And then we hope you'll vote for us! Vote, vote vote! For a small environmentally and socially conscious clothing label, fighting to move forward and grow is a major challenge, especially in an economic crisis. This grant would help us to continue our mission.

Details on how to vote and a link to the story are below. If you like our video, we hope that you will also spread the word! Pass this on to your friends, your family, your cute little doggy, post it on your facebook pages or message boards or groups you are part of, write about it on your blog, paint it across your chest and run free through the forest - anything you can do is of course fabulous and appreciated. 60% of our score is up to the judges, but 40% is based on the votes that we get from all of you - our blog readers, customers, colleagues, shops/boutiques, and friends. The voting ends on May 31st.

Here is the link to our video: Passion, Perseverance, & Pigeon Poop: the Story of Mountains of the Moon Eco.Fashion

DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO VOTE:
(NOTE: Please use Firefox as your browser if you can. The voting doesn't seem to work in Internet Explorer).
1. Go to the link above and watch the video.
2. To the right of the video there will be three links (in blue) that say Inspiring, Useful, and Funny (hopefully you will choose all three!). Click on one of the links.
3. You will be prompted to either sign in (if you voted on our story in the last round, you can use the same user ID and password; if you forgot your password, click on the forgot password link and they will e-mail it to you), or create an account. Creating an account takes less than 10 seconds, and you never have to use it again (and Intuit will not send you spam or e-mailers).
4. After that, click on the other two as well (if you clicked on "Inspiring" before signing in or creating an account, now click on "Useful" and "Funny.") There is also a place to post a comment which is optional.
5. Now pass it on! :)

Finally, I'd like to thank my amazing boyfriend Robbie for his help with this. This man is on the road as Stage Manager Extraordinare for weeks at a time, and he spent the few days he is home and able to rest learning video editing and being my movie-making partner in crime. I'd also like to thank our wonderful friend and incredibly talented musician Jake Cinninger for the original music he donated to the story. Bost most of all, thank YOU. Mountains of the Moon exists because of you, period.

I hope you enjoy watching the story of our beginnings, and that you'll vote for us and help us continue our mission to design conscious, chic clothing that helps, not hurts, the earth.

Love, love, love,
Melissa (& Kari, Rachel, Morgan & Corinne too)

Chicago Green Festival Audio Blog Reports #greenfest : Final Green Festival Chicago Upate & Many Thanks!

Gabcast! Chicago Green Festival Audio Blog Reports #greenfest #11