Are You Afraid of the Dark?

The Mountains of the Moon Ladies aren't. In fact, we're not only looking forward to the dark, we're helping make it happen. And we think you should help us out.

On March 28th, from 8:30 to 9:30 PM, we'll be one of thousands of businesses (and individually, just a few of the millions) across the US (and the world) who will be taking part in Earth Hour 2009. The World Wildlife Fund is "asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions." We participated in this last year as well, and trust us - it was pretty damn cool to see lights throughout Chicago go out, together. Talk about a collective statement. We had goosebumps. Eco-goosebumps.

So will you join us, dear readers? It's easy and it's free (and let's face it - not much is better than free in this crappy economy). Find out more information and sign up for Earth Hour right here. You can also see the full list of Chicago business participants (including little ole' us). Or look up your own city and see who is participating there.

And remember, life's always more fun in the dark.
Lovins,
Your favorite MotM Earth Hour-ers

Eco-Love (& Savings!) are the in the air

Ahhh, Valentine's Day. A time for overendulgance of sugar, overconsumption of paper (come on, you know those little Valentine cards that are yes, oh-so-cute and full o' childhood memories, are far from eco-friendly), and alas, heartache and scorned souls everywhere. WELL, despite its obvious downfalls, we still love to love Valentine's Day. So we're offering up a big ole' lovey-dovey discount to our customers. In addition to our up-to-50%-off markdowns (!), if you enter the coupon GREENLOVE
in the coupon code box at check-out at http://www.mountainsofthemoon.com, you'll get an additional 15% off your order. Enough to renew your faith in love, isn't it?

Special ends February 10th (a little before Vday, we know, but you want your sweetie to get that special gift by the 14th, right?).

xoxo kiss xoxo hug,
the ladies of mountains of the moon eco.fashion

Mountains of the Moon is a long-time Green America (formerly Co-op) America approved business, and we are quite proud of it, if we do say so ourselves. In order to be approved for the Green America Seal, a company must go through a screening process to prove that they "adopt principles, policies, and practices that improve the quality of life for their customers, their employees, communities, and the environment." Not to toot our own eco-horns, but we've also been nominated for Green America's Green Business of the Year for the last three years a row. Not too shabby for a fashion line, eh?

We thought we'd share two very interesting articles recently put out by Green America. The first, Solutions from the Green Economy, discusses six green-economy solutions to today’s economic mess. The second, 7 Fixes from the Green Economy, focuses on this issue in more depth. They are both informative and bring up some pretty innovative ideas that could actually work.

And with our amazing brand new president and administration, we think the environment will finally be given the attention it really deserves. But we'll save that for another post.

xoxo,
melissa

Change is Divine in 2009!

Oh dear readers, how can we count the ways in which we feel deeply apologetic for the fact we have been so MIA? December was a crazy little month for us, with time spent in Jamaica, the holidays, a fabulous NYE show run with my boyfriend's amazing band Umphrey's McGee (25 piece show choir backing up the band + my very own private birthday dressing room backstage = not too shabby), and some deep thinking.

After over ten incredible years, I will be taking some new directions in 2009. Obvi, I will still be designing for Mountains of the Moon, but I'll be venturing out a bit as well. I've been fortunate to get some pretty cool gigs designing for the music industry, and I'll be focusing on that more in the upcoming year.

As for MotM, not to toot our own eco-horns, but we're a little bit proud that we were one of the first companies who took the risk to include eco-friendly fabrics in our collections, well before hemp and organic cotton became accepted by the mainstream. We cherish all that we learned along the way, all of the wonderful people we met, and the fact that we have been incredibly lucky to take a dream and make it a reality.

Don't worry, Mountains of the Moon ain't-a-goin' nowhere. But our collections, at least in the near future, will be a bit smaller, a bit more select - and as always, fabulously rad. As for right now, we highly suggest you head right over to our website and take advantage of the major mark downs on almost everything in our current collection. Once it's gone, it's gone, so don't miss out.

Happy, happy New Year. We love you. Like TLF love you. Middle school style.

xoxo,
melissa

P.S. This picture is from our brand new Spring '09 collection. We hope you think it's swanky and like, the cat's meow and all that.

We Heart Eco-Friendly Holiday Partys

And that is why you should come to ours!

Please join Mountains of the Moon, Climate Cycle, and Butterfly Social Club for this special event to celebrate the holidays the eco-friendly way! Enjoy wallet-friendly drink specials put together just for this event, like $5 organic vodka drinks, $3 Stone Mill Organic pale ale, $3 PBR/Jameson shot combos, $4 cocktails and more! Snack on organic holiday cookies while you mingle with friends.

For $10, you'll get a special wristband that will entitle you to drink specials all night, a free handmade, recycled bookmark (makes a great stocking stuffer!) from Mountains of the Moon, and you'll be helping out a good cause (see below). You'll also have the chance to purchase Mountains of the Moon Gift Certificates (the perfect last minute gift, we must see), and enter our raffle for great prizes including Mountains of the Moon clothing, CDs and posters from our friends at Umphrey's McGee, and more! Bring your friends and join us for this amazing holiday party.

ABOUT MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON (just incase you didn't already know): Mountains of the Moon Eco.Fashion is a sustainable design and apparel organization aimed at creating high-quality, wearable art-style clothing that helps, not hurts, the earth. We see ourselves as collaborators with our customers in an effort to take a stand in making environmentally and socially responsible decisions through our wardrobes. Our goal for our company and our customers is to work together to express ourselves through fashion and art while making a profound collective difference in the state of our world. http://www.mountainsofthemoon.com/

ABOUT CLIMATE CYCLE: Climate Cycle is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to reduce global warming and empower our youth to become leaders in an emerging green economy. We work in close partnership with the Chicago Department of Environment to help foster proactive climate partnerships among local schools, government, green businesses and individuals. http://www.climatecycle.org/

ABOUT BUTTERFLY SOCIAL CLUB: The Butterfly is the first of a kind, eco-built, super food and tonic bar. Butterfly supports organic, chemical free, and wild crafted drink production in over 20 countries. Butterfly utilizes solar energy, kinetic energy from a bike in the front window, and high efficiency lighting and amplifiers. The interior is one of the world's largest earthen structures curved to the specifications of the Windmiller Sound. http://www.butterflysocialclub.com/

We hope to see you at the most fabulously swank holiday party there is. December 19th, Butterfly Social Club. That's at 722 West Grand in beautiful, warm (BAAhaha) Chicago.

xoxo
all of us.

are you tired?

So what are you tired of? Global Warming? Animal Cruelty? AIDS? Cancer? We're sick off all of it, let me tell you. And that's why we love these fabulous bracelets created by our friends over at I'm Tired Of...

Sister and brother team Dan Hoffman and Carrie Pollare lost their father to heart disease at the age of 37 (when they were only 7 and 10), and then lost several other loved ones to preventable diseases. They decided it was time to take a stand and do something positive to express their losses, as well as the losses that affect all of us. They even took it a step further and decided to also make a difference in the many other important issues collectively affecting our world.

Their "I'm Tired Of" Bracelets, like our clothing, are not only fashionable, but also eco-friendly. Made from recycled tires pulled from landfills, they feature simple yet profound sayings like "I'm Tired of Autism" and "I'm Tired of Child Abuse." At a very reasonable $10, they are very affordable. The best part: $5 from each bracelet (that's half) goes to the causes featured on the bracelets.

We give kudos to like-minded companies like I'm Tired who are making a statement (and helping causes) through art and fashion. Check them out (they make fabulous eco-stocking stuffers).

xo,

melissa

Organic Holiday Cookies make for Fun Eco-Tricks

I just love being a sneaky little environmentalist and surprising the non-eco-believers with delights such as these organic holiday cookies. My trick is to wait to tell them until AFTER they've tasted these cookies in all their deliciousness that they are - gasp - organic.

(*Be sure to wear your most eco-fabulous sustainable holiday outfit when serving these cookies. We suggest this organic cotton, made-in-the-USA dress, which is 20% off with coupon code HOLIDAYSAVINGS).

INGREDs:
2 cups of (sifted) organic flour
1 1/2 t. aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 t. sea salt
1/4 t. organic cinnamon
1/4 t. organic allspice
1/2 cup organic butter or vegan button (we heart Earth Balance, yummy)
1 cup organic granulated sugar
1 organic, cage free egg (or vegan egg alternative)
1 t. organic vanilla extract

Mix one cup of the the flour, baking powder, salt, and delicious spices together in a bowl. In another bowl, cream the butta (aka butter), then mix in the suga (aka sugar), then eggy-weggy (A Clockwork Orange, anyone?), and vanilla. Add your dry mixture to the wet one, then slowly add enough of the remaining flour that the dough is stiff enough to roll. I like to chillllllllll the mixture for an hour or two after this for easier rolling. When it's nice and rollable, preheat oven to 375 degrees, and lightly flour a cutting board. Roll the dough to about 1/8" thickness, then use pretty little cookie cutters to cut out your favorite holiday shapes. Fun! Place your shapes on an ungreased cookie sheets. You can sprinkle them with sugar or decorate them however your little heart desires. Bake those babies for 8 to 9 minutes, cool 'em, or take 'em along with your sassy little eco-trickster self to the nearest holiday party. Spread that eco-cheer to all.

xoxo,

melissa, who thinks it's really funny that she posted a recipe for cookies, since it's basically the only thing she likes to make that involves a kitchen

The Holiday Ramblings of a New Eco-Mom

Ohh Holidays... It's my daughter Halen's first holiday season. She turned 3 months on Thanksgiving. She's getting so big and I keep realizing how big the world is around her, and how content she is in her little house with us. She is usually caught with me hanging out from room to room; in office with the big windows and tall trees outside, or in her room with her beautiful crib adorned with Tibetan Prayer flags around the top (she's already sleeping in her own room, omg!). And in the third room, where we relax in bed, drink our bottles (hers, organic formula & mine, dark red wine ;)) and watch the boob tube - which I think she would like much more if its appearances were more characteristic of its nickname.

We caught the new episode of Samantha Who? and watched as she broke up with her environmentalist boyfriend. Her reasoning was her overwhelming feeling of guilt for her lifestyle pref. Samantha talked about it getting to the point where she took 30 minutes to decide whether the rubber on her shoes from walking 1/2 a block walk was worth the act of recycling one can. I seriously do this every day, seemingly all day. Damn tiring I tell ya.

Anyway back to the Holidays... I didn't do much of anything eco for Thanksgiving, although not by choice. I didn't cook, so I didn't do any organic food for anyone. I drove way too far. I went to a house knowing they didn't recycle and watched them fill up a full size roll to the street trash bin(!) with water bottles, beer bottles, and wine bottles alone (heavy drinkers, yes). The reason this doesn't plague my conscious is because I try to balance it out in other ways. If I take a long shower, I'll make up for it in another way (reduced flushing, driving less, taking recycling from local businesses, whatever I can come up with). The man who owns this particular house, my father, has his own reasons for not recycling: black holes. Haha. The ultimate recyclers. Good point, eh? (just kidding - please recycle!)

That's all for now. Halen is ready for some more bouncing on mom and possible some baby Einstein. Hey, if anyone knows of some other baby Einstein-ish movies for babies/toddlers please write to me and let me know! Adios!

Corinne