Private Pilates

Hmmm... I guess that sounds a little dirty, but aside from having to lay on my grimy living room floor, there's not really anything kinky about it! At rehearsal yesterday I found out that my friend and company member Mandy, is getting certified to teach Pilates. To get the teaching hours required for certification, Mandy, who has training in Reiki and massage therapy, is giving private Pilates sessions for the price of...get this, $12 bucks, or a BARTER! Now that's a price most recent grads can get down with. It's cheaper than seeing a movie in Manhattan, and its better for you too! I had my first session with Mandy this morning, and even though I've done it before, the one on one training is already kicking my butt. 20 minutes in and I was saying, "Woman, I didn't even know I HAD muscles there!" which, believe it or not, is a good thing. Besides, look how much much fun Joseph Pilates looks like he's having in the photograph above!

Craving: Pink Grapefruit Ice Cream

pink ice-cream truck
Originally uploaded by -l.i.l.l.i.a.n-

Last week I talked about ice cream for maybe four days straight before I actually went after some (not a will power-related delay). I was with Ian, standing outside of the IFC, when he told me the time had come. Yes, I know there is ice cream in the West Village, but Ian assured me that THE SPOT for us lay in the East Village. As it turned out, he was right. Sundaes & Cones is no new kid on the block, but after living at school on the UWS all this time, I seem to have overlooked it. With homemade ice-cream flavors like Wasabi, Ginger, Corn, Tiramisu and Black Sesame, along with all the classics- this definitely was definitely the right place. Obviously-- I am literally drooling remembering the refreshing Pink Grapefruit ice cream I chose...perfection on a muggy New York night.

Oh Hey!

I can’t not blog for another minute. Since graduating, I have become an employee of Amala, started working with Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company, taken a side job writing for a law blog (no, not Bob Loblaw’s) and subsequently moved to Dumbo, Brooklyn. To my pleasure, this new mosaic of activities has served to expand my knowledge and increase my access to findings of the “green” and “very awesome” variety. On one hand, I never realized how paranoid I would become, selling the most pure organic skincare in the world, while simultaneously writing articles for the law blog about groundwater contamination, loose FDA regulations, and carcinogens in beauty products. On the other hand, I do feel like now more than ever, I am armed with the information I need to make the lifestyle choices that are right for me as I start my post-grad life. I’m not going vegan, or even practicing yoga everyday (shocker!) but, I am trying to make healthy affordable choices concerning what I eat, what I put on my skin, and how I treat my mind, body and the environment everyday. I look forward to sharing some of my recent summer adventures in addition to any tidbits of “greenery” I acquire along the way!

ps. above is a mosaic (teehee) of some of my latest flickr posts that I made at collagr.com

Amala @ Barneys NYC

Amala has launched at Barneys NYC! The German brand that began as a group of practicing Buddhists distilling plant oils has now grown into a luxury skincare brand with a conscience. The premise is simple: you shouldn't have to sacrifice responsibility for results. The products are all natural and the ingredients are as organic as they come, from sustainable fair-trade farms all over the world. I'm clearly a fan, as you can see from the picture above, standing in front of the Amala window display at the Barneys launch party last week.

LOHAS

Last Tuesday I attended my first ever LOHAS event at the opening of Greendepot in the East Village. LOHAS, an acronym for lifestyles of health and sustainability, is an organization of entrepreneurs whose businesses are committed to sustainability, well-being, social justice, and the environment. The event brought about 100 business owners and eco-chic press people together in celebration of the new home depot for the socially conscious and environmentally sound shopper. Several LOHAS company owners made speeches, including one by Ute Leube, founder of Amala Skincare (and incidentally, my new employer!) The products at Greendepot range from bamboo soil alarm clocks to safe organic cleaning products, "found art" home decor (seen above), and it even features the only no-VOC paint bar in Manhattan. So, if and when I can actually afford to move into my own apt. and do it up nice and green, I'll know where to go!
Learn more about Greendepot here.

Big Easy Rain

I went to New Orleans for my spring break to visit my friend Marissa, hoping to relax a little and get some sunshine and warmth after finishing the written part of my thesis (for the most part done in the cave- piled –with- books that my room has become). I landed on the runway and had a missed call from her, informing me that the first serious rainstorm of the season had just hit and was supposed to last for a few days. My first thought was that I wouldn’t be returning to NYC with a nice tan after all… bummer. But the next day, we went walking in the rain, and my chagrin melted away as I had my first look at the Big Easy. First of all, warm rain is an altogether different experience than the cold and stinging rain I’m used to in New York. Apparently, it also makes for great pictures- the bright colors of the city really pop against the grey sky. Seeing a new city for the first time is always an exciting adventure, and though I had different expectations, New Orleans was just as easy as ever in the rain, and I got the escape from my own city that I had been seeking. I think more than anything I needed a change of scenery, or maybe even just the time to take in the scenery. Above are some of the shots I took. See more on my flickr page.

C'monYe

Seems like Kanye West has been reading The Green Room. At kanyeuniversecity.com on 4/20, the man himself (ostensibly) posted about Green Room friend, photographer i.anton, who I blogged about months ago!!! Pardon me while I gloat for a hot minute about THAT. Congrats i.anton!