headed to new york

Weeell we're off to the big city again for our annual family gathering.
This will probably be the best holiday ever.

community garden

Milo and I just signed up for some wither gardening at Golden Gate community garden. Look for our photos of carrots beets and swiss chard. aaah - tea and omlets in the rain - starting this saturday.

my new perfume!

Year Introduced: 1970
Scent Type: Chypre - Fresh
Top Notes: Sicilian lime, Calabrian mandarin, bergamot, tangerine, grapefruit
Heart Notes: Wild rose, mountain narcissus
Base Notes: Mysore sandalwood, Croatian oakmoss, amber

Eau de Rochas is a refreshing eau de Cologne from the House of Rochas. An earthy natural, the cool chypre scent begins with tangy citrus notes, often called hesperides, tangy and uplifting. A floral heart adds depth, while woods, oakmoss and amber combine to create a lingering aura of deep green forest.
The bottle is shaped like rock crystal and nestled in a box clothed with the cool colors of a fast-running stream--images reflective of the shimmering fragrance. ©

- Perfume Profile by Jan Moran author
Fabulous Fragrances II © 2007 -

kombucha

Whenever feeling upset or sad, or my stomach just hurts from anxiety, or somebody stole my parking space at "the bowl", just drinking some gingerberry synergy makes everything ok.

I was thinking it would be nice to purchase or ask for my own little baby and start my own colony, but sounds like it's best to leave the brewing to GT instead and just sign up for case by case delivery.

kombucha - what it is - what it isn't
I love love love this stuff!

"Each batch is gently placed in a warm and spiritual environment where the walls are painted purple and spiritual music is played. Though it may sound silly, the most important thing that we do when making our batches is to give them LOTS of love."

go get some seriously

The Standard Hollywood

The Standard Hollywood
Originally uploaded by scott_waterman.

K P O O

http://www.kpoo.com/hearus.html
Somebody - Please help these brothas figure this out so we can get down! (I'm talkin to you baby ryan!)

It is our fondest dream to one day be included in the iTunes Broadcast list. Apparently the process is shrouded in mystery. If you know how KPOO can be a part of the iTunes community, we'd love to hear it. E-mail us at streaming@kpoo.com.

califia

http://www.greencenturyinstitute.org/califia.htm

Overview:
This workshop will bring together various Bay Area groups and experts who are interested in contributing to the “visioning process” for Califia, the Green Century Institute’s proposed 10,000-person Bay Area EcoCity - as our region’s sustainable development epicenter. This initial conceptual design stage of the project will be rooted in convergence and consensus building. We will be working with facilitators from the Neighborhood Assemblies Network, who will be using the “World Café” format for the workshop. Our agenda for the day includes overview/history, small & large group discussion, shared vision building and action team breakouts.

Workshop Deliverables:
1. Design Spec - The primary configuration of Califia that can be used for initial conceptual design studies.
2. Strategic Plan Outline/Timeline - Basic outline of the development plan and timeline.
3. Core Visioning Community - Establish the initial core Califia support group working with GCI on design development and strategic planning.

Confirmed Participants/Organizations:
Over 60 representatives from various organizations, such as Bioneers, EcoCity Builders, Livability Project, Solar Living Institute, Calthorpe Associates, etc... and various sectors - construction/developers, affordable housing, architecture/design, food/permaculture, energy industry, community organizing, real estate, non-profits, transportation, venture capital/banking, business, youth, government, education, technology/social networks, health/wellness and media/arts.

About the Califia Project:

Califia is a proposed 10,000-person ecocity to be built in the San Francisco metropolitan region over the next ten to fifteen years. The Green Century Institute is developing the general proposal for the project and seeking partners for this world class sustainable development.

Key Objectives:

• Model Ecocity Development: Create a living example of an ecologically and economically sustainable urban development that leverages the evolutionary culture of Northern California in a real estate development integrating advanced green design features, network-facilitated community development, and forward thinking partnerships with private, non-profit, commercial, and civic institutions.

· Green Community Network Hub: Develop Califia in concert with a network of ecological community projects around the world, sharing solutions for proven green development methodologies.

Development Process Goals:

1. Financing: Develop pioneering community-based financing and development approaches, and strategic public/private partnerships.
2. Ecology: Focus on sustainable and/or regenerative design solutions wherever possible in answering Califia's fundamental questions regarding energy use, food production, construction techniques/materials, transportation, etc
3. Values: Propagate the interdependent values of social justice and ecological sustainability.
4. Social: Use social network enhanced decision-making processes for accelerated project development, including sustainable lifestyle guidelines and systems, and the ongoing function and evolution of the Califia community.
5. Creativity: Encourage biomimetic design, aesthetics and lifestyles.

Background:
The concept of Califia emerged out of the research and development work of the Green Century Institute as a further evolution of various first generation eco-city design implementations across the globe, among them GCI partner projects Arcosanti in central Arizona and Auroville in Southern India. Drawing partially upon these eco-city implementations as well as their theoretical backing, we envision Califia as a leading edge eco-development joining next generation green architectural design principles and information systems into integral human living environments for the 21st century. Key to the design will be the innovative social meshwork underlying it, which will be implemented in a flexible mixed-use project combining traditional and cohousing-style residential development – a full suite of community, commercial, and social spaces to maximize human potential and group interactions.

(from left): Climate Zone 1 (1976), Arcosanti 2000 (1993), Nudging Space Arcology (2000) - Model arcologies designed by Paolo Soleri.

(from left): Canal City, Fukuoka, Japan (1996), Core Pacific City, Taipai, Taiwan (2001, under construction), Santa Fe Town Center, Mexico City, Mexico (1993, proposed) - Urban design projects developed by Jon Jerde's Jerde Partnership International.

Proposed Features and Components of Califia

Location: within 30 minutes of San Francisco/Oakland metropolitan area

Space use: 50% living, 25% commercial/public, 25% public/circulation/services

LEED-certified development from the US Green Building Counsel (www.usgbc.org)

Sustainable design and technology features

Digital network/media infrastructure

"Social capital" real estate investment programs

Advanced horticulture and permaculture - farms, greenhouses, parks, small gardens

Performing arts center / Art retreat center

Healing and spiritual practice center

High tech research laboratories / Museum of Information Design - sponsored by Bay Area technology firms

Green Community Network headquarters and meeting facilities

Active Advisors
Two world leaders in urban design, Paolo Soleri's Cosanti Foundation and Jon Jerde's Jerde Partnership International, are making significant in-kind contributions to the conception and design of Califia. Other Active Advisors for the Califia project, such as Liz Burdock and Martin Samuels, are pioneering sustainable development of new communities through a variety of significant initiatives.

Paolo Soleri, renowned for his ecological design ideas, built Arcosanti in central Arizona, a mixed-use model arcology or "urban laboratory" as he calls it in central Arizona.

The Jerde Partnership International in Los Angeles, founded by Jon Jerde, is currently considered the leading urban design firm internationally. With over 100 major projects around the world, including several billion dollar-plus mixed use developments in major urban centers such as Tokyo, Taipai, Seoul, Mexico City and Rotterdam. Soleri and Jerde are both contributing early conceptual designs for Califia. GCI plans to involve both groups in broader feasibility research and design development as the project's funding program evolves.

Liz Burdock, VP of Sustainable Development, Dutko Group, Washington, D.C., former Director of PATH program for sustainable development in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

puffy sleeves

I knew something was up when I saw a very interesting and super smart woman, who usually wears a black beret, wearing a tweedy hopefully organic cotton heathered dusty blue "puffy" sleeved - long sleeved tee shirt!

Where on earth she got it I have no idea but I must find out, and I will. She was wearing it under, if you can believe it, an unzipped zip up black vest with a very interesting small tattoo inspired silver graphic icon between the shoulder blades. Very understated and chic I thought. But from what planet?

Let's welcome this trend with open puffy sleeved arms!
photo from i am fashion