Bloom design t-shirt for women

Just thinking about going vegan sounds like a challenge because I love dairy.  But who doesn’t love a challenge?  I must love it because I launched my business in the middle of a recession.  Challenge? It’s more of a waiting game for me.  Just give it time says the optimist in me.   Time.  Hum.

So back to the dairy queen in me.  Okay that doesn’t even sound very healthy.  I think I’ve had that about twice in my life. Excuse me if I love the fat.  It’s a natural part of our food, fat.  So, let’s stop avoiding it  especially the women. Deprivation is good for only so long.   I know, it’s fattening and who wants to be overweight, right?  High cholesterol, heart attacks, obesity looms over this country’s health reports and let’s not even mention child obesity.  How did we get so far?  My theory involves portion sizes.  There is no excuse for the big glup or large than life sizes, but that’s consumerism for you.   No wonder the European women are so skinny.  It’s all those bit sizes and walking!!

For me it’s not about quantity but quality, says the foodie in me.   But maybe I’m looking with rose colored glasses.  Vegan for a week?  Maybe one of these weeks, perhaps with other vegans.  Who am I joking?  This is a personal decision.  I’m on my own.  Right now?  Back to selling those beautiful Blissful Seed t-shirts where all t-shirts are on SALE!!!  Order now and support Chicago artists, the American economy, and the environment.   Otherwise, you may see blank long sleeved tee for the fall…peace.

Blissful Seed photo shoot: (May 2009)

Torta Pascualina (Easter cake) my first time making a pastry from scratch.

As a naturally converted vegetarian, I have recently contemplated testing the vegan in me for a week.  Let’s just say I am still pondering that decision until I just naturally decide I’m ready.  That’s how I became a vegetarian.  Well, let me explain a bit further.

I never watched a movie on the meat industry.  It was a conscious decision but I really just lost a taste for red meat then chicken followed, then tuna, and then eggs.  Don’t get me wrong, I ate meat along the way but slowly but surely stopped eating it all together.     I was aware eating meat was cruel to animals yet I just didn’t crave the meat anymore. And I am a foodie!

I love food! I enjoy making the food, watching the food being made, and even taking pictures of food.  Note, my almost vegan (it has egg) Argentine torta pascualina (Easter cake) that I made for the first time last year.   I digress. So I love food.   I wish sometimes I could be a food photographer.   I love thinking of how to make more vegan pastries for my friends especially those who are trying to lose weight.  No just kidding, I just don’t believe in diets.

Anyways, it’s not a loss as foodie but more of a gain, not in gaining weight but in thinking of even more creative ideas and recipes for my vegetarian lifestyle.  So, I think of all of these ways to make dishes more healthy. I wish I can have more time to cook.  Either way,  I have make time because I don’t like frozen packaged food.  Plus, I grew up on very natural diet. No processes foods,  canned food, any junk food existed in my home.   Maybe there were chips for parties but it was never in my home on a regular basis.  But being a vegan sounds so interesting except for maybe one solid reason, no milk.

Yeah, milk was a staple in my home:  milk in the morning, milk at the night.  Then, as an athlete, milk and cereal at night as a snack became a staple, mostly because all of us athletes went through the snacks like crazy.  Milk with cookies, milk with tea, it was the best friend of this foodie.  How can I go vegan w/o milk?  Maybe rice milk?  Nope.  Soy milk?  Tastes not real, but maybe tomorrow I’ll try almond milk.  Boo.  No, moo.

Oh! To be a flower
Nodding in the sun,
Bending, then upspringing
As the breezes run;
Holding up
A scentbrimmed cup,
Full of summer’s fragrance to the summer sun.

Oh! To be a butterfly
Still, upon a flower,
Winking with its painted wings,
Happy in the hour.
Blossoms hold
Mines of gold
Deep within the farthest heart of each chaliced flower.

Oh! To be a cloud
Blowing through the blue,
Shadowing the mountains,
Rushing loudly through
Valleys deep
Where torrents keep
Always their plunging thunder and their misty arch of blue.

Oh! To be a wave
Splintering on the sand,
Drawing back, but leaving
Lingeringly the land.
Rainbow light
Flashes bright
Telling tales of coral caves half hid in yellow sand.

Soon they die, the flowers;
Insects live a day;
Clouds dissolve in showers;
Only waves at play
Last forever.
Shall endeavor
Make a sea of purpose mightier than we dream today?

Amy Lowell

Thank you Amy Lowell for such sweet words.  So I dedicated this blog to poetry month and to earth day of course, but more than anything I would like to highlight our British counterparts on their endeavors with a beautiful design of a wind turbine in form of a flower.    Particularly, I would like to commend the architect, Tonkin Liu who thoughtfully made the wind turbine even more green.

This work of art is made out of sheet  metal and lights shine out of three mini off grid wind turbines with different shades of red depending on the speed of the wind.  Amazing and innovative.  It’s  frame and petals are made of galvanized steel and illuminated by LED lights.   How green and creative can it get?

It gets better.  This initiative hopes to creative 1,100 more jobs with modern business park initiatives.  Practical and beautiful, now that’s perfect to me.

Work of art for sustainable good

A sewing machine that looks familiar from childhood.

It’s important to maintain a high level of passion for your product during these times.  Who else will promote your products as well as you without the dollar signs lingering in the back of your mind.  You. Besides it’s not all about the money, at least not to me.  Can’t speak for the rest of humanity.  That’s why I have dedicated this blog to my next purchase: my first sewing machine.  I will go forth with passion and most of all, tenacity.  Don’t worry I won’t invest in the above antique.  I’m a modernist.  This is exciting!

Then, I look to the market, all I want to do is ask why and then all of that leads to you know, complaining…but the optimist in me says to look forward and to focus and maintain better days are ahead.  I really can’t complain either way.  I have a job and my business is growing slowly but surely.

Of course, I say that as I have a day off in between jobs.   Granted I am lucky and I have a job, and I might add I have awesome co-workers who when we have time off we are laughing about who knows what but laughing like we did in high school…I digress.

So, on my way to the most important job of all, the one I gave myself almost a year ago.  Man, what a journey.  I have learned so much and what I continue to learn is amazing and most of all from the people!  I love people.  They constantly fascinate me and I learn so much from them.  Plus, I feel even entertained by most of the time.  Ha.   Laughing my way through everything.  But seriously!   I have to keep marketing, keep smiling and most of all keep looking forward to that beautiful sewing machine and the basic sewing class.  I can almost see it.  It’s on sale!  I get to the register and I have to pay.  Yes, money doesn’t grow on trees and I can’t believe I am making all these happen for me on such a frugal budget.   No complaining.

Work and everything will slowly begin to come to fruition.  I believe in that statement so much.  Everything else will begin to happen and blossom like spring.

Here is a list:

1. Recycle and that’s even easy for the most reluctant environmentalist.
2. REUSE the bag for the groceries. (That one is hard because I always have grocery bag amnesia but just place them in your car or right by the door.)
3. Use cloth napkins. for the kitchen or lunch (I know this is kind of old style but the savings add up especially if you are not buying the napkins and you have fun napkins of all kinds…but I would start with napkins in your lunch.  I would suggest LitterFree napkins especially the organic cotton napkins.   They are a Chicago based company.
4. Use less H2O. Need we say more?  What is really good is to replace the shower head in your bathroom with a more efficient one and there are some out there that are very nice!
5. Use less energy. Turn the juice off at night and we replaced all outdoor lighting with white light bulbs which is great too.
6. Use public transportation, bike, or walk to work. That’s easy here in the windy city even if some bus/trains were cut.  Man, even the bikers are fierce here.  Unfortunately, one ran into my door last winter!!  It threw him off and I was more frightened than him.  Let’s say I watch out for those bike messengers and you should too.
   

   Bike to work or just for fun

7. Buy an organic cotton t-shirt!!!! I am partly biased with this one but Blissful Seed has great designs and can be great gifts for women, men, and children.  Hurry!  We will have an Earth month special very soon.
   

   Children's collection: grasshopper design

Acrylic fiber

And then, I think, who exactly is making these clothes?  What is acrylic fiber?  I read in an article, it’s not exactly an earth-friendly material and to try to avoid it.  So I decided to do a little research.  I want people to be more aware of these materials and this is part of my awareness contribution to the community.

According to wikipedia (yes, I will be referring to this source), the Dupont Corporation first created this material in 1941 and trademarked, “Orlon” consisting of synthetic fibers.  But to be considered acrylic in the U.S., it must contain 85% acrylonitrile.  What is acrylonitrile?  Good thing I asked myself.

Acrylonitrile is a component of synthetic rubber and synthetic fibers but small amounts are used in fumigants, or pest control.  Also,  it has been classified as a CLASS 2B carcinogen which is a “possible carcinogenic”.

I have a winter hat that’s white and it’s 100% acrylic.  I wanted to donate it but now that I know this info, that’s totally out of the question.  Now, I want to burn it.  But that would put me and the planet in danger.  This acrylic thing is actually not really suppose to be on the largest organ on our body, our skin.   I don’t know what to do with this thing…maybe take a picture of it.

Now you know and you can decide because knowledge is power.   Personally, I think it’s really more about how cheaper and faster it is to use synthetic materials than natural fibers.  But that’s just my opinion.  I will continue with my research to enlighten you more.

Blissful Seed is excited to announce the new children’s t-shirt line encompassing all original artwork on 100% organic cotton t-shirts.  Never thought I would be able to launch another line but it was just as much fun and not to mention work. But with my reliable designer, Hugo, he was able to dedicate the designs to sustainability and nature.  We are so pleased with the results and this makes us dream even more.

The best part for me is the photo shoot because of the creative freedom you have to envision the apparel on the models.  Most of the children models were graciously volunteered by their generous parents. It was a pleasant surprise how smoothly everything went especially with our fabulous photographer, Hector (A million thanks, my friend!!) .  We were able to complete the photo shoot with three children under an hour.  I learned so much.  I feel like I am always thriving on what I learn especially the challenges that we face as eco-business people.  I dedicate this line to all those students who were in my classroom the five years I taught as a teacher.  Today, I feel like they have taught me to be more conscious of my own potential as I taught them to work hard toward their own.  So happy we launched the children’s line and hopeful for the new year.

Founder, Elizabeth Rangel, of Blissful Seed, working at farmer's market

I’m so glad I finally launched my organic apparel company in Chicago.  It’s the best decision I’ve made and quite satisfying than working for someone else.   I have enough drive and energy to keep going, and well I am so glad it keeps me motivated even through this economy.

Now, on to breathing life back into this blog that I have neglected since the launch of Blissful Seed.  Where do I begin? Well, I am so proud to annouce my first client is testing my ladies’ organic cotton tees in the Nature Museum.  I feel so lucky.  It’s all that energy.  Then all of a sudden, Mindful Metropolis decided to featured me as a one of five social entrepreneurs.  (I usually don’t like to talk about myself but I am so passionate about my company; the picture above is from the featured article Mindful Metropolis!)   I’m so flattered that gave me more ideas/prospects.  But the real fun begins with the designs and networking.  I love going to all the social networking events in Chicago.  People constantly fascinate me.

So, what have we decided to do at Blissful Seed?  Yes, we decided to launch our children’s fall collection of t-shirts. They arrived today!  We were motivated with children’s love of nature and sense of style.  Plus, it’s fun to design for them.  Either way, I think I thrive on change.  It’s the teacher in me.  I guess I just miss the little ones.  I am so eager to showcase them at the Evanston Green Living Festival this week-end.  I know they will be bestsellers!!  You never know what can happen next.