July 27, 2009

No Animals Were Harmed During This Tasting

label_penguin_bigAfter typing away endlessly about fashion and fluffies, I thought it was time to make it a threesome and throw my other lover into the mix: red wine - particularly Shiraz. Besides, nothing says style and sophistication like classily sipping shiraz from your stemless black CB2 glass, while discussing the state of the economy – or Lily Allen’s latest outfit. Yellow Tail has always been a safe fall-back for me. But just like in fashion, sometimes it pays to take risks.

This weekend, I decided to branch out and put some bottles to the test with a Shiraz “Battle of the Bottle Animals” wine tasting. After selecting four fierce contenders, I set to work, sipping away. They were judged based on several criteria, such as price, alcohol content, taste, smoothness, and drinkability. It was also imperative that the name not only contain an animal, but that there was also an actual depiction of one on the 750mL bottle. After much note-taking and debate, the results ranked as followed (by brand, year, animal, alcohol content, and price according to Bottle King):

  • 1st Place: the Little Penguin / 2008 / penguin / 13.5% / $7.99
  • 2nd Place: Yellow Tail / 2008 / kangaroo / 13.5% / $6.99
  • 3rd Place: Yellow Bird / 2006 / cockatiel-looking bird / 14% / $5.98
  • 4th Place: Pigs in the Sky / 2005 / flying pigs / 14% / $6.98

My placements also took into consideration the extra ‘bottle bonus points’ awarded:  Pigs in the Sky has a twist off top, so no corkscrew necessary. I don’t know about you, but I usually spend longer trying to open most bottles than I do enjoying them. Also, Yellow Tail and the Little Penguin scored on the cute count by having roos and penquin feet printed onto their corks.

But the overall winner, the Little Penguin, did more than warm my stomach – it also touched my heart. Their name comes from the smallest of the penguins found along the South Eastern coast of Australia. Their label as well as their company mission honors The Penguin Foundation, which was established to proudly protect and preserve these little creatures and their natural habitat. the Little Penguin offers a helping hand (and wing) by donating proceeds from wine sales to the foundation, plus their website urges fans to show support by adopting a penguin or making a donation. I bet you can guess what’s next on my long-distance pet list!

July 17, 2009

The Animal vs Eco Debate

When does cute outweigh conscious? And vice versa.

If you’re an animal advocate like myself, you’re probably rolling your eyes at this ridiculously obvious question. But guess what - it’s their environment too. So what’s a potentially-green girl to do? It’s a decision made every time you consider purchasing natural beeswax vs a chemical laden vegan lip balm. And while PVC is not recyclable, it’s the most commonly used alternative to leather. What about a (quite cheeky) alpaca wool-spun beret? And yes, I do own one. The animals are never harmed during the shearing process. In fact, it’s an important part of their hygenic maintenance. The animal vs eco debate is a question that will inevitably come to haunt every do-gooder diva.

bunny copy

It’s a situation surrounded by controversy – with no end in sight – well, as far as my aviators can see.

July 6, 2009

Come On Baby, And Rescue Me…

It’s no secret at home or in the office – or anywhere, for that matter – that I’m a hardcore compulsive shopper. What’s so wrong with being fashion forward? Well, my commitment to staying current has also made me currently broke. I’ve heard the word “intervention” whispered in conjunction with my name too many times. In one of my most recent purchases (a stunning, sheer Ed Hardy robe), I even went the extra mile by filling out the optional gift note:

“You have a problem. Get help.“

While you’d be hard-pressed to find a more serious shopahlic, I’m not the only one in dire need of rescuing.  But fortunately, those little lovies can easily get some aid with the help of a fabulous organization, The Animal Resuce Site, and your once-a-day commitment to click away. When you visit the site and push the purple “Click Here to Give – it’s FREE” button, sponsors provide food and care for shelter pets. Even if you’re a gal on the go, suffering from a severe case of multi-task overload, they’ve got you covered. You can sign up to have daily click e-mail reminders sent to yourself. When they make it so simple to save so many lives, there’s absolutely no reason not to. Start today.

July 3, 2009

Why Faux Is A Go

Besides the reality that it saves the lives of countless innocent animals, the simplest and most superficial answer is that everyone’s doing it. And by everyone, I mean the celebs we can’t stop gossiping about. Seriously, Tommy Lee, Pamela Anderson, Jenna Jameson, Anna Nicole Smith, Christy Turlington, Dennis Rodman, Eva Mendez, and Khloe Kardashian have all stripped down for a steamy shoot with PETA. While I may not always support some of PETA’s extreme actions, I do so love their clever campaign tactics.

Faux-A-Go

And if you’re just not buying the whole “sex sells” theory of our generation, take a look at the adorableness displayed by my foxy friend below:

FoxyFriend

Now really, how can you say no to faux?


Can’t wait ’til my next post to get your shop on? Lucky for you, The Humane Society did a little leg-work and put together this fantastic guide of fur-free designers and retailers.