As many of you know, Green in BKLYN is one of just three shops that offer Amy Flynn’s famous Fobots (Anthropologie & a great little shop in Raleigh are the other two).

You might have caught them on Ugly Betty a few months ago, also.

Wherever you’ve seen them, if you’ve seen them, you know they rock!  Clever, funny, rugged, beautiful & – of course – eco-friendly, they’re one of a kind.

And now, there’s a new girl in town.

Joining Brobot, Mr. October, Robama 3.0 & Dougie Goes Walkies is… Pearl.  She’s been described as full-figured, girly & quite a catch.  However you slice it, she’s a looker.

So, come by, take a look.  Or take her home.

Spring is truly here (despite the rain & cold) because this weekend is the 11th Annual SONYA Studio Stroll!

On Saturday, May 15th & Sunday, May 16th from 12-6pm (rain or shine), the Stroll (sponsored by SONYA) is free & open to the public.

A self-guided tour of SONYA artists’ studios & galleries, it’s a wonderful opportunity to meet local artists & experience the work they create.

SONYA (South Of the Navy Yard Artists) is a non-profit organization of visual artists living, creating &/or exhibiting in the Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Wallabout & Bed-Stuy neighborhoods of Brooklyn. They’re as diverse & dynamic as the community they serve – Flushing Avenue on the North, Bedford Avenue on the East, Atlantic Avenue on the South & Flatbush on the West.

The SONYA Studio Stroll is the best opportunity to become part of their creative process, see their latest work & learn how their art is created.

Plus, we’ll be hosting SONYA artist, C Bangs, at Green in BKLYN!  C’s work investigates frontier science combined with symbolist figuration in all media.  Curious?  Well, then stroll on into the shop to meet this wonderful woman & artist, view her work & learn more about her process, art work & experience.

To download a copy of the Stroll map, go to SONYA’s website or click here.

One of the joys of being in the shop six days a week (we’re open every day but Monday) is meeting folks…

Ones who’ve lived here all their lives or for many years.  And those who’ve just made it into the neighborhood – visiting from out of town (including the other boroughs) or finally making the move into Clinton Hill/Ft. Greene/Bed-Stuy.

When they’re the latter (new neighbors), we have the unofficial welcome to the ‘hood package including:

• Our Green Book: Linking the Green Community
• BrooklynNow Guide: Extraordinary Businesses in the near-city neighborhoods of Brooklyn
• Plenty: The Ultimate Guide to Life & Leisure in Clinton Hill/Fort Greene
• The Hill: Journal of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill & Wallabout

I consider these four resources to be some of the best in covering much of Green in BKLYN’s focus areas… Eco-friendly information, the Borough of Brooklyn & the neighborhoods of Clinton Hill & Fort Greene.

So, if you’re in the shop, ask for copies of their paper versions.  If you’re on-line, check them out there (simply click on their names above).

Either way, enjoy the ‘hood!  We’re in one of the best in the City!

Myrtle Avenue’s Business Improvement District is always activate planning & celebrating events on the Avenue (bless their hearts!).

Courtesy of MARP – the Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project – here’s some celebrating happening this week…

Myrtle should be pretty busy this weekend with lots of activities & beautiful weather to boot.  So, get out, get some sun, get some art in you & enjoy the Spring ‘cuz it’s finally & really arrived.  Here’s the skinny:

Saturday:

The Myrtle Bird Town art installation is in the ‘hood!

Myrtle Bird Town is a groovy temporary public sculpture installation at to two Myrtle Avenue locations – the Carlton Triangle (Myrtle & Carlton) & the NW entrance to Fort Greene Park (Myrtle & St. Edwards).  Dozens of playful birdhouses, created by local artists Daniel Goers & Jennifer Wong, will live in trees at these locations through December 2010.  On Saturday – between 10am & 5pm – the artists will be at work on Bird Town.  Stop by & tweet hello!

If that’s not enough Saturday is also a garden build day at Ingersoll Garden of Eden (at Myrtle between Prince & Navy).  The Garden’s expanding, so volunteers will be around (& welcome!) building raised beds, weeding, planting…

Sunday:

The biennial Fort Greene House Tour kicks off this weekend.  There will be Myrtle HGLO postcards & a yrtle Restaurants listing available at the start of the tour for tour participants to conveniently pickup.  For more info & tickets, visit the tour’s website.

Art!  Thru the End of the Month

The second Myrtle Windows Gallery for the year has kicked off & this is its first weekend up.  In addition, the Gallery is hosting the Prelude Exhibition of SONYA’s Studio Stroll from April 29th – May 18th.

This is the second of three Myrtle Windows Gallery exhibitions planned for 2010 with each one featuring added bonuses for gallery visitors – special deals at featured businesses.  Coupons for specials are included in the newly redesigned Gallery Guide, which is now available at participating merchants (where the art is also on display!):

• Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: 412 Myrtle
• Kapellas’s: 417 Myrtle
• Connecticut Muffin: 423 Myrtle
• Karrot: 431 Myrtle
• Green in BKLYN: 432 Myrtle
• Jive Turkey: 441 Myrtle
• Thai 101: 455A Myrtle
• Joseph Tyler Salon: 456 Myrtle
• Anima: 458 Myrtle
• Kum Kau: 462 Myrtle
• Miracles Unisex Barber Shop: 473A Myrtle
• Optimum Care Rehab: 474 Myrtle

For those of you who missed the numerous e-Waste recycling events that were held in April/Earth Month…  There’s another one in May!

A perfect time to Spring clean & finally get rid of all that electronic waste that’s been cluttering up the entry to your apartment, the feng shui in your home, the mobility in your pad.  Reduce, reuse, recycle & get that junk out of the way…

• What: A Free Electronics Recycling Day
• Date: Saturday, May 8th 2010
• Time: 12-3PM
• Location: PS 107 @ 1301 8th Avenue, Brooklyn 11215
• To Be Recycled: Electronic Equipment (see below)

Electronic equipment that will be accepted includes broken or unwanted computers, monitors, keyboards, PDAs, mouses, cellphones, printers, dvd and cd players, routers, remote controls, stereos, cables).  However, it does NOT include household appliances like TVs, microwave ovens, air conditioners, refrigerators, etc., which will not be accepted.

Sponsored by the Mac Support Store in Brooklyn.  Thanks, folks!

PS – They’re also having a great raffle: Enter the $1 raffle & win a new Apple Mighty Mouse or Mac OS 10.6 “Snow Leopard,” courtesy of The Mac Support Store, Brooklyn’s First Authorized Repair Shop!

At Green in BKLYN, we collect & recycle clean #5 plastics & batteries (5 cents/battery for shipping).

In addition, our blogs include lots of recycling info (just type “recycle” or “recycling” in our Find! area for all kinds of info).

And we share info on e-waste recycling events, whenever possible…

This month, in celebration of Earth Day (4/22) there’s been a veritable smorgasbord of e-waste recycling options.  There’s still one more scheduled this month, here in Brooklyn, Courtesy of the Lower East Side Ecology Center.  Just in case you’re still looking to move those old computer screens, telephones & what not out of the corner of your home…

The Ecology Center is holding seven electronic waste (“e-waste”) collections to responsibly recycle unwanted or broken electronics from New York City residents (no business waste).  All you have to do is bring your e-waste to the collection event – rain or shine!

For a list of acceptable materials, click here.  Just remember, no home appliances such as microwaves or refrigerators.

The last one scheduled this month is in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn at PS 29 School Yard (Baltic St btw Henry & Clinton St) on Sunday, April 25, 10am-4pm.

Reduce, reuse, recycle y’all!

We’ve been so busy being busy & having a blast, that time has flown by….

And here we are, a year later celebrating Green in BKLYN’s first anniversary & Earth Day’s 40th (on Earth Day, of course).

Sounds like a party’s in order!

And so, this Thursday, April 22, we invite you to Green in BKLYN’s B-Earth Day party – all day long!

Below is the schedule of events with a little something for everyone…  Please join us for some or all of the day!

B-EARTH DAY 2010 – Thursday, April 22

11:30am – 1:00pm:

Brooklyn author, Leda Meredith, signs her book: The Locavore Handbook: The Busy Person’s Guide to Eating Local on a Budget.

With practical, down-to-earth advice, Leda’s book guides folks through the process of incorporating locally grown foods into their meals including information on budgeting; shopping efficiently; sourcing, growing & preserving food; & supporting local merchants as well as our lovely planet Earth.

1:30pm – 3:00pm:

Clinton Hill-based Vandra Thorburn answers questions & speaks about EM Bokashi Composting.

Vandra is the founder & pioneer of Vokashi, a new local business providing buckets & bran to households, small businesses & catering companies for EM Bokashi composting. The system has no smell, no bugs or flies & is easy to manage in your kitchen. Plus, it works months faster than traditional composting.

3:30pm – 5:00pm:

Brooklyn artist, Claudia Pearson, signs her children’s book: Tribal Alphabet.

Claudia’s debut creation for children features extraordinary illustrations that come alive to celebrate the diversity of tribal communities & the world’s indigenous heritages. A is for Australian Aborigine, B is for Basque, C is for Cherokee are some of the names of the different tribes from all over the world that go alphabetically from page to page all the way to Z is for Zulu.

5:30pm – 7:00pm:

Green in BKLYN hosts its own First Birthday with an Organic Wine Reception.

Organic wine in a recycled cardboard box. It doesn’t get much more eco-friendly or tasty than that! If you were here opening day, you’ll remember Gnarly Vines provided us with great grape then & they’ll be doing it again this year. Enjoy!

As we head toward Green in BKLYN’s one year anniversary (tomorrow!), I’ve been reminiscing about our first days open & so many events along the way.  But what’s truly blowing my mind is the gift of what’s occured here at 432 Myrtle…

When Green in BKLYN first began, I had a dream & the hope that, if I was lucky & worked really hard, I might be able to open an eco-friendly shop in BKLYN, serve my community & help our planet in some tiny way.

Small business owners take a leap of faith when starting, trusting that the dream is, indeed, a possibility.  It’s exciting & terrifying at the same time.  With an outcome that’s never a sure thing.

People ask all the time how we’re doing.  And I respond, truthfully, that folks keep coming back & I keep paying the bills, so I think I’m doing okay.  But I know I’m better than okay.

Because folks don’t just come back.  They mention Green in BKLYN to their friends, write about us in their blogs* & become friends.  They come in with their babies & pups & send us photos for our Myrtle Mutts & Brooklyn Babies photo albums.  They thank us for filling a need, taking a risk & adding to the neighborhood.  They confirm that the dream was, & is, a reality.

And for that I am so blessed.  Eternally grateful & highly blessed.  And for that, I thank you…  Our customers, our Brooklyn Babies, our Myrtle Mutts… our friends.

* See our friends’ recent blogs at:

• A Child Grows in Brooklyn: Top of the Shop: Green in BKLYN
  

• Go Green Baby Go: Going Green? Go to Green in BKLYN

In celebration of the 40th Earth Day, the Clinton Foundation has embarked upon a campaign to Take Initiative for Earth Day by raising awareness about the work they’re doing to avert climate change & promote environmentally friendly policies through reforestation, waste management, building retrofit & energy programs.

This year, as a part of their Earth Day campaign, they’re working to donate 20,000 solar-powered flashlights to those living without electricity in camps in Haiti.  In order to do so, they need 100,000 people to take their Earth Day quiz.

For every person who takes the quiz, $2 will be donated toward buying solar flashlights for people without access to electricity living in camps in Haiti. Their goal is for 100,000 people to take the quiz so that they can donate 20,000 flashlights to internally displaced people in Haiti.  All you have to do to Take Initiative to help Haiti & the environment is take the 10-question quiz.

Through his Foundation’s initiatives, President Clinton addresses global challenges, including climate change, childhood obesity & sustainable development.  Now, he wants you to Take Initiative on Earth Day.

The Clinton Foundation has launched a website, www.clintonfoundaiton.org/earthday, that has four actions you can take to learn more about climate issues & help make a difference.  First, they’ve launched the  climate quiz that lets you test your knowledge about the environment & support victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

Also, you can also get informed about the Foundation’s climate initiatives & sign up to participate in local events in Chicago, Little Rock or New York.

The capstone to their Earth Day campaign is a special Digg Dialogg on April 22 in which President Clinton will answer climate questions submitted through Digg. Get the details about the online event and the other activities on http://www.clintonfoundation.org/earthday.

At Green in BKLYN, we have some wonderful items (if I may say so myself).  And a favorite at the shop are our hand made sock monkeys.

Made by volunteers of Fresh Art NYC, proceeds from their sales support  fine arts & crafts workshops & art exhibitions for people with special needs.

There’s now another way to help Fresh Art NYC help others…

The Pepsi Refresh Project is offering grants for great ideas & Fresh Art NYC is in the running.  If they win, they’ll be able to teach three sock monkey workshops to artists with special needs in New York City.

They need your votes!  And here’s what you can do to help:

1. Check out their project at http://www.refresheverything.com/freshartsockmonkeys.
2. Create an account so you can vote.   (It only takes 2 minutes to join.)
3. VOTE! You can vote once a day during the month of April.
4. Tell your friends to vote using Facebook & Twitter.
5. Remember to vote daily until April 30 & please spread the word.

PS – You can also pick up a Fresh Art NYC sock monkey at Green in BKLYN…  Remember, the proceeds go to arts programs for people with special needs.  Help Fresh Art help others!