Cali Green » things that are green

A Cali Green Christmas This Sat @ Sandbar

dirtyRascal — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 22:59:34 +0000

Happy Holidays to all of our friends and family. Cali Green and Sandbar present- A Cali Green Christmas with Dj Atwill and Dj Cass this Sat at SandBar 514 State Street in Santa Barbara. Rain or shine we will be kicking off the holidays right with some funky beats and spicy drinks. Raffle Prizes include gift certificates for The Burger Bus , 805 Ink , Cali Green and a complete Arbor Skate x Dave Kinsey blunt board !!!

SandBar and Cali Green present – Gobble Gobble Mother Clucker

dirtyRascal — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 09:57:31 +0000

Cali Green & Sandbar have teamed up to present – GOBBLE GOBBLE MOTHER CLUCKER!!! Here come the holidays and the hometown heroes Dj Plus-1, Dj Atwill and straight from Las Vegas Dj Cass.

Cali Green photo wall, Giveaways and Drink Specials. Enter the Turkey Gobbling contest to WIN a Thanksgiving Dinner for six with all the trimmings from Lazy Acres, $25 gift certificate for The Burger Bus or Cali Green Giveaways…

Hope you all can make it and celebrate with us as Cali Green takes over Sandbar Sat Nov 20th 514 State Street Santa Barbara , Ca

Caligreen.com LAs vegas dj cass

Recycled Skateboard Art by Haroshi

art — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:30:33 +0000

There is no end, only transformation…even for your old skateboards. Now you don’t have to feel so bad after you destroy your board and get a concussion trying to Ollie your little sister. OK, so maybe you can feel bad about your concussion, but your skateboard will live on. You can trust that after you regain consciousnesses and turn your board over to the creative hands of an artist, your board will be re-born as a work of art or a very unique piece of furniture. You might even come out with the coolest drink coasters on your block and it could be a good ice-breaker when Marisa comes over for that barbecue. “Yeah, they were made from my old skateboard. I broke a tooth that day.” Or not.

Some of the most impressive works I have seen were created by Japanese sculptor and skateboarder, Haroshi. The first thing that captured my attention was the quality and creativity displayed in his sculptures. He incorporates three-dimensions, mosaic, and pixelation to transform a rough medium into a smooth and structured piece of fine art. Just as a gardener uses dead leaves to create compost for future planting, Haroshi does not revive the battered, scraped, and broken skateboards. Instead, he transforms them into something new and in many eyes: something better.

The finished product, as visually stunning as it may be, is not all it may seem. There is a soul inside each of Haroshi’s creations in the form of a broken metal piece from a skateboard. It cannot be seen, but it is present inside the wooden carving. This practice is similar to “Unkei,” a Japanese sculptor of Buddhas who was active in the 12th Century and used to place a crystal ball in the position of the Buddha’s heart.

Haroshi is another great example of artists thinking outside the box and blending innovation with creativity and Eco-mindedness. These decks could have very easily ended up in a land-fill, but instead they draw our attention in art galleries. As I stare at the sculptures myself, I wonder if perhaps I am missing something. Is it possible to find potential and beauty in everything? Right now, I am thinking YES.

Screaming My Hand, 2010

Screaming My Foot, 2010

Mad Skull, 2009

Tattoo Bear, 2009

Moose, 2010

Mario Series, 2009

Piles of skateboard decks in Haroshi's studio

Dank and Delicious California

dirtyRascal — Tue, 18 May 2010 05:54:49 +0000

Fresh Fruit Available at Santa Barbara Farmers Market

Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about what’s Dank and Delicious in California. Since the beginning of May, cherries and blueberries have been in season at the Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market. As recently as last week we have welcomed apricots and peaches into season locally.

We heard from a friend that there is a place just before Buellton where you can pick your own blueberries for a fraction of what they cost in the stores. After indulging in an almond butter and jelly sandwich made from Fat Uncle Farms and Harry’s Berries (found at Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market) we were off.

U-Pick Blueberries - Gaviota,CA

The trip took us about 35 minutes north of Santa Barbara. The drive up was beautiful, displaying amazing coastline and wild mustard plants. Just shy of Buellton, past Classic Organic Farm (another one of my spots) make a right and turn off the road when you see the sign “U-Pick Blueberries“. For $15 you can fill a pale about the size of a quart, plus you can eat the berries while you pick.

Fresh picked blueberries from Gaviota

We think this is a great deal considering you can eat one $5 tray from the store in about five minutes. Another plus about blueberry picking at this location is that the property is amazing to walk on, it has a cool pond and huge oak trees that complete the scenery. We truly believe that you should check this place out. Buying local is an amazing thing for the community and we support it to the fullest. Please remember to eat well and keep Cali Green.

There are many benefits to buying local, less pollution because the product does not have to ship over seas, knowing who grows the product and being able to ask questions about it, keeping business in your community and money in your town, and the freshest possible product.

~CG

IV Goes Green

claire — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 06:29:29 +0000

So, the Earth Day festival in Isla Vista was a hit! What started out as a cloudy morning turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day in IV. Groups of people came out to support Earth Day, taking in the music and sunshine. Cali Green was out there with some merchandise soaking up all the good vibes of the day and meeting new people. As well as Cali Green, tons of other vendors were out raising awareness for their causes that included recycling, sustainable energy, and even solar powered backpacks. From henna tattoos and face painting to free grapefruit sorbet and hula hooping, people were out and about enjoying themselves in the festivities. With nothing but positivity flowing, everyone who came out ended up having a blast while supporting a great cause!

Earth Day

claire — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:00:40 +0000

This year, Thursday, April 22, marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. In response to environmental degradation, including the Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson started the holiday in 1970. This world-wide event celebrates the natural environment, bringing awareness to the modern environmental movement which promotes green energy, green jobs, a green economy, and green thinking. In celebration of this year’s Earth Day, the Santa Barbara community will be having a festival in Alameda Park on Saturday, April 17, from eleven o’clock AM to seven o’clock PM, and on Sunday, April 18, from eleven o’clock AM to five o’clock PM. Also, Isla Vista is hosting a festival on Saturday, April 24, in Anisq’oyo Park from noon to 6 o’ clock PM. The events will include local bands, vendors, and activities that show appreciation for the environment. So come out and join Cali Green in showing your support for the Earth and living green. Hope to see you all there!

Organic is Good. Recycling is Better.

caligreen — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:10:55 +0000

It’s great to see more and more clothing companies creating better and more sustainable products. We recently came across Playback, a company based out of Brooklyn, NY who is focusing on the benefits of using recycled materials to create quality garments with style.

playback clothing

I like Playback’s approach, they have obviously done they’re homework. They’re looping in top notch schools like Yale and Standford to research and measure the impact of their production methods. All of this information is made available to you on their website.

The Process – the short version: Playback is gathering recyclable materials such as cotton scraps and plastic bottles that would otherwise end up in a landfill. They carefully sort by color to avoid using extra dye, break down the scraps into a fiber form and re-spin them into yarn. Yarn is woven into their Eco-Logic-Fabric and then designed into a garment that is better for the environment.

Cali Green is proud to announce that we are now carrying Playback products in our store location. Take a moment to look over their website, there’s a lot of very useful information on the blog and news sections as well. And come in and check out the recycled hoodies.. they really are a top notch product.

more info:
http://www.playbackclothing.com/
http://www.playbackclothing.com/blog/

KEEP CALI GREEN!!

History of Yosemite

molloy — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:09:58 +0000

Yosemite

Yosemite Valley’s first residents were American Indians who inhabited the region perhaps as long as 6,000 years ago. By the time Euro-Americans entered the Yosemite area in the mid-19th century, the Valley was inhabited by peoples who called Yosemite Valley, “Ahwahnee,” which loosely translates into “Place of a Gaping Mouth.” The Indians of Yosemite Valley called themselves the “Ahwahneechee.” They harvested black oak acorns, hunted and fished, and traded these and other items native to Yosemite Valley, with the Mono Lake Paiute people for obsidian, rabbit skins and pine nuts.

Few non-Indians knew of the existence of Yosemite Valley prior to 1851. The discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada foothills in 1848 brought thousands of gold seekers to the area.

old school miner

The drive for federal protection of the Yosemite region began shortly after the first non-Indian settlers arrived and before conservationist John Muir first visited in 1868. Abraham Lincoln provided this protection when he signed the Yosemite Grant on June 30, 1864.

honest abe

This grant is considered the foundation upon which national and state parks were later established. The grant deeded Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees to the state of California. In 1889, John Muir and Robert Underwood Johnson planned a campaign to make the high country surrounding Yosemite Valley into a national park.

John Muir

On October 1, 1890, the U.S. Congress set aside more than 1,500 square miles of “reserved forest lands” soon to be known as Yosemite National Park. It included the area surrounding Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. However, it took a meeting between President Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir in 1903, and the effective lobbying of railroad magnate Edward H. Harriman, to have Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove ceded from the state of California’s control and included with Yosemite National Park in 1906.

so now you know . . .
-MM

Jolly Green Giant

caligreen — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:07:18 +0000

This is the first installment for “things that are green!” We will periodically be adding posts on the subject and do take requests.. so let us know.

First off check out this ol’ school video, it’s the first commercial put out featuring the JGG. This stop-motion animation first aired in 1953, word is the jittery black and white commercial was considered creepy and scared the children… it was soon pulled of the air.

The JGG was named after an unusually large strain of peas which were called the “Green Giant”.. canned and sold by Green Giant Food company back in the day. Blue Earth, Minnesota was place, 1978 was the year and $43,000 is how much it cost to erect the 55 ft tall fiber glass statue of the official mascot. To this day the statue stands tall in that same location, he attracts 10,000 visitors a year and if you listen really closely… you can hear him say “ho, ho, ho, greeeen giant!”