Good Enough to Eat?

We have just started carrying Erbaviva bath and body products at Grasshopper 510 and we love them. The scents are so fresh and clean, the packaging is simple and sophisticated, and they make us feel like we're getting pampered at a fabulous spa.

Erbaviva is one of the few bath and body companies whose products meet stringent USDA requirements, which is the same certification process that food meets. While we don't recommend eating these lotions and soaps, you should feel great knowing that Erbaviva products meet such stringent qualifications. Erbaviva does have products that don't have the USDA seal on them , but this is generally because they are water-based or have non food-grade ingredients in them.

Check out our line of Erbaviva Baby, Mommy to be, and Bath and Body products here.

Portland Loves Us

About a week ago a woman came into the store, introduced herself, and said that she'd like to do a post on Grasshopper 510 for her Portland, Oregon-based blog, Portland Loves: Local. It turns out that Portland also loves other things too, like Flickr, Yellow, Vintage Shoes, and yes - our store. We were very flattered, and even more so when we saw how gorgeous the blog is. I don't think Misha (the author) knew that we carried Portland designers like Urban Humanity, Studio Olivine, and Esque, but I was happy to point them out to her.

The blog post is here. Thanks Portland! The feeling is mutual.

Urban Humanity

We are proud to be the first brick-and-mortar store to stock Urban Humanity's organic cotton t-shirts. We got our first three designs in last week and are hard-pressed to pick our favorite (although it might be Birds of a Feather - something about that blue...). Check out all three designs here.

The Brelli has Landed

Before ordering Brellis for the store, I took one for a road test. I'm happy to report that the Brelli umbrella held up to Chicago's wind and rain, PLUS I got multiple compliments. Who knew umbrellas could be a fashion statement?

Made of a special biodegradeable plastic and sustainable bamboo, the Brelli is functional and fashionable. Check it out here and pick one up before the Fall rains start.

Dolan Geiman at Grasshopper 510

Dolan Geiman is a nationally recognized mixed media artist who lives right here in Chicago. His eco-friendly artwork emerges from a folk art tradition infused with a contemporary, urban style. We currently have panel paintings, rescued wood constructions, and his Field Guide (Tennessee) Greener BOX PRINT, pictured.

We are honored to be carrying Dolan's pieces at the store.

Mario Batali Goes Further

We just found out that Further Soap has partnered with Mario Batali: all the waste grease used to make FURTHER products now comes from Mario Batali and Nancy Silverton's Los Angeles flagship restaurant MOZZA. (Along the way, the grease gets converted to glycerin.)

You might not be able to cook like an Iron Chef(or maybe you can)...but now you can wash like one.

Get your soap here.