Hooray, Julia Failey is in OK!

Grasshopper 510 favorite, and local Chicago designer, Julia Failey recently received some great press in the pages of OK! Magazine.

If your idea of recycling a ring means wearing it twice in one week, we have news for you: Julia's rings all use reclaimed metals, including deoxidized sterling silver, which keeps her rings tarnish resistant, and allows for them to be easily recycled into new metal at a later date.

How cool is that?

We carry Julia's vine rings, and more, so stop in to deck yourself out in stackables, or shop her collection online.

Keep Kozy This Fall With Klean Kanteen

Fall is officially here, and whether you like it or not, the days are getting shorter, and cooler. We have a slew of new products in for the season, but one that is making us excited for chilly autumn commutes is the new Wide Insulated bottle from Klean Kanteen.

Coffee, tea, or whatever your pleasure, this bottle will keep your hot beverages insulated for up to 6 hours. If you use this bottle as a thermos, your soups and stews will still be steamy when lunch time rolls around.
Hoping for more of an Indian summer, and want to tote around your cold beverages instead? Rest easy, they will stay cool for up to 24 hours.

For easy drinking we recommend the café cap. Though not leak proof like the loop cap, the café cap makes sipping on the go a breeze, and turns your bottle into a stainless steel to-go cup. If you commute by car, this bottle fits in most cup holders you will come across.

By any estimate, cup waste is a growing problem. This Klean Kanteen is 100% recyclable, in addition to being a reusable, earth friendly option that reduces waste. This bottle is good for you, and good for the environment – two of our favorite things.

Celebrate fall and shop our selection of Klean Kanteens in our store or at grasshopper510.com.

Green Just Got Greener!

Vermilion Tea Box Print, $275, at Grasshopper 510

Providing you with environmentally friendly gift options is important to us, here at Grasshopper 510; so, when we find out our favorite products are even more green than before we can't wait to share the news!

Fellow Chicago resident, and eco-conscious artist extraordinaire, Dolan Geiman, has been gracing walls with his unique art for several years. Thoughtfully designed, and invoking his philosophy of "contemporary art with a southern accent," Dolan's pieces range from one-of-a-kind works to budget-minded reproductions - all of which are eco-friendly.

We are happy to announce that ALL of Dolan's box print reproductions are now using even more environmentally friendly printing standards:

• 100% solvent-free inks
• 100% VOC-free inks
• Formaldehyde-free wood panels
• Poplar, a fast-growing, readily replenished wood species is used for the back-frame
• Reproductions are produced by small, locally-owned businesses in the USA, cutting down on shipping pollution and strengthening the community's economic base

Stop in to see our selection of Dolan Geiman box print reproductions, his ever-changing stock of hand-screened panel prints, and other earth-friendly art for your home.

Here's to green art getting greener!

New Jewelry Line: Ija Designs

Grasshopper 510 is excited to announce the arrival of our newest jewelry line: Ija Designs!

Made in Oregon, by metalsmith extraordinaire Erin Hasler, Ija designs are simple and classic, but have a twist of uniqueness added to each piece. Whitney Port of The Hills, chef Rachel Ray, and teen music phenom Miley Cyrus are all counted among fans. We are sure you will want to add yourself to that list after browsing Ija's collection.

Look good - and feel good knowing your accessories were fashioned in an environmentally friendly way. Working from a studio that uses 100% renewable energy, Ija Designs uses recycled metal, ethically mined stones, and strives to create a minimal impact on the planet through scrap metal recycling and other eco-friendly practices.

Grasshopper 510 is thrilled to be the exclusive seller of Ija Designs in the Chicagoland area. Visit us in person, or shop more of the jewelry collection online.

Log Bowls Have Returned!

Grasshopper 510 is so excited to have the log bowls by Loyal Loot back in stock!

Made from reclaimed trees, these beauties are hand turned, given a color pop with acrylic paint, and finished with a water-based gloss by members of the Loyal Loot Collective, and local crafts people.

The beauty of nature and the fun of contemporary art join forces to make these great pieces, which are constructed in Edmonton, Alberta Canada.

Bowl sizes vary between 2 and 10 inches in diameter,

and start at $64.

Green Mama Blog

Check out the new Green Mama Blog! They recently posted a story about eco-friendly stores in Chicago with kids sections.

Read the story here.

Nifty Gift

We had one of our favorite products mentioned in Daily Candy last week.... It sold out due to a surge in popularity, but it will be shipping again on December 18th. Order on-line or give us a call to have a pair put on hold.

Baseball Cufflinks, $145.

See the full Daily Candy gift guide here: http://www.dailycandy.com/chicago/article/78065/2009-Guys-Gift-Guide

Trunk Show this Saturday

It's independent Retail Week and we are excited to be taking part by hosting a trunk show featuring Julia Failey's beautiful jewelry. Stop by this Saturday from noon until 4pm, and take 20% off all of Julia's pieces.

You can check out some of her pieces here, and her full collection is on-line here.

Butterfly Pendant, Regular Price $190

Dragonfly Pendant, Regular Price $190

Coming Clean

Our customers have been asking us for awhile now to carry basics for the home, and we're finally obliging them. First up are these cleaning supplies from Better Life. These products are fantastic - they work really well, the packaging is fun, and they are great for the environment.

They are all priced at $6.99, except for the floor cleaner which is $7.99. Try them out today!

A Touch of Spookiness

I've always loved Halloween but have never had the time or inclination to cover the house in decorations. I'm more a fan of a few light touches here and there to set the mood. If you have a similar idea when it comes to holiday decorations check these options out. They'll last year to year, and are really touches of art. Worth the money.

Orange papier mache spider, $30 (other colors available)

Recycled cardboard skull wreath, $35

Recycled cardboard skull, $20

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.

Making News in Detroit

We recently started carrying onesies from Project 571. The founders are great guys who are single-handedly bringing organic cotton to the Collegiate Apparel market. While they are based in the Chicago area, they have strong ties to Michigan and were recently featured in a Detroit News article. As luck would have it, we were fortunate enough to be interviewed for the piece:

'Grasshopper 510 has been carrying the university-logoed baby onesies for about a month, and sales of the organic baby wear have been good so far, said owner Jean Taylor. The onesies attract many recent and not-so-recent college graduates starting families who wouldn't normally shop there, she said. "They have the potential to bring in new kinds of customers," Taylor said.'

We currently have Loyola, Michigan State, Miami of Ohio, DePaul, and Iowa in stock. Pick one up for your Fan in Training!

Read the full article here.

Espionage and Intrigue

Just added to our website (but well-loved favorites in our store): Double K necklaces. We're particularly fond of The Heirloom but all of Kelleigh Kincaid's pieces are fabulous. You can wear them on their own or layer them for more dramatic effect. These are from her Maltese Falcon collection. Soon enough we'll have her Gypsy Sky pieces. We can't wait.....

Last Call Sidewalk Sale!

This weekend is the second and last sidewalk sale of the summer for Bucktown. Come on out on Saturday or Sunday and enjoy the deals (and the gorgeous weather we're supposed to have)!

Shop Around on Damen Avenue to Benefit Dress for Success

On Thursday from 4-8pm, Young Executives for Success is hosting a shopping event at stores on Damen Avenue. All participants will receive discounts at participating stores, as well as items for their swag bag. All proceeds go to Dress for Success; register by emailing dfs.yes.events@gmail.com