Thanks to a handful of generous designers and companies, my Halloween in NYC was not only fun, it was eco-fabulous!

Here is what I wore to the Green Halloween kick-off party on Friday night. (Clearly, I need a new pose.)

Wearing (and loving) Lizzie Parker – a Seattle local designer and amazing woman. I’m a huge fan. The outfit was not intended to be a costume, but for this photo I donned a black witch hat, borrowed from my daughter. Also wearing a necklace made of funky, upcycled materials and upcycled guitar string hoop earrings from Etsy. Not in photo – black Lizzie Parker cape and chocolate candy wrapper clutch from Ecoist.

That same night, I also wore “Coffee Couture” – Made by designer Susan Alveshere and loaned to me by A Masquerade in Bellevue, WA. The dress is made of hand-dyed burlap coffee bags (surprisingly un-itchy!), hand sewn coffee bean embellishments, and coffee filters (complete with a coffee filter flower hair clip). With Rainforest Native acai necklace and bracelets, MapleXO upcycled skateboard hoop earrings and bangles, Mohop sustainable wood wedge platform sandals, and Cosabella bamboo tank top. (See the exact dress on the runway here - page 24.)

On Halloween at the Green Halloween NYC family festival (with my mom and I and costumed friend, Leslie Bocskor), wearing rented (reused) dress, necklace and “windswept” mask courtesy A Masquerade.

We’ll be posting more news and photos from our time in NYC, but in the meantime, we’d love to hear from you… What did your family do for Halloween? What did your kids wear? What about you? Post comments below.

Give little ghouls a fun night without food worries

Halloween candy is downright scary for the nearly 25 million Americans avoiding gluten.

Gluten-free expert and author Carol Fenster details practical ways to maintain Halloween’s spooky-fun spirit without fear of hidden gluten.

Ideas include: Learn to read labels (looking for wheat, rye, barley, spelt, and oats); contact manufacturers to verify candy content; ask your natural market to create a dedicated gluten-free Halloween section; organize a home party that shifts the focus away from food and onto games, prizes, and costumes; and serve a gluten-free supper (try Applegate Farms’ new gluten-free chicken nuggets and Amy’s line of gluten- and dairy-free pizzas).

Gluten-free natural candies for Halloween include Candy Tree, Crispy Cat, Ian’s, GoNaturally, Let’s Do…Organic, Newman’s Own Organics, PureFun, St.Claire’s, Stretch Island, Tropical Source, and YummyEarth. Sidebar on GF mixes and products from Bob’s Red Mill, Pamela’s Products, Glutino, and EnjoyLife.

For the full story, click here.

Reposted with permission from Delicious Living Insights. Do you have tips and tricks for celebrating a gluten free Halloween? Add your ideas below.

For the last two-and-a-half years, Green Halloween has been a labor of love for the initiative’s founder, Corey Colwell-Lipson.

Now, you can show Corey some love, too, with a simple click.

Corey is a contestant in Project Green Search’s “Green Girl” contest and she needs YOUR VOTE to make it into the finals.

(Winning would of course enable Green Halloween to be introduced to more people, everywhere. So your vote is a gift that will keep on giving…)

Here is how it works:

1. Go to Corey’s page on Project Green Search.

2. In the “vote” section, just under Corey’s picture, CLICK ON THE 5th STAR. It’s VERY important that you choose the last star as this is a rating system.)

3. Add a comment, if you would like to.

4. If you have access to computers with other IP addresses, you can vote again, otherwise it’s a one time shot!

5. Ask ten friends, family members or other people you know to vote for Corey too.

6. Stay tuned! Finalists are announced on 10/17.

Voting ENDS FRIDAY, so please take a moment to vote right now and to ask others to do the same.

Thank you so very much for your generous support! Click for Corey!!

- Team Green Halloween

p.s. Corey’s beautiful inside and out sister-in-law, Elena, is also a contestant. Please take a moment to vote for her as well!

p.p.s. (Note from Corey) To the hundreds of you who have already taken the time to vote, to add a comment or to forward this action alert to friends and loved ones, thank you. I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and enthusiasm and hope to make you all proud!

Ceramic Ocarina Flute Necklace from Magic Cabin

Dia de los Muertos styles. For a door-prize or a Halloween fairy’s gift.

2 for under $10.

You might have heard about the line of absolutely adorable costumes made by Tom Arma, the “most published baby photographer in the world” (according to the company selling his products).

While Tom’s costumes are made from conventional materials, they are a step ahead of other conventional costume lines because Tom’s line:

• Offsets it’s energy usage with renewable energy
• Prints costume inserts on recycled paper
• Makes the costume durable to last (and to be worn for year ’round dress up or passed on to younger siblings)

Of course, we would love to see the costumes and other packaging (e.g. the plastic outer packaging) made from recycled, upcycled and sustainable materials, and the costumes made Fair Trade, but we applaud “baby steps” and encourage you to let companies like Halloween Express know what you think, as well. (And don’t forget to let us know what you think by adding your comment below.)

Thank you to Robert Henry from Halloween Express for letting us know about these unique green (-er) Halloween costumes.