Delightful Green Shop on Melrose

I just happened to be strolling down Melrose, after having lunched nearby with a friend, when a sidewalk sign saying "Eco Chic," caught my eye, when I read on to see "Earth Day, Every Day" I just had to go in and see if they lived up to their claims. I love Earth Day and the all the well-intended souls that are out in abundance teaching you new planet friendly things and introducing innovative green products. Well this store lived up to its claims capturing the spirit of Earth Day, clearly coming from an authentic place of wanting to be more mindful of the place we live and the impact we make. This delightful store, with a diverse range of products for all ages, was a joy to visit. The merchandise is stylish, quality, and thoughtfully selected. I must say this is one of the best green shops I've experienced. The real deal.

Treat yourself and stop by the Visionary Boutique on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood. It's just down the street from the lovely Tea Garden and near the Bodhi Tree Book Store. If you're not in LA many of their adorable products are available on their website.

Visionary Boutique
8568 1/2 Melrose Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310-659-1177

www.visionaryboutique.com

Trees for the Future

I am profoundly and passionately touched by the work, from the heart, of Dave & Grace Deppner and the kind, caring folks at Trees for the Future.

They have planted 50 million trees around the world!

10 cents plants a tree. Over half-a-billion trees could be planted around the world. It's possible. Imagine the impact...

hey have an idea called the "forest garden" which combines the best attributes of both, producing a great amount of product, sustainably, on a very small piece of land. With this you are sending millions of roots down into the ground which are guiding water back into underground aqua firs, you have a return of diversity, you've cooled the land, cleared the air a bit, and improved the quality of life just by planing some seeds (as Dave tells it).The results are incredible! Their work is simple, clear and inclusive. Their success comes from involving communities, teaching proper stewardship and harmony with nature.
After having volunteered in developing countries around the world in the 1970s the Deppners' saw the increasing human tragedy brought on by illegal logging and unsustainable land management. They started to take action to help the families who could no longer sustain themselves and struggled to put food on the table.

Working with community leaders, the Deppners began to find ways to offer hope to villagers by reestablishing productive lands - with their families and culture intact. They renewed degraded lands by providing farmers with beneficial tree seed, technical training, and on-site planning assistance. People responded enthusiastically. Entire villages joined in, making great sacrifices to save their homes and way of life.

Visit Trees for the Future website to learn how easy it is to support their efforts that benefit us all, globally.

Book Expo and Slash

There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of stories I can tell you about my recent days at Book Expo American, the largest gathering in the literary industry. But of the countless conversations I had at BEA one which stands out the most is my chat with Slash from rock band Guns N' Roses. We bumped into each other back stage in the author signing area and Slash said to me "I know you right? ...yeah, we've met before." Though we could not place the exact events and times we accepted that we were meeting up again. I've been in the entertainment and media business for so long I can't always recall all of my numerous adventures, though you'd think I remember the events around prior encounters with Slash.

None the less we had a lovely, and for me, unexpected conversation about kindness. It made my day. I'm thinking to myself, now here I am talking with "tough guy", "rock n' roller", Slash, about how we'd all be better off if we were just kinder, more considerate and respectful to each other. It just shows you the diverse range of folks who are thinking like this... it's time to be kinder, more understanding of others and respectful of all. You can be cool and kind!

This chat held more synchronistic relevance for me as I was in the middle of reading Perro Furrucci's delightful book 'The Power of Kindness.'

I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music...I get most joy in life out of music. - Albert Einstein
(found on Slash's official fan site)

May Pang's 'Instamatic Karma' event

When my business partner John Raatz told me to meet him at May Pang's book release party in Santa Monica I had a feeling it would be a special evening, and it was. First off I fell in love with May's book, 'Instamatic Karma,' a collection of never before seen photos showing a side of John Lennon seldom seem. May Pang took these photos of John, and many of his friends, during their 18 month "lost weekend" relationship. The photos, tucked aways in a shoebox in May's closet, captured John in relaxed, candid ways that no one else did (as May tells it). The book is very interesting, well laid out and designed. Worth having, I must say. I purchased a couple of copies which May thoughtfully signed for me. One copy will be a gift for my dear brother Walter who is a Beatles fan (if he's reading this I'm blowing the surprise).

I captured May continuing the presidence of her candid photography as she snapped this self-portrait of her and Jack Oliver, former president of the Beatles' Apple Records corporation, in the wake of their joyful reunion. I liked Jack the moment I met him... he's a genuinely nice guy and clearly coming from a place of passion.

It's worth noting that May also designs a line of Fug Shui jewelry and furniture. Her 'Instamatic Karma' book tour continues around the country and her photos will be on exhibit, along with Nancy Lee Andrews 'A Dose of Rock-n-Roll' book photos, at the June Kelly Gallery in SoHo, NYC during the summer.

The Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center - Gabriel Cousens, MD

The moment I saw this photo, of the Labyrinth, I knew I wanted to go to this special place. I said to Michael Bedar, right hand to Dr. Gabriel Cousins and one of the main administrators of the organization, "Where is this? I want to go there!" That was in December '07 and by March of '08 I was in my car driving across the California / Arizona desert on my way to the Patagonia Mountains of southern Arizona. I had met Michael during a reception following The Eco Gift Expo at the home of Greg Wendt in Santa Monica, California. We connected right away, he told me of his work with Dr. Cousins and The Tree of Life, and I could feel the energy of authenticity and love. I just knew there were special things happening at this place and I knew I had to visit.
The Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center is surrounded, on all sides, by the beautiful Patagonia Mountains. The staff is loving, caring, and thoughtful, and the food is extraordinary. The simple restaurant there has views like very few in the country and each of the day's meals are prepared with love and care.
The all-vegan, lifefood is worth the visit alone. Each day there is yoga, talks, meditation, and classes to choose from. Or you could soak in a hot tub, lie on the sun deck surrounded by nature, go for a hike, and relax in the far inferred sauna at the end of the day. The sunsets there are among some of the most powerful I have witnessed as only the desert, in it's unique and particular style, seems to be able to conjure up.

Randy Olsen Bio

Randy Olsen is the chief architect and visionary force behind Celebrity International Press. He also heads Celebrity International Entertainment, an entertainment development, marketing and promotion company.

His diverse background includes being a founding consultant, with Dr. Stephen Hadley, of the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific (a marine life research center, rescue and education facility), and to being the producer of major Hollywood events involving studios such as Sony/Columbia, Paramount, NBC, DreamWorks, among others.

Randy’s energetic viewpoint brings excitement to projects, benefiting from his ability to inspire passion. He intuitively knew the best way to announce to the world that the Country Music Awards were coming to New York City by creating one of the most widely viewed marketing launches ever, in a collaboration with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. His productions of Television Anniversary projects and Celebrity Sports Classics have reached worldwide audiences.

“My Mother was a pioneering photojournalist in the sixties.” as Randy tells it. “One of the first women to sit on press association boards, breaking into new areas of media, she was published internationally in United Press International, Time-Life, and the Los Angeles Times.” Accompanying her on assignments Randy learned early on the importance of the media in conveying the brilliance he is able to see in people, products and ideas.

“I succeed in helping others to be successful… by finding the authentic core of their message or idea, and then giving voice to it, empowering it” says Randy. “Bringing clarity to a fragmented and cluttered media landscape, we make sure the message gets through.”

With an amazing vision, a wealth of media experience and business knowledge, Randy brings an elegant and magical life to all that he touches.

This first blog entry is designed acquaint you with Randy Olsen.