Blog- Thoughts from the English Retreads pit crew on life, being green and eco-friendly and on our products

In honor of Earth Day, the nice folks at WPIX in the Big Apple hosted an eco-fashion show styled by Nicole Yong, a green designer who makes terrific clothing and better yet is known to her fans as a style connoisseur. Don’t you want her job title?

She collected some earth-friendly fashions from Planet Threads and our Roadster and Fan belt are modeled by Vanessa for the “date night” look featured third after the casual afternoon ensemble and the office outfit.

And while the lining in our luxe products is made from recycled plastic bottles, our bags and accessories are made from recycled rubber inner tubes from trucks and tractors.

We do. Heather is not an online shopper. (Wha? you say.) Yeah, I know, you coulda knocked me over with a feather too. But it’s true. She needs to kick the tires out of anything that she’s going to plunk down some dollars for. So when she surfs, she relies on other customers who have been there first: folks ready to write at length about the good, the bad and the downright wrong. The more information there, the more comfortable she gets picturing how this new thing could fit into her life—and maybe even improve it. She wants to know how something would fit, how the fabric feels, if the construction feels like it will last, if other folks found it useful or comfortable or cool.

I’m with her. It always helps to get more information. So we added a new feature to our site to let you guys share your two cents. You can tell us what you think here. You can tell the world what you think by leaving a review on any of our product pages. Now’s your chance to be the Roger Ebert of handbags. Love it? Wish it were larger? Want to see it in your favorite color? Tell us what you think; I can guarantee you that we’re not the only ones out there who want to know what you think.

We're going to be featured on this show!

My normal routine on a Sunday morning is to roll out of bed whenever I wake up and head out the door to walk across town to my favorite coffee shop for the most delicious iced latte ever.

This Sunday, however, I will be setting an alarm and turning on the TV to wait for Charisse McAuliffe of GenGreen to tell the world about how cool English Retreads is when she struts her stuff on “Your Business.”

‘Cuz a thing ain’t legit until you see it on TV!

A designer friend of mine once told me that you know you’ve “made it” when you see someone you don’t know walking down the street wearing one of your designs.

That happens on a pretty regular basis here in Boulder. We’re a small town filled with conscious shoppers who LOVE to support local businesses. Go team! We often see folks at the local farmer’s market or in line at our favorite coffee joint that are rocking our bags and belts and we always introduce ourselves and say thanks! These folks, as well as those we chat with on the phone and via e-mail, feel like family. They’re like neighbors who would always stop by at your first lemonade stand even though you added too much sugar.  Like you, they get it, and you’re all the choir that doesn’t need preaching to.

But this week we got a message in our inbox that felt a little like that first glimmer of success.

A blogger we don’t know let us know that she found our site while surfing, and is now a fan. She admired our bags at first sight and feels like we are making a difference by creating something worthwhile in a way that we can be proud of.

I think I grew about two inches reading her post. Check it out and pass it on!

We found a goofy questionnaire online and decided to play along and let you in on the inner workings of the pit crew’s minds captured at about 9:15 a.m. on a snowy Wednesday morning.

Question… Heather’s answer… Kate’s answer…

Your Cell Phone? connected… persistent

Your Hair? brown… messy

Your Mother? sweet… quiet

Your Father? Republican… opinionated

Your Favorite Food? dark chocolate… bread

Your Dream Last Night? edgy… confusing

Your Favorite Drink? red wine… verdejo

Your Dream/Goal? lofty… leisure

What Room Are You In? office… office

Your Hobby? circus-arts… knitting

Your Fear? loneliness… surmountable

Where Do You See Yourself In 6 Years? Spain… an orchard

Where Were You Last Night? circus class… on the couch

Something That You Aren’t? nothing… ambitious

Muffins? cupcakes… lemon poppy seed

Wish List Item? enlightenment… crazy red boots

Where Did You Grow Up? still am… Connecticut

Last Thing You Did? sip of green tea… ask Heather these questions

Your TV? nonexistent… my laptop

Your Pets? Awwww… none

Friends? beautiful… long distance

Your Life? full… fun

Your Mood? equanimous… sleepy

Missing Someone? yes… yeah

Vehicle? old… bike

Your Favorite Store? Bliss… Common Threads

Your Favorite Color? of what?… lime green

When Was The Last Time You Laughed? now… this morning

Last Time You Cried? Friday… can’t remember

Your Best Friend? Sister… many

One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? sleep… Peet’s Coffee

Facebook? ugh… sigh

Favourite Place To Eat? on the beach in Mexico… my kitchen

ENJOY!