A Little Retro

Our Red Tango line of women's tees and hoodies by animation artist Cynthia Petrovic has a decidedly retro feel. Cynthia lists her other influences as Japanese packaging design, petroglyph art, and traditional Mexican design. Her Dot Kitty long sleeve tee with warm brown and aqua touches is shown here, and we have a number of her other designs in stock also. Check them all out for a fun update to your tee-shirt collection.

These are not Ordinary Backpacks

They're members of the family. A side-kick, a backstop, a trusted companion that carries a secret stash of important stuff, these backpacks are kid-friendly. They can keep up with rough and tumble toddlers and satisfy the most style-conscious youngster...on the playground, at school, even on journeys to exotic places...like grandma's or the mall. With lots of styles to choose from there is a special buddy just waiting to go home with you.

All backpacks are lead-free and phthlate-free.

Wear Something Different

We're loving the cuffs and pendants we just got in from local artist Molly Spilane. A resident of South Minneapolis, Molly is well known for her quirky and unique wearable art jewelry and stylish art prints. Stepping outside the box, she uses items such as repurposed and recycled material and industrial supplies, as well as heat treated and molded acrylic.

Molly's work is known for her use of vintage flora and fauna images and her work can be found in various museums worldwide. Her motto: "Wear Something Different" has become a mantra for those who enjoy her uncommon adornments.

Choose Beauty Without Cruelty

We're now carrying Beauty Without Cruelty full volume mascara that is free of parabens, PEG, fragrance, and animal ingredients - and not tested on animals! This new mascara separates and defines each lash with long-lasting, smudge-resistant color and is formulated to create the max volume and length.

Also try BWC Extra Gentle Eye Makeup Remover with herbal extracts and vegetable glycerin to gently remove all types of make-up completely and easily without irritation. It leaves skin clean, soft, and free of oily residue, unlike mineral oil based products.

Getting all serious now, you don’t want parabens or polyethylene glycol (PEG) in your cosmetics because parabens, in their many forms (methylparaben, propylparaben, ethylparaben, or butylparaben) have been linked to breast cancer. The FDA claims that parabens aren’t dangerous at very low levels, but when you consider that 25,000 different cosmetics and skincare products contain these chemicals, it’s feasible to build up quite an exposure in a lifetime. Likewise, PEG compounds are synthetic chemicals used in cosmetics that many believe increase the risk of a variety of cancers, and they can also contain harmful impurities such as lead and arsenic.

Lovin' My Maruca

Casual, soft, and functional, Maruca Design handbags feature unique prints in distinctive shapes that bounce with color. They're perfect with any contemporary bohemian look. Bag shown is Bahama Coral.

Maruca Design is a small collaborative design effort based in Boulder, Colorado, and all of their jacquard fabrics are woven in the U.S.

Chocolate. . . Not Just for Breakfast Anymore

We've just received more Peanut Butter Pillows and we're all happy now.

A must try - these award-winning Chocolate Inspirations Peanut Butter Pillows taste just like the Butterfingers candy bars you ate as a child. This light, flaky vegan peanut butter confection topped with imported Swiss Vegan Dark Chocolate Couverture is out of this world. One bite and you`ll be hooked. Perfect for a little thank you gift or a treat for yourself!

Thanks for the Kudos!

Thanks to Twin Cities Metro magazine for calling us "An Eco-friendly Boutique We Love" on the cover of their July 2010 issue and for their great story on Ethique Nouveau! We especially like that they highlighted the connection between being Earth-friendly, animal-friendly and human-friendly.