Anyone reading my posts the last two years knows that I’m rather attached to Los Angeles base writer Sophie Uliano. Her first book “Gorgeously Green” was a New York Times Bestseller. She followed up that success with “The Gorgeously Green Diet” and now “Do it Gorgeously” in stores and on Amazon June 1st. To celebrate the launch of her book Sophie and company threw an amazing party at T Salon on Melrose and I got the invite. If you want to throw a green soiree take note because Sophie knows how to throw down in the primmest, girly, English way possible (minus the pubs).
T Salon, with its bamboo floors and recycled paper lighting fixtures, was the perfect environmentally friendly backdrop to display “Do It Gorgeously”. Founded in New York in 1992 by Miriam Novelle, a former fragrance store owner, T Salon boasts a large selection of organic and fair trade teas which Ms. Novelle hand selects during her world travels. For Sophie’s party T-Salon whipped up fragrant White Pomegranate and Lavender Earl Grey teas as well as delicious vegan cupcakes and tea cookies. How vegans make decent icing is beyond me, but it was delicious and this serious baker did not miss the butter at all.
The purpose of “Do It Gorgeously” is to take the average woman from clueless to crafty. We’re not talking dollies and worthless nick nacks. We’re talking the common sense, money saving, reduce, reuse, recycle skills that our grandmothers had in mass and which have almost been forget in the span of two generations. The book is full of lessons on useful skills like sewing and gardening and also includes dozens of Do It Yourself projects like making your own face creams, cleaning products and baby food. To demonstrate some of the projects in her book Sophie set up DIY skincare stations around the restaurant so guests like Ann Getty and Rachelle Begley could whip up some of her concoctions.
Sophie let me ask her a few questions about her new book as I was skeptical she came up with all these helpful hints herself. Here’s what she had to say…
Raegan: Why write a DIY book now?
Sophie: I just realized that for a couple of years now, I’ve been recommending all kinds of products to my readers that are quite expensive. I’ve been making my own products for many years, so I thought it was about time I organized them into proper recipes and set them in a book. I also think that making things from scratch is truly the most eco-friendly thing you can do. Aside from being enormously satisfying, you get to really know exactly what is in your products – an unusual thing in this day and age with all the unreadable ingredient lists we’re faced with.
Raegan: What was the most fun/dangerous/crazy recipe or do it yourself project you did for the book?
Sophie: I wish I could say there was a dangerous one!! The most fun were the skin care creams and lotions that require a bit of cooking/heating. When using waxes, butters and oils, they have to be melted first before you blend them. It’s so much fun following what seems similar to a cooking recipe, and yet you end up with the most divine potion for your skin! Actually, once the lid of the blender flipped off mid-blending and my walls, cabinets and the dog got coated with Geranium Apricot Night Cream.
Raegan: What's next Sophie?
Sophie: I’ve a big old book idea brewing, but that’ll remain secret until it’s fully fermented! Oh yes – and TV is on the horizon.
Sophie is donating 10% of the profits from “Do It Gorgeously” to CanswerLink - a group that provides free non-toxic housecleaning to cancer patients. Go to www.GorgeouslyGreen.com for more info on Sophie and her body of work.
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