Ksenia's Blog

Mar 28 2013

food

My Acai Bowlism Recognized by Sambazon

On my January trip to Hawaii, I got hooked on Hawaiian air, the hula dance, the water of unbelievably clear blue color, the Aloha approach to life, and açaí bowls. Let me get it straight: none of the above can be replicated in New York where I live, except for the latter.

Acai Bowl from Island Vintage Coffee in Honolulu, HI (c) Xenia_Lova

ACAI BOWL [pronounced ah-sa-EE]: An acai bowl, originally called acai na tigela, is a dish that has its origins in the Amazon of Brazil. The main ingredient is the mashed and frozen fruit of the acai palm which has recently been popularized due its many health benefits. Can be served with granola, fruit, coconut flakes and honey or agave syrup.

My almond butter acai bowl with homemade granola. (c) BreakfastCriminals

A health nut who strongly believes that breakfast is the most important meal, I’ve been experimenting with superfood-loaded acai bowls: from traditional to vegan and raw. The subjects of my experiments include mango, papaya, raw chocolate, kiwis, goji berries, raspberries, aloe vera juice, vegan protein and homemade granola, among others. You can see the results of creative loving approach to food on #BreakfastCriminals. Well guess what, the company that popularized acai in the US – Sambazon – has noticed my creations through Instagram and featured 6 of my recipes on their website, wohoo (look out for my heart-shaped acai bowls and more!)

My acai bowl recipes on Sambazon.com

Mar 26 2013

1 Comment

social good

You And Who: Giving Made Cool

As a supporter of fair trade and organizer of #FairTuesday, I am always on the lookout for innovative and cool ways to DO GOOD. I recently found out about You and Who, and it’s worth a mention! YaW is a buy-one-give-one company that sells t-shirts with fun prints that help causes in 40 US cities, with each design from the most recent collection dedicated to a different city. The prints are created by talented designers across the US, and You and Who donates a matching t-shirt to a local shelter in the city the artist is from (when checking out, you are given a choice of a t-shirt or three meals). LOVE the cause and WANT the tees!

My favorite You and Who tees from the City Pride line

My favorite You and Who tees from the 2013 City Pride line

Tagged #fairtuesday, fair tuesday, innovative way to give, social good, You and Who City Pride Line, you and who how does it work, you and who t-shirt designs, you and who t-shirts

Feb 19 2013

6 Fall 2013 Trends You Can’t Miss

Before my attention is completely swayed away by the NYC Social Media Week, I’d like to talk to you about the most notable trends of the Fall 2013 New York Fashion Week.

Trend #1: It’s in the Cropped Jacket

Cropped Jacket Trend at NYFW Fall 2013

Tonal perfection by J. Brand / Yeehaw! by Holmes & Yang / Leather bomber and beanie DKNY / Quilted Leather bomber and boots by Belstaff

Trend #2: Leather Obsession

Leather was all over the place, ruling the runways with its rocked out 90s feel. One of the strongest statements – and my personal favorite – were leather pants that ranged from skinny (yay!) to baggy (if you have model body, go for it).

Leather Pants Trend at NYFW Fall 2013

Leather skinnies by Pierre Balmain / Rocked out look by BLK DNM / Baggy leather pants by Reed Krakoff

Trend #3: Black or White

You simply can’t go wrong with a black and white combo next fall. What’s simpler than that? Add some pleats, unexpected fabric combos (such as chiffon with leather), and you’re all set for your most fashionable season ever. Look up to Jason Wu: Mrs. Obama’s designer of choice has nailed the golden section for romantic + edgy.

Black and White Trend NYFW Fall 2013

Black and white a-la Bianca Jagger suits by Jenni Kayne / Beautiful pleats by Jason Wu

Trend #4: Show Me Some Boho

I love bohemian pieces here and there, and nothing says more boho than some fur. This time around, it’s more tailored, sleek and grown up. Love.

Boho Trend NYFW Fall 2013

Fur rebel by Rebecca Taylor, who drew inspiration from David Bowie / “What kind of bird are you?” by Pierre Balmain / Belted boho perfection by Jason Wu

Trend #5: Sexy Cutouts

If you want to tastefully expose some skin – black chiffon is for you. And even though exposed midriffs are so Spring 2012, this earthy number from Katie Gallagher makes it look relevant again.

Sexy Cutouts Trend NYFW Fall 2013

Cutout goddess by Katie Gallagher / Elegant and edgy by Yigal Azrouel / Stripy sexy by Jason Wu

Trend #6: Just Try to Keep Looking into My Eyes, or Plunging V-Neck

As your mom probably has taught you in one of those “how to be a lady” talks, when you want to wear something sexy, focus on one part of your body. If it’s a mini skirt, then forget about a deep décolletage, and vice versa. You get the point. Here’s a perfect example of that: deep, magnetizing v-neck combined with a maxi length simple skirt. He will love it, and so will your mom.

Plunging V-Neck Trend NYFW Fall 2013

Elegant simplicity by Jenni Kayne / Cool & sexy by Pierre Balmain / Flowy gorgeousness by Diane von Furstenberg

Bonus: What a Girl Wants, or The Gowns

References to nature in these gowns blew me away. Veronica Beard’s creation looks like a costume of an alien coming from a planet where clothes are made from pyrite.

Gowns NYFW Fall 2013

Gatsby-esque Tadashi Shoji / Malachite-inspired organic ornaments by my favorite Monique Lhuillier / Liquid gold gown by Veronica Beard

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Jan 13 2013

Winter Fair Trade Style

I had so much fun styling One Mango Tree organic cotton Pintuck Dress with fair trade accessories from Global Goods Partners for a soft winter look with an edgy twist!

As a seasoned fan of One Mango Tree’s bags and accessories with gorgeous African prints, I enjoyed taking my affair with the brand further and trying on its apparel.

Bolivian Alpaca Knit Hat and Fingerless Gloves from Global Goods Partners were my love at first sight. They’re super soft and warm – perfect for the East Coast winter. I also used Three Tier Silk Beaded Necklace from Morocco, Recycled Glitter Clutch from Cambodia, Indian Clutch Bag, and statement Eco-chic Bottle Top Tassel and Clay Earrings from Swaziland for this look – wearing the whole world map at once while supporting artisans who need it most. That’s my kind of style! #FairTuesday

Tagged ethical fashion, ethical style, fair trade style, fair trade tuesday, fair tuesday, Fashion, global goods partners, Global Goods Partners Accessories, green fashion, green style, ksenia avdulova, one mango tree, one mango tree dress, One Mango Tree Pintuck Dress, One Mango Tree Pintuck Dress and Global Goods Partners Accessories

Dec 18 2012

Spring Fashion Knocking On The Door

Even though it’s only starting to feel like winter here in NYC, the fashion world has already switched to Spring and even next pre-Fall. It’s the kind of world that lives on its own schedule. Here are a couple of my favorite images from Spring 2013 campaigns.

SURREAL PRINT

Anne Sofie Madsen Spring 2013 | Nadja Bender photographed by Jens Langkjaer

Anne Sofie Madsen Spring 2013

CALIFORNIA DREAMING

Osklen Spring 2013 | Heather Sutton photographed by Vava Ribeiro

BECKHAM KID

And here’s Burberry Spring 2013 campaign. Just because the Beckham kid’s in it. Hey there, Romeo. Nice move with the umbrella. Don’t fall, your trench ain’t cheap.

Tagged anne sofie madsen, burberry beckham, Burberry Beckham spring 2013, burberry spring 2013, Jens Langkjaer, Nadja Bender, Osklen, Osklen spring 2013, romeo beckham, spring 2013 campaigns

Dec 10 2012

2 Comments

shopping, social good

Deck The Halls & Give Good Gifts

I love giving gifts. Maybe even more than getting them! Here is my ultimate gift list for this season: some of these finds I will be festively wrapping to give away, and others I hope to find under the Christmas tree for myself. If you’re looking for gift ideas for a girl that likes at least one of the following, then keep on reading:

Ethical fashion // Fair trade // Yoga // Ballet // Fitness // Indie movies // Chocolate// Candles //Bottles with nice smelling luxurious things

Left to right, top to bottom:

1. Gift certificate to her favorite movie theater. My #1 choice is Angelika for the best selection of indie and foreign movies. The Intouchables and Café de Flore were my favorite, most moving films shown at Angelika this year.

2. Ambrette 9 perfume by Le Labo. Because it smells like heaven. Because it’s handmade. And because it will have her name right on the bottle.

3. “Ballet Beautiful” book by Mary Helen Bowers. She taught Natalie Portman how to awe everyone with ballet moves for Black Swan, and has successful studio in Soho where she teaches ballet as a way to be fit, graceful and fabulous. Need I say more?

Mary Helen Bowers

4. Free Loved Radiant canvas tote from Stop Traffick Fashion (Ashoka), a fun tote that not only is cute, organic and fair trade, but also supports survivors of human trafficking. #FairTuesday partner alert!

5. L’Espoir suede cord bracelet from Stop Traffick Fashion as well. A pretty gift that gives twice.

6. Unscented Shea Body Butter from Shea Yeleen. I love using shea products – it’s the nature’s perfect moisturizer, especially for the winter months when our skin gets dry from the heating.

7. The Mad Sampler from Madécasse environmentally friendly Madagascar chocolate. Just think about it: 70% of the world’s cocoa comes from Africa, but less than 1% of chocolate is made there. So by buying Africa-made chocolate you’re directly supporting the farmers. I ordered the sampler on #FairTuesday, thinking that it would make a perfect gift, but it so happened that it’s almost gone by now. Yum!

8. 100% Alpaca Fair Trade Leg Warmers from Greenheart Shop. For someone who takes dance and/or yoga on a daily basis like I do, it’s a necessity in the winter months (that also happens to look totally irresistible with leggings).

9. Okay, maybe I should have kept this one my little secret, but I’m so in love with this find that I have to tell you about it. You can actually write thoughts and messages on this Modern Alchemy Chalk Candle. Think something Song of Style-spirited. How awesome is that? I got it for a fraction of its price at Marshalls.

10. Nisolo is one of the brands I discovered while working on #FairTuesday. By buying this Sobre Leather Clutch (in a color that you can’t go wrong with – camel) you will support incredibly talented leather artisans in Peru.

11. Last but not least: Sseko Sandals are a no-brainer as a gift. I have a red pair and they accompany me on every trip that involves sun and sand. The straps can be tied in dozens of ways – perfect for the creative girl! – and be switched out to different colors. Ssekos are comfy, look stylish on, and above all, help talented young women in Uganda to pursue college degrees.

Are you convinced yet that GOOD gifts can be beautiful and stylish? I hope so. Give good gifts. After all, no one has ever become poor by giving.

xo Ksenia

Tagged african chocolate, alpaca leg warmers, ambrette 9 le lab, ambrette le labo, amy song chalkboard, amy song chalkboard quote, angelica movie theater, ashoka, ballet beautiful book, chalk candle, chocolate gift, ethical fashion, ethical fashion gifts, ethical gift guide, fair trade gifts, fair trade leather clutch, fair trade leg warmers, fair trade sheer butter, fair tuesday, fashion agains human trafficking, fashion for good, free loved radiant tote, gift guide, gift guide for a big city girl, gift guide for a new york girl, gift guide for the dancer, gift guide for the yoga girl, gifts for a ballerina, gifts for a ballet dancer, gifts for a chocolate lover, gifts for a fair trade girl, gifts for an ethical girl, gourmet chocolate, greenheart shop, human trafficking ashoka, insole leather clutch, ksenia avdulova, l'espoir bracelet, leg warmers, madagascar chocolate, madecasse chocolate, marshals, marshals gifts, may helen bowers, modern alchemy chalk candle, natalie postman's ballet teacher, natural sheer butter, nisolo, nisolo clutch, red ssekos, song of style chalk board, song of style chalkboard, sseko designs, sseko gifts, sseko sandals, stop traffic fashion, suede cord bracelet, uganda sseko designs, unscented sheer butter, what to give your girlfriend

Dec 03 2012

1 Comment

fashion

Mira, Hanneli and Elin for Louis Vuitton

How cute is this ad with the blogging it-girls Miroslava Duma (Russia), Hanneli Mustaparta (Norway) and Elin Kling (Sweden)? Called “Small Is Beautiful,” the video is a 1960′s stylized ode to Louis Vuitton crossbody bags. Not a fan of visible branding, I absolutely love them for their chic simplicity. Santa, can I get the cherry one for Christmas?

Tagged Hanneli Mustaparta and Elin Kling for Louis Vuitton, louis vuitton blogger ad, Louis Vuitton crossbody bag cherry, louis vuitton small bag, mira duma, mira duma louis vuitton, miroslava duma, ouis vuitton ad with bloggers, russian fashion blogger

Nov 25 2012

2 Comments

events, social good

A Brief History of #FairTuesday Movement

Last August, I went to an event that informed, inspired and provoked me to believe that fashion and social good can co-exist. Conscious Collaborations by Ethical Fashion Academy was a very personal round table discussion with New York-based fashion social entrepreneurs who have made positive change their life mission. It made me think: with a background that is a mixture of communications, fashion and social media, how can I contribute and help smaller organizations raise awareness about their causes?

A month later, I got my answer. Attending Mashable’s Social Good Summit - an amazing event where I saw how global leaders use tech innovation to fight the world’s biggest challenges – fostered me to come with the idea of a social movement that would bring together fair trade organizations in a collective effort to create change. Meeting the social media guru for non-profits Beth Kanter was another inspiration to get the campaign going. How about picking a day that would serve as an antidote for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, let’s say Tuesday? Check. Where would it be based? In social media space, of course. Check.

Global Goods Partners, a fair trade non-profit that I had just started volunteering for, was the perfect platform for starting the movement: great mission (selling handmade fair trade products in order to improve the economic status of women in marginalized communities in Africa, Asia and South America), impeccable reputation and an amazing team. Together, we shaped the idea and made it into what Fair Tuesday is today: A global social movement with over 100 supporting organizations (fair trade, ethical and eco-friendly online and brick and mortar stores, coffee shops, cafes, coalitions, federations, foundations and media in 27 U.S. states and 9 other countries, and a shared goal of galvanizing the community and popularizing the idea that our everyday purchases can change lives in whole communities. The list of partners includes, to name a few, Somaly Mam, Sseko Sandals, Magnifeco, Lifestyle+Charity Magazine, GOOD, Fair Trade Federation and Fair Trade USA (the creators of Fair Trade Month).

#FairTuesday partners at a glance

In just four weeks since launch, with no budget, but with tremendous support from like-minded organizations, we were able to create social media buzz with thousands of Tweets, Facebook posts, Instagram pictures and Pinterest pins that reached a combined social media audience of over 2.5 million people… And this is just the beginning! The idea is to make the #FairTuesday community a hub for ethical shopping, continuing the conversation throughout the year and making the movement bigger and bigger.

#FairTuesday photo campaign invited our supporters to post pictures of themselves with “I Support #FairTuesday” sign (Photo by Tenfold Fair Trade)

Support #FairTuesday movement by buying ONE fair trade, ethical or eco-friendly item on Tuesday, November 27 and like Fair Tuesday on Facebook to stay in the loop!

Tagged #fairtuesday partners, fair trade fair tuesday, fair trade tuesday, fair tuesday by global goods partners, fair tuesday founder, fair tuesday logo, fair tuesday partner list, FairTuesday Campaign Image, global goods partners, jennifer gootman, kelly jackson, ksenia avdulova fair tuesday, ksenia fair tuesday, tenfold fair trade, what is #fairtuesday, what is fair tuesday, when is fair tuesday, who started fair tuesday

Oct 25 2012

2 Comments

city, New York, travel

Fall in Pictures: NY, CT, MA

Before I finish my procrastination of packing for California (taking off tomorrow, and thanks to JetBlue, for the price of two frozen yogurts!), I thought I’d share with you a few snaps from my travels. I’ve been discovering upstate New York, Long Island, Connecticut, and watching shooting starts (just thinking of it gives me chills) and sunrises with friends on New England beaches. If you want to see more, follow my adventures on Instagram. Au revoir in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Big Sur!

Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve

Part of the Appalachian Trail in Goshen, CT

Acting as the Baywatch on a Beach in Scituate, MA

A peaceful sunrise in Scituate

Standing on the balcony wrapped in a blanket, with a cup of tea in my hands

Fall has arrived to Cambridge, MA

Harvard University

Delicious vegan meal at Life Alive

And here’s a little bit of NYC. Just because I live here, just because I can now say I love it without hesitation, just because of all the opportunities it is giving me, and just because Gilt City has featured a few of my photos within the #LoveYourCityMore campaign.

NYC from Brooklyn

The place I call home, Soho

Windy Highline

Sunset over Meatpacking from the Highline. #loveyourcitymore

A cloudy sunrise from Brooklyn Bridge Park after a visit to my favorite Abhaya Yoga

It’s the traveler’s spirit. Always looking for another train, for another plane, for another road, for another open door, for another fresh experience.

Tagged #loveyourcitymore, A Peaceful Sunrise in Scituate, Abhaya Yoga, Abhaya Yoga meditation, appalachian trail in CT, baywatch, beach sunrise, caumsett instagram, Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, crosby street, crosby street instagram, CT, fall in harvard, gilt city, gloomy sunrise instagram, Harvard University, Harvard University instagram, horse instagram, instagram sunrise, life alive boston, loveyourcitymore entries, Meatpacking from the Highline. #loveyourcitymore, nyc, nyc sunrise, scituate, Scituate Sunrise, Soho instagram, vegan food, vegan food instagram, whereisksenia, whereisksenia instagram, Windy Highline park

Oct 14 2012

2 Comments

events, New York, people, social good, social media marketing, tech

Good Morning, Beth Kanter!

Not every morning do I get to have a discussion with one of the most influential women in technology over bagels and coffee. That was my Friday morning at Fenton, with a group of like-mined people and Beth Kanter, the guru in marrying technology and nonprofits who has traveled around the globe – from Cambodia to Australia and the Middle East to consult organizations on using data to change the world.

Beth Kanter at Fenton NYC

The first time I saw Beth was at Mashable’s 2012 Social Good Summit, where she delivered a very short, engaging, real speech – in this very unique Beth Kanter manner – about her experience as a social media consultant for nonprofits. To me, she’s a role model. She is one of those people who has found her passion, chose a direction she wanted to go with it, and went for it.

Such organizations as the Red Cross, Greenpeace, the International Rescue Committee, and the CSR departments of Chase and Cisco were represented at the discussion. Talking about her new book “Measuring the Networked Nonprofit” (co-written with Katie Delahaye Paine), Beth mentioned several very important things, and her main message was this: Don’t be afraid of data. As we delved into Beth’s tremendous knowledge of what works and doesn’t work in social media marketing, the incredible importance of collecting, measuring and acting on data became very clear.

Me and Beth Kanter

There is a great amount of books on social media, on top of all the social media guides that are available online. Supposedly if you follow them, your organization will get positive results from using social media. But from my personal experience managing social media for Gilt, Visual Therapy, and most recently for a nonprofit fair trade organization Global Goods Partners, this is not how it works. You can have terabytes of Google Analytics or Facebook Insights data, but they don’t mean much without proper measurement. The only way to be a successful social media marketer is to understand your specific audience: What they engage the most with, in what format, what time of the day, etc. If you’re not personal, don’t expect your social media followers to be personal with you. And the only way to be more personal and engaging is data analysis.

Here are some of my favorite Beth’s ideas from the bagel and social media for nonprofits (seriously, I can’t think of a better combo) morning:

Don’t confuse activity and results
Employ “Slow” social media, aka choose one platform and focus on it instead of managing five different platforms poorly
Always set up intention for your campaign, otherwise you will not be able to measure its results
Give the campaign enough time to develop before assessing it

My Perfect Train Ride: Tea & a Book on Social Media

For now, that’s it! I already started reading my signed copy of Beth’s book on a train ride to beautiful Connecticut this weekend. I highly recommend “Measuring the Networked Nonprofit” to anyone who’s a social media addict like me – whether you do it for a nonprofit organization, a for-profit company, or even for your personal brand. It was a pleasure meeting you, Beth!

Tagged bagels with beth kanter, beth kanter, Beth Kanter at Fenton 2012, beth kanter book, fenton nyc events, fenton progress, global goods partners, mashable social good summit, mashable social good summit beth kanter, Measuring the Networked Nonprofit, Measuring the Networked Nonprofit review, nonprofit social media consultant, Social Media, social media advice for nonprofits, tech consultant for nonprofit organizations, visual therapy blog

Ksenia's Blog

social media, travel & style

My Acai Bowlism Recognized by Sambazon

6 Fall 2013 Trends You Can’t Miss

Trend #1: It’s in the Cropped Jacket

Trend #2: Leather Obsession

Trend #3: Black or White

Trend #4: Show Me Some Boho

Trend #5: Sexy Cutouts

Trend #6: Just Try to Keep Looking into My Eyes, or Plunging V-Neck

Bonus: What a Girl Wants, or The Gowns

Spring Fashion Knocking On The Door

Mira, Hanneli and Elin for Louis Vuitton

Fall in Pictures: NY, CT, MA

It’s the traveler’s spirit. Always looking for another train, for another plane, for another road, for another open door, for another fresh experience.

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