Where The Wild Things Are

Attention food & wine lovers...I am so excited to announce the Chula Vista Nature Center's annual Food and Wine Classic ~ Where The Wild Things Are on May 15th from 4-7:00pm. Green with Envy Events is helping coordinate this unique celebration...and you won't want to miss it!

Click flyer to enlarge.

Come sample wines & culinary delights from world-class wineries and local restaurants in the gorgeous surroundings of the Nature Center and Wildlife Refuge. Bid on unique auction items, collector's wines and "once in a life-time" experiences! All proceeds will benefit Nature Center animals, programs & exhibits.

To learn more about this beautiful piece of land and the important role it plays in our community, please visit their website. And if you can't make it to this event, I encourage you to visit the Nature Center as soon as you can. This hidden gem has interesting exhibits, stunning scenery, and family fun for all!

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Carlee

Water Balloons+Bat=Some Loving Fun in the Sun

I could very easily spend hours, upon hours browsing the blogs and websites of all my favorite photographers. I love getting inspired by a session, and by the emotion, spirit and personality photos are able to relay (and photographers are able to capture) in such a subtle manner. That's why, when I ran across this engagement session, I just had to share it with you.

Photographer Daniel Kiyoi, based out of Los Angeles, did such an amazing job with this engagement session. He knew that the bride and groom, Julie + Matt, were extremely athletic, and wanted the session to be sporadic and full of fun. So, what better way than to have some fun in the sun? They filled 50 water balloons at the park, and ended up playing baseball with them...and the images to show are to-die-for!

I love the loving, yet mischievous expressions on both Julie and Matt's faces. It makes me want to know what they are up to!

And I think this is just too much fun! He looks like he's ready for the water, and she looks like she's having such a blast popping that balloon over his head! But wait, payback time!

Here batter, batter, swing, batter! He really hit that one out of the ballpark! The way the water splashes through the air, and how Daniel captured that, I have no idea, but I love it either way.

And Julie looks like she's concentrating so hard on hitting that water balloon, yet the image is so soft, and there's such an ethereal quality to it; she looks amazing!

I love it! They both look like they had a blast, and the photos really captured their personality. It makes me want to be friends with them; they look like they are such a fun couple to hang out with. Kudos to Daniel Kiyoi, and the bride and groom for doing a one-of-a-kind session! I know their life will be full of love, spontaneity and hopefully, plenty of more water fun!

Have a great day, Laura

Emerson Made me Smile!

Today's obsession - EmersonMade fabric flowers. I recently stumbled upon this delightful company while doing my daily blog surfing and I instantly fell in love! EmersonMade is based out of New Hampshire, and is run by Emerson herself...and her trusty partner (and husband) Ryan. Aren't they adorable?

EmersonMade is a company that believes in celebrating the uniqueness of the individual, the joy of being alive and all the smallness that makes up the Big Beautiful. They specialize in hand dyed and hand stitched blooms and accessories with an apparel line coming out in 2010.

Each bloom they build is one of a kind, varied, and has its own unique character and soul – your flower soulmate! just for you.

I am absolutely in love with their entire collection of blooms! These gorgeous flowers make the perfect accessory to any outfit, any day of the week. They offer a range of sizes, colors, and styles...and even have stuff for men and children. There is no limit to how these blooms can be used, so let your imagination run free!

Planning a Green Wedding? It doesn't get more Eco-Friendly then this. Not only are these fabric flowers stunning, they are also reusable. Imagine the pride you'll feel knowing not one real flower was harmed for your Wedding.

How sweet is this bridesmaid's bouquet? Love it!!!

Give each of your bridesmaids there own personal flair...the perfect gift they can reuse time and time again.

I love this idea for an alternative centerpiece. These flowers give a romantic touch to any table, and you could even send them home with your guests as favors.

And for the bride & groom...Beautiful!

Last but certainly not least, the shoes! With these charming shoe flowers, you will always be one-of-a-kind!

There are so many other amazing blooms...but for the sake of trying to keep my blogs shorter these days, these are just a few of my faves. To see the rest of this delicious collection, visit their website. EmersonMade is overflowing with personality, quirk, and sweetness...and I guarantee it will make you smile too!

Happy Day

Carlee

Life is pretty Sweet, isn't it?

I've been on the go a lot this week and with all the miles of walking around the city, my little one has built up quite an appetite. It's so hard to find healthy options for fast lunches-on-the-go when every other corner is a Starbucks, Baja Fresh, McDonald's or another big chain serving a carb filled and heart attack waiting to happen. That's why I got so excited when I ran across a healthy, inspiring, green and sweet alternative...enter SweetGreen.

SweetGreen believes that eating healthy and delicious food should be simple. Food should Fit your wallet, your tastes, your values, your style and your true sense of self; and it should be a mindset of the SweetLife. That state of mind where we are provided with comfort, warmth, freedom, relaxation and discovery. From the decor to the very last detail, they've managed to satisfy all that and much more!

SweetGreen is constantly looking for ways to improve their sustainability methods, and offers all compostable packaging, composting and recycling bins throughout the restaurant, uses local ingredients, and offers for sale sustainable merchandise for you to use upon your next visit, Re-purposing at it's best!

But the most important part? The Food. It's simple salad bar menu is just that, simple and very fresh. They source all of their produce, cheeses and meats from local farms in the DC area, and incorporate seasonal availability into their menu. It's what your body naturally craves as the seasons change, and the less the food has to travel from farm to salad bowl, the better it is for the environment, the community, your body and your taste buds. You can select from a menu of 9 delicious salads, or choose to create your own with the multitude of available options. Such a simple and tasty philosophy, I love it!

And they also do same day catering! It's all fresh and local, and the presentation is not too shabby either! It's so yummy, and leaves you feeling so light, yet full, you won't want to eat those greasy hamburgers ever again!

If you cannot make it to one of their 6 locations throughout DC and surrounding areas, don't fret, because you always have the SweetFlow Mobile. Just follow the SweetFlow Mobile on Twitter and find out where in the city they'll be making the rounds that day, and you too can get some of that inspired goodness!

The Piece de Resistance? Their yogurt. Made with a hint of tartness and live cultures, this all natural and fat free goodness will be just enough to clean out your palette, and it will also put you over the edge and satisfy that SweetSpot craving.

I am so excited about this place; simple, organic, fresh and sweet tasting. Who says you can't have it all? It really can't get any better than that! Have a great weekend everyone. xoxo, Laura