My Big Fat Green Wedding: Invitations, Redone!

With the wedding less than a month away, invitation have gone out and guests have started RSVP'ing. Since the color scheme was changed a few weeks ago, from bold and bright sunset shades to romantic yellows and grays, the original artwork had to be changed as well.

Amy Tan, owner of The TreeSpace Studio did an amazing job with this new set. The colors sublty remind one of the California poppies and wild succulents that dot the Big Sur Coast. She really embodied the spirit of the location as well as the calm, relaxed moods of the bride and groom.

Thoughts?

xoxo, Laura

Amazing Recycled Leather Handbags by 14X Bags

Finding the perfect bag isn't easy...and sometimes it takes months of searching. Luckily, I know where to look so it didn't take me long. Today I am so excited to tell you about an amazing company I found while looking for my new black handbag. Not only are these bags absolutely gorgeous, they are made with recycled materials. A hand-made, Eco-Friendly handbag...kind of a no-brainer if you ask me!

Introducing 14X Bags ~ Hand made with lots of love by Kimberly Anderson of Idaho & Alaska. Her beautiful bags are made with plush recycled leathers, lined with vintage scarfs, and embellished with recycled antique brass hardware. Every single bag is completely unique and one-of-a-kind. And she adds a personal touch with her charming hand-stitched details located in various locations.

One of the best parts of ordering a bag from 14X Bags is Kim's willingness to customize the bag to your perfect specifications. If you see something you like, but want to change the length or style, she will work with you. But with all of the stunning bags she has for sale, you might not need to. Here are some of my favorite bags from her collection...LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!

I just received my new bag ~ The Wild Thing Hobo (pictured below) and it is perfect! The bag is so well made; you can tell Kim spends a lot of time making these masterpieces. She uses an industrial sewing machine and weather resistant thread to make her seams secure, so you know your bag will last a long time.

If you're in the market for a new bag, you MUST visit the 14X Bags shop on Etsy. With prices ranging from $150-$250, these bags are a steal! Image the pride you'll feel wearing a one-of-a-kind, hand made handbag that is made entirely out of recycled materials! Happy shopping!

Carlee

Living Scultpures

Keeping up your blog can be a task, a fun task, but nonetheless, a task (especially the busier you get). In order to help me with ideas, I keep a running folder that I fill with inspirational articles, quotes or photos that I find as I'm browsing the web late at night. It's nice to be able to have a place with a collection of fun things to refer back to.

I've had this next artist in my 'book of secrets' for close to a year...and while most of the things I store and ultimately write about tend to be green, this isn't. But with that said,it was just too cool to pass up. And besides, it's 'green'...in color.

Robert Cannon, creates these amazing life size sculptures with concrete and moss. He calls his work, Terraform, or literally, earth-shaping. I think they are pretty spectacular, and would love, love one in my backyard. Or even in my living room. A girl can keep dreaming.

A modern day bust.

Rodin, Redone.

To be working with concrete, his form and sense of proportion is amazing.

I want the next two in my garden. A soothing waterfall and cozy bench would make any outdoor sitting area more cozy and inviting!

And my favorite. This hanging structure would look amazing in the atrium of a building.

Please check out more of his work, here.

Have a great week, everyone! Xoxo, Laura

My Big Fat Green Wedding: Colors, Flowers and a modern twist...

Your color and flower choices for your wedding say so much about the couple, so it's absolutely crucial to select colors that are a reflection of the two of you . Janine and Ken, from the My Big Fat Green Wedding Series, had done just that (or so they thought). But then they changed their minds! That is okay to do, as long as you clue in your vendors with enough notice to put together your new vision.

In this case, since their centerpieces are being created by the creative bride herself (with collaboration from the Groom's mother), changing the color scheme and flower choices came with ease. Instead of the bright hues of amethysts, oranges and yellows that were to mimic the sunset, the bride realized that she and her groom are well, more mellow and modern. With this in mind, they choose their new scheme of calming hues of greys and yellows.

The greys were inspired by the Dusty Miller Plant, which the groom loves from his backyard. Whether they are potted or placed in orbs, it's full leaves will add plenty of dimension to any arrangement.

As for the touches of yellow, burst of Billy Buttons will not only add plenty of color, but also some great texture.

The other flower that might be found here or there, is called the Silver Brunia, which has a great silver tone to it and is very light and airy to the touch.

The Eco Friendly Sola Moss and Sola Flowers will be incorporated in the shape of Roses and Gardenias and will be the perfect finishing touch (please see Green with Envy's previous post to learn more about these sustainable flowers).

Always remember that with a little imagination, your selections can be something sustainable. Whether or not all of these options are incorporated into the final pieces, thinking and planning ahead will allow this Bride to reuse the arrangements in her home or for her non-profit events, for many years to come!

Have a great week. Xoxo, Laura

Balsa Wood Flowers are Forever

For all of you who didn't read about this trend in the wedding blogosphere last year...I'd like introduce you to my new favorite Eco-flower ~ The Balsa Wood Flower. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

These little beauties are handmade from tapioca wood peel, also called sola wood, a naturally derived paper product. The sola wood is cut in pieces to make each delicate petal. And best of all, these darling buds aren't alive meaning they won't ever die...making them the perfect Eco-friendly option for your big day! Your Balsa Wood Flowers are yours to treasure forever♥

After searching for any information I could find on these precious gems, I found one company who has mastered the art of Balsa Wood Flowers. JL Designs Couture Floral & Event Styling has been using them in for a while now, and have accumulated quite the portfolio of stunning bouquets and centerpieces. In fact, almost every single one of these pictures are from them. And as if that wasn't impressive enough, I spent about an hour browsing through the rest of their amazing work! You have to check out JL Designs for your flower and event styling needs! They are located in Orange County, but will travel all over California and their designs are TO DIE FOR!

What I love about these adorable flowers is how versatile they are. You can buy them as single flowers (pictured below) and use them to make just about anything. String them together to make a garland, use them in your bouquet or centerpieces, make a gorgeous accessory to wear, or use them to decorate your home. Their soft, fluffy look will work with just about any style - vintage, beachy or modern. To buy your own Balsa Wood Flowers, visit SaveonCrafts.com.

Balsa Wood Flowers are the perfect option for your Eco-friendly event! And once the party is over, your flowers will live on forever.

Have a great week everyone!

Carlee

Beer(ings) Give Back!

Our bride, Janine, from our My Big Fat Green Wedding Series, is a true conservationist. She really strives to be as environmentally friendly and socially responsible as possible, in every aspect of her life (traits that I find quite admirable). She's the founder of Green Wave, which serves to create several initiatives of eco-awareness and collaborates with other charities aimed towards making our earth a better place. So it came to no surprise, when she also came up with this new idea.

After many nights spent on the road with her fiance, Ken, from The Crystal Method, and seeing just how much beer is consumed by the roadies, she decided to come up with a solution to minimize what waste she could. So, she came up with the genuis idea to take the bottle caps from consumed beer bottles (rather than tossing them in the garbage, as they cannot be recyled), and started creating Beerings with them! The one-of-a-kind designs, cut out from vintage magazines and calendars are handmade and sealed with a non-toxic, eco-polyurethane. What a genuis idea, repurposing at it's very best. And the best part, she sells them for only $20/pair, with the proceeds benefititng conservation projects.

Each purchase of Beerings goes back to different GreenWave Programs; Save a Turtle, Buy a Brick or the Save an Acre Initiative. The Save a Turtle benefits Green Wave's eco-scholarships and turtle conservation project in Costa Rica. The Buy a Brick campaign benefits green building developments & schools. The current project is an eco-friendly children's sanctuary in Kenya, in collaboration with NextAid. The Save an Acre aids in Amazonian rainforest conservation, working with the Rainforest Alliance Network and Conservation International.

The styles are all so unique and different, yet all have that nature, beachy, earthy inspiration.

Love, love, love.

I think it's great when someone finds unique ways to repurporse the most odd objects. It goes to show that with a little imagination, anything is possible. To purchase your pair of Beerings, please visit http://www.beeringsforchange.com/

Have a great week :-) Laura