Eventful Wednesday: Welcome to the World Baby Leo

We are so excited to announce a new addition to the Green with Envy family!

Introducing: 

Leo Vincent Gerardi 

 born on October 10, 2011 

 7 pounds 11 ounces

Congratulation to Carlee and Steve on this wonderful blessing! He is absolutely stunning and seems like such a sweet little guy; Auntie Laura can't wait to meet him!!

 We wish Carlee and Steve the best of luck and great wishes for a life of happiness and memories with their bundle! 

xoxoxo

Eco-Monday: Recycled cashmere for your little one

Although I'm on the West Coast at the moment enjoying the beautiful sunshine, I'm well aware that I won't be so lucky upon my return to the East Coast this coming Saturday. I'm prepared to pull out the jeans and cashmere once again, and rock my staple wool dress with legging and boots. With this cold weather in mind, I wanted to give a shout-out to a company that does recycled, cold-weather style for my little one seem effortless and oh, so chic.

Luvette is a small eco-responsible, mother owned design studio in Berkeley. She does up-cycling at it's best, taking repurposed felt cashmere and old wool sweaters and creating beautifully designed, handcrafted baby and toddler clothes. These cast-offs are chosen for color, quality and softness of material, and are reincarnated into special little things for your bunny. The line includes simple cashmere dresses, felted wool bibs, soft wool and cashmere pants (called longies and shorties), skirts, overalls and baby blankets.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Bibs too cute to mess up!

Bloomies to die for! I want a pair.

A chicken is the new Fido, at least in my house.

The attention to details is amazing, and every piece is a unique work of art, sewn with a lot of love, one by one. She also does custom pieces, so if  you have a sweater that's of sentimental value that you  just can't part with, she can make it into something magical and long lasting for your little one. Check out the rest of her stuff, here.

Happy Monday! xoxo, Laura

Eco-Mondays ~ go au naturale at Babies By The Sea

On our very first Eco-Monday, I'm very excited to share with you the most adorable (and Eco-friendly) baby store that I just discovered.  Babies by the Sea boutique is located in Cardiff-by-the-Sea in San Diego. With so many friends and family members having babies these days, I've been doing my fair share of baby shopping. But up until now, it's been rather ordinary. When you walk into Babies by the Sea, it feels as if you're walking into an earthly fairytale. Every organic detail has been meticulously perfected to offer the most enjoyable shopping experience for babies, toddlers and their parents.  

The concept of the Babies by the Sea Boutique was conceived by San Diego Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Dr. Robert Biter who has been a proponent of natural women's and babies’ health care for years, and  Laura Ann Fairchild, an entrepreneur, retail fashion consultant, and the creator of the successful L.A. Fairchild Boutique and L.A. Fairchild Denim Bar concepts. They realized that with Dr. Biter's medical expertise and passion for health, and with Laura Fairchild's cutting-edge eye for retail fashion, buying ability, business knowledge, and familiarity with corporate start-up operations, a partnership between the two of them was a match made in baby boutique heaven! In addition, Laura's sister and business partner, Julie Fairchild, enthusiastically decided to join the team to handle marketing, events, and human resources for the store.  And I must say, this collaboration is perfect!

Their Mission Statement says it all: Our mission is to empower healthy beginnings and support sustainable families by offering cutting-edge natural-living resources and products, in-depth educational opportunities, and fashion-forward organic and boutique apparel; and to create a nurturing, open-minded, non-judgmental, accepting of difference, multi-cultural social network to meet the evolving physical, developmental, intellectual, and emotional needs of all mothers, babies, and toddlers.

 

And check out how they designed the boutique: The store build-out was thoughtfully designed based upon a sustainable and environmentally-friendly "green" premise. Materials and themes incorporated into the build-out include the use of bamboo for shelving, recycled pallets for display tables, burlap coffee sacks for wall covering, reclaimed and salvaged urban wood for display tables and beams, recycled glass for the counter tops, no VOC paint, energy-efficient lighting, and other non-toxic materials wherever possible. The store incorporates the use of earth-friendly office supplies, bags/packaging, water for customers, and other daily use items. The boutique also encourages customers to re-use bags and to participate in environmentally friendly family events, in order to raise awareness with respect to sustainable living in the community.

I know what you're thinking...amazing!  This is definitely my kind of store!

Along with their amazing selection of organic and designer baby goods, Babies by the Sea also offers classes for soon-to-be and new moms.  I'm not pregnant yet, but when I am...I would love to live close to this store. If you're looking for a gift for a young one in your life, or if you're expecting your own bundle of love...and of course those of you with little darlings already - you MUST check out Babies by the Sea. To experience it for yourself, visit the boutique at 2007 San Elijo Avenue, Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007 or visit their website to learn more. 

Say what you really mean with Hard Cards

Happy Friday everyone! Sorry for the shortage of postings lately, I've just returned from almost a month of back to back trips. One of which was for a very special wedding in the Boston area for our dear friends Shannon & Chris. Pics will be up soon! But until then...let's have some fun!

With the holidays coming up and so many baby/bridal/wedding events in the near future, I have cards on the mind! But not your normal, run-of-the-mill cards. I want cards with personality. I want cards that make you laugh out loud! Hello Hard Cards! Their slogan "Times are hard and so are we" basically sums it up.

Founders Randi Rulayne Picarelli and Stacey Leigh Rifkin started Hard Cards because they couldn’t lie to their friends any longer. They were tired of pretending that they were happy about your babies, thrilled you’re turning another year older, or that they actually care about your problems. They saw the need for greeting cards that make people laugh at the truth. Their cards are snarky, funny, and irreverent while also being beautifully designed. Based out of Los Angeles, Hard Cards is committed to creating a line of products with minimal environmental impact. Every Hard Card and envelope is printed with soy ink and made from 100% Post Consumer Waste Paper. That means no new trees are cut down, and no bleach, acid, or chlorine is used. They are also concerned with employing local designers and printers, and supporting local businesses. That means you can feel good because they're 100% Made in the USA. And for that, Green with Envy Events is a big fan!!! Here are some of our faves:

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And guess what! Hard Cards are sold in hundreds of stores all over the U.S. To find your nearest retailer, visit their website and make sure to become a fan on Facebook! Hard Cards ~ Thank you for making cards that are honest, hilarious, and nice to our planet!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Carlee

Gotta Have S'more

Earlier this week I attended an Eco-Bridal event at the delightfully green stationary boutique - Copper Willow in Culver City. Guests enjoyed an interesting mix of cupcakes and champagne, Eco-fashion and repurposed jewelry, and other Eco-surprises. But by far the highlight of the evening for me, was an unexpected blast from my past...The S'more. Who doesn't love this perfect combination of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows?

Founder and CEO of Gotta Have S'more, Carmen Lindner was at the event offering a gorgeous array of her To Die For S'MUFFINS! I know...how cute is that? We shared stories of starting our own businesses, and I loved the fact that she had no baking experience...but just a brilliant idea. Her story is an inspiration to anyone who's thought of taking a risk and following their dreams.

Gotta Have S’more isn’t your typical dessert company. The classic S’more has evolved into the S'muffin - A perfect little dose of pleasure! I finished mine in 3 bites - the perfect size and shape to satisfy a sweet tooth (whether you knew you had one or not). They come in a variety of delicious flavors like caramel, cookies n' creme, dark chocolate, peanut butter, and much more. And the marshmallow on top is perfectly toasted, just like you used to do it around the campfire!

Not only are they insanely yummy, they offer a charming and truly unique presentation. I love the idea of giving (or receiving) a box of these treats. Whether you want to have a conversation-starter for your next meeting, or give an interesting gift to clients, teachers or friends, they offer the perfect dozen, 4 pack or even single boxes.

And it doesn't stop there. Say goodbye to the cheesy heart-shaped box of chocolates from the past and show your love with a dozen Valentine's S'muffins!

How cute are these Wedding themed S'muffins? Think outside the Wedding cake...and offer your guests a delectable surprise in honor of your love!

Are you looking for a one-of-a-kind favor to give your Baby Shower guests? S'muffins are favors that your guests will be excited to get! Each comes individually wrapped in a pretty box with a display window. How sweet are these?

Gotta Have S'more is located in Los Angeles, and S'muffins are available for purchase at Platine Cookies at 10850 Washington Blvd in Culver City. Currently they are only available for delivery in Los Angeles County, but very soon they will be shipping nation wide! You can reach them at 888-95-SMORE or visit their website to learn more.

I'm looking forward to my next S'muffin....cause I GOTTA HAVE S'MORE!

xoxo Carlee

Eco-Baby ~ You're never too young to Go Green!

Happy Friday everyone! As some of you might know, one of our Green with Envy girls, Laura, is pregnant with her first baby...and I couldn't be happier for her. Her little girl will arrive in a few months, and will no doubt be decked out in all the latest Eco-baby trends.

I'm not a mom yet, but if I was...I would absolutely want my baby to be using only the most pure and natural products. With Laura's baby shower tomorrow, I started looking around online for Eco-friendly baby gifts. I was pleasantly surprised by how many resources there are for all those Green Mommies our there. My favorite is the Eco-Friendly Baby Boutique at Naturally Trendy.

Naturally Trendy is an Eco business owned by a mother of three children. Eco-friendly baby products that are both stylish and functional can be difficult to find. At Naturally Trendy, you can find hip and trendy baby products that are good for your baby and our earth. They work with many small businesses, often owned by mothers. Many of their products are made here in USA and some of their products are shipped directly from the manufacturer to the customer, reducing Carbon Footprint.

They have hundreds of adorable and functional items...here are a few of my favorites-

Love these 100% certified organic cotton baby t-shirt and yoga pants.

And for those little boys, imagine wrapping your bundle of joy in this funky scary fish receiving blanket. Your baby will love the feel of this soft, organic receiving blanket on his pure skin.

Welcome to the Jungle! I LOVE this Lions & Tigers crib set by Pixel Organic made with 100% Certified Organic Cotton Sateen, 220 thread count. Your baby will (hopefully) sleep sound through the night in this plush setup.

How cute are these Organic Velour rattle animal toys made from Organic cotton/poly velour with organic cotton fill. And now you can brainwash your baby to eat vegetables with these Organic cotton veggies toys by Under the Nile. Wouldn't it be comforting to know that the toys your baby is constantly putting in their mouth...are made with NO TOXINS. Brilliant!

How precious are these fully reversible silk baby bloomers? Let those pudgy legs hang out - while it's still cute to have pudgy legs!

Naturally Trendy also has an great selection of baby shoes. I love these little blue booties, and these adorable Mary-Janes. Your babies will be so stylish in any of these earth-friendly shoes.

To all you new moms (and soon to be mommies out there), honor your baby and our Mother Earth at Naturally Trendy's Eco-Friendly Baby Boutique.

Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo Carlee

Welcome to the Nest

Doesn't springtime make you want to just lay in a field of green grass, look up at the billowy clouds and listen to the flittering of the hummingbirds go by? Too bad spring has come and gone, and all we have left is June Gloom. For months, I've been playing around with ideas for my sister's baby shower and ultimately decided on the theme for my own selfish reason--okay, okay, the fact that she loves birds and all things shabby chic didn't hurt either. But, honestly, I really wanted to hold on a little bit tighter to those early childhood spring memories, when we sat and watched the birds flutter outside our window, and wished we, too, could fly, fly away.

For her shower in August, I've chosen a soft palette of brown, blues and lime green to Welcome this new Bappie into their family nest of three. I sure hope that someday he'll enjoy the sound of bluebirds singing outside his window as much as I do. Until next time, keep enjoying those soft, billowy cloud days. Laura