Eco-Monday: Putting the Glam in Recyclables

From this... 

     

to That.



Hello again from the intern! As any normal child, my desire to recycle came from a need to save the animals after I watched the movie “Happy Feet”. Just out of pure interest I “googled” 'facts about aluminum drink cans' today and stumbled across the Can Manufacturers Institute. The fact that made me realize just how important throwing my coke can in the recycling bin stated, “For each pound of aluminum recovered, Americans save the energy resources needed to generate about 7.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity" If you are unfamiliar with kilowatt-hours (as I was), this equates to the amount of light Pittsburgh uses....over a 6 year period!!! So now that we all know just how important recycling these small cans is, I present a crafty solution. 

As a college student I am always on a tight budget and yet I'm constantly searching for a piece of jewelry that will spice up my outfit. I tried my hand once as designing my own necklaces but that never seemed to turn out well. My solution to this dilemma later came when a friend of mine discovered Etsy while preparing for her wedding last November. I discovered so many great vendors that re-use everyday products to create gorgeous one-of-a-kind pieces. The vendor I'm currently hooked on is JMP Designs. This vendor re-uses the drink cans her family consumes in order to create adorable and trendy pieces of jewelry.  In reading her bio I was happy to discover that her goal was to “make the world a little greener with style,” a statement that any green goddess can relate to.

So as the season moves on and the bright fun colors of spring make it back into your wardrobe, I suggest checking out this vendor and realizing the amazing impact that buying an adorable new necklace can make. 

Enjoy the week!

Event Wednesday: Pop Up Shop

I wanted to invite everyone to come to an extremely fabulous Pop-Up Shop Event in DC, the weekend of April 1-3. Trina Turk, who has been a great supporter of NEST, a non-profit that is very dear to our hearts, will be hosting this fabulous event at The Donovan House, one of the swankiest hotels in DC. You'll get to shop the newest spring collection, mingle with an exciting group of women, sip some bubbly, pick up a resort piece or two, and  meet the one and only, Mrs. Turk herself.

And besides, we'll be there, so what more could you ask for?

FUNinspiring Friday: Some girls have all the fun...and creativity

I've been obsessed with Terrariums since we discovered Tend Living a while back and did a posting of it here on our blog.  So it was to my great delight when I discovered that a Green with Envy Intern also created these works of arts (amongst many other things). And it should have been no surprise, since she's extremely talented and creative.  This chandelier-turned-terrarium from Ariel is so clever, and a great way to repurpose an otherwise out-of-date fixture. Not only do the paned panels recall the look of traditional terrariums, but the piece also includes a convenient door — originally for changing light bulbs — which is perfect for the occasional rearrangement of the plants and rocks.

Ariel is currently studying at Corcoran College of Art & Design, and does it all!  Illustrations, concept design & installation, branding and logos, and she even creates her own textiles with repeated patterns based on photos she's taken. AMAZING!

And as if she wasn't busy enough,she also explores with jewelry design, like these found metal pendants on gold plated chains.

You know how they say some girls have all the fun? It's really true in this case( note to mention she's got a ton of energy, creativity and she's gorgeous). Make sure you check out the rest of her stuff, here.

Happy Findings!

Hair Candy

I'm in the mood for something sweet, and since I'm still trying to shed those last few pregnancy pounds, I'm better off keeping my hands out of the cookie jar. So, I think I'll do the next best thing and feast my eyes on sweet somethings that aren't full of calories, but are sure to satisfy my sweet cravings, while being really pretty to look at!

Made by hand from Twigs & Honey by Myra Callan and using only the finest ribbons, lace, hand dyed silks, beads and jewels (and many more accoutrement's), these bridal hair candy are to-die-for. The attention to detail is truly stunning and leaves me wishing for another big day, just so I can sport one, or two of her creations!

I'm in love with this next Chantilly lace and rhinestone self tying headband. The roughness of the stones and sweetness of the lace is a perfect blend of harmony. Love it.

As for these next two pieces, I love the silvery hues and sparkle--they could definitely be worn after the Big Day. Perhaps for a festive party of New Year's Celebration?

A little color goes a long way, just ask a blushing bride.

Have a great Wednesday everyone! xoxo, Laura

My Big Fat Green Wedding: Favors

The wedding day is fast approaching and as we all know by now, we have a pretty resourceful bride on our hands. Most aspects of the wedding incorporate a green or sustainable element (from the venue and locally sourced food/produce to the bride's gown), so of course the favors for the guests were to be no exception.

As a token of their appreciation, the bride and groom have chosen to come full circle with their favor creation. Since the actual ceremony and luncheon will be an intimate affair, in lieu of the traditional flower boutonnieres, the couple chose to present the men attendees with a Beer Buttonaire, made by the bride herself with so much love and care.

The women will also receive special Beerings, crafted with the same design on the watercolor invitations; images of beautiful yellow and green California Poppies that embody the spirit of Big Sur.

Guests will also receive a foot soak to ease the pain after many hours of dancing. Unbleached muslin bags, purchased from Save on Crafts, will be filled with a scented, organic chamomile and Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, a perfect blend to toss into the tub to end the day at this beautiful resort and spa.

As we know from this previous post, the bride creates these Beerings to not only save bottle caps, but also as an additional way to give back and create awareness. If you want to make a difference, other creative Beering designs can be purchased at Beerings for Change.

Have a great week. xoxo, Laura

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

Jeweliany...Oh how I love thee

Any given day, you can most likely find me wearing at least one piece of Jewelry from the talented Julie Simpson, founder and designer at Jeweliany. This local San Diego jewelry designer is taking the jewelry market to new heights with her unique and inspired, hand-crafted jewelry. I am very excited to share with you just a few of my favorite Jeweliany designs!

I met Julie about a year ago, and not only is her jewelry AMAZING in every way, she happens to be one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. Her line offers anything from chunky bracelets to delicate necklaces...chain-link earrings to wire-wrapped rings. Every piece has a little bit of her personality infused into, like her adorable cut-out necklaces (above) that are hand drawn and cut by Julie.

What I love most about her designs in the perfect balance she creates of sweet & delicate mixed with industrial-tough. Her jewelry can be worn with just about any outfit. In fact, many of her designs are almost an outfit by themselves!

Jeweliany's signature design is her constellation necklaces. Being the creative artist that she is, Julie fashioned a line of necklaces that correspond with the 12 astrological signs...but they are the actual constellations of the horoscope signs. These beautiful treasures are not only a great conversation starter...they look stunning on your neckline. I love wearing mine...and I always get compliments!

I strongly urge you to check out the one-of-a-kind jewelry from Jeweliany. Her designs continue to evolve, and I am certain that before long...you'll be seeing them in Nordstrom or Neimans. Her prices are low and every piece is made with LOVE. To see the rest of her designs, visit their website and become a fan on Facebook.

Have a great weekend everyone!

xo Carlee

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