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  This chandelier-turned-terrarium from Ariel is so clever, and a great way to repurpose an otherwise out-of-date fixture.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!

Wedding Wednesday: No Words Needed

I love all things old; vintage clothes and jewelry, antique furniture, classic cars and old movies. It was to my delight, then, when I stumbled upon this 'old' movie.

Kahli and Potsch, an extrmely creative couple from LA, wanted to put their love into words.  Er..action. As daunting as the task seemed, they created this silent movie with the help of their friend, in one weekend.  And it premiered with great approval at their reception.

Here's "Falling for You" by Kahli & Potsch. Enjoy, I sure did.

Falling For You from Khali & Potsch on Vimeo.

Happy Wednesday. xoxo, Laura

Do It Yourself ~ Wedding Flowers

A few months back, Green with Envy Events made their way to a beautiful, small Massachusetts town for the wedding of Shannon & Chris Boeckelman. This was no ordinary wedding. This was rustic, romantic elegance at it's finest! What made this wedding so extraordinary (other then the amazing bride & groom and their lively friends and family) was the FLOWERS!!!! Our bride Shannon chose to do all the flowers herself. With her amazing artistic vision and our design expertise, we pulled together a stunning floral presentation. And of course...I just have to share it with you. Enjoy!

First step, the bride collected dozens of antique glass bottles (thanks to her uncle) and a bunch of bell jars. How cool are these bottles?

Next up...the flowers. Our bride ordered all of her flowers from FiftyFlowers.com. This awesome site offers over 2000 flowers choices, at wholesale prices. Delivery is timed perfectly for optimum freshness of your flowers. Shannon and I worked together to choose the perfect combination of flowers. Our inspiration ~ Romantic, Rustic, French, Elegance. I think we nailed it!

The Flowers

• Chocolate Cosmos
• Patience Ivory Garden Rose
• Queen Anne's Lace
• White Hydrangea
• Peach Peony Garden Rose
• Black Dahlias
• China Berries
• White Ranunculus

What you'll need: A team of eager-to-help aunts, sisters, and bridesmaids, a bunch of large buckets, lots of stem-cutters & sharp knives, stem stripper, vases, rubber bands, paper towels, ribbon, green floral tape, pearl tipped corsage pins, and a good 5-7 hours to put it all together.

Now you're ready to go. What made these flower arrangements so pretty, was that they looked effortless. Large bunches of hydrangeas, black cosmos, ivory garden roses and china berries went into the bell jars.

A beautiful combination of peach and ivory garden roses, chocolate cosmos, and white ranunculus went into all the antique bottles. How darling are these? Our beautiful bride is getting excited for the big day!!!

Next up, the bouquets. There are tons of DIY wedding bouquet articles all over the web; we like this tutorial from Wedding Bee. For the bouquets, we used all the different flowers and gathered them in a loose, flowing style. Rather then packing them into a tight ball, we had little bunches of china berries hanging out, Queen Anne's lace popping up, and some chocolate cosmos dripping out. They were stunning!

And now...the final product. Check out these next few pictures from the amazing photography husband & wife team of The Goodness. Lisa and Geoff are some of the most talented photographers in the business. And on top of shooting pictures, they also do incredible design work.

I absolutely adore the centerpieces we set up. A combination of 3-4 antique bottles, one bell jar, small votive candles, and a stack of sliced tree trunk (courtesy of Richie, the father-of-the-bride) topped with an adorable acorn with the table number. LOVE!!!!

Thank you to Shannon and Chris for letting us be a part of your big day and congratulations on your marriage! We wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

As you can see, when you put your thinking caps on, a get a little creative - the result can be breath-taking! We encourage anybody who's in need of flowers to consider doing it yourself. You'll not only save money, but you'll have a lot of fun doing it.

Have a wonderful week everyone! xxoo Carlee

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

My Big Fat Green Wedding: Invitations! Will you be getting one?

The choice of your wedding stationery is so important; the first impression your guests have of your wedding is formed the minute they open that envelope (or in this case, the email). Ideally, they should reflect the personalities of the bride and groom as well as the style of the wedding. The choices are endless; off the shelf vs. custom design, 100lb paper vs. 130lb vs. recycled paper, lithography vs. letterpress vs. thermography vs. engraving--it can all be overwhelming. But when you find the one, you'll know...kinda like when you find the groom or the dress. You just know.

As soon as our beautiful bride saw designs from The TreeSpace Studio, she just knew she wanted them to design her invites. Amy Tan, the creative mind behind these gorgeous works, specializes in design consultation and custom artwork stationery. Her background in architecture and lifelong love for art really reflects in the designs she creates. Materials mater, and she experiments with all types of unique, sustainable papers, fabrics, natural fibers, even wood and metal, to create something that is individualized for each client. Amy's designs are completely original, and are meticulously designed, hand-painted and crafted by her on beautiful hand-made or sustainable papers.

Here are a couple of samples from other invitations she has designed:

This sample below was inspired by vintage seed packets, for another sustainably conscious bride. The illustrations were completely hand drawn by Amy, and painted by her to reflect the Grow the Love theme of the wedding. They were printed on durable, post-consumer recycled card stock and are actually functional seed packets!

Gorgeous! The color and detail is phenomenal.

And this next set was inspired by vintage travel maps and the couple's gorgeous destination, St. Lucia! I love her use of colors! They just pop right off the page!

And now...let's see what she has designed for our couple!!

Since the couple's palette is inspired by the gorgeous Southern California Sunsets, Amy incorporated amethyst, orange, and hints of green into their digital Engagement Party invite (saves paper!). Amy wanted the overall artwork and design to be fresh, bold and modern, and really reflect the couple's love for nature, the sun, surf and good times! Mission accomplished, don't you agree?

I love how she added the couple's handwritten message, such a personal touch!

As for the Save the Date, the serene blues of the Pacific Ocean are reflected, since the couple is getting married in Big Sur, where views of the sea are to-die-for. Once again, the orange of the sunset is added for that pop of color, and the silhouettes maintain that playful, 'in love', Calfornia, relaxed, vintage feel.

The main invitation design is in the works, but I can't wait to see the final product...I am sure they are going to be beyond lovely! We'll share as soon as they are hot of the digital press!

Please show this local artist some love and visit her website or her Etsy Shop. Have a great weekend! XoXo, Laura

Look what I FOUND...

Hello world wide web. In my never-ending search for all things unique and amazing, I have found the coolest new company - Found ~ Vintage Furnishings.

Found is a event decor and prop resource supplying brides, event planners, designers and photographers with unique vintage items to give their weddings, photo shoots and events style and originality. They rent one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture and accessories for whatever your needs may be.

Check out this charming engagement photo shoot to get an idea of how Found can give your space that perfect vintage flair!

Owner Jeni, is changing the way people think about vintage items. Her passion for all things vintage has fueled her one-of-a-kind collection of furniture and accessories. For years her family and friends have awed at her truly unique design style and now she is sharing it with the rest of us! Found has a huge inventory offering a plethora of items including Tables, Chairs, Frames, Bottles, Couches, Containers, and all sorts of Accessories! If you can dream it, Jeni can create it!

I am so in love with the rustic, yet romantic style of Found. Imagine setting up your own vintage installation at your wedding or special event...giving your guests a intimate place to enjoy, sit and talk, take pictures, or just marvel!

To start designing your own Found masterpiece, visit their website to browse their collection. Jeni has taken the foot work out of finding the perfect vintage pieces for your event and with her inventory online it couldn't be easier to find what your looking for.

I'll leave you with my favorite picture of all...How gorgeous is this sweet engagement photo? It makes me want to pack up a picnic basket, grab a bottle of wine, and go enjoy a vintage afternoon delight with my honey♥

It never ceases to amaze me...the creativity and beauty that can be FOUND in the simplest of ideas. Have a beautiful weekend everyone!

Carlee