The Turtle Love Committee

The Turtle Love Committee! I love the name. They have a beautiful collection of unique, semi-precious jewelry. Great if you aren't too keen on the whole diamond thing.

Healthy Monday: Keeping a Journal

Although it may sound a bit second grade-ish, a journal offers more than just a place to doodle and write down mundane details of your day. Consider it a santuary for your thoughts and feelings; it aids in putting situations into perspective and, according to InboxJournal.com, it can act as a sort of meditative experience. For all you brides out there, a journal is a great place to jot down your ideas and inspiration, as well as release stress by expressing any frustration you're experiencing.

A few other thing Inbox Journal notes is how it can help you acheive your goals, simplify your life, clarify and strenghten relationships, learn about yourself, and become a better communicator. Although keeping an electronic journal is wonderfully earth-friendly, a unique hand bound journal where you can actually touch pen to paper can be extremely gratifying.


photo credits:
Top Photo - Justaplanerideaway
Second Photo - Incurable Hippie
Bottom Left - Ansy
Bottom Right - Spaz Du Zoo

Engagement Photo Inspiration

It's fun to be a voyeur... er, did I just say that out loud?

Well, if you're about to watch someone propose, it's more acceptable to peep. That's just what photographer, Michael Norwood, was asked to do per the (hopefully) groom-to-be's request. Norwood spent the day trailing this enchanting couple incognito around the streets of Manhattan. Unfortunately, the groom never proposed during the secret photo shoot, but I thought this was a novel idea for engagement photos - literally. Of course, that's all assuming the bride says yes, isn't it? :/

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all have a fantabulous weekend!

Say Bye Bye to Big and Poofy...

...and hello to sweet and sexy!

There isn't anything particularly earth-friendly about these dresses, I just like to see brides embrace their own style.





Photo credits from top to bottom:
1st photo: Found via A Cup of Jo - Samuelle Couture
2nd photo: Found via Style Me Pretty , photographer Dustin Todd
3rd photo: Elisabeth Millay
4th Photo: Jessamyn Harris

Handmade Headbands

If you liked Carrie Bradshaw's headpiece from the SATC movie, but are not quite ready to take your fashion chutzpah to such new heights, check out Bambako. Designer Abigail handcrafts feathered headbands, which can provide a lovely, but subtle fashion statement. They are pretty reasonably priced too - between $12 and $20 for most.

Found via Hey Susy

Recycled Cards

Fun new stuff from Made By Girl! Each one of her cards are printed on recycled paper and a percentage of sales are donated to stopglobalwarming.org.

Vegetable Gardens: If you plant it, they will grow.

The sun is out! Spring is here! And the birds are singing. If you listen closely, you'll hear them chirping these words, "plant a vegetable garden, you know you want to!"

Planting a vegetable garden can require a bit of labor, but it's all worth it in the end. And the cost benefit is amazing. You can pay $3.00 for a pack of tomato plant seeds and get a whole bunch of tomatoes, or pay $3.00 at the store and get about 2 or 3 tomatoes. If you haven't had a garden before, I suggest starting small and buying a few books or doing some internet research. (I've included a few resources at the bottom of this post.)


Last year was my first vegetable garden and I found it thoroughly enjoyable. Above is a photo of the onions I grew and which turned out delicious. Grow onions if you can. They are pretty easy and naturally pest resistant. I also grew corn, and while it was great to watch a little seed turn into a great big corn stalk, the pests tried my patience. Our corn attracted hordes of Japanese Beetles. They say you can pick them off with your fingers, but I'm much too squeamish for that, so I attempted to suck them up with a dirt devil attached to an extension cord. Of course, that didn't go over so well, because Japanese Beetles can fly. So they just flew away! It's kind of funny in hindsight.

Below are some great links to help you get started on your very own vegetable garden!

Websites:
Apartment Therapy: Planning the Garden
Martha Stewart: Vegetable Garden 101
The Garden Helper
Backyard Gardener
Amazon: Home and Garden Section

Supplies:
Burpee.com
Gurney's Seed and Nursery
Gardener's Supply Company

Top Photo: Burpee.com

Eco-Friendly Wedding Dresses

The most I can ever do with a sewing machine is make a pillow, so I can't imagine the work that must go into making a wedding dress. Poetic Justice seems to do it quite well though. Each one of their dresses is made with sustainable fabrics, such as hemp silk, bamboo, and organic cotton. Imagine being wrapped up in something that luxurious and earth friendly as you're walking down the aisle...

Silhouette Pendants

Loving these silhouette pendants! Made out of vintage rings and printed on old book pages or sheet music, you can have your own custom silhouette to hang around your neck.

Thank you to Missy for sharing!

Eco-Friendly Invitations

I don't typically post about the competition, but today is an exception. I recently had a chat with Sheryl of Twisted Limb Paper, who was super nice and took time out of her busy day to give me some advice about the stationery business. As a result, I was more than obliged to tout their awesome earth friendly invitations. They have a wonderful selection, available in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Plus, they can be purchased fully assembled or as a DIY package.

This is also a great opportunity for you to see how eco-friendly invitations can come in many different varieties. At Earthly Affar, we use card stock, and at Twisted Limb, all their paper is handmade in their studio. While both papers are 100% recycled, the results are completely different!

Embrace Pendant by Jennifer Dawes

It's hard not to love anything Jennifer Dawes does. Created for C5 company, Dawes created this beautiful necklace to raise awareness about sustainable fine jewelry and to promote ethical practices within the jewelry sector. It is handcrafted from recycled 14k yellow gold and features a 3/4 inch charm that reads "embrace" on one side and an outline of the earth on the other. A one carat, bezel set Zultanite stone also hangs delicately from the chain.

The Embrace pendant in yellow gold is available for $495.00, while the recycled sterling silver is available for $80 without the gem.

For more information or to place an order, e-mail info@c5company.com or call 888-536-4555.

Tea Time

Today's Healthy Monday features an item which has been studied, sipped, and savored. It's used for medicinal reasons, to aid in meditation, and it beget a certain Japanese ceremony. It's been iced, mixed, and sprinkled with citrus. It is found in the cups of those who simply want to engage in good conversation or in those who just want to read a good book. So, what is it, you ask?

The item in question is tea and it's one of nature's many wonderful gifts!


Studies have shown that tea can lower cholesterol levels, fight bad breath, and aid in weight loss, but its biggest claim to fame, green tea specifically, is its anti-cancer capabilities. (It should be noted that studies on humans have been inconclusive.) However, there is something about tea that transcends research and resides in the depths of our souls. Cheesy? Perhaps. But the Japanese created an art form out of it, American colonists threw it in the harbor during the Boston Tea Party, many of the British work their day around it, it's the national drink in Egypt, and, well...here in the Southern United States, I don't know what we would do without our sweet tea during those hot summer months. It's accessibility helped it to stand the test of time, but it also enabled it to become one of the most diverse drinks available and can be found in a variety of flavors, scents, and types.

So next time you feel the urge to grab another latte, soda, or sugar filled sports drink, try a cup of tea. Too bitter for you? Sweeten it with Stevia...remember Stevia? (By the way, I tried this stuff for the first time the other day. Sweetened my raspberry iced tea with it and it was very good, although I think it would dissolve better in hot tea.) And remember to buy fair trade!

Click here to learn how to brew the perfect cup of tea.


Sources: Stash Tea
Adagio Teas

Beautiful Vintage Jewelry

Re-using things that might otherwise go to the landfill is an important part of living green and it's wonderful to see the Etsy shop, Belcanto, doing just that. By pairing a unique vintage piece with a modern accessory, they are able to achieve a unique and beautiful piece of semi-vintage jewelry. And we love vintage! They offer necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and hair pins and combs!

The Campground Wedding

The campground wedding? I've seen it mentioned in a few different blogs and I'm wondering if it's becoming a new trend. While not for everyone, I think this is a great idea and a wonderful way to celebrate the values and hobbies of a couple that loves to camp, hike, and explore the outdoors. After the ceremony, you could have a wonderfully intimate reception which involved roasting hot dogs (or soy dogs) and marshmallows over a fire, live acoustic guitar music, and no need to go crazy with the florist - you would already have the beautiful setting of trees and nature as your backdrop. The only potential problem would be inclement weather, in which case you would have to have a backup plan or the ability to move the wedding date.

Photos found on The Rock 'n Roll Bride.

Vegan Handbags and Accessories

I love this intro statement: "Big wheels keep on turning out high-mileage fashion for the long haul." It's for the English Retreads website and it's so fitting too, considering they handcraft fashionable bags and accessories out of old truck inner tubes. They're 100% vegan and they have styles geared towards men too, such as wallets and the Bentley messenger bag, which would also make for a unique laptop bag. Do I hear groomsmen gift?

Real Wedding - The Inn at Serenbe

I couldn't resist posting this. Featured on Snippet and Ink, this lovely wedding was held in my home state of Georgia at the wonderfully eco-friendly, The Inn at Serenbe. I love the simple, southern country feel to this wedding.

A Spoonful of Alternative Sugar

Ah, refined sugar. Its ability to satisfy our sweet teeth is nearly unmatchable, but it's ability to provide anything of substance is zero. Have you wondered why exactly? Here it is - plain and simple. To aid in digestion, the body has to borrow nutrients (good nutrients we need, such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium) from other foods previously eaten in order to break it down. Once broken down, it's converted into glucose and absorbed quickly into the bloodstream; your pancreas then has to start working overtime to send out insulin, which calms down the glucose levels. This is one of the causes of Type II Diabetes. Ugh, that's nice, isn't it? To top it off, it can cause... (cue scary Jaws music) ...weight gain. So what's a gal to do? Don't go for the fake stuff, it's even worse for you. Unfortunately, short of cutting sweets out entirely (Gasp! The horror! And no, I'm not being sarcastic!), there aren't a whole lot of options. Raw brown sugar, honey, and agave nectar may satisfy your sweet craving. While they are still empty calories, Sarah Delaney of Divine Caroline does point out that they are natural and a good alternative when consumed in moderation. Delaney says your best best is Xylitol or Stevia. This is what she says about both:

Stevia comes from a South American plant and has been used in South America for over twenty years with no negative implications. It is currently not FDA approved as an additive but you can purchase it in packets at the supermarket. (I don’t know how much FDA approval is worth, considering they approved saccharin.)

Xylitol occurs naturally in some fruits and plants. The kind sold on the market in the U.S. is extracted from birch bark. Xylitol has been approved and you can find it in very few foods and in chewing gum at the health food store. One of the benefits is that it is healthy for the teeth. Now that is certainly a 360 from sugar.

So as you can see, the options are limited, but the benefits and payoffs of treating your body the way it deserves to be treated are well worth it.

photo credits:
Top Photo - Nisa on Flickr
Bottom Photo - Craig ! on Flickr

Love Notes

I found this on Auburn and Ivory and was instantly intrigued. It's a book of love notes and sweet nothings that are handcrafted into a lovely little book. The purpose of it's creation was a quick pick me up for the recipient, but the concept could be applied to any sentimental occasion.

And her inspiration came from the beautiful love note book below, created by the gal behind Oh, Hello Friend.

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all have wonderful Spring like weather and don't forget to SPRING AHEAD! :)