Sustainable Sunglasses

This is sooo not the economy to be wanting expensive things. But these are just too much fun. Summer is almost here. The sun is bright. You gotta protect those peepers! Talk about a fashion statement! You certainly won't find these at your typical sunglasses kiosk in the mall. Speaking of which, they really sell some amusing stuff in those kiosks. Like this. Why would anyone want that?

Iwood EcoDesign, retails for $370.00

Reminder!

This is a reminder to enter our Earth Day give-away!

The winner will receive:

• A $215 gift certificate to our online boutique, Earthly Affair, equal to 50 free invitations and 50 reply cards, reply postcards, or enclosure cards. (We also offer thank you cards, announcements, seating cards, and shower invitations. E-mail info@earthlyaffair.com for more information.)

• $50.00 gift card to BeauCoup Wedding Favors - Great green favors!
  

• Keep this lovely ring for yourself or give it as a gift to a bridesmaid or flower girl - from Beyond The Rockz
  

• A $25 gift certificate to be used toward Victoria Everman - decorate you and your sweetie's new home or apartment with one of Victoria's original photographs! (check out her blog!)
  

• 10% off an order at Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates - It's hard to say no to chocolate. In addition to favors, they also offer an array of gift boxes and a pretty sweet philosophy to boot!

• The book, Green Weddings, by Mireya Navaro - Planning an eco-friendly affair is easy when you have a beautiful book to help you along the way.
  

There are two ways to enter:

OPTION A: E-mail info@earthlyaffair.com with your own green wedding aspirations. Let us know if the date has been set and what you would like to do, or plan on doing, to make sure your wedding has less of an impact on the environment.

OPTION B: If you're more of the creative type, e-mail us an inspiration board of your favorite green ideas! (Width: no larger than 410 pixels; Length: no longer than 750 pixels.) It doesn't have to be fancy, but it does have to somehow tie into weddings or events. It's not a requirement, but our hearts would be tickled if you would include an invitation from Earthly Affair into your inspiration board! We'll be posting some more pictures of our invitations tomorrow.)

please send entries by Monday, May4th to: info@earthlyaffair.com

Some sample themes an inspiration board could consist of:
- An eco-friendly registry
- Jewelry and accessories by independent artists.
- Vegetarian Menu's
- Earth friendly centerpieces

What's an inspiration board? It's a collection of images used to inspire creativity and ideas. Here's an example of one I did last February.


A winner will be announced at midnight (est) on Wednesday, May 6th.
We may share your entry on this blog, so please don't write or create anything you wouldn't want other people to see.

GOOD LUCK!



Our Sponsors:
Clockwise: BeauCoup Wedding Favors, Beyond The Rockz, Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates, Victoria Everman

Eco-Friendly Wedding Ideas

Love these earth friendly ideas! Heather of Calluna Events has helped to create some really beautiful weddings. She was kind enough to share these photos with me, originally posted on her blog.

About each, clockwise: simple table decor with orchid plants - guests were encouraged to take the plants as favors, add to your decor by using family photographs, simple local flowers in recycled vases, beautiful display with fresh fruit and local flowers, Allison reused plates and silverware she had collected

Healthy Monday: Can a Vegetarian Meal Ruin a Wedding?

"Can a vegetarian meal ruin a wedding?" A friend asked me this question a few months ago after she attended a strictly vegetarian wedding. Her words: "It was like eating in a school cafeteria, where you had to scrape gummy, over-done pasta out of an aluminum pan." It suddenly occurred to me that the poor bride will forever be known as "the girl with the horrible vegetarian wedding."

It's unfortunate that a bad meal can indeed become the focal point of what is to be remembered, but perhaps what's more unfortunate is the fact that, for this particular event anyway, it will forever be remembered as a horrible dinner because it was vegetarian, and not because of a faulty chef. It's no wonder vegetarian weddings catch such flack.

Elizabeth of One Barefoot Bride says, "We will likely serve some fish at the reception, depending on what's in season and sustainably caught (yeah, there's a whole 'nother bucket of issues with fish!). I've read various comments that you 'have to' serve meat at a wedding, but I think our guests know us well enough to know that this affair will not be your standard country club or banquet room affair, and they can flex enough to have one meat-free meal. That said, I don't know if anyone will really notice the absence of meat, because our caterer does such lovely things with food."

If you are a vegetarian bride and groom, don't let the naysayers thwart your catering decisions. It's your wedding and it's a celebration of not only your love for each other, but your morals and values as well. So if you don't believe in eating meat, don't serve it! But as illustrated in the first paragraph, find a caterer who has experience in vegetarian cuisine and your efforts will be rewarded with many happy guests.

Posted originally by Julie at Cincy Event Planning, the photos below are from a real wedding which had vegetarian fare catered by Maggiano's. Julie says, " The food was divine & trust me, no one went hungry!" Looks yummy to me!


photo credits: TM Photography

Saturday Fun

Although this has nothing to do with weddings, playing around with the website is fun. And what a good incentive to register for a shiny, new dishwasher!

Wear It Again!

Veils are traditional and beautiful, but for those who are looking for something different, why not try something a little more unique which you could wear again? This gal really knows how to rock the head gear. Pretty, feminine, flowery feathered gear, that is. Check out Oh My Deer and visit her Etsy shop to have your own custom lovely made!

Non-Toxic Nail Polish

Ever since I read about the plethora of chemicals that exist in most beauty products, I've been a bit squeamish about them, specifically nail polish. (It's so permanent and removing it is such an unpleasant process.) So, I was twittering today with Bridal Buzz and the topic of eco-friendly nail polish came up. She asked if any existed and I was happy to do a little digging. I visited Skin Deep, the cosmetics database, and found that Acquarella is one the least hazardous nail polishes you can wear. It doesn't contain ingredients linked to cancer or developmental/reproductive toxicity, like some other polishes do. And they have a pretty nice array of colors to choose from. I'm kind of on a blue kick right now, so I'm loving the blue. However, I don't think it would look that good with my skin color. Perhaps for a bride though, it's a cute way to work in the "something blue?"

Eco-Friendly Wedding Ideas

If you have the time and the patience, herbs can be a great addition to your wedding decor. Imagine these in bunches on tables during the reception. They will not only look lovely, but many guests will be delighted to take them home, allowing them to double as favors. In the second photo, the couple had some very clever naming ideas: "Just in Thyme," "Mint to be," and "roseMARRY." So cute!

Photo Credit: Both Photos by Jasmine Star

April 22nd

Happy Earth Day my dear blog readers.

Today, I wish for you to take a deep breath.

Enjoy the air that enters your lungs.

Enjoy the life that surrounds you.

Enjoy this world and what it offers.

Let it drift into the depths of your soul.

And cherish it with every fiber of your being.

-------------------------------------------

It's April 22nd.
Do you know what you're doing for Earth Day?

Visit EarthDay.net and find an event near you.

Go see Earth! (I think I might do this today!)

Join the Arbor Day Foundation and get 10 free trees

Plant a baby tree at mybabytree.org (See last year's post)

Start a compost bin, get a rain barrel, plant a garden

TELL YOUR BOSS YOU FEEL SICK AND GO OUTSIDE AND ENJOY THE WEATHER!
(hey, it's Earth Day - it should be a national holiday anyway)

-------------------------------------------

And on another note:

Shout out to the lovely Erica at Vision Photographs. Check out my interview on her blog!

And a big thank you to the fabulous Lei Lydle of AtlantaBridal.com. I had the pleasure of formally meeting Mrs. Lydle at the Brides Against Breast Cancer gown sale in Atlanta. Check out her post about EarthlyAffair.com!

Woohoo! Much love and many thanks to you both!

Eco-Friendly Invitations

A little shameless self promotion today. Below are some pictures of our eco-friendly invitations, available at Earthly Affair. Each invitation is exclusive to Earthly Affair, printed on 100% post consumer recycled paper (although we do offer a thicker, partially recycled cotton paper) and each one is completely customizable in wording, colors, and fonts. We aim to give each client the utmost in personal attention and we work hard to create your custom proofs, ensuring you are 100% satisfied before we go to print.

In addition to our give-away, we're offering $50.00 off any order of $299.00 or more and free ground shipping until May 1, 2009! We also offer announcements, save-the-dates, post card reply cards, thank you cards, seating cards, programs, and menu's, which can all be combined into one order. E-mail info@earthlyaffair.com for more info. We're always happy to help!

The Shade Invitation


The Juliet Invitation


The Rustle Invitation


The Pinwheel Invitation


The Victorian Invitation


The Fresh Invitation

Earth Day Give-Away!

It's time to celebrate Earth Day! I know it's not until Wednesday, but I'm just too excited! It's our first big give-away and it's loaded with goodies aimed at helping you get your event off the ground.

The winner will receive:

• A $215 gift certificate to our online boutique, Earthly Affair, equal to 50 free invitations and 50 reply cards, reply postcards, or enclosure cards. (We also offer thank you cards, announcements, seating cards, and shower invitations. E-mail info@earthlyaffair.com for more information.)

• $50.00 gift card to BeauCoup Wedding Favors - Great green favors!
  

• Keep this lovely ring for yourself or give it as a gift to a bridesmaid or flower girl - from Beyond The Rockz
  

• A $25 gift certificate to be used toward Victoria Everman - decorate you and your sweetie's new home or apartment with one of Victoria's original photographs! (check out her blog!)
  

• 10% off an order at Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates - It's hard to say no to chocolate. In addition to favors, they also offer an array of gift boxes and a pretty sweet philosophy to boot!

• The book, Green Weddings, by Mireya Navaro - Planning an eco-friendly affair is easy when you have a beautiful book to help you along the way.
  

There are two ways to enter:

OPTION A: E-mail info@earthlyaffair.com with your own green wedding aspirations. Let us know if the date has been set and what you would like to do, or plan on doing, to make sure your wedding has less of an impact on the environment.

OPTION B: If you're more of the creative type, e-mail us an inspiration board of your favorite green ideas! (Width: no larger than 410 pixels; Length: no longer than 750 pixels.) It doesn't have to be fancy, but it does have to somehow tie into weddings or events. It's not a requirement, but our hearts would be tickled if you would include an invitation from Earthly Affair into your inspiration board! We'll be posting some more pictures of our invitations tomorrow.)

please send entries to: info@earthlyaffair.com

Some sample themes an inspiration board could consist of:
- An eco-friendly registry
- Jewelry and accessories by independent artists.
- Vegetarian Menu's
- Earth friendly centerpieces

What's an inspiration board? It's a collection of images used to inspire creativity and ideas. Here's an example of one I did last February.


A winner will be announced at midnight (est) on Wednesday, May 6th.
We may share your entry on this blog, so please don't write or create anything you wouldn't want other people to see.

GOOD LUCK!



Our Sponsors:
Clockwise: BeauCoup Wedding Favors, Beyond The Rockz, Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates, Victoria Everman

Give-Away to be announced on Monday

Healthy Monday is going on hiatus for Monday, April 20th. Don't worry, it'll be back - we're just making way for a great giveaway. Stay tuned for more info!

Bunny Tails

This was so cute, I just had to share. Last weekend, my husband was digging my Spring garden (we relocated a tree to where my old one was). I notice my terrier has her nose buried in the grass, which is not unusual, but when she looks up, bits of gray fur are stuck all around her snout. I start to freak out thinking she injured an animal, but I soon realize what she was so interested in - baby bunnies! Thankfully, they weren't harmed. This was what they looked like last week, all huddled in a hole under mama's fur:

I was kind of worried, so I checked on them yesterday afternoon and one popped it's head out!

I've been careful not to disturb the nest too much because I'm afraid Mama rabbit won't come back, but so far they seem healthy and energetic! I'm not sure what to do because I still want a garden, but I refuse to get rid of the bunnies. Any ideas on how to make that work?

Oh, and the funny thing is we found those baby bunnies on Easter! Of all days!

Holme is Where the Heart Is

When I was living in London, I once saw a woman walking down the street in this aahhmazing outfit. She was sporting a gold, vintage dress, a not-too-modern-but-awesome hairstyle, and a stride that made walking in 4 inch heels look easy. Me, being fashion handicapped, considered her to have achieved the near impossible: looking extremely elegant and casual at the same time. This was a woman who clearly had it together.

Does she have a checklist, I wondered? I imagined her preparing for the day, taking off the top of her pen with a quick snap, and actually running down a list of fashion to-do's. Perfect hair? check. Perfect shoes? check. Perfect dress. AND definitely check!

As I watched from my stoop, a passing woman stared in awe and declared what a beautiful dress this woman was wearing, then promptly inquired where it was from. Vintage dress woman, strutting about in an outfit that was not meant to blend in, gave no reaction at all. No smile, no quiet "thank you," no nod of acknowledgement, nada, zip, zilch. Eyes straight ahead, stride never faltering, and on her way she continued. Perhaps she was deaf or had some sort of social anxiety issue? Or perhaps she was merely checking off another item on her list? Snotty attitude? Oh, check!

This story doesn't have much to do with the pictures, but for some non-snotty, vintage and slightly used fun, check out Holme!
(Found via East Side Bride)

Alternative Centerpiece Inspiration

I thought these were some interesting, out of the ordinary centerpiece/decor ideas. I really like the first picture with the red lantern - it's simultaneously rustic and modern. The second photo is another neat idea - turn any wine glass into an adorable miniature lamp, and the last photo is all about artichokes in copper pots, which is just plain fun!

Fun, Flirty, and Feminine Inspiration

Flirty and fun. Some vintage, some upcycled, some just inspiring.

1 - Shecological Paris Romance Made to Order Bag

2 - French Designer Vintage Necklace via Posh Vintage

3 - LuluCoco Vintage Brass Filigree Ring

4 - Snippet and Ink: Real Wedding Iris and Travis

5 - Green Wedding Shoes: A Collaboration of Beauty

Getting in Shape

Some lucky women never have to worry about this, but as we age, waning metabolism becomes our new worst enemy. For me, things started going down hill at 25, literally and figuratively, if you know what I mean. It's almost as if gravity conspired with some metaphysical force to make things not only move downward, but to move outward at the same time. It didn't help that 25 was the year I became engaged and the stress involved in planning my wedding only made things worse. Hitting the gym was suddenly top priority and while it took many months, diet and exercise did pay off.

So after the elation of the engagement has subsided and you settle into wedding planning, you also may start to notice diet and exercise become a higher priority than in the past. For some of us, it's merely a matter of toning up, while others desire to lose extra poundage. Whatever the case, there is always a solution, and you'll be surprised to know that they are available for all types of budgets.

• P90X is all the rage right now. It's a series of workout videos and nutrition guides designed to be your complete at home fitness training system. This allows you to workout on your own schedule, making it great for those who are pressed for time.
• Join a local bootcamp. This is a great way to make new friends and push you out of your comfort zone. Call up gyms in your area or visit Adventure Bootcamp to find one near you.
• Gym America is an online personal trainer. Although they do require a monthly fee, they offer message boards, customized workout routines and diet plans, and over 150 animated exercise demonstrations.
• Cynthia Conde's Online Bridal Bootcamp is another online system, much like Gym America, but geared towards brides looking to lose weight and tone up for their wedding. This "virtual drill sergeant" will keep you on track with intense cardio workouts, daily meal plans, a motivated online community, and 15 online tools to track your progress.
• Although it's probably the most expensive, a personal trainer is generally pretty effective. You can usually meet them in their home or yours, negating the need for an added gym membership, and having to report to an actual person is a great way to keep you on track.

Go To The Gym recycled felt applique pillow found via Etsy.

Earth Friendly Bud Vases

I know, I know...this is the third post on vases this week, but I just keep coming across such great ideas and pictures. These are probably the most unique ones I've ever posted about: recycled Bic pens turned into bud vases. Gotta love that upcycled innovation in action! Found via Re-Nest.

Have a great weekend everyone! Check out these web nuggets to keep you busy over the next two days!

- Win some of the cutest prints in Etsy land at Sweet Greens!

- Who knew vodka could do more than you make brave enough to make a wedding toast?

- Danny Seo needs a scrubby side! We all should indulge our scrubby sides once in a while.

- If the Beatles went to India...and had a wedding...

- Want favors? Like discounts?

Pretty in Frills

I apologize for not having a new post up yesterday. Nearly my entire day was spent at an airport. I left the ground, but not the state. What did I do? I went skydiving! My hubby has been wanting to do it for a while now, and while I was super, SUPER, nervous, I'm glad I joined him on the jump. It was definitely an experience I won't forget.

Currently loving Sarah Sevin. Most of her designs are custom, but for a wedding dress I think they're wonderfully reasonable. Can you imagine walking down the aisle in something this unique? I love the flirty ruffles with the sleek lines. She uses a recycled bustier in many of her dresses and offers different colors as well.

Recycled Little Vases for a Wedding or Event

These are sold as glasses, but they could easily be used for little vases. Each one is recycled, or shall we say "upcycled," from beverage bottles, jars, and glasses. Yava Glass

Little Vases

Photo Credits from top to bottom: Becky731 * Fraley Tera * Ann Wade Parrish via Snippet and Ink * Lepiaf.Geo *