For Friday

As I write this, I am sitting in a Starbucks while my car is being serviced. I am pleased to see this cute little demonstration of re-use on my table. (Sorry for the crappy cell pic.) It's a fairly good example of how creative you can be with your floral display. And this holds true for your home or your wedding. Although a bit more pricey than using a tin can, Pigeon Toe Ceramics creates really great pieces, usable for your own floral arrangements. They derive their style from "homegrown, depression era aesthetics," which might sound kind of, well, depressing, but I believe the simplistic nature of each piece is refreshing and can help create uniformity within your decor. Hmm...that sounds like the graphic designer coming out in me. Have a great weekend everyone!



Pretty, Thrifty, and Easy has a great DIY video on floral arrangements.

Thanks to Glue and Glitter's recent blog comment, I am all over this eco-disposable dinnerware made of fallen leaves.

Mint Cows. Cool.

Contest: Enter to win a beautiful guest book at Southern Weddings Magazine from Dew Drop Designs.

Don't forget about our giveaway! Win the book, Planet Wedding!

Happy May Giveaway!

Today is a day of celebration! Three years ago today, my husband and I tied the knot in Atlanta, Georgia! And guess what?! It's almost May! Summer is just around the corner. To spread the Spring cheer, I'm offering a give-away today of a very sweet and fun to read book, Planet Wedding. The kind folks at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt were kind enough to send me a copy - thank you guys!

There are two things you can do to win. Do both to increase your chance of winning. A winner will be announced on Friday, May 7th.

• One, leave a comment in the comment section. Any comment will do, just as long as it's nice.
• Two, tweet this line: RT @earthlyaffair Enter to win a free copy of the book Planet Wedding! http://ow.ly/1EJH1 (Make sure to mention your twitter name in your blog comment too!)

Eventology: My Own Experience

Yeah, yeah, I'm late on this. Leave me alone. I'm pregnant. :) If you frequent wedding blogs, you may have already seen some Eventology posts, so I'll try to keep this short and sweet. This is a summary of my own experience and thoughts.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending Eventolgy 2010, held in Indianapolis. No, there's not a lot going on in Indianapolis. How could there be? One of it's nick names is "nap town." (In the early 1900's, it was considered a ghost town, which is where the nickname comes from.) But I can't complain, I wasn't exactly there to sight see. I went to educate myself on all things wedding and business, and hopefully meet a few friendly folks as well.

Conference rooms, Eventology (photograph by Jen Lynne Photography)

I have to admit, I was nervous. I went alone, I'm 6 months pregnant, and as my husband walked me to the security gate at the airport, I started to tear up realizing how much I would miss him. Oh, who are we kidding? I cried! Damn pregnancy hormones. I felt semi-pathetic trying to maneuver my carry-on luggage and newly acquired, yet bulky laptop bag, like a traveling business pro. Did you see Clooney in "Up In the Air" when he goes through security? Yeah, I was nothing like that. Long story short, me and my baby belly manage to get to the plane, sit down, and arrive in Indianapolis all in one piece.

Featured speakers at Eventology (photograph by Jen Lynne Photography)

Once I settled in at the Omni, which is where Eventology was held, and relaxed a little bit, I spent my first evening in the hotel bar meeting people I had only previously chatted with on Twitter. My nerves started to calm a little and I spent the next two days soaking up some great information! We were treated to inspiring presentations from power house hitters in the wedding industry, such as Harmony Walton of Bridal Bar, Saundra Hadley of Planning Forever, Terrica Skaggs of Cocktails and Details, Lara Casey of Southern Weddings Magazine, Sasha Souza of Sasha Souza Events, and NaShara Mitchell of Ready to Blush.

Swag Bag Goodies (photographs by Jen Lynne Photography)

Overall, I had a fabulous time. I met some great people, saw some old friends, and honestly came away from the event with a wealth of knowledge I certainly did not have before. I know more than a few planners visit this site (to which I am ever thankful for). If you're a shy gal, I wouldn't let that deter you from going next year. I'm not an extremely outgoing person and I found most everyone to be super nice and friendly. And if you think no one likes you, you can always spend evenings in your room, on the super comfy bed, watching t.v., and ordering room service... Gee, what torture.


I won't bore you with the details of everyone that I met, but a quick shout out: I was super excited to meet the adorable Aletha of Pearls Events (pictured above on the left), who I feel like I've known forever just through blogging. It was also great to meet Saundra Hadley (pictured on the right), who has always supported Earthly Affair and whose offline personality was just as infectious as her online one. And that's me in the middle! Can you see my basketball belly?

Huge thank you to the beautiful Jennifer Badalamenti of Jen Lynne Photography for letting me use her photos.

Healthy Monday: DIY Facial Masks

Has anyone ever made their own homemade face masks? The idea of using all-natural ingredients for an at-home spa experience is pretty appealing, but it also seems a little weird (not to mention sticky and gooey) to slather things like mushed up banana on your face. Of course, that's probably better than the chemical laden alternative, right?

Dead Sea Mask by Bella Honey Body Care

I did a little internet research and have shared the best of what I found below. However, please feel free to share your own experience, links, or tips in the comments section.

According to one online article, "Get Stuck in the Mud with Clay Facials," clay offers a drawing power and has been used for many years as a natural remedy for ailments. Green and white clays are able to clean pores and refine skin structure, supposedly effective in removing blemishes. Nature Purity sells a few different live clay powders and they also offer a recipe for masks as well (scroll down to Custom Beauty Masks).

Green Options lists a few different DIY face mask recipes. You can find everything from a honey and yogurt concoction to a slightly more complicated cornmeal, lavender, and sage creation.

Whole Living, a great DIY magazine (it's published by Martha Stewart after all), posted two great facial masks recipes: a Balancing Facial, which includes "moisturizing avocado, inflammation-fighting cucumber, and mineral-rich green clay," as well as a Skin Brightening Facial, where unripe papaya helps dissolve dead skin cells (apparently this one should tingle!)

I think I might aim for the Balancing or Skin Brightening Facial in the next few weeks. I'll keep you updated! :)

Consign, Donate, or Keep Your Gown?

photos courtesy of WhiteXchange, photography by Jeremy Lawson Photography

I think I am going to either donate or consign my wedding gown. I want to donate it, but with the baby coming, and with it being wedding and shower season, we honestly need the money so consigning it is a tempting option. Of course, I'm having a little girl and a part of me keeps thinking she might want to wear it on her wedding day, but I'm pretty sure that won't happen. After all, will it really be in style in twenty plus years?

If you're considering the consignment route, check out WhiteXChange. For each gown that is consigned through their online store, they will plant a new tree. Hurry up and dust off that gown though because this special is only good for the month of April. See more details.

Boston Brides: Win a day with Faxon Green at Beantown Bride!

Ooohh! I feel famous! Thank you to The Huffington Post for listing this blog as a green wedding resource!

Real Wedding: Did you see this awesome greenhouse wedding on Ritzy Bee! Simply charming!

Songs you shouldn't play at your reception on Aisle Dash. I don't agree with this list, but it's a good idea to start thinking about what you do NOT want played at your wedding.

Inspiration: The fabulous Ashley Baber (props to another Atlanta wedding professional) has a special Earth Day inspiration board featured on the Eco-Beautiful Weddings blog!

Happy Earth Day!

Photo from JL Designs (found via LotusHaus)

I'm back from Eventology! What a whirlwind of a week! Thank you for putting up with the absence of a post yesterday. Things were just waaaaay too hectic! I have so much to share with you, but I'll get to that in the next few days. For now, let's celebrate Earth Day!

I have to admit, I slacked. I don't have any fancy specials or promotions, no pretty newsletters, but everyday is kinda like Earth Day around here. Right? I could implore you to donate money to an environmental charity, ask you to consider purchasing recycled products, or join a local environmental organization. But is that really necessary? Not really. Those are all great things to do, but do them when you want, not just because it's Earth Day. You already know what's good for the earth. And what's good for the earth is good for your psyche. So, be good to the earth and be good to yourself. For in some ways, they are one and the same.

I celebrate Earth Day everyday by ensuring that any trash in my own household, which is recyclable, ends up in the recycle bin and not in the trash. It may not be a huge, revolutionary method of making an impact, but every little bit helps. What about you? What little ways do you care for the earth?

Fair Trade Registry

If you're opting for an offbeat registry, check out Seven Hopes United. They offer a beautiful array of fairly traded, handmade items that might make a nice supplement to your traditional registry. Above are some of my favorite products. Love Bowl, Teak Cutting Board, and Meadow Duvet Cover.

Are you registering and if so, are you doing at a big box store, like Target or Bed, Bath, and Beyond, or considering a small, independent, or local company?

Rock On Monday

Monday, monday... I am currently getting ready for my first day at the Eventology conference. This is my first real business trip! Exciting, but a little nerve wracking too! Please forgive me for the scarce post today, but I promise to be back tomorrow. Find out what I've been up to via Twitter!

I am constantly amazed at the creative inspiration found on the web. Of all the things to "beautify," rocks always win the "most transformed" award. Check here and here for past ideas, but also take a gander at these DIY personalized clay rock favors on The Violet Hours, found via Dog N Bird!

Friday Fun!

I'm headed off to Eventology in Indianapolis this coming week! Any other bloggers going to be there? Hit me up on Twitter or send me an e-mail at info at earthlyaffair.com. I'd love to meet you!

Precious. Lovely. Adorable. Frilly. Feminine. A Alicia Wedding has a terrific collection of handmade fashion accessories, utilizing fair trade, organic, and vintage elements.

Need a smile?
Zoo animals captured at the right moment.

Fashion:
Green Diva's promotion continues
This week: Multi-way necklaces – upcycled vintage necklaces that convert into multiple styles and have detachable components, such as charms and bracelets...all in ONE piece.

Real Engagement Shoot:
Found on Forget Me Knot Weddings - purple dress, cool lemonade, and vintage cameras

Discount:
A Alicia Wedding (pictured above) is offering 10% off with code AAW10

For Your Wedding:
It might be fun to get lost with these custom made maps from Wonderland Papers.
(Found via Fete Stl blog)

Educate:
Pearls Events had a fantastic series on all things event and design related this past week!

Dressing Up: A Remedy for Blah

I have 3 weddings to go to in the next month and a half. I love weddings. I love the food. I love the music. I love the socializing. I love the love! But now that I'm six months pregnant, I don't love the dressing up. Why? First, I find it hard to spend a ton of money on a cocktail maternity dress knowing that I won't really be able to where it again. Second, the maternity dress selections at most stores leave a lot to be desired. So I'll be going with something basic and safe - a black, formal evening gown and a versatile little black dress (this one borrowed from a friend) for the other weddings. They're nice, but boring. My remedy for blah? Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize!

While the little black dress is timeless, and a black formal evening gown is classic, it doesn't hurt to add a little color - a little "pizazz" if you will. Whether they are for your hair, your neck, your wrist, or your ears, it doesn't take much to add new life to an old ensemble.

Bold statement headbands from Bambako are fun!


While eco oriented Ornamental Things delight us with whimsical beads and baubles.


Take a look at our jewelry category for a longer list of eco-companies.

P.S. If I'm feeling particularly brave, I'll upload a picture next week so you can see my big ole bellay in my new dress with my accessories!

Reader Question: Disposable Vs. China Plates

I love when people ask me for advice. I don't always know what I'm talking about - I mean, let's face it, I'm just some schmo who likes to blog. Well, that's not entirely true. I do write about eco-friendly content nearly five days a week, so I guess that makes me a little more knowledgeable than most people. I still feel like a regular blogging schmo though.

photo by Brookelyn Photography (found via Once Wed)

Yesterday, Sara of All Things Pretty & Thrifty & Easy posted a great question in the comments. The blogging bride-to-be is holding an outdoor winery/garden themed wedding and wants to know what's the more eco-friendly option: disposable, biodegradeable plates made of sugar cain, or traditional china plates.

Well, here's my non-official, semi-expert answer: Re-use and minimize waste by renting tableware instead! Re-usable plates are eco-friendly, BUT only if they can be used well into the future. Biodegradable sugar cane plates are a great in terms of disposable options, but unless you have a compost heap or facility to bring these to, they'll just add mass to the waste stream. If renting isn't in your future, there is always the vintage plate collection, which lets you take advantage previously loved plates. (Like the Big Sur bride.) Having said all this, if disposable is all your budget allows for, then don't break the bank. Sugar cane plates keep trees standing and utilize "Bagasse," the fibrous sugar cane pulp which would otherwise end up in a landfill.

On to your second question: are disposable plates tacky? I think this all depends on the formality of your wedding. I believe you can get away with disposable plates for an outdoor, afternoon wedding when a fairly casual atmosphere exists. Anything else is a little iffy in my book.

What do you think readers? When are disposable plates acceptable for a wedding? Do you have any ideas for Sara?

My resources: Grist and Treehugger

Repost: Unique Uses for Everyday Items

Peas and Candles? Milk Jugs and flowers? Picture Frames and Boxes!? Sounds like something you might find at the grocery store, right? Think again! Incorporating everyday items into your wedding isn't as difficult as it may seem. In the top left picture above, candles are placed in oversized candle holders on top of peas! In the bottom left, the bride used milk jugs from her father's dairy farm as vases. In the top right picture, flowers were placed in boxes and tins and in the bottom right, the bride's mother decorated picture frames with a western theme and used them as table numbers! Pretty nifty, eh?

On a personal note, I absolutely love finding new uses for old items. I get to exercise my earth friendly skills and my creative skills at the same time! I use an old ikea storage box as a recycling bin, i have a jelly jar which I cleaned out and now use as a pencil holder, and I recently took an old stretched canvas (for painting) and covered it with fabric to create a modern wall hanging!

All photos from theknot.com

Healthy Monday: Curbing Your Sweet Tooth

Picture Credit: Boot in the Oven

Easter is over. Do you know what this means? Now when you stroll into any grocery or convenience store, you're bound to happen by the sale table donning a large assortment of pastel colored candies and chocolate bunnies. Sometimes it's impossible to avoid this table, but those sneaky store-setter-uppers place it right in front of the door, in front of the cash register, or maybe they even drop a bag of mini chocolate eggs by your feet and then exclaim, "Oh my! How did those get there?" Indulge if you want my dear. I did. I ate the head off a bunny and it was delicious! But if you're trying to keep the pounds off for your big day, and you gotta have those sweets, consider a few other sugary nibbles.

A Weight Lifted has a great article called "Mindfully Fooling a Sweet Tooth." She's got lots of great suggestions on some health(ier) sweets, but these are some my favorites:

- a piece of perfectly ripe fruit

- Baked pineapple. I prefer fresh, but canned works too. Just lay it on a parchment lined sheet pan and throw it in the oven at about 375 for 15-30 minutes, or until you’re happy with it. (The only way to mess it up is to burn it, so use a timer.)

- An elegant parfait of yogurt and fruit, sometimes with granola or cereal on top for a little crunch.

- Peanut, almond, cashew, sunflower seed, or another nut butter. The protein and fat in nut butters will also help you feel full.

Good luck my friends!

Friday

Well, I had full intention of integrating this clicking capability into the post itself, but it turns out my html skills just aren't up to par. And it's 8 p.m. and I'm hungry! So I'm sorry, this will have to do. Just click on the image above and it will take you to a second page where each individual image will take you to its own link. Enjoy your friday!

It's like a support group for stressed out brides! (Chicago area) Harmonious Brides.

Win 40 free eco-friendly wedding favors ~ at Dream Green Weddings

Vintage goodie shop you can peruse while at work! CB Vintage

Thank you to Eco-Chic International for featuring Earthly Affair!

Thank you to Julie Ann for this great link on DIY deodorant!

Recycled silver cuff links for $29 (and more sales) at Green Diva!

The Deodorant Dilemma (Case Closed)

You know you've reached a very comfortable point in your romantic relationship when you can ask your honey to smell your armpits and he has no problem doing so. If you haven't been following my whole armpitty dilemma, then you should know that I've been trying out some new deodorants. At first I tested Tom's Of Maine, which I was quite happy with. However, Fig and Sage pointed out that Tom's does still include propylene glycol (if you don't mind that fact, it's not a bad product) and recommended an all natural deodorant cream by Soapwalla Kitchen, for which I did actually purchase shortly thereafter.

I figured I should write an update considering some of you asked for my opinion. What do I think? Well, I've been using it for about a week now. Let's just say I never knew rubbing a cream on my armpits could be so much fun. The hubby and I both gave it the smell test and it gets a big, fat A+. It dries quickly, it has a nice, natural smell to it, and just a little goes a long way. I wholeheartedly urge you to ditch your regular, weirdo ingredient filled deodorant and switch to Soapwalla, or at least something more natural. Plus, the customer service is excellent and Rachel, the Soapwalla chef, even followed up via e-mail to see what I thought of her product. Many granola kudos to you Rachel!

(picture above: Soapwalla Deodorant Cream)

Custom Cake Toppers

Personally, I find installation art fascinating. Remember Central Park's, "The Gates"? While others scoffed, I marveled. Anyway, installation and sculpture artist, Hilary Pfeifer satisfies her need to design and create small objects at Bunny With a Toolbelt, her own little online shop. She hand creates some of the cutest cake toppers! Pfeifer writes, "The wood used in all my work is pre-cycled, gleaned from the scrap bins at a local fine woodworking business, and I am proud to use very few store-bought materials in my entire line." Thank you for sharing Hilary! (Check out the adorable stop animation video too!)

Lavender Gifts

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Zen Honeycutt (how cool is that name?), a pretty cool female entrepreneur and the gal behind Zen's Purple Garden. I have to admit, when I heard the name "Zen," images of Buddha incense holders and alpaca curtains floated into my brain (not that those are bad things) and I was instantly intrigued about what this gal had to offer. Her online shop centers around lovely lavender products, like the Lavender Sleep Sachet and the Lavender Dreams Gift Set. Each would make an excellent gift for the bride before her big day, or if you're the bride, it's a feminine, yet practical gift for your bridal party. If you're wondering why lavender, it's a natural aid in gaining a deeper, more restorative sleep. This might be especially important to remember when you're stressing out before the big day and sleep doesn't come as easily.

Healthy Monday: Addicted to Hand Sanitizer

I think I am addicted to hand sanitizer. My husband, who I swear is a borderline germaphobe (he denies this avidly), is the person responsible for turning me onto these little bottles of hand cleaning crack. Rare is the time you will catch me without a bottle of it in my purse. However, as most of us know, not all products are equal when it comes to cleaning agents. Fortunately, there are a few, all-natural or eco-friendly, options:

If you're having a destination wedding, where guests may plan on staying abroad for a few days, a cute, but practical favor might be homemade sanitizer. EcoSalon has a very easy, DIY tutorial on how to make these yourself. Ecologic did a review of Cleanwell, an all-natural, environmentally friendly sanitizer which comes in a reusable bottle. Last but not least, Clean George utilizes natural Tea Tree and Manuka oils to clean hands.

What about you? Do you have your own favorite environmentally friendly sanitizer? Or have you tried any of the products above?

Doodles and Dawdles

Left: Schumacher Wallpaper (found via Katy Elliot), Right: doodle by groom at One Love Photo,
Bottom: Places on Earth Print

There is something so precious about simple, black and white, line drawings. If you and your hubby-to-be are avid writers, think large table signs written in your own handwriting in black ink. Or if you love to read, print out passages of text from your favorite books (on recycled paper of course) and post them conspicuously around your wedding venue.

This week's list will inspire those who appreciate the art of typography. And for those who don't, it's still pretty stuff to peruse. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

All Occasion Cards - for those days you need to say nice things, and bad things.

Fresh Free Fonts on Abuzeedo (posted every Friday on Abuzeedo)

What type are you? (answer four questions, learn your type-ography)

Woodcut Printable Invitation Set

Re-Post: Little Vases in Little Places

I wasn't planning on having a re-post, but both of my dogs got into a small bag of raisin and nut mix today (which, mind you, was packaged in a cardboard box, inside heavy plastic, and then inside another bag as well.) Similar to how prisoners escape jail by spending months digging out a tunnel with a kitchen fork, this must have been a carefully executed week long project for the dogs. Biting away at this box of goodies when no one was looking, the glory of that which is human food being their sole motivator. Anyway, raisins are toxic to dogs, so I had to make an emergency trip to the vet, who promptly made my pups puke. Lovely, I know, but I think it worked. So now I am exhausted. Maybe more mentally, than physically, but the effect is the same. Not to mention I had a wasp hastily creep its away into my studio this afternoon. I honestly think the very act of me wildly slapping at the insect with a paper bag, doing what probably looks like a little square dance whilst drunk was probably very funny. I'm thinking sitcom-worthy material here. But I digress... Enjoy the lovely eye candy. :)






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