It's Memorial Day Weekend!

Sorry, there won't be a new post on Monday - it's Memorial Day weekend! And I've got a friend visiting me from out of town, so I'll be busy in entertaining mode. In the meantime, check out these sweet apple jellies at Lottie and Doof! Yummie!

Stylish Eco-Disposable Dinnerware

We've discussed the whole disposable vs. china before, so you may already know my stance on the subject, but if you're itching to go with the throw-aways, check out Joanne Hudson Basics. They have a pretty eco-friendly collection of stylish disposable dinnerware. Above is the Wasara Collection, made entirely of tree-free renewables (sugar cane fibers, bamboo, and reed pulps) and is completely compostable.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Sorry, I completely forgot about The List last week! I've thrown in a little more than usual this week to make up for it.

Edible Inspiration:The cutest mini bundt cakes! Yum!

Giveaway: Nature inspired jewelry from Beantown Bride!

Practical Life Tips: How to save energy this summer.

Wedding Inspiration: Recycled Bride features a beautiful eco-chic destination wedding.

Environment: How to help clean up the coast.

Giveaway: Turquoise vegetable ivory earrings at EcoStreet.

Wedding inspiration: A succulent inspired wedding.

DIY: Pretty, pretty ruffles!

Cool Down: A refreshing summer beverage you can make at home.

Eco-Friendly Packaging for your Out Of Town Guest Bags

The more rural your wedding, the better your out of town gift bag better be. Okay, I'm kidding...sorta. Nobody says you have to make an out of town bag, but it's a nice gesture and can make guests feel extra appreciated, especially when they may have shelled out hundreds of dollars for a flight, rental car, and hotel. And if it's a one horse town, you might want to provide them with some small form of entertainment, such as a crossword puzzle or sudoku book.

Nashville Wraps "Coastal Blooms"

If you can't keep the contents green, try at least using an eco-friendly bag or box. Nashville wraps has a wonderful selection of eco and natural-friendly packaging, perfect for those out of town guest bags. Their eco-tissue paper, made of 100% recycled fibers, is available in an array of colors, so you can stay consistent with your wedding theme colors. The only catch is that you have to buy these in bulk (some are available in packs of 25, others in packs of 150+), so you might be better off visiting a local wedding forum and encouraging other brides to share the purchase with you.

Clockwise: Painted Daisies, Serene Silhouette, Tuscan Spring, Banana Paper Bags

A Purple Wedding Dress

Eden Photography sent these over not too long ago. My first thought was that they were very ethereal and pretty, but I particularly love the sentimental story behind them. The photographer's sister in law, Michele, is wearing her grandmother's purple wedding dress in this shoot, which her grandmother had to save up her waitressing tips to buy back in the day. These vintage inspired photographs will be given as a surprise gift for the grandma. This is a great way to give your mom or your grandma's wedding dress a new round of life, especially if they've kept it for years and years just to see you wear it. See more at Eden Photography.

Poppies With Color

Felt poppies! I love the delicate, feminine nature of these hair accessories. Plus, their handmade. What a great way to add some color to a white or ivory wedding dress.

Send some love to MuchLove, Illy!

Repost: Healthy Monday - Improving Indoor Air Quality

This is a repost from 2008, but since I'm currently trying to incorporate more plants into my own studio (which I'm in the process of re-designing and moving), I thought I'd add a few photos (shown below) of my own. I love the plant with the bright red bowl, which I actually got for around $5.00 at the grocery store! Sorry for the crappy iPhone quality, I've really got to learn to use a real camera.

(Jen's photo)

Indoor air quality is no joke these days. According to the EPA, many things contribute to indoor air pollutants, such as building materials, certain furniture products, cleaning solutions, tobacco products, personal care products, and combustion sources, such as kerosene, oil, and gas. Fortunately, most of you are probably ahead of the game by purchasing all natural products when possible, but guess what? There's more you can do! Buy more plants! Yep, it's that simple!

(Jen's photo)

Treehugger.com offer up a list of top five plants to improve indoor air quality. HGTV has a list of plants that clean specific pollutants often found in the home. And a study done by Nasa proved that certain plants can dramatically reduce the level of one toxin in the home.


Placing more plants in your home is not only good for the environment, but it's better for your home, your lungs, the earth, etc... Although a bit untraditional, why not incorporate more of these plants into your wedding and then bring 'em home!? Or give them to friends and family (don't give it to Uncle Bob who can't even keep a bamboo plant alive). With the right florist, or a little creativity on your part, a lot can be done with a bit of leafy foliage!

Photo Collage Credits:
Top Left - Brides.com, Top Right - Ben Rain on Flickr, Bottom Right - Jazzylolo on Flickr, Middle Left - Display Lady on Flickr, Bottom Left - Macunkie on Flickr

Wildflower Weddings

I had a rare opportunity to visit Whole Paycheck, er, I mean Foods, yesterday, which resulted in a cart full of yummy strawberries, tangerines, and apples! It's that wonderful time of year when local farms are starting to harvest their goodies and we get to reap the rewards. However, other supermarket goodies that struck my fancy were the bountiful flowers available on display in the front of the store. I regret not having taken a picture because the plethora of garden colors was striking. Feeling inspired, I collected some pretty wildflower pictures found across the interwebs. Wildflowers can make for excellent wedding decor and can even be eco-friendly too!

Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend! :)

Top Photo: Royal Horticulture Society, Middle Left: Max Wanger Photography found via JuneBug Weddings, Middle Right: Belathee Photography found via Once Wed, Bottom Left: Hugh Forte Photography found via Wedding Chicks, Bottom Right: Gia Canali found via Snippet and Ink.

Free Download: Circus Invitation

Sometimes it's fun to share a little creativity now and then, even when it's something defunct or rejected. I came across some old files I had originally created Earthly Affair, but decided to scrap for one reason or another (sometimes it was just the result of a bad mood). I thought this one might be enjoyed by at least one person out there. I think I was going for a slightly whimsical look, hence the name, "Circus Invitation." Available as a Freebie here. The 100% post consumer recycled envelopes are available at Green Paper Studio.

Real Wedding Wednesday

Not too long ago, we posted about an adorable couple getting married at a venue called The Housing Works Bookstore, a place which donates all proceeds to a non-profit organization. I love how they carried the theme: the groom's mother created illustrations from the couple's favorite childhood books in place of table numbers and library cards were used as seating cards. A huge thank you to Missy Photography for sharing all her wonderful photos!

Finding Your Retro Color Palette

Photo By Jagger Photography (Found via Green Wedding Shoes)

I've really been loving all the retro styled weddings I've seen lately on the interwebs. (Green Wedding Shoes has a wonderfully creative collection of vintage weddings.) Whether you are an eco-chick or not, if you decide to go the retro route, the first, and least expensive, step to creating your own retro/vintage wedding is to choose your color palette.


So where does one go for retro color inspiration? If your grandma's house hasn't changed much since 1975, that would be a good place to start! (Seriously!) Pop in a Mad Men dvd and check out what the office gals are wearing. You can also visit a flea market or antique store to get a general idea of what colors would have been popular during a certain era. Of course, if you're a computer literate woman with a penchant for the past (and aren't we all in some way), there are more than a few awesome websites to get your color inspiration: The Vintage Ad Browser, Colour Lovers Retro Palettes, Mad Men's Fashion File, Vintage Clothing and Accessories, and Celebration of Vintage and Retro Design.

(Items: Vintage Fabric Pillow Case, Blenko Vintage Art Glass, Sweet Bella Vintage Phones)

Healthy Monday: Local Or Organic?

photography: mconlonllc

Grist asked a great question the other day: What's more important - going local or going organic?

Lets assume that "both" is not an option. My first reaction was local, which reduces transportation and supports my local economy. Then I thought about it again. Purchasing organic gives continuing support to the organic movement, which is imperative if we wish to further the importance of organic products. Then I thought about it again... I did a lot of thinking (go ahead, make the joke - yes, it made my brain hurt). I don't think there is a black and white answer, but ultimately I am a "go local" gal when pressed with such a question.

What about you? Go local, go organic? Dish out your own 2 cents.

The Big Count Down plus The Friday List

I realized recently that I only have about two months until the baby gets here. The nursery has yet to be set up and my whole "nesting" instinct is starting to drive my husband crazy. But progress, we shall make this weekend! The old shipping room is getting painted and will become my new studio, while my old studio will become the baby's room (Earthly Affair is run out of my home)! I must admit though, I thoroughly enjoy being pregnant! Even with the emotional ups and downs, the occasional dizziness, the constant hunger, the stretching belly (but hopefully Soapwalla's Resilience Pregnant Belly Oil will minimize any stretch marks), and the need to pee A LOT, I do believe I will miss this experience.

Is it time to start counting down the days until baby gets here? Did you count down the days, or are you currently counting down the days, until your wedding? Big Day Chains offers very sweet paper chains (pictured above), printed with soy ink on 100% post consumer recycled paper, to help you do just that.

Have a great weekend everyone!

A loving thank you to Pre Owned Wedding Dresses for the write up on Earthly Affair!

DIY: Herbs of Spring: Make Your Own Violet Syrup.

Tracy wrote a great post on her blog, Digging Through The Dirt, about her recent Earthly Affair invitation purchase.

Vintage: If I could sew... Ecology fabric, 1970's Floral

How to: NY Mag gives us the deets on how to buy vintage.

Win: 14 weekly draws to win a Ketubah from Ketubah.com!

Pairing Cookbooks with Decor

Printed books are now like the manual hand mixer. Both elicit emotions from a tactile experience, but convenience caused a game change. Electronic reading devices allow us to skip the store and instantly delve into any fiction or non-fiction world with just the click of the button. I can't really complain though. I own a Kindle and love it. Not to mention that reducing the need for paper is ultimately more environmentally friendly. But let's not forget the beauty of books. Honor them by including them in your wedding decor. Below I've paired up vintage cookbooks with matching florals and sweets.

Sweets: Maya Made Book: Old Cookbooks

Floral: Maya Made Book: Lilly Put

Book: Old Cookbooks Sacks: Maya Made

Necklaces Made with Recycled/Re-purposed Felt

I saw these and said something really profound: "Wow! That's cool!" I don't have much else to say. Each sustainable design is so appealing visually, not many words are necessary. :) Available at Digs.

You've Been Framed!

The world is full of really boring frames. All the big chain stores kind of carry the same stuff - glass frames with cursive lettering, geometric wood frames, etc... When I see them, all I can think is, "booooring." Of course, they tend to be rather affordable so there is trade off. But if you're in the market for something different to frame a special wedding photo (and your favorite wedding photo deserves a unique frame), visit a thrift store, online boutique, or local antique shop. It's more environmentally friendly to re-use these items and it just plain looks cool too! These refurbished vintage frames make me feel grooovy. The colors are so vibrant! Available at Lara Collins.

We have a winner!

We have a winnner of the book, Planet Wedding: A Nuptial-Pedia! Congratulations to Michelle of Healthy Eating Roadmap! Thanks for your comment and your tweet Michelle! I'll send you a note on twitter soon to get your address!

The Time Traveler's Wedding!

Adorable, adorable wedding. These pictures may have made the rounds on the blogs a while ago, but if they did, I never saw them. Then again, I'm really bad at blog-keeping-up. In any case, the images are too fabulous not to see again. Check out her dress! Who else feels like they are truly transported back in time? The wedding of Ginny Branch (found via Haylie B. Waring). Photography by Josh Goleman.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Check back later today for the winner of our last giveaway!


Have you seen our new sponsors?! I'm so thrilled to welcome Green Diva, Orange and Blossom, as well as Soapwalla. I wouldn't vouch for these gals if I didn't believe in them and their products. Let's support these women owned businesses!
P.S. Soapwalla is celebrating Lupus Awareness Month by donating the proceeds of certain items to Lupus organizations.

Living Green: My husband sent me this link! Thanks hubs!
How to Choose a Safe, Reusable Water Bottle.

Eco-decor: Five, small, mismatched glass bottle vases.

Vintage: An online shop.

Internet Surfing: Weird name, cool blog. The Bedlam of Beefy.

Music: Pink Martini

Eco-Chic Bridesmaid's Gifts

use code "Brides20" for 20% off at Doie Designs

I get a lot of e-mails from PR people. Generally, I don't mind. I understand how useful a dedicated PR person can be, but it's always refreshing to receive an e-mail straight from the founder or owner of a shop. I get the feeling this person truly stands behind their product. Such was the case with Sara Kirsner. Her sweet e-mail led me to her eco-chic loungewear company, Doie Designs, which features beautiful Kimono style robes made of natural and sustainable fabrics.

These would make such lovely bridesmaid's gifts. You could present them the morning of your wedding and then wear them while you all get ready. Or treat yourself to one for your honeymoon. Sara says that since there is an outer and inner tie, the robe won't accidentally slip off, but I'm sure your husband can find a way to make that happen. Oooohhh! Yes, I did just write that! :)

use code "Brides20" for 20% off at Doie Designs

Give Back at Your Wedding

photo from The New York Times

I remember being a kid and seeing editorial images of coastal wildlife covered in thick oil. The shore an eerie death field of beautiful birds turned into slimy carcasses. The devastation is not only heartbreaking, but it carries a detrimental ecological and economical impact as well. The recent oil spill in the Gulf is threatening wildlife such as the Brown pelican, the Reddish egret, and the Mottled Duck. (Check out this succinct, but informative article from The NY Times.) If you're getting married in the near future, consider forgoing favors and donating to partners of the World Wildlife Fund instead. If you're a really brave soul, volunteers will be needed by the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana.

Random Inspiration

Gather little inspirations from big, hearty places. Fair Ride in Pastels from Simply Hue.

As a reminder, don't forget about our giveaway! We've extended the deadline!

Healthy Monday: Gearing Up For Bikini Season and Improving Confidence

It's officially May! And trips to the pool or the beach may either be in your immediate future or a few months down the line. No matter how confident we women are, the first thing we tend to think about is that one problem body part we dread having to bare. For me, it's my butt and my thighs. Do you feel me? No matter how much I work out, it's the one area that refuses, and I swear it refuses, to lose the pounds. (Now that I'm pregnant, I definitely see the benefit of squeezing a watermelon baby out of a bigger hip/thigh area.) Judging from the number of bikinis with skirts, sarongs, and the popularity of surf short swimwear, it's safe to assume I'm not alone. The bathing suit industry makes me feel so much better when they parade their swimwear on sickeningly skinny, supposedly beautiful women (note my sarcasm here). (Aventura Clothing, which features recycled polyester swimsuits, uses healthy looking models.)

What do I do? Ignore the ads. Be happy with my natural beauty. Easy as pie, right?

No, I know it's not. Gee, if it was, life would be a lot easier. The best way to overcome insecurities about weight and appearance is to start paying attention to health and fitness. According to one Mayo Clinic article, exercise improves your mood, boosting self esteem and confidence. Obviously, regular exercise isn't going to alter my natural body shape, but it will help me lose weight and/or tone up (granted, I have to weight until after the pregnancy to really do either). Plus, I'm less likely to eat that extra scoop of ice cream when I equate it to 300 extra calories to burn off.

I like to use the "lack of money and time" as an excuse for not regularly working out, but I have a feeling I will regret this when I'm 70 and I can't get my saggy butt out of bed because my stiff, poorly exercised joints hurt too much. Time to change that people! Below are a few resources to help get me, and you, started:

Fitness Magazine
Discover Burn Rate Calculator
Ivillage Health
Fitness.alltop.com