Category — good things

As I discovered some amazing wedding websites and blogs, I was quickly led to Etsy. And the earth shook and angels sang. I became an etsy freak. Bridesmaids gifts? Red Otter and Modern Printed Matter . A gift for Fiance from Kathryn Riechert. Not to mention half of my Christmas gifts. But there were three people I worked with in particular from etsy that were absolutely memorable.

 
Some of Lisa’s gorgeous pieces.

First up, my wedding day jewelry from Lisa with Teleecouture.

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An easy way to add elegance to your event is by using linen hemstitch cocktail napkins rather than coasters or paper napkins.

 
{Lucy’s Pocket}

And for those who want to go the extra mile - how about personalizing them with embroidery?

{Nancy Coltes At Home}

Lovely!
E.

It’s a crazy day in the real world everyone!

I’ve been doing some searching for out of town basket photos, because it’s definitely a project I’m going to undertake.  These are such a great idea and so easy and inexpensive to DIY.  Anne did her own gorgeous baskets for around $2.50 each and they were a hit!

Here are my favorite little baskets that I have found - I love the coordination of the green ribbon with the contents and the simple but elegant presentation.

Image via Mimi and Karl

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Spark People was one of my favorite sites while planning for our wedding. It’s a great way (although very time consuming) to keep track of calories and find support for getting in shape. They just sent over an email advertising their new workout videos. This is perfect for me because I hate our gym, and our computer is in our office with plenty of open hardwood floor to work out on. I’m excited to try these out!

A.

Disclaimer: non-wedding-related post ahead!

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s green week around here.  And being green = being environmentally friendly. 

One of the most amazing places I have ever visited is the country of Ghana, in West Africa.  My sister was volunteering there and I was incredibly lucky to be able to visit her over Christmas in 2006.  So today, when I was browsing CRAFT Magazine’s blog and saw this article, I was especially moved.

Image and original article found here via link and link

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DIY Birch Centerpieces found via Portovert

Green weddings give me headaches.

I know, this is a horrible thing to admit.  But part of my anxiety and apprehension is that there seems to be no stopping point in the quest to be green.  There also seems to be no way to know the greenest choice.  Are invites printed at home more green than ordering an invite you love from an art studio in Philadelphia?  Technically, the DIY invites have a lower carbon footprint (depending on the paper supplier) but I don’t have vegetable based inks on my printer!  What about plantable paper?  Is that truly the greenest?

On top of this, I feel like green weddings are just this trend that give brides a point of pride. Like marriage, living green is about more than just one day. On your wedding day, you should not feel guilty about choosing an invitation that isn’t recycled paper printed with soy based ink from a solar powered (local) art studio. You are getting m-a-r-r-i-e-d! The rest is just a fancy party.

I love simplicity. I love uncomplicated. In my life, being green is the courage and energy to force things to be simple. So my part of Green Week will concentrate on simplicity in weddings. Because really, it shouldn’t be that hard. There are easy steps you can take to make your wedding less of a stress AND more environmentally friendly.  I hope you enjoy.

I love these gorgeous unique alternatives to paper envelopes, made by the Cloth Envelope Company.  Approved by the USPS and even specially made so that stamps adhere permanently, these are a great way to make your invitation stand out from the rest.

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 I saw this idea in the current issue of Martha Stewart Living and thought it would be a simple way to add style to a wedding.  You can find instructions here.

Thoughtful Day posted a review of Flea Market Style in November.  The pictures looked so lovely that I just had to buy.  It’s ended up being one of my favorites.  I highly recommend it.  Some of the ideas are easily transferable to events (i.e. the simple arrangements on the tables, collections of items that have meaning, silk scarves turned into decor).  This book is now part of my collection, and I can’t wait to pick up others in the series.  You can find it on Amazon or at your favorite local bookstore.

A friend just sent me a link to the coolest website.  Store Adore is this fantastic website that lists out boutique shopping.  You have the ability to write a review and create a custom guide to maximize your shopping potential.  Sadly, it’s only in a few major cities right now.  But I’ve added a lot of shops I want to visit while I’m in Boston in April.  It’s a new fantastic site.  Pass the word!