Brand Spotlight | Something Borrowed Blooms

When I got married two years ago, I was determined to find an eco-friendly alternative for flowers, rather than spending a lot of money on bouquets that would only last a few days. I chose recycled wood flowers from a company that has since gone out of business. (My wedding bouquet, however, still sits in my office, looking beautiful as ever.)

These days, there are even more eco-friendly alternatives for your wedding bouquets - and these bouquets look so realistic, you'd never even know they are made of silk.

Kinsley bridal bouquet, photo via Something Borrowed Blooms

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Photo Friday | One Year

It is hard to believe that my one year wedding anniversary is this Sunday. One year ago tonight was our rehearsal dinner, and about the time everything finally seemed real. Kind of like when you're a kid and Christmas Eve finally arrives and you can't believe it's actually happening.

Truthfully, it doesn't feel like an entire year has passed, although so much life has happened in these past 365 days. Just like everyone, we've had the high moments and the low moments. Most days are full of bills and chores rather than epic adventures. But we're in it together and that makes every day worth it. Year one is still only the beginning!

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Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Perfume and Cologne

A signature scent can be a very powerful thing to have, and scents can create strong associations with different stages in life. I mean, we all remember those Cool Water, Very Sexy, and Axe days, right?

But so many popular perfumes and colognes these days rely on artificial fragrances and chemicals, so while they smell good, they can really be bad for us.

However, you can still find your signature scent while spritzing yourself every morning with a fragrance free of parabens, phthalates and other synthetic materials (and I may or may not have typed psynthetic at first...)

By doing a little online research, and utilizing the Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Database, you can find out whether your favorite scent, or the one you're eyeing at the store, makes the health grade.

About seven years ago, while shopping at Sephora, I tested the Vanilla Grapefruit perfume by Lavanila, and instantly fell in love. It was clean, not too strong but not too faint, not overly girly, and very unique. And all the products Lavanila makes use natural ingredients and are free of parabens and phthalates. (And by the way, their Vanilla Blackberry scent is even better, yet seemingly hard to find these days. I'll be holding on to my rollerball as long as possible!)

I'd been alternating my daily perfume between Lavanila and my go-to Burberry Brit, until I wrote a blog post on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database, and learned just how harmful its ingredients can be. Since then, I've stuck to using my more natural perfume each day (and a few days I'll change it up, since I don't want to waste the Burberry I do still have.)

And yes, I know I'm running out. My bottle of Vanilla Blackberry is on its way!

And of course, for our wedding, I had to use my signature eco perfume. It was the perfect complement to my natural makeup and our garden ceremony setting.

But of course, there are tons of different brands available that make natural fragrances, although I haven't smelled these on my own.

• Treehugger's 12 natural perfume brands
• One Part Sunshine's 12 nontoxic men's colognes
• Living Pretty Naturally's top 5 natural perfumes

Maybe perfumes and colognes aren't your thing. That's okay! While many natural perfumes use essential oils as a base, you can eliminate the middle man and simply use essential oils as your fragrance.

Just be sure that whichever oil you choose, it doesn't cause a reaction on your skin. Choose ones that don't have to be diluted with a carrier oil.

You can even transfer essential oils to handy rollerballs for easier application. They're super easy to carry in your bag for daily use.

You don't have to sacrifice an amazing fragrance when you commit to cutting out harmful ingredients. Instead, you'll find one that smells amazing and makes you feel good inside!

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Looking Back on 2016

This year has certainly been rough in many ways, but at the same time, it will hold some of my biggest highlights, and that's what I'll choose to remember.

Hands down, my favorite memory is our wedding. The year and a half of planning built up to a night even better than I dreamed of. The perfect venue, miraculous fall weather, a dress I love, our closest family and friends, a wonderful wedding party, delicious food, a really fun reception, and of course, my groom. My other half. My partner in everything.

People ask us how married life is treating us, and we honestly answer that it feels the same so far. And we love it that way. Not every day is going to be awesome, but we laugh together, relax together, love and support each other, and look forward to our journey together. And I'm very much enjoying my new last name. :)

Behind the scenes, and when not planning a wedding, I've been working on building up the blog and the brand, and I'm so excited to have been picked as a contributing writer for the local weekly paper Times of Acadiana. Although I've only had two columns run so far, I'm excited to be able to share my eco-obsessions with a new audience.

In addition, I've loved seeing my own transformation through my yoga practice this year. It's something I share about ad nauseum, but it really is one of my favorite aspects of my life right now. It's more than a workout, than toning, than making new friends in class, than achieving Instagrammable asanas. I find now that I can sleep better, and I haven't been sick in over a year. And best of all, I think it's truly helping me find myself and change my perspectives on myself and the world around me.

The year started off tough when our cat, Dax, took a turn for the worse healthwise. (More in this blog post.) It was a long, expensive road to recovery, but we are so happy to still have him around, and he's more energetic than even before he got sick.

This Christmas, I feel like we've definitely taken a less materialistic approach, and while I almost feel lost without my usual traditions, I also like the simplicity. Having a chance to just enjoy the season. We downsized our Christmas tree to a mini three-footer that fits on a side table, and I almost love it more than our usual six-footers. My husband and I decided not to do gifts for each other this year, especially since we're just two months out from the wedding. And maybe it's the grown-up in me finally coming out, but it's refreshing to not be frantically running around shopping for gifts.

Last year, I made a Spotify Holiday mix, so if you need a little extra cheer while finishing up your wrapping and cooking, go ahead and hit play!

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Other Ways We Made Our Wedding Eco-Friendly

July 25, 2018 update:  As of March 2018, Eco Flower is no longer in business. This post will remain published as an archive of my own wedding experience, but the information is no longer current.
 


At the same time I was fine tuning my bridal style, I was also focusing on how to green the decor and gifts (that we both gave and received). By carrying elements throughout each part of the wedding, we were able to put together unique decorations that truly enhanced the inherent beauty of our venue, the Caldwell House.

Decor

I've written before about using Eco Flower for bouquets and boutonnieres, and today I'm switching over to how I used them in our reception decorations. From the beginning, I wanted to use spray painted wine bottles as vases, and over the course of a year, I worked on painting about 60 of them in two shades of teal, champagne gold, and white. (Yes, I may have matched the bridesmaids' dresses to the teal spray paint, but it's fine when it's my favorite color!)

The wine bottles were either my own or donated by friends, and a few were salvaged from my in-laws' after the flood. They were safe, just muddy, so they got extra special sanitizing before the paint job. It's time consuming to scrape wine labels off, but it was worth it in the end. The color arrangements turned out how I envisioned, and each vase held 2-3 eco flowers that were either natural white or light aqua.

As we decorated, we ended up reusing baby's breath from the rehearsal dinner by adding them to each wine bottle arrangement. And I added pictures of us by hanging them from jute string and tiny clothespins.

Thanks to my husband's family, we reused a lot of rehearsal dinner decorations in the reception and dining areas, giving them longer life and keeping the white, gold and natural themes going.


I saved a few loose eco flowers for the wedding cake, and our unique cake topper comes from Etsy. I love how my cake truly tied in a lot of our wedding's eco-friendly elements, and the groom's cake paid tribute to our love of Acadiana. (Sky's the Limit Cakes did both cakes and Midnight Moon Vintage Event Rental provided the tree trunk cake stand and vintage lace doilies. Visit my feature post on Midnight Moon!)

And finally, for our guestbook, we opted for something we could use as a piece of art, rather than a formal book we would never look at again. I went back to Etsy, and found a shop that makes string art on large wood slabs. We provided metallic Sharpies for guests to sign with, and it's on my to-do list to run a clear protective coat over the whole thing to keep those signatures from fading over time.

 
The piece has been hanging in our living room since the day after the wedding, and I still smile every time I look at it. We definitely made the right choice on our guestbook alternative.

Registry

It's inevitable that your wedding registry and ensuing receipt of gifts will use a lot of wrapping paper, tissue paper, and gift bags, which can't be traditionally recycled. But, if you request that guests leave your gifts unwrapped, you can eliminate a LOT of that single-use waste!

We decided to hold a couples shower/engagement party a few weeks before our wedding, so the focus was more on visiting with our family and friends and not on the gifts themselves. So, when we got home with our new items and went through everything, it felt just as exciting as if they were wrapped! I absolutely loved not having a huge pile of wrapping paper to throw away, gift bags to store, or tissue paper to fold up and store (of COURSE I save and reuse all tissue paper!)

When we received gifts in the mail, we broke down and recycled all cardboard boxes, and I saved any packaging material (especially bubble wrap, air packs and brown kraft paper) to use for packing all of the spray painted wine bottles for transport. Oh, how nice it was to have the materials on hand for that!

We kept our registry fairly small, as we already own a lot of the items we need every day, and we didn't want to replace things just to have a larger registry. And a lot of the items we wanted will help us be even greener at home.

• Our new coffee maker came with a reusable gold mesh filter, so we haven't had to use a paper filter in almost two months now.
• Our toaster oven will help save energy, because I won't have to turn on the oven for small jobs like toasting tortillas or reheating fried foods.
• We got a silicone baking sheet liner so I don't have to use disposable parchment paper.
• And our new sheets are made of Tencel, a fiber made from cellulose, found in wood pulp. Created by Austrian textile company Lenzing, Tencel is the branded version of a similar fiber, lyocell. Tencel fabric is extremely soft and breathes well, making it a great fabric for bedding. In addition, the fiber requires less land and water during production than cotton. (Business Insider) We love these sheets.
• While not on our registry, I love that one of our friends got us a solar powered lantern as part of a patio entertaining gift basket.

Wedding Party Gifts

I spent a lot of time brainstorming what to get my bridesmaids for their gifts, wanting something that reflected my eco-friendly values. And about three weeks before the wedding, I realized Alex and Ani bracelets would be a beautiful choice. All Alex and Ani bracelets are made in the United States, and they use sustainable materials derived from eco-conscious processes.

As I browsed the site, I fell in love with the Charity by Design section, where I found a bracelet to match each of my bridesmaids' personalities. The Simplify bracelet for my minimalist friend Michelle supports the Life Is Good Kids Foundation, the Bicycle bracelet for my bike and yoga buddy Hailey supports the Pan-Mass Challenge, and the Living Water bracelet for my doctor friend Jody supports Living Water International. Sweet gifts that also give back and do good...I am all about it!

And in a sign of fate, there was a sale going on the day I ordered that allowed me to get a free bracelet, so I picked out the gorgeous Love bracelet to commemorate my wedding.

When it came to gifts for our mothers, I turned to Melancon, the Abbeville jeweler where we purchased our rings, to see what they had in store. I gravitated toward a display of bell charms, which I learned are made by a company in Austin, Texas. The Bell Collection is a small, family-owned business who makes bell charms for all occasions and sentiments. These turned out to be a sweet, personal memento, and I loved supporting two small businesses in the process.

In addition, my husband (without realizing he was doing something eco-friendly, probably) bought reusable Yeti ramblers for his groomsmen, and had them engraved with each guy's last name. All the guys loved their gifts, and the ramblers promote reusable over single-use!


Hopefully, this will give you some ideas or inspire you to make your own wedding or event a bit more eco-friendly. There are so many ways you can approach it, from shopping small, to reusing and DIYing, to working toward zero-waste!

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Eco-Friendly Bridal Style Elements

Wedding style was one of my favorite areas in which to go green. There are so many fun things to research and shop around for, although at times, the decisions can be tough.

Committing to finding an alternative can prove to be difficult, when sometimes there don't seem to be many choices. But it was important for me to stick to my guns, support local businesses, and choose more eco-friendly alternatives.

Overall, I'm very happy with how well I did! And today, I'm breaking down each element for you.

I had three dresses for pre-wedding events, and all of them (plus a pair of shoes) were secondhand, without looking like it! Two dresses came from Thred Up, and one was from local consignment shop Clothing Loft. The dresses themselves were amazing, but needed a few alterations to truly fit well. It was an easy fix and still less expensive than buying three new dresses. I either wore jewelry I already had, or wore a few "new" vintage finds.

The morning of the wedding, I knew I wanted to wear my favorite Niyama Sol turquoise yoga pants. Not only are they extremely comfortable and my favorite color, they are made of recycled plastic bottles. (And I got them locally at Yoga Garden.) My button-up shirt was monogrammed by Simply Unique Too, a local husband and wife venture.

So, the dress. When we first got engaged, I started by researching organic and sustainable wedding dresses. It was a fail. There are dresses available online, but none that came close to fitting the vision I saw for myself. One of the things I find about eco-fashion is that it focuses more on being sustainable than being cute (for lack of a better word). I'm no fashion designer, and maybe my girl Natalie from Sustainably Chic can shed more light on it, but I don't see why eco clothes don't fit/aren't designed more like conventional clothes.

I also perused a few secondhand bridal websites, like OnceWed, but I really wanted to experience trying on a lot of dresses. It was a stressful process, but it was a fun tough decision to make! With my mom by my side, I had a lot of fun trying on so many different styles, and I ultimately chose my dress from a popular local shop, A Net's Bridal Boutique.

With all of the follow-up visits I made to the store for fittings and accessories, I was extra happy to be so close by, instead of having to make multiple trips out of town. (In fact, I only visited two other boutiques during my hunt, one in Lafayette and one in Baton Rouge.)

I wanted to keep my jewelry simple, since the dress was covered in sequined lace and the belt was very beaded. My pearl bracelet was made for A Net's, I believe. My earrings are a vintage pair courtesy of my grandmother, and I was so happy to be able to have something of hers in my outfit. My small cross necklace is actually from when I was a child. It was simple and subtle, and didn't compete with the illusion lace neckline.

I mentioned it a couple weeks ago in a Photo Friday blog post, but my shoe journey was quite adventurous. I was determined to have sustainable shoes, which is not as easy as it seems to accomplish. I really wanted an amazing pair of vintage bridal shoes, but it was a very fruitless search. I tried two other pairs, one conventional and one secondhand, before finding this vegan leather pair from Beyond Skin.

With the company based in the United Kingdom, I quickly learned a lot about European shoe sizing and how it translates to my traditional shoe size. Their customer service rep, Coral, very sweetly handled all of my email questions about shoe sizing, styles, returns and customs. I definitely guessed wrong on my shoe size on my first pair, and ended up with a different style shoe, but they were my favorites out of every pair I tried. (If you're curious, I wear a 7.5 in American sizing, and went with a 38 in European sizing. They were a pretty solid fit.)

So, these shoes are made of vegan leather, and the lining is 100% recycled with a vegetable polymer coating. With the lower heel and ankle strap, they were perfect for dancing all night while staying comfortable. And I definitely plan to wear them for special occasions post-wedding.

I ended up wearing the secondhand shoes that didn't work out with my wedding dress with my secondhand rehearsal dinner dress, and they'll also get a lot of use in future holiday parties and cocktail dinners (like I go to so many of them. Ha!)

We got our rings from a local Abbeville jeweler, Melancon Jewelers. The staff was so incredibly helpful during all of our visits, and I'm so happy that we got to support a small business.

Check out my previous post on Eco Flower here.

I used my eco-friendly makeup and perfume on my big day, and I'm still amazed I didn't screw it all up. Most of the makeup was Tarte, with Ecco Bella powder and Physician's Formula eye shadow. My perfume was La Vanila (my absolute favorite brand).

With all of the eco-friendly elements to my bridal style, I felt even more like a million bucks for our big day!

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Photo Friday | Eco Flower

July 25, 2018 update:  As of March 2018, Eco Flower is no longer in business. This post will remain published as an archive of my own wedding experience, but information is no longer current.
 

One of the most noticeable eco-friendly elements at our wedding were the flowers. After a lot of researching, I opted for recycled wood flowers instead of traditional fresh ones for the majority of our decorations.

I worked with Eco Flower, a startup out of Utah, for all of the bouquets and loose centerpiece flowers. One of my favorite things is knowing I'm supporting a small, independent business, especially one that uses recycled materials in a unique way. The company started just about two years ago, and has grown tremendously.

And I feature them today for one big reason:

The company's founder, Meagan, is going to be on Shark Tank tonight at 9/8 central! I'll definitely be watching to see what happens.

Over a few months, I ordered assortments of loose flowers to use in my repurposed wine vase centerpieces, and to make small bouquets for our moms to carry. (This was probably my first and last attempt at being a florist!) Extra loose flowers were used on my wedding cake. My wedding bouquet was custom made by Eco Flower's wedding department, and my bridesmaid bouquets were a predesigned style. In addition, I ordered boutonnieres for the wedding party, and corsages for the grandmothers.

Why do I love these flowers so much? Obviously, because they use recycled materials, and because they last forever. As we were on a budget, these were much more cost effective than using all fresh flowers. I love that I will be able to keep my bouquet for years - I'm currently keeping it at my office so I can have it near me all week long!

The other thing I love is the ability to have the flowers scented. When you order flowers, trust me and go with the black raspberry vanilla scent. It is divine! And the scent lasts a very long time. My loose  assortment arrived in July, and the flowers still had a nice smell come wedding day in late October.

Now that the wedding has passed, we won't be keeping all of the loose flowers around the house, but we will keep the eco-cycle going. We're saving a few of them to share with our late loved ones, and I absolutely love the idea of being able to share these flowers in such a deep and personal way.

The rest we will be selling for any interested future brides, so they'll be double-recycled.

Photo by Laura Reaux

Working with startups can pose challenges sometimes, and there were moments of frustration, but overall, I don't regret using Eco Flower, or flowers made of wood, one bit for the wedding. These flowers gave such a unique, eco-friendly touch to the wedding, and they're something I'll fondly look back on.

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Photo Friday | Eco-friendly Wedding Elements

While I have so, so much that I cannot wait to share from our wedding last weekend, I am going to put just two sneak peeks in today's Photo Friday post. I had a lot of fun (and a little frustration) attempting to stay as committed as possible to incorporating green elements into our ceremony and reception, and I'll be featuring some of the brands and companies I worked with in coming posts (as I get all the professional photos back).

I was determined to have sustainable shoes, which is not as easy as it seems to accomplish. Finding bridal vintage shoes was a basically impossible task, and I tried three pairs (one conventional pair, one secondhand pair, and one vegan leather pair) before finding THE ones, shown below. I do plan to do a post on my bridal style, but this is my quick shout out to Beyond Skin, based in the United Kingdom, and specifically Coral in customer service, for all of their help and for these gorgeous shoes.

My main requirement was a shoe with an ankle strap so they wouldn't slip on and off. These shoes are made of vegan leather, and the lining is 100% recycled with a vegetable polymer coating. The heels were lower than I normally wear, but perfect for dancing the night away.

We included my bicycle as part of the decorations at the ceremony and the reception, and I just love how it became a gorgeous focal point. Members of my new family did a great job on the floral arrangement in my basket, the lights on the basket are LED, and I made the pennant myself.

I've kept the hydrangeas and eucalyptus from the arrangement (love having them in my office!), and will dry them out once they start to wilt. That way I can keep a fragrant reminder around as long as possible!

Have a great Halloween weekend! Don't forget to make a few changes to make your Halloween greener.

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Photo Friday | Sustainably Ever After

It may be quiet on the blog front, but certainly not behind the scenes, as we are now officially ONE day away from getting hitched!

I'm so excited and anxious to see all of our plans put into action, all of our friends and family gathered in one place, and our wedding party all dressed up.

I also cannot wait to share all of the eco-friendly elements with y'all in the next few weeks. It's been extremely hard to not divulge everything on social media before the big day! 

Today's Photo Friday features a few wedding-related snapshots. For our engagement party/couple's shower a few weeks back, I had a lot of fun showing that sustainability doesn't have to mean sacrifice.

My dress is secondhand from ThredUp (and I had it altered since it was slightly large); my earrings (which you can see in the second photo) are sustainably made by Australian-based Pimelia (and a contest prize courtesy of Sustainably Chic!); my necklace was a vintage find in New Orleans during my bachelorette weekend; and my nail polish is 5-free, vegan, and Louisiana-based by Native Polish. My shoes are from when I was a bridesmaid four years ago, which is probably the most sustainable thing about them. And the balloons were used to mark the house our party was at, and were properly disposed of at the end of the night, keeping them from littering the road or a nearby waterway.

And my fiance is handsome. :) He has certainly embraced my treehugging ways by recycling, conserving energy at home, using reusable water and coffee mugs, and reusing/salvaging usable items.

And this is Dax in a bow tie, because the world needs more adorable photos like this. He may or may not be our honorary ring bearer.

See y'all on the other side of married!! Follow me on Instagram and Snapchat (ecocajun, of course) to catch all the fun times.

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Pre-wedding Natural Makeup and Skincare

I'm not a makeup junkie. My entire collection is probably smaller than most people's travel bags, and I buy new makeup when I hit the point of not being able to squeeze another drop out of the tube. I've pretty much stuck with the same brands and colors for the past 10 years.

But over the past year, I've been more attuned to researching companies that use fewer chemicals in their makeup and beauty products, looking for more natural and vegan-friendly alternatives. It's very much a broad industry to peruse, and I've spent a lot of time researching different brands, their claims and ingredients, and their ratings in the EWG Skin Deep Guide to Cosmetics. (Read about EWG in this blog post as well.)

And I'm by no means an expert on natural beauty products now, but as my wedding approaches ever closer, I realized it was a great time to invest in a few new products the green way. Besides for wedding purposes, it's also time to invest in better products for my thirtysomething skin. I've grown up a little beyond the days of 1998 that involved Cover Girl liquid foundation the thickness of a milkshake and in the wrong shade.

So, what am I doing to prep my skin for our big day next month?

Although not featured in the title image, the important part is where you begin. Every morning I use Burt's Bees Deep Cleansing Cream, and it always feels so cool and refreshing. (It's rated a 4 on the EWG scale, and the biggest problem ingredient is something I may need to look into more.) 

A few weeks ago, I visited my local Sephora looking for a natural or organic mask for general skin glowiness. That might be exactly how I asked the sale assistant for help too. I'm sorry to everyone who's heard me preface anything lately with "I'm getting married in __ months, so..." But, it pretty much is the guiding force of everything on my mind lately.

So. Mask shopping. The girl recommended this new Farmacy Honey Potion mask, so I went for it, because of their commitment to natural ingredients. It's warming, it's renewing, it looks like straight up honey until you massage it into your skin, and it makes your skin extremely soft. I think it's also helped my pores and blackheads, giving me a fresh-faced look. Oh, and the spatula is magnetic so it can attach to the lid so you don't lose it. Is it inexpensive? Absolutely not, especially for someone like me. But now is the time to invest! And even after just a few weeks, I think it's worth it.

I asked how often I could use the mask, and the girl said it was safe to use frequently. Because I'm so addicted to how smooth my skin feels, I use it every other evening (at least until the wedding when I'm officially allowed to let go. Don't tell Phillip. 😝) 

And the most basic, most important lesson of all. Drink water. I admittedly don't drink 64 ounces every day, but I've really been working to get back to that so I can feel as good as possible. My head certainly reminds me when I've been slacking, and I do not have the time or the want for a headache. So, all the water.

On the nights I don't use the hydration mask, I apply a layer of this Simple Ultra Light Gel Moisturizer. Found at Target, it's very cost effective for a natural product. On the EWG scale, it ranks a 2. I picked this up earlier this year when the cooler air (what's that?) was leaving my skin extra dry, and it's helped tremendously.

On to my new morning makeup routine. When I was researching brands, I knew that vegan-friendly and natural alternatives would cost a little more than I usually spend, but I wasn't willing to pay too much more. I've been using Tarte blush (3 on the EWG scale), Physician's Formula eyeshadow (2 on the EWG scale) and Ecco Bella powder (2 on the EWG scale) for a few months now and love them all. Everything is comparable to the conventional products I had before.

What I purchased recently for the wedding (and for general upgrades) includes Tarte BB tinted moisturizer foundation, Tarte CC undereye corrector (although there's not much hiding these suitcases), Tarte waterproof eyeliner and Tarte waterproof mascara. (And a-thank you to an Ulta gift card I still had from Christmas.)

Tarte is a larger brand, available at both Sephora and Ulta, but they are committed to keeping parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, and gluten out of their products.

And they perform really well. I also have a sample size of Tarte's 4-in-1 mascara, and my lashes look fantastic these days, if I do say so myself. The waterproof mascara may not give quite as much the magical effect, but it still works really well, and both the mascara and eyeliner stood up to an hour of hot power yoga. So I mean, if they can handle that, they can handle ugly crying and sweaty dancing. #weddingapproved

Of note, Ecco Bella is a certified green business and is made in the USA. They place a focus on having sustainable packaging as well - their blushes come in a refillable compact, so when you replace your blush, you can use the same container. The face powder is not refillable, but it is a cardboard compact so it's recyclable. I've had this powder for almost a year, and the compact hasn't lost any strength, so that's not an issue to worry about.

There are lots of makeup brands committed to avoiding chemicals, vegan-friendliness, and sustainability, and if I even tried to list them here, I would leave out a lot.

If you're shopping around for new makeup, do your research first. Visit the company's website to read about their ingredients or values. Look up products in the EWG Skin Deep database. Ask around. (When I first went to Ulta in my makeup transition, I asked the girl to point me toward the natural or organic brands.) Read the ingredients lists on retailer websites or on the product packaging. Ask for samples if you can, to see if you like something before you commit to purchasing.

Makeup may be skin deep, but the effects from harmful ingredients can go way deeper and last longer.



None of these products are featured because of sponsored endorsements; they're just players in my eco lifestyle game! Gotta walk that walk before I can talk the talk.

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Green Company Spotlight | Paper Culture

During wedding planning, as I tackle each item on the (neverending) list, I begin by asking myself, "How can I make this eco-friendly?"

Truth bomb: In general, this usually makes things more complicated. Instead of just picking the first option you find, you spend time researching different companies, weigh their sustainability and product claims, and then make a decision.

When it came time to our save the date cards and invitations, this choice wasn't so complicated. As I was trying out one online vendor, I noticed that the option for printing on recycled paper was an additional cost. So I moved on and looked for other, less expensive options.

In this search, I discovered Paper Culture, a California-based company that uses 100% recycled paper in all of their stationery products. Recycled paper is not an upgrade-able option; it's the default stock. In addition, they offer a variety of customizable eco-friendly gifts, and they plant a tree for every order made.

I shall repeat: They plant a tree for every order made. How amazing is this!?

So I started with the Save the Dates. I spent many days perusing the options and playing around with the customization of about 10 different designs. You can tinker with your design, then save it for later.

The customization options may not be as robust as other services - you can't change fonts or the overall layout - but you can request free designer assistance, where you can request different colors or sizes. The designer response is pretty timely.

After I was happy with about 5 different Save the Date options, I reviewed them with my fiance and we both ended up choosing this adorable wood-grain photo style card. Very, very us.

The order process is simple - move the item to your cart, double check your quantities, then check out. All orders over $125 receive free shipping - and you still receive your order very quickly. When I ordered our Save the Date cards, they arrived in THREE DAYS.

Now that my order was in, I noticed the packaging right away. It's efficient and sized right, although it does use plastic air packs to keep the paper from getting banged up. You can read printed statistics on the benefits of trees, and I am just now realizing the box is designed to be reversible so you can use it again for gift-giving! Plus, the ink is water-based.

After our Save the Dates went out, it was time to look for invitations. The invitation design selection is much smaller (31 design options compared to 82 save the date options), but I discovered another wonderful feature of Paper Culture - the design-it-yourself option.

Armed with Photoshop and available sizes from Paper Culture, I designed our invitations and RSVP cards on my own and uploaded the entire design to the website. I enjoyed free shipping once again, and they arrived in four days.



All cards automatically come with envelopes, and I ordered matching address labels to go with each. (And I plan to order a large set with my future last name to go with thank you cards and general mail!) For many of the wedding designs the company offers, you can order your entire suite of stationery to coordinate.

In addition to wedding stationery, there are thank-you notes, holiday cards, party and other event invitations, birth and graduation announcements. But I mean, if you have a design program, you have the freedom of designing literally any card you want and having it printed on 100% recycled paper and getting a tree planted for it.

Although I went for a simpler look to both of my pieces with flat printing, Paper Culture does offer foil printing on some of their designs, allowing you to have an extra glamorous touch. The pieces themselves are printed on thick stock paper, giving each a nice, substantial feeling in your hand. If you want them even thicker, you can upgrade to double-thick or triple-thick paper.

Image from Paper Culture

Paper Culture is a California-certified Green Business, Small Business Award winner, and a member of Carbon Fund.

As a paper company, we have an even greater responsibility to promote sustainability. From day one, our pledge has been that no new trees will be cut down for our customer's cards because we use exclusively 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Furthermore, we will plant a tree with as a part of every order. As a company, we do our best to operate with the smallest environmental footprint we can, from the recycled paper in our printers, to the CFL light bulbs in our office, to the non-toxic cleaning products in our kitchen. What we can't eliminate, we offset as a CarbonFree® partner of Carbonfund.org.

What I love about Paper Culture (and some of my other favorite green brands) is that the products don't necessarily scream ECO-FRIENDLY. The cards aren't made from elephant poop (although that paper does exist, no it doesn't stink, and yes it is pretty cool), and the envelopes aren't made of kraft paper. They have a streamlined, classic look while still using alternative materials.

I love that I can check wedding stationery off the list as being eco-friendly. Plus, those two trees I've planted through my orders will provide many benefits to people for years to come. :)

Working ahead for this year's Christmas cards? Get 20% off your holiday purchase through September 26!



Disclaimer: I received a discount on my wedding invitations in exchange for this post, but all opinions are mine and the praise is genuine!

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Local Business Spotlight: Midnight Moon Vintage Event Rental

For better or for worse, planning a wedding is one of the biggest ways to showcase your future spouse's and your personalities. It takes a lot of balancing and a lot of compromise, but in the end, a great wedding really shows off your unique qualities as a couple.

After a year and a half (today, actually!) of being engaged, we are in the home stretch for our wedding next month. As we've gone through the planning, I've tried to remain true to what's important to both of us, and that means a focus on being sustainable and eco-friendly.

In the next few weeks, I'll be featuring a few companies I've worked with over the past year, without giving too much away before the big day. But don't worry, there will be a lot more to share after the wedding!

My first feature is on a local small business specializing in vintage and thrifted pieces for rent - Midnight Moon Vintage Event Rental. The company began after a very special and personal event - owner Rachael's own wedding in the fall of 2014.

Photo courtesy Midnight Moon

Everyone wants their wedding to be special, unique and memorable. In my mind, this was not possible with same old fold-up chairs and tables, with disposable cups and plates mass produced in China and bought by a company looking to just make money. You just don’t feel the love in that. I wanted my wedding to reflect who I was. I wanted my guests to be comfortable.

So I combined my beliefs in recycling as much as possible with my style. I decided I was going to customize my own wedding and tailor every inch to reflect who I was. I wanted people to feel it, not just see it. Every piece was handpicked from local thrift shops and antique shops.

My dad built our arbor with trees from his property, my mom and grandmother sewed the lace bunting, and my friend offered up her house to host the event. It really brought everyone together as one big family. I felt so much joy from the whole experience that I wanted to share it with people. And thus, Midnight Moon was born.

What a great story, right?? Not only was Rachael's wedding curated with thrifted and antique items, but she is continuing the reuse cycle by offering her inventory for rent. And she is continually adding new handmade or vintage pieces.

Photo courtesy Midnight Moon

Photo courtesy Midnight Moon

Items range from large furniture like couches, chairs and tables, to small milk glass decorative pieces, vases, table settings, lace doilies and runners, cake stands, rugs, window panes, mirrors, doors, and vintage pieces like luggage and telephones.

Photo courtesy Midnight Moon

 
They offer delivery and pickup services, along with styling and design services. And if you got a glimpse of Rachael's living room, you would know she's pretty fantastic at finding amazing decor and styling it impeccably.

"I know how hard it is to plan and put together a wedding, so along with my inventory I also want to share the knowledge that I have gained to give people and their guests a memorable experience," she says.

Although my venue has just about everything I'll need, I turned to Midnight Moon to find a great cake stand; something that was a little more unique than the "stock" option. I also needed a 14" stand, and although Rachael didn't have one in her inventory, she was very helpful in acquiring one that fit what I was looking for.

And now I can't wait to see my cake atop this gorgeous piece of reclaimed tree with a vintage piece of lace. One of Rachael's vintage plates served as the model stand-in for my cake as I had the tough decision of choosing a piece of lace. (Seriously, she had a bin FULL of lace doilies that I had a lot of fun going through while we chatted.)

As for where the items are sourced from? "Antiques shops around my area, estate sales, barns, backyards and good ole grandma’s house. For my wedding I picked up a lot of stuff at local thrift stores, auctions and estate sales. We’ve come to realize the most abundant and unique items can be found in more of the northern states, especially Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts, which are gold mines to us. A lot of times if there is something that inspires us but we can’t quite find what we are looking for, we will build/recreate it," Rachael says.

There are numerous hand-built farm tables, and a brand-new (reclaimed) wooden backdrop.

Photo courtesy Midnight Moon

The company's items have long history and are unique - a perfect symbolism for a wedding and the beginning of your married life.

Rachael and her team have big plans for the company in the next few years. "We are really working on being a one-stop shop for parties and events. We are expanding, which is exciting. We not only offer furniture rental but also event styling and videography. Floristry is next up on the list, and one day we hope to move the business into an area that can double as a venue," she says.

The beauty of using a company like Midnight Moon, for not only a wedding, but parties or corporate events, is truly in the sustainability. You can find unique, long-lasting quality items to dress up your event the way you want it, and by renting, you keep the lifecycle of the items going. You can spare yourself the hassle of spending a lot of money buying items, and then figuring out what to do with everything once the event is over. Rachael and her team have that covered.

VISIT MIDNIGHT MOON

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