Eco-Vintage Weddings

Blogging Hiatus….

Hello readers! Just a note to let you know that posting will be rather sporadic this week. I had planned a week full of wonderful wedding lovelies, but the unpredictability of life stepped in the way. Jordan lost his grandmother to cancer / stroke over the weekend, so we’ll be spending the week wrapped up in the love of family.

Please keep Jordan and I and his family in your prayers!

NOTE: I did manage to write a post scheduled to go live this Friday; check back then for your dose of Green Friday goodness!

[Photo Credit: Andvic via Flickr]

Green Monday: Martha Stewart Natural Cleaning Products!

Good morning all!

Last week I received an email from the Martha Stewart camp announcing the premier of Martha Stewart Clean, “a new line of natural cleaners that are effective, responsible and safe for your family, the home and the environment.”

According to the press release, each Martha Stewart Clean product:

- Contains 99+% plant- and mineral-based ingredients

- Leaves your home smelling fresh and clean, using no artificial perfumes or strong chemical odors

- Uses no added preservatives or artificial colors

- Is certified by the EPA’s Design for Environment program as a best-in-class product with safer formulation

Martha Stewart Clean products are available at your area Home Depot, or online here.

NOTE: This post is not sponsored by the above company, individual, service or product line.

[Photo: Martha Stewart Clean]

Green Friday: HiFi Weddings!

Happy Friday, readers! Today I wanted to bring to your attention a WONDERFUL resource for all of you brides and grooms who are looking to make your own musical mixes for your wedding reception. Hi-Fi Weddings provides artist and song listings for the music lovers to use for their special day!

Here’s what Hi-Fi Weddings creator Ashley has to say about her brain child: Here at Hi-Fi Weddings, we understand the importance of music at your wedding. From the song that you walk down the aisle to, until the very last dance we invite you to share your wedding playlist…or to gather ideas from other like-minded brides and grooms. And while we love music of all sounds and notes, we’d like to focus on those that want their wedding mix to be less “Top 40″ and more of music that is true to the soul.

From lovely wedding showcases to endless lists of wedding-perfect tunes, Hi-Fi Weddings is a resource that any DIY-obsessed bride and groom, or any music lover, for that matter, can afford to avoid!

Have a great weekend!

Our Wedding: 101 in 1001 – Final List

Hi everyone, today I’m taking another break from blogging about our wedding to share with you my “final” list of my 101 in 1001 goals, because we’re not just brides – we’re people, too!

I officially started my 101 in 1001 goals campaign this Monday, and I feel so excited to build on the motivation I have to complete as many of these goals as I can!

Here’s my final list (bear with me; it’s 101 goals long!):

Relationships

1. Get married!

2. Participate in pre-marital counseling.

3. Take dance lessons with Jordan.

4. Write and mail at least ten handwritten letters.

5. Spend time with or talk on the phone with my Grandma at least one time per month.

6. Teach someone how to do something.

7. Mail out holiday cards/letters to friends and family members each year.

8. Send my brother Brian at least one care package at college.

9. Send my friend Jessica at least one care package at seminary.

10. Send flowers randomly to someone I care about.

11. Befriend someone from another country.

12. Start a new tradition with Jordan.

13. Talk with Jordan about me changing my name.

14. Talk with Jordan about his feelings regarding divorce.

15. Talk with Jordan about his feelings regarding adoption.

16. Write gift ideas for family and friends down as ideas arise, and keep this list in a safe place.

17. Complete at least one finger-painting project with Jordan.

Travel

1. Take a trip overseas.

2. Go on a mission trip.

3. Go on a camping trip with Jordan and Wyatt the dog.

4. Visit 3 states I’ve never been to before.

5. Visit a Spanish-speaking country.

6. Visit Washington, D.C.

7. Hide out in the winter in a cabin for one weekend with Jordan.

8. Take a trip with my best gal pals.

9. Visit a zoo I’ve never been to before.

10. Take a mother-daughter trip.

Financial

1. Save $100.00 per month for an entire year.

2. Personal

3. Designate & use a loose-change jar.

4. Investigate (and file for) life insurance post-marriage.

Cooking

1. Learn how to make at least one type of fish, and make at least one fish-related meal for Jordan.

2. Make or bake at least one Rachael Ray recipe.

Academia/Career Goals

1. Personal

2. Be a member of (or start) a book club.

3. Continue to post regularly on my wedding blog post-nuptials.

4. Learn how to use at least one Adobe design program, and make a project.

5. Become a tutor or mentor.

6. Write at least one poem per year.

7. Read for at least 15 minutes every day for one month.

8. Re-design Eco-Vintage Weddings web site.

Necessities

1. Personal

2. Write down and store end-of-life wishes.

3. Purchase a new computer.

4. Get an eye exam & glasses.

5. Get a passport.

Spiritual/Emotional Growth

1. Spend an entire day at the spa.

2. Volunteer at least once on behalf of disadvantaged kids.

3. Volunteer at least once on behalf of animals.

4. Participate at least once in the “Drive-Thru Difference,” or, in other words, pay for someone’s order behind me in the drive-thru.

5. Personal

6. Find and recite a prayer to say with Jordan before dinner each evening.

7. Keep and update a personal journal at least three times per week for six months.

8. Purchase flowers for myself at least one time per year.

9. Go to church at least one time per month for six months.

10. Personal

11. Investigate international adoption.

Physical Changes

1. Cut bangs into my hair…again.

2. Take Wyatt the dog on a walk every day for one entire month.

3. Work out at least 3 times per week for 6 months.

4. Go on a hike.

5. Keep a food journal every day for one month.

6. Try beets…again.

Material Girl

1. Do not wear make-up for an entire month.

2. Buy a pair of moccasins.

3. Personal

4. Build my vintage-inspired wardrobe by purchasing at least one item from ModCloth per month for an entire year.

5. Purchase a new camera.

6. Buy a pair of wellies.

7. Buy high-thread-count sheets for our bed.

8. Go garage-saling at least one time per year.

9. Make at least one piece of jewelry.

Bucket List

1. Read Pride & Prejudice.

2. Watch “Animal House.”

3. Have a marathon movie-watching session of all of the “Lord of the Rings” series with Jordan.

4. Conduct and record an interview with my Dad about his life.

5. See the Backstreet Boys in concert…again.

6. Try at least one new wine per month for one year.

7. Learn how to draw a star shape…freehand.

8. Build a gingerbread house from scratch.

9. Ride a scary roller coaster.

10. Go kayaking.

11. Learn how to make a quilt.

12. Learn how to drive a stick shift/manual vehicle.

13. Donate blood one time.

14. Take one shot of tequila.

15. Go to the circus & confront my fear of clowns.

Miscellaneous

1. Complete at least six creative projects per year.

2. Attend at least one cultural or artistic event per month for an entire year.

3. Keep an indoor plant alive for at least one entire year.

4. Always fill up with ethanol-blended gasoline.

5. Be more diligent about writing in my wine journal.

6. Build a snowman.

7. Go ice-skating.

8. Find 5 new musicians/bands that I like & add them to my ipod.

9. Go to an amusement park.

10. Play piano for five minutes per day for one month.

11. Go bowling…and actually try to bowl well.

12. Go to a winery.

13. Try skiing…again.

14. Finish fantasy baseball with a better record in 2010 than in 2009.

Showcase Wednesday: Bachelorette Party Invites!

Happy Wednesday, readers! It’s finally the middle of the week. I’ve been battling sickness early this week, but am feeling a bit better today.

I wanted to share with you the invitations I created for my bachelorette party that’s coming up this June. I know, I know, it’s usually the job of the women throwing the party to make the invitations, but A) I know how absolutely busy my girls are, and B) I love being crafty! Planning this wedding has done wonders for me in terms of providing a creative outlet, so I couldn’t resist just one more project.

My ideal bachelorette party is a good old-fashioned slumber party! I want to play Mall Madness, test my luck with a Ouija board, and put on make-up, paint my nails and style my hair. I want to play Truth or Dare, talk about boys, eat pizza and drink wine. Sounds fun, doesn’t it!?

So, in the spirit of all things slumber party, I crafted these little “sleeping bags” out of double-sided decorative paper and glue.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Double-sided paper (I used paper that I purchased from Hobby Lobby)
Cardboard for a pattern (I again used the back of a notebook)
A6 envelopes (or any size)
Glue sticks
Bone folder (optional)

Steps:

1. Cut a pattern that is twice the width of your desired width. It’s important to approximate two times the width you need, because to achieve the sleeping bag look, you’ll later fold the paper in half. To identify the size, I measured the width of the A6 envelope and decided on an approximate size to fit inside the envelope. I cut my pattern to 8.25 inches long by 7 inches wide.

2. Hold the pattern up to one sheet of decorative paper and cut around it with scissors.

3. Fold the decorative paper in half.

4. To make the sleeping bag appear “folded down,” fold a crease into one of the edges. A bone tool works very well to accomplish a crisp fold.

5. Using a glue stick, glue along the bottom edge of the sleeping bag (opposite the folded flap). Also, glue along the unfolded edge of the bag (opposite the fold).

6. Glue under the flap to secure the bottom of the flap to the body of the sleeping bag. Let dry overnight.

7. Stick the pull-0ut invite inside the sleeping bag, and you’re ready to mail your invitations! If you’re using A6 envelopes with the above measurements, the final size of your pull-out invite should be 4.5 inches long by 3 inches wide.

[Photos: All taken by me]

Our Wedding: DIY Projects Update!

Happy Tuesday, readers! I hope today is happy for you – Tuesdays are usually happy for me: any day is better than Monday in my book!

With approximately five months until the wedding, I wanted to give you all a glimpse into what I’ve accomplished these past few weeks. I’ve hit the wedding planning hard, and I’m very proud of what projects I’ve started and finished! Many thanks to my wonderful friends and family for their help, as well as my future husband – I couldn’t do any of this without you!

- I’ve lined envelopes for our Save the Date cards and for the invitations for my bachelorette party (which will most likely be in June).
- I’ve made invitations for my bachelorette party, which I’ll be showcasing for you all tomorrow!
- Our Save the Date cards are nearly complete; I am VERY happy with the finished product, and I can’t wait to show the fruits of our efforts to you all next week!
- We’ve downloaded templates for our rehearsal dinner invitations and for our gift opening invitations; all we need are the details, and they’ll be ready to print!
- I’ve made little “favors” of sorts for our wedding; I’m anxious to show these to you near the end of February!
- We’ve taken profile photos of our entire wedding party, and I’m almost ready to talk with Jordan about what I’m concepting for our wedding ceremony programs.
- I’ve purchased large rectangles of styrofoam, which I will adorn with moss and turn into monograms that will hang by ribbon on the church doors!
- I’ve purchased two large bags of fabric pom poms; I am currently researching making DIY paper cones full of pom poms that our ushers will pass out to guests after our ceremony. I love these little pom poms!
- I purchased my flower fascinator from Etsy, and I can’t wait until it arrives!
- I purchased lace trim to use when making my throw-away garter.
- I’m in the beginning stages of making a few special items for my bridesmaids, including a very exciting purchase of gifts from Etsy! No more for now, can’t take the chance that I’d ruin the surprise!
- I’m in talks with a wonderful Etsy artist about making dresses for our flower girls; I’m a few decisions away from nailing down exactly what we’re looking for!
- My mother and I made a trip to a few area fabric stores last week, and I think we’ve found the fabric that we’ll use to make napkins for our wedding reception. I can’t wait to get this fabric purchased and get started on making these eco-friendly goodies!
- I have added a base coat of cream paint to 15 wooden letter “G’s” (these will be part of our centerpieces); they look great, and I can’t wait to add more treatments to these letters!
- J and I have FINALLY nailed down a design for our wedding invitations; now, all we need to do is add the text to the invitation, and then we can begin working on the supplemental materials for our invitations!

Whew! Looking at this list, I feel SO proud of all of the work we’ve started and finished.

What projects are YOU currently working on for your wedding?

Green Monday: Recycled Bride!

Hello readers, and happy Monday! I hope that you all are ready for one jam-packed week of posts, because I have a lot in store for you!

Today I want to introduce you to yet another wonderful resource for brides out there who are looking to save some “green” – that being money AND the earth! Recycled Bride is another eco-friendly toolbox full of loveliness available to you.

Existing as an online marketplace of wedding goods, Recycled Bride believes that everybody’s wedding stuff deserves a second chance to make a first impression. From wedding gowns to reception centerpieces and wedding gifts, Recycled Bride helps you to maximize your budget while minimizing your carbon footprint.

Head on over to Recycled Bride to peruse what’s up for sale now, or to put your own items up for sale! Also, check out the Recycled Bride blog for some lovely posts from the creator of Recycled Bride, Tracy!

Green Friday: Guest Post – Dream Green Weddings!

Happy Friday, readers! Today we are lucky enough to feature a guest post from Heather at Dream Green Weddings, a super-chic online marketplace of eco-conscious wedding and/or gifting goods (and a lovely blog, too!)

Heather’s bringing you 10 easy ways to “greenify” your wedding. Take it away, Heather!

Congratulations! By reading this post on the wonderful Eco-Vintage Weddings blog, you are already a step ahead on your journey to planning a greener wedding. By making just a few eco-friendly choices, you can truly make a difference in the impact your wedding has on our environment.  

Here are 10 ways to help reduce waste, save energy, conserve resources and decrease carbon emissions produced by your wedding. Remember, this is not an “all or nothing” concept. If you can incorporate all 10, fantastic! But if you can only do one or two, every little bit helps. Here we go . . .

1. For invitations, choose from tree free papers, letterpress, 100% PCW recycled paper, seeded invitations, and look for vegetable or soy-based inks.

2. Look for favors that are made from organic, sustainable or recycled materials, or even handmade. Other eco-friendly options include tree favors that your guests can plant in your honor. Seeded wedding favors are a beautiful and renewable option. Bamboo favors are symbolic of good luck, and are good for the earth.

3. If decorating with candles, be sure to select candles that are made from natural soy or 100% beeswax. Avoid using paraffin candles as they are made from petroleum (which can increase the CO2 level in the atmosphere).

4. When you are considering gifts for the wedding party and special guests, look for Fair Trade organizations that provide fair wages and create safer working conditions for people in developing countries. Jewelry is hand-made and usually with eco-friendly materials!

5. Pick a location that is close to home to save on carbon emissions. Try to have your ceremony and reception at the same location to avoid additional transportation requirements and to reduce carbon emissions.

6. Look for local, eco-conscious caterers who offer organic menus, and use locally-grown foods from local farmers. Ask them to deliver the leftovers to a charity.

7. Avoid flowers that are imported, as they are generally grown with toxic chemicals and pesticides. Insist on locally grown flowers that are in season, and/or organically grown flowers.

8. Consider beautiful vintage wedding dresses, or new wedding dresses made from organic materials such as recycled/organic cotton, hemp or silk.

9. Support green businesses by looking for vendors who are environmentally and socially responsible.

10. Extend your green theme to your honeymoon. Many luxury hotels and resorts are now practicing sustainable hospitality. There’s a helpful travel “green” guide at http://ecotourism.org.

Big thanks to Heather Teague from Dream Green Weddings; head on over to her site for more easy ways to make your wedding green!

[Photos: Courtesy of Heather at Dream Green Weddings]

Our Wedding: DIY Paper-Lined Envelopes

Good morning, readers! I’m excited to share Eco-Vintage Weddings‘ FIRST-ever DIY project tutorial with you!

Over the weekend, I finally had a chance to get started on preparing our Save the Date cards for their voyage into the mailboxes of our families and friends.

Ever since I saw this great Martha idea, I knew that I wanted to line the inside flaps of our envelopes. I plan to do this in some form for every piece of stationery we send out (from Save the Date cards to thank-you notes), so it was GREAT to get started!

I needed to make approximately 60 envelopes, and it took me roughly 3 hours to complete this craft.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

-A6 size envelopes (mine had a rectangle flap, not a diamond like European-style envelopes)
-Decorative paper (I used a 48-sheet collection of one-sided papers entitled “Paris Nights” by GCD Studios; purchased from Hobby Lobby)
-Glue stick
-Scratch piece of paper
-Scissors
-To make the pattern: Heavy cardstock or a lightweight piece of cardboard (I used the back of an old notebook)
-Bone folder (optional)

STEPS:

1. Cut your scratch piece of paper down to the approximate size of the envelope. Stick the paper inside the envelope, and adjust the size of the paper as necessary with your scissors. The paper should fit inside the envelope so that it stretches from the top of the flap (when the envelope is open) to past the opening of the envelope.

2. Place the paper atop your cardboard, and cut around the paper to make a cardboard pattern.

3. Place the cardboard pattern atop one sheet of decorative paper. Cut around the pattern with your scissors.

4. With the envelope flap open, stick the piece of decorative paper inside the envelope, making sure that the paper stretches from the top of the flap past the opening of the envelope (see picture below). Trim the edges of the paper as necessary; the pattern is meant to be a guideline and does not guarantee a perfect cut.

5. With the decorative paper lined up inside the envelope, lift up the top of the paper (where the seal of the envelope is), and use your glue stick to liberally add glue ONLY to the inside flap of the envelope. Do NOT glue the decorative paper; this will bend the paper and make it difficult to stick to the flap of the envelope.

6. Flip the envelope over like the picture above. Look for and trim any overlapping edges with your scissors.

7. Flip the envelope back over, and with your fingers at the bottom of the inside flap, bend the flap of the envelope, as if you are ready to seal it. Press firmly across the crease where the flap and the body of the envelope meet. You could also use a bone folder to help make a crisp crease.

8. You’re done! Here’s the finished product (above) and my collection of envelopes (below):

What DIY projects are YOU doing for your wedding?

Do you have a tutorial to share?

Send me photos and step-by-step instructions at sara.eiesland@gmail.com, and I may feature it
on Eco-Vintage Weddings!

Showcase Wednesday: Untamed Petals

Good Wednesday morning! Today I’d like to showcase yet another Etsy seller, Untamed Petals.

Untamed Petals‘ shop is full of vintage-inspired accessories, from headbands to hair fascinators to sashes and belts.

If, like me, your idea of bridal attire is not the traditional tulle gown with a long cathedral veil, you’ll fall in love with Untamed Petals‘ shop.

Here’s a few of my favorite pieces from her shop:

As featured on Green Wedding Shoes last week, this super cute, large floral headband made its debut in an anniversary shoot featuring Green Wedding Shoes’ Jen and her hubby (which, if you haven’t checked this feature out yet, you MUST; Part I here, Part II here).

If you do like the look of a traditional bridal tiara or headband, this piece is a play on tradition. I love the way this double-banded headband looks on this short-haired model; how beautiful!

If I decide to change the look of my wedding gown in any way, it would be to add this belt. I just LOVE the way it looks on the featured dress in the photo, and I think it would look just as lovely on my wedding gown.

Click here to access Untamed Petals’ shop on Etsy!

[Photo credits: All photos via Untamed Petals on Etsy; second photo taken by Caroline Tran]