our commitment to mother earth

** we realized very recently that we hadn't actually broadcast our GREEN, eco-friendly policy anywhere on our website. i didn't really think it mattered as i've always believed that actions spoke louder than words. but while that isn't entirely a necessity, these days people DO care, and they ARE looking for ways to make a difference (hallelujah!). so what started as an effort to create a basic page outlining our commitment to mother earth... turned into this. **

i've been eco-conscious for as long as i can remember... even before it was the hip thing to do. growing up i remember making sure i didn't wave my tree-hugger flag too high to avoid potential ridicule from the other kids at school. i just quietly exercised my activism at home. as kids, my sisters & i would sit in the pouring rain collecting water from the house's downspouts in the name of water conservation (there are pictures somewhere.. and if i ever find one, i'll definitely share :)). we recycled fastidiously, and even got a little extra pocket change out of it. we tried composting back then too, after seeing it on an episode of reading rainbow, but never quite got it right.

these days my husband calls me the recycling nazi, as i meticulously comb through anything that gets remotely close to our garbage. on certain occasions, i've even been known to climb into our community dumpster to fish out cardboard and other recyclables in order to toss them in their proper recycling bin. we've changed all our light bulbs to the energy-saving compact florescent, and have purchased energy-star appliances. a few years ago we started composting with worms to cut down on our organic waste. and whenever we find our next home, i'm hoping for solar panels or at least a white roof... and i've already decided i'm planting a victory garden (inspired by the ever-amazing todd and diane of white on rice) in place of a traditional yard, taking the concept of "eating local" completely to heart.



so it was only logical that i apply that energy and attitude in greening the world, into this business.

last month i had the complete honor of becoming an eco-beautiful weddings certified vendor, and have loved every minute of it. i learn a little something new every day, from others that are also looking to make the industry earth friendly!



we are also very excited to partner with GreenShipping.com (and THEIR partnership with the Bonneville Environment Foundation (BEF) to purchase US-based wind power as carbon offsets) in order to offset the affects of any shipping activity - orders leaving our studio, as well as any shipments coming in, ..rendering at least that part of the business, carbon neutral.

there are a number of other measures we have taken as well, in our fight to save the planet. and i know there is a lot more we could be doing too. slowly but surely, we'll add those to our list as well. but every day, we're making and reaffirming that commitment to mother earth... and we encourage you to do the same.

(beautiful organic & locally grown wedding bouquet, photo credit to mint & sage photographic artists, originally captured by the lovely dog n' bird, and seen in ashley's bride guide)

a vintage wedding...

...in a garden, with both french and asian touches... and wedding color scheme: blush pink, antique gold, with a hint of green.

that was a request i received recently from a bride to be. along with this sample invitation from another designer pulled from somewhere on the great world wide web:



i really REALLY wish i could give proper credit to whatever artistic genius put this together... the melding of the double happiness symbols discreetly into the damask background is just plain awesome. all of the other little flairs and flourishes also definitely hit the spot. (if anyone recognizes this, please leave a comment and share!)

so.. with the aforementioned assignment.. colors, cultures, textures, ideas and everything, we dove in for a test-run.  here's the initial prototype... figured i'd share it with all of you!  i'll let you know what happens when i hear back from the beautiful betrothed!



**UPDATE: she's been found! thanks to our friends over at California Wedding Wave, the original designer and all over amazingness can be found here and here. my life is now complete. **

paper & ink: greener options, part 1

** i was honored very recently with an invitation to be a guest blogger for the ever-amazing bridal blog BridePOP - a hip, ahead-of-the-curve resource for all things wedding.. for brides (and outside of folks like me) written by brides.  my first post went live this morning, and i have to admit, it felt pretty neat seeing it up. :) here it is in its entirety though, for all of you that may have missed it! enjoy, and hope you learned something new! **

These days, as the “trend” of going green moves farther and farther from being the ultra-hip cause of the month, to an absolute necessity, it’s no wonder that more couples are searching for ways to make their wedding day as eco-friendly as possible. One of the easiest parts to tackle is your invitations, along with the rest of your printed items — from save-the-dates and ceremony programs, to menus and thank you cards.

Yet with all of the options out there, how do you know what is what? And how do you know it’s legitimately making a difference? Especially from a DIY standpoint, how do you choose the most responsible option when you’re standing in front of a vast shelf of paper and envelopes in 1000 shades, patterns and colors? Well, here’s part one of our quick guide to decode all those mystifying acronyms and options, when it comes to greener paper and ink. Two of the most common options out there…

FSC Certified
Probably the most recognizable and fastest growing green certification in the paper and timber industries is doled out by the Forest Stewardship Council (hence, FSC) – an independent nonprofit started in 1993, focusing on sustainable and socially responsible forest management. What does that mean, and how does that make the world a better place? Here’s a quick, summary from treehugger.com (via Heart of Green)

• Never harvests more than what grows back


• Protects biodiversity and endangered species


• Saves rare ancient trees


• Guards local streams


• Supports the local people


• Uses narrow skidding trails so as not to disrupt the rest of the forest


• Prohibits replacement by tree plantations


• Bans toxic chemicals


• Bans genetically modified trees (no GMO)

Rather than allowing companies to clear-cut old growth forests, or using harmful chemicals, they ensure that harvesting is done in a responsible manner, taking the overall impact to the environment into consideration. And while there are other forest certification organizations out there (Sustainable Forestry Initiative, the international non-profit PEFC, etc.), for the most part the FSC stands head and shoulders above the rest. SO, seeing that lovely logo is definitely a step in the right direction!

Recycled

This one is hard to misinterpret, as I’m sure most everyone is familiar with the process of reducing and reusing their waste by RECYCLING. Paper is no different than your soda cans and plastic bottles – once it’s sent through the recycling stream (washed, deinked and ground into pulp where it is then bleached.. preferably chlorine free, and formed into new sheets or rolls), it is repurposed for another use. BUT, there is another little acronym to be aware of: PCW, or Post Consumer Waste – paper that has already lived a useful life in the hands of consumers and is now rising from the ashes to live again. In order to qualify as a “recycled” product, the minimum post-consumer waste content is 30%. 30% isn’t BAD per se, but it’s definitely not the BEST you can do. It’s also important to note that a product can be 100% recycled without 100% PCW, as PRE-consumer waste (paper never printed on that was immediately recycled) or just RECYCLED content (having never reached the consumer) also count towards the total. All in all though, go green by choosing that recycled stock for your DIY stationery or when you’re working with your invitation designer.. then go the extra mile and raise some eyebrows by asking about the PCW content!

Next up… part 2: tree-free paper!  Cotton, banana fiber… elephant poo? Stay tuned!

just another saturday night...

with my dear husband, a giant pile of laundry, bob costas, apolo ohno (and the rest of awesome team USA at the olympics), and an urgent looming deadline. just another saturday night in my little corner of the world, and i wouldn't have it any other way.

congratulations apolo, on becoming the most decorated winter olympian in us history. you deserve it and thanks for sharing it with all of us tonight!

love & marriage... on a vespa

...especially if it's a 2-seater!

these invitations were inspired by a fun, multinational, world-traveling, moto-loving, bride and groom from alameda, ca (by way of poland, in kasia's case!), for their intimate wedding in the quaint coastal italian city of sorrento.

working closely with dave and kasia, we created this elegant design, with subtle, yet truly remarkable finishing touches throughout... starting with the blind embossed vespa and initials on the invitation cover, to the green satin ribbon accent, the muted photo of the sorrento coastline, english/polish translations, all the way through to the hand drawn sketches of lemons tied to the vespa's bumper.

each and every one, a personal touch, to capture the true feel of kasia and dave's incredible wedding day to come.

eco-BEAUTIFUL!

just in time for the holidays... and well.. honestly, any upcoming life event that warrants sending beautiful correspondence, we are very excited to offer a full array of eco-friendly, hand-dyed silk and satin ribbon!

continuing our mission to make the world a greener, better place, we decided that while the standard   options are nice.. why not continue to provide unique, earth friendly options for our eco-conscious, like-minded clients? we have over 100 exquisitely organic color combinations to offer, in a variety of widths.  and if i could, i would use them in every project we're working on... they're just so vibrant and beautiful!! come on people, how could you disagree with that?

have a look at the full line!