Pretty is as pretty does...and not only are these items pretty, they are all fair trade, eco, and ethical...
Sources from the top:
Invitation...Paperwink
Bridesmaid/or Rehearsal dinner dress...De Sentino
Bridesmaid/or Bride's shoes...Form + Fauna
Plates...Terra Keramik
Pencil favors...Remarkable
Candle stick....Terra Keramik
Wedding band...Toby Pomeroy
Handmade paper peonies...Martha Stewart
i wanted to give you guys some more options if you are interested in registering for refashioned dishware...all of these items are available on Etsy for under $40.
i believe in the democratization of style, and i think etsy is at the forefront of this quiet revolution. viva la revolucion!
Wedding registry can be painful....why? Because you have to decide together what you should put on the list. T-o-g-e-t-h-e-r. Yes of course the most eco thing to do is to not have a registry. Or even better, have a charitable registry---Justgive.org couples have raised 1million for their favorite charities since launching in 2003. Which is great, but just a fraction of the 27 billion dollars that's spent every year on wedding gifts. We can do better. First and foremost, support good businesses...buying handcrafted is an excellent way to start...take a look at these lovely pillows from Flutter.
You can designate a portion of your registry to a charitable cause...I recommend going directly to the source and skipping the middle-man...that way you can support the stores and the causes that you believe in.
Here are some ideas to consider:
1) Create a registry on Wishpot.com; you can put specific items with a link on your Wishpot page...so you can ask for things like adoption of a Blue Whale, or a Giraffe, or a Panda with the World Wildlife Organization...
2) Help someone change their lives and ask for Kiva Gift Certificates on your registry...read more about Kiva here.
![[Kiva+banner+logo.jpg]](http://bp2.blogger.com/_6FRiJobbt0I/SD2dBJ4v0GI/AAAAAAAAAA8/0WA_NBPS8os/s1600/Kiva%2Bbanner%2Blogo.jpg)
3) Create a customizable wedding registry on Changing the Present where you can include which charities you wish to support, and provide your guests with a personal message from you.
Do good...be good...feel good....
Innovative French design team, ibride, use a century old technique to create their gorgeous and intricate trays with recycled wood. They are quite lovely, and fairly affordable.
(prices of these trays range from $65 to $175. register at velocity art and design.
But what I really want is a joe the polar bear, a bookshelf made out of melamine. ibride only produced a limited quantity, and the cost is way beyond my budget. but the idea of merging commerce and community is pretty cool...
go here to read more about joe the polar bear.
to read more about real polar bears and why we should be concerned about their well-being, click here, and click here.
think out of the box for your wedding registry...think about what you actually like and what you will really use, rather than things you might just end up keeping in the closet. rehabilitated dishware by sarah cihat. find her stuff here:
clio
i heart
Martha Stewart realized that everyone wants good style, no matter how big their bank account may be. Now, style is coming to the non-profit world too...people are producing beautiful wares, that are also good for the world and its people...witness Bodanna...
Beautiful, useful, and so positive...buy something for yourself, even...no reason to feel guilty. Because with every purchase from Bodanna, money goes to support inner city kids...making their hopes, dreams, or just their basic day-to-day living possible.
Or maybe you just want to create the wedding registry of your dreams...go for it, and as a bonus you can feel good about the fact that you are also helping someone else fulfill their dreams...
I found one of my favorite sources, Look in the Attic, from Nick Olson (the Deal Hunter) over at Domino Magazine. You can find practically anything in the way of transferware, jadite, and depression era glass...all of which are totally my style.
From top left: pink jadite tiered cake stands (set of three, $110.99); green jadite cake stand ($74.99); porcelain transferware serving tray ($34.99); white jadite tiered cake stands (set of three, $110.99); depression era glass cut bowl ($64.99); depression era glass cake stand ($49.99); depression era era glass bunny rabbit serving dish ($24.99).
Whether you use these pieces for your wedding, or just register for them, you will find so many uses for them, from entertaining, to decor, to everyday use. I can not tell you how many times I used cake stands for events when I worked for Martha Stewart. Growing up, my grandmother had all of these pieces as well. I guess that's where my love affair for milk glass, hobnail, and depression era pieces comes from.
Read more here...
I love this Nigel guy, I've been checking out his stuff for a long time now. Let's face it, the Brits have it all over us with the eco-awareness factor. The majority of resources I found for my book were UK-based, as a matter of fact...And, he has some kickin' stuff to register for. You can register for everything from Nigel and others here.
Here are some great energy saving tips from Nigel:
Here's my top 10 energy and power saving tips helping you to save money, reduce your carbon footprint and to live a more eco friendly life.
Make sure you are not standing by
Did
you know that an average family can save 150kg of CO2 a year just by
turning things off? Appliances in standby mode account for around 10%
of UK household energy use - so unplug devices when not in use, or
invest in a standby saver - it'll save you around £40 per year.
Energy efficient lighting
In most homes, lighting accounts for 10 to 15% of the electricity bill. Use a smart meter to compare the power consumption of normal light bulbs with that of low energy and energy saving light bulbs - you'll be amazed at the difference, and at how much you can save (about 80% of the energy of normal bulbs, actually).
More eco-posts you might like:
Lovely Recycled Glassware
Design Public and more Eco-Design
Flavorful Gifts from World of Good
Charming Sam, by artist Amy Steinberg, has a plethora of inspiring ideas, items, and ephemera to whet your creative whistle...
Check out these related posts...
Ethical Jewellry
Eco-Chic Bling
Fifi Bijoux
Create a registry of items that you will treasure. How about some beautiful artwork by Johanna Wright? Find more handmade, recrafted, wonderful things at Crafty Wonderland. Create a free registry on wishpot.com.
