Support independent artists this holiday season by pledging to buy handmade goods. Just head over to BuyHandmade.org and add your name to the growing list of rockin’ people who have made the pledge.
I did it and you can, too!
Today is Blog Action Day, an event designed to raise awareness about environmental causes that affect us all. Solidarity is a great thing, especially when used as a force of good and positive change.
A lot of buzz has been surrounding the eco-friendly weddings movement in 2007 - something I’m delighted to see and promote here at DIY Bride. Earlier this year I published a few “going green” articles and resources that I’m recycling in honor of today.
I’ve been tagged a few times with the “green” tag challenge is “to provide 3 ways in which you are trying to minimizing your impact on the environment.” I’m really, really bag at being tagged, guys. The pressure! So, here are my answers… if you want to “tag” yourself, please do! Link back and I’ll make sure you get a shout out.
1. The biggest thing for me is reducing the amount of gasoline I use. I plan my shopping/errand excursions ahead of time to be more efficient where I go while I’m out. I don’t do a lot of driving per week, but it still adds up pretty quickly. I’d love to get a newer, fuel efficient vehicle. That’s not in the financial plan at the mo’. <sigh> I have new car lust.
2. Reducing the amount of shopping bags I use and recycling the ones I get. I bring a small wicker basket with me to the grocery store now to put my veggies in (instead of using the thin, clear plastic ones) and I’m using canvas shopping bags for groceries. I love it.
3. Buying locally. I’m trying to support local businesses as much as I can to reducing the amount of shipping/importing that an item has to go through. (Saves in fuel consumption and helps boost local artisans and other business peeps.)
Being eco-friendly can be stylish and utterly delightful. Check out the latest installment of our Best Green Wedding Products roundup.
6. 
Mohop Shoes: Handmade from birch with recycled tire soles, Mohop shoes are the ultimate in eco-couture. Select from dozens of ribbon choices and several different options in 3 different heel heights to create your perfect wedding shoe.
7.
verē chocolates: I don’t usually think of eco-friendly when I think of chocolates but verē caught my attention with their commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture. verē sources their beans from Rainforest Alliance certified cooperatives in Ecuador. Their chocolates would be perfect for favors.
8. 
Green Karat: Mining for gold and gems is destructive to the environment and, in some cases, is done by near-slave work forces. Enter Green Karat jewelers who offer a beautiful selection of jewelry that’s made from recycled gold and other metals. I think this is not only genius way to enact change in the jewelry industry but a beautiful way to recycle.
9. 
Faernyn’s Grove Gowns: Made from 100% sustainable materials, these gowns and corsets are beautiful works of art. You’ll look absolutely stunning on your wedding day and do something good for the planet at the same time.
10. 
Edith Meyer Cakes: Wholesome, delicious, beautiful. The 3 things every wedding cake should be. Edith Meyer takes that one step further by offering cakes made with fresh, organic ingredients.
Looking for cool wedding stuff that’s eco-friendly? Here’s DIY Bride’s round-up of the best of the best on the market.
1. 
Cream City Ribbon - Biodegradable customized ribbon. Perfect for invitations, favors, bouquet wraps, and decor. With lots of wonderful color and pattern combinations, you’ll be able to find that perfect match for your goodies.
2. 
Organic Bouquet - For those of you going DIY for your florals, Organic Bouquet is one of the few online retailers of organic flowers. Their selection is very nice, prices are competitive, and the cause is awesome.
3. 
Simply Wood Rings - A wood wedding ring may seem a bit odd … until you see them. The offerings from master craftsmen at Simply Wood Rings are absolutely stunning. Out of all the eco-friendly offerings, this is really one of my personal favorites.
4. 
Green Field Paper Company - Why, oh, why aren’t more creative invitation designers and stationers promoting (and using) recycled paper products? Green Field’s line of custom invitations shows just how fabulous they can be. Earth-friendly. High Style.
5. 
Threadhead Creations - If your immediate reaction to a hemp gown is “hippy” rather than “hip”, check out Threadhead’s collection of eco-conscious hemp wedding gowns. Who knew sustainable could be so stylish?
In the spirit of this month’s feature on having a “green” wedding, here are some simple ways to reduce waste and increase your eco-friendliness.
1. Skip the unnecessary/non-meaningful stuff. Not only will it help your budget not purchasing/making things that you really don’t want or need is an excellent way to reduce the waste you (and your guests) output.
2. Go seasonal. Using seasonal decor, flowers, and food is a beautiful way to reduce your impact. By using in-season flowers and produce, you’ll support local growers who are not wasting fuel and resources to fly or ship goods to the US (or wherever you live).
3. Go local. Related to #2 above, use local resources whenever you can. Not only are you boosting your local economy, by not shipping in (or traveling to) supplies from out of area, you’re reducing fuel consumption.
4. Shop independent retailers. Not every indie retailer is green, of course. However, there are an abundance of retailers who specialize in eco-friendly products or who are committed to operating a green business. Some of the big box retailers are among the world’s worst polluters (either through their own waste or through the waste their 3rd world suppliers produce).
5. Use recycled paper for your stationery. It’s easy to find quality, recycled papers and cardstock and using it (recycled paper) impacts the Earth in a meaningful way. Did you know:
[quote]1 Ton of 100% Recycled Paper Saves:
6. Use other recycled materials. Have you ever wondered what other brides do with those 17 fishbowls they bought for their centerpieces? How about decorations? Couture wedding gowns? Books and magazines? You can get a lot the pre-loved wedding goods for free or on the cheap. Check out: Freecycle.org, craigslist.org, and eBay.com for freebies/deals. Or drop into the forums at DIY Bride and post your freebies or search for used items.
7. Something borrowed. Don’t spend cash in tools, gadgets, or other wedding stuff that you won’t use after the wedding. Instead, borrow! You’re not only saving money and reducing waste, you’re creating tradition and heirlooms. Recently married friends and family probably have things you can borrow like veils, tiaras, jewelry, ring pillows, cufflinks. Your crafty pals may have things like paper cutters, a good printer, rubber stamps, paper punches and other craft tools.
8. Give earth-friendly favors and gifts. If you’re set on giving favors, use recycled packaging and give things that support being green. Donations to conservation agencies are awesome. Planting a tree in your guests’ names is a beautiful gesture.
9. Reduce the amount of travel you and your guests must do. Hold your ceremony and reception at the same venue or in places that are close by. Keep your venue(s) near the hotels your out-of-town guests will be staying at. Provide transportation to and from the wedding for groups of guests (carpool!). Let guests know how to get to your wedding via public transportation.
10. Go paperless! Not only is the world wide interweb an excellent tool for finding great resources, it’s a convenient and eco-friendly way to communicate with your guests and vendors. Send save-the-dates via email, have your guests RSVP online instead of sending snail mail cards back to you, have your vendors send contracts and materials as PDF forms, and create virtual wedding newsletters for your wedding party.
Got more tips and ideas? Please share!
Not only are we celebrating the good fortune of 7/7/7 at the DIY Bride studios today, we’re grooving on the Live Earth 2007 Concerts. While LE isn’t necessarily wedding-related, it does tie in nicely with our Going Green theme for July.
Live Earth is a series of concerts, held around the world, to raise awareness about global warming. The Bravo network in the US will begin broadcasting the US concert at 9 am. One of the coolest things is that they’re streaming the concerts live online. I watched part of the Australian concert last night. Awesome!
Part of the awareness program of Live Earth is to get everyone to pledge to take action to fight the climate crisis. The pledge can be found here. (I pledged to change my light bulbs, shop for energy efficient electronics, shut off appliances not in use.)
As weddings can be excersizes in conspicuous consumption, now is the perfect time to take the opportunity to look at how you can make changes - even small ones - to make your celebration a green one.
How are you decreasing your climate/waste impact for your wedding? Let us know!
Do you live in the South SF Bay Area and need local crafty resources? I’ve been compiling a list of my fave local spots. If you have a South Bay resource to share, please use the contact form above to send it on over.
Papery Goodness: Rubber Stamping, Scrapbooking, Stationery
Maido Fine Stationery & Gifts
378 Santana Row
San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 213-1985
{no website listed}
A lovely site for Japanese paper crafts. Very good selection of imported Japanese papers and nifty stationery items. Prices are reasonable but beware that quality Japanese imports are spendy.
Paper Source
Santana Row (new!)
http://www.paper-source.com
Only the Best
15954 Los Gatos Blvd
Los Gatos, CA 95032
http://www.onlythebestlosgatos.com
My favorite local spot for rubber stamps. Gerri has an excellent selection of stamps and doodads for paper crafters. There’s also a very nice selection of wedding and other stationery.
Scrapbook Island
1375 Blossom Hill Rd
San Jose, CA 95118
(408) 978-8900
{no website listed}
My favorite scrapbook store. Outstanding selection of paper and cardstock. The counter help is always very friendly and helpful. Prices are reasonable and competitive with other local shops.
Stamp On Over
1014 W. El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 736-9151
http://www.stamponover.com/
I will visit this shop one day. Really, I will. SOO comes highly recommended to me by stamping pals.
Specialty Art Supplies
University Art
456 Meridian Ave
San Jose, CA 95126
(408) 297-4707
http://www.universityart.com
For those harder-to-find art supplies, University is the place to go. I only go here for things I can’t find at Michael’s or other big box stores. UA prices aren’t horrible, but they’re usually not the best on more common items. Their service desk aren’t the warmest people, but when you gotta have it *now* what can you do?
Bead Stores
Beads N Things
5166 Moorpark Ave # A
San Jose, 95129
(408) 253-6434
http://beadsnthings.com
Sew Beadazzled
1068 Lincoln Avenue
San Jose, CA 95125
(408) 293-2232
http://www.sewbeadazzled.com
Craft Space:
A Work of Heart
2196 Lincoln Avenue
San Jose, CA
http://www.aworkofheart.com
I teach all sorts of classes at AWOH throughout the year. It’s a fabulous craft space to have gatherings, play with hot nifty tools & gadgets, and treat yourself to some craft time.
Are you considering ditching the DJ and using an iPod as your sole source of music entertainment at your reception? You’re not alone!
iPod weddings are being more and more popular amongst the tech set, but is it for you? Here’s a list of pros and cons to help you determine if using your trusty pod pal is your best bet.
Pros and Cons of iPod Receptions:
PROS
* You have 100% creative control over the play list. No cheesy DJs, no chicken dance, no YMCA.
* You have control over the “script” of the reception. You decide when the music breaks, what’s said, and who says it.
* Using an iPod may be cheaper than hiring a DJ. If you already own an iPod, you’re already on your way to saving some cash.
* You can use the iPod for more than music. You can show slideshows and movies, too, and even store photos, files, and contact lists.
* You get to keep the iPod after the wedding.
CONS
* You’ll need at least an iPod Nano to hold all the songs you’ll need for a 5 hour reception.
* You’ll need a trusted, sober, articulate, reliable friend (or two) to act as emcee.
* You’ll need someone to watch over the iPod to pause the music, adjust the volume, or work out any kinks that happen along the way.
* An iPod playlist isn’t always flexible. Your guests won’t be able to request fave dance songs. (This could be a positive, actually!)
* If you don’t already have a vast music collection, you’ll need to buy more songs. That can be expensive! Remember: you may love SLAYER more than anything in the universe, but Grandma and many of your guests may not wish to start a pit when Reign in Blood starts.
* You’ll probably have to rent a PA system/sound equipment and learn how to use it before the reception.
When my husband and I got married waaay back in October 2000, we didn’t have live music or a DJ. Instead we opted to burn our own CDs (this was pre-iPod) and, with the help of a trusted friend, played them throughout the reception. It was awesome and we’d do it again in a heartbeat.
With the advent of the ubiquitous iPod and the availability of online music downloads, being your own DJ is easier and more accessible than ever. We’re seeing more and more of our friends and acquaintances replacing DJs with iPods and, for the most part, we’re loving it.
However, being your own DJ isn’t for everyone. DIY Bride has compiled a list of questions and points to ponder to help you decide if going the DIY music route is for you.
Finding quality font sites can be a bit of a challenge. A google search yields only a mere 63,000,000 results for free fonts and 1.8 million commercial font sites. How do you know where to go? This quick guide gives a quick rundown of the online font world.
Available at your favorite craft stores and booksellers.
