Green Christmas- My 2016 Christmas List

Ok, here is another Christmas list! I think we can get blocked and need inspiration for gift ideas. I also think it is easy to feel like everything is Made in China out of cheap plastic, but you can find eco-friendly options for most things on your list. This is my list.

from oh little rabbit

Holiday Tea Towels or Pillow Covers- I used to buy holiday-themed decorations at places like Target, and though I do support their respect for the LGBTQ community, I wish they sold more eco-friendly options for shoppers. Now some of our tea towels are looking rough, and I would like to get some holiday decor that is a little more subtle to replace them. I love the tea towels (and everything else, frankly) from oh little rabbit. I also think pillow covers are a cool way to decorate, because they don't take up much room but can change the effect of the room.

Arbor Day Thank You Cards- My dream now is that I would never write another thank you card that didn't also fund planting a tree. The Arbor Day Foundation sells Give-a-Tree cards that I want as my stationary.  Wouldn't that be awesome? Think of how much gratitude and good air one person could produce in a lifetime! On the other hand, it's an expensive goal. So I would love the help. Blank thank you cards would make a truly fun gift.

Casual Dresses that will Last- I love a dress, but chasing toddlers doesn't lend itself to much fanciness in life. What I would really like are more t-shirt, tunic, or simple casual dresses, but I am trying to avoid just buying the thing at Target that will only last a short time. Simka Sol has some pretty tunics. I also love thief and bandit, though that is getting really expensive (but would hopefully get a lot of use. Used is also good!

from Lovely from Lindsey

Stocking Holders- We have stockings that we love, but right now they just end up on command hooks somewhere. I would like to be able to show off the beautiful gifts we were given, so stocking holders are the only decoration I am really thinking of. I think my favorite are these simple, modern blocks with letters from Lovely from Lindsey. Our stockings have a lot going on, so I prefer the simple ones. Ezze Blocks makes really simple ones with a photo clip that you could maybe change up every year? I think there is potential for this idea.

from Homme Sur La Lune

This Bag- Who doesn't want some Leslie Knopeness like this? Most people? Oh alright, but I think it is the coolest. I have lusted after this all year.

Donations- Ugh, this year, there is no object I want nearly as much as I would like our environment to not be completely destroyed by a president elect who prioritizes other concerns way over the Earth. I think a donation to the NRDC, the Sierra Club, or a local, grassroots environmental effort like the Stop DAPL protectors would make a kickass gift.  I know this sounds lame or over the top, but I really can't think of anything I want more than to push the momentum in a positive direction, because we have a scary four years ahead of us.

from Amazon

Cookie Sheets- Our sheet pan with a rim was a hand me down from my mom, and it is looking really really rough. I would like a cookie sheet from USA Pan with a rim to replace it once it bites the dust completely.


Want even more eco-friendly and local shopping inspiration? Check out my Giant List of Ethical and Eco-Friendly Shopping Lists. 

Read more

Wedding Wednesday- How to Save on Wedding Decorations

Oy, wedding costs! You go into it with a vision, and then slowly, that vision can be chipped away just by the shrinking amount still left in the budget. Before you are really planning, you spend a lot of time plotting decorations and cool details, but those are often the things that get cut for the sake of the event as a whole. Some of that is inevitable, but I do think there are cool ways to approach decorations that can save you BIG money.

Even better, if you shift your approach to the stuff you buy for the wedding, you can save things from landfills and create less waste. So many of these decor pieces are used one night only, but if they are shared between many couples, they can have much longer and happier lives.

1. Let the Space do the Work- You picked your venues for a reason. Start with that premise and just let the beauty of your wedding and reception spaces shine through. If it's already a good-looking spot, you may not need much. Don't pick a theme that doesn't fit the room, and you have already saved yourself tons of money.

2. Focus on Lighting (and someone can always lend you lights)- If I had to decorate a whole reception with one item, it would be white twinkly lights. Lighting sets the mood, makes everything look intentional (even when it isn't), and adds that magical thing. Even better, you can almost always find lighting as a rental or used. Twice this summer, I have seen brides gifted tons of Christmas lights for their weddings on Buy Nothing. If you do get lights lent to you, be sure to mark who each strand belongs to. Otherwise, you can get this high impact item for very cheap or even free.

3. DIY it- I love browsing the decoration ideas on Etsy, but I am often struck how many of the things on there can just be made- you don't need to buy them! Sparkly branches? Glue, glitter, and a walk in the woods. Tissue paper flowers? Buy some bulk tissue paper and wire. Peg doll cake topper? Paint that business yourself. We made our escort cards from paint swatches- it doesn't have to be expensive to be memorable and fun.

 When you buy decor, you are paying for time and skill. Work ahead so you have the time, and you can self-assess which skills are within your wheelhouse. You can a little bit of money go a lot further this way! Only trick is to plan ahead!

4. Focal Points over Details- I have seen so many weddings where there were fussy centerpiece things at the table but nowhere to look in the room. Make a few spots really worth looking at and don't bother trying to make every corner beautiful. People will only remember a handful of things anyway.

5. Multi-task- Use your favors or cake or guests as decor. You have millions of choices dependent on your favor, but it's a nice way to have something do double duty. I went to a wedding last year where the cakes were the centerpieces, which saves tons of money on flowers, and you get more time with cake, so who can complain? Stepping out of the box even a little might help you figure out how to make what you are already paying for a key part of the room.

6. Everything Doesn't Have to Match Perfectly- Matchy matchy can be great if you are meticulous, but a little variation never hurt anyone. One of my best friends is very detail-oriented and got all the colors to match perfectly at her wedding. And it looked amazing, but it doesn't have to go that way. If you can find 40 free plates that look one way and 50 that look another, and they both fit, just use them both. It's more important to have a set sense of style than an overly particular matching set mentality. That sense of style and vision for the big picture is what will have the impact in the end.

7. And Please Don't Monogram your Napkins- Why. Why. Why. Why is this even still a thing? If you are doing the little cocktail napkins, by all means, get them in a color that resonates with your scheme (even better, get them recycled from a company like Susty). But why is this insta-garbage a good time to remind people whose wedding they are attending? No one has forgotten, and honestly, it is never all that classy. Put your money into other details, and then whatever you don't use can be for another couple or your dinner parties. Put the date on your favors, and skip the rest.

8. Get It Used- This is the most cost-effective AND eco-friendly thing you can do for your wedding decorations. So many wedding decorations become one time use things, and I hate to think of all the perfectly useful objects that get thrown out. But the bright side is you can find so much out there if you just know where to look and don't mind some browsing.

You can find great used decorations:

Newlyweds- We all know these big life events happen in waves. If you have friends getting married before you, check and see what you can get off their hands once they are hitched. We definitely gave decorations away to the Boy's beloved cousin, and our lights to the high school for dances. Your friends will have stuff they are happy to part with. Doesn't perfectly match? Get creative about what you can stretch to fit or change the color of and then offer the rest to others. After your hitched you can pay the favor forward!

On Buy Nothing- Have you joined your local Buy Nothing Project yet? I have seen it all on there- people offering their table runners to other asking for (and receiving) tons of glass vases for their center pieces. Check with your Buy Nothing and you could save 100's of dollars.

Goodwill and other Consignment Stores- Sometimes, this kind of shopping is a bust, but if you know what you need, you might find a steal. Also, lots of cities have craft consignment stores that might sell the ribbon or fabric you need as well.

Online Resale sites- Thank goodness for the internet, because you can now find everything you would ever want to decorate with used. Cheaper, convenient, and keeping things out of landfills? Amazing.

Ruffled is an absolute treasure, and you can find so many gorgeous things on their "Recycle your Wedding" pages. They have at least a thousand items, so it's a lot to go through, but you are sure to find something.  Make sure to check the price against the brand new cost, and don't be afraid to ask them to lower it a little (I mean, what else are they going to do with 100 extra mason jars?) Browse often, because things are going up all the time! You can find a steal on beautiful decorations.I may actually buy some things from them for a non-matrimonial party.

Tradesy- Tradesy started as wedding only, but they have had enough success to branch out. They have all kinds of wedding stuff, from bridesmaid dresses to wedding papers, but their decorations section is especially amazing and well-organized. They have 5,500+ items up right now! Easier to browse than most of the other sites as well. Be sure to join their mailing list so you get even more money off.

Wedding Recycle- This website also has lots of selection (about 3000 items) and they are connected to the Can't Buy me Love Project, where you donate wedding dresses that can be given away to brides who otherwise couldn't afford them. Pretty cool.

So you may be overwhelmed with the amount of money you have already spent nailing down the DJ and planning with the caterer. I don't blame you- weddings are expensive! But decorations is an area that with a little creativity, you can make huge impact with a little bit of money.

Read more

Five Favorite Etsy Stores- Advent Calendar

I want to keep highlighting amazing makers in the US, and I feel like my Etsy links can get caught in the more mainstream shuffle. So starting a series to focus on the greatest stuff we have found. 

Nomad Fine Art

Advent gets downplayed in the hustle and bustle of the season, but I know it has a pretty big role in our house. An advent calendar seems to be spiritual enough that it doesn't have a huge market (thank goodness) but you can get an amazing and meaningful advent calendar on Etsy. Of all the things I have researched this season, these might be my favorite. 

Baby What Knots (Indiana)- I LOVE this one so much. You can buy a little tree and 25 little ornaments to go with it. Really pretty and would look great in a kid space or even a minimal space without room for the tree.

Nomad Fine Art (California) sells a bunch of advent calendars that are modern, thoughtful, beautiful, and shockingly cheap. I especially love the clip and copper pipe ones, because I think you could incorporate it into a reverse Advent calendar, where each day leading up to Christmas you donate belongings as a family. These look so cool, and you could use them in so many ways to best fit your family's traditions.

Knoll Wood Lane (Missouri)- These simple unfinished wood boxes could look a million different types of beautiful depending on how you decorate it. I think this could be really cool, or even make a great gift for a couple's first Christmas. Even though this is simple, it is my favorite. If you are more of a felt DIYer, check out the Sugar House Shop.

N and B Specialties (South Carolina) makes art for your home out of reclaimed wood (one of my favorite things). They have a simple and rustic Advent tree that would look good with lots of decor but I think it looks even cooler like this outside! I love how sweet and simple this one is.

French Melody sells cool printables, but this flock of advent sheep is my favorite by far! If you are going to do it, put it on recycled paper, so you are supporting a nearby small business AND saving a tree from coming down! Double win! Also, this looks like a fun project to do with a teen or older child (or awesome adult).

Want even more eco-friendly and local shopping inspiration? Check out my Giant List of Ethical and Eco-Friendly Shopping Lists. 

Read more

Throwback Thursday- Greening Halloween: Made in America and Recycled Halloween Decorations

I love holiday decorations. If I waste money on something, it is probably some sort of sparkly holiday-themed creature or lights. I love holiday lights. If I won the lottery, our house would be lit up for each day in a different theme. Our dining room frightened my mother on Skype today, because a small army of cats guard our table. I am not working in hyperbole here- themes just make life better.

So, now that I try to slow down our consumption as a family and buy ethical, green, and made in America stuff, I feel genuine sadness that I cannot go to Michael's and splurge on this junk. I love this junk. I don't want our house to look scary, I want it to feel fun and festive. And unabashedly cheesy.

But if my sparkly cats were made of cheap, wasteful plastic by someone who was treated badly, and then it had to travel thousands of miles using a bunch of fuel and resources, can they still be pure joy?  Because right now, they fucking bum me out. I am not sure the cats can just be fun anymore (I mean, I still love mine, but the army won't expand any time soon), but I feel like my holiday closet can continue to grow until it has to be a holiday room. You can make lots of things, so we will be trying some of our own in the next few weeks. I also love Etsy, because some stuff is adorable and some is wonderfully bizarre.

So, in case you are like me, and can't let go of kitsch while you let go of all this crappiness that comes with it, I have started looking for Halloween decorations I can still buy. Here are a few gems!

Dorky Art- You can find basically any art on Etsy. If you want Victorian silhouettes of skeletons, they have that (from Murfreesboro, Tennessee no less!) You can also get something much more subtle like this print. They have candy corn family blocks (less kidnappy than the car stickers). Hanging candy corn (this reminds me I haven't had any yet- horrible oversight) I love this wood skull garland as well. Or you can get this bat banner from Erie, PA!

from Trendy Wall Designs

Stickers and Clings- You can either buy window stickers like you are rocking an elementary school classroom or you can get all kinds of cool silhouette wall stickers on Etsy. We had bats on our previous walls, and they were pretty high impact for like 17 dollars (not sure if you can find reusablew ones though- how do you feel about year-round wall spiders?). This witch would look amazing near your stairs.

from abbeynekola

Pillow Covers- This is a relatively cheap, high impact choice that can suit lots of styles from bravely tacky to pinterest ready (white walls, wood, and slightly industrial? haven't seen that before)! You can have this chic baby one, or this awesome Mr and Mrs Frankenstein ones (that I may have bought by the time you read this). I love this simple "trick or treat" one and this spiderweb pillow.

from shopgeezlouise

Candles- I bought a beeswax skull made here in Seattle as my own Halloween decoration this year (because when you have a baby, it's time to add more fire). It is really freaking cool and made in Seattle. So be cool like me and buy some Halloween candles- here's some skulls from Indiana, a Damien Hirst number, creepy melting hand, or a random owl in a pumpkin.

from whimsy workshop

Pumpkins- Anything with a pumpkin motif can come out in September and last until Christmas decorations go up, so you get more bang for your buck.  Rustic wood ones seem to work well for all purposes, and these ones from GFT Woodworks is made of reclaimed wood! Recycle Reuse! I love this mosaic pumpkin- so pretty and it could read just a teensy bit spooky (in a good way). Fishsticks sells little ceramic jack o lanterns. You can get burlap pumpkins as well. If you want pumpkin decor, you have about a million options; search "pumpkin" on home and garden on etsy, and you get 50,000 finds. You can find exactly what you want Made in America!

from Lovebug Handmade

Wreaths- You can make a pretty classy statement with a wreath. My cousin just made fall wreaths that look absolutely amazing- we can do it too! If making wreaths isn't your jam, you can buy a pretty jack o lantern one or a simple berry wreath. I actually love this simple Boo one, or you could get the fancier one.

from Fuzziggles

Something that Doubles as a Toy- Oy, children. They really must touch everything. Rather than fight the battle all the time, you are better off to find things that also work perfectly well as toys to decorate with (and things that hang way way up). I LOVE these fuzzies by Fuzzigles. So genius and so adorable, while still being on theme as well. A candy corn worm? How have we celebrated Halloween without it? I am also obsessed with these little felt mummies, but the skeletons might be the most impressive thing I've seen all day.

Candy Holder- You don't want to be that sad person who hands out their candy from a bag (oh, you do? That probably works then). If you do want to put it in something, this is pretty cute and made in the USA! If you don't want a candy holder, you can get some on point booze holders like these ones from Mary Elizabeth Arts.

As a side note, I also really like these Halloween temporary tattoos as a candy alternative, for people who hate children. I will never be granola enough to not love candy. It's delicious, people have to deal with it. But the temporary tattoos are cute.

from Be There in Five

I also love these doormats from Be There in Five- they even give microloans to low income women starting new businesses (and their less seasonal mats are also awesome), so this seems like a great place to spend your decoration budget!

So there you have it- TONS of decoration options for the season that are made in America. I just have to stop shopping at Michael's and spend even more time on Etsy. It's a big sacrifice, but I think I can handle it.

Read more

Our Steampunk Travel Nursery Inspiration

This weekend our car is in the shop, so we finally had lots of time to put things together and start making the room our futon and printer is in into a nursery. The Boy and I love a project, and I am lucky to have a partner that responds to my crazy ideas with "Ok, how are we going to do this?" We have been buying little things and taking small steps toward getting it done, but now it is time to step up our game and make this thing happen.

I decided early on that I wanted the nursery to have a travel-y theme, because I feel like having adventures is a good (and completely genderless) foot to start on. When I started showing the Boy the things I was thinking about, he really loved the idea of making it steampunk travel, with lots of flying machines and mechanical doo dads. He got so freaking excited about it, and whenever he jumps on an idea like that, I basically go with it, because he mostly just vetoes until we find what we like.

So we had our theme- Steampunker Adventure- and our colors- teal, gold, black, white, and metallic business- way back in May or June, before we knew the gender. We scared people with the theme (if you just google steampunk, you don't find much that is baby-appropriate), but I think they are mostly on board now. As we get closer and closer to meeting our spawn, we have collected a bunch of inspiration and ideas, all of which are on my pinterest.  Here are the ones we love the most:

There are a couple of really cool rooms on pinterest with a travel or a steampunk twist to them: 

from thedecorologist.com

This is a very subdued and chic version of the adventure idea, which is not our style (I will never pull off chic), but I still love some of the ideas.

 

 

from laybabylay.com

Gah, I love everything about this one:

from thehandmadehome.net

from babyology.com.au

This is my favorite room we have found, so it is the closest thing to what we are trying to replicate in our room (though I think ours is pretty different). This one is whiter and lighter than what we are doing, but it inspired me to use white and metallic frames together. I also love that it is for twin girls:

from melodymelikianphotography.blogspot.com

from melodymelikianphotography.blogspot.com

 I also love this shelving, which we haven't figured out yet:

from theminimalistmom.com

 This one is the closest to our colors:

from designdazzle.com

The theme comes with tons of cool art options, but sadly we don't have too much wall, so most of this is just inspiration:

from society6.com

from minted.com

from etsy.com

from relaxdeco.com

I also love this clock, but it is so expensive, and again, no walls here:

from amazon.com

 You can find tons of really cool steampunk stuff on Etsy, though it is a little more challenging to find things that are baby friendly. Plus, you never want to go too crazy, because the baby doesn't care, and the theme will change in a few years (so we have tried to mostly pick things that can transition into other parts of the house or other uses when he wants Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or something). But here are some of my favorites:

from etsy.com

from etsy.com

I love that this one is an iron on. Right now, our plan is really plain bedding, so I am thinking one iron on like this might make it pretty special. 

from etsy.com

 We did buy some hot air balloons to hang from the skylight too, but they are in boxes. Sadly, I never found it in this color. I also found black and white ones, which I loved, but they apparently only sell them in Australia. No one needs to spend 50+ bucks just on shipping for a nursery.

from casasugar.com

 The Boy is working on a flying machine mobile, and we couldn't find any too many examples out there, but this is the closest we got to what we are thinking:

from texassteampunks.ning.com

I am still obsessed with this rocking puppy, because I feel like it matches the room and reminds me of Bumbo. I may still go for it for a "Christmas gift" or something.

from rhbabyandchild.com

 What is Done so Far

So, we are 9 weeks out from baby, and we still have a lot to do to pull off all these cool ideas.

My mom came to visit at the beginning of August, and she helped me paint the room "Icy Teal." Then I mixed Icy teal with a couple of the more saturated testers (1 in the background) and painted the inside of the skylight. We are going to hand hot air balloons, our biggest splurge, from the skylight. 

 The Boy's big project has been turning this old steamer trunk into an eventual toy chest.We have to change the hinges so as to not cut off his fingers. Until he is is old enough to get in it, we will use it as a table and storage. The Boy has really transformed it, but I will show it off once he finishes.

 Yesterday, we stepped up our game and really got to work. The Boy painted my dresser a copper metallic color. We bought cool handles on ebay to fit the Steampunk theme, but they aren't here yet, so for now we just put the old ones back in. My plan is to put the changing pad on top of the dresser, so we can give it multiple uses.

 We also put together the crib, which has been sitting in a box in our living room for over a month. I thought putting this thing together was supposed to be a rite of passage, but in comparison to some of the things we put together this year it was easy peasy. None of the furniture is particularly where it is going yet, because I have no idea exactly what that will be anyway. We are also trying to figure out what to do about our router, which also lives in the baby room but probably needs to be out of tiny person reach (eventually).

The rest of the room (including the closet, which I didn't take a picture of), is just a collection of all the stuff that doesn't have a home yet. We have a map of Franklin from Debence, a world map, and some of the decor from our shower to frame and put up as art. We bought a neat surveyor's lamp that still needs a lampshade. I etsy-shopped a bunch of mappy, steampunky pillowcases since we don't have much wall to hang things on.

We still need to figure out storage, but we will either buy something vintage/used/cheap and repaint it, or we will buy some cubbies like I have my art supplies in. We are not planning a big investment here.

The Boy still has to get working on his flying machine mobile, and I am going to make an art piece out of maps and some sort of family pictures wall hanging. Plus we have to put it all together in a way that makes sense, and I still have no idea how we will do that. Luckily, our spawn will be bunking with us for the first 3 months or so, so there is really plenty of time. We are getting there, but once we finish, I will post more pictures.

Read more