News
An Earth Friendly and Vegan Earth Day, and Everyday
As you know, every day is Earth Day. Especially here at Gorgeous and Green! A local and green certified Event Planner, Karine Brighten, also treats each day as earth day. Apart from being green certified and having connections with local green vendors, she is also committed to education as we are. This past April 22nd, the traditional Earth Day, she put on an event in Berkeley that highlighted her commitment to the environment and her belief in eating and living as a vegan.
I asked her to share more about her event: 1. What was your vision in creating a vegan earth day in Berkeley? My vision for the event was to start a new tradition, and that new tradition was to celebrate the link between veganism and a healthy environment in honor of Earth Day. There are many events in the San Francisco Bay Area that take place on this day, but none that focus specifically on the positive effects of veganism on the environment. My goal was to have people leave the event feeling inspired, and with tools that they can use to help the planet.
2. Please describe the event and who you chose to include in the day? The event consisted of the screening of an award-winning feature documentary, “Call of Life, Facing the Mass Extinction” by Species Alliances. The film investigates the growing threat to Earth’s life support systems as a result of dwindling biodiversity. Following the film there was a panel discussion of 4 experts in vegan lifestyle, nutrition, and sustainability. After the panel discussion there was a catered vegan reception that everyone loved!
3. Do you feel like your vision was achieved? What else would you like to include in up and coming vegan earth days? I couldn’t be happier with the ways things turned out! The event sold out and people walked away feeling motivated to make changes in their lifestyle. The tradition will indeed continue next year, and I hope to make it a full day event.
Gorgeous and Green was hired to provide the cute edible baskets for the event:
in Green and Health, G&G
June 9th: in the boutique this week
Hi all I frequently update on our lovely floral designs, but I tend to leave out so much of what is actually beautiful and lovely for sale in the Gorgeous and Green boutique. If you've been to the boutique, you probably know about all the lovely tillandsia we have and the great cards all printed on recycled paper, but there's always new items and small changes, almost on a weekly! We always have locally hand-blown tillandsia terrariums or what I like to call air-iums, (since they float in the air and hold airplants). The local glass blower and I like to work on new shapes that will work for the plants and add a new element of design. I recently started offering a few flat glass terrariums for the airplants to live in, one of which you can see here:
These flat terrariums allow it to rest right up against the wall, so you can hang it from a nail or hook in the wall. I have a new collection of locally made pottery designs from the artist Anna Vaughn, who's eye for color, texture and ornate designs go well with the delicate but very earthy style of the shop. Her art pots continuously sell very well in the boutique, so get them while you can! They take her a lot of time to create!
I also recently started carrying lovely, vintage and sustainably made jewelry from local artist Jessica Fein. Her beautiful and sometimes big rings and earrings make quite a statement, and also great gifts. The pieces I hand select for the boutique are from her vintage collection, so they are often in short supply. Here's a pic of some of the rings we have nestled in an old silverware box I repurposed:
And here's a pic of some of the orange and yellow local, non-sprayed and even some organic flowers we have outside, I love all the brightness that has come with summer, that's now finally here!
In Green and Health, G&G
Recent deliveries


more of the bouquet and boutonniere



Let's Change Floral Foam
Gorgeous and Green Deliveries!



Simple Green and Light on the Budget

Photo by Terry McCarthy tmcphotography.com
Read more about this wedding at my other blog location on the Knot's Green.Weddings.com website. I have many more weddings and pics to include, so I'll be posting in the coming weeks, stay tuned. In Green and Health, G&GBay Area (green) Event Venue
(photography above by Gia Canali)
One of the first decisions (and some would argue the most important decision) most couples make when planning their wedding, is deciding where it's going to happen. The venue... For the green couple, finding a venue that will represent their value systems and green choices is important. But, not all venues talk green and not all actually walk the green talk. This brings us to Wilbur Hot Springs. Yes, it's a local and sustainable event Venue. If you're a Bay Area local, you may already be familiar, and if not, it's definitely worth checking out, multiple times, I might add. 1. How is Wilbur a sustainable wedding/event venue? Wilbur is 100% off the grid, powered entirely by solar panels and propane. Renovations and improvements are performed using eco-conscious building materials and practices. The solar panel array was installed in the early 1990s. Up to that time, the Wilbur hotel had been lit with kerosene lamps. The transition to solar-powered lighting was completed in 1991. The refrigerators are all electric and are specifically designed to run on solar power. They are more efficient and use approximately one-third the power of consumer refrigerators The stoves in the kitchen, and the fireplaces, which heat the hotel in winter, are powered by propane. Wilbur uses compact fluorescent light bulbs and low-flow toilets. And the cleaning products we use are all eco-friendly. Wilbur’s hot springs flumes are non-impact. In other words, the water is simply diverted from the geothermal source, held temporarily in the flumes and then returned to the creek. No chemicals are added to the flumes,and as a result no chemicals are being added to the water table. The hotel and hot springs are located on approximately 240 acres. In 1999, the surrounding 1560 acres were purchased and designated as a nature preserve. In 2006, Wilbur began working with range ecologist Craig Thomsen from UC Davis to restore native plants to the area, and combat invasive species. Thomsen’s work continues currently, with Wilbur participating in raising grant money, and providing lodging in trade to guests who work with Craig.... To read more about Wilbur please go to: Green.Weddings.com In Green and Health, G&GLovely Local Flowers Delivered...
