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Opening a sustainable retail shop

Green sweets and treats
A Hot Chocolate Favor
So it's getting chilly at night these days. The time has changed, the days are shorter, and you've probably switched to flannel sheets like we have. I know, I live in California, but we still get cold here. If you're getting married this winter, you may be considering a winter theme. Maybe you're just thinking about the comfort of your guests on a chilly winter night. Whatever the case, why not help your guests get cozy after the affair with favors of organic and fair trade hot chocolate? I love hot chocolate, hot chocolate with marshmallows, even Mexican hot chocolate. With a few cookies for dipping and a movie to watch, I'm set for the night. There are a few companies out there providing hot chocolate made with organic and (so very important) fair-trade cocoa, but one caught my eye because of their willingness to share with their cocoa growers: Deansbeans.com. Now, their hot cocoa mix is not only well-intentioned, it's also very affordable. Half of their profits are returned to the growers!

My favorite Green Wedding in Melbourne, Australia
A Woodsy Green Wedding on Another Continent
I love the latest trend of woodsy-chic decor for events: ferns, elves and mushrooms. It brings us back to nature, and in return, we plan our weddings and events to keep nature healthy. Why not support our little friends, the elves, fairies, deer and woodpeckers? The photographer for this wedding contacted me, and although the event took place in Australia, I just had to post it. Not only is it a beautifully shot affair, but the overall romantic and earthy vibe is really strong and ethereal. The photographer is apparently the first eco-friendly photographer in Australia. And besides her green life practices, she does some great sustainable business practices as well. Check out what this Australian Eco-friendly photographer, Holly Cottingham, had to say: 1. When did you start your green business? My business has been going for about 3-4 years, however only this year have I begun on the green route. 2. Why did you? I changed my direction because I feel that we can change the world through our purchases. Also, I feel that using recycled paper is just a basic thing that we can do with no extra effort, plus I was never really fond of the standard wedding albums. 3. What are the ways in which you are green/Eco-friendly/sustainable? The ways that I am eco friendly in my business:- Paperless workflow – everything except business cards is online
- Accepting direct deposit – most people have online banking now anyway and it’s easier for both of us, no more running to the bank!
- Online proofing – there’s nothing worse than a huge amount of prints that you’ll never look at
- Recycled paper –business cards are printed on recycled paper
- Digital files – today the easiest way for people to show photos to friends is online
- Eco matte photo prints – made from 100% post-consumer recycled waste though you wouldn’t know it, beautifully soft with little speckling
- How are you green in other aspects of your life?
Here are some beautiful pics of the wedding itself:

The happy couple
I love the simple citrus decor. It's something I hope to include in a Gorgeous and Green Event in the coming months. Yum!

The blooms from the tree are beautiful, and the overall sepia tones are so romantic.

I love this little nature scene on the cake. Those little forest people are so cute!

Lovely.
Thanks to the photographer from
www.hjimagery.com and www.j-studios.com.au
In Green, Ferns, Elves and Health
G&G
Eco-Friendly favors: not your average grocery bag
The Stylish and Eco-Friendly shopping bag
I'm always on the lookout for stylish gifts that can be used as eco-friendly favors for weddings, birthdays or other events. The reusable grocery or shopping bag hadn't quite made it into that category until I happened upon some great designs of the tuck-away-until-you-need-it bag by Roger La Borde. You may be familiar with the line of great cards and stationary that is created by this company, but when I found their bags, I knew for sure I liked their style. You can see some pics of their designs on their website www.rogerlaborde.com. Here are some examples of the tucked away bags that they design:
Not only are they fun and cute, they can be used over and over and when you're done you can tuck them away into a little pouch and they can wait in your purse or glove compartment until the next time you need a bag. Pretty handy and Chic.
These would make great wedding favors or party favors for between $7 and $11 dollars a piece. Or, maybe you're looking to treat yourself and the environment to some reusable style.
In Green and Health,
G&G
Green Wedding in Santa Cruz
Local, Sustainable and Organic
In November, we did a wedding for Heidi and Dave, who had chosen to do local and sustainable flower design for their wedding. The wedding took place at the Chaminade, very close to their home in Santa Cruz. I don't live in Santa Cruz, so I stayed at a local beach cabana with my husband under the guise of a surf weekend. We brought our dog and all the materials I would need to craft 21 large table centerpieces of orchids, some cocktail arrangements, a table card arrangement and the wedding party's flowers. Heidi originally wanted orange and purple flowers, but when we talked with Dave about his needs he asked that we not use very much purple, as in his Italian culture it was considered bad luck. So out went the purple and in came the green, white and orange color scheme that I suggested. I had seen some beautifully decorated rooms where the floral designer used potted orchids as the centerpiece, so I suggested we do the same because the plants could also be used as gifts for those who wanted to take one home with them. I used willow branches, moss and glass vases with rocks to pot the orchids, and they looked beautiful in the room. Around the centerpieces I added some moss and branches I had found from the sea and that had dropped from trees in the mountains. We decided a slightly mountain-y feel would go well for where the Chaminade is located (in the Santa Cruz mountains). The ceilings were bare and we needed some height in the design, so the tall orchid centerpieces did the job wonderfully.



