A Passion for Compassion: Give Your Heart This Valentine's Day, No Roses Included!

I've had a longtime love affair with Heifer International, and Valentine's Day is one of the best opportunities you have to use Heifer to show unconditional love to your sweetie!  Most Valentine's Day gifts involve chocolates, roses, romantic date nights, etc., but I dare you to give an unconventional gift...something you'd never think could be even remotely romantic: a goat.  Or, a cow.  Hey, even a chicken!

Give a gift that's life-changing this Valentine's Day.

As wacky as this seems, I believe there's no better way to show love for your valentine than honoring that person by giving a gift in his or her name that could not only improve but possibly save the lives of a family or an entire community of people you've never met.  Have a passion for compassion this holiday by checking out this amazing organization and giving what you're able.  I promise, ladies like a man who has a giving heart!

Gift Different.  Give Heifer.

XOXO,
A


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Flora and Philanthropy

Flora and Philanthropy:

How to use your wedding to link them

When I think of weddings I've been to this past year, I think of how pretty the bride looked and how joyous a celebration the event was.  I may remember the color of the bridesmaids' dresses or possibly the linens.  I might remember how sweet the cake smelled or how handsome the men looked dressed in their suits.  However, I couldn't tell you anything at all about the flowers.  The color, the type, the arrangement; my brain just doesn't remember those details.

Planning and budgeting my own wedding has made me realize two major things:

1) There are going to be flowers everywhere and man, they are not cheap!

and, more importantly,

2) I feel guilty about using so many beautiful flowers for such a short period of time.

So, keeping in mind that my fiance and I have been looking for opportunities to give back during both the planning stage and the actual wedding, I searched for ways to use our flowers toward our goal of being socially conscious and as 'green' as we can.  Luckily, the Washingtonian's "Bride & Groom" publication had an article on getting the most use out of your flowers and how to shrink your florist bill at the same time!  Here are some suggestions:

Buy local! (Gnome not included)

Choose flowers that you can buy locally from a neighborhood florist.  You'll be giving back to your local economy, plus saving money by using gorgeous flowers grown in your area!  Buying locally reduces your carbon footprint and increases your community spirit.  (Added bonus: using local flowers is a great way to show off the unique natural resources of your city or state to friends traveling from other parts of the country)

I love how each one is so different and gorgeous!

Try to only use flowers that are in season!  Chances are you can find at least a few different types that can tie in with your color scheme, and it gives you the opportunity to give your bouquets and arrangements character with the many textures and adornments that flourish during that season.  For example, check out that Fall bouquet.  It's so rich in color and texture and fits right in with the season!  The cost is lower when you buy in season, so you can choose to buy more flowers or use the extra cash to boost another area of your wedding.

Look at those poor, sad flowers wasting away on the floor

 


There are several ways you can reuse your event flowers.  The easiest is to use the bride's and bridesmaids' bouquets to help round out the decorations at the reception.  You could quickly put them in vases for the head table or use them to surround the cake or guestbook.  Another way to reuse your floral arrangements is to have them delivered after the reception to somewhere special to you, like a nearby hospital, nursing home or women's shelter.  An easy yet memorable way to brighten someone's day by not being wasteful!

A very green thumb planted these lovely stems!

 



Finally, you can plan ahead to use your garden and green thumb to plant what you'd like to use in your wedding.  This is something that I personally am terrible at (gardening is not one of my talents), but there are several family friends I may call on to see if they could plant a specific bed filled with flowers that I would be able to freshly cut the morning of the wedding.  How special would that be?  Less flowers will go to waste and, as a bonus, it decreases your cost!




Using one or all of these techniques can save you stress and money while still delivering the lovely wedding flowers you've dreamed of!  I'm sure years from now I may forget the names of the flowers at my wedding, but I'll never forget the way they framed the joyous occasion.   Going 'green' never looked so gorgeous!

Ciao,
A



 

Happy Holiday Hostess

I cannot express enough how much I *LOVE* Christmas and the entire Winter holiday season!  It brings out the creative side in me (okay, that's already there, but it brings it out even more, if that's possible) and gives me a chance to see all of my favorite people and wear pretty clothes.  Hosting a party is a great excuse to try out new recipes, decorate your house with holiday 'tablescapes' and DIY projects and last, but certainly not least, you get to buy and wear clothes that you can only wear to a holiday party!  No, I'm not talking about sweaters with snowmen on them or sweatshirts equipped with battery packs and twinkling fronts; I'm talking the sparkly, the lacy, the red and green plaid, the outfits that look silly except during the holidays.

It's also time to get rid of coats you don't need or don't fit anymore, so as you're buying your new 'hostess with the mostess' outfit, make sure to give away one older/gently worn item for each new one purchased :).  It may just make another person's holiday warm and bright!  Here are some places that take donations close to me:  Big Brothers Big Sisters, Our House's 'My Favorite Thrift Store,' and to look through a compiled list of more places, visit Donation Drop Off.  What can you find near you? 

Yummy treats and a hostess-worthy outfit to match!

Happy Holiday Hostess by asebourn

Warehouse
$45 - johnlewis.com

L K Bennett l k bennett
$315 - lkbennett.com

House of Harlow 1960 crocs boots
yoox.com

Leather clutch
lordandtaylor.com

Christina Elleni yellow gold jewelry
boticca.com

Alexander mcqueen
$295 - net-a-porter.com

ASOS white pearl necklace
asos.com

Nars cosmetic
$40 - asos.com

Pier One Felt Snowflake Placemat - White
pier1.com

notNeutral Season Dinner Plate Set of 4
notneutral.com

Give Thanks by Looking Good (Pt. 1)

My favorite fashions that give back this season (Pt. 1)

It's the season of giving, but let's be honest: this is the time of year when we spend the most money on the people we know and love and ourselves (c'mon, you want to look good in all the family photos during the holidays!).  Not that any of this spending is wrong, of course.  You sister is going to love her earrings you're getting her for Christmas, your dad is in total need of a new wallet, and your own Christmas list is probably full of gorgeous fashion that you can't afford to get for yourself.

So, let's make this shopping time a win-win-win situation.  Yes, that's three wins.  Let's see:
1) the person loves the gift you give them = WIN
2) the feeling you get after the person opens the gift and loves it = WIN
3) the charitable cause that received money after you bought the gift = WIN
You can have all three!  Buying something that has that charitable label on it no longer means having a colored bracelet with a phrase or symbol on it.  Here are some of my favorite brands and fashions that are included in this triple-win scenario:

www.altardstate.com

Altar'd State is a store with a boutique feel, but carrying mostly 'giveback' brands.  It carries charitable brands like Toms, FEED, FashionABLE, Krochet Kids, Rockwell Tharp, Jedidiah, and now it's own charitable namesake brand, Altar'd State! 

 Here are some of my current favorite pieces from the Altar'd State Brand, available in stores or online-

Peak-A-Boo Pleat Dress $69

Trinity Teardrop Necklace in Green

$22

Loose Pocket Sweater $49

(A portion of the proceeds from every Altar'd State brand purchase will be donated to feed, shelter, clothe and educate children around the world.)

Market Bag, $68

If you're a shopaholic, consider purchasing a reusable bag from Apolis x Steven Alan.  The company uses a co-op in India to create these handcrafted totes that are functional and fashionable!  This handy bag will also help you avoid that pesky bag tax (if your state has one).  Can't you just picture tall loaves of french bread sticking out, or a gorgeous scarf tied to the handle?





Next post: more triple-win charitable gifts including jewelry, scarves and more!

Ciao!