live. breathe. design.

In honor of Earth Day this month I have been sharing some of the eco-friendly practices of my business on my Facebook page. In case you missed any of them, here they all are!

From Top Left:

1. All of my clear packaging is biodegradable because it is made from plant materials!

2. Have you ordered invitations from me? Or made a large stationery order? All of the tissue paper it was wrapped in is 100% Recycled!

3. All of the bubble wrap I use is reused from packages I or friends/family receive! I include this little slip with each order, printed on scrap paper to encourage more reusing! Wondering what do with all of that bubble wrap? I can reuse it for you!

4. All of my framed prints are in up-cycled frames! discarded and out of style frames, are brought back to life with a fresh coat of paint!

5. Local business, Park Edge Sweet Shoppe receives some of their packaging in these boxes. Instead of tossing them, they generously donate them to me – so they can be used again to ship stationery! Keep reusing

6. Much of my paper is sourced from Mohawk a NY based paper company. I choose the paper for it’s quality and also their commitment to social and environmental responsibility. http://www.mohawkconnects.com/company/social-responsibility The paper that I currently use from them is 30% PCW with a planned transition to 100% once my current stock is used up!

7. Several cards in my shop are created with 100% PCW (post-consumer waste) kraft paper or paired with 100% PCW kraft envelopes!

8. To avoid using excess paper, whenever I ship something flat [prints or greeting cards] I print the shipping label right on the envelope. The envelopes are also 100% PCW recycled paper too!

9. Seal and Send Wedding Stationery reduces paper use – no envelopes and a tear off post card RSVP. Mine are now all printed on 100% PCW paper.

10. I also work to keep a eco-friendly studio space as well. Almost all of my furniture is found at a thrift store or something someone else was discarding. The floor is now covered with a FLOR INC. 100% RECYCLED fiber carpet!

playing with food and color? yes please! this year for easter i experimented with making my own dyes…from food! the eggs didn’t turn out quite as expected but i think they are still pretty and eastery in a natural rustic way. and hey, that suits me just fine

i used these pages for inspiration, recipes and tips:

• the Kitchn
• Mommypotamus
• Follow the Love

Happy Easter Everyone!

these recipe cards are the latest project from my studio.

inspired by my friend, and fellow foodie, lindsey – these recipe cards allow you to organize your recipes by season. since cooking seasonally and farm markets are coming back into fashion (and is so much better for our health and the environment) this is a great new way to keep your recipes organized.

last summer i had many health problems which prompted me to significantly change my diet. i personally have begun cooking seasonally and using primarily fresh foods. i started shopping the local farm markets and buying the freshest foods possible. i have always enjoyed cooking, but have been enjoying it so much more since this change. finding inspiration from the multitude of food blogs out there, along with the farm market and some new vegetarian cook books has been so much fun. i feel like there are so many more recipes that i want to try  - i can’t keep up!

if you haven’t tried a farm market yet, get there! you will be totally amazed at the difference in the quality of the vegetables and fruits. they have so much more flavor, and since they are freshly picked and haven’t traveled far they are packed with more nutrients than produce that has been picked for a longer time (traveled across the country or world).

i am looking forward to getting all of my recipes, new and old organized using these seasonal cards. the color bands will make it easy when searching through a category, let’s say appetizers, to determine which recipes are in season.

these cards are available in sets of 20 and 100 in the studio shop on etsy. have a friend or family member who is really into cooking? these will make a great gift. also perfect for housewarming, bridal shower and wedding gifts!

for those living in the buffalo area – there are a multitude of farm markets. you can find a listing of all of them in new york on the new york state department of agriculture. right now my most frequented spots are the bidwell-elmwood market, the east aurora market, and the downtown country market.

i realized as i was photographing some invitations i have coming up for this year that i never got to posting a few from last year’s wedding season. below is a bold and modern seal and send, custom designed for local clients in buffalo, new york. seal and sends are a great eco-friendly way to send out wedding invitations. they are all in one, no envelopes needed. i have them printed digitally which is non-toxic and there is of course always the option to have them printed on 100% PCW paper.