Spring Has Sprung!

Here at SG, our entire personality changes when the weather changes! The warm, east coast weather this week has had us smiling more, laughing more and playing outside A LOT more! These adorable hardboiled eggs set in nests of fresh grass clippings scream spring. They’d be the perfect accent for an Easter dinner or for any springtime gathering. And because their simple (and entirely easy to assemble) design is so low-impact, we love them even more!

Photo: Martha Stewart

Wrap It Up

Wrap your gifts up right by using smart boxes made of recycled materials. Afraid that things will look a bit too, well, brown? Purchase spools of beautiful vintage ribbon to help tie some color and some style onto all of your packages. While you’re at it, why stop with just gifts? Consider using vintage ribbon to decorate your bouquets, centerpieces and, in the case of weddings, your aisle, too.

Photo: Martha Stewart

We LOVE: Baggu Bags

If you’ve ever thought about using a reusable bag to cart home all of the groceries for your next dinner party (but haven’t been able to find one you’d actually be willing to wear) search no further. Baggu Bags are sort of like the American Apparel of reusable bags (think simple designs, affordable prices and styles available in every shade on the color wheel). And if that doesn’t sway you, consider this fact: if you use one Baggu bag for one year, you may save up to 700 plastic bags from reaching landfills.

Photos: Baggu Bags

Laurel Denise

There are few things we enjoy more in life than supporting other creative-minded women. As briefly mentioned in yesterday’s “weekly wrap-up” post, one such woman who we are all about supporting is the jewelry designer, stationary designer and artist, Laurel Denise. We had the pleasure of meeting Laurel back in January at the New York City Gift Show, and we were instantly smitten by her delicate necklaces and bracelets, each of which is inscribed with illustrations or simply stated words of inspiration in her signature delicate handwriting. Her jewelry has a beautiful, feminine aesthetic, making it perfect for the everyday or as a keepsake gift for your bridesmaids to wear on your special day. 

Photos: Laurel Denise

Succulent Love

We heart succulents…and apparently, so do YOU! We received lots of great feedback from readers in response to last week’s post, Spotlight on Succulents.  And so, we thought we’d welcome the new week with a few final photos to help inspire all of those undercover succulent lovers out there. Enjoy!

Photos: Ruffled 

Weekly Wrap Up

It's been a crazy week here at SG! Aside from the fact that it is finally above 30 degrees and beginning to feel like Spring, here are a few other highlights:

- We received our new favorite necklace! Be sure to check out Laurel Denise's designs, available on her website and at Anthropologie. We had the pleasure of meeting Laurel at the NYC Gift Show--she's got great designs and a great story, too.

- Thanks to the Green is Sexy team for the wonderful shout out! Be sure to browse their site, which is updated daily.

- Information is beginning to come together for the 2010 Garden State Green Fest, which will be held in early October. More info on that (and SG's involvement) to come...

As always, thanks to everyone for the love, support and excellent karma. We have lots of great new posts on the way and are working with a new designer so that, in the coming weeks, the look of SG will be, well, just as stylish as you :)

Happy Sunday-
Angela

Sock Vases

One of my favorite moments in comedy comes from Jerry Seinfeld’s early career. During one of his classic stand-up routines, Seinfeld tries to solve the mystery of the missing left sock (admit it: you know you have a drawer filled with random socks that have lost their mates). His conclusion: hidden inside dryers across America exists secret nightclubs where socks willfully enter, enjoy a little dance and then never return. However, after seeing these adorable vases, I’m thinking that all those missing socks skipped out on the nightclub and hitched a ride to their local florist instead.

These would be perfect decorations for a child’s birthday party, a baby shower or a similar affair. Rather than toss old socks, simply cut off their “toes” and slide the remaining socks over aluminum cans or small vases. Since the socks themselves are quite colorful, stick with a simple flower (such as the white daisy, as pictured below) to create an easy and playful collection of centerpieces.

Photo: Rachel Ray

Spotlight on Succulents

Succulents are having a bit of a moment in the design world and for good reason. Since they require very little water and care and can last for years, they’ve become instant stars within the green design community. If water waste isn’t necessarily at the top of your design agenda, consider these facts to help put things into perspective: each year, there are roughly 2.5 million weddings in the U.S. On average, each of these 2.5 million brides will purchase about 8-10 centerpieces for their receptions, each of which will require roughly a gallon of water to keep the flowers looking fresh for the party (forget about all of the water used to care for the flowers pre-wedding day as well as all of the toxic sprays, packaging materials… [my florist father is more than likely shaking his head at me in disappointment right now]). Once you do the math, it’s pretty simple to see why succulents are a stylish and easy way to incorporate some green into your next event. Ask your floral designer about succulents for...

An interesting bouquet...

Photos: Emerald & Once Wed

Or a burst of unexpected color...

Photos: Portland Bride and Groom & NK Photography & Oh Joy

For striking shapes and textures...

Photos: Emerald & Polka Dot Bride & Old Sweet Song

And for everything else...

Photos: Emerald & The Cutest Little House in Town

Natural Touches

If the thought of adding “natural” elements to your wedding or party design leaves you quivering in your Louboutins, look at these decidedly chic ways that some hostesses have worked wood and other organic touches into nearly every aspect of their décor, including:

Centerpieces…

Photos: Bonafide Bride & Love Stands Still (via Martha Stewart)

Flowers…

Photos: Bonafide Bride

Small Touches…

Photos: Bonafide Bride

Cake Stands…

Photos: Bonafide Bride & 100 Layer Cake

Elegant Table Setting

White linens, white china and candlelight. I can hardly think of three images that are more classic. To achieve this look arrange a line of reclaimed glass mason jars (which can often be found by the boxful at garage sales and thrift shops for a few cents each), staggered according to size, down the center of a table. Drop a simple, white soy (or other naturally based) votive in each jar for instant (recycled) elegance. 

Photo: Love Still Stands

Post party: consider reusing the jars as drinking glasses, vases, for desk storage…