Wedding, Part 2

So, I promised yesterday that there would be more to come...actually, we had our heart set on NOT having a tent, but as the day drew nearer, it seemed less and less likely that the sun would be shining, so we were forced to source one out. As it turns out, a blue and yellow 'circus' tent was all we could find - not my first choice - but as it turns out I ended up loving it! It had personality to spare, and the tent gave the event a feeling of intimacy that would have been lacking otherwise (also, it gave me an excuse to decorate a little more!).

{the tent from afar}

{we strung old-school x-mas lights, ( you should've seen me on the ladder!) which were sooo lovely - they aren't so eco, but they were borrowed, so that makes up for it. the best feature is that we wound them down the center pole, and then tied on a huge bundle of bullrushes. with the lights shining through it was absolutely perfect. i have to thank my buddy dan for this.}

{a close up of the bullrushes}

{inside the tent. the picnic tables - borrowed from our friends - were very eclectic. none of them matched...there was a green one, a red one, a purple one....i loved it!}

{the centerpieces - again keeping with our eco theme. we didn't want to buy anything that would have to be thrown out, so rather then buy vases, i collected tin cans and covered them with a pretty, recycled paper. i bought the flowers at the grocery store, snipped some hostas from the garden, and did all the arrangements myself, with some help from my mom, my new mom-in-law and my aunt. one of my favourite moments.}

{the tables. very simple. the wine was spectacular, a very appreciated wedding gift from jonathan's aunt and uncle, who import wine from all over the world.}

{jonathan working on the bbq. all the meat was free-range, organic, locally sourced.}

{the food...mmmm....a beet salad, fresh tomatoes, a wild rice & grape salad, corn on the cob, pork and chicken. we used tree trunks from dead fall to dress up the table.}

{ xoxo }

WHEW!!!....I'm Back!

Okay...I have to extend my apologies for being so out of touch, I really grew to love PGD, and thought of it often! I was just so overwhelmed by my life (opening a new business a very small detail)...and I didn't want my content to suffer. Not sure if opting out completely was any better, but I feel at least like I can face it now! Even better, I want to build and grow the community of PGD even more! I'm thinking of adding new columns (like life & fashion, the organic kitchen, non-toxic living, innovation and design, more reader content and more, but still keeping some of the old faves like DIY projects and Eco Style), updating the blog and giving things a general facelift! Design is still a big part of my life, but as the eco way of life gets entrenched deeper and deeper within my bones, I feel that there is simply more to life than sofas, colour schemes and trends. More on that later.... If any of you feel like you'd like to help, I'm open to that too! In fact I'd love it! Reader's give blogs a lovely sense of community, diversity and interest!

In the meantime, I have other big new, which may help you forgive me for being so distant...during my busy, hectic summer, I somehow managed to sneak in an 'I do'! That's right, Jonathan and I tied the knot! And we did it super cheap, very eco-friendly, with lots of help from our family and friends. The big event took place in our back yard - we did the food ourselves, but as Jonathan is part-owner of a very successful restaurant, his mad-skills in the kitchen didn't make this seem as much of a stretch. We rented the cheapest (and most colourful) tent we could find, borrowed picnic tables from all our friends, shook out the white linens and presto! It was an event to be remembered. Everyone (including us) had a great time, and I couldn't be more excited (and proud) to share it with all of you too! Here are a few highlights...p.s. another way we saved money was by asking my kid brother to take the pictures. As a result, there's a real homegrown quality to these shots.

WEDDING, Part 1 - Still to Come - the tent, the decor, the food, and what makes it eco

{my dear dad, walking me down the lawn. A note about the dress - I picked a design and tweaked it, got fabric on sale, and had it made. the entire thing cost $120!!! the only thing i regret is not having a close up of it.}

{i did all the flowers myself - i'm pretty proud of my bouquet, actually, featuring hosta leaves from my garden. the whole deal cost $60, including my bouquet and all the centerpieces}

{the women in the family}

{mr. & mrs. mackay}

Winner of Canadian Giveaway!

Hi Guys - Listen, I don't have enough hours in my day - not to make excuses, but I'm juggling so much these days, I'm feeling low on juice for PGD. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to announce the winner - anyway, without any further complaining, I've drawn a winner for the book that played a big part in changing my life! Using random.org, lucky J. Gallager is the winner! Enjoy this wonderful book - make sure you all check out Ecoholic Home, coming this fall.......you're welcome Adria!!! {giggle}. Thank you to everyone who submitted their name...best of luck in the future.

p.s. - I really will try to hit the keyboard again with PGD. I've considered shutting down because I'm not being fair to readers...but....help me out! If there is anything you'd like to see here, let me know! I've love to hear it, and maybe your ideas will give me steam.

xoxo

Eco DIY - Repurposed Tin Cans

I saw this photo and loved it! Featured here as a wedding table number, it inspired me to see what other imaginative uses people have cooked up for their tin cans. So, have a gander and think twice before you recycle your next tin can!

from: Craftzine

from: Design Sponge

from: Canadian Design Resource

Paul Massey

Photographer Paul Massey's home is a study in simplicity. People think white is stark and cold, but often, its calming and settling, creating a perfect backdrop for other colours to pop. Paul's home is perfect for Pure Green, as Paul proffers that to buy everything in one go for your home is a mistake. You need to take time with it, scour flea markets and browse second hand shops for pieces that speak to you, and portray a sense of belonging. I agree.

keep it simple: Paul's ability to pare down is what makes his home so serene

good idea: find old crates with character and use them as side tables



get is used: the consistent use of repurposed light fixtures gives a uniform, balanced feel to the home

i love, love, love the old fishmonger's table against all the white!

even an old rubbish bin looks good!

Speaking of Giveaways...Canadian Giveaway!

This is the week for giveaways on PGD! Not to draw lines in the sand, but I did promise my Canadian readers that I would have something for you soon! I gave away 10 copies of Ecoholic in my store this week to celebrate, and I saved one for you!

For those of you who haven't been exposed to Ecoholic yet, it's a National Bestseller written by Adria Vasil, who writes an Ecoholic column in NOW Magazine, one of the premier pop-culture/news mags in Toronto. After incredible success writing the column, she compiled it all into an 'eco bible', a readable, exciting and very accessible guide to living sustainable in Canada. It will change your life! I practically wolfed it down in one sitting, and my copy is dogeared, underlined and highlighted on every single page. In fact, it was key in helping me open my store, Sustain. I really don't think I could have done it without it. So, here is your chance to get in on my little secret - please enter to win your copy of Ecoholic. Just leave a comment to enter that includes your name and email. Don't stop at just you - get all your friends and your family in on it too! Pure Green can handle it! This giveaway is open to Canadian readers - you have one week to enter. Good luck to all, I'll announce the winner next Friday!



psst! Ecoholic talks about Pink Solution and Safecoat, both available at the Sustain!



author adria vasil

Winner of the All Modern Giveaway!

Thank you to all who participated - the winner of the All Modern giveaway was Nicolette Teek, who chose the recycled vase by Artecnica. Hopefully this is the first of many more on PGD!

Sustain Grand Opening

At long last I'm finally putting some photos of the store up on PGD - this store is my heart and soul, so I wanted to make sure it was looking good before I introduced it to the world. We've been open for a month, but this weekend we hosted our Grand Opening, which was a wonderful success. We were visited by many beautiful people, all who are interested in preserving this wonderful world we live in. So, without further ado, I present to you, Sustain.

this is what the store looked like before - you can see my brother and sister helping me paint!

our sales desk - it's made with bamboo panelling and has a paperstone top.

the lights I commissioned for the store using recycled steel

a table made with reclaimed wood and laden with delicious goods prepared by my sister, Mali

this is one of Jonathan's tables - my fabulous partner soon to be hubby

our inspiration boards - reclaimed, of course

our paint station - made with a reclaimed work bench, selling safecoat paint

kirei and wheatboard

pink solution - the most amazing eco cleaner ever, works on anything and everything, totally non-toxic!

our sales desk, with all our lovely gifts

we gave away copies of ecoholic in a draw, the book that helped us start it all!

this is Rusty, my dog, sleeping on his Molly Mutt dog bed, oblivious to it all