What could be more eco-friendly for your green wedding bouquet than fabric flowers? Allen Company Incat Etsy.com offers fabric rose bouquets that will never fade, never die. Each bouquet is made of cotton starch and is attached to a real branch. They come in bouquets of 24 flowers, but you can request a different amount of color variation from the artist. The roses are 15 inches - top to bottom - with 3 inch flowers and 12 inch stems.

Here’s the same rose bouquet offered in tweed.

For more options and to see what other treasures are offered in the Allen Company Inc shop, click here. To read an interview with the artist, Kristina Franco, click here.

Image credit: Allen Company Inc shop at Etsy.com

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I’ve been working on my fitness. I plan to take part in a sprint triathlon in early September and while I’ve been working on the swimming and biking part of my training, I haven’t been running. Running, I’ve found, is the only way that I lose weight. I just don’t get the same results from biking, even when it feels like hard work.

It’s been too hot to run outside and I’ve got a wooden bed frame stacked against the wall where my treadmill is (waiting for a yard sale and I have no garage) or that’s the excuse I’ve been using on myself. (Oh brother, not even I buy that one). I’m moving it this weekend. No more excuses.

I picked up a scale and was horrified at my weight. I usually go by how I feel, how my clothes fit me. I want to be fit and look good in my clothes, but honestly, my biggest concern is my health. I am the parent of a young adult with special needs and first and foremost I need to be able to lift and transfer my son.

I decided that I needed something extra, a boost to my routine. I’m a fan of the NBC show, The Biggest Loser so, I picked up Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. The routine consists of intervals of:

3 minutes of Strength
2 minutes of Cardio
1 minute of Abs work

Today, I did day 2 of the 30 Day Shred. Oh man. It is a good workout and it’s completed in only 20 minutes. Jillian goes from step to step to step with no rest in between, focusing on working more than one muscle group at a time, or a simple ab or aerobic workout.

Yesterday, I did the Day 1 afer swimming laps. I was a little sore today, so I’m only doing the Shred today.

I’ll update later with my results, but for now I can say I’m really feeling it and I do not know how those contestants get through the first few days with a real live Jillian Michaels kicking their butts. Ouch.

Image credit: Amazon.com

Today, I’ve got Part Two of my interview with Carolyn Rafaelian, of Alex and Ani jewelry. An important aspect of Alex and Ani is giving back, with their Charity By Design jewlery collection. You can see the different designs, as well as the character that they honor, by clicking on the Charity By Design page.

Alex and Ani sent me a Tree of Life Expandable Wire Bangle. This bracelet benefits the ARC -African Rainforest Conservatory.

The bracelet is lovely - a delicate expandable wire, with a Tree of Life Charm. The bracelet fit both my wrist and my daughter’s slimmer wrist. It really is easily expandable, but what I liked best about the bracelet was the look of the gold wire. It has a sort of aged look to it - shiny, but also like a well-loved piece.

Here’s Part Two of my interview.
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Pretty By Nature: I really respect what you are doing with your charities, both the Tree of Life Bangle program and Project USA. Would you please tell the readers a little bit about what you’ve been able to accomplish with these charities?  
Carolyn Rafaelian: We’ve partnered with several charities and are thrilled we have the ability to help foundations in need. We came up with our Charity by Design concept so we create specific pieces and collections catered to each organization with proceeds of sales donated to these foundations. Foundations that we have partnered with and donated to have included Stand up to Cancer, The Humane society, Red Cross and African Rainforest Conservancy to name a few. Charity by Design is the heart and soul of Alex and Ani, and it continues to grow.

Image Credit: Michelle Smith

Alex and Ani jewelry, designed by owner Carolyn Rafaelian, is a line that has been featured in magazines like MORE, InStyle, Modern Bride, Us Weekly, Life & Style, A, Glamour, People, Marie Claire, Seventeen, and In Touch.

The pieces have a bohemian charm to them (my favorite kind of charm), reminding me of a sort of Esmeralda gypsy-chic with lots of bangles, beads, and feathers. Many of the pieces are made of recycled or vintage materials. Rafaelian has developed an expandable wire bangle that adjusts to fit any wrist. I’ve tried it and it easily adjusted between my wrist and my daughter’s much slimmer arm.

Halo OM Necklace  
$98

Zebra Stripe Feather Earrings
$78

Peace Expandable Wire Bangle Set
$108

I had the opportunity to interview Carolyn Rafaelian. Today, I’ve got Part One of the interview for you. Please come back tomorrow for Part Two of ourAlex and Ani interview.
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Pretty By Nature: How did you become a jewelry designer?   Has jewelry design always been your passion? 
Carolyn Rafaelian: My father opened our factory in 1966, so I literally grew up in the jewelry industry. I spent many summers helping my father and started to create my own pieces and design at a very early age.  However, it wasn’t until my two daughters, Alex and Ani, were born when I decided I wanted to leave a legacy for them and branched off to start my own jewelry company. It was my destiny to become a jewelry designer. 
 

PBN: I love the idea of expandable jewelry. Women come in all shapes and sizes and by making your jewelry expandable, you’ve made sure that everyone can enjoy it. How did you develop the expandable feature?
CR: My showroom is in New York, so I spend a lot of time traveling back and forth from New York to Rhode Island. The expandable idea started during one of my trips (where I am alone to brainstorm and come up with new ideas) I was thinking about my endless hoop design and how it would be great as a bangle, to expand and fit everyone. I love that women come in all shapes and sizes, so I created these bangles with women in mind. 
 

PBN: Where do you find the recycled materials that are used in your designs?  The feathered earrings are gorgeous. Where did you find the feathers?
CR: A lot of the material that we use to make Alex and Ani bracelets and jewelry are recycled and vintage. Local mills in Rhode Island provide us with the recycled metals that are used for the bangles and the other metal pieces. Our feathers come from a local distributor and are gathered after naturally falling off the birds. We always make sure that consumers are aware that no birds are harmed in this process. All of our products are made in the USA, which holds higher environmental standards compared to other countries.

Image credit: Alex and Ani

The weather where I live, at the top of the Sacramento Valley, in Northern California, is HOT. For example, right now, it’s 105 F, at almost 6pm. Last night, I sent my boyfriend, who lives in Colorado, a text telling him that it was over 90 F, at 10pm.

We spend a lot of time trying to cool off in the water. I’m a fan of the creek, my kids prefer the pool.

I like to wear a sort of mismatched swim suit . A suit with pieces that  go together, but are not matchy-matchy. Something like this suit that is currently on sale at Faeries Dance.com.

Ruffle Bikini
On sale for $77.95, regularly $120

It’s made of 90% certified organic cotton, no latex. It has a triangle top, a low-riding, ruffled bottom, and it’s adorable.

This bikini is more Bay’s style. She usually goes with a black triangle top, something skimpy on the bottom.

Rincon Paradise Bikini
$99

This bikini top has a little shell charm and the bottoms have circle-ties. I like the photo print on the bottom. It reminds me of an OP suit that I had back in the 80s. This suit is made out of84% Polyster that has been created from a combination of recycled plastic bottles and Spandex.

Image credit:  Faeries Dance.com

Today I followed a link from this gorgeous little 100% silk Daisy Bra. It is totally unsuitable for a woman built like I am, but so very pretty. Each bra is made to order, styled after a lovely flower. Just so beautiful….

Then, I found something perfect for Pretty By Nature - an organic bamboo jersey t-shirt - the knickers are also available.

Sally T-Shirt
$38

This shirt was inspired by Holly Golightly of Breakfast At Tiffany’s fame. It has fluttery bell-shaped sleeves and is gathered at the bottom. Here’s a bit about the advantages of using a fabric like organic bamboo jersey, which is, if you’ve ever had the opportunity to touch it, incredibly soft and silky.

Bamboo jersey is 60% more water absorbent than cotton, and has a cooling effect. It is naturally anti-bacterial and will not hold odour. Like other natural fibers, it allows the body to breathe as the fabric absorbs the sweat away from the body.

Sounds perfect for Summer-time wear, doesn’t it? Each Sally T-shirt is made to order, so contact the seller for specifics. For more information or to see what else the Hopeless shop carries, click here.

Image credit: Hopeless at Etsy

Interested in trying a new matte face for Summer?  Sephora has a special running now on Bare Escentuals’ newest bareMinerals makeup - a new Matte formula.

This special pre-launch giveaway is offered online and in Sephora stores. If you live near a Sephora, run into the store and grab your free 10-day sample of the new matte foundation. 

If you visit the online store, just enter the code BEMATTE when you go through checkout with your order.

The new bareMinerals Matte promises to……

*Reduce shine and absorb excess oil
*Minimize the appearance of pores
*Promote cell turnover for smoother skin
*Protect skin, keep it safe from damage
*Comes with a baby kabuki brush

Hurry, click or visit Sephora before these free samples are all gone!!!

Image credit: Sephora.com

I’ve been doing more research for Your Green Wedding.  There’s a lot of  really useful information out there. Links to dress ideas, tutorials, planning tips. Today, I’ve got some blog links for you to peruse.

I found a website today 2000 Dollar Wedding. It’s written by a woman who shares how she and her fiance (now husband) were able to enjoy their wedding “in a budget-minded, hand-crafted, eco-friendly way.”  The couple lists their complete cost breakdown  - their wedding cost less than $2000 - and offers advice on how to plan your own celebration. Lots of links to tutorials, lots of photos - really a delightful blog.

Etsy Wedding shares “offbeat finds for the eclectic bride.”  Finding exactly what you are looking for at Etsy can be tricky.  New items are added constantly and sifting through what is offered can be time-consuming. Etsy Wedding takes all the work out of it for you. Find links to vintage dresses, jewelry and more.

If you’ve got the time and the inclination to do the work yourself, you might want to take a look at DIY Bride where they offer “crafty wedding goodness from scratch.”  Included are do-it-yourself projects for invitations, flowers, bath and body care, favors, and decorations. Plus tips on planning and registeries, recession-proofing your wedding.

Image credit: Chase Your Bliss Photography

Do you use Twitter? 

Yeah, I know, probably sick of hearing about Twitter, but I have an account and through this account, I’ve connected with some pretty interesting Vintage Clothing shops.

Both of the sites before use eBay to sell their lovely vintage finds. The selection is varied and reasonably priced. Interested? I thought you might be…..

Vintage Party Dresses offers a variety of dresses. Party dresses, prom dresses, cocktail dresses, little black dresses…even dresses for Barbie.

I am a big dress fan. My favorite style - a wrap. I think it’s my mom’s influence. She used to whip up the cutest wrap dresses on her little Singer. 

Another place to look for vintage is Panda’s Vintage shop, also at eBay. Currently I see clothing from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Plus a cute mod style hat  that looks like something Twiggy would have worn.

Check out these shops. If you know of a good place to shop vintage, please let me know and I’ll share it with the  other Pretty By Nature readers.

Image credit: Chase Your Bliss Photography

Fans of Bare Escentuals bareMinerals makeup will love this - bareMinerals® Refillable Buffing Brush.  This portable brush is refillable and the perfect way to travel with your favorite mineral makeup foundation.

The brush works with a two-click system. “Simply turn once to raise the full, tapered brush and then twice to get more precise, even strokes.” 

It won’t leak in your bag, because it has a locking mechanism. The brush head comes off for easy cleaning. You can find it at Sephora for $29.50.

Not a bareMinerals user? I don’t see why this wouldn’t work with any loose mineral-powder foundation.

Image credit: Sephora.com