So let’s begin part 2 of 6 of our Growing a Green Business Series titled “Flying by the seat of my pants!”

Let me be the first to confess I do not have an MBA and did not follow any hard and fast rules when approaching the conception, development and launch of my business.  What I did do and still practice today is intention and faith. That said…here we go!

Once I was resolved in the fact that I was going to dive deep into wedding planning and that I was committed to my green ways, I took three very basic steps;

Step 1: Choosing a Green Business Name

With some of the most intensely creative people I know (my brothers) I brainstormed business names that resonated with me and that I thought would appeal to potential clients.  This was so important to my process because the name of my business had to reflect me in every way. I started the discovery process with what about myself did I want to reflect?

“I wanted to reflect my sound experience and passion for event planning, my love of all things natural and authentic and my ability promote a sense of calm through relationship building and strong organizational and communication skills.”

Once I landed on these three things, I started to play with different words and phrases that could communicate these traits.

Essential Sage Weddings and Events

Essential meaning absolutely necessary (which I believe is true of being eco or earth friendly). And Sage referencing, wise through reflection and experience or the color green in this case is said to create feelings of comfort, relaxation, and calmness. It helps us balance and soothe our emotions. Some attribute this to its connection with nature and our natural feelings of affiliation with the natural world when experiencing the color green (inside and out).

Step 2: My Green Business Branding

This involved the artistic rendering of my newfound business name.  I went to someone that I know, trust and love, Michelle Stinson at Impression Edge in Austin, Texas (www.impressionedge.com).

Impression Edge specializes in brand identity and that is exactly what I needed, a visual identity for Essential Sage Wedding and Events. Michelle in her infinite wisdom and creativity knocked out several logo packages for me to choose from.  Because this woman has known me for almost 30 years, this process was easy, so fun to experience and in my opinion reflects everything that I wanted to reflect in my identity.

Step 3: Green Business Marketing

This is an ongoing process and I learn more and more everyday.  For now, I’ll focus on my electronic collateral, the website.  My first questions to myself was “How am I going to get the word out on an extremely modest (well practically zero) budget? The immediate answer was Ebay and Craig’s list.  That’s right, I started selling all the crap I had been hanging onto for years and not using.  Gently used baby gear, gently used Mommy gear, household items that weren’t being used (I really miss that damn Crockpot and silver chaffing dish!)…really, anything that I could sell that would help me generate a little cash to invest in a professionally built website was what I was going to do. Enter the next member of my ever growing posse, Cindy Brummer with House on Payne Web Design in Austin, Texas (www.houseonpayne.com).

I’ve known Cindy for some years and knew that, like me, she was gearing up to launch her own business so that she too would have a flexible schedule to be with her two small children and to follow her passion.  After a wonderfully educational process (for me not being a big techie), Cindy built a website that completely integrated all the elements I had dreamed of.  It’s got looks, great content and is totally user friendly. She in all her geniusness (is that a real word??), managed to take all my ramblings (drafts 1-4) and sort them into a wonderful menu of services and photo gallery.

The Essential Sage Website by House on Payne Website Designs

The website is educational without being professorial on the benefits of using an event planner and even better, reasons to go green with your wedding or event without sacrificing style.

In the next installment I’ll divulge more strategies for marketing your new eco-friendly business. For now, I want to offer up a few trends in the ever growing Eco-chic wedding planning industry.

2011 Eco-Chic Wedding and Bridal Trends:

Are diamonds really a girl’s best friend?  I say only if they’re conflict free.  Gemstones are becoming increasingly popular in 2011. Sapphires and Rubies are hot, hot, hot! Express your individuality while making a statement.  If a diamond is what you want (and on some level we ALL do!) check out Brilliant Earth Ethical Origin Jewelry (www.brilliantearth.com) or MiaDonna & Company where fashion meets technology; www.miadonna.com (you have to see it to believe it).

If you really want to stick close to home and need some fabulous cuff-links for your guy or your guy’s guys, check out local artist, DeAnna Cochran, Jewelry for a Cause. DeAnna has stunning style and works with reclaimed metals and re-purposed materials at www.deannacochranjewelry.com

Next month you can look forward to trends in bridal wear and Venue selection. Thanks for reading and remember it’s not all or nothing. By making one or two small earth friendly choices when planning your wedding or event you can make an enormous impact in this amazing world of ours.

“Until next time, please leave a comment with your experience and we’ll comment on it next month… Wendy”

Your baby will spend the majority of their day in their nursery. It isn’t uncommon for a young baby to spend 15+ hours just in that room alone. So, it wouldn’t hurt to make a few adjustments to make this room as safe and environmentally friendly as possible! Below are a few ideas on creating a green nursery.

Paint:

First of all, you want to make sure that the paint you’re using has no lead in it. Houses built in the 70’s are often known for having this issue. Take a good look at the paint you’re buying and try to stick with something that is eco friendly, and a paint that has little or no VOC, meaning volatile organic compounds.

Green Nursery Design

Furniture:

You can’t get much more environmentally friendly when it comes to furniture than just reusing it. Just by reusing a crib, dresser and changing table set you’re saving a few trees!

Flooring:

When it comes to flooring, try to stick with wood flooring. Carpet holds a lot of debris, mold, dust mites and other things that your baby doesn’t need to be breathing in. Although, if the flooring in the nursery is already carpet, be sure to steam clean them as good as you can before the baby arrives.

Wood Flooring is a Healthy Choice

Now, when you go with wood flooring, try to stick with something that is FSC-certified or go with bamboo type flooring that was grown and harvested.

Toys:

Instead of getting all new plastic toys, try to go a different route. Plastic has a lot of unfriendly chemicals in it. You can tell it has chemicals in it just by the “new” smell plastic has. Instead, go with non-toxic and organic fabric toys, and when it comes to wood toys, make sure the finish has a natural finish on it. You could also try finding toys like the Fuzz that Wuzz range which are made from recycled plastic fiber!

Fuzz that Wuzz Toy Made from Recycled Plastic

Hygiene:

The best route for hygiene is cloth diapers, to avoid putting waste into landfills. Also, when it comes to bath time, make sure that your baby’s largest organ (skin) is lathered with paraben, phalates free ingredients.

As you can see, there are a few different things you can do to create a green environment in your baby’s nursery. Make sure they are well taken care of from day one by considering these tips before they arrive!

This was a guest post written by Lauren Dzuris.

Wendy is the president and creative director of Essential Sage Weddings & Events. Essential Sage provides eco-conscious event design and planning for those who value their environment.

Tel: 214.274.3400

Website: www.essentialsageevents.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/EssentialSage

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EssentialSage

So let’s get straight to it, we hope you enjoy Part 1 of Growing a Green Business with Essential Sage;

My Background in Wedding and Event Planning

Wendy Dorsey – Essential Sage Weddings & Events. Photo by Michelle Powell, Studio Eleven Photography

It seems like so long ago yet also like it was yesterday that I graduated from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State) with a degree in Fashion Merchandising and Design. With a passion for fashion, food and love, I started my career as an in-house assistant event manager for Macy’s Union Square in San Francisco, California 14 years ago. Following this amazing experience, I joined an event marketing company, Momentum IMC, a division of McCann Erikson International in St. Louis, Missouri as a field marketing manager. This awesome experience taught me the finer points of operations and logistics on a large scale. This role was parlayed into a sponsorship and marketing managerial position with Kmart Corporate in Troy, Michigan, where I expanded my knowledge of sponsorship development and sales.

After three and a half years, my husband and I decided to re-locate to our Texas roots. After landing in Dallas, I began work as manager of special events and sponsorships for the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, responsible for more than 20 annual events.

In 2005, I took time off of work to start my family. After two years and one gorgeous son, I decided it was time to get back to work but on my own terms. With little money and lots of courage, I opened Dorsey Group Weddings and Events.

Going Green

After four very rewarding years, I began to look at my personal and business life from another perspective. I asked myself the question, what kind of legacy do I want to leave to my son? I can tell you a legacy of waste wasn’t what I wanted. It was then that I decided some major changes needed to occur at home and work. I began researching what it meant to be a conservationist. This led me to look specifically at the wedding industry and I discovered that I was a willing participant in one of the most wasteful industries there is.

That’s when it hit me. As long as I was becoming more sensitive to the waste at home, why not be a willing participant in reducing the amount of waste and pollution in association with the wedding industry?

It was a eureka moment when I realized that I could and should extend my own environmental values to what I do for a living. As I began researching the idea, I was over the moon with excitement. There are so many clever ways to green up an event without compromising one’s style. This was the birth of Essential Sage Weddings & Events.

More on becoming a Green Wedding Planner?

Just before the economy started to head south I received a call from a friend on behalf on another friend. She was looking for a wedding planner and had seen my event work and wanted to work together.  I decided to dip my toe into the wedding planning waters and found that I really enjoyed it.  It was then that I decided to diversify a bit as the corporate and non-profit segment of the business had slowed way down but there would always be brides.

So that I could offer my clients the latest and greatest tips and trends and to expand my wedding planner knowledge base, I took a certification from the Dallas Wedding Planner.  It was evident that Dallas was saturated with wedding planners and I needed to figure out how to differentiate myself from the masses.  I went back to what was important to me personally and professionally.  It didn’t take long to land on my love of the environment and quest to be personally as eco-friendly as I could.  I did some research to see what was happening in the movement and found that there was little attention being paid to the extraordinary amount of waste that conventional weddings produce in our country, Texas and certainly in Dallas.  That’s when I knew, this was my niche.  Albeit an uphill climb, I knew this was a business for me. To further expand my Green Wedding Planning knowledge, I completed a certification through the International Wedding Planning Institute taught by one of the founders of the eco-chic wedding movement, Kate Harrison at the Green Bride Guide.

Check out next month’s installment to read more about getting Essential Sage off the ground and what tips and tricks exist to make your next event or wedding Eco-chic! In the meantime, follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

See you soon!

We first discovered the Fort Worth Nature Center back in March when we found two baby opossums in our back yard;

We Found Two Baby Opossum in Our Yard

The mother of these cute little opossum babies had died nearby and we were left with these wonderful little babies to take care of. We researched for a local animal refuge and eventually contacted the Fort Worth Nature Center who mentioned to us that they could rehabilitate and eventually release these little opossum. We drove through rush hour traffic to the nature center and our little baby opossum were greeted with a warm place to sleep and lots of nourishment.

Today we re-visited the wonderful Fort Worth Nature Center under more relaxed circumstances and found an amazing nature preserve which plays host to many wonderful native Texas animals;

The Fort Worth Nature Center - A Wonderful Wildlife Refuge

Their Mission:

“To enhance the quality of life by enrolling and educating our community in the preservation and protection of natural areas while standing as an example of these same principles and values in North Central Texas.”

The Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge (FWNC&R) is located just inside the city limits of Fort Worth, TX. The FWNC&R is a hidden jewel, a wilderness comprised of forests, prairies, and wetlands reminiscent of how much of the Fort Worth/Dallas metroplex once looked. Replete with native flora and fauna, the area beckons to those searching for a piece of nature to refresh their spirits and reintroduce a measure of tranquility to their increasingly urban lifestyles.

We hope you enjoy our photo essay from our visit;

1. Turtle Time!

A Texas Turtle Swimming

Popping up to say hello!

Sunbathing on a rock

A Pair of Red Eared Sliders Stretching

2. Slithering Snakes

A Rough Green Snake Keeps Wacth at the Main Desk

A Beautiful Snake Curled Up

A Bright Corn Snake Watching Us

A Pug Nosed Snake Peers Back Us!

A Large Bull Snake Sleeping

3. Majestic Owls

The Barred Owl

The Beautiful Barred Owl Watches Us

The Great Horned Owl

The Majestic Great Horned Owl Keeps Watch

4. The Wonderful Walking Trails

With over 3600 acres, the FWNC&R is one of the largest city-owned nature centers in the United States and offers residents and visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the natural history of north central Texas . Over 20 miles of hiking trails provide easy access to a myriad of natural wonders to be found on the Refuge.

We chose to walk the short 0.5 mile Caprock trail which features limestone consisting of millions of compacted oyster shells.

The Caprock Trail with Limestone Walkways

Lots of Wonderful Native Texas Flora

We Saw Tiny Spiders

We Saw Graceful Hawks

Fantastic Views From the Peak of Caprock Trail

The Scenery Was Stunning

In 2009, the Fort Worth Nature Center received the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Lone Star Steward Award in the Corporate/Public category. This award recognizes excellence in habitat management and wildlife conservation.

5. The Journey Home

The wonderful experience continued even as we were leaving the Fort Worth Nature Center. We spotted this wonderful centipede crossing the path!

We saw this little Centipede crossing the path!

He slowly made his way towards the sandy soil

He climbed over twigs and branches

He seemed happy amongst the leaves and rocks!

We drove back out past a tributary river which feeds into Lake Worth and spotted even more wildlife;

A fork of the Trinity River which feeds into Lake Worth

We Spotted a Beautiful Deer Through the Trees

The Deer Spotted Us Through the Trees!

The Deer Was Happy to Let us Watch

Once the Introductions Were Over the Deer Continued Feeding

We had a wonderful day at the Fort Worth Nature Center and we hope you will pay them a visit if you are ever in the area.

We’ve included a Google Maps view below;

Long after we had opened all of the Christmas gifts we found that we had also received a very special gift from a wonderful online store simply called Organic Bug.

Organic Bug was founded by sisters Peggy English & Patty Nalley.

Peggy & Patty started their online store with a vision of personal well-being, social justice and a sustainable future.

The Organic Bug online store is super easy to navigate and features a wide range of eco friendly toys and gifts. We will be doing most of our holiday gift shopping online with Organic Bug next year;

The Organic Bug Online Store

The wonderful gift that we received was a green toy recycling truck made from recycled milk jugs and I have to say, I am super excited about teaching our little boy about recycling by using this excellent toy truck.

Our Green Recycling Truck from OrganicBug.com

The Truck is Made From Recycled Milk Jugs!

Recycled Milk Jugs Turned Into Toys

We Rushed to Get the Little Green Truck Opened

Thanks to OrganicBug.com We Have a Unique Educational Toy

Even the Packaging Can Be Used for Education

The packaging for the recycled milk jug recycling truck is also part of the toy, you simply cut out the various recyclables such as the paper stacks, plastic bottles and tin cans, these can then be placed into the truck through the correct recycling chute! Genius

A Cool and Educational Green Toy

The Green Recycling Truck In Dump Mode!

The Truck Teaches Kids to Recycle Paper, Metal and Plastic

The Green Truck is Made by "Green Toys" and is Available from OrganicBug.com

Thanks to OrganicBug.com, We Love Our Green Recycling Truck!

We hope you enjoyed sharing this wonderful eco friendly toy with us and we hope you will visit our friends at the Organic Bug Eco Store.

Organic Bug - Sustainable Products Promoting Healthy Lifestyles

I now live here in North Texas and am surrounded by SUV’s and Trucks, however, the recession brought with it an influx of cost and fuel efficient vehicles from the European market.

The Ford Fiesta is now available here in America and my wonderful mother in law decided to buy one for several reasons;

• They look great, very cute appearance (especially in Lime Squeeze Metallic Green!!!)
• Although small they have lots of interior room and cargo space
• They’re fuel efficient without the higher cost of being a Hybrid technology
• High safety ratings, important for traveling with a new grandson on board!

It was with much anticipation that I waited for this new addition to the family but it arrived at our home yesterday and I proceeded to take lots of photos;

How Green is the New Ford Fiesta?

Answer: Very Green... Especially in the Lime Squeeze Metallic Color!

A Deceptively Large Cargo Space Hides Under the Hatch Back

A Large Trunk Provides Ample Cargo Space

Stylish Lines Make the Fiesta a Contender to Minis and Bugs!

Cool Headlights and a Nice Grill

Wasp-Like Headlights Add to the Cute Factor!

OK, so we’ve ogled at the pretty pictures but what about facts? Under the hood of this sparkling sedan lies a Performance 1.6L Ti-VCT Duratec® I4 Engine which features twin independent variable-cam timing! So what does that mean in terms of fuel economy?

“The pint-sized engine provides a projected class-leading 40 mpg highway which comes close to some of the hybrid technologies.”

So what about safety? The new Ford Fiesta features seven standard airbags including a driver’s knee airbag. The seven standard airbags add up to more than any other car in its class.

Coming back to fuel economy, drivers have reported figures of 29 miles per gallon in the city and 40 on the highway but these could be higher with fuel conscious driving habits.

The Ford Fiesta also boasts many aerodynamic design characteristics that help minimize air resistance and increase fuel efficiency, such as the aero-shaped body-mounted mirrors and the line cut into the rear tail-lamps.

The optional Super Fuel Economy Package offers additional aerodynamic details such as under-body shields and blockers on the lower grille.

All of this adds up to make the new Ford Fiesta the most fuel economic sub-compact car according to FuelEconomy.gov

Overall we think the new Ford Fiesta is extremely green, both in looks and under the hood, so what are you waiting for? Go trade in that clunker for a new green Fiesta!

The Metallic "Lime Squeeze" Paint Sparkles in Sunlight

View Our Green Ford Fiesta Gallery;

The whale is based on some pictures of blue whales that I found whilst searching Google images, my favorite was Blue Whale by Allan Hancock.
I tried to make our nursery wall whale painting a little more cartoony whilst keeping some realism. We hope you like the final result?

Our Nursery Wall Whale Painting

With our first baby on the way my wife and I have started taking on those small renovation projects that we had been putting off. We quickly realized that many of our decorating choices were heavily influenced by what would be healthy for mom and baby, we also realized that these same decorating choices were very green and eco friendly!

1. Investigate the Latest Eco Friendly Painting Accessories…

There are lots of new eco friendly painting accessories to choose from which can all be found at your local big chain hardware stores, we used an EcoDrop biodegradable plastic drop cloth to catch any spills, a 100% biodegradable and recyclable paint tray made by BioTray and a recycled plastic paint roller made by Whizz Green;

Green Decorating Ideas

There are enough green products available at local hardware stores now to enable even a budget friendly decorating session to be completely eco friendly.

2. Decorate Using Natural Collected Items Such as Shells or Corks…

We took an existing glass jar and re-vamped it with shells that we had collected on vacation and corks from our own private collection! We continue to add more corks whenever we finish a bottle of wine and it has made for an interesting piece of home decor;

Decorate with Corks and Shells

You could use interesting dried leaves, acorns or even something like beer bottle tops! Use whatever grabs your imagination and take pride in the fact that you are re-using something.

3. Transform Old Furniture With a Cool Distressed Look….

You don’t have to buy new furniture, why not reclaim an old piece of furniture and give it a new lease on life with some cool distressed painting techniques.

We bought an old wash stand and transformed it into a wonderfully chic buffet with a couple of coats of paint and new knobs;

Transform Old Furniture

If you want to read more on how we created the above piece then checkout our article on painting wooden furniture.

Thanks for reading our green decorating ideas, we’d love to hear from you so please leave a comment or join us on Facebook / Twitter for more eco friendly decorating ideas.

Green Resolutions for the New Year

1. Plant more plants in the yard, in the community, on the planet:

Trees are like the lungs of the planet. They breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. Additionally, they provide habitat for birds and other wildlife. Trees also absorb sound and reduce noise pollution. Check out this site if you don’t have space to plant a tree around your home:  Trees for the Future

2. Reduce my use of an automobile:

We have now become a one car family. With just my husband and I, it seems to be working out for us. We have found that we don’t need two cars. We also own two bikes and are in good health so walking is also an option. So far so good. There really is no need to drive short distances, I recommend getting a bike or if you have the money, an electric scooter.

3. I am absolutely going to start using my eco-friendly/reusable grocery bags:

I have them, they are in the car; I am going to take them into the store, I mean it!!

4. Any new appliances we buy will be the energy star variety:

As we get into the new year, any item we need to replace we will research and purchase the most energy efficient  item. First on the list, our electric can opener is near its end. My choice, an old fashion hand crank can opener. Not as quick but we just don’t use that many can goods, so I think it will work.

5. Recycle…. More!

Reduce our purchase of packaged products and buy more bulk with less extra wrap! Don’t forget to make lots of visits to Our Everyday Earth.com in 2010, we hope to make a difference in our lives and others by passing on as much earth friendly information and ways to simplify your life.

There you have it, my top 5. What about you? Leave a comment on any resolutions you think might help out planet.

“You don’t have to cut down a tree, to make a used cardboard box!”

The founder of the company, Marty Metro, started selling used cardboard boxes in his local neighborhood back in 2002 and he saw the potential for a big business;

“It’s true! In 2002, I started buying and selling used cardboard boxes in my neighborhood, just because I knew people wanted to get rid of them after they move… and I knew others would buy used boxes, if they were available. I figured I’d test it out and see if anything came from it.”

UsedCardboardBoxes.com doesn’t cut down any trees at all. They rescue truckloads of quality used boxes from large companies that might otherwise recycle them or simply throw them away. The recycled boxes are guaranteed to work just as well as a new box.

Marty Metro Started by Selling Boxes in his Neighborhood

They offer lots of “moving packs” which are ideal for that next relocation, and they always include FREE SHIPPING!

Some of their boxes will have printing on them. Some may have tape, packing labels or even handwriting on them but this is a small price to pay for keeping all of those perfectly usable boxes in circulation. Watch a video of their recycling process here;

The company says that “No matter what you order from UsedCardboardBoxes.com, your satisfaction is guaranteed, 100%.” So what are you waiting for? If you need some cardboard boxes for moving, packing or storage, this is a great green alternative to just buying new.
Visit them today;
UsedCardboardBoxes.com