GreenerMe Blog

Heartsy Feature Going on Now!

2011-10-04T20:48:00.001-05:00

Hi lovers! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Tuesday. I am feeling a little sickly and no matter what I do the aching won't stop! After a nice long nap, I thought it would be fun to post about a special deal I'm offering through Heartsy. What is Heartsy? Well it's an online website, similar to Groupon but exclusively for Etsy stores.

The deal I am offering to you, my wonderful supporters, is $21.00 worth of merchandise for only $9.00!

Simply visit this link to buy your Heartsy and then visit my shop to purchase your goods! You can visit my shop first too, but I guarantee you'll find something perfect for you or to give as a gift ;)

Thank you so much for your support!

Motivating Monday - Finding Your Courage

2011-09-26T17:37:00.000-05:00

Hi lovers! It's a busy week on the GreenerMe front. This week I'm getting ~~all ready~~ as ready as possible for Indie Emporium! I put together a few new products and am very excited to debut them!! I haven't set up at a show in over a year so this is very exciting and nerve-wracking. I was lacking in the self-confidence this morning so I decided to check out Etsy's Livestream to see if any new workshops were listed. they always have some amazing people talk and it is really inspiring! Luckily there were some new ones so I listened to a few and this one caught my ear. Chad Dickerson is the CEO of Etsy and his workshop was all about finding your courage. It takes a lot of work and courage to get to where you want to be in life, and I think he hit the nail on the head with his talk. Check it out below for a little craft motivation.

(**hint: I love to have these kinds of things playing in the background while I work, I get to work AND learn - it's a perfect combo!).

Watch live streaming video from etsy at livestream.com

Hope everyone has had a wonderful Monday! Time for me to get my Zumba on :)

If you're in Tulsa, be sure to come see me at Indie Emporium this Friday and Saturday at the Living Arts of Tulsa. xoxo

Motivating Monday - No Excuses

2011-09-19T06:30:00.000-05:00

I came across this Nike video from my lovely GiveMore work-life inspirational email and thought it was worth sharing. It's really hard to master not using excuses, but I try my best to not use them. Are you executing a no-excuse plan?

Happy Monday! Let's get out there and dominate this work week!!

Fall Back with Inspiration

2011-09-16T14:35:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday mi lovelies!! It's cloudy and cool here in T-town and I could not be more ecstatic. I've waited patiently for this time of year to finally come and now that it's here there's so much I want to do! Cleaning, baking, crafting, craft shows... Tis the season :)

For fun, I put together a few of my favorite crafts I've been eyeing and hope to make very soon. First up is this adorable felt rosette wreath. I want this hanging on my front door like, right MEOW! The full tutorial is up on Stelabird's blog.

Up next, I originally came across this on Pinterest and though there is not a tutorial for it (it's for sale, here), I think it would be super easy to make. Simply purchase a canvas-wrapped frame or piece of plywood as well as little letters spelling out your own fun phrase. Adhere the letters in order, paint all one color and viola! A new masterpiece custom to you.

Last but not least, is this not the most fun and creative wall decor, ever? Would look great in any room of the home (even the porch!). So easy and cheap to make, too. Check out PurlBee's blog for more fun tutorials.

What are you looking forward to crafting with this fall?

the tables will be set

2011-09-04T22:52:00.000-05:00

Hello, dahlings! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Labor Day weekend! The weather is beautiful and it's a long weekend - what more could you ask for? :) I'm working hard this weekend to prep for Indie Emporium, but thought I'd take a moment to share some new wedding-related goodies :) I have officially created my table settings! Hoorah!

Before I get into the table settings I should mention my dress came in! It is fabulous! It almost fits perfectly too, just a few minor adjustments. It made everything more real to put the dress on!! Sweetheart neck with straps and lots of bead work, tulle dress with flower and bead work detailing and a train.. I wish I could show you! But ya know, we gotta keep it a secret from the mister ;) I did trick him the other day, I came across a super puffy wedding dress in a magazine, like the whole sleeve and breast area just had this puffy fabric.. I said, "Hey, this is my dress!" He hesitantly looked and then gave me "the look" and said nuh-uh..? I would never wear something like that so it was rather humorous :)

We will have two different table sizes, round table and bistro tables. I figure if we have enough table room for 100 we will be good to go. I will use solid white linens and place a sheer white linen on top for both table sizes. For the round tables, there will be a large vase at the center of the table with a white rose submerged in water, diamonds at the bottom of the vase and a floating candle on top! I found some cute tea-light votive holders that come in three different sizes. They kind of remind me of a wine glass, but with a tea-light votive on top instead of a glass! Instead of placing tea-lights, I will cut off the stem of the roses and place just the buds in the votive. On the table itself there will be actual tea light votives, rose petals and diamonds scattered throughout. I like the layered effect everything has. I will also find some kind of purple charger or place mats to give everything that "pop" of color!

I'm loving this look! Very elegant!

For the bistro tables I will use most aspects of this effect, except for the floating candle and possibly the submerged rose. I want the bistro tables to give off a lot of height and be the focal points of the room, so I am going to place branches at the top of the vase and hang crystals from the branches.

On our extra tables (cake, guest table, gifts, food, etc.) I will scatter the diamonds, rose petals, tea lights and tiered tea-light votives with roses instead of candles throughout just to keep everything cohesive.

I'm excited to have a vision going for the big day! Now can we fast forward a few months, teehee :) We narrowed down the guest list, so now I should probably start getting my Save the Date design together, woot!!

Thanks for looking! In case you're interested, I decided to list my bunting invitations in the shop and also have a couple more designs that I added. Feel free to take a look! Click here.

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!!

vote me in on heartsy

2011-09-03T23:28:00.002-05:00

Hello lovers! I have an exciting opportunity up for grabs right NOW, but I need your help to make it happen! I've submitted an offer to Heartsy to be a vendor that provides an awesome deal to you, the customer! In order to get the feature, you the customer have to vote me in!

To make a vote, go here and click the button that says, "Yes, definitely!"

Heartsy is the Groupon of Etsy, which means you can get fabulous deals on handmade goods by buying a deal through Heartsy. The stores that are allowed to enter deals must have a handmade shop.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

a change of pace - my henna tattoo

2011-08-31T17:25:00.004-05:00

This past weekend I went to the India Festival at the Expo Square in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The theme of the event was an Indian wedding, aka Utsav, and it was pretty flippin' cool! There was folk dancing, delicious food, a lot of booths available to learn about the the Indian culture, clothing available, games, came rides, etc. It was quite enjoyable! My favorite part was the henna tattoos available. I totally got one and I could not be more obsessed.

Here it is about an hour after application:

It took the girl about 5 minutes to complete! You then leave it on for a least two hours (I left mine on for three) then wash it off and viola, a beautiful piece of artwork. Here's mine a couple days later:

The tattoo lasts 1-3 weeks. I can tell mine is slowly fading, boo! I would never get a permanent tattoo on my hand, but I can't stop obsessing over this henna and I think I gotta go permanent on my arm for sure. In due time... :)

Prepping for Indie Emporium

2011-08-29T22:40:00.000-05:00

Hi there ladies and gents! I hope everyone had a fabulous Monday. Mine went pretty well, you know work.. Zumba.. bringing the fiance dinners.. All that good stuff :) I've felt pretty absent the last week or so and I wanted to check in with my beautiful, lovely people! How are you?

For the past couple of weeks I've had my head down, working hard in preparation for Indie Emporium. I've mentioned it a few times on the blog, but if you've missed out you can read all about it here. It is a super cool, indie craft show where everything is handmade! It's a grand event with make&take tables, demos, live music, hip craft vendors and best of all - a handmade fashion show. It's all happening September 30th and October 1, 2011. I do a lot of the graphic work but this year I'm stepping it up and will be setting up a table with all my lovely paper goods and a few new additions, so I hope you'll come by and see me!!

The wedding front is still swell, I started on my wedding blog and ironed out the guest list. Going to look at the venue with fresh eyes next week to see how it's all coming together! I do have a very special invitation to debut, but that will have to wait a couple of weeks :) **Hint: it's an invite for a special tea party for my bridesmaids, mom and grandmother! I seriously cannot wait to show off this cuteness.

It's probably going to be a quiet month, but I will try my best to get some cool things scheduled for your viewing pleasure. :) Thanks for reading! xoxo

motivating monday - coaching

2011-08-22T08:30:00.002-05:00

"A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment." - John Wooden, former UCLA head basketball coach.

Are you spreading the positivity and giving criticism without bashing? I 100% loved today's quote and am a full believer that one can lead a team without being the most disliked person in the room! Before you "coach", be sure to think about how your words will come across. Your words can really change the views of those around you, and it's not always for the better. It is best to speak greatly, less often.

Happy Monday! Let's rock this.

xoxo

wedding wednesday - dazzling rhinestone wedding

2011-08-17T07:30:00.095-05:00

Hi lovers! Today's Wedding Wednesday features a current GreenerMe design + some new components. Can't wait to show you!! Bethann heard about me through her brother and sister-in-law, Brett and Melissa. I had the opportunity create a beautiful wedding set and programs for Brett and Melissa and was soooo super excited that Melissa spread the word about my business to her family! Bethann and her hubby Daniel's wedding plans involved a small formal ceremony followed by a dinner for her closest friends and family. The following day a large dinner and reception was held, a fiesta all of her friends and family could attend! I had honor of creating invitations for both events, as well as table cards and escort cards for the formal ceremony.

Bethann liked the class and sophistication of the Patterned Rhinestone Delight set. This seems to be a big hit amongst the brides and I love changing up the colors for each bride! It truly looks like a whole different set once the colors are customized :)

Here is the rhinestone detail of the set.

For the dinner reception, we used the Patterned Rhinestone Delight set as inspiration and created dazzling tent-style table cards and escort cards!

I knew these had to pop, so I found large rhinestones to be the focal point of the table card that is sure to attract the guests eye! The table card is tent-style and has the table number on both sides of the card.

I just love the detail and how the table cards turned out!

My favorite part about the ceremony/dinner reception set was the escort cards! Each guest was given a 6 ounce bottle of wine as a favor. To both present the favor in an appealing manner and also outline the seating arrangement, the bride requested that the escort cards attach to the bottle of wine.

They turned out perfectly!

Little rhinestones for a little "pop" ;)

Bethann wanted something a bit more casual for the dinner party so I was inspired by my lovely bunting invitations to create an invitation that I thought fit the event's style and theme. The party was held at her parent's home and she was thinking big tents and buffet-style catering. I knew this invitation had to convey a fun and comfortable party that let guests know a good time was in store.

I used peacock teal as the focal color and created flags that spelled out "celebrate". I hand strung these onto a silvery floss and secured each bunting set to the card. The card was then mounted onto the teal cardstock and paired with a white envelope. To give a little extra touch, we coordinated the bride and groom's names with with the teal color. I can only imagine the great time that was had at this big event!

Don't you just love how the set turned out? I sure do!!

It was a tremendous pleasure to work with the Castone family! Great people and to be able to be apart of not only one big day, but two? I am truly one lucky girl!! Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Burke! I wish you many happy years to come!

motivating monday - make your own circumstances

2011-08-15T11:55:00.002-05:00

“Circumstances! I make circumstances!” – Napoleon Bonaparte

Today is the day you go out and make your own luck! Yes, it’s true, you can make your own luck! Hard work, diligence, kindness and paying it forward are all the keys to success and making your own luck. Regardless of nature vs. nurture, social status or the amount of money you have – everyone has an equal shot at this thing called life and it’s up to you to make it happen.

Whether you don't think it's possible, you're overwhelmed about something or if all odds are against you; I guarantee if you just get busy, you'll get it done, you'll learn and you'll grow.

Yes, you can!! Now get out there and do it; don’t think – just do! :)

a little typography fun

2011-08-13T11:25:00.001-05:00

I stumbled across this graphic and article from Fast Co. that discusses the importance of typography and graphic design. I thought my computer guru's out there might enjoy it! If you want to see the big version, click here.

feature friday - the white lion

2011-08-12T14:27:00.000-05:00

Fish and chips lovers unite! I have the cutest lil place in Tulsa that you need to put on your to-do list asap.

Today's Feature Friday is all about The White Lion. I recently discovered this hidden oasis a few weeks ago when my fiance visited for the first time. He knew I'd love it! I finally got to experience the magic this past week and let me tell you, it is quite delightful!

Tucked away in the backroads of 71st street, this gem is right off of Canton, which is close to Yale and right around the corner from Tulsa's favorite gas station, QuikTrip. They reside in an old house that has been converted to a restaraunt! I love old and vintage, so as soon as I walked in I knew Josh was right, this was right up my alley!

They have quite an assortment of English pub food including fish & chips, bangers & mash, steak & mushroom pie, cottage pie, cornish pastie, welsh rarebit, and more. And for all the lushies out there, a wide range of beers and other alcoholic beverages are also available!

I hope you'll check out The White Lion!

Find 'em on Facebook.

6927 South Canton Avenue

Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136

favorite tablescapes

2011-08-11T11:40:00.001-05:00

Now that I'm so far along on my wedding planning, I'm excited because I can actually think about the event design. I'm ready to whip out my bunting and streamers, but this isn't a crafty birthday party - this is my one and only wedding! So I know I have to do it right. Martha Stewart Weddings has been a tremendous inspiration. I could spend days looking through their online idea boards! There are a lot of cute table-scapes out there and I'm trying to nail down the one that's right for me. Here's a few of my faves...

I love the ribbon used on this table-scape! It forms such a cute pattern but I wonder it if would be easily messed up? It might just be a bit to informal for my vision.

Then there's this guy, which kind of falls in the same category as table-scape number one. Super cute, simple.. But too informal? I think so. Would be perfect for an at home dinner party, which I cannot wait to have after I am a Mrs. Justus! :)

I think we're getting close to my vision with this. I love, love, love the long-stemmed rose in a long circular glass vase, and this idea is pretty darn close. Look at the single roses in the votives, how cute! What about long-stemmed roses in long circular glass vases, a few different heights + the single roses in votives scattered throughout with candles? That sounds nice!

This table-scape and the one following really portrays the vibe I'm going for. Silver, greens and glass. Simple and elegant. Muy perfecto!

So pretty. I love the different textures and heights going on with this table. And the candles are lovely!

Since I am just doing hors'derves though, I wonder if I need a large amount of tables and fancy setups. Do people expect to sit down at tables for hors'derves or do they walk around and mingle? I'm thinking maybe a mixture of both?

My ceremony and reception are all in one room, so I need everything to be cohesive. I was thinking of setting up half ceremony seating on one side and half reception seating w/tables on the other side. Guests can sit on either side for both of the ceremony and reception. Does that sound tacky? Guess I will need to do some more research!! Thoughts/opinions/suggestions always welcome :)

wedding wednesday - real wedding, the vanderzee's

2011-08-10T07:30:00.097-05:00

I am super excited about today's post. Mostly because I've been holding onto my excitement for a few months now, waiting for this big day to come! When Laura emailed me to ask if I could print her invitations, a design she created herself, honestly I have to admit I was a little apprehensive just because it was territory I had yet embarked on. But being my eager-to-help self, I asked her to send over what she had so I could take a look! Little did I know I would instantly fall in love!

Her request was for front and back printing for both her invitation and postcard-response card. I knew I couldn't turn this lovely piece of artwork down the moment I saw it and luckily she accepted my offer to print her unique invitation set. While I was cranking away at the 300 invite order, I imagined how the ceremony would take place and new it would be filled with special handmade decorations and full of love, laughter and spirituality. I imagined sweet love birds watching over them as they speak their vows in front of their most loved and cherished friends and family.

It's one thing to imagine and another to see it in real life so I finished up the order as quick as I could, eagerly anticipating the big day. I couldn't wait to see how these invitations tied everything together! I always love to see how the initial invitation design works with the rest of the event design and I knew this set would be the best first impression possible. I think I was right ;)

Laura and Brett had a beautiful wedding on August 6th at The Stinchcomb Mansion in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Here's a shot of her ceremony space and special signage. They also had a lovely drink table with lots of different-sized jugs and what not. Truly the cutest thing ever!

Laura's dress was also a delight. A wonderful mix of florals and tulle with an adorable train. I swoon!

Here's the happy couple! I love how Brett's suit ties in the purple of the invitations! I'm so honored to have the chance to bring Laura's masterpiece to life. Looking through all their pictures totally warmed my heart. This sweet and loving couple definitely has many happy years to come. I wish you the best Mr. and Mrs. Vanderzee!!

GreenerMe + Vanderzee = Match made in Heaven ;)

I might also add the Laura is quite the photographer as of late! I can't wait to see where this journey takes her. Both Brett and Laura are musicians so it's always fun to see an artist take a new step. Congrats all around!

xoxo

motivating monday - happiness is a mindset

2011-08-08T07:30:00.000-05:00

"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." -- Abraham Lincoln

Today is the day! Did you wake up with a smile on your face, ready to take on the challenges of life ahead? If not, it’s time to turn the frown upside down and get moving. No, “I don’t wannas” allowed. You can’t let situations and surroundings affect your day-to-day psyche. Focus on controlling your thoughts, finding what makes you most happy and get your buns moving! Life is just too dang short to not enjoy every moment we have!

Cheers to getting out there and making the most of this beautiful day!

feature friday - indie emporium 2011

2011-08-05T17:26:00.000-05:00

Sup peeps! It's another Feature Friday and this week I want to cover my most favorite craft show in Tulsa!

Indie Emporium is an all handmade craft show (no pyramid schemes or factory manufactured products here!) that features lovely artists from across the nation. But wait, there's more! A handmade fashion show, make&take craft tables for the whole family, live music, silent auction, art gallery, food.. It's really just a whole big to-do! And surely you don't want to miss out on a big to-do, right?!

This year we're switching up the location, Indie Emporium will take place in downtown Tulsa at the Living Arts of Tulsa. We're super excited about this new venue space and the opportunity to support our local art and craft community! The days of the show are September 30 and October 1st.

If you're the owner of a handmade business and have interest in setting up a booth, I have a good news for you! Applications are being accepted through August 14th for vendors, fashion designers, musicians and artists! Check out the T's & C's and fill out your app by clicking here.

Maybe you'd rather support IE monetarily? We would so appreciate it! Sponsors can click here to check out our available packages.

Just interested in shopping and checking out the coolness? You're in luck, cause we'll have 50 of the most fabulous handmade vendors one could ask for, all ready and willing to show you their stuff. Bring a few cans of food in exchange for discount tickets and you're being an overall good citizen - easy! Click here to view the website!

Hope to see you out this year! I have put in my application for a table setup and can't hear to see who's picked for the show! It's going to be greeeeaaaaaat!!!!

wedding wednesday - wedding update

2011-08-03T17:03:00.002-05:00

Hello my favorite blog peeps of all the land! Time for a little update on this ‘ol wedding of mine. Still going greatly but can I take a moment say OMG?! I’ve doubled the amount of tasks going on in my life and I don’t know how I’m keeping up, I’m not really, but somehow everything is going well so far.

I’ve started a workout routine with my mom - we’re doing Zumba! Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturdays. Yes, that’s a lot of Zumba! But yes, it’s really that fun :) If you’re in the Tulsa area and interested in attending, I absolutely adore my instructor, Christy. She’s totally goofy and makes crazy noises while we’re working out so there’s this level of no-shame going on and we all just get into it! Highly recommend. Classes are one hour long and the cost is just $5/ea or you can get 8 classes for $28. And yes I tried it on WII and it’s way better live!

Sound fun? Check out the website here, or Facebook page here for all the details!

The reason for being fit... I bought my dress! I’m excited but I’m trying my best not to be! I ordered it online so it just makes me nervous. I did show it to a tailor and she measured me and said the dress was gorgeous too, just hard when I can’t try it on!! So wish I could show you guys! Just know it’s gorgeous, full of of lace and tulle, long train.. The works! I went with cap sleeves cause let's face it, the girls gotta have some support and strapless dresses just don't work for me! While visiting the tailor we found out that she was opening a bakery, too. So I got to try some cake samples and let’s just say I fell in love! Cake is great.. I could eat a whole one if I didn’t know better.. Mmm. Now the tailor will do the finishing on my dress AND baking my cake. Easy enough!

Need tailoring, event planning, baking or photography (yes, this tailor does it all!) get in touch with Sheila at 918-313-9204. Her office is located at 5412-C S Mingo Road in Tulsa. She is a sweet lady and I constantly hear positive things about her work!!

Also booked the photographer and caterer! I’ve been a busy girl!

We went with Tulsa Pix, love their style and their price so all I had to do was meet them to finalize the deal. They’re a husband and wife duo, which I thought was really cool, too! I have a guy to take pictures of my men and a sweet lady to take pictures of my girls. One is super attentive to details; the other is there to get pictures of the party. I’m very excited to have the different perspectives! I’m also so excited to finally have delightful pictures of Josh and I to hang around the house <3

You can check out Tulsa Pix’s website here, or their blog here.

Next up, the catering. We picked Servers Plus! Kennetha runs Servers Plus and she is actually a family friend, so I am super excited to help her out and have her be apart of our big day! She setup a nice package for us that will include delicious hors d'oeuvres of my choosing. I haven’t made the choosing though, still have to round up my ideas! The package includes 4 servers + bartender that will also assist and mingle with the crowd. I couldn’t be more excited to have a “team” working my big day so I don’t have to worry about it! If you have any food suggestions, I’m all ears!

You can check out Servers Plus’ website here! Or get in touch with me and I’ll give you Kennetha’s number!

Well I think this brings us all up to date on my latest happenings! I’m so excited to get so much done. Now I can focus more on the design of the event, which I know is going to be so much fun :) Guess I should finalize my guest list first though! And make Save the Dates.. Oh boy...

Happy Wedding Wednesday lovers!! <3

motivating monday - dream big

2011-08-01T07:30:00.000-05:00

“We can’t think narrowly. We have to think in the biggest possible way.” – Alice Waters

Hey party people! I like today’s quote because of the new found wedding planner in me. The inspiration and grand ideas are buzzing like crazy and there are so many options and directions one can go when planning their wedding. It’s kind of overwhelming, but I’m having a blast taking it all in! When Josh first asked me to marry him, I was thinking a small ceremony and reception, just about 50 people or so, and then we’d go on our honeymoon and call it good. My mom suggested I put my guest list together before I get settled on this decision, so I did. 240 guests later, uh yeah.. I suppose I’ll have a big wedding! This has actually inspired me and made me a bit more outgoing and I couldn’t be more excited about planning a big party for all my closest friends and family. The more I get into it, the more I love it and if all goes as I planned, I could definitely see a career coming out of this!

My point to this story is you have to dream big and be willing to ride the wave of life. Life doesn’t always work out how you thought it would, whether it’s family, career or something else.. You can have a general plan but if you have to derail to avoid destruction, keeping an open mind for that will help so much in the long run. I’m all about dreaming big, because yes – you can do whatever you put your mind to!

I’d love to hear the struggle-turned-winner moments you all have had. I want to be inspired by you!! Feel free to share them in the comment section below or drop me an email at renee@greenerme.net!

Thank you for reading :) xoxox <3

the cutest baby shower invitation ever! bunting!

2011-07-28T20:13:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! I'm super excited to debut this new design to you! It's mini bunting.. You know, the flags placed delicately on string and normally used for party decor, WELL I have shrunk it down to card form! Check out this adorable baby shower invitation:

For this invitation I created little bunting flags in Photoshop and printed them all out. I cut out each individual flag and attach it to the string. From there I adorn it on the invitation and then glue each flag down on the invitation so it's sturdy. This combination is then mounted onto the shimmery opal card stock and before you know it a beautiful mini-bunting invitation is born!

I'm in love.

They are super time consuming and to make a profit the retail price is unbelievably high! So, I think instead of marketing these as baby shower invitations I will create some singles for special occasions such as happy birthday, congratulations and thank you :) I'll debut these very soon so be sure to keep checking back on where you can get your own! :)

wedding update - picked the colors & dj

2011-07-26T07:30:00.000-05:00

Hi pretties! It's a good day on the GreenerMe front.. Having the opportunity to create beautiful invitations for not only my lovely clients but also myself? I could not ask for more! The planning process has been so fun so far and I can't wait to share my next decisions with you.. The palette!

If you couldn't already tell, I am a big fan of green. Green biz, green blog, green car, green house.. The list goes on. When picking out my color scheme, I knew I had to include green! After perusing Style Me Pretty and Green Wedding Shoes for hours, it finally clicked! The colors I have chose are sage green, grey, white with a pop of purple.

I'd love to see the guys in grey suits with black dress shoes. My ladies I'd love to see in sage green, but am not concerned with them being all matchy-matchy. I figure some cute black pumps, wedges or flats would be easy to find, if they didn't already own a pair. My dress will be white, but I will of course not show it off until after the big day! I'd love to find some fabulous green pumps. I'd like all the flowers to be white/green and the table settings will bring in the purple. I love how classy yet unique this color scheme is!

My goal for the wedding is to have a nice, sweet and short ceremony followed by a delicious yet inexpensive meal and then the rest will just be a big fiesta!! So I knew I had to find a DJ that would fit the mold and be able to play the eclectic blend of music I plan to have for the party (booty shakin, line dancin, slow dancin, electronic - a little something for everyone!!). He's gotta know when to party, but when to be nice and sweet, too! So I stumbled upon my next decision: The DJ! So stoked about this. I found him through a friend at work and could not be more excited! I actually booked Mikey B (my T-Town fans might recognize him from 106.9 K-Hits) to be my DJ!! He's funny, outgoing and cares about all the details of my wedding, the perfect combo for a DJ in my opinion! He's actually making his step out into the sole-proprietor business world, too. You all know I love to support local! If you need a DJ give Mikey a shout via his Fan Page or Twitter, or shoot me an email and I'll give you his digis.

As of today this is where I'm at. I'm having a great time so far with all the planning and I can't wait to take on more tasks! Super stoked that I have my lovely blog with super sweet readers to share my crazy ideas with. Thank YOU for tuning in! Until next time... <3

motivating monday - don't drink the hater-ade

2011-07-25T08:45:00.003-05:00

Are you having problems with haters? Ugh, I hate haters – don’t you? If the answer is yes, I have the perfect quote for you.

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” – Albert Einstein

At some point in this grand ‘ol thing we call life, someone will doubt you for something your passionate about. I don’t have to give examples; you know what I’m talking about and how it applies to you. While some criticism is a great way to get a full perspective, it can get a little excessive as well. Here are my tips on shaking off the haters:

- Realize you will have opposition before you start.
- Don’t react with an attitude; this just gives a hater more fuel. Keep it calm and keep smiling.
- Dare to be yourself.
- Be confident in your idea, plan or goal.

Dealing with haters definitely takes time to master. And definitely know that he more awesome you get, the more haters you'll have. People get jealous, plain and simple. Just know you’re awesome and don’t let it get you down. Awesome people like us don’t have time to waste on the hater-ade.

xoxo

feature friday - dragonmoon tea company

2011-07-22T07:30:00.000-05:00

Hi doll faces! For today's Feature Friday I am covering my favorite tea room in Tulsa - Dragonmoon Tea Company. It is right in the heart of midtown at 21st and Harvard and the building looks like an old brick house. I'm not sure what the history of the building is, but I seriously adore it!!

Dragonmoon is home to a delightful array of foods and tea. Aside from their tea, they are most famous for their quiches - delicious!! All meals and drinks are served in dainty china with pretty silverware. This is definitely the place to drink with your pinky up!

My favorite entree is the sliced breast of turkey, which is a roasted turkey with cream cheese and homemade cranberry chutney, served on a croissant. I usually pick the potato salad as my side! And if I'm feeling extra hungry I love the tomato soup! I have two favorite teas, the original Dragonmoon blend and the Cream Earl Grey. Everything is so delicious!!! Oh and we must not forget the desserts - to die for!

I love this place so much and am planning to bring my bridesmaids here in September for a nice lunch and so we may discuss the important wedding details :) I figure this is the perfect venue to meet and get us all on the same page! Sara is the owner and she is very accommodating when it comes to a group meal or tea party. The entire restaurant is available for afternoon and high teas - if this would be of interest to you just ask for Sara for Vladimir and they will get you fixed up!

Dragonmoon Tea Company

1927 South Harvard

Tulsa, Oklahoma

918-742-8322

Tuesday - Friday 9am - 6pm

Saturday 10am - 5pm

Lunch Served 11am - 2:30pm

Cheers!

wedding wednesday - it's official, i'm planning my wedding!

2011-07-20T23:18:00.000-05:00

For those of you who are unaware, back in December 2010 Josh asked if I would marry him. Of course I said yes but planning seemed to go to the wayside as I had a lot of business stuff going on. I knew if I tried to force the planning, that I would end up just stressing myself out, so I took notes in my journal as I thought of things, but never really gave planning a go. WELL, that all changed about two weeks ago. I'm not sure what happened, but it was like a brick hit me and I was suddenly motivated and flooded with ideas! And so the journey begins.

My mom has been a trooper and a sound board for all my crazy ideas and I'm so grateful! We toured the Harwelden Mansion last weekend, and though I adore the old mansion, the history behind it and the fact that you are supporting the Arts & Humanities Council, the space was just too small. So we kept searching for an old building.

My mom quickly came across the German American Society of Tulsa, conveniently located at 15th and Lewis, and we thought it would be a good place to check out. It is actually an old Gothic style church, so it has all the really cool stained glass windows and arches. It's got history and it holds a lot more people (oh yeah, my guest list is at 240 right now!!! Ahh!!) so I said, let's take a peek!

After a visit today, we decided it was the one! The deposit has been placed and Josh and I's official big day is May 19, 2012. Whoa. It's kind of surreal to be planning my own wedding, does anyone planning else feel that way? It seems like yesterday I was just a small fry and this was not on the agenda what-so-ever. Ha! I'm super excited though and am having a lot of fun gathering all my ideas!

I originally thought grilling burgers would be fun and inexpensive, but it would really be a lot of hassle and I'd have to build a team and monitor them to make sure everything was going as planned. Not something I want to think about on my big day! I really envision my wedding to be more of a reunion/party with all my family and friends. So now I'm looking into catering options, such as Zio's and Albert G's. So many options when it comes to weddings. But I like to plan so this is just a great outlet for me!!

Of course I plan to do Save the Dates. And yes I know all my paper goods have to be the best anyone has ever seen, since this is MY (GreenerMe's!) big day. So I'll give you a sneak peek at the Save the Date idea I have! I found it through Martha Stewart Weddings, whom I also signed up for their free planning service and it helps with my budgets, has a checklist of when I need to complete things, etc. Very helpful and I recommend it!! Anyway, back to the Save the Dates, the formula to make my scratch off cards is all right on this handy link and I am going to make it happen! How freaking cute is this idea?! Can't wait to show you my take on these babies.

Today has been a great, progressive day and I'm ecstatic about the future! 2012 is going to be a bright year and it couldn't get here any quicker! Now I'm off to brainstorm more ideas in my wildest dreams :) Goodnight lovers! Until next time...

and the winner is...

2011-07-19T14:40:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! I hope everyone is having a wonderful and motivating week! I wanted to drop in and share the results of the stationery giveaway that I know you all have been waiting for with baited breath! There were a total of 23 entries.

And the winner is....

Entry# 19!

deeberb23, you have won a fabulous, personalized 16 card stationery or thank you card set! Please email me at renee@greenerme.net! Can't wait to connect with you to see which set you pick out :)

Thank you so much to everyone who entered! When I originally came up with this contest idea I thought it would be a great way for me to see what everyone likes the best in my shop, little did I know my heart would melt with each and every comment! You guys are seriously, so sweet!! As a special thank you to my readers, I'd love for you guys to peruse my shop and pick out any stationery or thank you card set you'd like AND receive a 10% discount! Simply enter code HEARTYOU10 at check out :)

Thanks again! You guys are so awesome.

motivating monday - welcome positive patricia

2011-07-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

“Add energy, inspire hope and blow the coals into a useful flame…” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

At some point in our lives, whether it’s natural to us or not, we have to step in a take charge. Whether you’re a small business owner, a manager or just planning your wedding, you will have to give orders at some point. What’s a girl to do? Inspire and ignite! That’s right.

Everyday we should try our best, regardless of our position in life, to breed a positive outlook and inspire others. This is the number one tip to being a successful leader in my book. Looking outside the box at the possibilities instead of what's right in front of us.

What does this mean? Cut out the crap. Talking crap is not only depressing, but it weighs down the others around you, so what’s the point?

I challenge you today, tomorrow, the rest of the week and the rest of the year to inspire others with your kindness and positive outlook. Nothing and no one is as bad as we make it or them out to be, so here’s where we welcome Positive Patricia and kick out Negative Nancy! Hurrah!

xoxo

motivating monday - dare to be yourself

2011-07-11T09:45:00.004-05:00

Hello dear friends and fans! I hope your Monday is going swimmingly thus far. It’s been a busy few weeks over here at the GreenerMe camp and I couldn’t be more ecstatic. One thing I notice when I get super busy like this, is that I don’t have time to be a worry wart. That’s why this week’s quote spoke to me…

“Dare to be yourself.” – Andre Gide

So simple of a phrase for such a powerful meaning. I know we all get in ruts at times but that’s why sticking to your guns is important. Soon your little guns will turn into big guns and by that point you won’t remember the insecurities of your past.

Can you be a doll and dare to be yourself? Can’t wait to see you shine.

xoxo

feature friday - hootsuite

2011-07-08T14:30:00.003-05:00

Hi friends! Hope you all are having a wonderful TGIF. I have a lot of orders going on at the moment, so I’m super stoked for the weekend! I get caught up so much better on the weekends compared to the few hours I put in each night (mind you I have a day job M-F!). At this point I’m looking for anything that can save me some time and I’m sure my fellow business owner friends totally understand! This is why I wanted to use this Feature Friday to tell you a little about HootSuite.

What is HootSuite? It’s a social media management tool that allows you to look at all your social media platforms in one convenient place. I’m currently using it for my Twitter and personal as well as business Facebook pages. My favorite part about HootSuite is that you can schedule your posts. So, for example, I have a giveaway going on right now and want everyone to know about it, but just don’t have the time available to check in every couple of hours to tweet or post on Facebook to keep it current in everyone’s feeds. I found that keeping your content current is vital to keeping the more consistent traffic to your site, so it was really frustrating me when I couldn’t keep up! Now that I have HootSuite I can schedule a few posts to go off throughout the day, which allows me to focus my time on other higher priority tasks – like making cute invitations!

I totally recommend HootSuite and invite you to check them out by clicking the graphic above, or you can just click the link here. If you’re looking for ways to use your time more wisely, I guarantee you will not be disappointed! Oh, and it’s free for a basic membership (up to five social media connects). So really, what do you have to lose?!

Are you already using HootSuite? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

wedding wednesday - fan program and menu debut!

2011-07-06T23:30:00.000-05:00

Helloooo friends! So glad you stopped by today, I have a special debut for you! These paisley beauties were designed for Erica, who heard about me through the Tulsa Wedding Show. Such a doll. She wanted Save the Date magnets for her Mexico destination wedding and her colors were pink and a sandy ivory.

I worked up a business cards-sized magnet and they turned out to be a perfect fit!

I matte the magnets onto a card stock so the final piece will ship safely and securely.

Add a coordinating envelope and a masterpiece is made :)

Next up, were the menus and programs. I'm going to do the programs last, because I'm super excited for them and also have a special treat for you!

Since this is a dinner, I wanted to add some elegance for the dreamy affair. Lots of shimmer involved! Including the ribbon. The back card stock is a super sturdy and shimmery opal card stock, I thought it matched the set perfectly and added just a little something extra.

Next up, the programs!!! So excited about these. They are handmade wicker fans with the program information attached, so you can cool yourself off while put a face to the name!

The back side has two dainty bows that secure the program information and add a bit more detail. The best part about this program is that it is not only a gorgeous fan program, but it is completely functional! By untying these bows the program insert pops out so the guests can continue to use their program throughout the duration of their trip!

To portray the fan in all it's glory, I created a lovely video demonstrating the use of the fan! I love this fan so much I could dive right into a giant pool of them and bask in all their wicker glory. Simply amazing.

Hope you've enjoyed the debut! I know I have and really appreciate you stopping by to take a peek!! Until next time :)

colors i'm feeling - summer 2011

2011-07-05T12:25:00.001-05:00

Hi all! I'm working on lots of new stationery that you'll see in the Etsy shop and at The Felt Bird and a couple of news stores I'm still working on :) Seeing all this color really inspires me, so I thought I'd share my fave colors for this summer!

What are you favorite colors right now?

motivating monday - independence day

2011-07-04T13:29:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th of July to my United States friends! Also known as Independence Day! What better way to spend a Motivating Monday than with freedom, family and friends?

I think the day is quite motivational and inspiring in itself. Like the picture below, we're all a bright spark in the dark sky, awaiting our moment to shine.

Enjoy this special time and make sure to tell all your family and friends just how much you love and appreciate them. As the days pass by, we can't forget about the people we love most!

I'll be sure to light a sparkler or two for you! <3

Pictures taken by myself on 07/01/2011 at our local Tulsa Drillers baseball game!

sometimes you just need two cupcakes

2011-07-03T18:12:00.000-05:00

Hi all, happy weekend! I found this awesome recipe on How Sweet It Is' blog that makes just two vanilla cupcakes. Today was the perfect day for them and just look at how classy they turned out...

Colored sprinkles are a must.

The recipe is easy:

One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes for Two (serves 2)

1 egg white

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla (yes, a full teaspoon – they are super vanilla-y!)

1/4 cup flour

1/4 heaping teaspoon of baking powder

pinch of salt

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 2 liners.

In a bowl, add egg white and sugar and whisk until combined. Add in vanilla and melted butter and stir until mixed. Add flour, baking powder and salt and stir until smooth. Stir in milk. Divide batter equally between the 2 cupcake liners.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until cake is set. Let cool completely, then frost as desired.

For icing, I used a Crisco based fluffy white icing recipe and just played with the recipe until it worked right for the amount of icing I needed.

So good.

Check out the original post here!

wedding wednesday – series post 5 of 5, your perfect invitations – recap and GiVeAwAy!!

2011-06-30T17:24:00.000-05:00

Hello peeps!

This post is a little delayed - I do apologize! Everything in my work-related life is pretty busy (thankfully!), which is just delaying me a bit right now, but that is a whole different blog post :) Basically I waited until 11:30 last night to post this and come to find out there were server issues that prevented me from posting, poot!

This week I wanted to post an audio review I recorded that covers the past four weeks worth of information, all geared at finding and purchasing Your Perfect Invitations. WELL, I can't figure out how to post that here, so it will unfortunately have to wait! If anyone has any tips on how to post an .mp3 file on here (Blogger), let me know - I'll be sure to mention you on the blog :)

If you would like to go back and review the series, click here!

Now, you all have been so good to tune in every week and read my posts. I really appreciate it! What more better of a way to say, "thanks" than by hosting a giveaway? Oh yeah baby, it's time.

Up for grabs is an amazing, spectacular

16 card personalized stationery OR thank you card set.

That's right, you get options. And choice. These cards are made for YOU!

A $32.00 value + FREE Shipping!

(**The Executive and The Professional stationery are not included in this giveaway.)

Here's how to enter:

Visit my shop and pick out your favorite thank you card or stationery set, then come back here to the blog and leave a comment telling me your fave!!

http://greenerme.etsy.com/

Go directly to the stationery by clicking here.

Go directly to the thank you cards by clicking here.

Additional entries are accepted by:

1. Following GreenerMe on Twitter (@GreenerMe)
2. Tweet the following phrase:
"@GreenerMe is hosting an awesome stationery giveaway on her blog! Check it out! http://www.greenermeblog.net"
3. Follwing the GreenerMe Blog using the Google Friend Connect on the right side of the screen -->
4. "Like" my GreenerMe Facebook Page
5. Blog about this giveaway

You will need to leave an additional comment for each entry
so I can keep good track of all entries!!
Entries will be accepted until end of the day Thursday, July 14th, 2011!!

Lots of cute designs to choose from!

Happy entering! :)

motivating monday - work is love

2011-06-27T19:06:00.000-05:00

“Work is love made visible.” – Kahlil Gibran

Can I get a fist pump for this quote? Please! As a handmade business owner, this speaks magnitudes to me. Each invitation and paper good I make is carefully cut and assembled for my own personal muse, my client. In my eyes, each good is two gifts in one – immediately for the client, and then they get to pass their gift on to their friend, family member or coworker. Creating is such a passion for me and I can easily get lost in it for hours (like the 23 hours I worked this weekend - whoa!). Moments come when inspiration is chugging fast like a freight train and I can hardly finish writing my thought down before another tramples over it. Being a creative artist is such a big wave of emotion and the more I embrace it, the more powerful it gets. It’s my own little perfect world.

What passion do you have that allows you to pour your whole heart into? It doesn’t even have to be “creative” or “artsy” - if it you’re an accountant crunching numbers, I believe you put your whole heart into it and those numbers are perfect! Your love shines through.

Switching tracks (still on the freight train idea here), planning a wedding also brings love out of your hard work and efforts. I know the planning process can be super stressful, but the big day will arrive before you know it. When it arrives all this time, money and effort will seem like a distant memory. Your moment to shine will be here and all the hard work put into making this day truly perfect it will shine through. The special touches and moments, the beautiful couple and family and friends, smiles, laughter and dancing – this is what you’ve worked so hard for!

Your wedding is uniquely you – Your work is uniquely you - Your love is uniquely you.

You are you, and you are love! Get out there and embrace what makes you, you.

xoxo

wedding wednesday – series post 4 of 5, your perfect invitations – thank you cards and other components

2011-06-22T06:30:00.007-05:00

Welcome to post four of a five-part series I’ve developed just for you called, “Your Perfect Invitations”. Every Wednesday in June I will post a new blog full of special tips, tricks, advice and other goodies all based on helping you pick out the perfect paper goods for your wedding. If you stick around for the end, there might just be a special treat for you, my lovely readers, so be sure to keep coming back each week to see what I have up my sleeve! Now, let’s get on to the good stuff!

I am a huge advocate of the thank you card. I’m sure I sound biased saying that, but honestly there’s no better way to say “thanks” than with a hand-written note. To me, it is the opportunity to give gratitude and make someone feel very special in a way spoken word or an email just can’t accomplish. You can pour your whole heart out and your recipient can then keep your words forever. It warms my heart just thinking about it! With this in mind, I suggest everyone send out thank you cards, especially for a big event such as a wedding. Your guests took time out of their busy lives to spend the day with you and they might have even purchased a gift. Really, a thank you card is the least you can do!

Following tradition, a thank you card should be mailed within three months of your wedding date. To really personalize your thank you cards, I suggest keeping track of who gave you what gift. Having a notebook by your side while opening your lovely presents should do the trick! Simply write down the gift and the name of the person(s) who gave it to you. Then you can pull up your address list from when the invitations were mailed to get everyone’s addresses rounded up! Have a lot of people to thank? Use the same approach as when you addressed the invitation envelopes – small batches! Just check off your list as you complete each thank you card so you know who you’ve already thanked. Make a goal to do five a day, 25 a week, 50 a week.. Whatever is reasonable for you, just make sure all is done within three months! Another lil thing you could do is have your new hubby help. His family and friends would adore the personal touch of him writing his own thank you note, the cards will get done twice as fast and you’ll be a less stressed. Go team!

In addition to thank you cards, I thought this would also be a great time to mention the other paper goods you could consider using in your wedding. Putting together a wedding is such a huge task; it’s easy to overlook all your paper good options! Here are some of my suggestions and faves:

Save the Dates

Engagement Party, Bridal Shower, Bachelorette and Bachelor Party, Rehearsal Dinner Invitations

Personalized stationery for use as wedding party favors

Guestbook or Autograph Board

Reception Card, Accommodation/Hotel Card

Programs

Place/Escort/Name Cards, Table Cards, Seating Charts, Menus

Guest Favors

Thank you cards

Calling Cards

Address Update Cards

Isn’t it nice that you can most generally get all your paper good needs covered by using one vendor?! Comes in handy when you’re saving time to get your priority To-Do’s marked off the list!!

What paper goods are you looking for in your wedding? What do you think about the formal thank you note? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Next week I have something super juicy lined up for you all. You won’t want to miss it! If you haven’t done so already, please follow my blog by clicking one of the links that works best for you over on the right side of the screen. Thank you for stopping by! I’ll be here impatiently waiting for next Wednesday!

motivating monday - beautiful

2011-06-20T06:30:00.004-05:00

Hi dears! I wanted to use this Motivating Monday to tell you a something simple but very important. You are beautiful. Did you know that?

Did you know that regardless of the physical, you are the most gorgeous person in the room?

Did you know that even if you’re having a yucky day, you’re still the sun shining brightly on a warm spring day?

I hope you know this, but if you don’t – you should. And I am hear to tell you, I know you’re beautiful inside and out and today is going to be glorious because of it.

xoxo

GreenerMe at The Felt Bird

2011-06-16T14:15:00.007-05:00

Check it out!

My Mushroom and Spool Magnets are available for purchase over at The Felt Bird!

TFB was kind enough to show off my goodies on their blog!

If you live in Oklahoma, you gotta check out The Felt Bird in Enid!

TOMS, cool shades, handmade, speciality items...

Just some of the awesome products you'll find there!

Not to mention the store itself is just plain cool.

Riley and Stela do an amazing job at keeping their store trendy and up-to-date.

Check it!

The Felt Bird

Downtown Enid

124 East Broadway Avenue

Enid, Oklahoma

Store Hours:

Tuesday - Friday 11 - 6

Saturday 12 - 4

580-540-8903

TheFeltBird.com

wedding wednesday – series post 3 of 5, your perfect invitations – addressing envelopes

2011-06-15T06:30:00.002-05:00

Welcome to post three of a five-part series I’ve developed just for you called, “Your Perfect Invitations”. Every Wednesday in June I will post a new blog full of special tips, tricks, advice and other goodies all based on helping you pick out the perfect paper goods for your wedding. If you stick around for the end, there might just be a special treat for you, my lovely readers, so be sure to keep coming back each week to see what I have up my sleeve! Now, let’s get on to the good stuff!

Last week we went over the selection and wording of Your Perfect Invitations and the week before that I covered the organization and time management involved when gearing up for Your Perfect Invitations. This week, it’s all about addressing those envelopes! A tedious task that can leave your hand hurting and your mind in a quiet dismay, wondering why you didn’t hire someone to do this for you, but don't fret addressing your envelopes does not have to end in suffering! If you follow the tips I have, you’ll be on the high road to completing this task with happy hands and a happy heart.

Traditionally, invitations are hand-addressed including the outer invitation envelope guest address and return address, the inner invitation envelope for the guest names, and the reply card envelope return address. Of course the times are a changing not only does everyone seem to be on a time crunch, but the traditional way of marriage is also turning into a thing of the past. You’ll now see a lot of address labels or addresses printed directly on the envelope. The point of having an envelope hand-addressed is the sincerity that comes with it, but I can understand that 300 envelopes staring you in the face might make you second-guess how sincere you really want to be! To help with your sanity, I have a couple of tips for you to work with so the process is not so daunting.

1. Get help! Put your wedding party, moms and friends to work! This is a great time to bond with your closest pals while also achieving a huge goal. Provide drinks and snacks and invite everyone over for a couple of hours and I guarantee you will have those addresses knocked out in no time.

2. Work on it in chunks. Plan to tackle the task on your own? Breaking out the addressing into small portions helps in numerous ways! Your hand won’t get as tired, and therefore your writing will look more cohesive throughout all your addressing, and you won’t get so bored. I practice this with my own business to spice things up and keep my mind fresh. Trust me, it works!!

3. Request your envelopes early. Instead of waiting until your invitation order is complete to address your envelopes, ask if you can go ahead and receive your envelopes so you can get a head start on addressing! Most companies will do this for a nominal charge.

My last tip isn’t so much about addressing, but about receiving your RSVP’s. It does happen that a person will forget to write their name on their response card before getting it in the mail. Oh no! Here’s how to prevent the stress of who responded and who hasn’t: Remember I told you that having all your names on an Excel sheet makes things easier for everyone involved because you can keep track of multiple things regarding a guest. Well, before mailing out your invitation sets, lightly mark the back of each response card with the number that coordinates to them on your handy, dandy, Excel file. Of if your address list is hand-wrote, make two numbers- one on your master list and that same number on the back of the response card. Then if you get a blank reply back, just look and the number on your master and viola! you know who the sender is. Pretty easy, right?

Now that you’re ready to address, it can get tricky. Addressing for married couples, single couples, children, doctors… Everyone has a different title! Eek! No fretting needed, here’s a chart to make the addressing process easier on you. And do feel free to leave a comment or email me (renee@greenerme.net) if you need assistance with a specific type of name and/or address!

First big rule: Spell out your addresses! Avenue, Boulevard, Street, Place, Apartment, State Name – It all gets spelled out!

Now, on to the titling…

Married Couple, no kids - Outer Envelope
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Copeland
1234 South 15th Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma 12345

Inner Envelope
Mr. and Mrs. Copeland

Married Couple with kids - Outer Envelope
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Copeland
1234 South 15th Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma 12345

Inner Envelope
Mr. and Mrs. Copeland
Charlie and Sydney

**Note: if the kids do not live at home, they should receive their own invitation. In this next sample, let's pretend that Sydney lives elsewhere - Outer Envelope.
Miss Sydney Copeland
1234 South 15th Street
Apartment 321
Tulsa, Oklahoma 12345

Inner Envelope
Sydney Copeland

Unmarried couple - Outer Envelope
Miss Cindi Smith
Mr. Frank Copeland
1234 South 15th Street
Apartment 123
Tulsa, Oklahoma 12345

Inner Envelope
Miss Smith
Mr. Copeland

Doctor, married couple - Outer Envelope
Dr. and Mrs. Frank Copeland
1234 South 15th Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma 12345

Inner Envelope
Doctor and Mrs. Copeland

Single person + Guest - Outer Envelope
Miss Cindi Copeland
1234 South 15th Street
Room 123
Tulsa, Oklahoma 12345

Inner Envelope
Miss Copeland and guest

See, this isn’t so bad, right? Right! I’m confident your envelopes are going to look magnificent when you’re done!

If you’re still not feeling the whole addressing thing, you have options. I’m not a big fan of labels as I am printing directly on the envelope, as I think the address printed labels stick out a little too much. Your invitation designer can help with the printing on envelopes- easy! You can also hire a calligrapher, someone who will delicately and daintily address each of your envelopes in a hand-written script that will have all your guests swoon.

This concludes the addressing portion of the Your Perfect Invitations series! I hope you are now on your way to happy envelope addressing! Let me know if I can be of assistance in any way – I would love to hear any questions or additional tips that you have when it comes to addressing your envelopes! I’ll see you all next week when I cover additional paper goods for your big day, as well as thank you cards! Everyone needs a little appreciation, right? See you then!

motivating monday - feeling inferior

2011-06-13T06:30:00.013-05:00

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

As I go through my day-to-day life, I see a lot of insecurity in people… And when I say a lot, I meant it! I’ve noticed it comes from the females more than the males, but there are definitely some males with a lack of ego, too. How do I know? Well, all through school and for a few years after I had some major confidence issues. I was constantly worried about my weight, acne, oily hair, hairy arms and legs, sweaty pits (yeah, I said it), etc. and how it effected others perceptions of me. Being so focused on this nonsense stuff made the issues much worse because I was focused on them, but it also limited my willingness to open up and make friends, let alone have a normal conversation with anyone. After school my body changed and that helped boost my confidence. A few more years passed and I realized, I’ve always been a nervous person so I might as well embrace it and channel that energy to something more positive (GreenerMe). As the years go by I get stronger and stronger, but a lot the people I’ve come in contact with sadly, are not.

What is it that causes us to feel insecure? Well, it’s you. Feelings and real life are often interpreted as one, but they are actually quite opposite! As Mrs. Roosevelt said above, you’re the only one that can make you feel inferior. A feeling is something you experience as a result to a situation. If you recognize and focus on how you feel in a certain moment and how you can change that feeling, rather than being engulfed in the feeling and letting it take over, you’ll be a lot better off. Let me give you an example. Say we’re playing baseball and I accidentally hit you in the head with the ball. Your immediate reaction might be to get upset at the situation - and then at me – because the ball hit you in the head. I am very apologetic but you’re still upset with me because the ball hit you in the head. Of course being the good friend that I am, I don’t say a thing… But in reality I know the ball wouldn’t have hit you in the head if you would have put your glove in the right place to catch it. You’re putting the blame on someone else based on an emotion (embarrassment, pain, anger) you’re feeling, rather than looking at the big picture and realizing yes, you dropped the ball. It’s a-ok to make mistakes; it’s just all in how we react. You can either choose to learn and grow, or just get upset and blame everyone but you.

To get past the insecurity, I think we have take on the first step of resolving any kind of problem: recognize the problem. Once you recognize there’s an issue it’s much easier than trying to have an intervention! Then put it in perspective: we’re all getting older, the young generation is just getting younger and smarter, there will always be someone who does something better than you, no one will ever appreciate you/your work/your efforts as much as you think they should… Whatever your issue is, recognize it and put it in perspective (the bigger picture) – remove yourself from the situation and look at it from someone else’s viewpoint rather than your own. Once you do this you’ll realize the unnecessary stress this causes you and you’ll want to avoid it and spend your time doing better things (like creating!).

It’s easy in theory, but a long road to travel. It took me 25 years to get to this point so I can only imagine my viewpoint in 25 more years ;) Be confident, be you! You’re fabulous and there’s a lot of jerks out there, but letting them weigh you down with their idiosyncrasies does nothing but waste your precious moments here and now. We only live once, so freaking celebrate and let loose a little!! I promise you’ll feel better for it.

feature friday – glacier confection

2011-06-10T06:30:00.009-05:00

Hello loves! I have an awesome local business to share with you for this week’s Feature Friday. It’s an amazing chocolate store in the Brady District of downtown Tulsa called Glacier Confection. They make and decorate all their chocolates in-house and even design their own boxes that house their delicious delicacies! I was introduced to Glacier a few weeks ago by a colleague – five chocolates were given to me and as soon as I got home I shared them with Josh… And about five minutes later they were all gone. Ok, ok we did savor them a little bit longer than five minutes, but seriously they are the best I’ve ever had. It happened to be Mother’s Day in just a couple of days, so we rushed downtown to get more for our moms (and ourselves)(our mom's loved them by the way!). Yes, it’s that good!

Here’s the selection I first tried. Aren't they beautiful? Peanut butter and jelly and banana were my favorites. They make my mouth water just thinking about it! They even make gluten-free and vegan chocolates for those of you with special diets! Don't just take my word for it though - you MUST try these for yourself!

I think these delightful chocolates would be perfect as a wedding favor or even as a special treat for your wedding party. Really, they are amazing for any occasion and I know I’ll be frequenting Glacier for all kinds of holidays and events. Yum.

Glacier Confection

15 East Brady Street

Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103

(918) 938-6368

http://www.glacierconfection.com/

Oh and if you're not in Tulsa - don't fret! They ship nationwide so anyone can enjoy these delicious chocolates. I PROMISE YOU WILL LOVE THEM!!!

wedding wednesday – series post 2 of 5, your perfect invitations – selecting & wording

2011-06-08T06:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome to post two of a five-part series I’ve developed just for you called, “Your Perfect Invitations”. Every Wednesday in June I will post a new blog full of special tips, tricks, advice and other goodies all based on helping you pick out the perfect paper goods for your wedding. If you stick around for the end, there might just be a special treat for you, my lovely readers, so be sure to keep coming back each week to see what I have up my sleeve! Now, let’s get on to the good stuff!

Last week I covered organization and the time allotment needed, so you can fully prepare to pick out Your Perfect Invitations. This week it’s time to pick out your invitations and select the wording for those gorgeous goods! By now you’ve hopefully shopped around and decided that GreenerMe was the perfect match for your paper goods. **wink** Seriously though, what goes into the invitation process? Let me break it down so you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into!

First off, realize that not every invitation designer is the same. There are different qualities and priorities in each and it’s important to know what you want in your invitations while you’re on the search for that perfect invitation. Here are a few examples of what to look for:

Paper Weight – How thick is the card stock your designer uses? I make sure all my paper goods are thick and sturdy, because in my opinion, a thicker weight exudes quality. Since a lot of invitation purchases are online, most designers are willing to send you a sample of an invitation set for a nominal fee, prior to you placing an order. I highly suggest you purchase this sample so you’re not caught off guard and/or disappointed when your final order arrives!

Going Green? – Eco friendly is very popular these days. Most of the paper I use is made of up partial amounts of recycled paper, but if you’re looking for 100% recycled let me know and I can make it happen! Keep in mind that going 100% recycled generally costs more but also puts a limit on the colors a designers can use, due to the lack of dyes and inks used in manufacturing the paper.

What’s Included – At GreenerMe you can rely on pricing and product information up front. I don’t agree with sneaking little fees in here and there to hike up the bill. Do pay attention to the details! Are your envelopes included? Is there a fee to customize a design? Is there a minimum order or fee if you don’t reach that minimum? Just like with any other purchase, read all the fine print or ask upfront if you have any questions!

So now that you’ve found the invitations you like and have read all the fine print, what’s the next step? Wording! Picking out the wording for your invitation set is super simple and your invitation designer can help tremendously with this process. There are numerous online resources too, should you need to search for yourself!

The typical components of an invitation set are the invitations and response card. Another popular card is the reception card, which comes in handy if your reception will be at a different venue than the ceremony. Today I’ll cover wording for your invitation and response card – but if you need additional wording advice please just let me know!

To help decide what kind of wording to use, you’ll need to know:
1. Who is hosting the event? It could be you as a couple, your parents, your fiancé’s parents or both parents, etc. I’ve also worked with brides who have stepparents involved as well, so just know there are many options and we can make sure all your VIPs are recognized appropriately!
2. How traditional is your wedding? Will it be very traditional or laid back? Religious or not? Totally off the wall?

Here are some examples of the most common wordings! Let me know if I can be of assistance in picking out your wording!

Couple Inviting

You are cordially invited

to the marriage of

Laurie Taylor Smith

and Frank Stephen Courtney

Friday the twenty-ninth of May

Two thousand and nine

Victoria Gardens

1334 South Norfolk Road

Coweta, Oklahoma

Reception to Follow

---

The pleasure of your company
is requested as
Andrea Christen
and
Stephen Christian
vow to share their lives
and joyfully unite
in marriage
on the eleventh of April
Two thousand and nine
at six o’clock in the evening

The Acadian Ballroom
1829 NE Alberta Street
Portland, Oregon

Reception to Follow

Bride's Parents Inviting

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tamisiea
invite you to join them
in a celebration of love
as their daughter, Erin Michelle Tamisiea
is united in marriage to Mr. Jonathan Mark Schaeffer
on Sunday the twenty- eighth of September
two thousand and eight
at four o’clock in the afternoon

St. James Lutheran Church
2101 North Freemont Street
Chicago, Illinois 60614

Reception to Follow
at thirty minutes past the six o ’clock hour
Salvator’s Ristorante

525 West Arlington Place

Both Parents Inviting

Together with their parents,
Meghan Barrios
and
Paul Whittenburg
request the honor of your presence
as they celebrate their new life together
Friday, the twenty-ninth of May
two thousand and nine
at seven o’clock in the evening

Ivory Gardens Wedding Chapel
2101 McKnown Drive
Norman, Oklahoma

---

Jack and April Mole
and Rudy and Linda Rosales
invite you to share in their happiness
as their families are united
through the marriage of their children
Tammy Rae Mole
and Andrew Michael Rosales
on Saturday, the seventeenth of May
two thousand and eight
at three o’clock in the afternoon

Lansing Central Free Methodist Church
828 North Washington Avenue
Lansing, Michigan 48906

Reception to Follow

Another great tool I use is this website called Verse It. You basically go through the drop down menus to pick wording that is geared toward your family situation and your event. It’s pretty helpful!

Lastly, the response card! Yes, you have a few wording options for this little guy, too. It can be a big source of important and fun knowledge for you. The main information you’ll want to include is of course your reply-by-date, which I usually do at least 2 weeks prior to the wedding date. The reply-by-date will really revolve around when your food and venue vendors need their total counts in, so be sure to get with them before printing the date! Also be sure to leave a couple of extra days in there for the late RSVP arrivals ;)

In addition to the reply by date, you’ll also want to be sure to leave space for the guest to fill out their name and whether they plan to attend or not. If you are not strict on the amount of people coming, leave a line after the “Yes” reply so your guest can write the number total of how many guests plan to attend. Do not leave this line if you are keeping a strict count, as traditionally the only people invited to your event are the names written on the envelopes (more about envelopes next week!). If you plan to provide a meal and have different entrees available, you may list this on your response card as well.

Lastly and here’s where it gets fun, ask your guests opinion. That’s right! Something like “Play this song and I’ll promise to dance:” or “My favorite candy is…” (for those lovely “Candy Bars” I see so much of). Asking your guests to get involved before the big day will have them excited because they already feel apart of the wedding.

This wraps up week 2 of my series, “Your Perfect Invitations”. Hope you’ve enjoyed!! Please let me know if I can be of assistance in any way – either email me directly at renee@greenerme.net or leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!

And do stick around for next Wednesday, we will discuss how to address your envelopes properly and I’ll also have a few Do’s and Don’ts for you! Type you then! ;)

motivating monday - the soft-minded

2011-06-06T06:30:00.006-05:00

“The soft-minded person always wants to freeze the moment and hold life in the gripping yoke of sameness.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Are you stuck in the rut of sameness? News flash: It will get you no where! It is good to get out there and change things up a bit. Whatever complacent routine you’ve fallen into, I encourage you to do something different.

I too get way comfortable at times; I have my nice little house with my fiance and my kitties and my sweet studio, of course it’s easy to get wrapped up in the house life and just stay there. Especially for someone like myself who is a hermit by nature. However, I find that when I get out and experience my city, I am much more satisfied than when I’ve spent the days/week/month indoors. To get some fresh air, socialize and experience something new gives me so much inspiration and I am then super motivated to get back home and work on those lingering projects I’ve mentioned previously.

Sameness is the breeding ground for negativity and close-mindedness. Once you’ve been stuck in that same rut for so long, it’ll simply be all you know and if anyone tries to tell you otherwise, you just won’t be able to hear/see it because you’re so engulfed in your own sameness. I challenge you to get out there and do something different, for your own sake and saneness. Even if you don’t feel complacent, I encourage you to switch something up! Often times we don’t notice the rut we’ve fallen into or the circles we run around in. Whether you’re a hermit like me and getting out in your city to experience new food/restaurants or a new group of people (there’s all kind of groups out there to suit your interests) pulls you out of the rut... Or maybe something simple like getting a new hair do, painting your nails or wearing a skirt (or maybe a suit?) is out of the ordinary for you- DO IT! If we never feel awkward or uncomfortable, we’re not doing this whole life thing right. Push the limit for yourself and I guarantee you’ll find a new perspective.

I would love to hear about what out of the ordinary thing you’ve accomplished for yourself! Feel free to leave a comment after this post, or email me at renee@greenerme.net. Can’t wait to see/hear about all the great things you guys have done for yourself!

feature friday - felt dahlia flower brooch

2011-06-03T14:30:00.000-05:00

I ran across this tutorial on Holidash the other day and instantly had to make it a Feature! Megan of Not Martha originally crafted up the tutorial for Holidash so all us crafty folk could make something nice for Mother's Day. Aren't they the cutest?

I think they would make great gifts for other occasions too. Maybe a special gift for your bridesmaids?

There's even a hidden compartment to include a special note :)

Check out the full tutorial here, and also check out Not Martha's notes about the brooches here... She had to make quite a few for Mother's Day and wrote a post with some tips and tricks she learned!

tunes thursday - bring it back to 1980

2011-06-02T06:30:00.002-05:00

I am super pumped about this week’s Tunes post. Why? Because it is alllll 80’s inspired and I love me some 80’s! You know I am in a good, motivated mood when you hear 80’s music blasting from the studio. I made a Pandora station based off Wham! and freaking love it (if you want to link up to my station, click here). Pandora sure got my similar music preferences right when it comes to this station. Here are some of my most favorite 80’s tunes.

Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

Simple Minds - Don't You Forget About Me

Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls

I love the 80’s and if I could go back and revisit a decade, this would be my sweet spot.

Prince - Let's Go Crazy

Michael Jackson - Bad

Hope you’ve enjoyed my play list of the most luscious 80’s tunes! Surely you’re in a good mood now, too!

wedding wednesday - your perfect invitations - series post 1 of 5 - organization and time management

2011-06-01T13:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to a new five-part series I’ve developed just for you called, “Your Perfect Invitations”. Every Wednesday from June 1st to June 29th I will post a new blog full of special tips, tricks, advice and other goodies all based on helping you pick out the perfect paper goods for your wedding. And if you stick around for the end, there might just be a special treat for you, my lovely readers, so be sure to keep coming back each week to see what I have up my sleeve! Now, let’s get on to the good stuff!

Paper goods seem to be the last thing people think about when planning their wedding, but it is actually a very important part of the event! Your invitations set the tone for your big day and will be your guests first glimpse at your big day; some might even decline to attend based solely on the invitation they receive! My advice: Do your homework! With a little knowledge, you can pick out paper goods that are perfect for you and your fiancé’s personality, style and theme. I promise it will be time well spent and your guests will be excited at the wonderful wedding they plan to attend!

This week I want to cover two very important topics you’ll want to review before setting out in the search of your perfect invitations: organization and time. The invitation process is actually really easy so long as you have your little duckies in a row before setting out on your search. To get started, you’ll want to organize all your information (names, addresses) and paper good needs (invitations, RSVPs, accommodation cards, map cards, programs, table cards, etc) into one spot for easy review. I highly recommend plugging your names and address into Excel or a similar computer program so you can easily update the information, make notes and also keep track of who has RSVP’d or not. It’s also easy to share the file should a family member, friend or your invitation designer need it (most of us can print the address information right on your envelopes, which is a big time saver!). In addition to a good address list, you’ll want to decide what paper goods you need. The basic needs are usually and invitation and response card but there is so much more! Here’s a list of the top paper good items for weddings:

Save the Dates - Announce your wedding date prior to sending the invitation, so your guests can be sure to plan to attend your big day!
Accommodation Cards – Perfect for the destination wedding or if you plan on having many people come in from out of town. Accommodation Cards give hotel information should you guest want/need to stay the night.
Reception Card – Having your reception at a different location and time than the ceremony? Your reception cards will give all these pertinent details.
Map Cards – Is your venue hard to find? These little gems are a perfect way to give directions (and even a real map!) so your guests cane navigate to your wedding in a timely manner.
Programs – Allow your guests the opportunity to get to know your wedding party while they enjoy the ceremony.
Seating Chart, Table Cards, Name Cards, Menus – Plan on having a seating arrangement for the dinner portion of your wedding? So many cute ideas are available.
Favors – There are a variety of wedding favors you can do for your guests. From boxes filled with candy, to tea towels, to personalized Cozies, the options are endless!
Thank You Cards – Be sure to thank your guests for attending your big day! (we’ll cover thank you cards in a later part of the series)

Having an idea of the items you need makes it much easier as you search for designs and designers you like. Now that you’re all organized, it’s time to shop! Be sure to check out my online store and keep in mind I love to do custom designs and personalization of stock designs! Happy you = Happy me :)

Now that you're shopping around, you'll want to keep in mind the time frame for placing an order. I’ve compiled a little breakdown the time frame you’ll want to allow for the entire invitation process:

1-2 Weeks – Shop Around!
There are so many options out there for invitations and while I would love and prefer everyone to choose GreenerMe for their invitations and other paper goods, I do realize it’s not a realistic expectation. Just like working with any other designer, we all have our own personalities and style and by shopping around a bit you’ll be able to find a designer that can truly envision the ideas and goals you have in mind. Kind of like finding true love, in a way! Once you find it, you’ll know and not only will your paper goods will look amazing and perfect, but you’ll also want to rave about the designer to all your friends and family. This mutual relationship is something the bride and designer both wish to achieve with every client! So I encourage you to shop around and see what everyone has to offer before making a final decision. Whether it’s a matter of days or weeks once you find what you’ve been looking for it’ll be a great feeling for everyone involved.

1-4 Weeks – Design Time!
If you’re picking out a stock design and have minimal edits to make, the design time will be much shorter. For custom work or programs or if you’re just really picky, the design process can take much longer. This is where knowing what you want and being prepared comes in to play, so make sure to do your homework!! It’ll not only make the process easier on you, but also on the designer.

4-6 Weeks – Printing /Assembly!
Here’s where it gets exciting and kind of makes you anxious with excitement! When it’s time to go to print, you’ll have given consent that all the paper good products you and the designer have worked on final and no further changes need to be made. The order will then be sent to print (GreenerMe prints their invitations in house so I can have full control and make sure everything is perfect for you) and the designer will get to work on producing and assembling your order! Quantity and detail of the order are both factors in how long it takes to produce an order, but you and your designer will work out those details back in the design process. Us as designers want to make sure your paper goods are delivered perfectly and on time!

Additional Note: If you plan on having programs, menus, table cards, etc. at your event, I normally like to spread out the design/print process over time. For example, we’ll do the high priority items first, like the invitations and response cards and then start work on the programs and other components. That way you can have your invitations in hand quicker, since they usually have a smaller time frame to get mailed out, and the programs and other components can be in design phase, as you can receive those items closer to your wedding date. I find that breaking everything out is much less of a headache for both parties!

4-6 Weeks Before Wedding Date – Mail the invitations!

This is the traditional time frame in which you’ll want to get your invitations mailed out. I always recommend mailing the invitations out closer to six weeks if you’re inviting a lot of folks from out of town, or if you’re having a destination wedding. You want your guests to have plenty of time to make travel arrangements as needed. And if you’re planning on having Save the Dates made, those should go out 4-6 months in advance. Always remember the more accommodating you can be to your guests, the better chance you’ll have of them attending your big day!!

If we do the math, it takes roughly 9-18 weeks to get the invitations picked out, designed and printed- and if you’re doing Save the Dates it’s going to take you a smidge longer, so be sure to plan for that!

To sum of up this article, step one of achieving Your Perfect Invitations is to 1. Do you homework and get organized and 2. Keep your time frame in mind. You might have a lot of time or a little time to create Your Perfect Invitations, but with the right help you can make anything happen!

Feel free to check out my shop by clicking the link at the top of this page. And of course if I can assist you in any way, let me know by leaving a comment on this post, or by emailing me at renee@greenerme.net . I look forward to hearing your thoughts, opinions, questions and rants in regards to this post! :)

wedding wednesday - shannon and jason

2011-06-01T06:30:00.032-05:00

Welcome to this week's Wedding Wednesday! This week's feature is Shannon and Jason Smith, who were married in here in Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 21st. They are so sweet and funny and I'm thrilled to have been apart of their big day! I created my signature rhinestone collection for their big day, using their preferred color scheme... I just knew this set would be perfect for them!

I color-matched to David's Bridal Horizon Blue and also used black and white. Clear rhinestones are the icing on the cake!!

I also created some lovely coordinating thank you card sets for after the big day.

It was wonderful to work on this set for Shannon and Jason! Everything came together so perfectly for them, too. Just makes my little heart flutter!

motivating monday - conquering defeat

2011-05-30T06:30:00.003-05:00

“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” ― Maya Angelou

How was this last week for you guys? I actually had some downtime and am taking full advantage of it. For the past week and a half I’ve caught up on posting new items in the Etsy shop as well as creating new designs. I’ve had a couple small orders come in that are fulfilled, visited family in Tahlequah (Oklahoma), hung with friends, blogged (I’m having a of fun with the blog!) and also did some yard work (talk about an ongoing project!). This weekend is truly special for me because I took off from my day job tomorrow (I’m off today, in honor of Memorial Day) so I could enjoy a long weekend and finish getting caught up on all my lingering projects, such as taxes! I was a naughty girl and filed an extension this year so I wanted to get everything squared away this weekend and also develop a new process so things will be easier going forward.

I think we all have those difficult tasks and lingering projects that we put off for another day. It’s easier to put it off and add the weight to our shoulders when something seems like it might not go smoothly, rather than deal with it head on and get it over with. When I suck up my fear or put my head down and get through the task at hand, everything seems to come together nicely and it’s never as bad as what I thought it to be. Funny how that works! Our minds can be our biggest enemy sometimes, and that is why this week’s quote spoke to me. If you continue to sit there and think about how bad it will be, it’ll never get done. A trick I use to snap myself out of doom is to tell myself, “Don’t think, just do.” It helps put my mind back on track when I’m being silly.

So, what is challenging you this week? I encourage you to get out there and get it done!! For me, the daunting taxes WILL be finished by tomorrow (yay!).. And I’m also attending a networking event this week, which I’m really excited about but also pretty nervous. Nothing like walking into a room filled with strangers, but I know it will end up being fun and my worries will quickly disperse. I’ll also be stronger because of it! The same goes for you - I’d love to hear about what challenges you are working to overcome!

feature friday - measuring tape stilettos by Christian Louboutin

2011-05-27T10:00:00.018-05:00

Check out these amazing Measuring Tape Stilettos by designer Christian Louboutin that I found the other day on Craft. These would be the perfect shoe for any crafty mingling event, show or party! I soooo want them, but for now will just admire them from afar :)

tunes thursday - lady gaga

2011-05-26T06:30:00.003-05:00

I had another mighty awesome Tunes Thursday post scheduled for this week, but with Lady Gaga releasing her new album this past Monday, I just couldn't make myself post any other tunes for this week! I love me some Gaga!! She is unique, talented and all about removing stereotypes and just being yourself. I also admire her hustle, this girl has been touring for years now and even wrote her entire new album while on the road. I haven't been this crazed for an artist for a really long time- I have all her CD's and have seen her twice in concert and would love to see her more! I first heard about her a couple of years ago when I'd read Perez Hilton's blog. For your viewing pleasure, here are a couple of my favorite Lady Gaga videos.

Born this Way

Her new album, "Born This Way" is simply amazing. It just makes me want to dance! If you're on the fence about buying it, you must take the leap and do it! I am in love and can't wait to learn all the lyrics so I can sing them loudly. My life is now complete upon hearing this album ;) All the musical bases are covered- ballads, little bit of rock, pop.. Ah, it is just magical! Can't wait to see what she does with her next tour.

Telephone (feat. Beyonce)

Did anyone happen to catch Saturday Night Live this past Saturday? Justin Timberlake was the host, and Lady Gaga was the musical guest. If the show would have gone on for hours, I would have been right there watching it! It was just that good. Gaga of course made a couple of appearances in some of the skits, which was fabulous!!

Judas (live on SNL)

Hope you've enjoyed this week's Tunes Thursday! Next week put on your shades and fuchsia checkered pants, cause I'm bringing back the 80's!

etsy treasury - created by niksknacks

2011-05-26T06:00:00.002-05:00

A big thank you to niksknacks for including GreenerMe in the"Mellow Yellow" treasury she put together!!

Check out our Floral Explosion Thank You Cards!

Click here to check out the other awesome shops included in the treasury!

wedding wednesday - amy and kyle upton

2011-05-25T06:30:00.063-05:00

I am tickled pink to finally have the opportunity to share this new invitation design with you! I created this set just for Amy, a life-long family friend. Her and Kyle were married at the Bridle Creek Horse Ranch and Resort in Sperry, Oklahoma last Saturday (May 21st). When we started the design phase for this set, she definitely knew she wanted a tree and love birds to represent her big day as well as a wallet-sized map card that could fit inside a coordinating envelope. That wasn't all though, she also wanted a little something to make it "pop"... You know, not just an invitation printed on some paper ready to mail out.. Some FLARE, which is what GreenerMe is all about!

I now present you with an all new, GreenerMe original design:

Isn't it the cutest? Let me get more in depth for you :)

Here's the invitation- a pretty tree branch adorned with leaves, love birds and a hanging heart to represent the couples love :)

I used a lacquer paint to add the 3D bubble effect for each love bird and the hanging heart. Hand painted by myself and I think they turned out very nice!!

Cute Response Card with all the necessary details, coordinating envelope included!

And now for the best part of the set, in my opinion! A map card that literally folds out into map form! When folded, the couple's preferred picture is on the front and back. It fits nicely into a business card sized envelope.

Fold out and viola! You have an amazing map card full of all the pertinent information your guests need to navigate to your wedding venue.

One side designated for directions, address and web address, as well as date and time of the big day!

Back side for the map!

I had a lot of fun creating this invitation set and am thrilled to finally have the chance to debut the set! You'll be able to find this set in my Etsy shop here in the next few days. Upon purchase you'll have the opportunity to personalize all the fonts, wording, colors and pictures to coordinate perfectly with your big day. Have a question now? Feel free to leave me a comment, or email me at renee@greenerme.net and I'll be happy to answer any questions you have!

motivating monday - better and bigger

2011-05-23T06:30:00.012-05:00

Well the weekend has come and gone and now we’re back to square one: Monday. What makes Monday great is the chance to start anew. Fresh, bright-eyed and ready to go (maybe after a couple cups of coffee!), Monday gives us the opportunity to reevaluate what happened last week and how the upcoming week will be better. That is a big focus for me at GreenerMe – how to make it better! That’s why I’m creating a new segment on the blog called “Motivating Monday”. I want to say goodbye to the “case of the Mondays” and shed a positive light on an otherwise downer day. Will you join me on my positive adventure?

Gary Comer, founder of Lands’ End, once said, “Worry about being better; bigger will take care of itself.” As a small business owner who also has a day job to tend to (and a house and a fiance and a wedding to plan and kitties and friends…), this quote speaks in magnitudes to me. I want to be self-employed, by yesterday, but have to constantly remind myself that this is a process and it will not happen overnight! By focusing more on bettering my business structure and product, the rest of the good stuff will follow. After reflecting on the past couple of years, I can tell everything just gets better and better. Going through this process will make the day that I achieve self-employment taste much sweeter :)

So tell me, are you also striving to be a self-employed business owner? Or if you’re not, what is the biggest goal you have for your life? I’d love to hear all about it so we can work to motivate each other as the Monday’s pass by us. Leave a comment at the end of this post and I’ll be sure to reply! Good luck to you on this week’s endeavors – I congratulate you on striving to achieve your goal and know you will obtain it!

**This week's quote came from GiveMore, an awesome motivational blog/site written by Sam Parker and his crew. Check it out if you'd like to be motivated!

feature friday - sand mural wedding proposal at san francisco beach

2011-05-20T10:00:00.003-05:00

Love, love, love this wedding proposal on a San Francisco beach that I came across on Craft. The bride-to-be, Kelly Riplinger, was popped the question after a romantic dinner at a Thai restaurant with her groom-to-be Jason Fordley. Fordley commissioned artist Andres Amador to create the masterpiece and oh my, can I just take a moment to catch my breath?

Catch the original story on Yahoo!, here.

Indie Emporium Year FIVE! Whoa. 09/30/2011 - 10/01/2011

2011-05-17T22:53:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe it’s that time of year again...
Let the preparation for Indie Emporium 5 begin!

What is Indie Emporium, you ask? It is an all handmade craft show (no pyramid schemes or Scentsy consultants here), but it doesn’t stop with just the show. The two day event embraces the local community with a handmade fashion show featuring lovely local designers, live music, dyi presentations, make&take craft tables for the kiddos, snacks (this there will be alcohol this year, too - oh yes!) and an info booth so you can find out how to join us with your own craftiness! It’s kind of a big deal here in the great city of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This year we’re switching up the location and unloading our crafty wares at the Living Arts of Tulsa, located at 307 East Brady in Downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. This building is awesome, not to mention it’s a perfect fit for us artsy crafters.

Since the show’s second year, I’ve had the opportunity and honor of creating graphics for IE. It’s pretty cool to see how each year has changed while still maintaining the same fundamentals. In honor of year 5, I’d like to share with you the past 3 years’ designs (plus this year's design again too, just for comparisons!).

Pretty neat, eh?

If you want to be in the loop about this year’s event, connect with us by checking out the links below. Whether you’re a Facebook guru, love Twitter, prefer to be emailed or would rather check out the event on your own terms, there’s a way to connect created just for you. We love our volunteers too, so if you’re interested in donating your time to help an awesome, local, crafty cause, you’re checking out the right event! Whatever you do, be sure to mark your calendars for this year’s Indie Emporium, right around the corner on 09/30/2011 and 10/01/2011!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/indieemporium
Twitter: http://twitter.com/indieemporium
Sign up for the Email List: Click Here
Website: http://www.indieemporium.com

Hope to see you there!

working weekened wrap up - sneak peek at four new designs!!!

2011-05-15T22:29:00.000-05:00

This weekend was truly amazing. I got to spend quality time with Josh, the kitties and our friends, sleep in, work and eat good food. I don't think I could ask for anything more? I'm really excited to show you what I worked on this weekend! I achieved so much and though I'm sad the weekend is ending, I am happy with all that is accomplished and will sleep well for it :) See below for a little sneak peek at the work I completed this weekend. I will get everything listed in the shop as soon as possible!

First up the Polka Dot Thank You Card Set was freshened up to a wonderful shade of clover green. I made this set for a special friend just as a thank you :)

Up next, a friend-of-mine's sister (who I've known since she was like.. four, crazy) graduated this weekend so her family had a special gathering for her accomplishment and I was invited to mingle! Part of my gift was handmade - I gave her one of my Colorful Floral Explosion Thank You Card Set but switched up the colors special for her in curry, plum and leaf.

Each of the cards have coordinating envelopes, which means all the envelopes are color matched to the color of the card!

For the greatest sneak peek of all, you'll want to check out the image below. Four completely brand-spankin' new designs are here for your paper good drooling pleasure! A friend of mine commissioned me to make stationery sets for a special someone in her life, and here are the samples I created. I love having a muse, it makes the creation process so much more fun and rewarding. I am smitten over these new sets :) I'll of course get them listed in the shop asap - upon purchase you'll have the opportunity to customize the ink and envelope colors for no additional charge!

So happy to have had this weekend of work and play! The weather was just perfect for time spent in the studio :) I hope you also had a wonderful weekend and did something fun!

2011-05-08T18:19:00.000-05:00

Hello peeps! The days have been zooming by lately, does anyone else feel that? I'll look at my emails or to do list and think, dang it's already been two weeks.. It's really been that long, HOW? I think this is a common statement here on the ‘ol blog. I do hope to one day change that, but for now I will just try my best! What have I been up to? Well, I’ll give you a little recap. GreenerMe has been super busy since our setup at the Tulsa Wedding Show. The orders steadily came in but as of this week I am all caught up! Kind of bittersweet because I would love to constantly have work coming in, but I will say it is a nice feeling to have a break and get my head straight! Working full time + putting in 30ish hours on the side definitely wears on me over time! I really have an appreciation for anyone who works over 40 hours a week, it is quite the chore! For my downtime, I'm excited to get caught up my crafty girls' happenings, my Google Reader and taxes (this naughty girl filed an extension this year, boo!). I'm even more excited to get some new stationery and invitation designs completed and available to my lovely clientele. However long this break lasts, I'm going to make sure to rock it :)

I took a trip to Seattle early on in April. It was the most beautiful city I have seen; I think I left a piece of my heart there. The architecture, the museums, the smell, the people everywhere, the weather, the sense of community, the public and automotive transportation system.. It was all so overwhelmingly warm, inviting and progressive.

I can’t wait to plan my next trip back! I had a chance to visit to my all time favorite paper good store, Paper Source. I use them exclusively for my business and it was so neat to finally see the store in person, rather than online! I hear they’re opening a new store in Seattle.. Do you think they’re hiring? Teehee.

I also took a stroll down and through the Pike Place Market, which has so many wonderful shops inside (about 200 to be exact!). It is the oldest and biggest marketplace in the nation, which is pretty cool in my book!

Across the street is the original Starbucks. You can tell Seattle is a coffee city.. There is literally a coffee shop on every corner and in most buildings. Everyone is so happy in Seattle; I think it’s in the coffee!!

There is so much I could cover about Seattle, but I'll keep it short. Lastly, we just had to visit the Space Needle! It was beautiful in person. We visited during the day and night to get the full perspective.

Photo by Josh Justus

Photo by Leah Ashrafi

When I returned from Seattle it was back to business as usual! I was busy, busy with orders and also participated in a Groupon ad. The week after our return I got sick so everything just seemed like a mess! Luckily, I survived :) Since I am caught up on orders I have a few things I'd like to accomplish.

Here’s what is on the agenda:

- Redesign the blog (as you can see this process has already started).

- New contest for my lovelies.

- New blog series that outlines all you need to know for a successful invitation order.

– Reorganize the Etsy shop, make it more user-friendly.

– Lastly (but still really important) work on the bookkeeping!

I can’t wait to reconnect and come out hiding to debut all my new projects. Just in time for summer, too! It's going to be a blast reading everyone's blogs again.. So expect some blog lovin’ from me in the next couple of weeks! You all are so talented and deserve the love! Hope the rainy, spring (pretty Seattle-like, in opinion!) weather treated you well, now it looks like we have some glorious sunshine on the books! Cheers to some sunshine and awesome crafting!!

make:Spring Craft Show THIS Saturday!

2011-05-05T23:07:00.001-05:00

I have a lovely show announcement, just in time for Mother's Day! This Saturday, make:Tulsa presents make:Spring, a spring time craft show. Still need that perfect, unique Mother's Day gift? This is the place for it! Hosted by Ida Red.

Need a little more enticing? Well, here's the vendor line up for ya :)

Christine of weather&noise.

Nikki of Gleeful Peacock.

Holly of Hollyrocks.

Somer of SomerKnits.

Marilyn of Starflower Creations.

Briana of Bifftastica.

Erin of Sunshine & Carousels.

Can you handle all this crafty goodness? I hope so and I hope to see YOU this Saturday at Ida Red!!

Sponsor Highlight: The Knit Owl

2011-03-15T19:09:00.001-05:00

Whooooooo's the best sponsor we know?

Why, The Knit Owl, of course!

This month we are featured on The Knit Owl's blog. Check it out here! You'll see out button over on the right hand side. What is so cool about this blog? Well, to start the awesome girl behind it all is Amby Barnes. She is ultra crafty with all things knit, crocheted, sewed, fabric-ed, cooked, kitty-ed and baby-ed. Yes, she really masters all of these things!

She has an awesome Etsy store located here, which you should totally check out.

Oh and you can find her on Facebook, here. Her sweet baby Roman will surely knock your socks off at first glance, so watch out!!

I hope you'll take the time to check out our wonderful sponsor!

And thank you, Amby, for featuring us on your blog this month!!

It's GreenerMe Giveaway Time!!

2011-03-06T13:03:00.000-06:00

Hi lovelies! In honor of our 100 fan milestone on our GreenerMe Facebook page, we're hosting a giveaway! Thank you to our wonderful family, friends and supporters of GreenerMe for making this happen!

Here's how the giveaway works:

1. Become a Fan of GreenerMe on Facebook

(http://www.facebook.com/GreenerMeInvitations)

2. Find a post about the GreenerMe giveaway and leave a comment telling us your favorite thing spring! We love the weather, the sun shining through our windows while we work and getting out to hang with our crafty friends! What are you looking forward to?

3. Entries are accepted through 03/19/2011 (one entry per person, must be a fan of GreenerMe on Facebook to win!).

4. We'll tally up all the names and do a random drawing after the 19th. The winner gets a FREE $25.00 credit to anything GreenerMe! Stationery, invitations, gifts- the choice is yours!

Thank you for your loyalty and for becoming a fan of GreenerMe!

We are ecstatic to have such wonderful fans!

Inspirational Tunes

2011-02-26T10:00:00.004-06:00

Hello my dear lovelies! I wanted to share a few songs with you that get me through the rough days. Seriously, regardless of what the day has brought upon me, I can pop these songs on and presto! instant mood changer. The lyrics are the most important thing to me. Enjoy!

Jimmy Eat World - The Middle

John Mayer - Home Life

John Mayer - New Deep

And lastly, the new favorite..

Lady Gaga - Born this Way

What are your go-to tunes?
Would love to hear what makes them special to you.

Have you "Liked" us on Facebook?

2011-02-24T13:30:00.016-06:00

Yes, we are alive and kicking on the 'ol Facebook and would love to have you as a fan! A few day a week we post wedding and invitation tips to help you keep your big day on the right track. Feel free to ask us any questions you have and we'll get you all the answers you need!

Check us out!

http://www.facebook.com/GreenerMeInvitations

We appreciate your support!

Keeping the Written Letter Alive

2011-02-22T15:00:00.001-06:00

I have received several inquiries for personal stationery lately, which is so flippin' cool! It warms my heart to know that people are keeping the written note alive.

I love receiving cards and packages in the mail! It is much more personal than an email, and you can keep it forever, unlike a phone call!

What is the most special card or package you've received?

CaTuRdAy!

2011-02-20T09:30:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted pictures of my fuzzy lovelies in a while, so I thought I should definitely do that! Hope you enjoy :)

Sup?

Took the picture at the right moment :)

So sleepy

MORE SLEEPY!

Did someone say, "Sleepy?"

Our sweet brothers :)

Do you have any fuzzy (or feathered, or non-fuzzy) lovelies at home? I'd love to hear about them!

Winter Wonderland 2011

2011-02-18T10:00:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe that just last week, and the week before for that matter, Tulsa, Oklahoma was covered in this:

We have some height to our house, but the snow made everything look level! It was the most snow I've ever experienced, that is for sure!

We were fortunate to have a couple of days off, so Josh used his time efficiently and built a little igloo :)

Teehee! We had a great time and I was able to get caught up on a lot of GreenerMe work while we were off. I saw so many complaints about "cabin fever" but this was like my dream come true, haha! I hope everyone in our area had a safe couple of weeks. The sun is shining and the temperature has been nice and warm all this week so that yucky stuff is almost completely melted!! Spring is so close I can taste it, and I just can't wait! (except for the bugs, not looking forward to those little guys)

Lady Gaga Cake

2011-02-16T18:23:00.000-06:00

I had to make sure I blogged about my birthday cake (and birthday!) before it was too late. Here is a picture of it, isn't it wonderful?

The quote reads, "The can't scare me if I scare them first!" I think that suits me rather nicely :)

I had a wonderful birthday thanks to my lovely friends! Thank you guys for making my day a special one!

Working for the Work

2011-02-11T18:30:00.001-06:00

Hi friends! It's a wonderful, sunny Friday over here and I'm excited to write you all a little note. Lately I have really been going through the motions. Both my day job and GreenerMe are swamped with work to do, then there's house chores, social groups, friends, pets, reading.. The list of "To Do's" seems to get longer and longer, but my time gets shorter and shorter.

On January 24th I turned 25 years old. It's crazy to think I've been alive a quarter of a century, already! I'm so excited for the next quarter of my life, and I'm ready to get serious about the future. While I was taking my nightly shower (I am a water girl, for serious- stress and sickness is always alleviated by a nice, hot shower!) almost a month before my birthday, this thought hit me like a brick.. "Renee, you're 25.. What in the world are you doing with your life? It's time to get serious." Every since, I have been strategically planning ways to structure my time better so I can enjoy my life AND work a lot, without being overwhelmed. I wanted to share my findings, in hopes that maybe you are going through the same motions. Maybe this can help you, or maybe you can help me with your ways!

Often than not, after a long, stressful day at work, it's hard to come home and muster up more energy to focus on my crafty endeavors. My poor brain feels like mush and I don't want to use it the rest of the evening. I would much rather curl up with my kitties and fiance and watch some Netflix. I have succumbed to the darkness more often than not, and always kick myself by the end of the evening. It sucks! After doing this over and over, I finally found a fix. You see, I'd work super hard all day, then take my "lunch" (and by lunch, I mean work on GreenerMe), and then come home and expect myself to get right into my studio and back to work for hours and hours. In theory this would be awesome, but for me, this just is unreasonable. I needed a break... A way to refresh my mind and get back on track. So, I started utilizing my lunch hour to take a nap and focus on myself! Yes, during my lunch I close my office door, turn off the lights and lay down for about 20 - 30 minutes. I love to sleep and always slept a LOT when I was younger, but now that I'm adult I feel guilty for it when I have all this other stuff to do. This midday nap truly helps my psyche- I am happier, think clearer and get a boost of energy. I freaking love and look forward to my naps and it has helped tremendously with my focus.

I couldn't stop there. I still needed structure in my personal life, a way to take the stress of "you have a lot of work to do and must go home and immediately get to work!" off my shoulders a bit. So I developed a schedule that works well for me and also gives me personal time to look forward to. I thought of GreenerMe as a second job (even though you know I want it to be my first, ha!), and scheduled hours for it. Tuesday - Thursday I work 7pm - 9pm. On Mondays, I clean house, maybe watch some TV and tidy up loose ends as needed. On Friday, I take the evening off. Saturday is designated for sleeping in, errands and I make sure to put in two hours worth of work before shutting down for the night. Sunday, I get to sleep in, but then put in a long day of 12-6, afterwards I get to spend the evening with my honey.

Right now I'm only working about 14 hours a week, but I actually get more work done during this time than I ever did before. I don't get as distracted and I'm rested and ready to keep going. It was such a simple fix, and I'm so glad I have found a schedule that works well for me, so I can continue on to achieve my dream of one day being self-employed.

So now I want to know, how do you do it? Managing your own business on the side is a lot of work, but is so rewarding. How to do find the time to do it all? I'd love to hear what works for you!

Denise and Kirk, November 2010

2011-02-05T13:10:00.000-06:00

We wanted to share this lovely invitation set created for Denise and Kirk Wilmes! Their wedding was in November of 2010. This set was so much fun to create and we are so pleased to have had the opportunity to work with such a lovely couple!

GreenerMe Contest Winner Announcement! (Tulsa Wedding Show 01/08/11 Contest)

2011-01-16T17:40:00.000-06:00

While setup at the Tulsa Wedding Show on Saturday, January 8th 2011, we held a contest for attendees to enter for a chance to win a $250.00 credit to their GreenerMe Invitation order.

We created a video to announce the winner...

Congratulations to Amanda Carney!!

We look forward to working with you to create your perfect invitation set!

Thank you to everyone who participated! If you are in need of invitations for your wedding, get in touch with GreenerMe today! We'd love to answer any questions you have about invitations. We invite you to check out our website to preview our portfolio!

GreenerMe at the Tulsa Wedding Show (01.08.2011)

2011-01-09T20:54:00.000-06:00

The big weekend for GreenerMe came and went and we are so happy with the results! On Saturday, January 8th, 2011 GreenerMe setup as a vendor at the Tulsa Wedding Show, held at the Renaissance Hotel. Over 100 wedding vendors all setup up under one roof, ready to help thousands of brides as they plan and get ideas for their big day. We had a great location in the show and our booth neighbors were so helpful and friendly (be sure to check out Visions Event Planning and Floral Design for all your planning and decorative needs! Cindy is such a sweetheart and her setup was stunning!). We are happy to have had the opportunity to setup at such a wonderful show!

Crowd shot!
The show was pretty steady with people for the duration of the show.

Congratulations to our big winner at the fashion show! This lucky bride won a $500.00 credit to GreenerMe!

Our booth set up!

I scattered white rose petals and decorative diamonds atop a shimmery table cloth and accented the table with floral bouquets, mints, business information, a giveaway and our portfolios.

Look at our giveaway area.. This is the "before the show" shot..

..and this is "after the show"! Look at how many contest entries we got- over 500! One lucky winner will receive a $250.00 credit towards their invitation order! We'll announce the winner this week, so stay tuned :)

Thank you to all the wonderful brides, grooms and their families and friends for attending the Tulsa Wedding Show 2011! GreenerMe had a great time and we are thrilled to start work on invitations for some lovely people!

If you are getting married and in need of invitations, please check out our online portfolio at http://www.greenerme.net or e-mail us at info@greenerme.net. We look forward to hearing all about your big day!

Tulsa Wedding Show!! (01.08.2011) Come see GreenerMe!

2011-01-06T17:05:00.001-06:00

Who's ready for some wedding planning fun? I know I am!! I can't believe the big day is almost here. It's kind of surreal, really. Of course it's exciting though!!

What is the Tulsa Wedding Show, you ask? Well, it is a wonderful bridal show that brings over 100 vendors under one roof, ready to answer questions and provide services in regards to wedding planning and all the details that go in to making your day special and perfect. Seriously, you can plan your wedding day in a day at this show, or at least get a really good idea about the vendors and services you wish to use!

The show is Saturday, January 8, 2011 from 10am - 4pm.

It is held at the Renaissance Hotel,

located in Tulsa, Oklahoma at:

6808 South 107th East Avenue

Tulsa, Oklahoma 74133

Here's where we'll be! Walk right in and come see us first! :)

Tickets are available online for $10.00, or at the door for $11.00. This show really takes care of brides- you can expect lots of freebies, NICE giveaways, several fashion shows.. It really is everything under one roof!

And you know GreenerMe has to take care of our girls! We'll not only have a special giveaway at our booth but be sure to check out the 12:00 fashion show- right after the show GreenerMe will giveaway an invitation package to one luck winner.. Valued at $500.00!!

Congratulations to all the newly engaged brides and our brides already in the midst of planning their perfect day- we look forward to meeting you on Saturday at the Tulsa Wedding Show!

GreenerMe Giveaway Winner!

2011-01-01T16:09:00.000-06:00

We have a winner!

All the names were put into a jar, the lucky winner is...

Congratulations Jacqueline (jkcbaby)!

We'll be in touch for details on claiming your prize :)

Giveaway, Giveaway!

2010-12-20T17:16:00.001-06:00

Hi party people! Who's ready for a giveaway?
I'm super exited about this, hope you are too!

For this giveaway, one lucky winner will receive:

- Three GreenerMe Signature Card Sets

(each card set has eight cards with envelopes)

- One set of GreenerMe Spool Magnets

- One Set of GreenerMe Mushroom Magnets

- GreenerMe Ink Pen

- GreenerMe Business Cards & Business Card Magnet

- Prize is all bundled up in a GreenerMe Canvas Tote Bag!!

The giveaway will go on through December 31st, 2010!

To enter, participate in any (or all) of the following:

1. Follow the GreenerMe Blog (you're here!).

2. "Like" GreenerMe on Facebook.
(http://www.Facebook.com/GreenerMeInvitations)

3. Mention this giveaway on your Facebook.

4. Follow the GreenerMe on Twitter.
(http://www.Twitter.com/GreenerMe)

5. Mention this giveaway on Twitter.
6. Critique our website.
(http://www.greenerme.net/)

Simply leave me a comment and let me know what number(s) you participated in. The contest accepts up to SIX entries per person!! If you have any questions let me know. Once again, you have until 12/31/2010 to enter!

Thank you so much for supporting GreenerMe :)

A Make:Christmas at Ida Red 12/18/2010

2010-12-09T10:00:00.001-06:00

You know how it goes.. Holidays are in full swing and OH DANG a gift for that special person is needed. What to do, what to do? I have the perfect solution for you!

The ever-lovely Ida Red is opening it's doors to make:Tulsa for a fun holiday craft show. There will be some really cool vendors, myself included, as well as a free holiday make-and-take project and treats. TREATS! Everyone loves treats. I'm thinking it's a great time for some Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes? So yes.

I'm sure you've seen all the new products I have posted around Facebook and on the Blog, but I haven't posted where to get them. Guess what! This is it! Your first chance at lovely handmade paper crafts. Wowzers! I hope you'll stop by for a preview and a little chat!

Here's all the Details!

A make:Christmas Holiday Craft Show

Located at Ida Red

3336 South Peoria

Tulsa, Oklahoma 74105

Saturday, December 18th 2010

11am - 9pm

Bring all your friends!

New GreenerMe Website, It's True It's True!

2010-12-07T15:43:00.000-06:00

Hooray! I am so excited to unveil our new website layout. I gave it a complete overhaul and am so happy with the way it turned out. I'd love to add my blog and shop to it in the future, but for now I think this will do quite nicely!

I will warn this website is 100% Flash! I will get a new computer at the beginning of the year and promise to take care of my HTML-only friends! I am actually a HTML-only person too, had to use other people's computers to make my site.. Thanks Flash friends! haha.

Check it out and let me know what you think! Hope you all are having a swell week. Stay warm!

Blog Makeover!

2010-12-05T16:13:00.000-06:00

I did a quick little makeover to the blog! What do you think? I'm happy with the results for now, but believe me there will be better updates coming in the next couple of months! Hope y'all are having a wonderful weekend!

New Woodland Themed Mushroom Magnets!

2010-12-04T20:37:00.001-06:00

Check out these little cuties!

Each mushroom is hand painted and varnished. They are about .5" x .75" and made with a super strong magnet!

The magnets will be available for the first time at A Make:Christmas craft show hosted by make:Tulsa and located at Ida Red! The big day is Saturday, December 18th from 11am - 9pm. Mark your calendars and come shop some really cool vendors!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

New GreenerMe Products and Website Coming Soon!

2010-11-28T21:40:00.001-06:00

It is true! Over the past few months a lot of hard work has gone into creating a fresh GreenerMe image. Even though it has been a lot of fun brainstorming and working on these new ideas, we're super excited that we'll be able to show everything off VERY SOON!

The new website will go live here in the next couple of weeks! As for our new products? See above for the sampling of the magnets and stationery sets that will be for sale. We are setting up at a show mid-December (details TBA) and this will be your first chance to preview our new stationery and gift line! This will also be GreenerMe's first show in a couple of years so I hope you will come visit us and the other awesome vendors!

Of course we are still gearing up for The Wedding Show on Saturday, January 8th! We will be offering a couple of giveaways exclusive to visitors of The Tulsa Wedding Show! If you are or know of any brides planning their wedding, this is THE show to go to! Over 100 vendors ready to make your day perfect!

We'll keep you updated on all the latest GreenerMe happenings so keep coming back! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend! Cheers to starting off the work week strong!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T22:52:00.001-06:00

Today was wonderful! I went to Wyandotte, Oklahoma to visit family on my dad's side. Things are a lot more calm in Wyandotte and I really enjoy going there to spend time with family and eat delicious food!

Tomorrow will be Turkey Day with my mom's side and I can't wait! I am so thankful to have wonderful family and friends to spend the holidays with!

Happy Thanksgiving to you! <3

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Monthly Catchup!

2010-11-23T23:12:00.001-06:00

Hey peeps!

It has been cwazy over here on the biz front! I'm loving it! In addition to prep for The Tulsa Wedding Show, I recently accepted the task of building a new website for the day job. Of course both projects are due around the same time but if I use my time wisely, everything should go swimmingly! Oh, Im also setting up at Ida Red in Dec 18th (Saturday) selling some much needed, last minute Christmas gifts! Come see a sampling of the items I have been working on so avidly as of late!

The great turkey day is right around the corner and I am so happy for the extra time I'll have! Eating, snoozing, schmoozing, working.. It will be a rather swell holiday weekend! I hope you and yours enjoy the festivities and have safe travels!

Now I'll leave you with a few pictures from the past month..

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Pumpkin Carving Fun

2010-10-26T14:13:00.002-05:00

This weekend the gang and I got together for some pumokjn carving fun. Check out our awesome designs! I made the kitty and LOST tribute. Josh and Leah's carvings turned out REALLY good. Hope you all have a wonderful and safe Halloween!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.3

make:Tulsa Polymer Clay Class (Recap from 10.16.10)

2010-10-25T14:57:00.000-05:00

A couple Saturdays ago the make:Tulsa girls got together for a fun crafting afternoon! Holly from Hollyrocks taught us all how to make cute polymer clay pumpkins. They turned out really well! I hosted the event and so of course I had to make some treats for the group. Check out these awesome cupcakes! Pumpkin Spice with Cream Cheese icing. So yum. I picked these up from Smile Monsters blog. They were a big hit!

Holly is a great teacher!

Holly teaching Jory the fine points of polymer clay pumpkin making :-)

We even had our mascot, Roman! He is very energetic!

All the cute pumpkins ready for their trip to the oven.

My cute pumpkin #1

My cute pumpkin #2

We had a great time! Thank you, Holly! Be sure to check out the make:Tulsa calendar make at http://maketulsa.com/ for future fun!

Fair Food Recap

2010-10-22T11:36:00.002-05:00

The fair came and went and here are a few delights from this year. It is ritual to get the pretzels so of course my mom, aunt and I were all about that!

While on the trek with my mom and aunt, they both tried the fried butter.

Im all about the Donut Burger, but I could just not bring myself to try the butter!

Fall Fun! New GreenerMe, make:Tulsa, Indie Emporium!

2010-10-12T15:15:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends and Fans!

How is life going for everyone? Life is grand and life is busy over here! 2011 is going to bring some wonderful things to GreenerMe and we can’t wait to share all the details with you! Our big focus right now is expanding our product line! In addition to fabulous wedding invitations, GreenerMe will have its very own stationery and gift line! Perfect for home and office! You guys are going to love these products. At first they will be exclusive to stores in the Oklahoma area, but we will have the products available online and in other markets in spring 2011. We have our first shipment going out to The Felt Bird this week! I’m excited about this line for many reasons, but mostly because I will be able to participate in shows again! We can’t wait to get out in the crowd again and see all your lovely faces in Fall 2011!

In other craft news, some really cool events are coming our way in October! This Saturday, October 16th I am hosting a make:Tulsa Polymer Clay Class at my house! The lovely Holly Embry of HollyRocks will get us in the Halloween/Fall spirit by teaching us how to make polymer clay pumpkins! If you’re interested in attending, please e-mail me at renee@greenerme.net or leave a comment on this post! The class will start at 2pm in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Last but not least, the main event for October is Indie Emporium! We are so excited about this event! It will be held at the VFW Post #577 here in Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 29 and 30, 2010. There will be hip craft vendors, make and take tables, hourly demos, live local music, as well as a fashion show held Saturday night! We are also participating in a food donation for the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. Bring your cans and get discounted tickets at the door!! I am lucky enough to design most of the graphics for this event, so here’s a shameless plug of the awesome poster I created!

So festive, fun and spunky! I love helping out with Indie Emporium. Many months of planning went into this event and we can’t wait for you to see all the cool stuff in store! Indie Emporium just magnifies and is more awesome each year! We hope you’ll come see us!

Thanks for tuning in, we’ll be back soon with more fun!

Phones, Football and Stress

2010-09-27T17:15:00.001-05:00

Hi friends! This weekend was super fun! To start, I got a new and fabulous phone! We're on T-Mobile so it's the Galaxy S Vibrant. Soooo similar to Iphone except you can customize the apps and icons more and it's lighter in weight. And it talks with Google, which I am slowly moving everything over to Google so that is quite beneficial. I feel normal and totally cool now, having this phone. Oh, and we did try the HTC HD2 and please heed my warning- do not get it! It is the worst phone and made me so stressed out the first day I had it. Josh also had problems with his within minutes of leaving the store. I think something should just work (or else it stresses me out) so when we exchanged for the Vibrant it met all of my expectations immediately. Oh and it has Avatar (the movie, full length) loaded on it as well as Sims. I have not played the Sims until it was preloaded on this phone and I will say I am slightly obsessed (might have stayed awake an extra hour last night playing, ouch that hurt this morning!)(and I blame this obsession on Amby!). I could totally cradle this phone like a baby.

Back up a bit to Thursday where make:Tulsa got together for a Supply Swap! It was pretty awesome. Basically, members bring supplies they are no longer using and trade it with supplies other members bring.. One man's trash is another man's treasure, anyone? It was great to hang with the girls for a couple of hours.

Saturday and Sunday I slept in, worked on the biz, shopped, cleaned house and of course watched FOOTBALL!! Go Colts!! (I am a Colts fan-atic through association. My friend Leah is like ultra pro football knowledge woman (she more than likely knows more than you!) and that's her favorite team so honestly you might not see me anymore if I don't root for them! She didn't like that I picked most of the Indiana team for my fantasy league, which in turn means I will totally demolish her in our league.. I say it's good training.) Pretty enjoyable overall!! And can I get a heck yes to the weather? Oh, I could just sleep outside like a kitty cat it feels so delightful!

The past week or so I've been feeling kind of panicky about my biz stuff. New website in the works, Tulsa Wedding Show prep, working on getting a new product line to take over my Etsy, update books, work on custom designs, blog.. It doesn't ever stop!! What also doesn't stop is the plethora of ideas that come to me and I feel like I must complete them RIGHT THIS SECOND, but can I? Umm.. no. I love my biz and this opportunity to pieces and am so thrilled and happy at what the future holds, but does it ever just kind of scare you guys? As in, can I really do this? What happens if it doesn't work out? Ahhh! I say: Scared, yes. Do it, yes. Doesn't work out, won't happen. But it still makes me nervous, ha. This too shall pass, I suppose. Maybe a long night of working will help shake these jitters :) And maybe my senses are heightened because it almost feels like fun rather than work right now. I mean, I'm designing a bunch of cute things for lovely people sitting on my couch amongst my fluffy (and one not so fluffy) family. This can really be "work"? I guess I am rather fortunate to have found something I enjoy and fits my personality so well!

I love having this blog, it's hard to "talk it out" when you're alone but this really gets the job done at times. And thank you for listening to my rambles :)

Ok, off to work I go! Hi-ho, hi-ho!

Antiques, Craft Shows and Invitations!

2010-09-20T21:35:00.000-05:00

This weekend was so much fun. We kept it low key on Friday because Josh had to work early in the morning on Saturday. When Saturday came, my friend Julia and I went antique shopping in Jenks, Oklahoma. As I’m writing this I’m kicking myself for not taking pictures of the delicious breakfast I prepared for us before the trek! We had bagels, eggs, bacon, tea (Cream Earl Grey from Dragonmoon Tea Room, delightful) and water (I used glasses from my grandmother’s antique glassware to make it extra special). We prepared for the day while eating this delicious meal on my porch! Then it was off to Jenks!

I would say this is the first time I actively shopped for antiques at an actual antique store. The street was so cute and quaint. I loved the smell of each store we walked into. It was always different but had that same old smell to it. I instantly felt comfortable and like I was at my grandparent’s house each time walked in a store. The people were friendly, too! Check out this mug, it's pretty sweet! Handy for those with nice mustaches, there's a bar going across the top of the mug to prevent your 'stash from getting wet!

I loved this box of old thread and sewing patterns.

This was the third level to one of the shops we went in. I love multi-leveled structures and I really loved this room! They were in the process of updating the room and I could easily see a certain invitation studio located here.. One day!

After that Julia took me home as she was going to the Greek Festival with her family. I haven’t been yet but I really need to go as I’ve heard the food is wonderful! Maybe next year? Then it was off with Amby and Roman to see Holly at the craft show she set up at in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Remember those cute owl invitations I made a few months ago?

Well, Roman is the little gem I created them for! Roman is a big two months today. So little and cute! Be sure to check out his mom’s shop, TheKnitOwl on Etsy and support a local mom! I mean, how could you make this little guy sad by not visiting his mom’s shop?

(Sorry Amby, I just can't resist this face!)
The show Holly set up at was in Broken Arrow’s Community Center. Look at how cute she was being Miss Saleswoman! If you missed Holly at this show be sure to check out her Etsy shop, Hollyrocks!

After the craft show, Amby, Roman and I stopped at a British store where I got some tea! It is a delicious English Breakfast tea. It was pretty toasty outside, so we packed up Mr. Roman and called it a day. That evening resulted in good friends and my porch, a great combination! Overall, I’d say my Saturday was pretty awesome. Sunday I slept in, ate a yummy lunch at Bill and Ruth's and finished up a baby shower invitation order for Holly’s brother. They chose the pink paisley set (sample pictured below). I love these invites!

How was your weekend? Regardless of if it was busy or slow.. I hope it was wonderful and treated you well! Happy Monday and enjoy the rest of your week!

Say Hello to My Little Friend

2010-09-18T18:13:00.000-05:00

See these little guys?

I am very excited about these little caterpillars that have taken home on my porch. I think the one on the left was just visiting though, as I took this photo this morning and he is no longer there. The one on the left, however, has been hanging upside down for a couple of days now and I am hoping to he starts creating his cocoon! If these little guys transform to butterflies I know they are going to be so pretty. Right now they look like jewelry beads, black and white striped. I can only imagine what beauties the will become!

Etsy, Your Entrepreneurship Resource

2010-09-15T17:15:00.000-05:00

My friend Holly of Hollyrocks is teaching an Etsy course at Tulsa Community College! I thought this was the coolest idea when she originally told me about it, so I am very excited to share the class with you guys. Please sign up so you can learn helpful tips and tricks about Etsy regardless of if your new to Etsy or a veteran! You'll also help support a local crafter!

Holly explained the class details best, so I'm going to give you her explanation of the class:

"Hello, crafty people! This is Holly, and I’ve got a bit of news that might interest you. Many craft-savvy folks already know about Etsy.com, but for anyone who doesn’t, Etsy is an online marketplace where consumers all over the world have access to handmade items, craft supplies, and vintage goodies.

If you wanted to set up a shop on Etsy, would you know where to start? I do! That’s why I’ll be teaching a class at Tulsa Community College called Etsy: Entrepreneur Resource. It’s not just for beginners though, I am designing the class so that ANYONE who’s interested in learning the tips and tricks to having an Etsy shop will benefit.

The class will take place on Tuesday, September 28th and Thursday, September 30th from 5:30 til 9:25 pm. And in case you’re worried that you might end up sitting through a total of 8 hours worth of PowerPoint presentations, let me ease your mind right now by saying that’s not the way I roll. I recently graduated with a degree in education, and I’ll be putting it to good use for this class. You can expect to participate in discussions, hands-on activities, an Etsy scavenger hunt, and step-by-step instructions for building, maintaining, and promoting your shop. Most importantly, this class will be FUN! So click right here and scroll to page 10 if you’d like more information on how to enroll."

Page 10 on the website will give you the details, and page 35 has the sign up form. Hurry up and sign up the class is next Tuesday and Thursday!!

Be sure to check out the Hollyrocks Etsy shop, too!

Learn to Crochet

2010-09-14T17:05:00.000-05:00

Are you interested in learning to crochet? I've heard it's easy once you get the hang of it, and a lot quicker than knitting. If this sounds like fun you should check out my friend Sherri Torrez's new class she is teaching at Stitches!! The class is held on Thursday, September 16th from 6:30 - 8:00pm at Stitches, which is located at 5948 South Lewis, here in Tulsa. The price is $15 and about $5 for supplies. Please call Stitches to RSVP at 918-747-8838.

You will make these lovely spa wash cloths!

Sherri has been crocheting for 20 years now and I know first hand how amazing and sweet her products are. She is the owner of Sherri Lee Fibercrafts, which specializes in crocheted baby items. ADORABLE! She will also be set up at Indie Emporium, so be sure to come check out her goods on Oct 29 & 30!

Case of the Tumbleweeds

2010-09-13T17:15:00.000-05:00

I’m having some major blockage of creative ideas for the blog lately. I think that’s the reason for my lack of updates, as for a week now I’ve thought on a daily basis about what I could write about next and nothing has come to mind. My last two posts I wrote on the same day, but scheduled them to post two days apart. I seem to have more ideas at once rather than every other day or so. Blah. How do you find inspiration for your blog?

Here are some ideas I have for future blogs:
New product release – I’m going to restructure my website and Etsy shop. My website will showcase my invitations, while the Etsy shop will be made for stationery sets, thank yous, call me cards and other paper goods. This is contingent on me finishing the revamp of my website, making new products for the Etsy and taking photos, etc. It seems one project is always dependent on another project’s completion.

Planning for the Tulsa Wedding Show – This is my biggest event of the year for me. I haven’t tried to market my invitations at a trade show before and I am very excited at the possibilities of growth and exposure this will bring my business. I'd love to document this for everyone, as I think it will be a valuable tool to see what works and doesn't work at a show of this magnitude.

House Remodel – I really want to put some elbow grease into my house and make it even more amazing than it currently is. I’m seriously thinking about hiring someone (ha as I talk about elbow grease) to do landscaping as we need it badly and though I would really love to do it, I have this terrifying fear of bugs (especially bees and wasps and hornets, the ones that will hurt me) so after about five minutes in the yard I’m a nervous wreck! Ha! I think to save my sanity I would like to hire someone, at least to get the yard and landscaping cleaned up before winter (any suggestions would be awesome!). I think my first project inside the house will be the bedroom. There are plenty of ideas in the ‘ol noggin for that room just need to get to it! Maybe I could generate some idea boards and post them on here.

I’d like to walk you guys through each of these things, but alas I have to get to work on them first! They won’t get done on their own! Sometimes it’s like I have this beehive of ideas going on in my head and it’s hard to organize them all and figure out what I’m going to do next, and after that, and next month, etc. It seems when I do plan it out more ideas come up that bump into other ideas or make them not as important.. Or I’ll get an order and that is of course always a priority! But I have found that if I just start working, it all gets done without a panic. So I guess it’s time to just dive right in!

I hope you all have a wonderful work week. I will leave you with this quote:
“Work is love made visible.”
- Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese writer and philosopher

BIG NEWS! Tulsa Wedding Show!

2010-09-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

Big news, yall! GreenerMe is setting up at their first Bridal Show on Saturday, January 8, 2011! It is called the Tulsa Wedding Show and is located at the lovely Renaissance Hotel at 71st and HWY 169 here in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

We're very excited to be apart of the show. I went in 2009 and let me tell you it was jam packed both with awesome vendors AND awesome brides, husbands, friends and families. I'm talking thousands of people walk through those doors! This is the kind of event where you can really get everything planned for your big day, in one day. You can taste test cakes, book your DJ and photographer, find your perfect dress during one of their many fashion shows, and of course find your perfect invitations! Definitely visit my booth because I am planning some wonderful giveaways, a unique set up, and I will have LOTS of information on how we can work together to create your perfect paper goods!

We'll post more fun things as we get closer to the big day, but please let all your friends and family know about this event! If you're planning your own wedding, another person's wedding or just want to meet some cool vendors in the industry this is your CHANCE!

John Mayer Live (09.03.2010)

2010-09-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

This past Friday Josh and my friend Leah and I all went to see John Mayer live at the BOK Center here in Tulsa. It was a great show! I didn't listen to him much before seeing him live, but can truly say that I was impressed.

The show was very chill and was full of Mayer's lovely voice and amazing guitar skills. They had this giant screen set up behind him so everyone could see him and his guitar close up :-)

His fellow band members were also amazing musicians and Mayer included them and praised them throughout the show. The arena was full to the brim with people!

Overall the show was exactly what I expected and I was very satisfied after leaving. I haven't stopped playing his albums yet and I would see him again for sure! My favorite song at the moment is "Home Life".

Thanks for coming to Tulsa, John!

Photoshoot with Sam Lamb and weather&noise

2010-09-06T14:00:00.001-05:00

I recently did a photo shoot with the ever lovely Sam Lamb. If you haven't checked out her photography, you definitely need to take peek because it is so welcoming, comforting and beautiful. Her muse is the house she resides in that is secluded in the country. I can only imagine how peaceful this would be!

This shoot was focused on cozy scarves crafted by weather&noise. Christine is the creative wonder behind weather&noise, but you can also find her planning Indie Emporium and creating stunning art at Christine Sharp-Crowe.

The girls and I had a great time chatting and taking pictures. Remember when I said in my last post that scarves were a personal fall favorite? You can imagine my excitement when I was offered the opportunity to do a fall scarf shoot!

Catching Up

2010-09-04T11:20:00.000-05:00

Good morning! How is everyone doing on this beautiful Saturday? The weather is chill, currently a crisp 64 degrees. It feels amazing outside. The First Day of Fall is quickly approaching and this makes me very excited! I love fall. I get the warm fuzzies for this time of year because that familiar, comfortable feeling comes with fall. It means holidays, scarves, sweaters, tea, chai lattes, clove cigars, open windows, craft shows and I'll got ahead and throw this one in on behalf of Josh and my closest friend.. Football! Sunday will be football fun-day very soon.

My lack of posting usually means I have a very full plate of work. This is very true as of late. I wish I could muster up the creative energy to get some blog posts going, but it seems the blog is the first thing to go! Just know that no word is good word. I finished up a large invitation/reply card/hotel card w/full envelope address printing last weekend. This weekend I am finishing up a thank you card set w/return address printing for the same client. It is so much fun. It's hard to even describe the feeling I get from imagining all the wonderful hands my invitations will encounter, the accomplishment, like I'm really achieving this goal I've always wanted and strived to achieve. Sometimes I'll drive around and look at the large houses in my area and dream about the day I will live in one. Now I'm not talking excessively large, but I just adore the kitchy old homes in our area full of character, age and wonder. It overwhelms me to the point that my eyes tear up and I get really scared that this is all happening and I'm doing it and what happens next? This is where the controlling side of me has to calm down and just go with the flow. Make sure I put in my time, work on what needs to be done and let the rest just happen.

This morning I woke up on my own accord at 7:00am and made myself stay up. Well, Josh does get some credit as he recently started a new job which requires some early mornings. I could have easily rolled over and went back to sleep after he left, like I usually do, but I didn't. I stayed awake. I was determined. I have seriously accomplished so much this morning, you can tell by the fact that I'm actually posting a blog! By the time Josh gets off at 5:00pm I will have all the laundry washed and hung, have done the dishes, ordered my new promotional items from Vista Print, my thank you card order will be assembled and ready for cutting/scoring, the reply address printed on the envelopes will be complete and I'll also have a decent portion of the door tickets for Indie Emporium designed. I'll probably even go get some lunch and make a quick stop to a hobby store for supplies. The feeling in my heart right is overflowing with warmth and success, let me tell you.

Where do I get this drive to succeed? I haven't 100% pinned this down, but my dad does have his own business and that has definitely been an influence. I'll also share a secret with you, I am really lazy! I shouldn't brag about that, but it is definitely a motivator. My motto is, "Do it now, because I won't want to later." I try to live by that as much as possible and it's really seemed to work for me. For all you crafters, small business owners and entrepreneurs out there I say find what works for you and make it happen. Not everyone works the same as the next, it's about what works for you. If you want something in life you have to try, you have to test, you have to fail. Having a business will always been a learning experience. Life itself will always be a learning experience! As the owner you are the face and the voice of the company, you are the decision maker and you are the problem solver. You get to hire your first employee and release some control and allow people to learn the skills you have developed. I'm excited and feel so lucky to have this gift and I am excited to embrace this gift and see where it takes me. It can only go up from here.

make:Tulsa Mixer (08.07.2010)

2010-08-09T19:28:00.000-05:00

I would have to say this past Friday's make:Tulsa Mixer was a huge success! It was a chance for people interested in crafts, business and/or socializing to come together and see if make:Tulsa is right for them. We mixed and mingled for a few until all the guests arrived, and then brought our heads together to find out exactly what everyone is expecting out of this group. It was really cool!

What is make:Tulsa? Founded by the organizers of Indie Emporium, "make:Tulsa is a group of crafters, artists, and designers in the Tulsa area. We host art and craft classes, workshops and other social crafting events for makers of all kinds. make:Tulsa was born to create an outlet for hobby crafters and those who wish to create together, but do not necessarily have a business for their work. make:Tulsa supports DIY ethics and hopes to encourage creativity in our lovely community of makers." - make:Tulsa website.

This is going to be one awesome group! To start, there are some amazing people ready to make this happen, such as Christine Sharp Crowe, organizer of Indie Emporium, art connoisseur, and owner of weather&noise, Briana Hefley Shepard, organizer of Alliday and owner of SheezKrafty, Nikki of Gleeful Peacock and Holly Embry of HollyRocks. Not to mention new people that I hadn't met prior to the Mixer, who are just looking for some crafty folks to hang with! How cool!

The future of make:Tulsa will bring workshops designed to better your business, which will be hosted by our own make:Tulsa members. There will also be many a crafting get-togethers, volunteer groups and of course more Mixers! I'm really stoked about this and hope you are too. If this seems like something you'd like to be apart of, click here to get more details! Membership is just $10/yr. And you're more than welcome to come try us out before you buy!

Oh, I forgot to mention we have sweet treats!!