Ban Plastic Microbeads

Did you know that micro-plastic particles are being found in pretty much all bodies of water, all over the world? This is so terrible for all of the marine wildlife that are being affected by this, but if you don't care about that (you scare me) then you should care about the fact that it all eventually comes back to you and the food you eat. Don't eat fish? Well other animals do, in turn they can absorb those chemicals as well, and then it's another chain cycle of life that all comes back to you. Humans + Toxic chemicals = Birth defects, Illness, cancers, etc... (enough said?)

So do your part, share this infographic created by The 5 Gyres Institute and just sign this petition to ban plastic microbeads already. Your body, and the Eco-system will thank you.

Vineyard Reception Fashion: Elegant Guest Wear

The hubs and I are going to be attending a vineyard engagement party in the Niagara Region soon. I've never had to think so much about what I'm going to be wearing as I have had to for this particular event.  I need to be comfortable, but dressed up at the same time. I need bling but to still look understated. I want something sexy, but romantic at the same time... So below is my checklist of all the fashion madness that's required.

What to Wear to a Vineyard Engagement or Wedding Reception:

• Smoking hot dress, not too short and classy at the same time. I'm loving this ruffled Susie dress from Forever Unique.
• Wedge heel sandals. There is nothing worse than sinking into grass while trying to look cool, calm and collected.
• Minimal Jewelry. Going for few statement pieces with a hint of romanticism. My Venezia Luce pendant does just that.
• A pretty clutch that can hold my phone, lip gloss, a pen and some cash.
• Neutral nail color or just a base coat like one that NARS carries.
• Long last lip color that wont fade or come off on those wine glasses I'll be sipping from all afternoon/night.
• A feminine perfume that helps you smell like a walking dream. This one by D&G is sure to do just that.

The best part of this whole thing is that the invitations we received in the mail are printed on seed paper like these ones below from Botanical Paperworks. I can just plant the invites and they will grow into beautiful wildflowers!

My small garden of wildflowers will be a great way to remember the union of the happy couple and you just know how much I love environmentally friendly weddings. To get invites like these to a gorgeous vineyard engagement party in the Niagara Region is just icing on the cake. I can't wait for this!

Chair Makeover: The Time I didn't DIY and Hired a Professional

A couple of months ago I bought a pair of super comfortable Bergere chairs off of Craigslist. I was really drawn to their beautiful shape but I bought them knowing that the faded fabric would need to be changed and the frames repainted. I went back and forth between teaching myself to re-upholster them or hiring someone to redo the chairs from top to bottom.

Me taking on the re-upholstering of the chairs would have meant saving money on the labor and being able to splurge on expensive fabric, but there was a huge risk of me damaging a pair of perfectly good chairs as it would be my first foray into furniture re-upholstery.

After much consideration, I decided to transfer my energy on reading local reviews of re-upholsterers. Thank God for yelp, because after sending numerous photos of my chairs to various re-upholstery shops, I finally found a guy that was awesome. He met with me, let me know that I needed about 12 yards of fabric and quoted me about $500 per chair to paint, refill and reupholster (that seemed steep at first, but that was actually the lowest of all the quotes I got and since new Bergere chairs go for double that price I went with it.)

I chose a gray shade for the frame and went with an off white canvas fabric that cost me about $20 per yard. Three weeks later, I had brand new chairs and couldn't be happier.

These past four months I've taken on about 15 different DIY projects, but with these chairs I knew I had reached my limit. I, for one, did not have any spare time on my hands to redo these chairs, nor the patience to spend tons of time learning a new skill.  Besides, I didn't want to ruin the chairs and was also sick of living in a sparsely decorated house. I was so ready for my decor to come together and I think they go really well with my new green throw pillows.

At the end of the day, I get the same pleasure from looking at these chairs that I would have had I re-did them myself. It makes me happy that I got to choose exactly the color and finish I wanted in addition to saving some money compared to what I would have paid had I bought them new.

Sometimes, you just gotta know when to give up and hire the right person to do the job better, faster, with less headache.

Let me know what you think!