Think Greener - recycling & reusing

Miss Oprah Winfrey always said is was good to "vent"

....so here I go.....

Just last weekend I styled a sweet Wizard of Oz party on the Gold Coast.  Held at a local council park it was the perfect location for a 6 year olds birthday celebration....lovely surrounds, great facilities & an awesome playground!

With 3 parties in the small park that day, it was nice to spend the afternoon surrounded by giggling children, families & friends all celebrating a little person in their lives.  Unfortunately amidst the joy, something that really disappointed me was the amount of garbage left behind by other party goers. I was actually quite disgusted to be honest & I have found myself reflecting on this subject it a bit this week.

The party in the gazebo beside ours, left their site in a horrid mess....paper decorations  were left waving in the wind, still taped to posts long after their owners had gone, bins overflowed with paper products, cans & bottles; bits of broken balloon could be found on the ground & bags of rubbish were left for council to take care of.  Not only did I feel they had disrespected the environment, but also the council & their use of public facilities.


I'll be honest that, when I saw their site, then looked at ours, it gave me a sense of pride to note that we had taken our one small bag of rubbish to the car & left our party site in the same clean & tidy condition we had found it in....
the only footprints we had left behind were those of the guests in the playground sand.

This got me thinking over the next few days about the amount of waste from a few hours of celebrating.  What a huge environmental impact parties must make each weekend.    As it happened, during the week, I was reading a recent blog by my lovely friend & fellow party gal, Daneve of Ah Tissue, which made me realise I wasn't alone in my thinking about reducing consumables at parties. {Daneves beautiful products are a great example of reusing decorations in the home after they have graced a party - my daughters have a beautiful bunch of them in their room....still looking fabulous a year after the party we used them in}

I had decided early on I would make a conscious decision to be as environmentally "savvy" as possible with my Whimsy Petite events.  When shopping for supplies I always keep in the back of my mind whether its an item that can be reused; is made from or can be recycled etc

Lets be realistic.....I style parties, therefore there are going to be consumables, I get that....& I love the variety of beautiful products available to add the sweet touches to soirees these days. 

All I am saying is there can be a balance. Beautiful parties don't need to mean bags & bags of rubbish a few hours later. It may mean a little more time preparing, or having to do a few dishes after the event, but I figure its time worth the effort.

So you might be wondering how DO I seek to keep my businesses environmental impact down?

Reuse of fabric table linens

Thoughtful use of reusable jars

Use of timber products {such as cutlery as an alternative to plastics}

Resuable decorations for example -

Fabric Bunting has endless opportunity for reuse

Ah tissue poms - the ideal reusable paper decoration
Fabric decorations add a sweet touch to bedrooms or living areas post party

Reusable melemine ware
Recycled drink bottles
Paper Straws breakdown & wont harm the environment
Don't use disposable plastic ware
Use biodegradable products

Supply quality take home gifts rather than cheap breakable varieties

Cretive packaging that guests can reuse at home

Source, reuse & revamp old props & junkyard finds

Borrow items from family or friends

& the list is continually growing.

So here it is, my little rant ....and the point?  When you are next planning a soiree of your own, I challenge you to think outside the square of commercially produced plastic party products...do you really need to use plastic plates, cup & cutlery - can you incorporate decorations which are reusable, or that you can pass on to someone else?  Do the thank you gifts you bestow on guests need to be in throw away packaging?  Can you provide a general garbage & recycling bin for your guests to use during the event - or are you willing to sort through this yourself?  What about using cloth table linen rather than the disposable paper or plastic kind?  Will you remove your rubbish from a public area and leave it in a clean and tidy condition for the next park goer to enjoy?

I'd love to share any other creative ideas for environmentally friendly party ideas you might have - please leave your suggestion in the comments below

 I hope that my little rant has given some food for thought. Remember together we can make a difference! xx

If you would like inspiration or help in creating a fabulous {environmentally friendly}

soiree of your own, you can contact me about Whimsy Petites event styling services,

party packs or inspiration boards.

Have a fun & happy week everyone!


Tash

Styling at the last minute

What a perfect Easter weekend we have had here in Brisbane! Magical weather and a 5 day weekend have been the perfect setting for a wonderful Easter break!

You may have read my blog on our traditional family Resurrection Sunday Breakfast Party.  For those who missed it you can check it out here.   I have to admit I had decided I wasn't going to do much for our Easter Sunday breakfast this year; the weeks leading up to Easter have just been so busy with kids holidays; church holiday club; preparing for upcoming client events etc I just didnt think I had the time, or frankly the energy....however at 8pm on Saturday night I couldnt contain myself any longer, the styling itch got the better of me. How could I possibly let the opportunity of styling a beautiful breakfast in honor of such an important day slip me by?

 And so, much to the entertainment of my loving husband, I quickly got to work to put together a beautiful setting for the mornings celebration.

Sometimes its fun not to have a specific plan, and at 8pm I sure didn't have one in mind! The setting developed as I went....finding bits and pieces in my cupboard and event supplies which would compliment the the vision as it evolved.  Tones of blues, lemons and pinks, old chinaware, recycled milkbottles and mason jars, gingham and timber transformed our upper deck into a homely, spring inspired, farmhouse atmosphere.

These little white ceramic bunnies were a great place to start styling the table!  I adorned each one with a different blue or beige ribbon and they became the feature for the individual place settings.....

Positioned in the morning sun overlooking the pool and gardens; I transformed the upper deck with a round table, just the right size for the gathering of 5, with white whicker chairs and assorted blue cushions. Then added my favourite antique dresser as the buffet table.  The table was simple and uncluttered with a lemon gingham cloth,  individual place settings and a small arrangment of lavender and boiled eggs on old china plates as a cenrepiece.  (you can see the table refelcted in the mirror of the buffet)

I love fresh flowers and usually would incorporate them in a setting like this, however as I had left styling this breakfst to the last minute I didnt have any fresh blooms on hand and had to get creative. Artificial Lavender was located in the cupboard and a beautiful pink peonie clip added a touch of spring to the look. Fresh lemons and limes always look great displayed for a splash of colour, so i they went.  Luckily I had some pom poms from a  previous event hanging in my daughters room, these were put into action and arranged in a staggered bunch above the table for a more nestled and intimate feel...I just love the whimsy her pom poms add to any occassion!

In keeping with our tradition, the meal was a simple affair, humble and reflective of the act of the first Easter.  Our menu consisted of warm hot cross buns,a symbol of Christs death; and boiled eggs , a sign of hope, and New life.  I had decided to try out a new Banana Bread recipe too...but it was a disaster and at 11.30pm I had to whip up something in its place.....Lemon cupcakes did the trick and not only did they taste great but the icing and lemon wedge on top perfectly complimented the colour scheme.  (I'll share the cupcake recipe with you in the next few days)

and of course not to forget the low allergen chocolate crackle eggs we have come to love!  I didnt dip the ends in white chocolate this year, preferring the more rustic look of them plain and simply finished with a little coloured ribbon....

I loved how "country" the little milk bottles made the breakfast feel.  Both young and old enjoyed sipping on banana flavoured milk with their breakfast...

and of course what would Easter be without a visit from the Easter Bunny.  We never go overboard on the Easter treats, but the bunny always drops something small off to the children around breakfast time.  These little muslin bags were ideal for popping a handful of small eggs into and sitting at each of the childrens places at the table.  I created  a simple bunny silhouette image on the computer and ironed a trasnfer onto each bag.  I was really happy with how these turned out...

So there we have it.....in 5 hours I went from "get motivated" to beautiful farmhouse Easter breakfast setting.  I must say Iwas really happy with the result.  But, I think I might start planning a little earlier next year!

I do hope you and your family had a blessed and relaxing Easter and were able to reflect on the real meaning of the day.  I'd love to hear what you got up to!

Where to find:

Styling by - Whimsy Petite Styling

Scalloped cake stands and muslin bags- Sharnel Dollar Designs

Tissue Poms - Ah Tissue

Paper straws - Polka Dot Prints

Ceramic bunnies - Bed Bath and Table

Antique blue mason jars - Etsy.com