Happy Valentines Day Hotties!
While it’s a divine occasion to celebrate the ones we love, we shouldn’t forget about loving the one who brings us incredible amounts of pure joy – our lovely lady Mother Earth.
Big days like this can mean big spend and big footprint. Lot’s of packaging, roses covered in chemicals plus the pressure of buying expensive gifts and grand gestures..that’s not what true unconditional love is about.
For Lee and I it’s about the luxury of time, time to be together, talk and enjoy each others company.
Simple pleasures well spent but it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. I decided to treat Lee with a decadent picnic and challenged myself to do it all zero waste, so I thought i’d capture it to inspire you guys too.
Here’s how I did it…
Clothing – Our clothing is all zero waste and second hand, Lee is actually wearing the ‘greenest tee on the planet’ from Kusaga Athletic which I then hand dyed with brown onion skins! (More on that in another post coming soon). The rest I found at the The Salvos
Picnic Props – Op Shops are an absolute haven for homewares – cool little containers, beautiful baskets, wooden boards and silver vintage cutlery at a fraction of department store prices. I’d wanted a picnic basket for a while and was so chuffed when I found this gorgeous little specimen for $20, I also found some sterling silver servers for $10. The rest of the items you see here I had at home, reusing what you have is a great way to reduce waste.
Pinterest – I kind of avoided this app for a while because I was worried I’d fall down a hole of beautiful images never to be seen again haha, while it is a temptress I love it because you can find so many visual references that allow you to be inspired and then add your own creative flair to it. Define your search like ‘Picnic Date’ and then keep a folder of the feels you like, then before you go and buy think about what you already have at home that fits the bill. It’s actually helped me reduce my spending and waste ratio!
Slow Flowers – Inspired by our wonderful eco wedding florist Vanessa, I foraged all the flowers locally, taking cuttings from a gumtree in our street and a flower bush in our apartment block. I never knew that flowers could have such an impact on the planet but quite a lot of the flowers we buy are not only wrapped in plastic, but they are flown from overseas and treated with chemicals to make them last. Check out Vanessa’s work and be inspired by the Slow Flower movement!
Food – I always try to keep the packaging to a minimum when I buy food, or choose items in containers that can be recycled – like glass or paper/cardboard. I have my own produce bags to buy fruit and veggies from the supermarket and of course take my own reusable shopping bags to carry it all home in. Lee and I have reusable straws at home now and take them with us whenever we need them. My Mumma makes beautiful reusable napkins which is a another great way to reduce waste – you can also of course find these for next to nothing at your local thrift store. Sometimes packaging is unavoidable, but I aim to do the best I can.
Hats – Our chic chapeau’s are from Strandhatters – a great Sydney based small business preferencing sustainability in the products they sell. Lee’s Akubra is Australian made and my hat is a gorgeous brand by the name of Rosie Boylan, the one I’m wearing is hand woven by local women in Vanuatu, keeping their traditional work and art alive.
Venue – Enjoy all the spoils mother nature has to offer, head to the park, beach or even your backyard and be amongst nature, just be sure to leave the space as beautiful as it was when you arrived. If you see any waste, do your bit and TAKE 3 FOR THE SEA
Love and Blessings from Lee and I xx
Beautiful images by our dear friend Bryan Marden
