Gifts for the kiddos

Who doesn't love the sight of a flower girl in a sweet dress or a ring bearer in a tiny tux at a wedding? The kids in the wedding party add the cute factor and keep things light-hearted. It's also a nice reminder that weddings are all about family and bringing together people of all different generations to celebrate your relationship. 

You never can tell what kind of antics kids will come up with, and those little moments of laughter enrich the day and help everyone to relax. I was a flower girl in a number of weddings as a kid, and my family loves to tell the story of how, despite being carefully coached at the rehearsal, I decided to sit down on the steps at the front of the church in the middle of a (very formal) wedding ceremony because I got tired of standing. At our reception, there were kids, ring pops, and a photo booth, and that made the trifecta of perfection for goofy kids and priceless photographs.

Choosing whether or not to include children in the festivities is a very personal decision. For those couples who have an adults-only reception, including children in the ceremony can sometimes be a nice compromise. If you plan to have kiddios in your wedding party, it's always a nice gesture to thank them with a gift for their contribution to your special day. Here are some ideas of fun gifts that the little ones will enjoy.

1. Pippi Longstocking Laser Cut Shadow Puppet by Isabella's Art

2. Pet Pals Suitcase by Giftsdefine

3. Dotty Wooden Sailboat by Willowbaus

4. Ants Discovery Tote by HELICOPTERstudios

5. Environmentally friendly T-REX softie by Carrot Fever

6. Reversible Satin SuperHero Cape by Katie'sCapes

7. Nervous Robot T-shirt by DogboneArt

8. Handmade Wool Whale (currently on sale!) by Cat's Miaow

9. 5 Clams in a Bowl by Go Buggy

10. Orange Pastries Box (1/12th miniature) by PetitPlat 

11. feather haired fancy face by prettylilthings

12. Robot Moonscape Shadow Puppet by OwlyShadowPuppets

The Working Proof--Art with a Mission

This is a busy week in the Green Quince studio, so this will be a short post, but I wanted to share with you a great resource for some fantastic art. The Working Proof is not just a place to get some frame-worthy prints, it's also an organization that gives back. Here's how it works: every Tuesday, at 1 P.M. EST, a new print is released in a short run of just 50 pieces. The artist gets to select a charity of his/her choice, and 15% of the proceeds from each sale goes to that charity. Brilliant!

The pieces remain available until 50 prints have been sold, and you can watch the countdown of how many are available of any given print. Prices are reasonable ($30-60 seems to be the range for most), and the media range from giclee to screenprinting to letterpress. I especially love today's featured piece by Rich Gemmell called "Falls".

close-up of "Falls" by Rich Gammell via The Working Proof

The chosen charity is Transportation Alternatives

And how gorgeous is last week's addition: "Green Zen I and II" from Andrea D'Aquino?

(image from The Working Proof)

The chosen charity for this print is the Shama Foundation which provides educational opportunities to children in Madagascar. Don't you just love it when you can purchase something beautiful and have an opportunity to support a worthy cause at the same time? How often does that happen in life?

So . . . like, what's a quince, anyway?

They say that you should select a business name that is easy to remember. It should be easy to spell, easily recognizable, and catchy. Never having been one for convention, I decided to pick a business name that is both hard to spell and easily confused. Hmm. Well, I thought it might help the name to be more memorable if I described what a quince actually is. It turns out, it's not all that well known in the States. When I was registering my business, I had to spell it at least 3 times for every governmental official I came across. The conversation usually went something like this:

"So what is your business name going to be?"
"Green Quince"
"OK, can you spell that?"
"G-r-e-e-n-space-Q-u-i-n"
"Wait, I got "Green". What was that second word?"
"Quince. Q-u-i"
"OK, "Q" and then what?"
"Q-u-i-n-c-e"
"Huh. OK. What's a qwinsee?"
"It's a fruit"
"Huh. OK. Just look at this form and make sure everything is spelled correctly"

Quince is pronounced  /kwin(t)s/ (like "Quincy" without the "ee" sound at the end) and is a type of fruit-bearing tree. It has the most beautiful, delicate pink blossoms and then bears a fruit that looks something like a cross between an apple and a pear but tastes like neither. It has its own distinctive flavor and is glorious in jams and jellies. At grocery stores like Whole Foods or Andronico's, you can purchase quince paste which is a delicious jelly-like substance made of quince and sugar-perfect on toast or crackers and lovely paired with a strong savory cheese. If you'd like to learn more about these magnificent fruits, you can read everything you could ever wish to know over at Vegetarians in Paradise.

image from Argentina Wine Blog "A Taste of Argentina"

The quince has made an appearance throughout history in literature and mythology. According to Wikipedia, the quince was a ritual offering at weddings among the Greeks. It is also the fruit that Paris awarded Aphrodite. It makes an appearance in the beloved poem "The Owl and the Pussycat". I would like to say that I knew all of this before I picked the name. However, I did not. I simply loved a beautiful quince tree that I once lived near that was later cut down to make way for progress and thought the word was delicious to say.

The "green" part of my shop name is in reference to my eco-friendly mission. That part's easy to spell and easy to remember.

So, now you know!

For Maids and Men

We depend on our Bridesmaids and Groomsmen for so much. They often plan our bridal showers, bachelor and bachelorette parties, put up with us talking incessantly about wedding favors and ranunculus, agree to our crazy demands about their wedding-day attire, and, most importantly, stand beside us during one of the most important events of our lives. For all of the selfless acts of kindness, both large and small, they deserve a reminder of how important they are to us and how thankful we are for their support. A thank you gift is a must, and a heartfelt gift is something that will be appreciated for years to come. Here are some ideas of thoughtful gifts for your Bridesmaids and Groomsmen. Almost all of these gifts are $35 or under, so you can mix and match items to create a bigger gift if your budget allows.

For the Maids

1. Porcelain Cup with Translucent Bottom from Stepanka

2. Emma Earrings from Amy Olson Jewelry

3. MALACHI handspun and handpainted gypsy yarn from Pancake and Lulu

4. Yellow Deer iPhone Sleeve from Squirrellicious

5. Bird Coffee Scoop from BeehiveKitchenware

6. HAND STAMPED Hemp/Cotton Blend Fabric from NestaHome 

 7. Hand Knit Coffee Cup Sleeve from JaquelineKnits

8. Bayeux Lace Necklace from Fox and Clover

9. Vintage Trinket Holder from le Vintage Maison

For the Men

1. Bike Wheel and Crossbones T-shirt from Dark Cycle Clothing

2. Robot Encyclopedia Gocco Screenprint from hhop

3. Men's Shaving Gift Set from Red Leaf

4. Great Big Bottle of Air Plant from Tortoise Loves Donkey

5. 80's Retro Mix Tape Gadget Case from Cool Beans 717

6. Vinyl Record Silkscreen Necktie from ToyBreaker AKA Cyberoptix Tie Lab

7. Bicycle Tire Belt from JulienJaborska

8. Porcelain Bike Cup with Translucent Botom from Stepanka

9. Miles Davis Original Papercut from Tina Tarnoff

Coming up in a later post: gifts for the kids in the wedding party.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Color Scheme Inspiration

Arboretum2September 25, 2009

Originally uploaded by Josh Merrill Photography

My brother is a very talented nature photographer, and I'm always perusing his Flickr stream and finding new photos that catch my eye. This lovely shot of some cute little mushroom caps is a good example of the beauty that he finds in even the smallest things. I especially love the mellow colors and thought this would make a great starting point for a wedding color scheme. Check it out:

Wouldn't this be a fantastic color scheme for a woodsy, rustic wedding in a shady meadow glen? Wildflower bouquets and bouts, 'maids carrying lanterns, flower girl in a pixie dress, it's like Midsummer Night's Dream gone wedding. This might just inspire a new invitation suite.