Happy Friday everyone!  Today’s Friday Favorites {Inventory Inspiration} will feature vintage typewriters.  We currently have one listed in our inventory, but will soon be adding a second.  I remember years and years ago first typing on my Grandmothers old electric typewriter.  In fact, it’s in part how I learned how to keyboard.  One of my first jobs out of high school was working at the World Trade Center Alaska.  We had an old manual typewriter that we used to use for completing forms.  About twice a year we’d have interns come in from either high school or college international trade programs.  I will never forget one intern who sat in front of the typewriter and asked “how do you turn this thing on?”  She kept looking on the back for the on-off switch!  It was quite funny, and even funnier watching her try to use it!

The eclectic mix of assorted bottles, the globe and this modern vintage Underwood typewriter make for a great guest “book” table.  {source: Green Wedding Shoes}

I love the look of old Underwood typewriters.  This one is paired with gorgeous flowers and a few vintage cameras.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

Aside from the obvious, aren’t those letters just adorable!  Your guest book table doesn’t need to be elaborate, as shown here with just a sprinkling of flowers in bud vases.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

The vintage typewriter here is used as a prop paired with a stunning mix of vintage Brownie cameras (we have a few, ourselves!).  This couple used a traditional guest book, but check out that rustic wood sign!  {source: Rock-n-Roll Bride}

How adorable is this display an old table covered with a doily and the stacked cigar boxes?!  {source: Rock-n-Roll Bride}

This vintage Corona, similar to the one we currently have in stock is stunning against the turquoise vase and very ornate framed picture of the couple.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

Going out with a bang is my favorite display.  What an amazing way to dress up your “table” by using an old vintage desk, books, old library card holder, succulents and other potted plants!  {source: 100 Layer Cake}

Hopefully these give you a few ideas on alternatives to a traditional guest book using typewriters!  Do you have any other ideas you’d like to share?

Our vendor spotlight is a new series on Something Borrowed Portland that will feature local vendors, their insights, stories and inspiration.  Kickstarting the new series is a boutique near and dear to my heart, the Salty Teacup.  Karen was hugely instrumental in making our wedding unforgettable.  From her craftiness in making my wedding dress, to my brooch bouquet and boutonniere, Karen is an amazingly talented woman and I absolutely adore her store.

What is a typical day for you?

Half the day spent running all over town looking for fantastic deals on great items to re-fill the teacup, getting inspiration, keeping up with what’s new & going on. Second half of the day is usually in the shop helping customers, evenings spent in the shop re-stocking, re-arranging and making new merchandise.  The wee hours of the night are spent online sourcing & marketing and working on special orders.

What project, event or moment are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of making it past our two year anniversary & being able to help keep dollars flowing in our local community, thru buying materials locally to employing folks & spending as much as I make at my neighboring businesses.

What makes your work and/or your business unique?

The most unique part of my business is how much time and care goes into each & every item that comes into the shop. Frequently I will bring in a single item specifically tailored to one special customer. Everything I sell is either found, made, redesigned, repurposed & displayed by me. I use very few traditional wholesale resources for finished products so that I can keep the largest percentage of our merchandise unique &/or one of a kind.

What makes your business, company or organization sustainable?

Our business is sustainable in the environmental sense in that we recycle nearly everything. Used cardboard & paper get’s recycled or repurposed into new packaging or tags, bubble wrap is recycled from our neighbor’s shipments, anything organic is carted home and added to our composter, fabric scraps are all saved and used for smaller & smaller projects. Over 50% of our merchandise was previously owned or has been upcycled from vintage components. We do not own a car so take mass transit, bike or ride share with friends and neighbors to bring all the items we source in to the shop.

Name one of your favorite vendor sources that you couldn’t do without.

Emerald Petals, supplies all our plants & her flowers make me smile. Besides she is an eco-conscious florist.

Where do you find inspiration?

Inspiration is everywhere.

Describe your typical client:

Our ideal client is someone that appreciates whimsy, eclectic collections & wants to feel like a wee child that cherishes their belongings with wonder & awe.

Weddings are a huge and expensive undertaking and can leave an even bigger footprint on the environment. More and more couples are looking for ways to to host an eco-conscious wedding which can be difficult since weddings are typically associated with hyper-consumption and produce a great deal of waste. Invitations, decorations, food, travel, etc. the list is endless. Unfortunately, many items at a wedding only get used once and are tossed into the landfill. By incorporating any number of these suggestions for an eco-conscious wedding, you’ll be doing your part to sustain the earth while being a role model for others.

Invitations and Paper

Cutting down on paper invitations is one of the easiest ways to host an eco-conscious wedding. Opt for post-consumer recycled paper printed using soy ink, if possible. Also consider having guests RSVP online through your wedding website to save on postage, extra paper and printing. Want to eliminate paper all together? Why not go super-eco and send your invitations electronically through a site such as Glosite.com. Be sure to limit the amount of paper during the ceremony and reception as well. Instead of one printed program or menu per person, opt for a chalkboard instead which can be easily repurposed from any picture frame or old window using chalkboard paint.

Flowers and Centerpieces

Flowers can travel thousands of miles from developing nations where harmful pesticide usage is the norm, so why not make a statement and try something a little less conventional? Potted herbs or an array of succulents or terrariums make for great centerpieces, as do old books and simple DIY pinwheels. Make bouquets and boutonnières from one-of-a-kind, hand crafted buttons, vintage brooches or even recycled newspaper. Bring your centerpieces to life with bright colors of organic fruit which doubles as a snack for guests to nibble on. If you’re using candles, opt for soy or beeswax; they burn cleaner and use less soot than their paraffin counterparts. If you must have flowers, utilize locally grown flowers harvested in season or reach out to friends and neighbors who may be willing to donate a few of their own. They’ll be much cheaper and you’ll be supporting local business owners. Repurpose flowers by donating them to a local organization such as a hospital or senior care facility, giving them more than one life after the wedding.  A great local source for flowers is Botanica Floral Design, where they specialize in local, organic, fair trade and sustainably grown flowers.

Favors

If you feel wedding favors are necessary, consider giving organic, fair trade chocolate, homemade jam or honey. Know your audience and think about what they’re apt to use and not waste. You may have good intentions, but what will really get used? Is that CD going to get listened to? Are seeds or a potted plant really going to get planted? Remember, not everyone has a green thumb.

Dress

Be original and make a statement in vintage, organic or sustainable materials. A dress can be custom made from a vintage slip and several other unworn dresses that are hanging in your closet. Design your dress so you can wear it again – you can’t get any more eco-friendly than that! Consider a pre-owned dress or rent one, and if you have no desire to keep the dress after the wedding, donate it to a charity that can sell it to create funds and perhaps save someone else from needing to purchase a new dress.

Food and Catering

When possible, use a catering company that sources local, organic, seasonal ingredients to eliminate carbon miles.  One of our favorite local caterers is Phresh Organic Catering. Minimize the amount of meat on the menu and decrease your carbon footprint even more. Have a strict budget? Plan a potluck wedding and ask everyone to bring his or her favorite summer dish.

Gifts

If you really don’t need any gifts, don’t ask for them. No one said you must have a registry and think how much better you’ll feel for saving another toaster from heading to the landfill. Another alternative is to register with a charitable registry like the I Do Foundation that donates a percentage of the money spent on your gifts to a charity of your choice. Still thinking you want presents? Consider setting up a green wedding gift registry with a wish list of earth friendly products you’d like (recycled, locally produced, fair trade, etc.).

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

When planning your eco-conscious wedding, be sure as much of your wedding goods has been or can be recycled or used again. This includes plates, cutlery, linens and tablecloths, glassware, decor, etc. (durable is preferred to “compostable”). Thrift stores can be great for items such as vintage, mismatched plates and other serving ware, or sheets which can easily be turned into napkins. Other miscellaneous items can be scouted via swaps, borrowed from friends and family or rented inexpensively.

Your Eco-Conscious Wedding

If you’ve followed all these tips, you will be long on your way to hosting a beautiful, eco-conscious wedding that won’t break the bank.  A green, environmentally friendly wedding doesn’t have to break the bank!

Lane’ Bigsby of Something Borrowed Portland first published this article via the Green Living Journal

Vintage glass is one of my favorite groupings in our inventory.  From sherbets to goblets to tea glasses, the color is unlike anything else with hues from amber to purple.  Once I started the collection, it was hard to stop.  Trust me, if I could I’d have an entire room filled with these beauties!

This happens to be a Park Lane amber sherbet by Indiana Glass.  Isn’t it adorable as a planter for a single succulent?  {source: Ruffled}

These delicate pink colored vintage glass goblets are a perfect pair for this champagne, gold and pink table.  {source: Elizabeth Anne Designs}

Paired with assorted mercury votives, this green vintage glass is a great alternative to a traditional vase, giving the table a little extra color.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

A clear glass sherbet filled with baby’s breath takes center stage.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

Loving the turquoise and gold colors of these vintage glass pieces.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

A clear vintage glass duo used as planters for succulents.  What a great idea for wedding favors guests can take home!  {source: Ruffled}

Want to add some color to your table?  Vintage glass in an assortment of colors is the perfect way to dress things up a bit. Besides, how regal would it be to drink your favorite beverage out of gorgeous glass like this? {source: Eco and Elsie}

This emerald goblet makes a bold statement with peach flowers.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

This collection of green and orange vintage glass is perfect for a retro or 70′s vintage themed event or wedding.  Notice the flowers, too?  Gorgeous!  {source: Rock-n-Roll Bride}

Another Park Lane goblet used as a vase alternative.  The wood planks give the table a very rustic feel.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

What’s your favorite color vintage glass?

You may have noticed that Something Borrowed, along with countless others are all raving about Pinterest.  If you’re new to Pinterest or have just joined and are in need of guidance on how to use it, we hope you find these tips for planning your event with Pinterest helpful.

“Slow down, you’re pinning too fast.  Take a break and enjoy a cup of tea.” ~Pinterest

Join

First and foremost, you have to join Pinterest in order to be a part of Pinterest.  If you don’t already know someone with an account (faster approval processing), ask around.

Create Your Boards

After you’ve joined Pinterest, you need to create a few boards.  Look at this like your bookmarks for your web browser.  For planning your event, you may have boards titled:

• food
• decor
• location
• attire
• photography
• hair styles

You’ll know what works best for your personal organization style, just be sure to use board topics that make sense to you and what celebration you’re planning for.

Follow the Leader

In addition to following your friends and family, follow blogs or websites that are of interest to you.  You’ll see their inspiration when you first login making it easier to “re-pin” your favorites.  And bear in mind, you don’t have to follow every board by that user.  Follow just the boards that bring you inspiration.  Want to branch out a little more?  Try doing a keyword search for things such as “wedding” or “baby shower” and follow individual users to draw inspiration from.

Start Pinning!

If you find something in Pinterest you like, re-pin it!  Just click on the image and on the upper left of that image, click on “re-pin”

Be sure to enter a detailed description (if not already provided) for easier faster and searching when you want to come back to that pin later.

Browsing a website and you notice something cool?  Add the “pin it” button to your browser toolbar to pin directly from that website.

Pinterest on the Go

Want to carry your inspiration with you but want to go easy on the printing?  Download the iPhone Pinterest app and take your pins with you, having them ready when you need them.

Before you know it, you’ll be pinning like crazy.  And trust me, it can get quite addictive!  Want to check it out?  Why not join Something Borrowed on Pinterest!

Do you have any Pinterest tips or favorite boards you’d like to share?

Vintage kitchen scales are our feature in today’s edition of Friday Favorites {Inventory Inspiration}.  It’s only been recently that I discovered these great, rustic props and our inventory has already grown ten-fold.  Anytime I see one, I’m quick to add it to our collection.  Another obsession, possibly.  But then again, I’d have to say that most everything we carry is quickly becoming an addiction as it’s reminiscent of my younger years spent with my grandparents and great-grandparents.  While I don’t necessarily use them for much else than props, they are great conversational pieces and you really can add them just about anywhere to add height to your centerpieces or dessert buffet.

These vintage kitchen scales are scattered on a pie buffet table to give the pies elevation and dimension.  They look great on top of the doily tablecloth.  And don’t the soda bottle signs look cute, too (we have some in our inventory along with the milk glass plate)?  {source: Style Me Pretty}

A perfect pair to your buffet table, this vintage scale is used to prop cherry tomatoes.  You could also use it for olives, relishes, nuts or any other small bites.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

Crackers are more in reach with the use of this vintage kitchen scale.  Here, the scale is used during a Holiday party.  Notice the cookies inside a bunt pan with some holiday greenery in the center?  Genius! {source: Funk Junk Interiors}

Another pie table adorned with a shabby vintage scale.  Perched on top is a cute nested pair of birds.  Yes, Portland, you can even “put a bird” on your dessert table! {source: Style Me Pretty}

A lone vintage kitchen scale graces a wedding dessert table.  This table also features various pedestals (and a wood crate) and notice the creativity in some of the pedestals?  Plates on top of urns create a one-of-a-kind display.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

A citrus adorned vintage scale, a perfect pairing for a beverage table alongside your favorite citrus-themed beverage.  This screams “fresh” and the colors are just amazing! {source: Style Me Pretty}

These red devil cupcakes show grandeur on top of stacked books on this rustic vintage kitchen scale.  {source: Ruffled}

This very chippy vintage scale proudly serves as the pedestal to a farmers market themed wedding, here displaying rutabaga’s.  Makes me want a salad (and excited about the opening Farmers Market season)!  {source: Style Me Pretty}

Perfectly paired with a vintage doily, this scale looks great on any dessert table whether its for a wedding, baby shower or anniversary party.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

Have you seen a creative way to use vintage kitchen scales that you’d like to share?

Yesterday we brought you our Best of Pinterest, well today we’ll showcase our Best of Pinterest highlighting DIY projects.  No matter what your skill level may be, incorporating DIY projects into your celebration are a great way to personalize your event and let everyone see your inner crafty side.  Having created many things for our wedding, you also get a sense of accomplishment, that “yes, I can do it!” feeling after you complete your project.  These great DIY ideas from Pinterest really don’t take that much time, and the results are magnificent!

Wax seals are a great way to “seal the deal” on your invitations and these easy DIY wax seals show you exactly how easy it is to make them.  {source: Curbly}

This DIY vintage table runner is a great way to showcase old photo’s at your wedding or event and makes for a great conversation piece (who are these people?).  I’d recommend making copies of actual photo’s so you don’t ruin your originals, but isn’t this a great idea?  {source: Ruffled}

Ombre, meaning shaded or multi-colored with stripes going from light to dark, looks amazing on nearly everything!  Here you can get a tutorial on how to make these ombre pinwheels.  They’re a great way to add a touch of DIY flair to your wedding or event.  {source: Wedding Chicks}

Love pine cones but want to spice them up a little bit?  Hand dipped pine cones are the perfect way to add color and originality and bringing in a little of the outdoors.  Holiday’s over?  It doesn’t matter!  Use these all throughout the year!  {source: Factory Direct Craft}

Love the look of wavy hair but your’s always turns out either too curly or too flat?  Enter this great tutorial on creating the perfect loose curls!  {source: Wedding Chicks}

Have you recently pinned a DIY favorite that you thought was incredible?

In case you don’t know, we here at Something Borrowed pin like crazy via Pinterest.  What better way to showcase our latest and greatest pins than starting a new “Best of Pinterest” series.  Here we’ll highlight the best of our boards by the number of pins re-pinned.

If you haven’t yet jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon, I highly encourage you to do so.  You will find so much amazing inspiration for not just weddings, but recipes, DIY projects and SO much more!  I warn you though, it is very addictive!

Beautiful calligraphy rustic wood chair signage.  If I had handwriting like this, I’d make signs in every shape and size!  {source: Style Me Pretty}

Trying to figure out what to do with your hair?  This was insanely popular on Pinterest!  Gorgeous braided up-do looks very natural.  A great way to show off amazing jewelry.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

Lawn games at weddings are one of my favorite ways to keep guests (adult and child alike) entertained.  Shown here are a bocci ball station and cornhole with bean bags custom made to match the couples wedding colors.  {source: Wedding Chicks}

You went CRAZY on Pinterest when this was pinned just a few days ago! A great alternative to traditional signage is these awesome repurposed wood pallet used to direct guests.  Just paint the wood with chalkboard paint and that’s it!  {source: Style Me Pretty}

Wood wine barrels add such great decor to an event and are functional pieces, too.  Here are two wine barrels with a gorgeous chippy paint door forming an altar.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

This rustic wood wedding signage happen to be our number 1 top pinned photo on our Pinterest page.  Loving how it can hang from the ceiling!  {source: Style Me Pretty}

Succulents are HUGE right now!  They’re a great alternative to a traditional wedding bouquet, adding a very natural elegant feel.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

This is such a simple tablescape but it’s so beautiful.  A burlap table runner paired with recycled wine bottles turned into vases = gorgeous!  {source: Style Me Pretty}

This rustic altar is probably one of my favorites, and obviously quite a few of you fellow Pinterest mates.  The wood ladders graced elegantly with flowers in antique mason jars, who wouldn’t love this?!  {source: Southern Weddings}

There’s a lot to love on this rustic vintage centerpiece: the lantern, wood coin, medicine bottles, mercury candle holders and the vintage book used as a table number.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

By now you probably know I’m a glass fanatic.  Well, some of you are too, especially when it comes to antique mason jars.  This amazing mason jar chandelier makes such a statement – I’d love this in our house!  {source: Charleston City Paper}

Seating charts and escort cards… boy, I’ve seen some very intricate and beautifully laid out displays.  But there’s something about this simple yet elegant seating chart attached to a burlap board so… simple!  {source: 100 Layer Cake}

This is a gorgeous nature-inspired tablescape that I just adore!  The moss, twigs and poppies, I’m just waiting for a little frog to jump out!  {source: Green Wedding Shoes}

I don’t know if its the vintage books (really vintage), the teacup or the felt flowers, but this is such a precious centerpiece!  {source: Rock-n-Roll Bride}

More succulents?  Sure, why not!  Loving this succulent and flower centerpiece in a gorgeous silver urn.  Along side is a mini wood coin table number.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

Last but least is one of my favorite Pinterest pins.  From the wine bottles repurposed and turned into taper holders to the ah-mazing hanging floral arrangement.  I wouldn’t want to leave this table if I were a guest!  {source: 100 Layer Cake}

Have you recently pinned a favorite that you thought was incredible?

Our Friday Favorites {Inventory Inspiration} today features a multipurpose favorite that you may already have at home, wine bottles.  I started collecting glass a few years ago, and while I can’t drink wine (oh, how I wish I could), I am in love with the beauty and variations of all the different types of glass on the market.  When I went through the Master Recyclers program I learned something very interesting about glass.  Did you know that it can be recycled indefinitely?  Over and over, glass has no end life.  Unlike paper or plastic, which degrades each time it is recycled, plastic never looses it’s awesomeness.  Yes, the inner geek in me gets excited about stuff like this.

This wine bottle centerpiece is ah-mazing!  I love how the centerpiece has been styled with moss, succulents and brown apothecary jars.  Has such a gorgeous bohemian feel.  If I sat at this table, it would be hard to leave! {source: Green Wedding Shoes}

This tablescape shown with a burlap table runner is easily accomplished with an assortment of wine bottles used as vases.  The great thing about using the bottles is they have a narrow opening requiring fewer flowers (cost savings!).  {source: Style Me Pretty}

Like the shape and size of wine bottles but aren’t too keen on the colors?  You can easily dress up your bottles to match the colors of your event.  {source: Once Wed}

Hostess with the Mostess provides a DIY tutorial on how to dress-up and make these ribbon wrapped wine bottles with corks.

Looking to add some lighting to your table?  These clear wine bottles make for a great conversation piece as they are sure to draw and capture your guests attention.  {source: This is Glamorous}

The lone brown wine bottle.  It makes such an impact on an otherwise stark table as shown here paired with clear water carafe’s and milk glass vases.  {source: Style Me Pretty}

Believe it or not, these winter white painted wine bottles are coated with nothing other than epsom salt!  Cleverly Inspired provides a tutorial on how to make these bottles yourself, they’re much easier than they appear!

These wine bottles are paired with beautiful orange and yellow calla lilies on top of a square of moss.  So simple, yet so beautiful! {source: BridalTweet}

Already have vases but still want to use wine bottles for your wedding or event?  Maybe you’re having a wine themed wedding and looking for as many details to incorporate as you can.  Here’s a great and simple idea, use wine bottles for your table numbers.  Dress them up with a paper sleeve as shown, burlap or even chalkboard paint.  {source: Ruffled}

Maybe you’d like to actually drink out of your bottles instead.  With proper cleaning and sanitation you can turn your wine bottles into beverage carafe’s as shown here.  {source: On to Baby}

Beautifully displayed, these wine bottles create the perfect centerpiece.  Used for both table numbers and as a planter to hold potted plants such as succulents, this display is another great example of a way to add color to your table while still keeping your costs to a minimum.  {source: 100 Layer Cake}

Have you seen a creative way to repurpose and add wine bottles to a wedding or other celebration?

Did you know that Something Borrowed Portland is not just for weddings?  Our vintage rentals can be used for a variety of events such as an anniversary party, birthday’s, baby showers and much more.  I had the opportunity to help plan for my mother-in-laws 25th wedding anniversary party this past weekend and thought I’d share some of the items used from our inventory.

For the beverage table, we covered a lace tablecloth with doilies to give it a more vintage feel.  The wood crates help create depth to  rows of mason jars which were used for drinking as opposed to disposal cups, creating much less waste.  The soda crate propped up a 2-gallon beverage dispenser (with ladle) and we decorated the front with our mini “love” banner.  A milk glass bud vase was used for affordable, long-lasting baby’s breath flowers.

Cost = $32.45

(24 mason jar glass $0.30 each, 2 gallon beverage container $5.00, punch ladle $0.50, soda and wood crates $4.00 each, 10 doilies $1.00 each, “love” banner $0.75, 9″ milk glass vase $1.00)

The gift and card table carried the same theme as the beverage table with a vintage train case lined with doilies, mercury votives (silver wedding anniversary), a chalkboard frame congratulating the happy couple and more milk glass vases.

Cost: $23.25

(vintage train case $4.00, 8 doilies $8.00, 2 milk glass vases $2.00, 3 mercury votive holders $1.50, pewter easel $2.00, mini “cards” banner $0.75, white ornate chalkboard $5.00)

To give our dessert table a little more vintage appeal, we added a vintage scale as shown here to prop homemade apple pies.

Cost: $10.00

(vintage kitchen scale $8, milk glass vase $1.00, pie server $1.00)

Adding more decor to the dessert/card table, we used another mini “love is sweet” banner and elevated the anniversary cake on a favorite of many, one of our milk glass pedestals.

Cost $17.75

(milk glass pedestal $8.00, “love is sweet” banner $1.25, pie server $1.00, 30 dessert plates not pictured $7.50)

With the beautiful weekend weather, we set the food tables outside.  We used durable dishes (not pictured) and utensils shown here in vintage sewing drawers lined with more doilies to tie in with the entire theme.  These sewing drawers sit on top of a soda crate.

Cost: $29.50

(3 sewing drawers $12.00, 6 doilies $6.00, soda crate $4.00, 30 dinner plates not pictured $7.50)

The total for all the decor and durable dishes equals $112.95.  If you are an individual (or couple) planning an event, you may qualify for our sliding fee scale for a discount on your rentals.

As you can see from this anniversary party, any event can take advantage of some of Something Borrowed Portland’s vintage rental pieces.  No matter what your budget, we have items to suit your individual style.