John F. Kennedy Quote

Happy Friday, everyone!

Today I wanted to share a snippet from a talk given by John F. Kennedy at the University of Kansas on March 18, 1968. Even 42 years later these words ring as true today as they did then; perhaps even more so:

"But even if we act to erase material poverty, there is another greater task, it is to confront the poverty of satisfaction - purpose and dignity - that afflicts us all. Too much and for too long, we seemed to have surrendered personal excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our Gross National Product, now, is over $800 billion dollars a year, but that Gross National Product - if we judge the United States of America by that - that Gross National Product counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for the people who break them. It counts the destruction of the redwood and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and counts nuclear warheads and armored cars for the police to fight the riots in our cities. It counts Whitman's rifle and Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children. Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country, it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans."

Have a wonderful weekend :)

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination

Sock Boutonnieres

Here's a project for a few of those odd socks you've got sitting around. Here's what you'll need"

1 odd sock (preferably a thick woolly one)
Floral wire
Floral Tape

Step 1: Cut the end off your sock about 3 inches from the opening.


Step 2: Cut the piece lengthwise so that you have one long piece.


Step 3: Start rolling the sock from one end. There are a number of ways to do this. Try playing with the shapes you can make before proceeding to the next step.

Step 4: Pinch the fabric together at the bottom.

Step 5: Once you've found a shape you like poke a piece of floral wire through the pinched end of the sock and wrap the wire tightly around the outside so that the flower holds its shape. Leave a little tail at the end to wrap the floral tape around.

Step 6: Wrap the floral tape around the wire. After I finished this step I coloured the floral tape black with permanent marker so that it matched the colour of the flower.

Here are three finished boutonnieres. Unfortunately I only had dark coloured socks on hand but some colourful woolly socks would be really stunning too.

You can also add in some felt leaves, beads, buttons, and other decorative elements to really personalize these pieces. If you make your own sock boutonnieres be sure to send us some photos!

Cheers,

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination

Tomato Favours

If you grow tomatoes in the summer you're likely used to passing baskets of tomatoes along to family and friends (and anyone else who will take them) once they've ripened. Why not put some of that delicious fruit to work for your wedding this year?

Here are some ideas on how you can make your tomatoes work as guest favours:

1. Seedlings


If you're getting married in the spring you won't have a chance to grow your tomato plants large enough to produce fruit. Instead, why not grow them into small seedlings and pot each seedling so that your guests can plant them at home and benefit from their own fruitful gift.

2. Tomato Baskets

If your plants grow well and produce enough fruit you can create small favour baskets for your guests so that they can take home their very own ripe, delicious tomatoes to use in their favourite tomatoe recipe. A small assortment of cherry tomatoes makes for a colourful gift.

3. Salsa

If fresh tomatoes are not an option perhaps whipping up a special salsa recipe is the answer. Can batches of your salsa to give to your guests as a tasty gift that they can enjoy whenever they wish.

Do you have ideas on how to create tomato favours? Leave them in the comments section or send them here.

Cheers,

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination

Resolutions For 2010: Healthier Lifestyle

Happy New Year's Day!!!

Given that it's January 1st I thought I'd post another resolution. And isn't this always one of our resolutions? It's probably because there's always more we can do to be just a little more healthy. Most of us drink too much coffee, ingest too much salt and sugar, and don't get enough exercise.

In 2009 I became a vegetarian which has made a surprising difference in the way I feel. I initially became a vegetarian because I'm out to save the world (or at least that's what I'm told) but it turns out that I've felt a hundred times better since making the switch. I have more energy, I feel satisfied but not full after a meal, and I've lost weight. Christmas killed me a bit after receiving a whole cupboard worth of chocolates and treats... once that's gone I'll get back on track! Ha ha!

I used to be in really great shape but after two kids this body just isn't what it used to be. For Christmas I got a Wii Fit system so now I'm adding a daily routine of running, hula hooping, Yoga, and other random activities to my schedule. It also means that I'm getting up earlier so that no one can see how ridiculous I look flailing around on the balance board. I'm not sure if this will make a huge difference in my fitness but I've had friends who swear by it and I've definitely been a little sore since I started using it.

What are you doing to improve your health and fitness in 2010? Perhaps you're looking to tone up or shed some pounds before your wedding. Feel free to share your tips!

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination

Resolutions For 2010: Less Stuff

I'm not one to make resolutions come New Years. I can't even remember the last time I put a resolution on paper.

This year, I have a few things that I'm really committed to working on for 2010. One of those things is reducing my consumption and my reliance on "stuff". I've already made some big changes to this end but there's always room to do better. For example, I love my Tim Horton's coffees and when I'm on the road all day for meetings and such I'll often buy two or three and I rarely remember to bring my travel mug along. I think I'll start leaving a cup in my car.

My motivation for this resolution came from "The Story of Stuff". It's an enlightening 20-minute film and I hope you'll check it out.



If this film interests you, you may also be interested in the book "Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping" by Judith Levine.

What sorts of resolutions are you making for 2010?

Sophie
Coverall Event Coordination

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!

All the very best to you and yours,

Sophie

Ottawa's Wedding Gown Consigment Store

December has become gown month on the Coverall blog! I've had two posts on wedding gowns in as many weeks. I wonder what will come about next...

This week I want to let you know that Ottawa FINALLY has a wedding gown consignment store!! White Haute Bridal is now accepting dresses from past brides (by appointment only) and opens its doors to new brides in January.

The store offers a selection of once loved and never worn dresses at a fraction of the original sale price. All dresses are dry-cleaned and restored to like new condition.

Personally, I love consignment stores for their eco-friendly qualities. Imagine if half of all wedding gowns were purchased on consignment and if every new wedding gown was sold on consignment once used. The impact in terms of materials and chemicals used and the transportation required to get new dresses out to the market would be significantly reduced. (John Lennon's Imagine comes to mind, ha ha).

My dreams of a more socially responsible planet aside, this is a fantastic way for new brides to save some money on their wedding gowns and for newlywed brides to make a bit of money on their once loved dresses. You'll want to call to make your appointment soon as I'm sure White Haute's calendar will be packed in no time!

You can check out the White Haute Bridal website here.

Happy Planning!

Sophie
Coverall Event Coordination