Save Money While Saving The Environment

Nowadays, we have so many choices when it comes to shopping.  Not only do we have shopping malls, but local farmers markets, second-hand and consignment stores, as well as an unlimited number of online stores. 

E-commerce has become so popular that even groceries can now be delivered to your front door.  Mattresses, cars, medicine, and even fast-food, can all be delivered nearly anywhere.  Drones are even making deliveries in some places.  

For those of us who value social and environmental responsibility, we think about the impact our purchases have on the environment and society.  We think about the value of purchasing from places that support important causes, give back, and make a difference.  And the companies who take steps to reduce their environmental impact, make us feel better about purchasing from them.

WellaVerde is proud to be among the companies who think beyond the bottom line.  While we cannot compete with retail giants like Amazon or WalMart, we feel good about the products we offer and the way we get them to your door.  We sleep better at night knowing that we deliver something with minimal impact on the environment, and we are glad to provide unique, one-of-a-kind items that can't be found in any retail chain. 

We value our customers not because they make purchases.  We value our customers because they are making a difference.  When it comes to shopping, they have a choice.  In fact, they have a plethora of choices, yet they make a conscious decision to buy a sustainable, recycled, organic, fair-trade and eco-friendly product that supports a bigger mission.  A product with benefits far greater than their original, intended purpose.  

The next time you need a unique gift, consider its source, material, and secondary benefits.  Imagine what it would feel like if everything we purchased had additional benefits.  What a wonderful world this would be. 

Pythons in the Florida Everglades

There are an estimated 10,000 to 100,000 pythons living the the Florida Everglades, but they're not easy to find.  The South Florida Water Management District, which oversees the Everglades restoration, recently hired 25 python hunters to kill the invasive reptiles. 

“According to the district, a python growing to 13 feet typically eats in five to seven years one raccoon, one possum, four 5-foot alligators, 10 squirrels, 15 rabbits, 30 cotton rats, 72 mice and about three dozen birds. Those birds include struggling wading birds also threatened by rising sea levels and lengthy delays in Everglades restoration projects.”

— http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/os-everglades-python-hunter-20170505-story.html

So far, hunters have killed over 50 pythons, but there are still thousands more wiping out entire populations of native birds and animals.

WellaVerde found designer, Camille Zarsky, who is using those python skins to create hot, one-of-a-kind, handbags.  

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Camille Zarsky Zip Top Python Pouch

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“Having worked with non-profit environmental education programs here in Florida, I’ve learned a lot about the extensive damage that invasive, exotic species can have on our ecosystem.  So, in cases like these [the Everglades], I support Camille’s use of the python skins to make something both useful and stylish out of what might otherwise be discarded.”

Spring is here... Time to light up the garden!

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When the sun goes down, these colorful solar garden stakes will light up your garden for hours.  A wondrous combination of artisan hand-blown glass with the sustainability of solar powered lighting.  They are available in two colors: a red/orange combination and a blue/green combination. These beautiful glass globes will ensure that your garden is full of color both day and night.

Upcycling...

...is the term used for taking an item that is used or considered ordinary and making something new and useful from it.  The term was coined in 1994 relating to the practice of not wasting potentially usefull materials.  In Haiti, an example of upcycling is steel drum art. It is a unique art form recognized worldwide utilizing 55 gallon metal oil drums which have been cleaned, sometimes flattened, hand tooled and soldered. Thus artisans can create decorative pieces of art of environmental value.
For example, this Rustic Iron Patio Firepit is made from these 55 gallon drums with a hand tooled eternity circle design on the side. A recycled, repurposed, handmade product which also gives back a portion of the proceeds to Sister Clara's Clinic in Haiti.

Live well and choose your Spring decor!

Now that the Holiday decorations have been taken down and we are thinking about Valentine's Day, we decided to clean our décor palate and enjoy simplicity for the moment. Natural Seagrass Fruits in a set of Nested Spun Bamboo Bowls takes center stage on our table....(that is until the red hearts arrive!)

Decorating for Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving holiday has crept up on us again! And everyone is coming to our house for dinner. The menu is actually organized and down on paper. All that remains is the actual cooking and the perfect centerpiece for our bountiful Thanksgiving table. For instant fall flavor, I'll pull out my driftwood candelabra, scour the back yard for any usable foliage, berries, etc. I check the leftover Halloween items for any gourds, pumpkins, etc., that I may be able to spray paint and use in the centerpiece. With those items gathered, I make a run to the local crafts store to grab some candles and interesting filler items I can tuck into the empty spaces. Since pillar candles can be expensive, I decide to go with only 4 candles and put some of the small pumpkins on the pillar holders.

Watch this short video that shows us putting together this easy-to-make "updated cornucopia" centerpiece. It's so easy to turn this 7-candle candelabra made of reclaimed driftwood into an elegant centerpiece using a combination of natural and store-bought elements. It will be the highlight of the holiday table.

And it works for every holiday. Right after Thanksgiving, I'll take this apart and turn it into a centerpiece or mantelpiece for Christmas.

Natural Seagrass Fruit

Roost utilizes authentic natural, recycled and repurposed materials to create contemporary products for the home. The finished products are truly handmade, small craft production, manufactured in workshops and factories where Roost has formed longstanding, fair trade relationships following ecologically and socially sound practices.

Charming sea grass fruits add an organic, textural element to any arrangement. Sea grass fronds are carefully bundled and hand-cut to form this unusual crop. Each set of 6 includes one each of: apple, short pear, mango, tall pear, lemon and orange.

3 Sprouts Organic Storage Bins

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3 Sprouts was created by three friends who share a love of babies and an appreciation for unique and modern products. They are committed to well-designed, eco-friendly baby and children's products. Live. Love. Smile.

Our playful organic canvas storage bin is tough enough to hold tons of stuff and playful enough to complement any playroom, bedroom and child's imagination. Decorative animals are 100% eco-spun felt (made from recycled water bottles). Storage bin is natural color canvas with colored trim. 17"H x 20" diameter. Spot clean. Toys not included.

Bronze Grid Bowl Collection

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The art of metal work has been known to Indians for almost 5000 years. Indian craftsmen have used different metals like iron, copper, silver and alloys like bronze, bell metal and white metal to produce items such as pots, pans, utensils, photo frames, sculptures of deities, mythological figures and animals. Today in India, with scrap metal just as usable as fresh metal, and far less environmentally taxing, it makes sense to promote the trade and use of scrap in manufacturing processes and village crafts.

Repetition of a simple square creates the busy pattern of these bowls. Each hand-crafted piece is assembled from cross-sectioned recycled brass wire that has been burnished to a mottle bronze finish. Set of 3 bowls. 7½"dia to 15"dia x 2½"h.

Recycled Glass Bubble Terrarium

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Recycled Glass Bubble pieces are made with at least 50% recycled glass from discarded bottles, windows, etc. Irregularities such as bubbles, dimples, flow marks and rippling are inherent in recycled glass. Color and shape may vary. Roost utilizes authentic natural, recycled and repurposed materials to create contemporary products for the home. The finished products are truly handmade, small craft production, manufactured in workshops and factories where Roost has formed longstanding, fair trade relationships following ecologically and socially sound practices.

Indoor gardening takes on a grand scale in our oversize rustic glass terrarium. Each piece is free-blown without a mold, creating a giant glass bubble of recycled glass, typified by irregularities such as bubbles, dimples and ripples. Plants are not included. Watch the instructional video below to create your very own garden in glass. 14" diameter x 11½"h.