Recycling Facts To Make You Go Green: (Did you know?)

If you’re going to ask people to change their lifestyle and create new habits, then you better be willing to back up the reasons with solid facts.

If we could all go even just a little beyond the blue bin, by reducing and reusing, it could make an enormous difference on the planet’s waste. The following is a short list of astonishing recycling facts that are sure to nudge you in the direction of going green. It can’t be stressed enough how even the smallest efforts can make a huge difference, as you’ll see with some of the examples below:

1) Metal:

• If it takes you 45 seconds to read this recycling fact, then by the time you are done, there will have been over a quarter of a million aluminum cans produced before you were done.

• If you drink a can of beer after work and then tossed it in the recycling bin, that one (aluminum) can saves enough energy to watch television for 3 hours after dinner! Of course, you’d save even more energy if you went out for a walk or read a good (used!) book after dinner.

• There are over 80 billion soda cans used each year. Yes, that’s billion. Yes, that’s just soda! can you see the importance of recycling aluminum?

• The good thing about recycling aluminum is that it can be recycled an unlimited amount of times, and a recycled can, even 200 years from now, can still be a can. Yes, it can!

2) Paper:

• If everyone read just their Sunday paper online for now on and there were no paper versions, 500,000 trees would be saved per week!

• If every single newspaper was recycled after we read them, we would be able to save 25 million trees per year!

• If we were to save all the wood and paper that we toss into the trash each year, the combined amount would be enough to heat 50 million homes for up to 20 years.

3) Glass

• Using a similar example as the single aluminum can above, did you know that recycling just one glass bottle can run one of your 100 watt light bulbs for 3-4 hours.

• When a glass bottle is recycled, it is considerably cutting back on the air and water pollution that happens when creating the bottle from raw materials.

• If we were to wait for a glass bottle to decompose after throwing it away today, we would have to wait approximately 4000 years.

• There are approximately 41 billion glass containers manufactured every year.

• Like aluminum, glass can be reused an unlimited amount of times.

{Some Simple Tips To Help You Start Recycling}

Recycling is a great way to reduce the amount of waste you produce, but there are a lot of easy things you can do to avoid creating waste at all. While it is not always possible to eliminate waste entirely there are certain actions you can take to substantially reduce your non-recyclable waste:

Tips with the * next to them can also save money too:

• * Put your lunch, leftovers and other things in reusable plastic containers instead of using plastic bags
• * Use washable cloth dish towels and napkins instead of paper towels and napkins
• * Use disposable shopping bags as trash liners or tote bags
• When shopping, use canvas shopping bags instead of plastic ones. If you can’t use canvas bags, choose paper over plastic – it’s recyclable in the mixed paper bin
• Compost your kitchen scraps, yard trimming, dead leaves and other organic waste and create a wonderful amendment for your garden
• * Purchase several reusable water bottles and keep them filled with water and in the refrigerator. You’ll avoid buying so much bottle water and reduce your waste
• Donate unwanted clothing to Goodwill or a similar charity
• Donate unwanted household items such as furniture, decorations, and other things to Habitat for Humanity
• * Taking care of lawn and recreational equipment by properly storing and maintaining it will save money and create less waste
• * Purchase items with less packaging, such as “economy-sized” products will be cheaper and have a lower packaging to product ratio

Close the loop by purchasing products made from recycled material ♥

We took the pictures at Tokai Forest, Cape Town. I have done an e-session there previously with Gerda & Conrad, and i thought it would be a perfect location for a trash the dress. Although the stream dried up and we would have loved to take some pics there, i am very happy with the outcome of the shoot. Maryka and Raymond, hope you love it to0!

Thanks to Love dot Lace for joining me on the shoot!

Leandri het ons genader en gevra dat ons ‘n foto sessie saam met haar en haar verloofde, Ilse, sal aanpak. Ons het geinspireerd gevoel om bietjie buite die mure van ons ‘comfort zone’  te wandel en het toe besluit om ‘n Sushi-tema vir die shoot. As ervare sushi-liefhebbers het die paartjie gretig ingestem! Ons het sommer gebruik gemaak van Leandri se ma se kombuis en ruim leefarea en het dit baie geniet om lekker sushi & mooi fotos saam met hulle te skep!

Ons het Elana & Shalk se Engagement Shoot ook behartig en kon toe al sien hulle is alles behalwe styf & formeel. Die tema van hul troue was romanties & elegant, maar tog gemaklik en pret. Hulle het die perfekte atmosfeer geskep en hul liefde vir mekaar het groter geblom as die proteas op die tafels! Baie dankie aan Elana en Schalk dat jul ons toegelaat het om ‘n rol te kon speel in hierdie spesiale dag. Geniet die kiekies!!!

Reception Venue : Nelson’s Creek

Photographer : Madré Kohn

Stationery : Madré Kohn Creative

Merissa Snyman & Simoné Roelofse both graduated from the Elizabeth Galloway school of Fashion design in 2011. During her studies, Simoné completed a short internship at Hip Hop (Dress shop) & Glamour Magazine while also being named as a Finalist in the Bridal Africa Young Designer Competition in 2010. Merissa was named top of her class for textile design at the Tygerberg Kunssentrum in 2008 and was also awarded for best styling at the Gray Scale Fashion show.

Their company, Adore Me had it’s first fashion show on the 7th of February 2012. The Fashion Show was a raging success & it put these 2 girls & their company on the map. Watch out Prada, Gucci & Louis Vuitton, Adore Me is here!!

Merissa & a fellow graduate, Sulet Burger-Prinsloo.

Simoné and her boyfriend, Henco Meyer, on graduation.

Graduating with Friends! From left: Sulet Berger-Prinsloo, Es-Mari Adendorff, Merissa Snyman, Simoné Roelofse & Gizelle Le Roux.

To get to know Simoné & Merissa better, I set up a few questions for them to answer. Here is what they had to say…

1.       Wanneer het jy jou  liefde vir mode en die ontwerp daarvan ontdek?

S – Ek het na skool besluit om “Graphic Design“ te swot. Terwyl ek dit gedoen het, het ek besef dat ek eintlik ‘n liefde het vir mode wat nie vervul word op papier nie. Elizabeth Galloway was net af in die pad van waar ek geswot het.  Ek en ‘n vriendin het  daar ‘n draai gaan maak, en ek het onmiddelik geweet dit is waar ek eintlik wil wees. Alhoewel ontwerp steeds op papier gebeur, vind die proses daarvan in my kop plaas baie anders as wat dit het toe ek grafiese ontwerp gedoen het. Om ‘n kledingstuk te kan maak soos wat jy dit “picture” is ‘n ongelooflike voorreg. Jy kan vir ander mense wys wat jy dink deur die klere wat jy aantrek, dis soos ‘n vorm van kuns.

M – Ek was redelik jong gewees. Ek het altyd tot na midder nag gesit en rokke teken – dit was my “escape from reality.”

2.       Wat is jou gunsteling kledingstuk?

S – Twee van my gunsteling kledingstukke is my swart noupyp jeans van Guess, en my “cropped” los-passende strepies trui van Mr. Price.

M – My trench coat!

 3.       As jy enige mode persoonlikheid kan ontmoet, wie sal dit wees?

S – Ek sal graag wil terug gaan in tyd en Coco Chanel ontmoet. Sy het vir my ‘n baie klassieke styl, en sy het ‘n groot revolusie veroorsaak in die mode wêreld. Dit moet ongelooflik wees om te kan weet wat haar dink proses was, en hoe sy klere ontwerp het.

M – Wow, daar is te veel, maar def Karl Lagerfeld, en die wat nie meer met ons is nie Alexander McQueen en Christian Dior.

4.       Wat is die beste mode advies wat jy al ontvang het of wat jy sal gee?

S – Die beste advies wat ek al gekry het was om nie te veel om te gee wat ander dink oor jou klere wat jy aantrek nie. Elke person is anders, en het die reg om aan te trek wat hulle wil.      My advies is aan die wat mode-bewus is: Daar is baie modes daar buite, nie net die “hoof mode” nie, so soek na dit wat vir jou reg voel. Soek die dele uit waarvan jy hou en los dit waarvan jy nie hou nie. Jy hoef nie iets te dra net om “in te pas” nie. Trek aan wat jou figuur vlei en jou laat goed voel, dit sommer jou selfvertroue ook ‘n hupstootjie gee.

M – “Wear the dress; don’t let the dress wear you.”

 5.       Jou gunsteling mode ‘quote’..?

M – Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world – Marilyn Monroe

 6.       Wat is die mode ‘must-have’ vir hierdie seisoen?

S – Mode must haves: “Cropped tops”, strepies, los passende ¾ t-hemde, enkel boots, prints, maroon, “chunky knits”, helder kleure, rooi, mostert, “colour blocking”, “faux fur” (vals pels), glitter. Onthou om jou winter klere in baie lae aan te trek. Dit skep ‘n interessante voorkoms, en hou jou sommer lekker warm.

M – Bright colours, animal prints and asymmetrical seams.

7.       Wat is Adore Me se filosofie of slagspreuk?

S – Die doel van Adore Me is om elke vrou soos ‘n droom te laat voel in die klere wat sy aan het, omdat dit uniek is, en spesiaal net vir haar gemaak is met liefde.

8.       Wat was jou grootste vrees as een van die eienaars van ‘n nuwe besigheid?

S – Een van my grootste vrese is die sterk kompetisie wat ons het in die mode-wêreld. Pryse is baie mededingend. ‘n Mens is geneig om te dink jy duur betaal vir iets wat jy laat maak, omdat die pryse in die winkel soveel goedkoper is. Die verskil is wel dat dit gemaak word volgens jou figuur; ‘n goeie mode-ontwerper maak nie net wat jy wil hê nie, hulle pas die styl en kleur aan by die persoon vir wie dit is om hulle beste voorkomste uit te  bring en die dele waarvan jy nie hou nie te verbloem.

M – Om my kliente teleurtestel, want ek wil hulle ALTYD gelukkig sien.

9.       Wat kan ons vind op julle Facebook page en toekomstige webtuiste?

S – Op ons Facebook bladsy is daar foto’s van ons mode parade wat in Februarie plaas gevind het en daar is ook foto’s van rokke wat ons al vir kliënte gemaak het. Daar word ook elke dag foto’s van items waarvan ons hou wat by verskeie winkels beskikbaar is opgelaai (bv. Skoene). Daar word ook ‘quotes’opgelaai. Ons beoog om ook iets te begin soos die “Style Tip of the Day”, waar ons meer in detail sal sê bv. watter klere pas by watter tipe vorm lyf, ens. Dieselfde kan verwag word vir ons toekomstige webtuiste, daar sal net ‘n blog bygevoeg word.

10.   Watter dienste bied julle by Adore Me?

M – Wedding Dresses, Bridesmaids Dresses, Cocktail Dresses, Formal wear, Informal wear, Wardrobe Planning, Personal Styling & Shopping.

A before and after design by Merissa.

Designs by Simoné.

They made their first Matric Ball dress in July 2011.

Adore Me recently had a Fashion Shoot in Philidelphia. Photos by Thomas Marincowitz.

For more on Adore Me, feel free to visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adore-Me/325431644151294?ref=ts. Website coming soon!!

We here at Madre Kohn Creative will make sure you get that perfect invite, within budget, that you have been dreaming of. Since many of us have limited budgets and do have access to colour printers etc, we decide to create our own invites, ending in a ‘not-so-ideal’ invite. With Bride on a Budget you can have designer invites at less than half the price. These DIY invites get designed by us, but then made by you so you can save on stationery costs.

{Here are some tips every bride needs to plan a wedding on a budget}

1) Enlist your talented friends and family

You know your friends and loved ones will be more than happy to help in any way they can, so why not take note of their talents and see what they can do to help with your wedding. Got a friend who’s a great photographer? A mom or aunt who makes dresses? Make a list of who can do what and then ask them if they can help.

2) Choose a date in the off-season

Being a December or March bride may be nice but who says you can’t be an even better June or July bride?? Booking your venue during the off-season is an easy way to save loads of money when it comes to not only the venue but other aspects of the wedding too. In slow times there’s more room for negotiation so don’t be afraid to ask for a deal.

3) Double-duty favors

Instead of springing for big fancy flowers that are just gonna wilt away anyway, why not display your favors on a vintage tiered candy tray or a cake plate? How about hanging your little favor boxes with ribbon from a pretty jewelry stand? There are all kinds of neat ways you can arrange and display your favors so they do double-duty as a centerpiece. BIG savings when you can eliminate some or all of the flowers!

How’s that for great ways to plan a wedding on a budget!!!!

If you did’nt know Madre kohn creative spesialises not only in wedding stationery, but wedding photography and wedding planning aswell. Every month we offer specials so go check out our facebook page to keep updated.

{For more info, email to: info@madrekohncreative.co.za}

Nadia & Al got married on 11 February 2012 at Towerbosch, Knorhoek, Stellenbosch. What a lovely experience and beautiful venue. The setting, flowers and décor all came together to create a bohemian ambiance… with touches of purple, pink and cherry red. Nadia designed the stationery and her dress (made by Robyn Roberts) while the flowers were done by Aartsappel. Her make-up was done by Mandy Messham and her hair by Ida Webster.

Thanks to my assistant, Leandri Niemand, for capturing these special moments with me.

Enjoy!

Ons almal ken hierdie oulike gesegde (dalk nie die laaste bysin so goed soos die eerste vier nie). Hierdie gelukbringertjie was baie gebruik in die Victorian era waar bruide seker gemaak het hulle het elkeen van hierdie 5 items op hulle trou uitrusting. Ek sal nie myself klasifiseer as ‘n bygelowige persoon nie, maar ek sal jok as ek sê ek het nog nooit so bietjie gesnak na my asem wanneer ‘n swart kat oor my pad hardloop nie & ek het al meer as een keer dit vermy om onder ‘n leer te loop. Ek sien myself as ‘n rasionele mens, so wanneer dit kom by trou & jou lewensmaat kies glo ek liefde, respek & vertroue is genoeg, maar, ag wat, ‘n bietjie goeie geluk kan seker nie skade doen nie…

Something Old

{Superstitious Bride}

The first part of the popular saying is meant to signify the bond with the bride to her own family and their past, especially her mother or grandmother or maybe a close female family friend. Something Old is symbolic of continuity which can refer to steadiness & endurance.

{Rational Bride}

By the time we meet our soulmates, we have lived a big part of life. We’ve made mistakes, got our hearts broken once or twice, made stupid choices and cried a few tears. So we have quite a few something olds with us that we picked up along the way. That’s not always a bad thing though. Because with our mistakes we have lessons learned, with our broken hearts we have the opportunity of new love, with stupid choices we gain wisdom & with our tears we cleansed our soul to make room for more smiles. We have to remember our past, not the battles lost, but the victories. So with your something old item, try to hold on to a little piece of your past to help you in the future.

Something New

{Superstitious Bride}

Something New represents good luck, achievement and the bride’s hopes for a blissful future for her & her husband. Wearing a new item on your wedding day sends the message that you and your husband are creating a new union that will last forever.

{Rational Bride}

One of the most exciting parts of getting married is the feeling of anticipation for the new things to come. And what is there that excites us girls more that new stuff?! With a new relationship (married status), a new man (fiancé to husband), a new life & your something new, your wedding day and married life is bound to be wonderfully exciting!

Something Borrowed

{Superstitious Bride}

When borrowing an item the bride accepts that her friends and family will be there for her on the big day and in the future when help is needed. “Borrowing” is very important, since it has to come from a happily married woman to provide the bride with some of her own marital happiness to bring into the new marriage. Anything can be borrowed but it must be returned afterwards.

{Rational Bride}

The first thing a girl does when she gets engaged, is call her friends & family. Having your friends & family enjoy & partake in your big day is an important aspect to any bride. When you borrow something from a close friend or family member, you allow to them to give you a special gift to celebrate your  long-awaited moment as a bride & to wish you happiness for all the delightful moments that await.

Something Blue

{Superstitious Bride}

In ancient times the colour blue was symbol of faithfulness, purity, loyalty and love. When the bride wore the colour blue in her bridal outfit, she promised all of these things to the groom.

{Rational Bride}

Call me a traditionalist, but I faithfully believe that a marriage consist out of two people that adore one another & that decided to promise a lifetime of loyalty & love to each other. The bridal couple say it with their wedding rings & with their vows, so you might as well throw in something with a shade of blue.

And a Silver sixpence in her Shoe

{Superstitious Bride}

A sixpence is a coin that was minted in Britain from 1551 to 1967. It was made of silver and was worth six pennies. A silver sixpence in the bride’s shoe represents wealth and financial security. To gain the most fortune, the sixpence should be in the left shoe. These days, a dime or a copper penny is sometimes substituted, and many companies sell keepsake sixpences for weddings.

{Rational bride}

I believe in doing things right. If your going to start a project, do your best & finish it. So if your going to wear Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed & Something Blue, you should add a Sixpence in your Shoe.

So as jy ‘n bygelowige bruid of ‘n rasionele bruid is, of dalk net ‘n bruid wat bietjie nuuskierig en verveeld is, sal ek defnitief voorstel om gebruik te maak van hierdie tradisie. Dis ‘n oulike manier om jou vriende en familie betrokke te kry en, wie weet, dalk sal Lady Luck een van jou gaste wees ♥

One of the sevices we offer is Corporate Identity Design. From the Moodboard to Business cards, Letterhead etc. All the corporate designing you need for your new or existing business . We also have different Corporate Identity packages to offer and suite your every need.

Special Packages:

[ Design me my brand ]

Business look & feel concept moodboard design | Logo design | Business card design | Letterhead Design

[ Design & promote my brand ]

Business look & feel concept moodboard design | Logo design | Business card design | Letterhead Design | Email signature design |    A4 folded brochure design | A5 flyer design

For prices and more options available on Corporate Identity design, email to: info@madrekohncreative.co.za 

Here are some examples of logos we already designed!

I just loved all the colours and mixing and matching of patterns. Elana’s Kitchen Tea was planned by her (very capable!) bridesmaids. I love capturing pretty things so I had a blast!

This special occasion was held at Volksmond, Taalmonument, Paarl.  I will be posting the remaining pictures on Facebook soon.

These cupcakes are to die for – they don’t only look good, but taste delicious too.

While waiting for Elana to arrive, guests kept themselves busy by creating a special cookbook for

Elana with their favourite recipes in it.

One of the gifts for Elana.

I just adore Aartsappel ‘s logo! And look at the lasercut chicken design.

Too cute for words! These flowers from Aartsappel were a gift to Elana.