Are you cool? You’re an IW reader – of course you are!:)

Cool people need cool jewelry – and that’s where Turtle Love Committee comes in.

Turtle Love Committee makes (by hand!) wedding rings and other artisan jewelry that is, well, cool.

Their jewelry is handcrafted by independent artisans who not only have a keen eye for design – but who care deeply about the environment.

Adrianne started the company while she was working at a large Boston law firm. She noticed that most of the women she worked with had nearly identical engagement rings.

“When I looked for a place to get truly unusual engagement rings, I didn’t find one, so I decided to make it. It seemed to me that marriage is about the unique commitment that two individuals make to each other … I believe that the rings that you choose to symbolize that commitment should honor your lifestyle and your relationship, not some weird calculus of how much to spend or how big the stone should be,” she says.

Not only are the wedding and engagement rings unique and HANDMADE (who doesn’t love handmade!), the prices are very affordable.

Not a diamond kind of gal? Check out the cool selection of engagement rings. Like this Moonstone Solitaire:

Or this  Oval Amethyst Engagement Ring:

There are also ‘his and hers’ wedding bands. I love the symbolism behind these Tree of Life bands. (The Tree of Life band represents life and hope. It is a symbol for the creative growth of people and relationships. )

Don’t you love the look of these textured Casco wedding bands made from recycled silver?

Want more? Mosey on over to Turtle Love Committee’s website.

Yes, the thought of DIY wedding flowers can be daunting. Downright scary. But once the threshold of fear has been crossed, there’s a good chance that pride will replace that fear with a big ol’ satisfied grin. At least that’s how it worked for me. I had zero experience arranging flowers, and I DIYed the bouquets and centerpieces for my wedding (with the help of my family and friends.) Not only did I save a bundle – I was pretty darn impressed with how they turned out.

I admit – finding flowers for a good price took a lot of legwork and was a bit of pain. I ended up ordering my flowers from a local wholesaler, but life would have been so much easier if could have ordered them online from BloomsByTheBox. Given the fact that  I got married nine years ago, that wasn’t an option.

The selection at BloomsByTheBox is large and lovely. And these are not your average supermarket flowers. The online wholesale flowers, greens and floral supplies offered by BloomsByTheBox – including wholesale and bulk roses, carnations, calla lilies, hydrangea, lilies, sunflowers, peonies, chrysanthemums, daisies, tulips, gerbera daisies, greens and more – are premium ‘retail-quality’ flowers found in the finest florists and used by professional floral designers, as well as high-end wedding, hotel and restaurant arrangements. The roses, for example, are the “cream of the crop” from the most exclusive growers in the world.

You can view the selection of flowers here. And if you’re looking for some tips on how to create your DIY centerpieces and bouquets the site is jam-packed with how-to videos on DIY flowers.

Here’s to DIY flower power!

Photo One: DIY wedding bouquet and boutonnieres DIYed with flowers from BloomsByThe Box. Photography by Shelby Leigh from BloomsByTheBox; Photo Two: DIY bridal bouquet made with flowers from BloomsByTheBox.