After a few years in the nonprofit world, I began to get burnt out and also wonder about my individual impact. I helped run federal food programs, but those programs didn't serve just anyone: there was an application, a minimum age, identification requirement, all for a program that my team wasn't able to adjust to fit an individual person. There wasn't choice, and there wasn't flexibility to really listen to what the people wanted and respond to it.

Sarah smiles while a dog in a handmade red bowtie licks her face — Sarah and Toby at a party

So I took a break. I quit my job, leaving my husband to be the sole breadwinner of the family while I did some soul-searching. And the more time I had to look around and reflect on human behavior, the more I felt like something needed to change.

I've been worried about the environment for years, decades even. I've gone back and forth from thinking that I am just one person and that big business and industry are the only ones who can make a difference, to bending over backwards to minimize my waste, reduce consumption, shop at zero waste stores, buy used whenever possible while filling myself with frustration that I was trying so hard while others didn't try at all.

So I've settled on where I think I want to be. I don't want to give up on cute parties, picture-worthy get togethers and cute things that make me smile. However, I know that I can still do most of that while minimizing my impact on the environment. I kind of always have, because before I shopped at thrift stores for environmental reasons, I shopped there for financial reasons. I made party decor because my budget was ZERO and I had to use what I had on hand.

I'm pretty practiced at making something cute out of very little, and I think other people want to be more eco-friendly, but don't know how and don't want to give up everything aesthetic to do so. I know I can help people with both of these dilemmas.

For me, it's not about shame or guilt when trying to be more environmentally conscious. It's about shifting a mindset from buying something online because it's cheap and will get there in 2 days to thinking about if you need something, and who is impacted by the purchase. Who is benefitting and who is being taken advantage of.

Why I started Eco Chic Events