Thursday, April 30, 2009

The Great Vegan Etsy Give-Away: Happy -Vegan- Home!

Every Month The Vegan Etsy Team Holds A Contest Blog Challenging
Our Followers - And Passer-by's - To Think Vegan!

Contest Theme: Happy -Vegan- Home
lets show people there are better things to decorate your home with besides parts of dead animals!

Requirements:
• Blog Spot Account With Contact Information.
please have an email or website for us to contact you through otherwise we will not be able to reach you when your name is drawn for the prize.

How To Play:
• go to http://www.etsy.com/ and search for items that are tagged with VEGANETSY TEAM and look for any and everything that is Vegan Home Decor. This includes things like wall mounts, curtain ties, paint, art, photographs, pictures, furnishings, and more.


Example:
• I choose {link} because it is a great alternative to leather other used for (item)

• Each person can only respond 1 time for 1 entry into the drawing. Blog followers get double entry.

Contest Ends:
• May 22nd, 2009

Prize:
• Team Prize Pack
Team Prize Packs can contain Jewelry, buttons, totes, bath and body, store gift certificates, books, recipes and more!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Vegan Burgers and Famous Tater Salad

Contributed by Heather from

Holistically Heather

For The LOVE Of VEGAN

Vegan Sample Bags

Vegan Burgers and Potato Salad


This is one of our favorite meals to throw together for a BBQ, to show everyone that being vegan doesnt mean you cant have a grill out!!!

Vegan Burgers

Ingredients:

1/2 c. bulgar wheat

1 1/2 c. water

2 T. vegan bouillon

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. red pepper

1 1/2 tsp. sage

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. garlic

1 tsp. onion

1/2 tsp. salt

1 T. Braggs (soy sauce)

1 T. olive oil

1 T. favorite BBQ sauce

Bring all of these ingredients to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. Take off the heat and set aside.

Blend


1 c. lima beans

2 T. favorite BBQ sauce

1 T. hot sauce (we LOVE hot cock)

2 T. pus free milk

Blend these ingredients until smooth, then stir in with your first concoction!

Mix in:

2 T. cornmeal

1/4 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. breadcrumbs

2 T. wheat gluten

Now you are ready to ball these up and flatten into patties, if you like them to fit a bun you should get about 4 patties out of this batch! Either pan fry with a bit of oil, or throw them on the grill!!

My FAMOUS Vegan Potato Salad (you wont be disappointed!)

Ingredients:

8-12 medium sized potatoes (if you have a small family, but if you need more this recipe is easily doubled!)

2 small onions (finely chopped or put thru a food processor)

4 or 5 cloves of garlic (depending on your taste, we use more!)

1 container of veganaise

1 container of vegan bacon bits

The following spices are approximate, and just use them to your own taste!

2 T. dried dill

1 tsp. dried garlic

1 tsp. dried onion powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. celery seed

1 T. yellow or spicy brown mustard

Dice up your potatoes, boil them until they are done but not overdone, I personally dont care of mashed potato salad, I like potato chunks! I usually dice up my veggies and get everything all set while the potatoes are boiling. Drain your potatoes and put them under cold water. Once they have cooled you can ad them to your spices, veganaise, and veggies. Mix it up, then add the vegan bacon bits and VOILA! Vegans and non vegans love this recipe, ask my gramma! Enjoy!

SMILE!

Monday, April 27, 2009

Home Sweet (Vegan) Home.

I'm moving! Again. I've moved about a hundred times, and as usual, it's exciting, stressful, and traumatic all rolled into one. Obviously, this calls for some retail (or, should I say, Etsy) therapy! The funnest part about having a new space is making that space feel cozy and welcoming, and making it look beautiful. Where better to find objects to accomplish just that than among those fashioned by the Vegan Etsy Team?

Vessels and Wares (can I call you Jeanette?), you slay me! Nothing in the world is more comforting than a nice cup of tea, and it appears that you've gone and created the perfect, well, vessel! As Jeanette says, "Rad + awesome = this teapot." I couldn't agree more! And once the oolong is brewed, I'd of course need one of your gorgeous mugs to pour it into - how cute is this tumbler with the cherry blossom? It reminds me of the tiny flowers that are starting to burst forth from trees all over the neighborhood. (See? It really is spring!) The new pad has this awesome sort of built-in mini china cabinet in the hall; both of these objects would look just fantastically classic nestled there when not in use.

One thing that I have always loved to have in the house is plants. I've even gotten good at keeping them alive - I've had my two money trees for three and a half years now, thank you very much. The new place has a long narrow room across the front with basically wall to wall picture windows, and I plan to fill it with green! Thanks to the hilarious Allison of Monkeys Always Look, now I can populate all of our windowsills - and man do we have some windowsills - with gorgeous succulents in one-of-a-kind plantings! I've already gotten one pointy lil' guy in a beautiful white Waterford teacup (Maurice). I was so thrilled with him that I immediately ordered a second, a "topsy turvey" in a baby blue dessert cup who I named Topsy. He I got him Friday - he's magnificent! That evening I decided that three's company, and ordered a third in a black espresso mug who is on its way - I'll name him when I meet him. Allison is a sheer pleasure to do business with, and I couldn't be more pleased with my little planty friends. And I'm certainly nowhere near finished ordering from her! I've especially got my eye on a couple of the string-of-pearls numbers; they're just too amazing, and they make me think of something my grandmother the brilliant gardener would have loved. (By the bye, Allison, you've inspired me - I've planted my funky lil' cactus in an old mug that I got on a road trip through South of the Border! Pictures are forthcoming... his name is Pedro. :)

Is it possible to have a big grin on my face the minute I get to the apartment and flip the light switch? Could it ever be so simple to feel happy and comfortable in a new home? Well, I believe it just might be with this squirrelly little number from AguaVino! After all, Mrs. Squirrel (in her stylish plaid apron) is already cooking me up a nice acorn stew. And Mr. Squirrel is ready to entertain us through the whole meal with his wild tales of the forest floor! It's the perfect combination of nature and nurture. These two would cheer up any room in the house, but what better to grace a new kitchen with? (I could say they're just plain nutty, but Jonathan-the-fiance says that puns aren't funny. But I disagree! And I already said it! Ha!)

Now, about the new bathroom. It's, well, bright yellow! Yellow tiling on the walls, odd yellow-olive tiling on the floor... very, very different from the all-white that I'm moving out of. So, what's the best way to break in a new bathroom? Delicious new soaps of course! I'm very particular about my scents, and I like to have a variety, so the pick-three option from Tami's Soapworks really sounds like the ticket. Hmm, let me see: vanilla sandalwood, vanilla raspberry, and green tea honeysuckle? Am I picking soap or making smoothies?! Sunbath has a wonderful selection of handmade soaps as well; I highly suggest the brown sugar and vanilla - which incidentally would make a fabulous Mother's Day present. (Don't forget your moms, y'all! Mother's day is just around the corner, and moms do like to be pampered.) With all these delicious scents, I'll just sink into the luxury and soon enough all that yellow tile will be a beacon of my new happyplace.

After a nice bath in our big new bathtub - and did I mention it's got a shower curtain that curves around the back?! - I might need to moisturize a lil bit. My skin is just that way, always has been. No worries, Daisy Wares has me covered with her whipped shea body butter. Roni, the shop proprietor, has specified that even though this "butter" looks good enough to eat, don't! It does look completely edible, and the temptation will be particularly terrible because I plan to order it in Vanilla flavor - er, I mean, scent. After a long day of unpacking, a girl just needs this kind of pampering. Hell, what day doesn't a girl need this kind of pampering? And after the winter we just went through in NYC, my skin is dying for some TLC anyway!


So, once we're settled in and the place looks spectacular, we'll want to have the nearest and dearest over to show off, right? I think so. And when that happens, I'll want to serve scrumptious vegan food - that's just a given. But how ever will I serve it? Why, on a gorgeous platter from Vegan Dish - how else? (In case you're wondering, yes that IS the handiwork of our talented Jeanette once again!) So, how much do I love the stars stamped into the attachment points of the handles? SO MUCH! It's these careful details that really make her lines of pottery shine. This piece could be perfect for Jonathan's signature seitan satay skewers. Or even my vegan red velvet cupcakes - gotta love the semi-complimentary tones of pink icing on this striking blue dish. My omni friends may just be so awe-struck at the beauty of our vegan delicacies on this amazing piece of art that they turn to the green side on the spot. Ya think? Hey, anything is possible.

What makes a house a home? For the most part, the love and happiness that are shared there. But accoutrements that make it pleasant and inviting sure don't hurt! Making a move is a trial for body and spirit, and a few beautiful and comforting objects can certainly help to soften the blow. I'm chomping at the bit to buy each and every one of these delightful treats - but not until we figure out how to pay May's rent! (And for that matter, June's.) And so you might just beat me to a few of them. But that's alright. As long as there's a Vegan Etsy Team, I know there will be an endless supply of just-the-right-thing whenever I'm ready for it.

Hearts,
Melissa Bastian

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Interview- Daisy Wares

Today's interview is with Roni of Daisy Wares and Daisy's Destash.

How did you choose the name of your shop and how long have you been a member of Etsy?

My dog Daisy died when she was only 6 of cancer. She was the cutest Beagle and taught me so much in her short life time. I decided to dedicate my company name to her, Daisy Wares. I commenced my buisness on her birthday, Oct.9th and opened my shop in 2007.

What kinds of items do you sell in your shop and what inspired you to start creating them?

I started out making jewelry but have since added bath & body products. My friends were making jewelry and it looked fun so I took a few classes and got started that way. I was buying a lot of bath & body products and just thought I could make this. So again I took a bunch of classes and learned what I wanted to and went from there. All of my products are vegan of course.

Do you donate to any charities or do any volunteer work?

I donate to Animal Place, http://www.animalplace.org . They are the best animal sanctuary ever, I love them so much. Not only do they take in farm animals who have been abused and neglected but they go down to Mexico and help with spaying/neutering and rescuing dogs. They take such good care of their animals and are very loving people. I'm so happy to donate to them and I visit their sanctuary regularly. You can see my latest visit on Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/daisywares

What are some of your favorite things about etsy?

Etsy has just exploded into this huge website for everyone and everything. I'm starting to hear of a lot of famous celebrities shopping on Etsy. My favorite thing about Etsy is just to view everyone's talent. I love to see all the Eco-friendly items artist are creating to help make this a better world. I am not happy though with people selling fur or any animal related by-products, if you want to help ban Etsy from selling fur please visit this link, http://daisywares.blogspot.com/2009/04/please-ban-fur-on-etsy.html

Do you sell your items outside of etsy, either online or in retail shops?

I do, I have my own website, http://www.daisywares.net and I have my products in Belle Sirota in Portland which is an awesome all vegan shop and Eclectix in Berkeley. And for anyone in the Bay Area I will be doing a craft show with ZNE at the Pleasanton Fair Grounds May 2 - 3.

Do you have any future plans for your shop?

Well the wheels are always turning in my head. I feel I have reached the plato of all my bath and body products that I want to make, but then I just came up with a great eye makeup remover and I kind of want to add that next. I sell more bath and body than jewelry right now so I might scale down the jewelry, but who knows I think one thing and do another.

What kinds of hobbies and interests do you have?

I've been knitting a lot lately, so I've been doing that when I'm not making bath and body products. Thursday nights are a big night in our house hold only because it's The Office and 30 Rock night. Otherwise I do not watch TV. My animals take up a lot of my time and I love it. We take lots of dog walks on the trails out here and play with the cats.

Do you have any animal companions?

I have 2 dogs and 7 cats. My house is full of tails wagging. They all get along for the most part. I get a little nervous when my 92 pound dog chases my little 10 pound cat but she is harmless to them. They are so much fun.

Do you have any websites besides your shop that you would like to tell us about?

My blog is http://www.daisywares.blogspot.com , my Twitter page is http://www.twitter.com/roni_seabury , my Flickr Page is http://www.flickr.com/daisywares , my My Space page is http://www.myspace.com/daisywares and I have a Cafe Press shop with Vegan related logos at http://www.cafepress.com/daisywares

How long have you been vegan and what made you go vegan?

I went vegan in 2007, but I should mention that I have been vegetarian since 1984. I wish I had learned about factory farming sooner. I learned about the harsh treatment of factory farmed animals in 2007 and that is when I became vegan. I was a naive vegetarian, thinking if you didn't have to kill the animal then it's okay to drink it's milk and eat it's cheese and eggs etc but I was soooo wrong and I am so grateful that I now know the truth. Being vegan is the best thing for me and I invite everyone to try it. It is not hard at all. Many vegetarians say they can not give up cheese because they think it taste so yummy on everything. But instead of focusig on the taste, focus on what you are really eating and how it got on your plate. It won't taste so good after that.

Do you have any favorite vegan things, like books, websites, stores, etc.?

Though Whole Foods is not a vegan store I do like to walk in there and see Vegan written right on the package. That makes it so much easier to shop and I don't have to read the tiny labels which you all know vegans are so good at. I love going to vegan restaurants and knowing I do not have to ask if there is any animal by-products in the meal. We have many vegan restaurants here in Berkeley. I really love supporting all the local vegan restaurants.

What are your favorite foods?

Herbivore has this awesome "chicken" sandwhich and I love their vegan cesar salad. I like buying corn meal crusts and making pizza at home. I have all the main vegan cookbooks and enjoy making something new a few times a week. And having Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero is a staple cookbook for anyones house!

Is there anything else you would like to add or share?

Please visit Animal Place's website at http://www.animalplace.org . You can sponsor an animal and become it's Foster parent, which is the best feeling in the world. Or you can make a small donation. They need money not only for food, but medicine and shelter for the animals. They are moving to a sanctuary that is 10 times as big as the land they have now which means they can rescue more animals in need but they need donations to help with the rescues and make the mortgage payment. And if you do not want to donate directly to them please remember that 10% of my sales goes to them every month so you could get something you really want and know that a portion goes to The Animal Place.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Welcome new members!

Please give a big welcome to the newest member of the Veganetsy Team Ohhilippa.
Also, Scorch just opened a new shop called AuntieBeulah. Make sure you check both of them out and heart them!

Friday, April 24, 2009

New Team Treasury

Please show this team treasury some love! Also, make sure to check out the adorable owl collection below this post!

Owls!

Some of the cutest owl themed items on Etsy can be found from our talented group of vegan artisans! Here are just a few:


Tiny owl bowl in orange by Vessels and Wares




Hello 80s Disco Owl Necklace by Scorch




Night Owl Necklace by Starrlight Jewelry




Vintage Leafie Owlie Ring by mvegan5




To find more owl-tastic items, just head on over to Etsy and search - veganetsy owls.

-Kala (Vegancraftastic on Etsy)

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

New Team Treasury!

Thanks so much to Vegancraftastic for snagging this team treasury. Please show it some love!

Cats and Cat Lovers prepare to be delighted!

The following was posted by Kim of Midnightrabbits and Veganessa.

Veganetsy Team is full of very talented artists and crafters, so when it came to looking for gifts for a cat and a cat loving friend, I was spoilt for choice. To my delight I came across a wonderful assortment that will keep both Cat and cat Lovers very happy. Here are the shops and their fabulous goods that make up a part of this marvellous team:



Jane Diamond
Jane’s shop introduction is very welcoming, and gives a fantastic feel of the wonderful products. She lists Cool catnip toys and cat sachets, which are filled with catnip, and very pretty. I hope the cats appreciate the adorable fabric as much as the buyer will.
Jane also provides lots of delightful gifts for cat lovers- jewellery, paintings and ACEO’s all with beautiful cat pictures on them, in an assortment of colours and price ranges, there’s something for everyone. Jane also has a charity section, for anyone wanting to buy a gift that gives. Her shop is a delight to look at, and will make any day seem brighter.

UberDuperCreations

UberDuper Creations is well known for their fabulous Beastie Biscuits.

which I have tried (yes, I have tried – as they’re vegan) and can personally recommend them. My dogs loved them too!
Not forgetting our feline friends, UberDuper Creations has some wonderful catnip toys Cat-Nipper Beastie Cats, which I’m sure every cat would be thrilled to receive. Here’s a picture of our cat Pinkie playing with one of UberDuper Creations catnip toys. You can see the look of pleasure on here face, a definite hit!


Along with fabulous catnip toys are wonderful Cat-Nip Planter Kits. Everything you need to grow your own catnip in a gorgeous hand painted pot. Something for both you and your cat to enjoy.

Sierra Pelona Crochet
This wonderful Etsy shop has a sweet selection of catnip toys for your favourite kitty, well all of them, if you have more than one! And the most delightful angel cats that I have ever seen. "But what is an angel cat?" I hear you say. It’s a pretty crocheted cat with angel wings, which is lightly scented with organic lavender – heavenly (excuse the pun!).

Have you ever seen such a cute angel cat?



SickOnSin
Here is an enchanting shop selling a range of cute, cheeky and fun items including mirrors, women’s underwear, magnets, t-shirts, and totes. Some have endearing pictures of cats on them, which would make a wonderful surprise for any cat lover.

Who can resist such an appealing little cat design!

MVegan5
If you’re looking for some artwork for a cat loving friend, then MVegan5 has the answer. The shop has painting, cards and prints, featuring cats and other animals.
10% of all sales go to animal rescues/charities. A perfect way to give a delightful gift and help animals in the process.
Any friend would appreciate a custom animal portrait by this talented artist.

VesselsAndWares
Although not strictly for cats or cat lovers, I liked this dish so much, I just had to include it – And as the description says it can be filled with cat biscuits if chosen!


ThisIsIt

Another idea for a gift for a cat lover is a journal, photo album, greeting card or gift tags from This Is It. The cat designs are elegant and this is a description taken from This Is It’s shop:

‘The journal is made using eco friendly Nepalese lokta paper. It measures 6x6 and comes with 20 pages of textured lokta inside. The greeting card is made using 100% recycled (post-consumer content) cardstock. It comes with a matching envelope. Both come wrapped in resealable sleeves (10% recycled).’
Eco friendly and stylish, a superb gift for anyone.

StarrlightJewelry

Starrlight Jewelry has a wonderful assortment of Gothic/Victorian inspired jewelry.
Some of this includes clip on charms that could be added to your mobile and include a cat theme
Or could be worn by your cat, if you want to add something unique to their collar and give the birds a tinkle of a warning if your cat is on the prowl


Sparklynn-
Cute kitty necklace and other animal shaped jewelry, that would make delightful gifts for a fun loving young at heart animal lover.

PinkBubble – Adorable bracelet and necklace depicting cats and other wonderful jewelry and supplies.


There are many other shops that have cat themed items for sale, but as they are only one or two items, I've listed some of them here, without pictures, but well worth a look!

AimeeDars – Aimee Dars sells divine jewelry, some of which are adorned with cats. All very elegant and would make wonderful presents.

Finally my own shops MidnightRabbits and Veganessa which have cat pictures on coin purses, card holders and bags. I am of course a cat lover as well as an animal lover. I actually share a house with 5 cats and 3 dogs – never a dull moment (or should that be quiet!) .

This list has finally come to an end. Shops change items frequently, so it’s always worth doing an Etsy search for Veganetsy and Cats in the title, description and tags, you may come across even more wonderfully talented VeganEtsy members that have wonderful items for Cats and Cat Lovers everywhere.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Paper, paper everywhere

The following was written by Melissa Bastian of Bright and Libellule.

If you've seen the things I make for my first shop (Bright.), you've probably figured out that I've got a thing for paper. And a paper and ribbon combo? Even better! It turns out that I'm not the only person here on the Vegan Etsy team that feels this way. Below is a small selection of the wide array of gorgeous objects made of paper (sometimes with ribbon!) fashioned by various members of our team.

Toboggan Hill Studio features a fairly wide array of goods, including beaded jewelery, a super-cute stuffed felt cupcake, and a glass robot pendant that kind of blows my mind. They also offer a variety of "pocket journals", this blue tree design being my favorite. Hey man, I dig trees. Since I'm one of those pedestrians you see pulled over on the sidewalk madly scribbling down heaven-knows-what, this could be a very good i
tem for me to have in my pocket. Also potentially extremely useful for grocery lists, or any other kind of list really. Lists and trees is pretty much where it's at.

Art You Dream About is a relatively new addition to the team, and we're so glad to have her! Her shop is full of fun, colorful unique items full of imagination and whimsy. Among journals, photographs, and pendants, this shop features the most adorable bookmarks - major attraction for a bibliophile like me. And then you have this particular item - combine books and cupcakes, and I'm sold! As the p
roprietor says, "This one makes me hungry and want to die of cuteness overload. Happy scrumptious cupcakes dance alongside a light blue background with white polka dots." Ever conscious of impact, she adds that "This product will come in a cello bag, which is number 5 recyclable. If you would prefer I do not include this bag, please let me know when making your order." Love it!

Panda with Cookie inhabits a world of make-believe and funtimes - a world peopled by the sweetest little snaggle-toothed monsters you ever did see, apparently, not to mention pirate tofu cubes. It's a good shop to stop by if you need a new tote bag or apron, or maybe some paper cranes with googly eyes. In an interesting juxtaposition, though, Panda also features these strikingly beautiful and delicate strings of paper objects. There are f
lowers, pink and yellow, but these orange butterflies just captivate me. So often we see "butterfly" objects made of feathers (cringe), or, worse yet, actual butterfly wings! I particularly love this item because it lets us revel in the beauty of butterflies without causing harm to any creature - the vegan ideal, no?

Through playful and zany illustration, My Zoetrope brings us into a world where foodstuffs, owls, and celestial bodies rule. The Brooklynite's explanation of her shop's name? "ZOETROPE: From the Greek words, zoe, 'life' and trope, 'turn'. It may be taken to mean 'wheel of life' or 'living wheel.' My Zoetrope is an ever-evolving wheel of my life and the silliness, craziness, prettiness, and absurdness of it." She further states that she dislikes mayo
nnaise and squirrels - and I'll be happy to debate the squirrel part with her any day. Of the many objects sold in her shop that you really must see for yourself, a standout is these recipe cards which feature her gang of foodies. No, not those annoying middle aged people that hang out at Dean and Deluca comparing their last two meals of veal and arguing about how to get sand out of morels. But little people that look like food! This gang's got moxy, and with ten separate designs you'll never get bored. Why not use them to write down some of your favorite recipes, give them to mom for mother's day, and watch the next family holiday be transformed into a vegan feast?! (Keep pirate mushroom for yourself though - he's too good to give away.)

This Is It! Creations, a husband and wife team living the dream of running their own business, offers a nice variety of paper items, along with a pretty selection of jewelery with a sort of zen feeling to it. Here's what they had to say about one of their journal lines: "Since we love animals so much, we created an entire line of journals with fun animal drawings on the covers! " Not only that, but they're fashioned from super-eco-friendly lokta pa
per. Each animal design is available on about a dozen different cover colors, and they are also using the same set of designs on notepads, cards, and a few of their other paper goodies. After bird images, elephants are probably my second big aesthetic draw as far as animal images go, so I've been in love with this particular journal since the first time I saw it. Their shop tagline is "ecogifts that inspire", and I have to agree. (Pssst! Team members get a discount!)

Rooted in a strong dedication to helping animals, many Vegan Etsy team members donate a portion of their profits to various animal assistance organizations, and Michelle of Mvegan5 is no exception. (No surprise, really, as she's not only a Vegan Etsy team member but is also the founder of Etsy for Animals.) Each month, 10% of her profits go to a different animal charity - for the month of April it's Siberians
Needing Owners
. Among prints of her original animal-inspired paintings, notecards featuring images of her paintings and photographs, and funky jewelery and accessories fashioned largely from bits of vintage plastic, I found her Sweet Paper Flower Pin. Not only is it delicate and enchanting in an understated way, but it's also a testament to the fact that you really can make anything out of paper!

Love of animals runs deep around here, and that includes the love of man's best friend. Sadly, due to people's laziness or outright neglect, abuse, or abandonment, an astonishing number of dogs who just wanna be loved end up out in the cold. Lucky for them, Nicole of Late July Photography is in the running for the title of Patron Saint of Stray Dogs. Not only does she volunteer in various efforts to keep shelters running and find homes
for stray pups, but she also spends her free time taking stunning photographs of these magnificent mutts to show people just how great they are. This set of postcards features four different canine cuties hamming it up for the camera. And you'll feel great buying them, knowing that 35% of the proceeds will become a donation to Loyal Rescue. What long distance dog loving pal wouldn't love to receive this set, already self-addressed and stamped? There's no better way to say - "Hey! I miss you! Write more often! (And by the bye, how cute are these dogs?!)"

Aguavino is a dedicated birder, but that doesn't stop her from spreading the love throughout the animal kingdom. First of all, you've got to stop into her shop to check out her awesome light switch plates! The one with the snail is absolutely to die for. Then check out the photo cards like this one that features some Llama Love. She takes a professional print of her awesome photograph and actually sews it, with a sewing machine, to a high quality ca
rd. How cool! Part of her "Spread the Love" line, 50% of the proceeds from this item will be donated to an animal sanctuary. Well Mr. Llama, I love you too! Apart from her animal dedication there's some real eco-watching going on at this shop. As the shop proprietor states, "As a staunch environmentalist and anti-consumerist, I have made it a point to display my photography in a sustainable manner. Other than the photos themselves, which are professionally printed, everything is made and displayed with recycled or secondhand materials." Right on, Aguavino!

Alright, at this point you should be sufficiently whipped up into a paper frenzy. What are you waiting for? Get out there and paper it up!