Interview-Healing Heart

Todays interview is with Healing Heart

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

I am a member of a Toronto-based group called LOV - Liberty Over Violence. We organize local demos to provide information on the fur trade, fois gras, animal testing and pet shop cruelty. LOV has an annual Meatout potluck event which has AMAZING food everyone will LOV! I donate 10% of my sales to Bullies In Need. LOV & Healing Heart also fundraise for the legal campaign to fight BSL in Ontario.



What are some of your favorite things about etsy?

Etsy promotes independant companies and is an amazing one-stop place to shop for ethical finds. You can buy direct from small businesses who make handmade sweatshop-free goods. There are so many great companies making soaps and makeup, you can get everything here!

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

My items can be found in Toronto's first ALL VEGAN shop Panacea - http://panaceaecoshop.com/Retail shops that carry Healing Heart accessories: The Darkside, Rustic, Helles Belles


Have you been featured anywhere?

I've had clothing featured in several awesome blogs such as Girlie Girl Army Your Glamazon Guide to Green Living. www.girliegirlarmy.com , veganbilly.blogspot.com, and http://www.galadarling.com/

Do you have any future plans for your shop?

I would like to have a wide variety of eco friendly fabrics. I will be providing bamboo, hemp and organic options in Fall '09. My company is also a way to raise funds charity, so with growth I would like to be able to do more for all the groups I support and adopt lots of animals!

What kinds of hobbies and interests do you have?

I enjoy dancing, photography, cooking, yoga, and snuggling pitbulls<3>Do you have any animal companions?

I recently adopted 5 mice and love them! Their names are Tiny Tom, Bob, Sniffy, Hal Johnson and Homeboy.

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

Right now is a very important time to check out www.stopthesealhunt.ca . Mac Harb is trying to pass a bill banning commerical seal hunting in Canada. The seal hunt is the largest marine animal slaughter in the world and is subsidized by the Canadian government. Please write to legislation and tell them you support the Mac Harb Seal Bill!

Also visit: www.ifaw.org - International Fund for Animals

http://www.doglegislationcouncilcanada.org/ - Fighting the BSL law in Ontario

http://www.bannedaid.org/ - Banned Aid Coalition is a large group of dog rescues who come together agains BSL.

http://www.farmsancturary.org/ - Farm Sanctuary

http://www.hellobully.com/ - Hello Bully in PA

http://www.veg.ca/ - TVA, Toronto's Vegetarian Association. They host an excellent vegetarian food fair every September which has free admission!

http://www.ark-ii.org/ - ARK II Toronto

http://www.libertyoverviolence.ca/ - LOV Liberty Over Violence

http://www.aftu.ca/ - Advocates For The Underdogwww.faunafoundation.org - Fauna Foundation

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

I have been vegan for 6 years. I was told to avoid dairy by my doctor so at first I was going vegan for health. But when I read about the dairy industry being connected to leather and veal, I knew I had to make the switch. At the time I worked at a vegan cafe that had organic milk for regular customers. Since it was new we didn't have a lot of customers. So the milk went bad, and guess who had to dump 17 disgusting chunky smelly cartons of rancid milk? Went vegan that day.

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

Vegweb.com is my favourite place to find recipes, as well as the vegan cooking community on Livejournal. My favourite books are Karma Cookbook by Boy George - it has amazing pictures of carrot eye lashes on George! Real Food Daily Cookbook, Veganimicon, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World has a great gluten-free cupcake recipe, Don't Feed The Bears, and The Macrobiotic Approach to Cancer is an amazing book! It talks about having a clean and balanced "diet" (I hate that word) and an all around macrobiotic approach to life. The best part are the charts which show vitamin and protien levels in plant-based sources vs. animal. The plant ones are always higher! I like to keep the book on me so I can show people who think vegans are going to die! You can also find the book online if you search Google books. I really like Kryolan makeup. On Etsy: Soy candles, lotions and soaps from Forest Nymths Gudonyatoo's cookie deoderant and strawberry soap & shampoo which is perfect for dreads. Butterby Essentials face lotion

What are your favorite foods?

Ooh I love greasy friend tofu of all kinds! Soy & bamboo drumsticks from Kings Cafe in Toronto, the vegan quesadillas from Sadie's Diner, Sweets from the Earth cakes, sweet potato fries, chickpea tu-no, avocado grilled cheese, banana bread, Mexican, Middle Eastern and Japanese foods have lots of vegan options. Mmm I could really go on...

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

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