Happy Memorial Day!

Here in the states, today is Memorial Day! As far as a holiday celebration goes, this means no work... and cookouts! Preferably on the beach. But beach or not, bbq is in order. And of course we all know it's easy as pie to do a vegan bbq!

You can go the "traditional" hot dog and hamburger route; at this point there are a ton of great vegan products on the market widely available in grocery stores across the country. But if mock isn't your thing, no problem. Vegetables go great on the grill! Brush them with a little oil, shake on some herbs and salt and pepper, and away you go. Totally delish.

Side dishes? Who doesn't love potato salad? Macaroni salad? Tomato salad? Fruit salad? Now that it's warm, there's a hundred salads that will please the crowds and the palate. By my house, my darling husband has whipped up a giant pot of chilli - with which I plan to top my hot dogs. Or maybe just the buns! Trust me, it's awesome.

But we should remember that Memorial Day is more than a day off work, more than just about food. It is, after all, a day of rememberance. It is a day to honor all those who have died in war. Regardless of anyone's individual feelings about what actions we should or should not be partaking in, or how the military is being handled, what cannot be denied is that many have given their lives. And so for these people, and for their families who remember them on this day, I say - however this is chosen to be interpreted - Support Our Troops.

New Members - Wahoo!

Please join us in welcoming the two newest Vegan Etsy Team members and their three great shops: Goodness Bakeshop, The Feathered Snail, and Sunswirlgirl! Make sure to stop by each of these nifty vegan shops, and don't forget to give them a little heart. ;)

Chocolate Truffle Cake
from Goodness Bakeshop

Snail's Nest Necklace
from The Feathered Snail

Save a Life
from Sunswirlgirl

Humane Society Fire

VET Member DaisyWares is trying to raise funds for the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society since they had a fire yesterday killing 12 cats.
It's such a devastation.

"I am donating 50% of my sales to them from now through
5/31. My friend who I am teaming up with, Allie Beans,
http://www.alliebeans.etsy.com is also donating to help the
cause.

For direct donations, http://www.berkeleyhumane.org/

Anyone in the bay area, the EBHS needs volunteers and foster homes.

Please RT my tweets, http://www.twitter.com/daisywares and Share my FB
messages http://www.facebook.com/daisywares "

Michele of http://mvegan5.etsy.com is also donating 10% from now until June 31 to help with recovery from this devastating event.

To hear about the fire:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=7452187

The Seahorse Scene

Seahorses are both very cool and very bizarre, they're definitely one of my favorite sea beasties, maybe because they're so weird :) Here are some of my favorite seahorse items from the Vegan Etsy Team!

Black Seahorse Earrings from Starrlight Jewelry:

Seahorse Wall Decor from Monkey and Squirrel:

Silly Seahorse Earrings from Pink Bubble:

-Kala (Vegancraftastic)

VET Current Events Update

There are two blog give-away contests currently being held by VET members:


Just For Fun Give Away By StarrlightJewerly
To view/enter this give-away, please click --> Here <-- Win a Hedgehog Pin Give-Away By vegancraftastic
To view/enter this give-away, please click --> Here <--
We also have two new great Team Treasuries!

so-many-beautiful-things-so-little-space by artbysusmitha
and
whats-vaaagan by DaisyWares

We Also now have a current Events Tab on the top tool bar of the blog, be sure to check there for member sales, give-aways and more.

Treasury!

Click here To View And Comment On This Wonderful Creation

VET Member of the Week: Heather of Heathrock!

Hi! My name is Heather and I'm the "creator" of heathrock designs. Originally I'm from NJ (and will always be a Jersey girl at heart!), but have been living in Maryland for almost 5 years now. I was so shocked and thrilled that the "other" Heather from 3 AM Art Productions chose me for the next VET Member of the Week. I have enjoyed meeting all of my new vegan, creative friends and hope to continue this ongoing friendship and learning from each and every one of you. OK, I could keep rambling on and on, but then I would ruin the entire interview! So without further ado, I hope you guys enjoy the read! :)

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

Since I'm in LOVE with my new lifestyle, I keep thinking I have been vegan forever. In reality, I have only been vegan for 6 months 28 days 22 hours and 25 minutes - ha ha... I know this because I became vegan when I bought Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Diet and joined her website, The Kind Life (and they tell you how long you have been a member on that site - I promise I'm not psycho!). So to make a long story shorter... first I started eating organic foods, then I became pescetarian (seafood only- pretty much a macrobiotic diet) then I went all out and just committed myself to my vegan life.

Do you have any animal companions?

Yes and I would have a boat load more if I could! Before I was smart enough to rescue, I found my American Bulldog, Socrates, while scanning the classified ads. He was being "sold" by a private owner whose pets just happened to have a litter. I fell in love with him instantly and forked over the cash. I talked them down to $400 but I would give up my life for him now. Our other addition is our little rescue kitty, Gaia. We have only had her for about 6 months but she has been a part of our family since we first laid eyes on her. She is a complete terror and is overly obsessed with Socrates. And we love every minute of it. :)

When did you open your Etsy shop, and how did you choose its name?

I opened my etsy shop in January of this year. And I chose the name "heathrock designs" because well, my nick name growing up was heathrock so I decided that it was appropriate. Plus it's kinda fun and easy to remember...isn't it?!

Why do you think it's important to buy handmade?

It's important to buy handmade because you're supporting a local business. Even if it's not your local community, it's still being handmade somewhere in the world. And on Etsy, it's a safe bet that it's a fair trade product so you don't have to worry about troublesome situations. Handmade is the only way because you feel and see the love in each creation. And that's something to be proud of.

When did you learn your craft, and how did you become interested in it?

I have always been creative whether it was art or writing or just by having a vivid imagination. I have only recently thought to sell my art and it's only due to the stupid economy. I am in love with all of my pieces so it's kinda hard to part with them, but my hope is that I give that love to whoever buys my art. Kinda like a pay it forward for love. :)

Briefly describe the process of your work, from idea to finished artwork:

Once I have the inspiration and drive, the process is pretty quick. I don't care about the mess... if I'm in a zone, I just go for it!

Do you have anything new you plan on adding to your store?

I'm going to continue making art until my dying day. During the summer, I work crazy hours, so I probably won't have too many new items... but the fall and winter are completely different stories. :) I constantly have *creative* ideas running through my head, so you never know what to expect!

What can we expect next for Heathrock?

I'm really trying to sell more (regardless of how much I want to keep all of my art!) so I guess I'll be handing out business cards and trying to promote my work as much as I can. And until I can sell on a regular basis, I guess I'll just have to be a starving artist with a passion. :)

Anything else you would like us to know?

Being that I'm a vegan, eco, animal activist, 10% of my sales will be donated to animal charities. If you have any questions regarding this, shoot me an email! You can also check out my blog, twitter feed, and facebook page. :)

Caramelized Bananas

A dessert that's not only vegan and diabetic friendly, but also ridiculously simple to make - Caramelized Bananas. These bananas are scrumptious!



Sesame seeds - toasted well in a dry pan.
Ripe Bananas - cut in half lengthwise and horizontally.

Heat a pan (non-stick/Teflon makes things a lot easier). Place the bananas in a single layer in the pan. Gently flip the bananas once in a while as they cook. Once they reach a delicious looking golden color take them off the flame.

Serve sprinkled with the toasted sesame seeds.

I bet it takes you lesser time to make this dish than in took me to type it out for you. Enjoy! :)

P.S: I learnt (yep, that's the proper British spelling) this recipe at an awesome seminar by Dr. Neal Barnard and Dr. Nandita Shah (of SHARAN India).

Vegan Etsy Team Member of the Week: Heather of 3am Art Productions!

Meet Heather Henry, artist and creator, the mind and eye behind 3am Art. Today she provides us with a little background on the stunning images and other fascinations available in her shop...

Hi, I'm Heather from 3 Am Art Productions. I'm one of those people who chose a user name on Etsy, but didn't use my store name as the user name. Whoops! So my shop is found under aktie9. Also pretty much anywhere on the web, if you wanna find me.. just type in aktie9, and BOO there I am! Although I did make it a little complicated and used various forms of "3 am" for a few things, like 3amart.blogspot.com and www.twitter.com/3amartprod. Although flickr is aktie9 & shop and a few other places.

When did you open your Etsy shop, and how did you choose its name?
I opened my shop in 2007. I chose the name 3 Am Art Productions in the WEE hours of 2003. It's the name I gave my hodge podge of artwork and crafty things, that I had been doing while whiling the hours away till my son, Liam was born. 3 Am was the time I was feeling good, awake and able to work on things. I was very sick during this pregnancy, and wish I had found veganism then, as I would have felt tons better. I did eat a lot of fruit and veg during this pregnancy, but was also eating fish. Fruits and vegetables were the things I could actually keep down. I've been thinking lately that, there was a reason my body was handing me back the nastier stuff, i.e.: sometimes you really should listen to your body a little bit closer. I also had a lot of misconceptions about tofu. I have learned oodles since then.

What kinds of items do you sell in your shop, and what inspired you to start creating them?
I began doing doodling in paint programs and thinking I could sell my little drawings as cards or supplies for folks to buy the cards. Then, my second son was born, and I was given a smashing camera to take his photos, instead of going out to have them done. I'd had a bad experience with a photographer losing an entire order of work of my older son and his cousin. All irreplaceable photos and adorable moments... just gone. I was so upset I didn't wanna go through that again. Since I'm a DIYer at heart from art to car fixing, I read my manual from beginning to end and I tutored myself on how to take a good picture. It was a process for me. Although I had lots of experience with other cameras, digital was all new. I sell mostly photos in my shop, but I also sew and sell some sewn items from time to time. I also love polymer clay and make and sell some of those items as well. I just began selling some of my photography as digital artwork in the form of banners/avatar sets. I'm inspired by Nature and her good works and deeds. I love animals. I love trees, I'm a big eco-junkie so anything nature inspires me. I love colour. Loud, bright, popping you can't miss it colour! Sometimes I like pale, soft muted tones too... I change daily. I think I'm part chameleon sometimes.

Do you donate through your shop to any charities or do any volunteer work?
Yes, I do. I help out on EtsyVeg and the POE Street teams. I also donate a photo from time to time to the EFA Charity of the Month. I also work with EtsyVeg whenever there is a team charity donation going on. I will use my Volvo wagon if any dog in my area needs a ride home or to a safe haven. I pass along information for the CT ACO whenever she has dogs in need of a home, which is all the time. I've picked up dogs for rescues lots of times and I will do it again, whenever I can. My kids and hubby usually come with me, so they can experience it too. I think it's important to tell our kids the truth about everything, every aspect of life... even the sadder parts. Unless it's downright unexplainable or too scary, they should be told the truth. They need to know things so they can be streetwise and ready for the real world.

What are some of your favorite things about Etsy?
I like the speed and ease of listing items. I like the camaraderie I've found in the groups and with other folks I've met. I've made a lot of friends here and it's wonderful experience. I think the people are great. I think Etsy itself is great. I especially love treasuries and looking items up by the search. I always find what I'm looking for. Everyone is soo nice here. I've not had many bad experiences so Etsy makes me very happy.

Do you sell your items outside of Etsy, either online or in retail shops?
I don't sell off of Etsy at this time. My kids are still little, and I'm planning on homeschooling next year, so Etsy and keeping up with that is enough for now. Just doing this right now is enough; I've got all the irons in the fire and then some.

Have you been featured anywhere?
I've been really lucky - lots of really nice folks have featured me and passed on my photos to their friends. I've been on the front page of Etsy and many blogs and sites. Yvonne of EtsyVeg and handmade designers.com has featured me too. Sometimes I write for the EtsyVeg blog and post things for the team. I have been featured in treasuries and on other folks' blogs from time to time. Roni of Daisy Wares even featured me on her Daisy Wares FB page. She's such a sweetie!

How long have you been vegan, and what made you go vegan?
I have been Vegan for about three years now. My sister made me do it! Literally. She read Skinny Bitch and the Skinny Bitch in the Kitch books and began harping on me to change my diet. I'd been long complaining of feeling like garbage. Funny, it shocked me at first, that it was what I was eating. Well, we do that everyday don't we? We don't dip ourselves in an oil slick every day, do we? So logic is... it's the food we're eating. Once vegan, I realized I was celiac and got tested. HEY, I was right. Sounds hard doesn't it? Being both celiac and vegan? It does to an outsider of course. But since I was lucky enough to go vegan first, and then discovered the celiac... it was like stepping down a path and the transition was fairly easy. 'Cept for Pizza. I can find Pizza now. I'm just very very unhappy with the sauces. See I'm also a geek. I read anything and everything I can for health now, and have found out that BPA is in canned foods. So no more red sauces in cans. Jar only. Since I don't like it, I DIY. I make my own on a lot of things. I've long been a DIYer, and come from a long line of artists, so it just goes hand in hand.

What are your favorite foods?
Pizza with homemade sauce and Daiya cheese. I love cheddar Sheese on gluten free noodles. I eat a lot of homemade and I also drink a lot of smoothies and eat plain old veggies and fruits. I try to make veggies just by themselves or steamed with a tiny bit of dressing as my mainstay for eating and meals, or prepped, processed stuff in much smaller amounts. I do love to bake for the kids. Since I'm gluten free there is the chance they will be at some point also, so I bake everything gluten free. Since I cannot leave anything to someone else, I DIY my very own flour mixture.

Do you have any favorite vegan things, like books, websites, stores, etc.?
I try to buy from Etsy folks as much as possible when I'm buying things we want. I use thrift stores a lot to recycle and upcycle items. I use Cosmo's or Pangea to get my Daiya and Sheese. I love The Living Earth in Worcester for all our organic produce, The Loving Hut for vegan Chinese, and The Belmont Vegetarian Restaurant for the absolute best vegan Jamaican and Island Cuisine ever. I try to stick with buying from the small guys as much as I can.

What kinds of hobbies and interests do you have?
Fixing and keeping my Saabs and Volvo happy, reading, researching, veganism, animal rights issues, human rights issues, eco issues. If it's a cause, I'm all over it! I love to talk and think about politics, especially, the part about trying something new. I like kawaii things.. little, tiny, cute things... I have an addiction for them. I also love colour and art. And music. I live, breathe and sing music. Well, I used to sing. Now, I mostly listen to and LOVE music. I cannot live without it. I love reading the lyrics and using them as quotes. I also love to blog. No kidding? I have three of them. My art page, My Saab & Volvo blog, and now Worceatsveg.blogspot.com where I blog about all the vegan eating travels I make in Worcester area and vicinity. I love to write. I'm working on a book of short stories that I've concocted in my head, and a novel as well. I'm constantly doing some sort of writing or playing with the kids... and running pell mell all over the place. Sometimes I forget things. I can be spacy at times, since I have so much going on.

Do you have any animal companions?
Sure do! We adopted Duke, Black Labrador Mix from occretrieverrescue.com in Orange county NY. He is awesome! So laid back and calm... just love him to pieces! I don't know if he's really black lab or has any lab in him at all. He does however, have some Chow. He has the telltale purple tongue that Chow dogs have. He's so sweet we don't care what he is. After adopting him we decided to foster his polar opposite, a full blooded English Black Labrador we named Sadie. She lived with us for 18 months and then we finally found the right home for her. We were going to keep her. She wasn't fitting in well with the family though. She was like living with the proverbial Bull in a China Shop. So we found her the right type of home that could accommodate that and wear her out on a daily basis. She's awesome and we love her new family. We also have Minnie: at best guess she is a Chihuhua Papillon mix. She's little, tiny and has an extra loud bark. She's not called Buffy of Barkington for nothing! She guards me at all cost against any tiny little cricket type noise, and since the trucks that go by the house on a minute to minute basis she takes her job extra super seriously.

Duke was the one who saved her. He's the kind of dog who never barks. I mean Minnie has to seriously hear the coyotes or something for him to bother. He saw her wandering on the sidewalk alone one winter day in a city area, and barked voraciously in the car. I pulled over and opened my door, and for some reason I had the presence of mind to say here puppy come here in a high pitched voice... and she ran to me and leaped into my arms and shivered the whole ride home. It was a day like no other for my family. I had looked high and low for Duke it literally took months and months to find him. Then all of a sudden I've got 2 kids and three dogs living with me, and my husband is sleeping on the couch wondering what freight train just hit him and took away the love of his life. Things have settled down now and everyone has their place. Hubby has been let back into the big bed & the dogs have their own. In the case of Minnie, she sleeps right next to my feet now. She's trained me well. I'm happy knowing how safe I am. No one in the neighborhood will even talk to me when I'm out walking her and Duke. Unless they wanna go deaf from her barking that is.

Do you have any future plans for your shop?
I'm working on a collection of my photography for a coffee table book to sell in my shop. I'm also hoping to do some poems and uplifting sayings superimposed onto my photos. I also am working on editing letters into some of the 8x10's in my shop, so folks can buy the prints for their children's rooms. Like for example "J is for Jellyfish." They will be able to buy them in sets to spell a name, or a word, or singly. I'm looking for a new printer for printing my artwork myself, and working on a set of cards with letters. Just like the 8x10's with letters on them I'm also looking to make a set that kids can hold & learn their letters with. Or perhaps parents can hang them on the walls to decorate the playroom. I'm never at a loss for ideas. I'm always at a loss for time. Plus, since I research everything to death, I wanna find the most eco-friendly way to do things... I stress out over this sometimes.

What is the vegan community like in your area?
The Worcester area is great for vegan folks. Worcester itself can be user unfriendly though, so do check out where places are online first, before heading our way, and get good directions from a map. Be careful to go at least 5MPH above the speed limit or you will get beeped at. ;) It's really great though, even after living in this area for most of my life. It can be confusing. I've just barely tapped into the vegan community here. I'm slowly getting out there, and meeting more folks. We have lots of things going on from eating together for a cause, to donating time on local farm sanctuaries, to helping grow the fruits and veggies we consume. There are a lot of like minded folks living here. Lots of information and help. Folks are all very nice and helpful. We take the kids wherever we go eating out here, and even get the surprised "Ohh vegan kids??" from time to time. We talk about it all the time. My kids are little vegan awareness drones. They remember conversations we've had and tell others when we're out and about. My kids are totally unafraid to tell folks that they are vegans and why they are vegans. One son will regularly spot a Mcd's and DD (Dunkin Donuts) and start rattling off the no-no's about those bad places. He has no issue telling folks the truth. Mostly, I think he's sad he cannot get a vegan donut at Dunkin Donuts. I think the same way he does. I should be able to go anywhere and get a GF vegan item. I mean come on it's 2010! I explain it to them on their level and they already know a lot of larger adult words... they scare me sometimes with their knowledge and words used. Nothing is to hard for kids. I think the earlier you start them on the road to understanding the better it is for all of us in the future.

When did you learn your craft, and how did you become interested in it?
I've been making and crafting since the tender age of three. Crayolas and homemade play-do was what I began with. I learned photography in high school and loved it. My photography teacher was the best person. The most amazing lady I've ever known. She was awesome, and so supportive of me and the kids in class. She was also a willing participant in taking me and others to local ecological gatherings I was also involved in. I remember the best idea I had for a photo in HS. I was on the bike in my downtown and saw the train headed in. I stood on the tracks. Right in front of it and snapped the shutter. Moved off the tracks and let is pass by. It was a cool photo. Unfortunately, I was a klutz and ripped the negative. It came out OK, but not as good as could have. I was never adept with 35MM and got turned off of it for a while. My next camera was a APS camera, and I loved it for a really long time and spent a ton of money on film. When I got my first digital cam and began shooting and never had to worry about running out of film, the magic came back. When I began learning about macro photography I fell hardfast into love with it. So interesting the world seen up close. I love photo taking. I never run out of new ideas, I'm constantly seeing new photos that I need to capture. It's a sickness I tell ya.

Why do you think it's important to buy handmade?
I think it's very important to foster the handmade community and buy from it. Because it's the people. The people you see on the streets, people you love and have things in common with. People who learn and do things differently. People who are growing and evolving like I am that I'm contributing to and then letting them contribute to others... it's a people to people thing. I think we need to do more of that, and less of the plunking pennies into the big corporations' pockets. I think the people running big business have forgotten themselves. People come first. Big business can sink or swim, IMO. They don't treat us or the planet right; the people do better on their own. In a word it's the people. ;)

If you could choose to have any one superpower, what would it be?
Saving the world... and making it greener and having folks' care more about it. Is that a super power? Or perhaps to get the corporation CEOs to realize it's them being greedy taking 15M per year, and not the Unions or workers doing the same thing, seeing how that same amount of money that one person is getting is going to feed 1,000's of families, instead of just one person who cannot possibly ever use that amount of money in their lifetime. Maybe my superpower should be to give common sense back to those in power...

If you could come back as a ghost, who would you haunt and why?
Can I pick one bad person per week? Probably, I'd wanna haunt Rush Limbaugh or some other person who spews nonsense and rhetoric... to get them to think & change and be a better person. But really just pick any bad doobie. I'll put them on my list. ;)

Welcome the newest VET member: Radical Fringe!

This week the Vegan Etsy Team welcomes new member Radical Fringe by Aletha Faye! The shop offers up truly unique crochet and knit items that you're sure to heart - really, when was the last time you saw crocheted vegetable magnets?! So be sure to stop by and make the shop a new favorite.

Custom Freeform Bag (Example)
from Radical Fringe

Lettuce Relax
from Radical Fringe

Vegan Etsy Team Member(s) of the Week: Jodi and Dan of This Is It! Creations!

This Is It! Creations is made up of Jodi and Dan – a husband and wife team who have been creating eco products together since 2005. They are both vegan and huge animal lovers, and feel extremely grateful to work together putting products into the world that they are both proud of.

When did you open your Etsy shop, and how did you choose its name?
We opened in September 2007 and chose the username thisisit because our company is called “This Is It! Creations.” We named our company that for a couple of reasons – it’s how we feel about each other, and it’s also the last job we ever plan to have.

What kinds of items do you sell in your shop, and what inspired you to start creating them?
We make ecogifts that inspire – journals, notebooks, notepads, jewelry, and cards. I have always been crafty and used to love making my friends personalized stationery sets. They always told me that I should do it as a business. Dan and I were tired of working at jobs where we had to be apart, so we decided to start a business together and see where it took us – and here we are five years later!

Do you donate through your shop to any charities or do any volunteer work?
We donate 5% of our profits to animal-welfare organizations. We also donate products to just about any animal charity that emails us and asks. We work with a lot of stores who have fundraisers throughout the year benefiting animals, and we also donate products to them.

What are some of your favorite things about Etsy?
The community. I have always felt so welcomed and supported on Etsy. I absolutely love being a part of such a wonderful site. I have met so many wonderful people through the Etsy teams – many have become my friends. I also love the forums, especially the business section. You can learn so much there! It’s also so exciting to see an Etsy order in my inbox!

Do you sell your items outside of Etsy, either online or in retail shops?
We do! Before we started selling on Etsy, we were a wholesale company selling to stores across the country (and a few abroad). Our products are currently sold in over 150 stores. We are almost finished with our website, which will have both a retail and a wholesale shopping cart. And we’re super excited that we were just juried into an amazing local craft show that runs every weekend from now until November! If you are in the area, come see us at the Lithia Artisans Market in Ashland, Oregon!

Have you been featured anywhere?
We have! We’ve been very blessed with love and support from many people. It’s always a thrill to see that we have been featured on someone’s blog or in a magazine. We’ve had our products featured in many places, from New Age Retailer and Niche magazines to Tyra Banks’ website. I get so excited about all of them!

How long have you been vegan, and what made you go vegan?
I went vegan for the animals. I did it in stages; I stopped eating red meat and pork 15 years ago. I stopped eating all other animal products 8 years ago because I would cry every time I ate meat. I learned about factory farming and knew that I could not eat dairy products either. About 3 years ago I learned that there were animal ingredients in the beauty products that I was using – even some products that are considered “cruelty free” still can have animal ingredients. This was a shock to me! Since then I make sure that everything I buy has the cute little bunny logo on it. Dan went veg when he was 16 and vegan at 19, solely for the animals.

What are your favorite foods?
Dan and I adore Indian food – I just wish I could make it like they do at my favorite restaurants! I seriously could eat it every day forever and be so happy. I also have a huge sweet tooth. I just made chocolate chip cookies today! Dan and I were having trouble with our thyroids a couple of years ago from eating too much soy. We have been soy free for the last eighteen months and feel so much better!

Do you have any favorite vegan things, like books, websites, stores, etc.?
I love trading on Etsy – it’s so much fun! I get a lot of my vegan bath and body products from trading. We have a great store here in Medford, Oregon called Food for Less – it has tons of veg products. Since we gave up soy, we’ve had to give up most of the processed veg foods that we used to love, and now we cook mainly from scratch. It’s ended up being a good thing!

What other kinds of hobbies and interests do you have?
I really had to think about this one because we’ve been working so hard for so long on our business that we haven’t had much time for anything else. When I do listen to the advice on our journals and remember to breathe and find balance, I love to sing! Dan is a writer and a musician. We get to make music together, which is so much fun. We also love to bowl together. We have an air hockey table that has gotten a bit dusty, but it’s so much fun when we do play! I love sitting down and watching a good TV show at the end of a long day. And going to the movies is always fun! I also like to cook – I am actually writing a vegan cookbook using everyday ingredients. This has been in the works for awhile now, but I promise that it will be available someday!

Do you have any animal companions?
We have 3 furry kids: a sweet dog-ter, Xena (a Norwegian Elkhound) and 2 sweet kitties – Biddle and Buncom. They all provide countless hours of joy and entertainment for us. At the moment, we also have 3 steers (thanks to all of you who helped us rescue them!) that we are hoping to transport to a sanctuary near Seattle this month. We have to move and will no longer have the land to keep them here, but a very generous sanctuary, Passado's Safe Haven, has agreed to take them if we can raise the money to get them there. Fingers crossed that we’ll be able to do it!

Do you have any future plans for your shop?
We do! We’re always working on new products, such as magnets and scrolls, and we’re also making more interactive journals! We are super excited about all of this. We just need to find a few more hours each day to have extra time to finish them and list them!

Is there anything else you would like to add or share?
I just wanted to thank everyone on this team (as well as on EFA and EtsyVeg) who has been so supportive toward us and our company over the years. It means the world to me how we all came together to save the steers from slaughter, how you include our products in your treasuries, blog about us, and just support us in general. Much love to all of you!

Editor's note: YOU can help get the steers to their permanent sanctuary! Click here to view the ChipIn page for more details, or click on the ChipIn widget in the right hand side bar of this blog. Every donation counts!