Monday, Monday

Birthday of a fellow fashonista coming up? They have great necklaces. You can find a meaningful one for any occasion.

love

I could wear this in every season in Chicago.

today is a great day

la la la

le le le

lo lo lo

Summer Lookbook

I will be attempting to recreate this look for summer (at a much more reasonable price). Thoughts on these boyfriend jeans everyone is going crazy for?

It's Friday - Express Yourself!

I volunteer weekly at my local animal shelter. I have a few t-shirts with the shelter's logo on it, which I primarily wear during fundraising events for the shelter. Last fall (when it was still nice enough to get away with no jacket) I was running numerous errands one Saturday morning, and threw on one of the t-shirts to run around in. I was amazed, absolutely shocked at the number of people who stopped me to talk about my shirt. Some asked me if I worked there. Others asked me if I got an animal there. Those who had adopted animals, recalled the stories of their adoptions. One woman was struggling financially and asked if I knew a place she could get her Yorkie neutered at a reasonable cost. I explained to her that my shelter actually has spay/neuter certificates for half the cost of a regular spay/neuter, and wrote down all the information for her.

I guess it had been so long since I'd wore anything with a saying/logo on it, I never realized the impact it could have on those around me. Maybe it was just a good day. But without being obnoxious or pushy, there are ways to get a message across, or just start a dialogue with someone you otherwise would not have.

All these (and about a million others) are available here.

My Secret to Good Sleep

What did you expect? Something in the form of a pill? Heck no.

This lotion will rock your world. I lotion up my whole body before I go to bed, and it tingles my skin into relaxation from my head down to my toes. The peppermint is the perfect combination of calming but not overpowering, and it's quickly become part of my Absolutely Mandatory Tasks I Must Do Before I Crawl Into Bed.

Avalon Organics is an amazing company, one of my favorites, and you can read more about their dedication to honoring our bodies here. The best news is that you can now find them in the organic section of Jewel, not just health food stores and Whole Foods.

One easy & fabulous outfit...check!!

You can wear this with anything.

I have this. I love it.

Joe's Jeans are my personal fav.

Go on with your bad self!

Manic Monday

I want this. Bad.

Happy Monday!

Happy Scandalous Friday

I waited a long time before I started telling anyone I was going vegetarian and eventually vegan. Mostly because I wanted to educate myself about exactly what I was doing before I started answering the rapid fire questions I knew would be headed my way.

When I finally broke the news, after eating completely vegan for two or three months, reactions varied. Few were supportive, mostly out of concern for my health, weight and well-being. As anticipated, I got a lot of the "What are you going to do for protein?" and "How will you ever get iron?". But one male friend's reaction was so funny, it stuck with me to this day.

"Um, does that mean vegans don't wear silk underwear?"

Oh, to be a man. No, vegans do not wear silk underwear. Newsflash: there is plenty of underwear that is cute and not silk. So this is dedicated to all those who are inappropriately concerned with a vegan's knickers.

I know. I apologize. I realize these images are very hard on the eyes.

Brought to us by our friends at Victoria's Secret.

Have a great weekend!!

Creative Hair

I have a very good friend, we'll call her Toucs. Toucs inspires me in a variety of ways, she is one of those people that looks effortlessly amazing every time you see her. Her style is like no other, and on special occasions, she created these masterpieces with her hair that look straight out of an edgy Berlin fashion magazine. Not that I've ever seen one of those, but you get the point.

So, about a year ago I decided that I was going to stop lusting after Toucs' hair from afar, and try to create my own little masterpieces. Well, what I learned was that every dramatic hairstyle needs a topper (a little vegan icing on the cake, if you will). Some of my creations have gone virtually unnoticed, while others have caused quite a stir. Right now I'm thinking of walking down my stairs, my husband standing at the bottom and he gasps, "Oh my...".

Here are some beautiful (and of course, vegan!) ideas to inspire the Toucs in all of us:

Available on Etsy in the Myrakim shop. I have it listed as one of my favorites!




Seriously. I would wear this everywhere.

Fabulous!

Love the red.

Perfect for the upcoming summer!

Finale. I have to have it. Someone please buy this and send me your photo in it.

Have fun! That's what life is all about.

A sermon of sorts: Why Faux is the way to Go

Thank you, Forever 21.

The first year of my journey to veganism was a fairly smooth ride. I had never been a big meat eater before and most dairy upset my stomach, in no time at all I was bragging to anyone who would listen, "Oh, yeah. It's so easy to be vegan". But after a few months on my completely vegetarian diet, I have a moment. I'm layering up for a cold night out in Chicago. I grab my wool coat, cashmere gloves, silk scarf, leather clutch and whip on my suede riding boots. One final look in the mirror before I bust out the door and it all hit me like a ton of bricks. Um…wow. This is a bit hypocritical, isn't it? Uh…I better do some research*.

*This has become my vegan catchphrase

After consulting my self-proclaimed Vegan Bible, Being Vegan by Joanne Stepaniak and a few unpleasant visits to PETA's website, I immediately put my cruelty-filled clothes aside. After basically wearing the same outfit for three days straight because I know that my jeans and a cotton t-shirt are "safe", I determine that I better figure out what I can wear with a clean conscious. But the question is, can I still be my fabulous, stylish self as a vegan? Am I destined to a lifetime of rubber flip flops from Old Navy and prairie skirts? Heck no! I've taken it upon myself to prove that you CAN look as good on the outside as you feel on the inside. It's easy, it's simple, it's actually cheaper to dress as a vegan and feel good about what you are wearing. Stand tall and be proud of what you are doing to help end cruelty to animals. Just don't forget to look good doing it, right?

In the meantime, I have worked to flush out my leather and suede. Instead of replacing everything at once (because let me tell you, I had a LOT of leather, suede, wool and cashmere) I have replaced these items as they wear out because that is what worked the best for me. Every person has a different experience, and this blog is just about mine. I'm not here to preach or brag or push my views on anyone. I'm just here to review these great items I have found and maybe turn a few people onto them.

It's Friday - Treat Yourself

I have two of Julep115's necklaces. "Eco chick" and "Puppy Mills Kill". I absolutely love them and wear them constantly. 10% of their proceeds this month are going to Vegan Outreach. They are reasonably priced and such great conversation starters. Seriously, you deserve it. Get one.

Have a great weekend. And from the bottom of my heart, thanks for reading. Writing this blog is my favorite thing to do each day.

If I could pick one item right now....

and buy it in every single color it is made in, it would be this. Well done JCrew.

I had lost faith in you, but my new spring catalog was beautiful, filled with cotton!

Bluefly anyone?

Would you believe a fashonista like myself has never purchased anything from Bluefly?

It's a shame, right? I agree.

But boy, do they have some of the cutest vegan dresses around.

They are not kidding when they call it potion...

Over a year ago I was at Ulta and it was one of those days when all the representatives from each make-up company was there to answer any questions, which always drives me crazy because I'm usually not too chatty when I'm going to Ulta. It's like going to church: let me worship in peace. Anyway, I was looking over the Urban Decay products, and our of nowhere the saleswoman had convinced me to buy what she claimed (and this is a direct quote here) was a "miracle". She said the Eyeshadow Primer Potion would keep on my eyeshadow better than anything else I had ever tried. Urban Decay has a lot of rich eye colors, and when they stick to the crease of your eye, it's really not a flattering look. So, I went home & tried it with their very own eyeshadow. I have to agree - miracle. My eyeshadow literally does not move until I use make-up remover at the end of the day. It's so dramatic, that once you apply that eyeshadow, if you make a mistake, you're wearing it the rest of the day.

But so worth it. And vegan, as most of their products are.