PETA Finds an Animal Ally in Topshop

Topshop's Oxford Street store windows are a real jungle right now. Filled with stuffed animals that draw you in with their cuteness, this critters pack a powerful message: “Keep wildlife out of your wardrobe.” 

Topshop has teamed up with PETA for a campaign to advocate getting the fur and leather look without animal suffering. Faux is the new fur. Pleather and faked exotic skins are in. 

Personally, I used to say that even wearing faux fur promotes the bad cause, but now, submerged in the fashion world and acutely aware of fur's recent grand splash runway return, better to fake it then make it, in this case. The modern man and woman want the styles but without the suffering. And with major technological improvements, it's getting harder to tell the fake from the real thing anymore. 

Stella McCartney has been toeing the line of stylish and unreal specimens brilliantly for years and hers is now a successful business with profits increasing to $4.6 million during the fiscal year. Topshop is taking a leadership stance that will hopefully be the future of fashion. No longer will animals have to die to "get the look".

Last Nite's Dinner Party

Barley with roasted fennel, pickled onions, dill and radishes 

Pickled onions worked brilliantly as an olive substitute 

Crafting a dill, spring onion and lime sauce 

Roasted! 

The dill, spring onion and lime sauce 

The slaughter! 

Thanks again, former girl who lived in my new home for never cancelling your Bon Appetit subscription! 

Something Pickled this Way Comes

Tonite I'm having some friends over for dinner and I got a jump start last nite by making my first ever pickled something or another

The pickled onions are gonna give a nice contrast to the rest of the salad tones tonite.

To be continued....

Michelle Pfeiffer Latest Smart Beauty to Go Veg

Add Elvira Hancock to the growing list of celebs going Veg. Inspired by Bill Clinton's vocal avocation of his own Vegan diet, Michelle Pfeiffer read up on the research and was convinced that a vegan lifestyle was a healthy and smart choice for her

 "I just felt like...there was science behind it," she says. "And, you know, it was sort of irrefutable. ... I couldn't not listen to it."

And with the stats proving more and more that a meat and dairy based diet contributes to the onslaught of heart disease and diabetes taking over, choosing to go Veg and Vegan is one of the smartest, most beautiful choices one can make. Don't believe me? Just ask Catwoman

Non-Animal Testing Still Signature at LUSH

British cosmetics brand LUSH, which bases its brand on homemade, vegetarian products, is putting the pressure on world governments and other makeup and skincare companies that still rely on archaic animal testing. Signatures collected online and in stores will go towards The Humane Society International's 'Global Pledge to be Cruelty Free'.

Further LUSH is encouraging customers and the compassionate alike to communicate with companies that still rely on the unfounded and outdated testing on animals.


Here's a great chance to not only look (and smell!) good on the outside, but stand up for the animals trapped inside laboratories for unnecessary testing

To sign the petition directly:

 https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=5499


Lush's site: http://www.lushusa.com/

Perfect Weekend: St Patrick's Day Dinner Party

Over the weekend, Ms BJ had the Taurus and I over for a dinner party with Irish flare and vegetarian fare

Which was quite a feat for my friend who likes her meat! But the Guinness and wine infused cheese plate,
the roasted fingerling veggies and the onion tart were phenom!

And there were two kinds of Irish stews

(And even more cheese!)

For dessert: cupcakes made with Baileys and whiskey

We all got our Irish jig and drink on. And Mr Taurus even got into the spirit

PETA Calls Janet Jackson Some "Nasty" Names

For her modelling in ads and designing a capsule collection for furrier, Blackglama, Janet Jackson has been named 'Grinch of the Year' by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Never ones to mince words or avoid controversy, PETA goes on to say

"When Janet Jackson had her infamous wardrobe malfunction during Super Bowl XXXVIII, at least what popped into view of 170 million onlookers belonged to her, unlike the animal skins she drapes herself in, which are as dead as her fashion taste and her career.”

Ooh child! I cannot wait for Ms. Jackson's response because the claws are out and it's getting down and dirty.  




But I guess that's the way love and publicity goes. 

It's a Gift: Ginger Soap from Body Shop

Guys don't make gift giving easy especially if they're before their tie receiving prime but beyond the age of Legos (although I beg to quibble that expiration date.)

One thing guys of any age have in common: they're dirty. Trust me; I am one. I know. Why not give them an elegant but masculine soap to remedy that problem 

The Body Shop's ginger soap feels like a luxurious present and features a refreshingly woodsy scent. The ground walnut shells exfoliate without being abrasive and the smell is a complex mix of spicy warmth, toasted chestnut, a spike of candied orange rind and a hint of rustic sweetness like brown sugar or molasses. 

Added bonus: like every Body Shop item for the past thirty-five years, this soap is not tested on animals. It also does not contain parabens and is made with Community Fair Trade soya oil

The results are a cruelty free soap that leaves a light, invigorating ginger scent and skin soft. Man, oh man! 

I highly recommend this soap for you, your boo or any dude on your holiday list. There's an extensive supporting line too if your man's comfortable enough to indulge in lotions and scrubs. No judgement

(The Body Shop ginger soap, $5 for 3.5 oz bar, other sizes and products featured in this scent,  www.thebodyshop-usa.com)

It's a Gift: Hunter Intarsia Sweater

Even though I'm a vegetarian this hunter intarsia knit sweater on Ebay right now would be a-ok in my holiday stocking this year

And it's perfect cuz until my paycheck gets that mythical bump I hear is supposed to happen in your 30's, this is as close to Hermes as I'ma gonna get

(100% Acrylic goldenrod intarsia hunter pattern crewneck sweater, Fuzz Dandy,  $34.35 at
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mens-mustard-country-hunting-jumper-indie-vtg-s-m-l-xl-/290537098360?pt=UK_Men_s_Jumpers_Cardigans&var=&hash=item895f93ef76)

Doin' It: I've Started Contributing to "This Dish Is Veg"

So I started contributing to vegetarian / animal and eco-conscious blog, "This Dish is Veg"

I'm gonna do fashion posts with 'green and not mean' angles like this re-post of my piece on Buffalo Exchange's Coats for Cubs program 

http://www.thisdishisvegetarian.com/2011/12/give-your-fur-coats-to-those-who-need.html

Make sure to check out all the great content by my fellow veg and animal lovers at   

http://www.thisdishisvegetarian.com/

Good Girls Club

I loved this story from I Heart Daily * 


While not technically a vegetarian story, protecting animals and their natural habitats is a nice side effect of a Veg diet/lifestyle. Plus this is just plain awesome and a reminder that young people can make a change by standing up for what they believe in. 


Plus now I can eat my lemon creme cookies in peace. Phew. 

In 2006, to achieve their Bronze Award, Girl Scouts Rhiannon Tomtishen and Madison Vorva formed ORANGS (Orangutans Really Appreciate and Need Girl Scouts), and educated youth groups in their community about the endangerment of Orangutans due to the deforestation of their natural habitat, the rainforests in Indonesia and Malaysia. While researching, they discovered that their beloved Girl Scout cookies contained — gasp — palm oil! Why is this important? Because to make those delicious Thin Mints, thousands of acres of rainforest are cleared in order to build massive plantations to produce the ingredient.

So the girls set out to make something happen. Tomtishen and Vorva’s activism resulted in over 70,000 emails to the CEO of GSUSA requesting that the cookies be made rainforest-safe. Thanks to their efforts, GSUSA announced that it will purchase Green Palm certificates and work towards the use of RSPO-certified palm oil by 2015, as well as work to reduce the amount used in its cookies.

On October 18, the teens from Michigan will be awarded with the Brower Youth Award, which honors young environmental leaders from North America. We’re proud of you girls! 

(*I didn't write this! This is a direct post from I Heart Daily blog that I loved and was inspired by. There's my disclaimer. So don't come a suin'!)

original Link: http://iheartdaily.com/2011/10/cool-girls-madison-vorva-and-rhiannon-tomtishen/

End of the Road: Friendly's!

Umm... a piece of my youth just went to its greasy grave....

(From "The Constant Complainer" blog. No I don't write that.)

My most recent visit to the ice cream and burger joint offered up more options than just my usual grilled cheese since you could now make any sloppy sandwich vegetarian with a Boca. Yup, folks, that's a last dying gasp if I've ever heard one.

-sigh- It's off to the complimentary cone head sundae cemetery in the sky. One day I hope to meet ya' there!



                                           

Spring 2012 DIY: Givenchy Necklace

Kids, this shark tooth necklace from Givenchy is gonna get mad ink come March magazine time

But what's stoppin' you and me from rockin' it now and later for mere pennies? Umm, let's do it!

 

       +

Step one: find your local Discovery Store or in New York, the super fab DIY "jewelry store" Evolution

Sure, they sell some pre-made jobs like the one above for $19

But don't be a punk! Grab some string and make it happen with these loosey guys instead

Umm... sexy, on trend with the "color blocking" and in step with Vegetarian Awareness Month, totally cruelty free replica. And $39. Something tells me the Givenchy one might be a tad bit more. 

The Evolution Store's kick ass website full of DIY ideas: http://theevolutionstore.com/ 

You're welcome. 

Oprah's O is Fur Free

 O Magazine has had their "a-ha" moment and realized fur has no place in a modern closet

(Oprah knows that the only ones that look good in fur are our fuzzy friends)

In the October issue, editor in chief of O Magazine, Susan Casey says

…at O we strive to be stylish – and know our readers do, too – we encourage every woman to create her own definition of what that means… but all trends will never work for all people. And there’s one that O has decided to skip, not just this season but in every issue since the magazine began: garments made of real fur…

That's a huge stride in the right direction, and where Oprah goes, hordes follow

(Photo: Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Speaking of the mighty one, she adds her sentiments:

“In the beginning my thing was, ‘Have you seen Chicago winters? You need a fur coat in Chicago!” Oprah told me. “But I had an aha moment looking at a sable cape in my closet.” The cape’s  thick pelt gave her a visceral sense of how many four-leggeds had been used in its creation, bred specifically to be killed: “and that was it. I gave away all my furs 20 years ago.” 

Now which magazine will be next? And will any go full anti-leather, feather and skins? That would be
avant-garde!

***PS:  Saturday October 1st is World Vegetarian Day kicking off the month of October, aka "Vegetarian Awareness Month" (Really? October? Well candy corn's sorta a vegetable, right?) So be on the lookout for a bunch of Veg friendly posts ***

The Anti-Gaga Meat Dress

Famous Chinese actress, Gao Yuanyuan is the star of a new PETA campaign to encourage a vegetarian lifestyle

The campaign is targeted towards China, where the growing economy has increased people's availability to formerly cost prohibitive meat.

Eating meat is now seen as a symbol of wealth and luxury in this historically veggie friendly country.

Meat isn't luxurious or sexy and it boggles the mind to think that emerging economies would promote such an archaic mentality especially as resources are growing scarcer everyday. Go veg!


Not only is it better for the world, it's pretty easy to style!

Original link: http://www.updt.me/go?item=actress-wears-dress-made-out-of-lettuce&t=tw