Vegan Pal 2

From YowlYY!

2008-03-18T14:36:00.001-07:00

Hi Vegan Pals! I got flaked on, but YowlYY came to the rescue and sent me these fantastic treats:

2 balls of purple Sari Print yarn, Simply Knitting magazine with a purse clasp to knit onto, and some 4.5 mm needles!

She wound 2 balls of black Rowan cotton around candy treats for the magic yarn ball:

2 chocolate bars (Green & Blacks, my fave!), some fancy cookies, mixed nuts and Oat Bakes. I love to get snack food from other countries! And it's all vegan of course!

Some pretty stitch markers in a tiny bag:

And a hand written recipe for tagliatelle with a note. Thanks so much, you're the best!

A Final Check In

2007-11-21T09:48:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Thanks for making this such a fabulous swap! As far as I know we're down to 2 packageless swappers:

Fun Spirited Girl : Angelina : Angela - sending to Cass
maethebear : maethebear : maethebear - sending to coffeeandknitting

I've already had a volunteer for Cass's angel and told her to go ahead. Though I've also heard from Angelina saying she sent it, so she's looking in to what might have gone wrong.

I haven't heard from maethebear or coffeeandknitting, so I'm hesitant to call in an angel til I'm sure what's going on there. If you're still interested in being an angel, let me know and the first email I get will be it.

Thanks again everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving! I'll be out of touch for a few days gorging myself on my mom's holiday spread - including seasoned pan fried seitan!

xoxo
Ellie

My package has arrived!

2007-11-21T03:36:00.001-08:00

We had a little trouble communicating at first and there was some confusion about where the package should be sent (I moved part way during the swap) but I finally got it! I received some beautiful cotton yarn, a great pattern book, some delectable recipes, and so much more. Thank-you so much!

Lovely package from Cainna

2007-11-17T04:20:00.000-08:00

I got my package today from Cainna and it is gorgeous. I undid the magic ball straight away to see what was hidden in it and my cat Stripe starting sniffing the teabag frantically so he liked that bit.

Thanks Cainna!

A very belated public thank you to Jan-Knit!!

2007-11-13T04:16:00.000-08:00

I must firstly apologise for being so late...Jan-Knit knows, of course, that something very bad happened at the end of September, and for her support she deserves all the best in life! I know from the postings going on here that there are many wonderful pals around, sending goodies, but Jan-Knit must be one of the best ever...see what she sent me:

the green bunny on its own was already a much loved surprise!! And then I started rewinding the magic ball...

I adore everything!!
I will do a proper post on my blog, which needs urgent updating, but in the meantime virtual hugs go to Jan-Knit for this beautiful present, and congratulations to her and all those who have given a try to the veggie/vegan life, way to go girls!

Pledge to be "Veg" for 30 days

2007-11-11T15:30:00.000-08:00

Today is the end of my Pledge to be Veg for 30 days, and the news is... I am going to stick to it! :-)

Thanks for all of you for your support - and especially Jan and Cheryl for veggi-ing along with me! It was a fun journey and I feel like a brand new person! To make it short, I have resumed exercising and I have lost 10 lbs total during those thirty days! :-)

If you are curious about details, I have posted in my blog about my experience and discoveries.
http://tricotine.typepad.com/weblog/fitness/index.html

At the end of my transition, this badge is my reward - along with feeling great! :-)

You can get your own badge here.

* ~ Tricotine ~ *

Thank you!!

2007-11-11T09:44:00.000-08:00

Sending out thanks to Carla for the lovely package I got a couple of days ago.

Thank you!! Love it! I've never touched Blue Sky Cotton before so this is a real treat. :D

Thank you Sharon!

2007-11-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

I received my Vegan Package last night - go to my blog for a full write-up and thank you! http://kithandkin.wordpress.com

Perfect package; belated blogging

2007-11-08T15:32:00.000-08:00

Many, many thanks to Chan of KniTea, who put together a perfect package for me that I am shamefully late in acknowledging.

It was above and beyond any of my expectations for the swap, although from getting to know my pal over email I anticipated something good. Our conversations were half the fun! More details over here.

Countdown to angel time

2007-11-08T06:26:00.000-08:00

The people in danger of being banned from future swaps:

Fun Spirited Girl : Angelina : Angela - sending to Cass
maethebear : maethebear : maethebear - sending to coffeeandknitting
~~Becky (answers on Vegan Pal 2 blog) : Rebecca : twistytree_79 : Becky - sending to Mishka~~
~~Ennanella : Ennanella : Ennanella - sending to Carla~~
~~Just Knitting Around : Twin_number2 : Coffee&Knitting - sending to Robyn~~

Please let me know if you need an angel and aren't on this list or if your package is in the mail.

Thanks, vegan pal

2007-11-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

I got my package and it was very, very nice.

Here it is opened.

Cute!

The bath frog tried to make friends, the potential friend disapproved for no good reason.

Outing the slackers - Apologies and updates - Volume 1

2007-11-04T10:19:00.000-08:00

(because I'm sure there will be a volume 2)

I wanted to make some kind of joke about eating crow not being vegan, but I haven't had my coffee yet, and I'm not coming up with anything creative.

So I'll just say first off BIG apologies on messing up maethebear/ysolda. I read the to and froms backwards!

Ysolda received a fabulous package from Nicola!

maethebear : maethebear : maethebear was supposed to send to Just Knitting Around : Twin_number2 : Coffee&Knitting

Second HUGE apologies to Luscious Fibers : Suzanne : Suzanne who has been in contact with her pal all along and who has sent her package. Any negative thoughts I may have roused in anyone, please banish them! Also please send her lots of positive energy for all the craziness in her life (both good and bad) and congratulations on her upcoming wedding!

In the update field:

Michele aka Ekittie (new email address friskums AT gmail DOT com) has not heard from her pal with a light heart that clicks : Carla : Carla. You've got it marked as sent, so please email Michele and me to let us know when she should expect her package.

Robyn (Sweet little domestic life : robyn : Robyn) has not gotten her package from Just Knitting Around : Twin_number2 : Coffee&Knitting. You've got it marked as sent, so please email Robyn and me to let us know when she should expect her package.

So the updated list reads:

Fun Spirited Girl : Angelina : Angela - sending to Cass
maethebear : maethebear : maethebear - sending to coffeeandknitting
Becky (answers on Vegan Pal 2 blog) : Rebecca : twistytree_79 : Becky - sending to Mishka
Ennanella : Ennanella : Ennanella - sending to Carla
Just Knitting Around : Twin_number2 : Coffee&Knitting - sending to Robyn
~~with a light heart that clicks : Carla : Carla - sending to Ekittie~~

Thanks to Cass, Nicole, Michelle, Sarah, Bridget, Robyn, and Cheryl for volunteering to be angels!

And thanks to everyone for making this such a fun swap!

xoxo
Ellie

Late post

2007-11-04T06:13:00.000-08:00

I've had issues with my computer, so I haven't gotten a chance to post the pictures of my package until now.

Lucy sent me this great package with a really great cotton yarn, stamps, and tons of scrapbooking stuff. Thanks Lucy!!

Wrapping Up

2007-11-03T22:54:00.001-07:00

I still see five people on swap-bot that haven't marked their items as sent.

People who haven't marked sent in swap-bot and whose pals haven't received a package and who haven't contacted me with a really good reason and so are getting outed:

Fun Spirited Girl : Angelina : Angela - sending to Cass
maethebear : maethebear : maethebear - sending to coffeeandknitting
Becky (answers on Vegan Pal 2 blog) : Rebecca : twistytree_79 : Becky - sending to Mishka
Ennanella : Ennanella : Ennanella - sending to Carla

Pals - If I made a mistake please let me know that you already got your package so I can apologize!

If you have a good excuse and/or a package in the mail, please write both me and your pal.

If there's anyone else who hasn't received a package yet, please let me know.

If there's anyone else who'd like to be an angel, please let me know. I only have two so far.

If Ennanella would just like to drop out since she has neither sent nor received we can do some shuffling there assuming Suzanne hasn't mailed anything yet. Let me know.

Thanks everyone!

xoxo
Ellie

Package Update ;D

2007-11-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

Since someone asked, I thought I'd list the goodies I found in my package. Btw, to answer the first question ~ yes, the banana silk is soft and I need to find something to make just for me. ;D

My goodies: 2 Berroco Lullaby in red ~ 1 frabjous fibers Banana Silk in natural ~ Feng Shui Original Rice Crackers ~ College Farm Vienna Roast coffee candy ~ Harvest stickers ~ Newman's Own Organics ginger mints ~ Green & Black Maya Gold, bittersweet dark chocolate with orange & spices ~ Blue Moon Beads in topaz ~ fall colored cross charm ~ 5 Stash's chai spice black tea ~ harvest colors spool of ribbon ~ 2 unique designed charms ~ and 10 beads that looked like the inside of bananas when I unwound the yarn. :D

Thx again Bridget ~ I'm loving my goodies.

Dear pal,

2007-11-01T17:58:00.001-07:00

To whoever is sending to me (and also to the hostesses) :

Just wanted to let you know that I don't have my kat AT ekittie DOT com email anymore. I lost it before I could let you know. Sorry!

My new email is friskums AT gmail DOT com.

Thanks.

I don't know what to say!

2007-10-30T12:08:00.001-07:00

I'm the luckiest person ever! YowlYY send me so many wonderful things, I can't believe it's true!

Want to see some close-ups and find out more? You can can do so here!

Thank you Emily!

2007-10-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

You can see Emily sent me all kinds of great goodies...bath salts, chocolate, a little tape measure, beautiful fall papers, ginger tea, gorgeous yarn that I can't wait to use (the colors are amazing), oh and a recipe for shepard's pie which I've been looking for a quite a while. There were so many wonderful treats. Emily was a great swap pal and I look forward to getting to know her better.

Making stuff with my swap yarn :)

2007-10-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

~ I got my package too ~

2007-10-27T23:27:00.000-07:00

Please forgive me for not posting this sooner. 1 ~ I didn't have a camera to show my lovely package, 2 ~ I was sick and it was my wedding anniversary weekend when I got it, and 3 ~ hubby got sick after me. I did leave a commit for my spoiler and post my rating on swap-bot. ;D

Here is the lovely before I unwound the ball of Banana Silk yarn:
Here is the after pic of all my goodies that were in the ball:

Thank you very much Bridget ~ I truly enjoyed my package and this swap.

I am so lucky!

2007-10-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

I came home today to find my swap package patiently waiting for me. Lucky me, my partner was Jill from Bottle and Ball, and she really spoiled me with such special, lovely things.

I don't think I can list everything, but there was: pomegranate green tea, four skeins of gorgeous yarn, homemade plushies, cookies and a recipe booklet, fabric, trim, vintage handmade magnets, mushroom fluff, puffed millet balls, lip balm, candy, butternut soup, mulling spice, edible glitter, buttons, pompoms, cutie notepads, and it just went on and on...

Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and generosity, Jill!
I love everything you sent.

xo
kittee

I got my package!

2007-10-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

My pal was Cass! One of my own veganknitblogfriends and one of our lovely hostesses. You can read all the details at my blog, but here is the gist:

(click to embiggen)

I know I'm going to miss something but here is my best attempt to list everything inside:

A variety of yummy looking teas
Mulling spices (I am so making the Hot Spiced Wine recipe this weekend!)
A chocolate chocolate chip cookie from the Alternative Baking Company that I totally ruined my appetite with but I don't care it was di-vine
More chocolate! Rainforest Cacao Chocolate with Brazil nuts and coffee, I am intrigued and can't wait to try it
A Larabar and a Clif Nectar bar that I will stash in my desk at work for when I get the munchies
French vanilla incense matches (I actually got some of these in Old Sacramento when I was in high school and it brought back all kinds of memories)
An awesome recycled notebook that Cass made herself
A tall mug that probably holds 12 ounces, I looove oversized mugs and hoard them
A charming postcard with Beelzebub himself on it
A brand of lip balm I'd never come across before (Dr. Bronner's & Sun Dogs Magic organic lip balm) in the flavor Ginger Orange. Totally useful because I get dry skin/lips in the winter and always lose my chapstick.

OH AND YARN

Olive green cotton/lycra sock yarn from Greenwood Fiberworks
Sheep of a Different Color cotton yarn in the handdyed colorway Chocolate Caramel

I love everything! I had a blast with this swap. Thank you SO much to Cass for being my upstream pal AND for coordinating this whole thing, and Ellie, too!

To JanKnit from Janice!!

2007-10-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

My package arrived today!!!! My wonderful box of vegan goodies came clear across the country from Janice in New York!

When I arrived home to find the package waiting, I plopped myself right down in the kitchen floor to start unwrapping and unwinding! (I'm such a kid when it comes to getting things in the mail!) Here's what the magic yarn balls looked like when I liberated them from their box....

Janice was very generous. She included Bernat Bamboo Blend in Wicker, Lion Brand Organic Cotton in Pecan, and Sugar and Cream in Hot Purple. The chocolate bars are my new favorites! There were also several kinds of buttons, beautiful glass beads, autumn stickers and ribbons, a bunch of fun party favors and a great recipe for Pumpkin Muffins! Yumm! Thank you, Janice!!!

Thank you, Cass and Ellie for setting up this swap. It was fun, and was a great way to learn more about Veganism. I know it's heightened my awareness of what I consume. Thanks!!

My package arrived! Thank you Ninni!

2007-10-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

My package from Ninni in Finland arrived yesterday. She was so sweet and sent it express post so I didn't have to wait too long for it. What a doll!

Here is my package before I unraveled the ball. Looked pretty great already with a whole box of chocolates and two more bars of Panda dark chocolate peeping out of the ball!

Contained were two pillow cases with a rad print, a card (Emily, help me out with what that is. I know you have a framed picture in your house) with some artwork I recognise and like very much, a recipe for Alexander Pastries, two skeins of 100% cotton yarn, one red and one black (might be the perfect entry to my first sock. Am I jinxing myself? My first PAIR of socks) and a delicious box of Wiener *giggle* Nougat. They are so delicious and soft. They look like milk chocolate, but they are actually still 100% vegan!

Here's the ball at various stages of unraveling.

Once I got through the ball I found myself with gold butterfly hair clips (I LOVE hair clips!), some little ghosts (Ninni sent me a message a few weeks ago warning me that Halloween wasn't really anything in Finland and I told her I was use to that, being from Australia) some more candies called "Marianne" and finally in the middle was some gorgeous vintage buttons from her Grandmother's stash! I absolutely love them!

The ball was so fun to unwind and I love surprises so this was a great swap for me!

Thank you Debbie!

2007-10-22T19:52:00.001-07:00

Such an awesome package! Orange hemp yarn with a pattern for a spa and bath trio, a super cool owl, warm beverage cozy (such perfect cables!), fair trade organic coffee (smells sooooo good!), recipe for risotto, fruit leathers, lip balm, the much needed chibi (which I used this weekend at Maker Faire), and of course the gorgeously colored hand painted Tahki mercerized cotton magic yarn ball which was full of the cutest fall themed buttons and some delicious candy. Thank you Debbie!

Thank You Robyn!!!

2007-10-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

When my hubby got home from work today, he had my Vegan package in tow. Robyn was my spoiler and she did such a fabulous job! I had so much fun discovering all the goodies in my magic yarn ball (and laughing about the "Ellie Pooh Paper"). Seriously guys...you should have seen the look on the hubby's face when he realized what the paper had been made from. ROTFL!!!

Here's a before pic of the yarn ball:

And here's a full view after the unwrapping:

Let's see, there's more "Ellie Pooh Paper" in the form of a notebook (check out the elephant butts...how funny!), a beautiful orrifice threader made by the lovely Robyn, the coolest DPN needle protecters ever, some Vanilla Sugar incense, body scrub, lip gloss, a pumice brush, a mesh scrubbie, recipe cards, tons of knitting buttons, an AntiCraft sticker, a vegan Pumpkin Spice cookie, a vegan recipe mini-mag, a tin of organic breakfast tea, and two balls of Patagonia Nature Cotton. Wow...I'm in awe! Thanks so much for putting together such a lovely and entertaining box, Robyn!

Note to hostesses: I promise to try to remember to update SwapBot first thing tomorrow! LOL Sic Cass on me if I forget. ;-)

Mine has arrived!

2007-10-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Christel, my secret vegan pal, my parcel arrived today. Don't you just love receiving fun stuff in the mail?!

Here are the goodies as they came out of the box. A crocheted scarf (which I think is made from Lion Brand Homespun - nice and soft), a magic ball made from brown cotton yarn, a recipe for fruit salad with ginger-lime sauce, a jar of pumpkin butter, a packet of dried shiitake mushrooms, a sachet of Indonesian spices, Hawaiian coconut pudding.

Here is the treasure from inside the yarn ball which was actually three balls of yarn. Two teabags, two Bug Bites chocolates (quickly consumed), a magnet which I believe was made by Christel herself, two buttons (one says I love animals, and the other says Kiss me, I'm Vegan!), hemp lip balm (very useful for dry Okanagan winters), a pen, a wooden leaf pendant and an acorn cookie cutter (which is almost invisible on my carpet).

Thanks Christel, you made my day!

Yay, my package came today!

2007-10-22T11:36:00.001-07:00

Thank you to Cheryl, the Knitting Knut!!! See my blog for details about my wonderful package!

Package Recieved!

2007-10-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

I got a great package from Amber yesterday! Thank you! There is so much beautiful yarn. You can click on the picture to go read the notes.

She sent some mixed nuts, carob (sadly, real chocolate makes me pretty sick, but I have always liked carob too! I know, i'm weird.) and dates in the tin and I packed some of the almonds and carob chips in my bento for lunch today.

my package came, thanks Dawn!

2007-10-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

Before unwinding:

After unwinding:

I got my Vegan Pal package from the wonderful Dawn yesterday. She's spoiled me with this wonderful assortment of gifts! Click on the picture for the descriptions of what everything is. Too bad there's no scratch and sniff internet, though, because those candles smell amazing!

Thanks, Dawn.

P.S. Not pictured is the recipe for a great-sounding potato soup.

Vegan Pal package arrived!

2007-10-20T14:44:00.001-07:00

2 skeins of pumpkin hemp
organic peppermint tea
Lavendar soap
pretty red glass buttons
Peppermint lip balm
T blocking pins
chili seeds in art paper
a nice handmade card
recipe for a Thai sweet potato soup
And some really tasty lemon cookies from Smart Treats that are all gone already

Caryn lives in Philadelphia and has just had a blog for a little while. She has some very nice knitting photos on her Flickr account, and a sweet cat. She tried to get me as many items that were made locally in Philadelphia as possible like the spa, buttons, seeds, and card. I am very happy with my package, and I hope Caryn enjoyed learning about vegan yarns.

Thanks Michele!

2007-10-19T20:54:00.001-07:00

I got my amazing swap package yesterday from Michele, aka ekittie. More on my blog. I am so happy and can't wait to try out the recipes, the tape measurer, the yarn...the chocolate has been tried already! I really appreciate your hard work!

Ode to an Orange Buttercat.

2007-10-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

My Vegan Pal 2 Swap package arrived! Thanks to one terribly generous and thoughtful Orange Buttercat. Check it out!

There's some beautiful soft Cotton from Blue Sky Alpacas (I've been dying to try this for so long!) - two skein's worth!

One of which was wound into a magic yarn ball. I couldn't resist unravelling it to see what goodies it held - a row counter, cute pin cushion (both green - this girl really pays attention!), a cat magnet (that just so happens to look a lot like our Roger), some 'soak' liquid detergent and a sewing kit, all tied up with a cute autmnal ribbon. As if that wasn't enough there's also a book (Margaret Atwood, who I've just started reading!):

And some absolutely divine pumpkin hand cream and a gorgeously scented soap. Love it!

And snacks! Fruit crisps - pineapple, strawberry and banana flavoured. As you can see from the first picture above these didn't last very long! Also included was a recipe for vegetable soup (which is perfect for me as despite the hot and humid temperatures I can't seem to get enough of soups at the moment - pumpkin, mushroom, lentil, you name it - whatever we have on hand soon finds its way into a soup of some description). And, to top it all off a very cute wee card with a note from the Buttercat herself.

Thanks so much Buttercat! You've made my week!

Got my package!!

2007-10-18T06:24:00.000-07:00

Thank you Simone!!! I got the most awesome swap package in the mail last night. Three skeins of gorgeous fall-colored cotton yarn that is SO soft, a package of stitch markers, some tattoo fabric, a pair of cute earrings, passion fruit lip gloss, two CDs, an awesome lemon tart recipe, a vintage postcard and yummy chocolate (which is already half gone, me and my boyfriend took care of it immediately). Also a great handwritten note.

Close up of the great yarn and awesome fabric. Thank you for such a special swap package, I love it all!

Today is the day!

2007-10-15T07:40:00.001-07:00

All swap packages should be in the mail. By tomorrow I should be able to log in to swap bot and see that you've all changed your status to "sent." If you're having problems meeting the deadline, please let both your pal and your hostesses know!

Thank you Michelle!!

2007-10-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

I received an amazing box from Michelle Thank you so much for your kind generosity.....I have posted on my blog This has been a lot of fun....my Pal's box is ready to go in the morning....

Exploring Veg some more...

2007-10-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

OK, this swap is almost over and I feel like I need to dig some more... So, though I am not sure where this is going to take me, I have decided to step up my exploration about "Veg".

I explain it all in my blog! :-)

Anyone intested in taking the 30 days plunge with me?
Also, help from Veterans "Veg" would be deeply appreciated... :-D

Thanks!

Isabelle aka Tricotine

4 More Days!

2007-10-11T06:33:00.000-07:00

That's right! Just four more days to get your packages together and in the mail. Please contact your pal and your hostesses if you think you're going to be late! And remember to log back in to swap-bot and click that you've sent your package so you don't get nagging emails from me ;)

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing their package photos! You guys are great! Such lovely and thoughtful presents. Giftees please remember to log in to swap-bot and lavish praise on your spoiler in the ratings.

German Vegan Goodness

2007-10-09T15:16:00.001-07:00

Just a quick shot of the awesome vegan goodness Nicole sent my way. Please pop over to my blog for details on this awesome package!

Thanks Ellie and Cass, for allowing the non-vegans to participate. I think my pals have taught me tons - can you put in a good word for Nicole on her final exams?? - and I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my new friends. Now, to try out these new recipes...

I got my Package

2007-10-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

Here are all the goodies that my pal Kathy Marie sent me. I just loved doing this swap. I learned a lot about the vegan life style. Kathy put in more than she needed to with this package. So thank you very much Kathy!

Winding down

2007-10-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

There's only one week left to get your package in the mail! (Items should be postmarked by October 15th.) Remember to leave extra time if you're shipping internationally.

Other things to remember:

Once you've sent your package, log in to swap-bot and click "I sent my items" so I know how we're doing. I see that some of you have already done this, and I thank you thank you thank you!!!

Once you've received your package be sure to log in to swap-bot and rank your pal and hostesses.

If you're having problems please contact Cass or me ASAP so we can make arrangements! I still have two or three people who haven't replied to any of my or Cass's nagging emails, but I have two volunteer angels waiting in the wings. If anyone else would like to volunteer to be an angel, please let me or Cass know.

And thank you all for a super fun swap! Rest assured Cass and I have plans for a Vegan Pal 3 in the works.

xoxo
Ellie

My package has arrived!

2007-10-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

I got my package from Kala! :-)

Thank you so very much, Kala! I love everything! :-)

Details in my blog...

This swap is an interesting journey to Veganism. I haven't got converted, but I have learned a few things. :-)

All the way from Malaysia

2007-10-02T21:41:00.000-07:00

I got my package from pen&purl!

She sent some Katia bamboo in a pretty blue. I've been wanting to try bamboo yarn! I also got some tea, some guava which were good--very different, had the texture of dried pears but were kind of sweet/salty/spicy--some postcards and a coconut cake candy (which I ate right away), some stickers, a bookmark and a wee little card that she made! The recipe she sent was for the best vegan brownies ever, and I have all but one ingredient at home. I haven't unwrapped the yarn ball yet, but I did pick some buttons and coins (another thing I collect) out of it! Thanks so much!

And the winner is...

2007-10-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

First off I want to thank all of you who filled out the Google doc and who have contacted your pal. We're coming in to the last two weeks - remember your package should be in the mail by October 15th (earlier if you're shipping internationally) to arrive on your pal's doorstep no later than October 31st. Also, after you've sent your package, check back in at swap bot and click that you've sent your package.

And now for the no fun part: I have to admit I'm disappointed at the number of you who haven't contacted your pal or filled in the Google doc or replied to my nagging. Unfortunately you're probably not reading this either. I'm hoping it's because this is getting lost in a spam filter, but that doesn't explain why you're not checking the blog regularly. I'm sending this out via the blog, your blogger email, your blog (if you have one) and swap bot because those are the only forms of communication I have. If you flake on this swap you will of course be banned from future swaps, bad ranking on swap bot, etc., etc. And none of us want that. I'm fully aware life gets the better of us sometimes, but all it takes is a quick (anonymous) email to your pal to set things straight.

On that note, if you would like to volunteer to be an angel (hopefully just in case and not actually necessary) please let me know!

And finally, what you've all been waiting for! The winner of the secret prize: Emily at Vegan Knitting... and then some! Watch your mailbox and be sure to show us all what you've won!

Eureka!

2007-09-28T05:28:00.001-07:00

Thanks so much to Amelia who showed me where in swapbot I can view all your partners! Expect individual nagging if I see you haven't contacted your partner yet! ;)

Replying to your upstream.

2007-09-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

Some people had questions on how to reply to your anonymous pal, what with their being anonymous and all -

If they sent you an email from an anonymous account, you could reply to that, or if they left you an anonymous comment on your blog you could reply in the comments.

If you haven't contacted your pal yet (and I see that some of you haven't....) please please please do so ASAP. Same goes if you haven't updated the google doc file with your info.

Edited to add: It would appear that so many of you wonderful people jumped right over and started entering your information at once that google docs didn't save them all. If you see your information is missing, try to enter it again, but also email me your answers so that I can make sure you're entered in the drawing.

Clarification

2007-09-22T09:14:00.001-07:00

A clarification on how the swap works since I've heard there's some confusion - you have 2 pals, an upstream and a downstream. They are different people. You send to one and receive from the other.

Upstream - the person who will be sending you a package - they should have anonymously commented on your blog or sent you an email by now. She knows who you are, but you don't know who she it.

Downstream - the person you will send a package to - you should have anonymously commented on her blog or sent her an email by now. You know who she is, but she doesn't know who you are.

Let me know if I haven't made it clear and I'll have Cass come up with a better way to explain ;)

xoxo
Ellie

Testing 1, 2, 3

2007-09-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Ok gang, I'm going to give something a shot. I want this to go smoothly and not have to beg you guys for angels in October/November. Also, I'm a big nerd. So here's what I've done. I created a spreadsheet in Google Docs and given you all permission to edit it. Put a "yes" or a "no" in each column next to your name telling me whether or not you've made contact and been contacted. I filled in what I could gather from your comments so far, so you can get the idea. Everyone who has filled in all four rows next to their name by the end of the month will be entered into a drawing for a delightful swap related prize. I expect this to encourage those of you who haven't contacted your pal in some way yet to do so asap (since it would be so embarrassing to have to put a "no" in that column and everyone wants delightful prizes) and to have everyone's name in the drawing. Make your pal happy and make me proud.

How are we doing?

2007-09-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

Has everyone heard from their upstream* pal? I don't have a list of who's pals with whom, so I can't do personal nagging, but here's a group nag. Let me know in the comments if you haven't heard from your upstream yet. If there are too many of you I'll resort to having you all email me with the name of your pal so that I can nag you individually, but I'm sure we're such a great group that that won't be necessary. xoxo and Happy Swapping!

*Upstream - the person who will be sending you a package - they should have anonymously commented on your blog or sent you an email by now. She knows who you are, but you don't know who she it.
Downstream - the person you will send a package to - you should have anonymously commented on her blog or sent her an email by now. You know who she is, but she doesn't know who you are.

Just popping by...

2007-09-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

to say hi and remind you all to contact your pals - both upstream and down. Obviously you can't contact the person spoiling you until they write you first, but be sure to reply. Friendly conversations are encouraged, but at the very least letting them know you're alive and either working on their package or ready to answer any questions, is essential. Thanks to everyone! and happy swapping. I'll be checking back in a few more days to ask you all to report in if you haven't heard from your pal yet, so be sure to do so soon if you haven't yet.

Partners are assigned!

2007-09-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

All right swappers! The deadline has come, all of your questionnaires are posted, and I have clicked the "assign partners" button on swap-bot.

Now go figure - I swore that Vegan Pal 1 was a secret swap, but from what I can tell if I click "rate your partner" I see who she is. So - DON'T CLICK IT until after you've received your package! Also, sorry to my partner - you're not a secret, but someone had to test it...

To get your partner's contact info, log on to swap-bot and click on "see the partners you send to."

Happy Swapping!

Oh, and here's a refresher on the rules in case you need them.

eta -

ALSO!

If you listed yourself having allergies in your questionnaire, PLEASE go back and give as specific an answer as possible. Rather than just saying "pet" say which animal and how allergic. Let your pal know if they wrap your yarn outside of their house if that will be fine, or if even 1 stray hair gets through the mail you'll be in the emergency room.

ALSO!

Remember to contact your pal within the next week or so to let them know you're here. You can leave an anonymous comment on their blog, or sign up for an anonymous email account (like veganswapper33@gmail.com). Don't forget to change your name in the "from" field too!

You Win!

2007-09-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

Well, if your name is Mishka, you win! YAY for Mishka!

Thank you all so much for posting your vegan favorites- what a wonderful bunch of resources we have now!

Mishka- send me your address please, and I'll ship your goodies off today. (Petsittt@gmail.com) OH! Your goodies! Wanna see them?

All for you Mishka!

Okay, back to packing. I'll be on vacation for the next week, but part of the fun of vacation is sitting with the laptop and checking in, so I'll be around some.

Thanks again for joining the contest fun! We'll have another when I get back! (Beach goodies!)

Contest #2 closes tonight!

2007-09-06T14:22:00.000-07:00

I had intended to draw our winner tonight, but I've got unexpected dinner guests and vacation packing to do! yikes! I'll draw a winner first thing tomorrow morning. I'm leaving for vacation on Saturday, so check in tomorrow to see if you've won- so you can get me your address ASAP! I'll post pics of the prize in the a.m. too- I promise it's a good one. Feel free to post any last minute entries tonight!

Thanks!

Contest #2

2007-09-06T05:42:00.000-07:00

We have quite a few "vegan-curious" swappers signed up, so we thought it would be a good idea to post some resources. And what better way to get you to send us your favorites than to make it a contest!?

Your mission:
Recommend an online vegan resource. It can be food related, craft related, whatever. You must post it here or at your own blog, AND you must send your review to Ellie (deceptivelypackaged AT gmail DOT com) as well. Write a blurb about why you think this is a good resource. If we wind up with duplicate sites, that's fine. We'd love to hear any customer service dealings you might have had, experience with ordering, or whatever you can tell us about your recommendation.

Contest ends Thursday, Sept. 6th, so I can get prizes mailed out before I leave for vacation. You'll get 1 entry for each site you post.

I'll post pics of prizes in the next couple of days. And yes, there's more than 1 prize. This contest has a surprise element. I can't tell you- then it wouldn't be a surprise! :)

Contest #2, Recommend an Online Vegan Resource

2007-09-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks!
I posted this on Cake Maker to the Stars, but am reposting it here for your convenience.

--------
I went vegan in 1990, a really long time ago--before Al Gore invented the Interwebs and before Earth Balance was a staple in 7-11s all across this great country of ours. Nowadays, there are so many great vegan resources online, a new vegan could easily go adrift just trying to decide which forum to visit on Friday night. Here's what I suggest: check out some of the great webpages written by my favorite cookbook author, Bryanna Clark Grogan. Not only does Bryanna kick ass in the recipe department (check out Nonna's Italian Kitchen and Authentic Chinese Cuisine: For the Contemporary Kitchen), but she is incredibly knowledgeable and generous. She maintains a vegan forum for new cooks on Vegsource, where she is incredibly accessible with questions and regularly shares huge files of her recipes. Along with this, she blogs and maintains another website with even more free recipe archives. If that's not enough for you, you can subscribe to her quarterly newsletter, The Vegan Feast, and get access to her subscriber only "secret-special" forum, as well as newsletters that are emailed with gazillions of recipes and color photos right to your in-box. Bryanna focuses on ethnic recipes and seitan in all sorts of wondrous forms, so if that's up your alley, let her know and she'll email you a sample newsletter for free. I love you Bryanna!

xo
kittee

Swap-bot Questionnaire

2007-09-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

First of all, major thanks to Ellie for her patience with me this week! I was delinquent in posting these answers, and she's been gracious enough to allow me to stay in the swap. Thanks, Ellie!

Also, I don't have my own blog, so I'm posting my answers here:

1. What is/are your craft(s), & how long have you been doing it/them?
I am a knitter and a sewer. I’ve been sewing off and on since childhood, and I love to make clothes and decorative things for my apartment (like pillowcases, curtains, etc.). I also knew how to knit as a child, but I abandoned it until about five years ago when I started making scarves, hats, gloves, and now I’m making my first cardigan! I sometimes dabble in crochet, but usually just to make flowers for my knitted things.

2. Are you a vegan, vegetarian, veg-curious, veg-friendly or other?
I personally eat everything except seafood, but my best friend is vegan and I love the challenge of cooking well for him. I’m really into healthy-but-delicious eating, so I try to avoid butter and other animal fats at all costs. I also think it’s healthier if I don’t eat meat every day, so I’m always looking for great-tasting and healthy vegetarian meal ideas.

3. Is this your first swap, or have you done previous swaps before? What makes a swap enjoyable for you?
I have done several swaps before. My creativity flows best when given some form of structure (like the swap theme and rules) and guidance (my partner’s profile), and I love tailoring packages to someone’s preferences. I also love seeing what others come up with based on their interpretation of the theme.

4. What is/are your favorite color(s)? Do you particularly dislike any color(s)?
I love all colors except pastels. I have an autumn complexion and tend to look better in things in warm colors rather than cool ones, but pretty much any saturated color (non-pastel) is great.

5. Do you have any allergies (such as pets, foods, fibers or cigarette smoke)?
Yes, I am slightly allergic to furry animals and really allergic to cigarette smoke.

6. Do you have any companion animals? If so, name(s) and type(s)?*
I just have a feisty betta fish, so nothing that anyone would be allergic to.

7. Do you collect anything?
Peacocks!

8. Do you have a favorite vegan food, snack or dish? If no fav that's vegan (for those who aren't vegan), what's your favorite food? (Hopefully your pal can find a vegan version!)
I love vegetable pasta dishes, especially with olive oil and garlic.

9. What are some of your favorite/least favorite tastes/flavors? (e.g. sweet, salty, chocolate, crunchy, smooth, tart, sour, spicy, thai, whatever - Help your pal get a feel for what kind of recipes you might like and/or never ever make.)
I don’t do anything too spicy, although I’m working on getting better at that since I love Korean and Indian food. I don’t do sour at all, and I’m not big on desserts or things that are very sweet. I love fresh ingredients, and I don’t mind recipes that are a bit more complicated and time consuming, especially if it’s something I can freeze and eat as leftovers. I don’t do tofu, but I’m obsessed with soy in every other form (soymilk, edamame, etc.).

10. What tools/supplies/accessories for your craft(s) are you wishing you had but don't? Also, what do you have TOO many of? (basically a wish and anti-wish list)
I have too many knitting needles (except 16” circulars), but I usually keep very little stock of sewing supplies around. I’m always happy for new and different yarns (I’ve banned myself from buying more until I use what I have, but swap-bot doesn’t count as cheating!). I also love new fabric for sewing.

11. Are you on Ravelry? What's your handle?
I’ve never heard of Ravelry, but I’m going to check it out now!

12. Is there anything else you would like your pal to know about you?
Just to get a better sense of “me”: my style/fashion sense tends toward elegant and vintage, but not too crazy. I love to wear skirts with vintage slips underneath and pretty jewelry, and I also love cute little silk scarves. My favorite fashion seasons are fall and winter because I love to wear trench coats and winter coats with a matching or coordinating scarf/hat set. To my partners: please feel free to e-mail me with any questions that might be helpful to you!

13. What scents do you like/dislike?
My favorite scents are vanilla and lavender. I don’t like musks or things that are overtly floral.

14. Do you prefer fall or Halloween or some other Autumn theme?
It matters not, please express your own creativity!

15. Just for fun - tell your favorite Halloween or Autumn related memory.
I have always loved to go all out for costume occasions such as Halloween, meticulously creating and gathering all of the necessary wardrobe pieces and accessories to complete the look. As an example of my obsessiveness, when I was in elementary school I wanted to dress up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Everything had to look exactly like the movie, from the hairstyle, down to the size of the checkers on the jumper fabric and the size and placement of the buttons. And I’m still just this crazy when it comes to putting together Halloween costumes today!

Vegan Resource Reviews

2007-09-01T13:49:00.001-07:00

KPixie.com - K Pixie is a great small online yarn company that features many vegan yarns. They usually have at least several vegan yarns in their sale category. I know that you can get all of this yarn elsewhere but I really like the site layout and they are very nice. Some of their offerings include hemp, Blue Sky Alpacas cotton, recycled vegan sari yarn, Habu textiles which includes linen, paper, and cotton yarn, and Southwest Trading company yarn. They also have a very nice selection of books, accessories, notions and patterns.

Vegan Unlimited - This great company is owned by two members of my local vegan group, and the website is really nicely designed. They have a great selection of vegan products in all different categories. They have expanded their site in the last year to include a blog, vegan Q&A, "Ask a vegan", and other features like a vegan resource guide.

Bittersweet

2007-08-31T10:27:00.001-07:00

Bittersweet is a lovely blog that features tons of vegan recipes, vegan food reviews, and adorable crafts. My favories are her adorable amigurumi! I haven't tried any of her recipes yet, mostly I just drool over the pictures. The things I would like to try are the fudge bites, healing squash soup, and rootbeer float cupcakes. There are also cute free patters, both knit and crochet, including the adorable tofu pincushion and the crocheted bitty baby . The blog author, Hannah Kaminsky, even has a book coming out this fall called My Sweet Vegan.

A Vegan Ice Cream Paradise

2007-08-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

A Vegan Ice Cream Paradise is a wonderful resource for tons and tons of vegan ice cream recipes. I have personally tried the blueberry cheesecake ice cream and it was amazing! I absolutely need to try the coffee ice cream, chocolate raspberry, and the mint chocolate chip. And all the other flavors too... The site also has a great section for faqs and advice about ingredients and techniques. If you've ever wanted to make your own vegan ice cream, you must check this site out.

Vegan Resource - Sick on Sin

2007-08-31T07:54:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite places for fun t-shirts is Sick on Sin. Owned and operated in Toronto by vegan Jennifer Krebsz, the online shop sells items from t-shirts to buttons to pocket mirrors, all featuring great graphic cartoony designs.

Here's a few of the pro-veg designs:

Vegan Recipe Resource

2007-08-30T22:20:00.000-07:00

While this site isn't specifically vegan, you can use Recipezaar to find vegetarian and vegan recipes along with many other categories. Need recipes that are both vegan and kosher? No problem, just turn on both filters. Don't want to see any recipes that contain nuts? Use the sifter to subtract that ingredient. Have lentils in your cupboard but you're tired of the same old soup? Look for recipes by cuisine or by course. Need to figure out how to use up that bag of wheat germ? You can search for practically anything and get good results. My current favorite search is for anything vegetarian and toddler friendly (yes, toddler friendly is an "official" category!) in an attempt to sway my finicky two-year-old. (She'd eat nothing but edamame, avocado and chocolate if I let her get away with it.) There are thousands of recipes contributed by users, and many have helpful ratings and reviews submitted by other users who have tried them. You can save anything you want to try in your cookbook for easy reference later. This has become my go-to resource whenever I need to plan a meal for a get-together or I'm just bored with my usual repertoire.

The Vegan Flower: Online vegan shopping resource.

2007-08-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine has recently created an online vegan shopping resource at The Vegan Flower. She developed her blog to help those in the vegan community connect with resources they may need. She updates it frequently, along with a link to the company and a review.

As her blog states "The purpose of this blog is not to encourage consumption, but to provide a resource to the vegan community. Please make sure to post a comment about your experiences with any stores or products featured!"

I've discovered many new vegan/vegan-owned online shops thanks to her site!

Herbivore.com & Food for Thought

2007-08-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

This site is great! They have a vegan magazine that you can subscribe to online (and save paper), vegan books to buy as well as a great range of very funky accessories and clothing. I recently bought a 'vegetarianism is environmentalism' tote, some stickers and clothing which I'm really happy with. Did have a few issues with their sizing (mainly my fault as I got all paranoid when reading that their sizes ran small on the site, so ordered larger than I would have otherwise - turned out the medium SWIMS on me) but Michelle has been really great about it and an exchange is no problem. The magazine is great too, for keeping you up to date with what's going on out there in veg-land and has interesting features and recipes. For $15 (if memory serves) you can sign up and access all their back issues as well as the current magazines. Definitely recommend these guys. (http://herbivoreclothing.com/)

Also - the Compassionate Cooks 'Food for Thought' podcast. Very approachable resource, even if you're just curious. Lots of well-researched information and stories and great to knit (or cook!) to. (http://feeds.feedburner.com/VegetarianFoodForThought)

Vegan Yarns

2007-08-30T17:52:00.001-07:00

What cool contests! I am SO digging this swap.

This might be kind of obvious to everyone - being a vegan yarn swap and all - but I list it for my contest entry anyway:

Vegan Yarns on earthfriendlyyarns.com

Yarns from nettle fibers? Banana silk? Cool!

I've used the Knit One, Crochet Too Recycled Cotton yarn to make a sweater for my son and really, really liked it. It's all recycled from the textile industry...neat.

--Catherine

Vegan Resources

2007-08-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

This will grow like the questionnaire answers page.

Bittersweet

Bittersweet is a lovely blog that features tons of vegan recipes, vegan food reviews, and adorable crafts. My favorites are her adorable amigurumi! I haven't tried any of her recipes yet, mostly I just drool over the pictures. The things I would like to try are the fudge bites, healing squash soup, and rootbeer float cupcakes. There are also cute free patters, both knit and crochet, including the adorable tofu pincushion and the crocheted bitty baby . The blog author, Hannah Kaminsky, even has a book coming out this fall called My Sweet Vegan. - VeganCraftastic

Bryanna Clark Grogan

I went vegan in 1990, a really long time ago--before Al Gore invented the Interwebs and before Earth Balance was a staple in 7-11s all across this great country of ours. Nowadays, there are so many great vegan resources online, a new vegan could easily go adrift just trying to decide which forum to visit on Friday night. Here's what I suggest: check out some of the great webpages written by my favorite cookbook author, Bryanna Clark Grogan. Not only does Bryanna kick ass in the recipe department (check out Nonna's Italian Kitchen and Authentic Chinese Cuisine: For the Contemporary Kitchen), but she is incredibly knowledgeable and generous. She maintains a vegan forum for new cooks on Vegsource, where she is incredibly accessible with questions and regularly shares huge files of her recipes. Along with this, she blogs and maintains another website with even more free recipe archives. If that's not enough for you, you can subscribe to her quarterly newsletter, The Vegan Feast, and get access to her subscriber only "secret-special" forum, as well as newsletters that are emailed with gazillions of recipes and color photos right to your in-box. Bryanna focuses on ethnic recipes and seitan in all sorts of wondrous forms, so if that's up your alley, let her know and she'll email you a sample newsletter for free. I love you Bryanna! - Kittee

Comfortably Green

Comfortably Green is a website I found a few weeks ago when I was researching information about vegan yarn. This website has all you need to know about making your life "GREEN". It has Dieting Organically tips, Green Parenting, Organic Gardening tips, Pest Control, etc... - Risa/Twin_number2

Compassionate Cooks' ‘Vegetarian Food For Thought Podcast’

This is a really approachable resource, even if you’re just curious. Colleen provides loads of well researched information and stories in her podcasts and doesn’t come across as too aggressive in her proselytizing. I started listening to these when I was first thinking about going vegan and found that they were both inspiring and thought provoking while managing to also communicate with a respect and gentleness that is really important when you’re questioning these sorts of things. It’s a great show to knit (or cook!) to. - pen & purl

Earthfriendlyyarns.com (Vegan Yarns section)

Yarns from nettle fibers? Banana silk? Cool! I've used the Knit One, Crochet Too Recycled Cotton yarn to make a sweater for my son and really, really liked it. It's all recycled from the textile industry...neat. - Catherine

Food Fight Grocery

I don't know if I'm eligible to enter since I already won a prize but I'm gonna review Food Fight anyway. Food Fight Grocery is an all vegan store in Portland Oregon with a great website full of vegan goodness. I've ordered a couple of times from them and received excellent service. What I most looooove about this site is that they (unlike pretty much all other vegan food online stores) tell you when things contain trace amounts of dairy. This info is super duper necessary if you're a lactose intolerant vegan, like me. So what to order? If you can't get mock duck in your area you MUST order some, it's so yummy and useful for easy meals. Zapps chips are delish and sort of hard to find (at least here in MN). Food Fight also has books, zines, and personal care items, all vegan of course. - VeganCraftastic

Herbivore.com

This site is great! They have a vegan magazine that you can subscribe to online (and save paper), vegan books to buy as well as a great range of very funky accessories and clothing. I recently bought a ‘vegetarianism is environmentalism’ tote, some stickers and a very cool cross jogger (ie; hoodie sans hood) from them. Did have a few issues with their sizing (mainly my fault as I got all paranoid when reading that their sizes ran small on the site, so ordered larger than I would have otherwise - turned out the medium SWIMS on me) but Michelle has been really great about it and an exchange is no problem. The magazine is great too, for keeping you up to date with what’s going on out there in veg-land and has interesting features and recipes. For $15 (if memory serves) you can sign up and access all their back issues as well as the current magazines. Definitely recommend these people! - pen & purl

Jo Stepaniak

I love her columns! Helpful ideas on how to handle all sorts of everyday interactions without tons of preaching. Also good explanations to remember when explaining veganism to others. - Ellie

KPixie

K Pixie is a great small online yarn company that features many vegan yarns. They usually have at least several vegan yarns in their sale category. I know that you can get all of this yarn elsewhere but I really like the site layout and they are very nice. Some of their offerings include hemp, Blue Sky Alpacas cotton, recycled vegan sari yarn, Habu textiles which includes linen, paper, and cotton yarn, and Southwest Trading company yarn. They also have a very nice selection of books, accessories, notions and patterns. - Vegan Knitting

MooShoes

I've had nothing but good experiences with these guys. Finding fashionable non-leather shoes for work could have been a challenge, but then I found Moo Shoes. And they usually go up to my size (another challenge)! Love the Matt&Nat wallets and bags too! - Ellie

NW Veg

I joined the Vegan Pal 2 Swap because I was curious about vegan fiber choices and the people involved seemed very nice. After answering the questionnaire, I also became more curious about vegan food choices. Since I was vegetarian for a good portion of my younger adulthood, I didn't feel like a total stranger. But because I'm me, I wanted to know more.

I do not respond well to groups that sensationalize their causes. So when I went surfing for online vegan resources, I found several to which I will not return. I was looking for information, not graphic photos of tortured animals flashing across my screen.

One site that met my need is NW Veg. The site is informative, intelligent and didn't slap me in the face. Because it's locally run, I will be more likely to use the links and maybe even participate in the events. Their mission statement reads: We educate and empower people to make vegetarian choices for a healthy, sustainable, and compassionate world.
NW Veg offers monthly potlucks along with guest speakers, presentations and additional local resources. There are volunteer opportunities, recipes, walks and bike rides, reading lists, a restaurant guide, and a forum to discuss issues with others from my own community.

Here's their invitation: Portland vegetarians and vegans — and others wishing to reduce meat and dairy in your diet — welcome to Northwest VEG. We are a vegetarian educational group in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. Our vegetarian potlucks and events explore delicious vegetarian and vegan foods — and meeting other vegetarians and vegans. If our potluck happens to be your only vegetarian meal of the month, you'll be welcome, and sure to go home well fed, possibly inspired to try a new recipe.

Pretty good deal! - Jan-Knit

Pangea/The Vegan Store

I've also purchased items from Pangea/The Vegan Store -- they've got a great selection also, and have always seemed very nice to work with. - Debbie/Rites of Passage

Post Punk Kitchen

I've also just discovered the Post Punk Kitchen. Lots of how-to, recipes and forums. It's been fun getting to look around on that site. - Megs

Recipezaar

While this site isn't specifically vegan, you can use Recipezaar to find vegetarian and vegan recipes along with many other categories. Need recipes that are both vegan and kosher? No problem, just turn on both filters. Don't want to see any recipes that contain nuts? Use the sifter to subtract that ingredient. Have lentils in your cupboard but you're tired of the same old soup? Look for recipes by cuisine or by course. Need to figure out how to use up that bag of wheat germ? You can search for practically anything and get good results. My current favorite search is for anything vegetarian and toddler friendly (yes, toddler friendly is an "official" category!) in an attempt to sway my finicky two-year-old. (She'd eat nothing but edamame, avocado and chocolate if I let her get away with it.) There are thousands of recipes contributed by users, and many have helpful ratings and reviews submitted by other users who have tried them. You can save anything you want to try in your cookbook for easy reference later. This has become my go-to resource whenever I need to plan a meal for a get-together or I'm just bored with my usual repertoire. - meg

Sick on Sin

One of my favourite places for fun t-shirts is Sick on Sin. Owned and operated in Toronto by vegan Jennifer Krebsz, the online shop sells items from t-shirts to buttons to pocket mirrors, all featuring great graphic cartoony designs. - mishka

Here's a few of the pro-veg designs:

VeganEssentials

I've been very pleased with VeganEssentials, they have a nice selection of items and their service is excellent. Not so much in the craft category, but they've got footwear, personal care items, food, clothing, vitamins, pet supplies, etc. - Debbie/Rites of Passage

The Vegan Flower

A friend of mine has recently created an online vegan shopping resource at The Vegan Flower. She developed her blog to help those in the vegan community connect with resources they may need. She updates it frequently, along with a link to the company and a review.

As her blog states "The purpose of this blog is not to encourage consumption, but to provide a resource to the vegan community. Please make sure to post a comment about your experiences with any stores or products featured!"

I've discovered many new vegan/vegan-owned online shops thanks to her site!
- mishka

VeganYumYum

Do other blogs count? I have been reading a wonderful one lately. It's VeganYumYum.com. Lolo does a wonderful job sharing her love of cooking and baking. I often catch myself drooling over the photos of her latest creation. She has a how-to page and some free recipes, too! - Megs

A Vegan Ice Cream Paradise

A Vegan Ice Cream Paradise is a wonderful resource for tons and tons of vegan ice cream recipes. I have personally tried the blueberry cheesecake ice cream and it was amazing! I absolutely need to try the coffee ice cream, chocolate raspberry, and the mint chocolate chip. And all the other flavors too... The site also has a great section for faqs and advice about ingredients and techniques. If you've ever wanted to make your own vegan ice cream, you must check this site out. - VeganCraftastic

Vegan Unlimited

This great company is owned by two members of my local vegan group, and the website is really nicely designed. They have a great selection of vegan products in all different categories. They have expanded their site in the last year to include a blog, vegan Q&A, "Ask a vegan", and other features like a vegan resource guide. - Vegan Knitting

Veg Austin

I also found Veg Austin. For those of you who don't know me too well, I was raised in Austin and I love the city! This website is like no other. They give you a list of restaurants, groceries, bakeries, catering, and other resources for vegetarians in the Austin, Hill Country, and the surrounding areas. You can even get your own Vegetarian Starter Guide. - Risa/Twin_number2

Walk Slowly, Live Wildly

I would like to nominate http://walkslowlylivewildly.com/. I love this blog for her amazing recipes. I have tried many and all were quite delicious with readily available ingredients. I love this blog, Sara is always inspiring and thought provoking. She also has great references. I envy Sara and her families latest adventure - their "Live Lightly Tour." You must go over to her blog and read more of what Sara is all about. - Corinne (not in swap)

What the Hell Does a Vegan Eat Anyway?

A daily must-read for any vegan! The menus are beyond inspiring. Often includes recipes. Also, read their blogroll on the sidebar for tons more vegan blogs! - Ellie

VeganEssentials & Pangea

2007-08-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

I've been very pleased with VeganEssentials, they have a nice selection of items and their service is excellent. Not so much in the craft category, but they've got footwear, personal care items, food, clothing, vitamins, pet supplies, etc.

I've also purchased items from Pangea/The Vegan Store -- they've got a great selection also, and have always seemed very nice to work with.

I highly recommend both!

Debbie
Rites of Passage

Valuable Vegan Resources

2007-08-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

I have printed out the Animal Ingredients List, and I think my Husband is a Vegan at soul - even if he has no idea... ;-) He is so easily grossed up by anything! :-D I am sure he wouldn't be using his shampoo anymore if he knew what he is putting on his head every morning...

Myself, I knew about the Placenta in anti-aging cream but that was about it, so imagine my surprise when I read the thirteen pages of the list... :-0

I also printed out the list of Vegan Snacks and I see that there are a lots of things that I regularly buy... So that is good, right? ;-)

For the other things (that is a lot to assimilate in just one day) I have created a shortcut to my desktop, so I can check the website anytime I wonder about something about Vegan Nutrition.

I have so much to learn...

Thanks for making those resources available here for us! :-)

Isabelle aka Tricotine

Contest Entry

2007-08-30T10:25:00.001-07:00

Do other blogs count? I have been reading a wonderful one lately. It's VeganYumYum.com. Lolo does a wonderful job sharing her love of cooking and baking. I often catch myself drooling over the photos of her latest creation. She has a how-to page and some free recipes, too!

I've also just discovered the Post Punk Kitchen. Lots of how-to, recipes and forums. It's been fun getting to look around on that site.

Food Fight Grocery

2007-08-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I'm eligible to enter since I already won a prize but I'm gonna review Food Fight anyway. Food Fight Grocery is an all vegan store in Portland Oregon with a great website full of vegan goodness. I've ordered a couple of times from them and received excellent service. What I most looooove about this site is that they (unlike pretty much all other vegan food online stores) tell you when things contain trace amounts of dairy. This info is super duper necessary if you're a lactose intolerant vegan, like me. So what to order? If you can't get mock duck in your area you MUST order some, it's so yummy and useful for easy meals. Zapps chips are delish and sort of hard to find (at least here in MN). Food Fight also has books, zines, and personal care items, all vegan of course.

Contest Winners!

2007-08-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

Well, mom had a hard time choosing a winner in the KIP category. She's a softie and didn't want to disappoint anyone. She finally narrowed it down to Nicola's Work for Yarn entry, and Chan's timid Vet Shot (she said "There's something almost tender about it..."). But in the end Nicola got extra points for creativity!

So Nicola, what have you won?
Why, THIS is what you've won!
3 skeins of Maizy Sock yarn, Easy Knitted Socks, and stitch markers graciously donated by Jessi:

(sorry for the out of focus pic of the stitch markers. They really are lovely.)

And the randomly drawn winner of the Yarn Review contest was Kala from VeganCraftastic! YAY! Here's what you win:
SWTC Oasis Soy Silk yarn, Easy Knitted Accessories, and 3 stitch markers from Jessi:

Congratulations! And thanks to everyone who entered.
Winners, please send along your mailing addy to Petsittt AT gmail DOT com.

Next contest will start tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Contest Closed!

2007-08-28T04:20:00.000-07:00

Thank you guys for entering the 1st contest! I'm so glad to have so many entries. I'll be having coffee with my mom this morning and she'll judge the KIP pics, and then I'll draw a name from the batch of yarn reviews. I have to say I've learned a lot from those reviews! Thanks for taking the time to do them.

Contest #2 starts tomorrow, and will run til after matches are done, giving everyone who signs up late a chance to enter. Details tomorrow.

Back with winners and pics of prizes!

~ My Contest Entry ~ pt 2

2007-08-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

Here is my yarn review on Louet's Euroflax 100% Wet Spun Linen. You can read it here.

Enjoy!

~ My Contest Entry ~

2007-08-27T17:22:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Here is my entry over on my blog. Group of us meet up at a local Panera's to knit, eat and talk. This particular week, there was a lot of laughing and antics because I was trying to take pictures for this contest. LOL Enjoy!

A love-hate relationship (yarn review)

2007-08-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

A public knitting photo would have been much more fun, but there is no such thing going on here. Right now I'm glad if I find some time to knit at all...
So instead I decided to do a yarn review. Of course I had to choose yarn you'd all be able to buy. Some German brand would probably not be very interesting for you. So my yarn review is about Rowan Bamboo Soft (100% bamboo, 50g = 102m/112yds).
This is a great yarn. It's so soft, it's unbelievable! Really, I've never felt yarn this soft. Unfortunately I find it quite dificult to knit with. Because of its softness it slides from your needles very easily. I knitted two hats with it so far and it almost drove me mad. I had to put eraser pieces on the end of each of the four needles to keep the yarn from slipping. Therefore knitting took way longer than it should have. Another problem is that the yarn splits quite easily and I'm also not so happy about the fact that you can wash it only by hand. Still, the softness and the variety of beautiful colors make up for the trouble. I love it way more than I hate it.

public knitting in New Orleans

2007-08-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!
I joined the swap yesterday. I'm excited to participate as this is my first and I am new to the wonders of Magic Balls.

Dazee and I had an appointment this morning with The Road Home, so I thought I'd bring my knitting along. Here I am knitting in the Central Business District on Poydras Street. You can't tell from the photo, but it is along a major street downtown, with lots of foot traffic.

xo kittee

First Contest!

2007-08-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for being so prompt in posting your questionaires. That helps so much! Almost time for matches to go out! So that gives us the perfect amount of time for a contest.

This one has 2 parts, and 2 prizes.

1. Post a picture, here or at your blog, of yourself knitting in public. Be creative! Points awarded for creativity of pose, locale and composition. My mom is an artist, and I'll show all the entries to her and she'll pick the winner! You have until Monday, August 27th to enter. Please, if you post the pic on your own blog, leave a link here so I can easily find it.

2. Since not everyone has a blog, or a camera, or the will to post a pic of themselves in public, you can also win a prize for posting a review of your favorite vegan yarn. It would be ideal if you've knitted something you can show, but even if you just have it in your stash and want to review it, that's fine. Tell us why you like it, why you don't, etc. As in-depth as you can get. Details are good! From these entries, I'll put all names in a bowl and draw a winner, also open til August 27th.

You can enter both contests if you like. But if you win with your pic, I'll take your name out of the running for the other drawing, just to be fair.

Prizes include yarn and goodies, and I'll post pics as soon as the last little goody comes in the mail. And be sure to thank Jessi, as she donated some stitch markers for our prize! Thank you Jessi! Pics soon, promise.

Now go forth and take lots of creative ~~naked~~ knitting pictures!

KIP photo(s) for the contest

2007-08-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the panhandlers who occasionally are seen around town, hoping for handouts from motorists stopped at intersections, this is my take on it! The closeup is provided so you can see the writing on my sign! ....... Nicola :o)

(clicking on the image will make it bigger)

My Entry For The Contest

2007-08-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

I just remembered that I didn't put a link on the site to my contest entry. D'OH!

The picture was taken at Orange Beach, AL and the sock is made out of Panda Cotton, a lovely wool-free yarn.

Berroco Comfort

2007-08-25T18:03:00.001-07:00

This is 50& acrylic 50% nylon, I am making a sweater for DS2 from it. He is off to college and I needed a yarn that could be college worthy, LOL. It is very very soft and I haven't started yet but think it will be a terrific yarn to work with.

Knit in Public Contest

2007-08-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

Here's my entry for the knitting in public part of the contest. It's finally been nice enought here in Minnesota to go outside!

Yarn Review Contest: Berrocco Love It

2007-08-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

Berrocco Love It is a cotton-acrylic blend yarn (58% cotton/ 38% Acrylic/ 4% polyester) that has a nice amount of elasticity to it, making it a very comfortable yarn to work with. It comes in a wide variety of both solid and variegated colors. Each ball contains 1.75 oz/50 grams and measures out to 120 yards/110 meters of yarny goodness. The gauge, using size 8 US (5mm) needles is 18 stitches over 4". The yarn is machine washable but the tag suggests laying it flat to dry. I recently made Calorimetry from Knitty using this yarn and it's very soft and stretchy. I also didn't have any problems with the yarn splitting or doing anything else evil. The only downside to this yarn is that it's a little expensive, I got my one ball from a lys for $7.25. I'd love a sweater made from this yarn, but I just might be too cheap to buy all that yarn! Here's my finished Calorimetry, I used the "lawn" colorway.

My Entry For The Contest

2007-08-23T22:14:00.000-07:00

"KIPass me my margarita, please."
or
"KIParadise"

My Questionnaire

2007-08-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

Here's my Vegan Pal 2 Questionnaire plus a little bit of rambling. It wouldn't be a genuine posting of mine without it!

Whew!

2007-08-21T11:12:00.000-07:00

Wow guys! We have 51 people signed up so far! I'm bowled over, that's more than twice as many as last time.

I've just finished matching up all of your various identities into one place, so keep an eye on "the answers" in that top right sidebar since that's where I'll be updating.

And now, I have a favor to ask of you.

Please click over there and make sure I've got all your information correct. The first link should be to your answers, the second to your Blogger ID page, the third to your Swap Bot ID page and then any other blogs or aliases. Send me a note (deceptivelypackaged at gmail dot com) or leave a comment if I made a mistake or if you want me to add or remove anything. And if your first word isn't a link then send me the link to your answers. If your answers aren't posted by August 31st, you'll be pulled from the swap. Which is why this is a post and an email. I want everyone to know about the deadline! And a huge thank you to all of you who have already posted your answers and commented to let me know!

xoxo
Ellie

Twistytree_79/Becky's post!

2007-08-21T10:52:00.001-07:00

What is/are your craft(s), & how long have you been doing it/them?

Well, I am a novice knitter and have been doing that whenever I have time for about 6 or 7 months. I also dabble a bit in painting with acrylics and I enjoy pencil drawing. Other than that I do crafty things as they come along.

2. Are you a vegan, vegetarian, veg-curious, veg-friendly or other?

I’m a vegetarian and have been for about 6 years. I try to go vegan now and then but usually fall off the vegan wagon due to some form of cheese. Cheese is my nemesis. I am trying to get into the Peace Corps so it looks like I may have to start eating meat again soon which I am not looking forward to. But there are just some areas of the world that culturally and nutritionally you cannot be a vegetarian.

3. Is this your first swap, or have you done previous swaps before? What makes a swap enjoyable for you?
I have never done a swap before but it struck my curiosity so I am looking forward!

4. What is/are your favorite color(s)? Do you particularly dislike any color(s)?
I’m a fan of the blues and greens. I like darker colors mostly. There really isn’t a color that I dislike. I’m not really a pink kind of girl though.

5. Do you have any allergies (such as pets, foods, fibers or cigarette smoke)?
Yeah unfortunately. I am allergic to any creature with hair, furr, or feathers, dust, dander, pollen, grass, weeds, trees, mold, mildew, and so on. Basically mother nature is trying to kill me.

6. Do you have any companion animals? If so, name(s) and type(s)?*
I have two cats: Potter and Fauna. Potter is a male black and white cat and Fauna is a tortie. Both are shorthaired and adorable.

7. Do you collect anything?
*cough cough* I collect the Naruto collectable card game cards. *cough cough* Yeah I know my nerd points just went up…

8. Do you have a favorite vegan food, snack or dish? If no fav that's vegan (for those who aren't vegan), what's your favorite food? (Hopefully your pal can find a vegan version!)
Hmmm. I am not really a picky vegetarian. I hate beets. That’s about it. I love seitan, tempeh although I am terrible at cooking it, anything unique. I love almond milk. Mmmmm. I love seitan strips. I will try anything once so send me something new!!!

9. What are some of your favorite/least favorite tastes/flavors? (e.g. sweet, salty, chocolate, crunchy, smooth, tart, sour, spicy, thai, whatever - Help your pal get a feel for what kind of recipes you might like and/or never ever make.)
Well, like I said there isn’t a lot of food that I dislike. I’m more of a sweet person than a salty person. I don’t like things that are really really chewy. I absolutely hate beets. I like food of just about every ethnicity but not too hot. I love asian food, greek food, middle eastern food, soul food (born and raised in the south), anything interesting like granny smith apples on my sandwiches, etc.

10. What tools/supplies/accessories for your craft(s) are you wishing you had but don't? Also, what do you have TOO many of? (basically a wish and anti-wish list)
I purge pretty often so I don’t have too little of anything. I could use a bag of some kind to put my knitting in. I can always use new paintbrushes and artist pencils. My knitting needle collection is tiny (newby) so I could use more of those too.

11. Are you on Ravelry? What's your handle?
I’m on the waiting list….

12. Is there anything else you would like your pal to know about you?
Hmmmm. I love anime especially Naruto, Bleach, 12 Kingdoms, Trigun, Witch Hunter Robin, Hellsing, etc. I am a huge environmentalist, I love the outdoors, I volunteer at a primate reserve, I love to read and I am always looking for good books. I enjoy scrabble, poker, and spades (the game not the tool). I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan.

13. What scents do you like/dislike?
I hate flowery scents and vanilla. I love eucalyptus, lavender, things that smell liked baked goods, citrus, clean crisp smells that aren’t overwhelming.

14. Do you prefer fall or Halloween or some other Autumn theme?
I like the fall. Cool weather and such. I could care less about Halloween myself.

15. Just for fun - tell your favorite Halloween or Autumn related memory.
Well I can’t think of one in particular, I just always remember that awesome feeling when the weather gets cooler and the nights get longer. I do recall how neat I thought it was when I moved from Florida to Colorado (when I was 15) and saw snow for the first time. I thought it was pretty cool that snow piled up on telephone and electric wires. That amuses me.

So you wanna know about me...

2007-08-20T22:26:00.001-07:00

So I got this invite... it says "ellie has invited you to contribute to her blog." Well, my dear friend Melissa frequently refers to herself as Ellie Mae, and she's about the only person in the universe who reads my blog, so naturally I assumed... and then I saw it was called "Vegan Pals"... and while Melissa may be a little into the natural foods thing, and does occasionally stray to the vegetarian side, she is no vegan and she knows very well that I am a meativore.... took me a minute to catch up. But now I'm here! You're not Melissa, but that's ok too. And so on to the questionaire! Right after I pull the laundry out of the dryer...

1. What is/are your craft(s), & how long have you been doing it/them?
I knit, I cook and I write. I'm trying to get into jewelry-making but suspect I don't have the patience for the little pieces. I can cross-stitch, sew, quilt, and latch-hook, but I'm awful at crochet. Can you tell half my family is Mormon? Yeah... The latch-hook bit did teach me however, how to very easily weave in yarn ends with a crochet hook. I've cooked and written forever... although the writing is back after a couple of years hiatus (yeah!!) and I've knit for about 5 years, although the first three I wasn't very good at it, then I learned that the bar owner who taught me to knit (after a bottle of sake) taught me funny and that's why my knitting doesn't look like other peoples. Now I can translate patterns very easily to my style and I can actually knit things!

2. Are you a vegan, vegetarian, veg-curious, veg-friendly or other?
I'm not opposed to vegetables... nor am I opposed to eating say... raw steak. I guess you could call it veg-friendly.... I like good food, in all it's forms. There.

3. Is this your first swap, or have you done previous swaps before? What makes a swap enjoyable for you?
I have done a number of previous swaps. A swap is enjoyable for me if my partner and I have at least a little something in common, can understand eachother a bit and each put in the time and effort to really care. Anyone can send a package... but I'm not a cookie cutter and I won't send you a bland, disinterested package in the hopes that you won't send me one... The very best swaps are where people have taken what we have in common and expanded on it... recommended or sent something new that they think I would like based on my existing preferences... something funny or neat or new that they came across and thought of me.

4. What is/are your favorite color(s)? Do you particularly dislike any color(s)?
My favorite color is blue. In any shade. I love blue and burgundy and black and dark green... I'm a jewel tone girl. Trying to expand into earth tones. So far I kinda like brown. I hate yellow and it hates me back. I'm clumsy and a terrible housekeeper and live in my kitchen so white just isn't safe around me.

5. Do you have any allergies (such as pets, foods, fibers or cigarette smoke)?
I'm allergic to citric acid and fake sugar eats holes in my stomach. I'm not allergic to animals and I do smoke. In the house.

6. Do you have any companion animals? If so, name(s) and type(s)?
I have two spoiled rotten fat black shelter cats whom we call the Monkeys.... Their names are Gibson and Luna. I've largely taught them which yarn is theirs and which is mine.... but we're still working on it.

7. Do you collect anything?
Oh, boy, do I.... but I'm trying to stop (yeah, like that works...) because I hope to go work on a boat for a while in another couple of months.... which means it will all get boxed up and collect dust... especially since I will be shipping it all back to California as my new home port. So, technically, I'm not allowed to buy myself any books, Cary Grant movies, cookie cutters, souvenir shot glasses, board games etc....

8. Do you have a favorite vegan food, snack or dish? If no fav that's vegan (for those who aren't vegan), what's your favorite food? (Hopefully your pal can find a vegan version!)
Ooh...that's tougher than I thought it would be... uhh..Marlboros are vegan, right? No, just kidding... I know, I know, gin and Marlboros are not technically food groups... I'm not a huge snack food person... no potato chips, Cheetos, cookies, etc... i like pretzels and... ooh! Fruit roll-ups! I know you can get those vegan! Who doesn't love those?? Or nuts. I like nuts and dried fruit. Some of those hard granola bars are gross.. Aww... the Monkeys curled up together.... she's licking his head...
Sorry, got distracted... they are cute.

9. What are some of your favorite/least favorite tastes/flavors? (e.g. sweet, salty, chocolate, crunchy, smooth, tart, sour, spicy, thai, whatever - Help your pal get a feel for what kind of recipes you might like and/or never ever make.)
I don't go in for over-sweet or uber-spicy. And "tart" usually implies the above chemical I'm allergic too...seriously, read the packaging, it's everywhere. I don't like salty and sweet things like chocolate covered pretzels, and despite my obsession with coffee, chocolate-covered espresso beans are just gross. I love new foods.. interesting combinations that work... like lavender and pink pepper crackers... funky middle-eastern nuts that no one's ever heard of and Hebrew fruit pastes that make great stuffing... mushroom-filled meat imitations rock. Mushroom risotto cakes... there was a company that made veggie mushroom burgers but they went under and I miss them. I love chocolate, dark rich chocolate, but please don't break my heart with carob or fig imitations. I just might cry. If you want me to bring you roses, Guittard makes a product called "Onyx" that's 72% pure chocolate and King Arthur sells it for $7/pound. I just might marry you.... It's not vegan though. I cook, and five years of fine-dining kitchens around the country have made me the biggest food snob... I find lobster and foie gras and caviar boring, but I'm obsessed with Rainier cherries and Dungeness crab. I don't think they taste good together though... I like red wine and pomegranates and fig balsamic with a hint of vanilla.... Ok, i'm listing meats now so I'll shut up.

10. What tools/supplies/accessories for your craft(s) are you wishing you had but don't? Also, what do you have TOO many of? (basically a wish and anti-wish list)
I need point protectors(lots of them), row and stitch counters. Badly. And knitting graph paper would be awesome... I know you can print it somewhere online but I don't have a printer. I have a ton of red yarn. Yeah, I know... and a lot of novelty stuff I don't know what to do with. I've got every texture on the planet and I just look at it and think about how tired I am of stockinette stitches.... Cool SMALL patterns would be awesome. I'm not that patient. I just spent all weekend on a Fair Isle coffee cupholder on dpns for a friend of mine... it's awesome. My first Fair Isle and the only thing I've ever finished on dpns.... they don't travel well and I like to haul my knitting with me everywhere. Thus the need for point protectors... and a smaller crochet hook, for weaving in ends on little projects... maybe I'll get a ball winder one day, but for now I just use jodi's.
I would like some brown yarn. Maybe even some yellow... just for Fair Isle patterns... I've acquired a fair amount of forest green lately.... Black and white are always welcome... and sock yarn! I wanna make socks. Gonna try the Magic Loop method... see if that's saner than these dpns....

11. Are you on Ravelry? What's your handle?
No and don't have one. Have to check it out, I guess...

12. Is there anything else you would like your pal to know about you?
I'm a little wacky.... hence the raw steak eating person joining the vegan swap.... but I'm open-minded and lots of people still think I'm cool... although I think the most recent general consensus is "crazy and scary, but in a good way..." whatever that means. I live in New Orleans and miss California every single day. I hate trumpets. I hate them. I like big books with big flowery sentences and very little plot... or with very very deep thoughts and I read them by the pool with a drink in the middle of summer.... I like boys and I want to go to Turkey for a year. I don't know why you should know that, but I'm trying to give you an idea of who I am, and I've never really managed to make anyone understand me in even the basest sense.... so I'll ply you with random facts about me and hope it gives you a clearer impression...

13. What scents do you like/dislike?
I like flower scents and spice scents, and not overly sweet fruity or vanilla scents. I like musks (I'm dating a boy who wears Drakkar.... oh my god, I love that smell! I wish all men would wear it... I'd like them so much better) Roses and jasmine and gardenia are my absolute favorites... but I've got white tea + ginger, blackcurrant and thyme, pomegranate something.... are you getting an idea?

14. Do you prefer fall or Halloween or some other Autumn theme?
Umm... all of the above. Not big on the orange and neon green, but otherwise down with Halloween... being Pagan helps. Fall is ok, so long as it doesn't proceed a cold winter... but I live in Louisiana so there's not much chance of that. Autumn is a mellowing time for me... I go a little wild in the summer, so as the weather cools, so do I. I like pumpkins. I like snakes too... has nothing to do with fall, just a random fact... I like lizards and snakes and frogs and tarantulas, but I can't stand birds.

15. Just for fun - tell your favorite Halloween or Autumn related memory.

I was so young I can hardly remember, but when I was about 6, my school had this Halloween carnival... All the parents would bring the kids and bags of candy and when the kids went in the parents would surrender the candy to the candy table and go off and do parent things mostly while us little brats ran around like maniacs playing games and riding rides and going through the haunted house in the gym.... it was really cool. At the end of the night, when it was time to go, you and your parents would go to the candy table and they had mixed up all the candy and put it in a bag for you and they had a plate of other treats and it was like you had gone trick-or-treating except that you were safe in the school with your friends and just a bunch of parents and teachers playing games and stuff all night. I think that was the best idea ever but I've never seen another school that did it and we moved away the next year.

My Favorite Yarn (Contest Entry)

2007-08-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

If perchance you actually read my blog or ever read the darn questionnaires we are forced to fill out for these swaps you already know what I am going to say. My work is done. There you go Cass, enter my name in the bowl. Oh wait, I am sure there are swappers here who have no idea who I am so I guess I have better go through with my long drawn out love for my favorite yarn, the love of my life.

My irony, Blue Sky Alpaca Organic or Dyed Cotton. Does anyone else in this group of fine knitters and crocheters find this hysterically funny besides me? It is my all time favorite yarn and it comes from a company with the word ALPACA in it. Something I am HIGHLY allergic too and most of you in this group would also never touch. It knits such beauty and is definitely not itchy at all like the name of the company would have you think.

Each lovely hank contains 150 luscious yards and it's gauge is 16 stitches per 4". You can use a US7 - US9 needle and it is highly suggested that you hand wash it. Each hank usually runs approx. $9.95. It is extremely soft to the hands as you knit with it and if for some reason you would have to frog a stitch or two or even a row or three (you'd never have to do that, right?) this is the easiest yarn by far that I have ever had the pleasure (yes I said pleasure) of frogging. The end products turn out just wonderful as well as you can see:

This is a baby sweater for a friend's baby due in October. Pattern is partially the 5-hour baby sweater as a leaping off point, partially my own re-write all soft and cuddly.

Try some Blue Sky Alpaca Organic or Dyed Cotton, you won't be disappointed.

My vote for favourite yarn (for the contest)

2007-08-19T22:19:00.000-07:00

My favourite yarn at the moment is James C Brett "Marble". Take a look at my blog and that will be obvious. Just this year I have made a hat, sweater, shawl, fingerless gloves, a scarf and a beret out of this yarn (links below), in addition to some mittens and legwarmers last year. It's "only" acrylic but it has a nice feel to it, not cheap or scratchy. The colours are what keep me interested - there is a constant strand of one colour, plied with a strand that changes as you knit. Grey with a pink/purple, grey with yellow/brown, grey with turquoise/blue, shades of autumn, green with pink, berry with blue/green. I buy it at my local yarn store, Kelowna Yarn and Needlecrafts, and it's $5.99 for a 100g ball.
Here are some links to my knitting -
http://fourfriendsandablog.blogspot.com/2007/07/quality-knitting-time.html (scarf, beret)
http://fourfriendsandablog.blogspot.com/2007/07/at-last-finished-knitting-project-and.html (fingerless gloves with pattern)
http://fourfriendsandablog.blogspot.com/2007/06/bread-and-knitting-two-of-staples-of.html (shawl)
http://fourfriendsandablog.blogspot.com/2007/02/sweater-is-finished-at-last.html (sweater)

Vegan Pal Swap Questionairre for Christel Weixelman

2007-08-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

What is/are your craft(s), & how long have you been doing it/them?

I have been painting actively for a little over two years now, though I have pretty much always done art in some medium. I did woodblock printing for a little while, then 3D computer modeling and rendering, but I was never really good at that. I paint on canvas and also like to paint functional objects like boxes, photo frames, even shoes. I do a small amount of collage as well, but not to sell, more just for swaps and personal enjoyment. I also have been crocheting since I was about 8, and have done a small amount of knitting but I'm very limited in my skill in that area. I've never been able to follow patterns. I just make it up as I go along. I like to sew a little too. I don't have a machine, I just hand sew. Mostly little dolls and stuffies.

2. Are you a vegan, vegetarian, veg-curious, veg-friendly or other? I'm veg-friendly I guess. I have multiple food sensitivities which make it difficult to eat out (can't have dairy as I am lactose intolerant, anything but very lean meat, egg yolks, fried food, caffeine, or too much fat) so I tend to look for vegan restaurants as I can usually eat almost anything they serve. I have to watch the amount of whole grains, raw vegetables, dried fruits, and beans I eat, but I can have all of them in limited quantities. I have found that if I don't eat them at all it really messes with my digestion, but so does eating a ton of them.

I'm also allergic to wool and other animal fibers, so my yarn generally has to be vegan.

3. Is this your first swap, or have you done previous swaps before? What makes a swap enjoyable for you?

I have done lots of swaps before, including the first Vegan Pal one. I love shopping for other people, and making things for people, so swaps give me a great excuse to do that.

4. What is/are your favorite color(s)? Do you particularly dislike any color(s)?

My favorite colors are hot pink and bright orange. I like any colors that are bright, icy pastels, black and white. The only colors I don't like as much are dark colors like burgundy, navy blue, forest green. I wear a lot more colors than just bright ones though. I wear a lot of brown and, tan, avocado green even though I don't use those colors much for other things.

5. Do you have any allergies (such as pets, foods, fibers or cigarette smoke)?

I'm allergic to wool, mohair, cashmere, angora, down, most other animal hair or feathers. I'm also allergic to cats and dogs, but to a lesser degree. If a stray dog or cat hair makes it into a box it is no big deal. I am pretty much fine unless there is a cat on my lap rubbing it's head under my nostrils. I'm allergic to cilantro but I eat it anyway. I have to eat a half a pound before it really does anything.

6. Do you have any companion animals? If so, name(s) and type(s)?*

I have a blood parrot cichlid (fish) named Boo Boo, and my boyfriend has a pleco. I used ot have a lot more fish but I left them in Anchorage when I moved to Seattle. I just brought Boo Boo with me. He's a big boy, about a year and a half old, but he'll be as big as my hand (and twice as fat) in a couple more years.

7. Do you collect anything?

I collect art, mostly originals but I have a few prints. I buy art from etsy and artbyus mainly. Mostly small pieces because I have a small apartment and don't have a lot of space so I hang up small pieces in groupings. I also collect vintage stuff from the 50's though 70's. Nothing in particular, just things I like, and I especially go for orange or hot pink things.

8. Do you have a favorite vegan food, snack or dish? If no fav that's vegan (for those who aren't vegan), what's your favorite food? (Hopefully your pal can find a vegan version!)

I love gardenburger riblets, soy ice cream, chocolate and other flavors of soy milk but not vanilla so much, dried fruit, nuts, I like the carageenan based gel desserts but strangely I don't like Jell-O (the texture is different), and there is a pizza place a few blocks down that has vegan pizza by the slice and it really really good. I missed pizza a lot when I had to stop eating dairy. I also love all kinds of candy, but I can only eat very small amounts of dark chocolate because of the fat and caffeine (like peppermint patties). Fruity candies are my favorite. I love caffeine free tea and soy cocoa.

9. What are some of your favorite/least favorite tastes/flavors? (e.g. sweet, salty, chocolate, crunchy, smooth, tart, sour, spicy, thai, whatever - Help your pal get a feel for what kind of recipes you might like and/or never ever make.)

I don't like tamarind, chutney, not overly fond of indian or korean food, don't like hot and sour soup or anything that is really vinegary, and I'm kind of a wuss when it comes to spicy food. I like it but can only handle a small amount of heat. I love anything sweet. Love fruit. Salty and crunchy is good. I like thai food. I hate nori. Durian is nasty.

10. What tools/supplies/accessories for your craft(s) are you wishing you had but don't? Also, what do you have TOO many of? (basically a wish and anti-wish list)

I can always use more paintbrushes because I'm hard on them and have to replace them often. I use up yarn fast and always can use more. Wrapped canvases and wooden things to paint always get used up quickly. I use a lot of those little round magnets too when I make painted magnets. Wooden light switch covers I use a lot. I don't use ribbons and beads as much, but I like interesting ones. I'm kind of wanting to get back into polymer clay and soapmaking, and I always like trying out new crafts. I am not opposed to acrylic yarn, especially ones that are very soft, and I like to try out novelty yarns. I use craft paints for painting rather than traditional acrylic. I like the Apple Barrel and Folk Art brands.

11. Are you on Ravelry? What's your handle?

I don't know what that is so I guess not.

12. Is there anything else you would like your pal to know about you?

Um. I like true crime novels and art books. :)

13. What scents do you like/dislike?

I don't like vanilla or bubblegum scents, or very strong florals (like Chanel no. 5). I like almost any kinds of fruity scents, baked goods and sweets, root beer, chocolate, LOVE citrus and lemongrass, spicy scents and sandalwood, mint, green scents, woodsy scents. I like unconventional ones like Demeter makes, grass, tomato leaf, play-doh, dirt... lol.

14. Do you prefer fall or Halloween or some other Autumn theme?

I am partial to Halloween just for the candy aspect. Plus the colors are more in line with what I like. Purple, green, orange, yellow, black and white. :)

15. Just for fun - tell your favorite Halloween or Autumn related memory.

When I was in the tenth grade I was a Christmas tree for Halloween. I hot glued tons of pine garland to a t-shirt and it had battery operated lights and ornaments and everything. It was very bulky and awkward. I even stuck a pine tree air freshener inside my shirt. My mom made me an appointment with the dentist for right after school that day so I had to go to the dentist in my costume.

Quick Note About Questionaires

2007-08-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

I'm starting a Ravelry group for us, but many of you posted your Questionaires before we finalized the questions. Could you please check to see that you've posted all the questions- you should have 15 total.

If you are on Ravelry and did not receive an invitation to the group there, please leave me a comment with your Ravelry name here. Or you can find the group Vegan Pal 2 at Ravelry.

Thanks!
Cass

Questionnaire Up

2007-08-19T03:59:00.000-07:00

My questionnaire is on my blog

My answers

2007-08-16T02:38:00.000-07:00

Hi, my answers to the questionnaire can be found here:

http://sarahalliez.blogspot.com/2007/08/vegan-pal-2.html

Looking forward to getting involved!

Sarah x (veganknitter)

My answers

2007-08-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

Hello! I am new here. Nice to meet you! My name is Flora. I have a blog. Sorry it is in Chinese. However, my English answer is there! Welcome to take a look.

FYI

2007-08-14T08:00:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to give you all a heads up that I'll be away from regular internet access from Wednesday through Saturday, so I'll be a little behind on updating the posted questionnaires and responding to emails. But keep those posts coming and tell your friends there's still time to sign up! More than half of you have your answers up already - thanks!
I hope you all have a lovely week. I'll be back to nagging the rest of you after the weekend :)
xoxo
Ellie

Questionaire Responses

2007-08-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

I do not have a blog so I'm posting my questionaire responses here.

1.What is/are your craft(s), & how long have you been doing it/them?
I draw and paint, as well as do lots of photography. I love decorating and wrapping gifts. I need to get back in touch with my crafty side, so I would love to try candle making and book making. I would also like to start knitting again. I used to knit all the time but haven’t for the last few years.

2.Are you a vegan, vegetarian, veg-curious, veg-friendly or other?
I am a vegan.

3.Is this your first swap, or have you done previous swaps before? What makes a swap enjoyable for you?
This would be my second swap. I love the anticipation of receiving my package and then opening it up to see what goodies are inside. I also love giving to others.

4.What is/are your favorite color(s)? Do you particularly dislike any color(s)?
I like neutral and earthy tones, like browns, blacks, beiges, greens, etc… I also don’t mind a lighter pink or blue/aqua, especially when paired with a more earthy tone like brown.

5.Do you have any allergies (such as pets, foods, fibers or cigarette smoke)?
Yes, I’m allergic to wool but being a vegan, I don’t see that being a problem. I am also allergic to certain metals. For example, I’m not allergic to silver per se but I am allergic to some of the alloys they mix with silver. One of my worst allergies is sterling silver but I do own silver jewelery that is not sterling with no problems.

6.Do you have any companion animals? If so, name(s) and type(s)?*
I have a cat, Oskar, and two guinea pigs, George and Spencer.

7.Do you collect anything?
I actually collect old Polaroid cameras. Otherwise, I don’t really collect anything but I seem to have amassed things like unique handmade paper, cool and unique chopsticks, cookbooks, fridge magnets, and art supplies.

8.Do you have a favorite vegan food, snack or dish? If no fav that's vegan (for those who aren't vegan), what's your favorite food? (Hopefully your pal can find a vegan version!)
Chocolate. I love anything sweet. Otherwise, I’m pretty open to all kinds of flavours. I’m really not adverse to anything.

9.What are some of your favorite/least favorite tastes/flavors? (e.g. sweet, salty, chocolate, crunchy, smooth, tart, sour, spicy, Thai, whatever - Help your pal get a feel for what kind of recipes you might like and/or never ever make.)
I love all kinds of food. It’s so hard to name a favourite. I love fried tofu, Tai, Indian, Japanese, and anything leafy and green. I also prefer to cook from whole ingredients rather than prepackaged food.

10.What tools/supplies/accessories for your craft(s) are you wishing you had but don't? Also, what do you have TOO many of? (basically a wish and anti-wish list)
I'd rather receive things that I can use or I don’t mind something tasty and edible. I don’t have much in terms of knitting supplies, including patterns, so I would not mind something to get me started.

11.Are you on Ravelry? What's your handle?
No

12.Is there anything else you would like your pal to know about you?
I love elephants , baking, being creative, yoga, and watching sci fi.

13.What scents do you like/dislike?
I dislike scents that are reminiscent of food, except for orange/tangerine. I also really like earthy smells.

14.Do you prefer fall or Halloween or some other Autumn theme?
I prefer Autumn.

15.Just for fun - tell your favorite Halloween or Autumn related memory.
Enjoying mulled apple cider and homemade apple crisp on the front porch with my husband, while handing out treats to the neighbourhood children.

The questionnaires

2007-08-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

I'm just making this a post that I'll link to in the sidebar and keep updating, rather than creating a new page.

It goes like this: blog name : blogger account name : swapbot account name : others

Adventures of My Creativity : Sharon : Sharon
Alabama Fiber Dreams : Bubblesknits : bubblesknits
Becky (answers on Vegan Pal 2 blog) : Rebecca : twistytree_79 : Becky
bottleandball : Jill : bottleandball
Bunnies, needles and books : YowlYY : YowlYY : Gabriella
caffeinated knitter : B : myhobbyisyarn
Cainna (answers on Vegan Pal 2 blog) : Cainna : Cainna
Cake Maker to the Stars : Kittee : kittee
chaifae : mishka : mishka
Christel : Christel : Christel Weixelman
deceptivelypackaged : ellie : Ellie
ekittie : ekittie : ekittie
Ennanella : Ennanella : Ennanella
Everyday Autumn : meg : everydayautumn
Four Friends and a Blog : Nicola : Nicola
Fun Spirited Girl : Angelina : Angela
get your hook on : KathyMarie : KathyMarie
JanKnit : JanKnit : Jan-Knit
Just Knitting Around : Twin_number2 : Coffee&Knitting
keltycphoenyx : Phoenyx : Phoenyx
Kith and Kin : 000000 : sweetea
KnitTea : Channon : KnitTea
Knitting Bunny : Ninni : Knitting Bunny
Knitting Knut : Cheryl : Cheryl
Life on Sesame Street : Heather : sesame street knitter
Look what I knit! : Simone : tikidoll
LuC (answers on Vegan Pal 2 blog) : LuC : LuC
Luscious Fibers : Suzanne : Suzanne
maethebear : maethebear : maethebear
Muffin Army : Lithmire : Lithmire
My ruminations : Janice : Joyfulgirl415
Norfolk Craft Mafia (answers on Vegan Pal 2 blog) : Norfolk Craft Mafia : myaimistrue : Amber : My Aim is True (blog) :
Norfolk Craft Mafia (blog)
orangebuttercat : Jennifer : Jennifer L.
pen&purl : pen & purl : pen & purl
prattflora : prattflora : nyflorac
Rites of Passage : Debbie : Debbie
sarahmade : sarah : sarah hood
Shut Up I'm Counting : Cass : Cass
Simplified Life : Dawn ; ) : Dawn ;)
singing softly : caryn : caryn
Süßstoff : Süßstoff : suessstoff
Sweet little domestic life : robyn : Robyn
tangled4life : Megs : Megs
that crazy cook (answers on Vegan Pal 2 blog) : Amelia : shecooks : that crazy cook (blog)
Tricotine : Isabelle aka Tricotine : Tricotine
VeganCraftastic : VeganCraftastic : Kala
Vegan Knitting... and then some : Vegan Knitting : Emily
Vegan Purls : Michelle : veganpurls
What's life without a Martini? : Shannon : Berrytini
which it is raining yarn : whichit : whichit
with a light heart that clicks : Carla : Carla
The world of veganknitter : veganknitter : veganknitter : Sarah x
yogurt & granola : Catherine : Catherine
ysolda : ysolda : ysolda

Answers

2007-08-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

I do have my own blog, but I'm switching it to a different bloghost, but I don't know where to yet. So, I made up a little page here so that it'll be there when it's needed.

>>Link to my answers<<

Thanks!

My questionnaire

2007-08-10T11:36:00.001-07:00

Hey, I have a blog but I'd rather post this here if that's ok!

What is/are your craft(s), & how long have you been doing it/them?
I knit (3 years), sew (2ish years), and dabble in handmade cosmetics, paper crafts, interior design, etc! I also paint and draw which I've been doing pretty much my whole life.
Are you a vegan, vegetarian, veg-curious, veg-friendly or other?
I'm a vegan.
Is this your first swap, or have you done previous swaps before? What makes a swap enjoyable for you?
I've done lots of swaps! I love getting a pretty, colorful mix of objects that are useful. I'd rather receive things I can use over and over, or something like food that can be consumed right away than something semi-disposable.
What is/are your favorite color(s)? Do you particularly dislike any color(s)?
Aqua/tiffany blue, acid green/chartreuse, fire engine red, steel grayish blue, fuschia, olive green, black, gray. I don't really like royal blue/navy blue, bright purple, bright jeweltones.
Do you have any allergies (such as pets, foods, fibers or cigarette smoke)?
Nope.
Do you have any companion animals? If so, name(s) and type(s)?*
I have a Boston terrier named Kyla.
Do you collect anything?
I'm starting to collect handmade plush.
Do you have a favorite vegan food, snack or dish? If no fav that's vegan (for those who aren't vegan), what's your favorite food? (Hopefully your pal can find a vegan version!)
Cookies! I love peanut butter too.
What are some of your favorite/least favorite tastes/flavors? (e.g. sweet, salty, chocolate, crunchy, smooth, tart, sour, spicy, thai, whatever - Help your pal get a feel for what kind of recipes you might like and/or never ever make.)
My favorite types of food are Indian, Thai, Japanese and Mexican. I like spicy things! I'm really not very picky but I prefer to cook from whole ingredients rather than prepackaged convenience foods. I don't like processed stuff or anything with high fructose corn syrup, etc.
What tools/supplies/accessories for your craft(s) are you wishing you had but don't? Also, what do you have TOO many of? (basically a wish and anti-wish list)
I'd love a swift (I have a ball winder) and a thread rack for my wall. I have plenty of knitting needles but I'd like some different lengths of the Knitpicks Options cables. I'd love some stitch markers, I hardly have any! I'd love some way to organize/hold my circular needles.
Are you on Ravelry? What's your handle?
yes - myaimistrue
Is there anything else you would like your pal to know about you?
I like to run. I listen to punk & hardcore. I'm 25. I have cool hair and I'm tattooed.
What scents do you like/dislike?
I like clean, herbal scents and vanilla if it's not too strong. I HATE fake food scents, especially cinnamon.
Do you prefer fall or Halloween or some other Autumn theme?
Fall, please!
Just for fun - tell your favorite Halloween or Autumn related memory.
I love going on hayrides and sitting in front of bonfires snuggled up next to my boyfriend. I love wearing hoodies and scarves and boots. Autumn is my favorite season!

Vegan Pal 2 Questionnaire!

2007-08-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

All right swappers, we'll call this the official questionnaire. Please read the following instructions before posting!

Please post your questionnaire to your blog as soon as possible and leave a comment on this post telling me that you have and leave a persistent link to your questionnaire. I'll make a list of all the swappers with a link directly to their answers to help out the pals. I think making sure everyone's questionnaire is completed before we assign partners is more important than keeping the questionnaire at the top of your blog. You could be nice though and on September 1st leave a link to your answers on a new post.

If you don't have a blog, consider starting one through blogger since you now have an account. If you don't want to, that's fine too, just post your answers in a new post on this blog since you're considered one of the authors. If you need help, send me an email deceptivelypackaged at gmail dot com.

Which reminds me, all of you are now authors of this blog, so feel free to post. The exception would be a few of you who haven't yet replied to my invite, so if you don't see yourself listed on the sidebar there, double check your spam filters and look for an invitation from blogger to join this blog. If you don't have one, send me an email from your preferred email address and I'll re-send your invitation.

This is a secret swap - so only reveal yourself in your package. You can use an anonymous email address if you want to communicate with your pal, or just leave anonymous comments. Be sure to contact your pal in the first week of September so she knows you're thinking of her.

And with that housekeeping out of the way, on to the questions!

What is/are your craft(s), & how long have you been doing it/them?
Are you a vegan, vegetarian, veg-curious, veg-friendly or other?
Is this your first swap, or have you done previous swaps before? What makes a swap enjoyable for you?
What is/are your favorite color(s)? Do you particularly dislike any color(s)?
Do you have any allergies (such as pets, foods, fibers or cigarette smoke)?
Do you have any companion animals? If so, name(s) and type(s)?*
Do you collect anything?
Do you have a favorite vegan food, snack or dish? If no fav that's vegan (for those who aren't vegan), what's your favorite food? (Hopefully your pal can find a vegan version!)
What are some of your favorite/least favorite tastes/flavors? (e.g. sweet, salty, chocolate, crunchy, smooth, tart, sour, spicy, thai, whatever - Help your pal get a feel for what kind of recipes you might like and/or never ever make.)
What tools/supplies/accessories for your craft(s) are you wishing you had but don't? Also, what do you have TOO many of? (basically a wish and anti-wish list)
Are you on Ravelry? What's your handle?
Is there anything else you would like your pal to know about you?
What scents do you like/dislike?
Do you prefer fall or Halloween or some other Autumn theme?
Just for fun - tell your favorite Halloween or Autumn related memory.

*If you find out that you've been assigned a pal who is deathly allergic to animals and you have a house full of them, please let us know so we can shuffle the pals around.

Never fear!

2007-08-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

Cass tells me that there has been some disappointment over the lack of a full blow secret pal style swap. Well never fear! Based on your feedback, we're doing this quickie swap now, and then the full blown one later in the year, perhaps after SP 11 wraps up.

Cass has some great contest ideas so contact her if you want to help with that: ideas, organization, prize wrangling, prize donating, etc. and keep watching the blog for Vegan Pal 3 information. If anyone has any contacts at FoodFight, I'd love to hook up with them. Please recommend other great places for vegan items so we can add them to the resources sidebar.

Thanks!
xoxo
Ellie