For Real!

Hey loves! I hope everyone had a fab weekend!

I drove up to Madison, WI to hang out with a couple of girlfriends. We had a really fun yet lazy time shopping around in cute little stores, walking the city, and eating! We had dinner on Saturday night at The Green Owl, an adorable and delicious vegan/vegetarian restaurant on Atwood Avenue (check out their web site here). This place was adorable! Clean, cozy, friendly, busy but not overly crowded so we were able to sit comfortably and quickly. I had the Crabby Cake Po'Boy - two absolutely mouthwatering tofu-and-mushroom-based crabcakes on a crispy roll with tomato, lettuce, and a chipotle remoulade. I also had a side of Crispy Kale. And for dessert, my friend and I who are both participating in the Super Sexy Sugar Cleanse split the Apple Crisp - a conveniently sugar-free (!!!) ramekin filled with agave-sweetened apples with cinnamon and a crumbled nut topping. Mmmm. If you need to grab a meal in Madison, go here!

However, one thing really threw me...here is a photo of the restaurant...


If you can make out this nighttime photo, you can see that it's cute, right? But wait...let's play Peeping Tom and peek into the apartment window above the restaurant. Is that...could it be?...no...a deer head hanging on the wall in the window above a vegan restaurant? Yes, my friends. It's true. It's laughably and ridiculously true. Gotta love a little irony in the world, huh?

And speaking of that sugar cleanse, Week One has gone really well! Really enjoying getting my sugar fix from natural sweeteners. Not enjoying my vanilla soy latte void. Also, last night I had a dream that I was taking a cake decorating class (?) and kept cutting the edges off this chocolate cake and shoveling the frosted pieces into my mouth. In my dream I realized that I was supposed to be on the cleanse and felt really guilty and started composing my confession email in my mind. Then I woke up.

It's Monday! Do something nice for yourself! xoxo

You Can't Live Until You Daiya

I know that Bianca thought she was the last vegan on Earth to try Daiya non-dairy cheese, but I confess: I was! I'd been trying to find it for months only to find out that it's not yet available nationwide (but the good news is that I e-mailed the company and it sounds like it will be available in Whole Foods soon!) So I ordered it off Vegan Essentials along with my Sweet and Sara s'mores and just about daiyaed. I mean died.

First of all, Daiya comes shredded which makes it infinitely easier to put on just about whatever you want. No tricky slicing or dicing involved. Second, this is the creamiest and melts the easiest of all vegan cheese I've tried. It also just tastes the best! Unfortunately it's getting so popular that it's been selling out and I was only able to buy the Italian (mozzarella) flavor at the time, but it only gives me something to look forward to when I get the cheddar!

I tried Daiya on some of my favorite, classically cheesy, standard American heart-attack inducing dishes. Thank goodness vegan food is cholesterol free!

The first meal I used it on was, of course, pizza! A whole wheat crust topped with marinara, mushrooms, broccoli, peppers, and Gimme Lean - and of course, tons and tons of Daiya!

At first I thought the dough hadn't cooked all the way through because I wasn't expecting the intensely creamy texture of the cheese. Awesome!


Here I sauteed a vegan Boca burger and melted Daiya on top in an effort to create an all-American cheeseburger. Worked for me! And my dad, which says a lot!


A plate of absolutely incredible delicious melty nachos.


Here is Daiya sprinkled on a bowl of spicy black bean soup. This was my least favorite way of eating Daiya. I'm not a huge fan of eating plain veg cheese - in fact I always melt it on whatever I'm eating, it just tastes better that way. Maybe I should have popped this in the microwave, but next time I'll skip it on the soup.


And my favorite Daiya experience...drumroll please...


GRILLED CHEESE! I cut up a single roll in four thin slices and made two small sandwiches. Daiya with a little bit of garlic salt in these two small, crispy sandwiches. OH GOD.

Look at that stretch! I'm getting hot and hungry just looking at it.

In short, you really haven't lived until you've tried Daiya. I know that there are a lot of really good vegan cheeses out there, but this is just a whole new level of amazing. Have you tried Daiya? What are you favorite ways to eat it?

Minnesota and South Africa

I'm totally speechless and I just felt like I had to share. Today I received the most amazing comment on my Formspring:

Hello - I am a guy living in a small town in Minnesota. I just wanted you to know that you have changed my life. I recently "came out of the vegetarian closet" to my family. I want to thank you for your humor + wisdom that is getting me through!

This one really touched me. Minnesota Boy, thank you so much for this incredible comment. You have not only made my day but made my work feel so worth it. Congratulations on "coming out" to your fam - you are amazing! Keep doing what you are doing!!!

Please take advantage of my Formspring if you are looking for any advice in your life! Anything at all, does not have to be veg-related! It's anonymous and I can reply right on the site. Seriously, I love to chat and gossip and feel like I'm connecting with people and helping out new friends, so take advantage of me!!!!


On a much more random note and in an attempt to amp up the exciting factor that was so missing yesterday, I wanted to post some fun pictures. Look at this gorgeous plate! We should be eating this colorfully every day! Anyway, last January I took a trip to South Africa where we visited the amazing cities of Cape Town and Johannesburg. South Africa is such an astounding country with fascinating history that still seeks resolution today. I feel so lucky to have been able to go and make such amazing friends. The students that hosted us were so warm and loving, giving up their time and homes to welcome us, foreign strangers, and show us their land and lives. I learned such incredible lessons about the beauty of nature and the innate goodness of human beings. Enjoy the photos and take a moment to appreciate nature, people, culture, and yourself! What are you appreciating today?








And after you're done appreciating, you can top it off with some nice South African pinotage wine... Mmmm. Traditional face painting not required.

Creepy Cravings. And today was super lame.

I wanted to open this post with something fun and exciting, like a funny story from my day. But after a few minutes I came to the realization that nothing happened to me today. There wasn't a single exciting thing for me to share. What?! Lame! Seriously. It was probably the most normal day of my life. So I'll let you all know that yesterday I got a haircut, and thus sums up the excitement of my week.

I need to step up my game, you guys.

Anyway, on to more sub-par excitement...the first two days of the Super Sexy Sugar Cleanse were great, but by Day 3 I've slowly started to notice the cravings creeping back into my life. Suddenly I miss cupcakes. I can't stop thinking about the Coconut Oil Chocolate. The occasional Vanilla Soy Latte I used to enjoy from Starbucks has suddenly left a gaping hole in my life.

However, I've also slowly started to make some cool new discoveries. For example, the magic of dry rolled oats. I usually cook oatmeal with steel cut oats, but who knew that rolled oats are really good eaten dry? Especially if, say, they are coating a banana? And who knew that the Vanilla Rooibos tea from Starbucks is pretty much awesome?! It is sweet, spicy, and smells like apple cider and Christmas.

I've also learned that I eat best when my meals are planned out. There is a lot less time spent nibbling in front of the refrigerator and settling for veggie burgers when you already know that it'll take you five minutes to chop, toss, and end up with a hot delicious stir fry.


Laura Jill made this list of bloggers who are participating in the cleanse, so please feel free to check them out! All of these ladies are freaking fantastic, so click around and support your girls!

• Andria: Veg is Sexy
• Anabell: Imaginary Ordinary Vegan
• Clare: Daily Offering of Gratitude
• Jessica: The Domestic Vegan
• Keri: I Eat Trees
• Kimberly: Caffeinated Mama
• Laura Jill: Veganlicious, Blogalicious
  
• Megan: Vegan. Geek. Crafter. Awesomeasfuck.
  
• Nicole: Another One Bites The Crust
• Renee: Tranquility Reborn

This is totally random, but does anybody care if I post at night versus in the morning? Anyone? Bueller? I don't know if people read blogs more in the morning or evening, so if you have a preference just let me know!

I Love Averie and her amazing Homemade Vegan Coconut Oil Chocolate

On Day 1 I immediately started taking advantage of the sugar cleanse mentality and began searching for desserts that included agave or maple syrup instead of refined sugar. I've realized that for me, using these things "sporadically" really means "whenever I feel like it," so I'm going to have to really work to wean myself off of sweets in general to make this cleanse work.

However, I'm glad I made this discovery because I LOVE IT!!! I have also decided that Averie, whom I adore anyway, is actually a kitchen goddess and needs to be worshiped. Why? Because she created Homemade Vegan Coconut Oil Chocolate!

Oh my dear Lord. This stuff is to die for. I'm a chocoholic and used to love milk chocolate, but since becoming vegan have been trying to find a chocolate I really like. FOUND IT! This deliciousness is made using coconut oil, agave, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. I also added a dash of cinnamon in mine. It is soft, flavorful, sweet, and as healthy and natural as stuffing your face with a chocolate bar can get. Not to mention it's so easy and quick to make and worlds cheaper than any bar you can buy in the store. Click here to Averie's blog for the recipe!

I'm gonna have to kiss this goodbye during the cleanse, but I'll see you next month Coconut Oil Chocolate. I love you.

Madden Girl

Fun fact: I've been 5'7" since I was 10. It's a pretty average-to-tall height when you're 23, but in fifth grade I was basically a giant. So I've always had a bit of a high heel complex and therefore, I have to admit, I'm not one of those girls who goes crazy about shoes. Yes, shoes can make or break an outfit, but I've always just stuck to generically cute with a tiny leg-shaping heel that didn't send me towering over the boys.

All that is about to change. Steve Madden has come out with an AMAZING line of all-vegan footwear called Madden Girl, and after filling my online shopping cart with over $300 worth of kicks I had to brace myself and chose one. I chose the "Sesame" style - trendy, stylish, affordable, and cruelty free...basically what this web site is all about. Veg is SO SEXY, n'est-ce pas?!

And even better than being stylish, they are so comfortable! Sizing is true, but aim higher if you're deciding - I usually buy between size 7.5-8, so I went with the 8 just to be safe and they fit like a glove. You know, for your foot...

You can check out Madden Girl shoes at the Steve Madden web site, they currently have tons of styles and sizes in stock. Or better yet, go read my glowing review of Alternative Outfitters and then head to their web site - they sell Madden Girls as well!

These booties were made for walkin, ladies...


SUGAR CLEANSE UPDATE: Day 1 was great! I'm still in the new-toy-excited phase, so not yet cranky or cravy. I keep trying to concoct sugar-free desserts in my head though, so I'll have to wean myself off the general crap food at some point!

And don't forget my Formspring account! Ask me anything anonymously! Nothing is off limits. It'll be fun ;)

Sweet and Sara S'mores!

This post is scheduled for Sunday night, which is technically not yet Monday, so sugar cleansers forgive this last little bit of temptation...

Earlier this month I was PSYCHED to see one of my favorite vegan companies, Sweet and Sara, featured on the Food Network with their super famous super delicious vegan marshmallows. The spot features their S'mores which I had never had before, so obviously there was only one thing to do: order them off of Vegan Essentials.

If that doesn't say "Excited Inner-Fat-Kid" I don't know what does. (I knew there was a reason I loved Heavyweights.) But seriously. This is something to get excited about. They carry both regular and peanut butter s'more flavors and they are to die for! I even tried putting them in the microwave for 20 seconds like they recommend in the tv spot. I literally said "OH MY GOD" out loud as I took the first bite.

Oh man. Are you drooling yet?

Ok, bye s'more. Time for the Super Sexy Sugar Cleanse!!!! Bring it on!

Old Fashioned Lentil Loaf

After listening to one of the last Food For Thought podcast episodes entitled "For the Love of Lentils" by Colleen Patrick Goudreau, I suddenly began craving...well, lentils. She mentioned that The Vegan Table had a recipe for Old Fashioned Lentil Loaf, so last week I gave it a shot.


Meatloaf was one of our staple family dinners while growing up. And of course the best part of meatloaf dinner is the sandwich leftovers for lunch the next day. I am so pleased to say that the lentil loaf did NOT disappoint! There was plenty left over for several days.

I followed the recipe pretty exactly, but next time I will be a lot more liberal and creative with the spices. There is a lot of room for experimentation here since the main ingredient is the plain lentils, so it would be really easy to make this spicy/sweet/Mexican/Italian/etc. In fact I think maybe next time I would try marinara sauce on top instead of ketchup, as well as a few dashes of onion powder and garlic salt. I would also add more walnuts and not chop them as finely, because every time you got a bite of a big one it was just soooo good. Oh my gosh look at me changing up a recipe, who do I think I am, Jessica?! ;)


I also ate the lentil loaf in a sandwich the next day with a pickle and a little Vegenaise, which was awesome. This is a hearty, fairly simple, delicious meal that is perfect to make for a week when you don't have a ton of time to cook. It's easy to grab and go and it's full of good protein to keep you full until your next meal. I recommend making it and playing with the flavors to create your favorite version.

Super Sexy Sugar Cleanse

Remember when I wanted to do that Get Gorgeous tea challenge? Not successful. In all complete blogger-to-reader honesty, that stuff tastes like total crap. Save your money. Get a new face wash.

But you know what doesn't taste like crap? Healthy food! And you know what should be successful? Cutting out sugar!

As of Monday I, with a few other girlies, am starting a 30 Day Sugar Cleanse - no refined or added sugars for a month! I did this challenge before and I felt amazing. I was glowing, felt incredibly healthy and kept getting comments on how svelte I was looking! So in honor of the upcoming bathing suit season and as a tribute to my own health and palate, I'm giving up refined/added sugar for 30 days.

If you're interested in joining us, shoot me an e-mail (sexyveg@gmail.com). It's going to be a great little challenge/support group! I'm thinking of hosting a little raffle with prizes at the end for the survivors...as if the way you feel isn't prize enough ;)

If you want to just follow and pity us as we go, keep checking back with me, Keri, Jessica, Natalie, and Kimberly.


Also, I am super conformist and joined Formspring! Feel free to ask me anything! It doesn't have to be veg related - life, love, etc! I love giving advice :)

Cooking with Quinoa

I have noticed that Quinoa is becoming more and more trendy by the day, even in the non-veg world (I'm looking at you, morning talk shows with cooking segments). And why shouldn't it? Quinoa is practically magical. While it is most often considered a grain it is actually a tiny seed that is a complete protein - I'm talkin' all eight essential amino acids. And since it is a seed it is naturally gluten free for all you gluten-conscious gourmets! Not to mention that quinoa is chock-full of amazing nutrients, most notably iron and fiber. What what!

Quinoa is super easy to cook and only has one little disclaimer - the seeds have to be rinsed! The seeds are covered with a bitter substance called saponin, but once rinsed thoroughly that taste goes away and you're left with yummy nutty goodness.

How to Cook Quinoa

1. Rinse your seeds thoroughly! Run under water with a strainer. You can also soak the seeds in hot water for 5 minutes before straining and rinsing.
2. For every one part of quinoa, use two parts liquid. For example, 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water. (I like to use 1 cup quinoa, 1 cup water, 1 cup vegetable broth for extra flavor!)
   
3. Bring the quinoa and water/broth to a boil.
4. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let simmer on stove for 15 minutes until liquid is soaked in and quinoa opens (you will see little curls from the germ of the seed)
5. Remove from heat and let it stand for 5 minutes
6. Fluff with a fork

My favorite way to eat quinoa is topped with veggies!

Quinoa flavored with a little garlic salt and Earth Balance, topped with sauteed onions, spinach, and a sliced portobello mushroom cap.


Quinoa topped with sauteed asian eggplant and homemade marinara, garnished with basil.

Sunshine Award

Thanks so much to Michal at Earth Muffin for passing me the Sunshine Award. I'm supposed to pass it on to 10 other bloggers who give me sunshine. Thanks to the following bloggers whom I adore!

1. Earth Muffin, obvi!
   
2. Une Vie Seine
3. Love Veggies and Yoga
4. The Domestic Vegan
5. Valerie's Vegan Vittles
6. quarrygirl.com
7. Vegan-minded
8. Rabbit Food
9. Hell Yeah It's Vegan
10. The Blooming Platter

(I listed 10 of my other fave blogs with the Happy 101 Award in January, so check those out too!)

In an effort to keep the sunshine flowing, I just wanted to re-post this. I wrote it for my old blog last spring, but it's just a reminder to smile, breathe, and ENJOY your day!

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Today I woke up and was reminded of a somewhat pain-in-the-ass errand that I had to run which kind of threw off the schedule of my day. As I was slipping on my flip flops for the first time this season, I thought to myself, ‘Hey! Why am I bitching? This is a beautiful day and it’s an excuse to walk around outside! This is going to be fun!”

And with that little reminder, with a simple smile and a bright attitude, this errand was, indeed, really fun.

I ran into about six amazing people and got a moment to say hello and catch up. I was in the neighborhood of my favorite coffee shop and treated myself to an iced latte. Nobody elbowed me on the crowded streets. The trains came within seconds of me arriving in the subway stations. When the wind blew up my skirt multiple times and revealed my bright blue Hanky Pankys, I didn’t even care! (Ok, lies, it was really embarrassing but what can you do). And when the nasty man dressed in a sandwich costume on the corner told me I looked sexy, I turned my frown upside down and accepted the compliment. And now it’s dawning on me that he may have said that just because he could see my underwear, and I still don’t care!

Raw and Rawrrrr!

Ok so after all of yesterday's comments I obviously have to give vegan cream cheese frosting another shot. I think I used the WF brand of cream cheese but it sounds like most of you guys use Tofutti - I retract my previous judgment and will try again. Also, I just wanted to let you guys know that yesterday the 9 year old boy I babysit asked me, "What is Vegan? Does that mean you're from Vegas?"

So...have you guys ever seen the movie The Green Mile? I just saw it for the first time. Let me just say, I was so emotionally invested in that movie and afterward it took me a little while to function normally again. It was just heartbreaking and touching and yet I couldn't quite put my finger on exactly what was getting to me. But anyway, the point is that Mr. Jingles is my new favorite movie animal. He is the freaking cutest mouse and such an important part of the movie! I loved that the film emphasized the love that people can have for animals and how the animals themselves have characters and personalities all their own.

In food news, I'm helping one of my friends start experimenting with and dabbling in veganism and during one of her recent shopping adventures she picked up one of these Raw Revolution bars as a little Valentine treat for me. I know I've been reviewing a lot of bars lately and after my last chocolate food bar experience I was a little bit nervous. But this was awesome! I had the Chocolate and Coconut flavor, I was so pleased and enjoyed every bite. Raw Revolution prides itself on being raw, vegan, uncooked, soy free, no refined sugars and non GMO. The ingredients list was also super short: cashews, agave, dates, coconut, cocoa powder, almond, sprouted flax. Done. Love it. Though they are a bit high in calories, this would be a great backup snack to keep in your purse or car for hunger emergencies.

But back to the movies...I really love when there are great animal characters in cinema. Babe! Air Bud! Beethoven! Free Willy! Simba from The Lion King! Shadow, Chance, and Sassy from Homeward Bound! Whoa that was so random. Who are your favorite movie animals?

Also, shout out to Michal for her first Veganniversary and first blog giveaway! Check it out!

Love Me, Love Me, Say That You Love Me

Unlike The Cardigans circa 1996, I didn't have to beg for any love this Valentine's Day. I got plenty of kisses and red hearts from my fam, my friends, and my delicious dinner (especially you, Mr. Red Velvet Cake). As I mentioned on Saturday, I planned a lovely dinner party with a couple of my girlfriends.

On Saturday I pre-made my Red Velvet Cake. I didn't use enough food coloring, as you can see here, but it turned out to be a really lovely Pink Velvet Cake - which was fine by me!


Setting the mood for some romantic post-dinner food comas...


And setting the table for some Valentine gluttony...


My Scent of Scandal "Sugar Daddy" candle helping out with the sexy atmosphere.


The Best Freaking Sandwiches Ever ready and waiting to rock under the broiler. Besides these masterpieces we also had quinoa with chickpeas and veggies.


And of course...my Over-the-Top Valentine Pink Velvet Cake. I used the recipe from The Vegan Table, as well as the suggested recipe for the Buttercream Frosting. Actually I tried the Cream Cheese Frosting recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking first, but I have to say...there are a lot of substitutions vegans make really well, but cream cheese isn't one of them. At least not to my experience. So I nixed that and whipped up a batch of the buttercream.


Oh friend you've left me speechless.

What was your favorite Valentine treat this year?

Happy Valentine's Day to all my sweethearts!

Snow White and the Little Boy

Here's a little 10 second video to brighten your day - my sister and I saw this on America's Funniest Home Videos and just about peed ourselves laughing.

Kisses to YOU!

Happy Valentine's Day!

No He Didn't! (Put a Ring on It)

Tomorrow I am celebrating Valentine's Day as a SINGLE LADY (all my single ladies, all my single ladies put your hands up!) And for the first time I am totally embracing my single status and saying "Boys, I love you, but I just can't deal with you right now." So I'm really looking forward to making a lovely dinner, eating red velvet cake, and drinking wine with some of my girls while spreading the V-Day love to my friends. And while Mr. Right -- or even Mr. Right Now -- is out there somewhere, I'll just humor you and reminisce on some of the Mr. Wrongs of the recent past.

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I went to a party with my roommate S and our friend T. I met a cute boy, let's call him The Desperate D-Bag, and he asked me out to dinner the next weekend. He was very nice to me, the conversation was interesting, but he was just really bleh. My biggest turn off was that he was incredibly rude to our sweet-as-pie waitress and - oh yeah, let me mention that I was waiting tables at the time. So needless to say, not a spark flew that evening and I declined his invitation to go meet his friends at a bar after dinner. I went home and snuggled up with my roomie S to watch a movie when my phone rang. It was T, letting me know that The Desperate D-Bag had just texted her asking what she was doing that night! Seriously?! Come on now, give it a day, dude! He even had the balls to call and ask me out the next week. I coolly replied, "I can't this weekend but maybe T is available?"

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I met this unbelievably cute, successful guy through my agent. We exchanged the cutest and funniest e-mails for several weeks before he asked me out for coffee one day. I was so charmed by his bright eyes and his melt-your-heart smile, and our coffee date lasted over two wonderful hours. He kept refilling my coffee and even bought me a bag of pastries for my roommates - how sweet is that! I mentioned that I only lived a few blocks away so he offered to walk me home. We shared an umbrella as we walked in the rain, and he shyly looked at me out of the corner of his eye and asked, "So..are you seeing anyone?" I blushed and said, "No, not really...(translation: YOU I HOPE!)...are you seeing anyone?" He smiled and said, "Yeah, yes I am, she's really great..." and proceeded to tell me all about his girlfriend.

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After a particularly boring and chemistry-less date I pulled every trick in my girl arsenal from faking a headache to having my friend call with an emergency and I still couldn't shake the guy. He insisted on having a beer to cure my headache (?!) or coming with me to the emergency. Finally I firmly insisted that I needed to leave and he, well, pretty much followed me home -- every two blocks I would say, "alright, we're close you can drop me off here!" and he would say "no no, I'll walk you home." He was slightly creepy and I sort of didn't want him to know where I lived so I pretended to walk into another building and said, "thanks so much for everything! Goodnight!" He literally grabbed my head from the back of my hair and tried to pull me in for a kiss. Good thing a girl knows how to duck out of the way.

Pretty much my face after each of these little adventures.

Another Starbuck's Treat

Last week when I posted about Lucy's Vegan cookies being available at Starbucks (whoo!), I had said that it took me several trips to actually discover them because the display was behind me in the store. Bianca mentioned that a Starbucks she visited also carried something called Two Moms in the Raw Granola Bars. Maybe this is a lesson in expanding my horizons, literally, because when I went back to Starbucks this week I discovered these raw snacks sitting just next to the Lucy's bags! At a slightly pricey $4 a pop, my options were Gojiberry or Blueberry. I went with Goji and was really delighted!

It took me a second to realize that this is what a "granola bar" should be - not those glorified candy bar fake-s'more marshmallow-nasty high fructose corn syrupy snacks. What I really love about these bars is that they are totally handmade - the bag boasts that the company soaks, sprouts, and rinses every batch. They are vegan, raw, gluten-free, no added oils, no refined sugars, and completely organic. Best of all, the company is run by women who are mothers themselves and looking to find health and wellness through pure, healthy, delicious food.

Ingredients: Organic Millet, Organic Buckwheat, Organic Coconut, Organic Flaxseed, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Sesame Seeds, Organic Pecans, Organic Almonds, Organic Pepitas, Organic Apples, Organic Goji Berries, Organic Agave, Organic Cinnamon, and Sea Salt.

I know that there are a thousands upon thousands of healthy snacks I can make for myself at home, but it's always so exciting to me to have the option of a healthful vegan snack on-the-go. Especially one that's good for you!

What are your favorite vegan convenience snacks?

Bonus Pic: Our post-earthquake snow from Wednesday!

Alternative Outfitters is pretty much awesome.

I have this one really old, really comfy pair of black slip-on winter boots. But last winter I spent a lot of time slipping and sliding (and occasionally falling flat on my cushiony vegan ass) on the streets of New York because the traction is completely shot on the bottom of the shoes. When I almost ripped my jeans falling into the splits on the ice on my driveway last month, I realized it was time to say bye-bye to the boots.

That night I was browsing the vegan boot selection on Alternative Outfitters, a completely vegan online boutique that features everything from shirts to shoes to bags to beauty. I was really impressed by how cute, affordable, and eco-friendly everything was! I found a great pair of faux-suede camel colored slip on boots and ordered them immediately.






Unfortunately, two days after my order - and after my credit card was charged - I was notified by their employee Laura that there was a mistake with their inventory and those boots were no longer available. Laura suggested another pair of boots in my size that were comparable in color, shape, and price. I took a look at them on the site, approved, and thanked her for her e-mail and for the suggestion. But somehow between my sending the e-mail and her receiving it, those boots were purchased off the site by somebody else! I received another e-mail from Laura apologizing again. I was extremely disappointed at my first online vegan shoe experience and expressed my disappointment, then asked her to please refund my money. She once again apologized and offered me a 20% off code for my next order. I was still really peeved and disappointed, especially since I had heard such great things about the company.

Good thing I didn't make any rash decisions or reviews at that point, because over a week later I received another e-mail from Laura notifying me that the original boots in my size had been made available and would I like them at the 20% off? The answer was YES! I was so impressed and blown away by the personal contact and customer service that I received from Laura, not to mention so excited for my new boots! Vegan companies are awesome.

My boots are cute, warm, lighter and easier to wear than non-vegan boots. I would highly highly highly recommend Alternative Outfitters for any shopping you might have to do. They really care about the animals, the environment, and most importantly, their customers.

You can also check out Laura and the Alternative Outfitters blog!

Thanks so much for all your help, Laura! You guys rock.