Legend of Zelda Link Costume

When asked what he wanted to be for Halloween, my six-year-old son initially responded with, "Optimus Prime." When asked to think very carefully if that's what he really, really wants to be (which was merely me being persuasive), he changed his mind and said, "Link." So there you have it: my son is dressing up as Link for Halloween 2010 ;)

When he was two, he dressed up as Link also. I used this [awful] green fabric I picked up from JoAnn Fabrics and started sewing away. The end result wasn't anything fancy: my stitching was starting to come loose around the armpit area, and the covers on the shoes that were to resemble boots were ... pretty bad. I had purchased the link shield from eBay. Upon receipt, I realized just how easy it was to make (and how I could have saved $35 if I had done just a wee bit of research). It was made of foamcore paper board, colored construction paper and acrylic paint.

So, this year, we're going all out and learning from the mistakes of our past. The version of Link I'm striving to make is the Twilight Princess version, meaning more details on the costume and on the accessories. I plan to omit some of the details to save time and sanity. This time, I opted for a darker suede-like fabric and this leather-like material for his boots and belt with strap. I actually looked up different sewing patterns and thus learned the backstitch. I'm pretty proud of how it's coming along. The cap looks great (-enough), and the belt is looking pretty sweet. My only concern now is making sure I cut and sew the fabric straight, but I'm confident it will come with more practice. And patience. Lots of patience.

As for the shield and sword, oh boy... that's where it gets a bit tricky. My friend and her husband are showing us how to make a shield replica out of fiberglass. It's a multi-step process that will require precision, attention to detail, paper, cardstock, 3-D software, gloves, and possibly face masks :D

Pictures of the completed costume will be posted!

LUSH King of Skin Body Butter

I absolutely LOVELOVELOVE LUSH's King of Skin Body Butter. I, unfortunately, live in an area where the closest LUSH is about a 50-minute drive, so when I'm at Emeryville Bay Street, I make sure to stock up. It's vegan: the ingredients include bananas, fair trade (yay!) cocoa, shea butter, almond and jojoba oil, and other lush-ious items. It also contains oat milk, a good ingredient to calm frazzled and/or sensitive skin.

It comes in 3.3 ounces only, which doesn't sound like a whole lot, but it lasts a good while. If you use it sparingly (think: 2-3 x per week), then it should last you about 4-5 weeks. More LUSH goodies to come! Clickie on the pic for pricing :)

King of Skin Body Butter

Update

Life in general has been super busy as of late: school, work, externship, family, friends, yadda yadda, blah blah blah. Haven't posted since May because of these and other time occupants.

Veganomaly.com is officially inactive. I was able to put up a few things of interest - think shoes, a couple of cosmetics, shoes, and more shoes - but didn't put anything else up. I figure I'll continue to update here on any new veg-friendly finds I come across.

Til' next time...
Take care! :)

E Cigarette For Vegans?

Although vegans and vegetarians are viewed as very health conscious and healthy, the obvious truth is not every single one of them are. Being one, after all, does not mean you will automatically choose to stop eating greasy, fat-laden foods that are fried and not all foods that fall in the "veg" category can be considered healthy.

The same can be said about smoking cigarettes. While the majority of vegans and vegetarians probably do not smoke, the fact is there are still some who do. For those who've been feeling guilty about their smoking habit, then the solution is in this smoking alternative: the electronic cigarette. Then there is the issue of animal testing because there are very few cigarette brands that didn't require some form of testing. For those not in the know, the electronic cigarette is a battery-powered device that mimics the smoking experience to the T... minus the ashes and putrid smoke stench, the electronic cigarette has an LED that lights up when the user inhales and there is even a smoke-like vapor that emanates from the device.

For more information, visit the following sites!
Smokeless Delite
E Cigarettes Choice

Earth Dakota Boots

So I snagged a pair of Earth Dakota boots online. They are, I believe, from last year's (or was it this year's??) lineup and if you can still find these on sites, you'll see a very limited sizing selection.


I've never tried an Earth shoe before. Other than seeing them in certain Whole Foods stores, I'd never even given them more than a fleeting glance. Then, out of the blue, I thought I would look into them. I found these on eBay and oh boy... they are flat out awesome. They are super comfy and really keep my feet warm. Plus, they are waterproof and are lined with Thinsulate, the same material used in snow gear, i.e. jackets, pants, gloves, etc.

I don't really know what came over me, other than a sudden bout of shopaholic syndrome, because I started looking into whatever vegan boots Earth offered. The only other boots that their site (http://www.earthfootwear.com/) had that caught my eye were the Brighton model (which I ended up buying, too!), so I started looking into older models, which required some extra research. Certain Mirage and Lodge boots were also offered vegan, but those are also older models, so good luck finding them...

In closing, I absolutely love my Dakotas and am glad that I looked into Earth footwear. I got these on a whim... and ended up buying two more in the process.

~Find your Earth Dakotas on eBay here

Gravy Woes

Well, I had 4 packs of brown gravy but used them all up. Just when I needed gravy the most, I couldn't seem to find a single vegan version anywhere. I checked Safeway (which has vegan gravy mix in some of their stores), Raley's (which is where I *thought* I had found those 4 packs -- guess not!) and Whole Foods (ya think they, of all stores, would have it). I didn't even bother with Trader Joe's because I pretty much know their entire vegan inventory by heart :p

So, I resorted to the Au Jus version, which is more watered down. In fact, it could even be used as a broth. Although very flavorful, I needed to add about 4 tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken it up some. It did make it slightly thicker, but it was still pretty watery. It did the trick!

Next time I find those packs again, I think I'll stock up with a whole caseful.

Happy late Thanksgiving!