thank you, my non leather life!

a few days back, victoria from my non leather life emailed to ask me some questions! i love checking her blog for inspiring words (as was especially the case the other day when she mentioned a william carlos williams poem) and inspiring shoes!

i am so excited that my recorded discoveries have inspired her to incorporate more raw foods in her life!

check out the interview here!

and for some fall inspiration, this photo... representing: one of paul's favourite snacks (raw almond butter and raisins on celery, aka "ants on a log"); some of the lovely treats anne, sheilagh, and i enjoyed ON THE BEACH the other day for 3 hours in the SEPTEMBER sun celebrating anne's birthday ^_^; and... my shoes today! ha. i add shoes to this pic because of my non-leather life! i've lived a non-leather (and silk, wool, etc.) life for at least a few years now and it feels great. it definitely helps me be a more conscious consumer and i wait longer to make clothing purchases as i look carefully at the materials assembled for my goods and when i can, i support vegan companies! (or, i clothing swap/consign/buy vintage!) these shoes are by novacas, which means "no cow" in portuguese. i got them at nice shoes! hurrah!

every day, i like to think of what i'm grateful for. and today i'm grateful for having full-time work, a cozy apartment, a most amazing and inspiring boyfriend, access to organic food (and local crops!), and people all around to inspire me and be inspired by me! hurrah for connecting with like-minded lovelies across the world! ^_^

hooray vancouver!

ok so maybe not so much "raw" news as vegan news on a rainy monday in vancouver... easter day-off monday... but yah...

so first, i was super excited to finally check out the completely vegan shoe store that just opened up on fraser between 19th and 20th, nice shoes! i had an ethical deal coupon (um, could i get any luckier?) for a pair of colourful grass (notice the 'u' in colourful? oh yeah, canadian! vancouver island even!) flats in vandana rose. any chance the name is inspired by vandana shiva, who i just recently saw in the inspiring good food, bad food or first heard of when i picked up manifestos on the future of food and seed? or am i just a food nerd?

 and well, how could i resist a pair of hopeful-for-summer-soon flats that bear my name!? and the brand name novacas means "no cow" in spanish and portuguese! love it! and these sandals are so comfy and i love that they snap open and shut and they are slouchy. and they are BUILT BY KINDNESS. how glorious is that?

oh and to bring this back to the raw... nice shoes is also carrying hurraw! lip balm which is "all natural, organic, vegan, raw, good" (hehe) lip balm! i got grapefruit and i LOVE how smooth this stuff is. like coconut oil but absorbs in more of a strong glide if that makes sense. when i have dry lips, i feel coconut oil is too thin to convince me it's working? i don't know. i haven't bought anything skin-related in so long but that was a super fun purchase. plus i love that the container is like a flattened version of the typically cylinder wind-up.

oh and talking with joanne at the store, she showed me this video of a 109 year old man who has been eating raw forever and he is just incredible! look at his skin! he's going to open a restaurant? his life has just begun! i love how he says "you've heard people say you are what you eat? well, you are!"

on my way home, i stopped in at gorilla food for a goji almond crunch cookie and i couldn't believe it! they now have a debit machine! apparently they've had it for 2 weeks? but i swear it wasn't there on friday or wednesday when i was last there :) hehe. but no matter! i'm just so excited that i don't have to wait until i have some cash on me to stop in! YAY!!!  i have to mention though, that when i was there on wednesday with 2 friends who didn't have cash, i had $40 for dinner for all of us and it was a success! we shared desserts, a smoothie and 3 menu items! who says raw, vegan, organic food is expensive?