Saturday, December 31, 2011
Happy New Years Eve!
For fun, I thought I'd share a quick video of Ritz enjoying the new cat nip toy we gave him today. Enjoy!
-kala
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Message in a Bottle Tutorial
-Kala
Friday, December 23, 2011
Happy Holidays!
Since just about everyone I give cards to has received my Christmas card, I thought I'd share the picture I used, of course I couldn't resist making Ritz the star:
Happy Holidays!
-kala (and Ritz)
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Crocheted Softies Winner!
Thanks everyone for entering to win a copy of Crocheted Softies, it was a lot of fun to read about your favorite holiday treats!
The winner, as chosen by random number generator is....Kpmattingly!
-kala
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Vegan Tea Gift Guide
Today's Gift Guide is all about tea and comes from one of my favorite ladies on twitter, Jenn of Cookin' Vegan! Enjoy!
Tea makes a wonderful holiday gift because it has the remarkable power to lift your spirits while warming your body and soul. I don’t think that anyone can argue the power that a hot cup of tea has had historically to help people keep calm and carry on, so what better gift to give someone you care about in these turbulent times. Plus, tea can be so much fun! Some tea companies are so clever and creative with their tea blends that the world of tea has become a foodie paradise.
I’m not a tea expert. I’m really more a super fan tea-nerd with a serious tea addiction. All of my tea recommendations are vegan. I’m a big supporter of boutique tea shops, but unfortunately some of my favorite small tea companies also have shipping schedules that may be too unreliable for gift giving.
52teas
52teas is an artisan tea company that some of the most creative blends I’ve ever come across. It’s no small wonder that Frank, the brains behind 52teas, is often referred to as the Willy Wonka of tea. Frank creates a new limited addition tea blend every week and some of my recent favorites have been Strawberry Pancake, Lime Jello Salad , and Raspberry Banana Honeybush.
There are also several delicious tea blends that have become part of the 52teas Permanent Collection and they’re always available for purchase. My favorites in this collection are Coconut Cream Pie, Strawberry Zabaglione , and Piña Colada Honeybush.
This holiday season Frank is offering a very cool way to sample twelve of his teas for the low, low price of $29.99. The 12 Teas of Christmas package includes samples of eleven of 52teas most popular blends and one brand new tea blend. What a great value! Another great gift idea from 52teas is Frank’s Tea of the Week/ Month Plans.
Frank is really great about making most of his tea blends vegan, but always be sure to check the ingredients for each blend before you make your purchase.
Butiki Teas
Butiki teas is a boutique tea company run by a sweetheart of a vegan gal named Stacy. I’m not going to pretend not to be in love with Stacy. Stacy offers some of the best teas I’ve ever tasted, and I love that I don’t have to research or question any of her ingredients because every single tea she sells is VEGAN!!! A few of my favorite Butiki teas are Grape Oolong, Raspberry Truffle, and Pumpkin Crème Brulee.
Stacy offers beautiful gift baskets that are perfect for the holidays, and she’ll even make one especially for you to suit your personal taste and price range.
Harney & Sons
Harney & Sons is the largest of the tea companies that I’ll mention here today. H&S sells very high quality tea at extremely reasonable prices. I’ve yet to come across a non-vegan tea in their huge tea selection, but I always read the ingredients for each tea blend carefully just in case. Some of my holiday favorites from H&S are White Christmas, Hot Cinnamon Spice, and Holiday Tea.
H&S offers a wide array of gift sets with something to suit everyone on your list, and many of the packages are under $50.
Indie Tea
Indie Tea is a family run artisan tea company that offers delicious, organic, fair trade, vegan tea blends for the independent spirit. Carolyn, the brains behind the blends, is woman with a huge heart to match her incredible creativity. Indie Teas donates 5% of their sales every month to a different charity. AFAN, Aid for AIDS of Nevada, is the charity that Indie Tea is honoring for the month of December. You’ll get yummy tea and good karma with every purchase.
A few of my favorite blends from Indie are HOOPLA, (this is the amazing tea featuring vegan gummy bears pictured above in the small white bowl), Wise Man’s Caravans, and Sock it to Me. Indie Tea is offering a special 25% off plus FREE SHIPPING deal on your online order through December 31st if you enter “gotbrains” at checkout.
Tiesta Tea
Tiesta Tea is a relatively new tea company on the scene. What I really like about this company is their focus on creating fun tea blends with a healthy focus. Also, Tiesta was founded by a group of university friends with a true love of tea. TEA-NERDS! Some of my favorite Tiesta Tea blends are Slenderizer Plum Bliss, Forever Young Kiwi Cherry Bonanza, and Relaxer Berry Pear-adise.
Tiesta Tea is offering a Karma gift basket for the season featuring three decadent holiday tea blends for $40.
Thanks Jenn! What tea sounds most delicious to you guys?
-Kala
Friday, December 09, 2011
Crocheted Softies Giveaway!
I'm super excited to be part of the blog tour promoting the new book Crocheted Softies by Stacey Trock of Fresh Stitches! In my world, crochet = cute toys and animals and this book does not disappoint. Be sure to stay tuned to the end of the post for a chance to win a signed copy of this awesome book!
Crocheted Softies is packed with 18 patterns of animals and creatures that are perfect for little kids and babies, lots of bright colors and large features to delight the little ones. I'm impressed that Stacey calls for many eco friendly yarns for these patterns, welcoming crocheters to step outside of their yarny comfort zone and try something new.
My favorite pattern in the book has to be the giraffe, he's so sweet! But the alien is cute too! And the crab, and the fish...here's the link to the book on Ravelry so you can check out all the cuteness and queue your faves.
To clarify, the author sent me a free copy of this book to review and a copy to give away on my blog, but I received no compensation for the review or giveaway :)
Ok, ready to win a signed copy of Crocheted Softies? There are four possible entries, none of them are mandatory. You must leave a way for me to contact you if you win, if I can't contact you I'll have to choose another winner and that would be sad! Also, please leave a separate comment for each entry:
1. Leave a comment telling me your favorite holiday treat.
2. Follow this blog and leave a comment telling me you're following.
3. Follow Vegancraftastic and Fresh Stitches on Twitter.
4. Tweet, blog, or post on Facebook about this giveaway. Tweeting is easy, just click the tweet button at the end of the post!
Giveaway is open worldwide and ends on Friday, December 16, 2011. Winner will be chosen by random number generator. Good luck!
-kala
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Gift Guide for Guys
Gift Guide for Guys
If you’re like me shopping for the males on your list is the hardest
part of holiday shopping. The handmade options for your average guy
are somewhat limited.
First for some easy gifts—guys can usually use t-shirts for bumming
around, going to the gym, hanging out, or just every day use. Get him
unique shirts so he’ll stand out from the crowd.
Kind of pricey, but nice for a husband, mohop thong sandals are a sure
bet. We all know the guy who lives in his flip flops and then
complains his feet hurt, these are ergonomic, handmade and really
cool. Perfect for pool parties, backyard barbeques and lounging
around.
For the husband, boyfriend or brother who has to work in an office, or
dress up at times, but still wants to show his individuality , here
are some dressy but unique accessories for men. Steampunk tie pins
and cuff links—so cool.
And unique awesome ties:
And finally, when all else fails, nobody ever turns down food. Here
are some treats that should particularly appeal to the guys on your
list.
Thanks for the great gift guide Neva!
So what's your favorite item from Neva's Gift Guide?
-kala
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Finished Knit: A Hat for Dad
The yarn in question is Vanna's Choice (not of Vanna's but of the yarn) and my dad is a huge fan, isn't that cute? My husband helped me pick out the colors, my dad doesn't go for traditional guy colors so he's usually pretty fun to knit for, if anything this hat might be a little too conservative for his taste! And yes, this is the first holiday gift I've crafted this year, I seem to have gotten quite the late start. But this hat only took an evening so maybe I'm not doing too shabby!
Oh and if you're wondering, no my dad doesn't read my blog so he's not in danger of seeing his gift early :)
So how are you guys doing on your holiday crafting?
-kala
Thursday, December 01, 2011
DIY Wedding Ring Pillow Tutorial
So head on over to Rose Pedals and check out my project, and if you like it, be sure to leave a comment over there, thanks!
-kala
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