"Sex Me Up" Sweetskins Soles: Vegan Shoes with a Heart

Sweetskins Wooden Wedges.  Handcarved, made in Bali.  Hemp Uppers.  Vegan Shoes with a Heart.  $85.00 to "Sustainably Sex up your Soles".

image source: Sweetskins

One of my favorite clothing places, "Sweetskins", is now into the shoe business.  I know, they aren't as practical as your "Five Finger Fantasies" but sometimes a girl just has to splurge.  Sustainably that is.  Sex up your Soles with shoes that have a heart (literally!).  With a black hemp upper.  Vegan Shoes Rock.

And if you are just running to get your little vegan butt in shape to sport these shoes as "bedroom bling", then try these Vegan, Five Finger Fantasies.  Yeah, not a "sex you up" kind of shoe, but they might do wonders for those Lucious Legs of yours.

Magenta Pink Five Fingers. Get your pink on while being "barefoot".

image source

What are your favorite Vegan Shoe stores??  Do you have "go to" places for "sex ya up" shoes?  Prefer Pleather or Hemp?  Or are you in the "flats" period of your life?  Are there certain websites/stores that you check often for new goods??

I check lots of online places like Vegan Chic, Moo Shoes, Alternative Outfitters, Vegetarian Shoes, etc....I actually haven't bought a ton of shoes recently although my hubby would probably beg to differ.   There is still a tall pair of Vegan Combat Boots made by Vegetarian Shoes that I think I must absolutely have.  To be Ms. Military Girl.  Don't I need those to be a "Militant Vegan"??  I can easily transition from my fivefingers to combat boots to 4 inch heels.  Shoes are so much easier to change than interior design.  Perhaps that's why I haven't done any interior design.  Our "college" futons are doing quite well.  Would love to hear if you guys have some great internet places that you shop.  

Running off the Grief

My Vibram "KSO's" (Keep Stuff Out).  They are vegan.  But now you have to check all of their "shoes" because they use Kangaroo leather (ick) on many.  But they still have "Vegan Versions" as well.  I love these and would wear them all the time but I think I have already "hippied" out too much for my poor husband, and probably need to sport some of my heel collection just a little more frequently. 

When I first heard how seriously ill my friend was, I thought I would do a juice fast, wake up early, do 90 minutes of yoga a day, and meditate.  You know, to clear my head & send good energy his way.  But instead, we hit the supermarket and made stops in the wine (Frey Organic) and junk aisle.  Okay, I have to clarify....I actually splurged on bunches of organic red grapes, organic blueberries, and sprouted corn tortillas....but still.  The "packaged" junk was "Flackers" (raw, vegan, flax crackers), Baba Ganoush (with tahini but no added oil), Kimchee, and a few spoonfuls of my husband's Veganaise stash.  But my point, instead of being disciplined, and turning inward.  We both watched bad tv & binged.  And drank a little, and basically did nothing (unless moping is "something").  No exercise.  No cleaning.  No getting outside (it was disgustingly hot anyway).  No calling friends.  Nada.

It got to be too much, so the night prior to his service, I located my FiveFingers and Garmin (I obviously need incentive), and hit the road.  I am not an OCD runner.  Probably because I get bored running where I think it's "safe" and my skin basically screams "Future Melanoma Victim".  So I don't even flirt with it.  But I am a "runner", in the sense that, if I feel the urge or need, my body will just go.  Well, it didn't seem like  my body that night. It just felt like something else carried my body.  Maybe it was because I eat well & am not dreadfully out of shape.  But I haven't really done any type of exercise lately.  I went 7 miles straight and only quit because it was getting dark outside.  At times, when I was really tired, bored, my body just took off sprinting. This was after doing one of the DVD's from the Supreme 90 dvd set (the 20 version of P90x).  Well, I didn't "Run off" the grief, but maybe I diluted it just slightly with a bit of physical exhaustion.

 I will write about Supreme 90 more in depth at a later time.  But yes, it was worth the 20 some bucks I paid for it.  But realize I am a sucker for anything sold on TV (I bought it through Amazon though) and I am a sucker for any workout thing.  Even though I am not a Workout girl now, but I basically think any purchase is "worth it" if I use it for awhile.  It's the little things that you do along the way, that keep your body working.  

 

Supreme 90

When I got home, I ate more blueberries.  Followed by watching (with my husband's coaxing) "America's Got Talent" and there was a woman on the show talking & having her parrot sing.   A parrot that looked very similar to my friend's parrot.  Followed by a hip looking woman belting out "Ave Maria".

 Flackers.  Raw Vegan Flax Crackers.  At 5.69 (retail at Whole Foods) not an item I have ever bought before.  But....since I knew I would be trying to "eat" the sadness away, figured I should try to prevent the "guilt".

 But that doesn't mean you can't make these for pennies at home!  Actually, 5 or 6 bucks for this wholesome stuff isn't expensive if you eat lunch out or grab a morning coffee.  It's just that I generally make trays of this kind of stuff really cheap, so I wouldn't buy this on a regular basis.

 They were tasty but hubby said mine were better.  I don't think so.  I have made lots of different types though & some turn out better than others.

 I also wonder about keeping the flax seeds whole.  Even though they are soaked & sprouted, do we get all the nutrients?  Does the soaking mean that we are able to get the nutrients from the whole seed?  It's easier to make them this way, but I think it may be better to grind the flax if you are in it for the Omega 3's.  Of course, maybe you absorb more of the calories if the flax is ground?

 Funny, the last few weeks have been terrible and I have totally neglected the garden.  Except some water & sprinkling of the DE.  But all of the rain made the garden thrive & now I have LOTS of smoothies here!  And Kale Chips!!  I actually pulled up a bunch of mustard because it seemed like it was taking over & I just can't handle mustard in my smoothies yet.  Although I used it to make "Everything Burritos" the other night & they were great.

 Square Foot Garden.  A technique that you mark each square foot, hence the name.  Use a special soil mix of compost, soil & vermiculite.  And you can plant 4-5 kale plants each square foot.  It's crazy!!  It seemed like the only solution for our complete lack of space & it did stop me from constantly looking for yards to buy without any regard to the living space that occupied the yard.

 This year we actually got the tomatoes planted a little bit more on time.

Another "binge" food.  Organic Sprouted Corn Tortillas.  They were 2 for 5 at Whole Foods.  Gluten Free and just pliable enough if they are heated.  Pair this with Scrambled tofu, mushrooms & onions, or Pinto beans made in the slow cooker and you have yourself super yummy, healthy food.

Some good news.....guess what Superwoman Singla is up to now????  She is going into hibernation and working on a "VEGAN INDIAN" book.  Seriously, I cannot wait!!  Remember, Anupy Singla is the Indian Slow Cooker Queen & most of those recipes are already vegan.  But an entire book that is vegan!!  It will not be all slow cooker food but a mixture of stove top & slow cooker.  Wow.  Think next winter might be even better than last winter!  Something to look forward to anyway.  And I bet that there will be lots of cancer fighting foods in her next book, just like there are in her current one!  Look to all the links on the right to see "Indian Slow Cooker" posts.


"The Indian Slow Cooker" by Anupy Singla





Just one of the many AMAZING vegan Indian recipes from the "Indian Slow Cooker" Book!
Kala Chana (Black Chickpea Curry)

Oh, and guess what Chicago peeps.  She is looking for taste testers.  So you know what?  That means that you may be eligible to pick up food, yes, homemade Indian Food, take it home, gobble it up, and report back to her via her blog about what you thought about all of it!!  Yes, you Chicago Peeps are SPECIAL!!  But if you want to get in on the action, then you must "Like" her Facebook Page, Indian As Apple Pie, and get in touch with this Punjabi Princess yourself.  You won't regret it.  Anupy is a beautiful soul & you will love her food & her upcoming book. Oh, Check out her "Spice Tins" with Standard Measuring spoons!!  Coming Soon!!!!

Well, I wasn't able to "Run off the Grief", but I was able to make myself kind of exhausted so my mind was sleepier.  And I guess that's all I can ask for right now.

Do you guys make Vegan Indian Food?? Have you tried Anupy's recipes?  What types of things do you do to handle grief or loss?  I wish I was the type to just do wheatgrass shots & stand endless hours on my head, but apparently I am more likely to watch "Extreme Makeover Weight Loss" or "Freaky Eaters" and pig out on Vegan Eats.  Bummer :(

Kealy and the quest for a skinny butt

Hemp Cabbage Coleslaw from Kris Carr's "Crazy Sexy Diet".

I am a hemp lover.  I wear the stuff.  I eat the stuff.  And even though a lot of people would identify me with the type that smokes it, that's about the only thing I don't do with it.  Hemp Carob Balls,  Hemp Milk, Hemp Butter, Hemp Pants.  I love Hemp!  There was a sale awhile back on Hemp oil of Nutiva, so I stocked up.  It is "hempy" in flavor, so it may taste strong if you are not used to it but I think it's awesome.  Have been making a lot of Cabbage Salads lately.  Organic Cabbage is inexpensive and makes yummy disease fighting food.  Tonight I used the recipe from the "Crazy Sexy Diet" for Hemp Cabbage Coleslaw.  Double Hit of Hemp with Oil and Seeds.  Of course in the states the seeds are shelled........Still gorging myself with Kale and can't wait to try growing it again in the Square Foot Garden.  Last year I had lots of conversations with the Slugs and I do hope they heed my advice of hanging out somewhere else next season.  I hate using poisons and I exhaust myself spraying exotic oils on my greens.  Finally I was powdering DE on the soil near the end of the season, since it is supposed to be natural and safe.  Of course the slugs weren't the only guilty ones.  Apparently word got out that I was running an insect sanctuary and I had a whole eco-system of tiny creatures.  It doesn't help that I poop out when it gets too sunny (I swear I am allergic to the sun-that with my unending sarcasm will reassure that I will never be a 100% glowing, positive thinking raw foodist!).  Ecuador is the new "House Hunters" realty location.  I had already put that bug in hubby's ear, as all the "cool kids" were moving to the "Valley of Longevity".  But obviously the UV rays and I wouldn't get along.  However, an endless supply of fruit........

Nutiva Hemp Oil in a Jar!

And Day 18 I got to start out with a brisk run!! I was joining the girls for the feeding of the stray dogs and I couldn't get the car down the lane.  Hubby was awesome and got all of the ice and snow off, but the tires were on some ice so I couldn't even get it going.  Luckily I could run to my friend's house, so there I was at 7:00 in the morning, in jeans on top of polartec leggings, big boots, big coat, carrying an extra coat in case we broke down or got stuck.  So I guess if I would have had a vision board that I would ever be one of those crazy people that run when it is still dark and cold and icy, that that was the day it finally happened.  By accident of course.  Pretty lucky I didn't fall on ice and actually hurt myself. I did that later, the falling part, not the hurting myself part.  I fell on the curb, which was apparently an entire ice slope, when I got out of my friends car and then I laughed so hard I think that it should be considered "abdominal exercises" for the day.  I had to laugh so hard because we had just gotten back from seeing lots of animals that live on the streets, and it was bitter cold.  Those days are a little tough for me so I just put up a little emotional wall or I simply can't function.  But it is really great to begin your day with incredibly beautiful, radiant, and giving women.  Sets a good energy for the rest of the day.

I wish I could post photos of the feast I had for my afternoon meeting.  But wait, I couldn't use a camera or a phone inside.  It was OR Juice and Smoothie, the one located next to the Bikram place.  I asked for a juice with all greens but she told me it was "too expensive" so I settled on some carrot, Beet, celery concoction.  Double shot of wheatgrass and Raw Nori Rolls.  Plus lots of signs warning that cell phone usage will damage the supplements.  I'm not sure what the camera thing was about.  The CWE location does allow cell phones.  Cameras, I don't know.

OR Juice & Smoothie.  Lots of Raw, Vegan, goodies.  Not all Vegan though, so ask questions!

And today, Day 19.....Made another Whole Foods run.  Hubby ran out of Tofurkey and Daiya Cheese and needed to bring a lunch somewhere.  Me, I had to stock up on Kale to prepare for the next batch of snow.  Plus, it's just therapy for me, shopping at WF, not necessarily buying the Kale.  Today was easy because a lot of older people were there since it was daytime.  A little more laid back crowd.  I was a Wild Oats girl at heart, but I am really happy that at least there is a Whole Foods is in town, and that I can run out and get whatever silly food I want, today I saw Vegan Rice Whipped Cream in a can (I didn't buy it), whenever I want.  I bought a cartful of super good food and picked up the stuff I needed to make Rajmah (Indian Chili) and Black Split Dal (from the Indian Slow Cooker Book)  for hubby's Superbowl Night. Did hit the gym tonight.  No vision board or letter to myself yet, but this weekend will provide a little more time.  And I leave with a video of "Casey The Cat' who is the most adorable little guy.  This shows his capture.  And he needs a home!! Everytime we would go out and feed him he would beg us to bring him home......well, we did!