Happy Mailbox

While greatly anticipating my very own vegan/animal-inspired bookmark, I was happy to receive some other gifts in the mail :)

A cute little fox keychain from River.

















A bookmark from a swap on goodreads.  This was the one that inspired my Feb. swap ;)

As many may have heard...crazy, spectacular bookmarks have been floating through the mail these days.  I will wait a week for a few more to receive their treasures before posting, but no need to despair!  If you're anxious to see some mailbox surprises, check out these blogs and their recent finds:
Affectioknit
Dandelion Vegan Blog
Vegan Flower

And friends, there is more swapping to come! Keep your eyes peeled for a little critter who will soon show up in the right sidebar.  In the future you will be able to click that link for info. about current swaps and view links to photos from past swaps.

To the Swappers

Hey, for everyone who signed up for the February Swap, be sure to send out your bookmark tomorrow!  You can e-mail me photos and I will post these the first weekend of March.

Soon I will post about the March Swap, so keep your eyes out if you're interested! 

If you would like to receive e-mails with future swap updates, you can contact me at aveganfox[at]gmail[dot]com.

*Fun Finds*

Just a little entry to share a few things that I recently found inspiring, tasty, or delightful :)

Harmony by Mr. Doob:  Check this out!  A very cool online doodler ;)  Be sure to check out the different "brush" and color options

Any Edward Scissorhands fans?  This was on an artist's blog that I just found and it made me happy.  I really like this one, too.

STAMP MAKING!!  I haven't done this before, but would like to try my hand at it soon.  Here's one nifty tutorial and here's another.

Whether you have kids or work with them, you have to admit that this robot is a cutie!

A few recipes that are making my mouth water:
Spinach and Mushroom Ravioli and Deep Dish Pizza on Vegan Meow!
Blackforest Chocolate Cheesecake and raw SAMOAS!! on Bitt of Raw

Want to win something?

There's still time to win a sweet little necklace at Coffee & Sunshine.

A cute planner and vegan zine are available at the Peace to All Creatures 'Zine Project.

Recent Projects: January and February

SWAP UPDATE:  If you are still interested in joining in on the Feb. swap, be sure to sign-up by tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 18).  I will mail out addresses on Saturday!

January:

 

A woman at work knits tons of hats on knitting looms.  We bought several sets of looms for the teen department (at the library) and she shared her expertise with many interested teens (as well as some intrigued staff members ;).  After completion, I gave this to the lovely Ruth.  For those who don't know, Ruth is an amazing friend of mine.  She is 91 and the mom of my Aunt Jo.  I am fortunate to hang out with her and her sister, Edna, once a week.  If you think that the later years of life are only a time for slumber and laziness, these two ladies could show you a thing or two!

Here's the loom, hook and hat:

February:
Bookmark for February bookmark swap on goodreads.  This one was inspired by a recent YA book read via audio, Before I Fall. 

Front

Back

Pizza Time!

Oh man, we're big on the pizza lately. I think we've quasi-officially decided to have pizza every other week.

The Crust: Vegan with a Vengeance recipe, using spelt flour.
















Thai Spinach: Thai tahini sauce inspired by this recipe, wilted spinach, red onions and mozzarella daiya.










































Italian-style: Marinara sauce, TVP, garlic, red onion, coconut bacon, a mix of cheddar and mozzarella daiya, and red pepper flakes.





























SWAP: There's still plenty of time to sign-up if you're interested ;) I will update the list as I receive e-mails and comments from those interested.

SWAP! February

Last year I started finding listings for swaps in various places online. I got excited, but never really made time for it. Packages are awesome, but they're kind of pricey to send out. Well, my recent obsession with goodreads lead me to a group where they exchange handmade bookmarks. How cool is that?!

This gave me an idea. What if every month I hosted a swap on my blog? The swap would involve small things that could fit in a letter-sized envelope and cost (more or less) the price of a regular stamp to send? Also, these little projects will fulfill one of my goals for this year to create a little art or craft every month. I'm a huge dreamer and sometimes fantasize about things more than doing them...

Excited yet? I came across some really cool mail art, letter-writing, and collage related blogs that might inspire you:
Good Mail Day

Everyday Correspondence

Every Day Should be a Red Letter Day

The Sketchbook Project
CappaccinoandArtJournal
Swap-bot




For this month, I'd like to do vegan/animal-inspired bookmarks. These can be used for tagging your favorite recipes in a cookbook or marking your current read.

Want to get involved?

*E-mail your mailing address to me by Friday, Feb. 18: aveganfox(at)gmail(dot)com

*I will randomly pair people up and e-mail you with your swap partner's information.

*Please send bookmarks out by Friday, Feb. 25. This is just to ensure that everyone receives their goods in a decent amount of time.  (For this swap it's just one bookmark, but if you're feeling inspired feel free to make another ;)

*Feel free to e-mail me images of your creations or the goods you receive! I will happily post them around the first of March, just before announcing the next swap.

*Don't have the time right now? No worries, I'm aiming to do a swap every month ;)

Questions for you:

Would you prefer to swap goods with the same person who will be sending you goods or would you like to be surprised?

Do you have any ideas for future swaps?

Current Swappers:
Jenny (Vegan and so Forth)
Aimee (...aka Darzy...)
Rift (Static8 Journal)
Michelle (dirty duck)
Teresa (Affectioknit)
Rebecca (Enjoying the Journey)
Rose (Dandelion Vegan Blog) 
Laloofah (Mehitable Days)
Roxanne (The Good Luck Duck) 
Emily 
Molly (Vegan Flower)
Nik
Cassie (me)

Books Read in 2010

Firstly, have you heard about this crazy weather we're having in the Midwest? The library has been closed for the last couple of days. Adam and I have happily stayed in most of that time :) The schools will remain closed through tomorrow. Supposedly there's more wild weather predicted for the first of next week. We shall see!

Inspired by Jeni over at heathen vegan, I have decided to post the books I read in 2010. There are many YA selections due to my job as a YA (teen) librarian and from Sept-Dec. I was a reader reviewer for the Gateway Award nominees for 2011/2012.

Though I enjoyed much of what I read, those with a * stood out a notch or two above the rest.

YA List
Reality Check - Abrahams, Peter
The Compound - Bodeen, S.A.
*Hate List - Brown, Jennifer
Because I Am Furniture - Chaltas, Thalia
**The Hunger Games - Collins, Suzanne
*After - Efaw, Amy
The Morgue and Me - Ford, John C.
If I Stay - Forman, Gayle
King of the Screwups - Going, K.L.
Brutal - Harmon, Michael B.
North of Beautiful - Headley, Justina Chen
Muchacho - Johnson, Louanne
The Otherworldlies - Kogler, Jennifer Anne
Liar - Larbalestier, Justine
Flash Burnout - Madigan, L.K.
*The Devil's Paintbox - McKernan, Victoria
Dirty Little Secrets - Omololu, C.J.
The Adoration of Jenna Fox - Pearson, Mary E.
*Life As We Knew It - Pfeffer, Susan Beth
The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Ryan, Carrie
Gray Baby - Sanders, Scott Loring
A Blue so Dark - Schindler, Holly
Shiver - Stiefvater, Maggie
The Chosen One - Williams, Carol Lynch
**Briar Rose - Yolen, Jane
Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have - Zadoff, Allen
Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
We Were Here - Matt de la Peña
*Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
Purple Heart - Patricia McCormic
Funny How Things Change - Melissa Wyatt
Fat Cat - Robin Brande
Diary of a Witness - Catherine Ryan Hyde
Paper Towns - John Green
Hold Still - Nina LaCour
*If I Grow Up - Todd Strasser

Everything Else
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
*Try - Dennis Cooper
**Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist
*Rape: A Lovestory - Joyce Carol Oates
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin
Savage Night - Jim Thompson
*Beasts - Joyce Carol Oates
*Speaker for the Dead - Orson Scott Card
**The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
The Tombs of Atuan - Ursula K. Le Guin
The Stranger - Albert Camus

Did you read any good books in 2010? Or have any great book suggestions?

Anyone else on goodreads? I think I may be addicted... Feel free to look me up!