Refocus!

Hey all,

Some exciting things are coming up in my life. In June I will be moving in with some friends to a new apartment, and I just found out this week that I have been accepted to the Fashion Institute of Technology’s graphic design program. Hopefully my credits from Pratt will transfer so that I can enter their one year program, but that’s not clear yet. Fingers crossed.

Earlier this week, Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart of Vaute Couture came to Pratt for a talk, and it was very inspiring to learn more about her life story, how she came to be an activist (at an incredibly young age!) and all the hard work it took to start such an incredible business. I am planning to apply for an internship there once I’m back in the swing of things with school. If I could use my skills at a company like that, I would be so thrilled and grateful.

I also wrote and produced a simple song for my friend’s thesis animation, and I’m very excited to be able to share that with you when it is finally completed! The way the song is used in the film is much different than how it is arranged here, but would love y’all to check it out! Music has kind of been on the back-burner for me lately, so it was nice to be pushed to make something from start to finish for somebody else.

 

I have also been trying to eat healthier. I realized that there have literally been sequential weeks in this year that I haven’t eaten a single fruit. It costs money to buy groceries (shocking!), so I’ve been pretty much living off of old food from my job when we don’t sell it to be frugal. It’s all vegan, of course, but not necessarily balanced and healthy to only be eating that stuff. There’s only so much nutrition in a chocolate muffin, vegan or not… ;P I’m already feeling so much better just by incorporating more raw fruits and vegetables. I’d love to try going fully raw for a few weeks and see what that’s like, but it is just entirely out of my budget right now!

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDURAugOoKm/?taken-by=andreacharlaine

 

Anyway, super excited to get back to posting here more regularly. I need to be more disciplined. I have been wanting to do a weekly or at least bi-weekly art post of things I’ve created, but I just have been totally unmotivated lately. The warm spring weather here though, in addition to the news of my acceptance to FIT has given me a bit of a push, so expect to hear more from me in the coming weeks! 🙂

❤

Andrea

Vaute

Big news for my closet: I finally got a Vaute Couture coat! They were having a flash sale and I knew there may not be another day for awhile where I could get 75% off so I went for it and am very glad I did. The one I got is the Pegasus. It is honestly the warmest coat I’ve ever worn. For that reason alone I wish winter wasn’t going away so quickly!

Yesterday it was almost 60 degrees so I went to Red Hook for the first time since summer just to explore. It was really nice. Got some bodega fries and a vegan bento box from Fairway. Day was well spent. 🙂

coat – vaute couture // skirt – asos // beanie – neff // scarf – asos

…and, done.

I submitted my application to FIT, so the rush is over. I actually made some fun projects in my limited time to work on them.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBRZH7DuoE4/

See more here.

I’m actually very excited about going back to school. I hope that I am accepted and get into the one year program for an associate’s degree and then I can see what I want to do from there. If anyone reading has been to FIT, I’d love to hear about your experiences!

On Sunday I had a really nice day with my friend walking through Manhattan, eating deliciously at Red Bamboo, and taking photos. There was even a classical pianist at Washington Square Park which was nice. I don’t go into the city enough!

Anyway, It was so nice out, and it continues to be nice this week. The snow is melting too fast! The sun is great and comfy, but I actually really wouldn’t mind another blizzard…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBRbIe9OoHA/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBOJcxFuoNd

focus

bag, cardigan, jeans – thrifted // shoes – vegan doc martens // scarf – gift // hat – neff // top – modcloth

Some potential life changes have been set into motion. After probably too much hesitation, I have decided to apply to go back to school. Thankfully, I already have most of what I need together with just five days until the application deadline now. There are going to be a few sleepless nights until then. Hopefully I make it in. I also got a second job, which I was not expecting! I’m super excited to get back to being a student and getting into some new things.

It is also just so incredibly nice today that I was comfortable even without sleeves. Ridiculous! I guess this snow won’t be sticking around for too long.

Loving running this blog so far as well, even if I’m still a bit embarrassed about it when I’m asked about it in real life. I’m weird.

Andrea

snow day

blouse, pants, shoes, jacket – thrifted // vegan reversible belt – grapecat.com

Had a great night with a few friends for my birthday last night. Most of the stores and restaurants were closed but I got some really great mushroom and spinach vegan tacos from a nearby Mexican restaurant. I loved how quiet the streets were. It felt like a ghost town, or just like another world. It was… comfortable, in a way. Today the world has woken up again. Back to business as usual.

Andrea

vegan lunch go-to

I love beans. Not only are they super delicious and versatile, they are also one of the best bangs for your buck in the food department.

My favorite quick meal to make when I’m at home is black bean burgers. It’s super simple! Whenever I make them for folks who haven’t made them for themselves before, they’re surprised that it’s so easy! You can season them however you want, and prepare them however suits your fancy. Sometimes I’ll have them with salad, or on a doughnut from Dun-Well (okay, that honestly has only happened twice so far, but lemme tell you: the best way to eat anything, is on a vegan doughnut). However, today I’m gonna share with you a way that is maybe a little less indulgent than a Luther Burger and a little more on the healthy side of things.

So seriously, if you don’t want to read any further, here is the tl;dr version of my black bean burger recipe:

one can of black beans, rinse, mush ’em all up with a fork or whatever utensil you have handy, form into two patties, and fry over medium-high heat with some olive oil.

It’s really that easy. Most times I literally just do that with a bit of salt and pepper and I’m good to go. Here’s the variation I cooked up the other day as shown in the photos above:

1 can black beans (drained/rinsed)

1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp mustard

about 2/3 cup of chopped kale

about 1/3 cup of diced onion

1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

1 tsp turmeric

salt and pepper to taste

On top we had some caramelized onions, avocado, Just Mayo, medium Nacheez, and Chao Tomato Cayenne.

If you’ve never made black bean burgers before, definitely don’t be afraid to give it a shot! It’s super simple. I made them for the first time about a year ago and now make them at least once a week and don’t get bored.

Andrea

 

year 20

dress, shirt, jacket — thrifted

neff beanie

vegan doc marten 1460 boots

rings — vintage (mom wore them when she was my age!)

Tomorrow’s my 21st birthday! If you look real close at that last photo there, you can see some under-eye wrinkles… Getting old. 😉

I treated myself to a Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 and I have to say, it’s now my most prized possession. I don’t doubt that I’m going to just become obsessed and start collecting instant cameras. I’m planning on it, in fact.

Really loving the mild weather here in NY right now. But we’ve got a snow storm expected this Saturday. Should be fun though. What’s winter without a storm? Might not be a blizzard, but a girl can dream. My birthday plans were originally to go out and do some karaoke this Saturday night. I’ve never done it, but have always wanted to. Hopefully that works out, otherwise we’re gonna stay in and play board games. I know how to party, obviously.

Andrea

 

 

My Favorite Vegan Snacks of 2015

The amount of vegan convenience foods available is growing so much every day, it seems! In the past year, I’ve found some really great stuff. Included in this list are things that I discovered in the past year or so. Some of them are obvious vegan “knock-offs” of non-vegan snacks that I grew up loving, such as Cheez-Its and Ritz Bits, and others are things that I have no pre-vegan-days attachments to. One thing they all have in common, though, is that they’re all delicious and wonderfully addicting!

Earth Balance really changed the name of the game when they introduced what I think is fair to call their version of Cheez-Its and Pirate’s Booty, along with a variety of flavored popcorns and chips. These “vegan cheddar flavor squares”, as they are so descriptively named, totally hit the spot every time. I wish I could eat a box of these every day.

Late July Organic has peanut butter sandwich crackers (think Ritz Bits!) and I can only dream of there being a vegan cheese version of this right now. Before going vegan at 14, cheese Ritz Bits were my all-time favorite junky snack food. I remember not really caring for peanut butter Ritz Bits at the time, but these sandwich crackers by Late July are super fulfilling for any salty-peanut-buttery-cracker craving. So, shout out to Late July… Veganize your cheddar cheese crackers, please! My stomach is waiting.

Now, for something completely different: Dang Coconut Chips. Well, dang! I first tried these as a sample in the Vegan Cuts snack box last year and fell in love. You may feel a little healthier eating these than those junkier foods I listed above (hey, it’s all vegan though, so at least they’re better than the alternative!) because this snack is simply coconut, sugar, seasoning, oil, and salt. They are no less delicious though. I’ve only tried the Chili Lime flavor, which is perfectly spiced, but they are also available in a myriad of other flavors including Savory Bacon (I plan on trying that ASAP, I ain’t no fool).

Now how about some vegan jerky? I love all the Primal Strips and you can find them almost anywhere around here, but another new thing I’ve tried (although they’ve been around since 2012) is Louisville Vegan Jerky. I first tried their Maple Bacon flavor (it’s in a different packaging than their other flavors too… They must know that people are just absolute suckers for maple bacon… Or well, just anything bacon). Super savory and just a little bit sweet, these are great to try when you’re wanting something a little more meaty.

Shockingly, I’ve not even scratched the surface on all the amazing foods available, but these are some of my favorites as of late! There are also a ton of snacks that are more oriented towards one’s sweet tooth which I will write a post on soon.

Even if there weren’t a million other options, I’d still be a happy little herbivore over here. This is pretty good proof that vegans don’t eat plain, boring food. If there’s anything you’ve tried as of late that you love, please share by leaving a comment below! 🙂

Andrea

to Pants or not to Pants

Hey all,

I have been having an interesting start to the new year. I’ve been working a lot for the past week and am pretty tuckered out. I’ve got a recipe post planned for later this week, so don’t worry, I’m not going to let myself neglect this blog! But right now, just checking in, because I promised myself I would write and share my thoughts here. I don’t want this to just be a cookie cutter, clean edges blog. I’m gonna keep it real, folks!

It’s raining here this morning. After snow, rain is my favorite weather. I guess I’m into precipitation. It’s too bad there’s only been maybe two days where we have hit freezing temperatures here in New York this season. I miss the snow so much! But I guess it is nice being able to walk to and from work every day without freezing my toes off.

When I was back home in Pennsylvania over Christmas, I was watching the news and they were saying how these high temperatures were a “miracle”. I’m not really sure how rising temperatures and dangerous climate change could be seen as a miracle. It’s just eerie to me and when I think about it it’s just uncomfortable. I should be shoveling snow from the side walk this morning.

When I head back home again this afternoon to spend some time with the family for my birthday (I turn 21 on January 21st… it’s coming up quick!) I’m going to be keeping my eyes peeled for pants-less Subway passengers. No, sorry, I won’t be participating this year. Disappointing, I know.

If you want to see some more posts covering vegan fashion and food, please follow me here so you can get notified as soon as I post! It won’t be long. 🙂

Thanks for reading,

Andrea

 

the Ethics Behind the Clothes We Buy

I am guilty of being the type of person who can go hours doing online window shopping for clothes. I imagine creating a new identity for myself through it. It’s fun to do. My wish lists have reached great lengths. But at the end of the day? I can’t afford all of those clothes, and I know that even if I did have the money, I probably wouldn’t feel so great about the purchase.

I have had to battle this out in my head sometimes as I’m scrolling through sites like Forever 21 and H&M. There are so many cute things, and most of them are pretty affordable. Why not buy some shirts? I’d get use out of them. But then I think to myself and realize these are cheaply made products that often do not hold up very well. More often than not, they are also produced overseas and do not treat their employees fairly. And personally I want to shop as sustainably as I can and not be throwing things out at the end of each season. I see this as something that I can change about my shopping habits and not contribute to, no matter how tempting it is.

Starting now, I have decided to stop purchasing from these so-called “fast fashion” companies. I want only to support places that I have absolutely no qualms about supporting, such as thrift shops where clothing is being recycled, and to only buy new things if I’m 100% sure something that I could get good use out of it and will love for years to come. Not only does this save me money because I won’t be making as many new purchases, but I’ll feel better about where the money that I do spend is going.

Stylish Vegan Winter Coats & Jackets Exist, Thanks To Vaute Couture

A case in which I would feel great about buying something new, is something like a new pair of shoes or a blazer from Brave Gentleman, or a winter coat or dress from Vaute Couture. These are both sustainable, vegan companies that are doing their part to make a difference in the fashion industry.

While these brands do have higher price tags, you are paying for the quality and the fair practices that they put at the forefront of their business. I predict that those items are going to be sticking around on my wish list for quite some time, but one day when I have the means, I intend to make them a part of my closet!

Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgart, the founder of Vaute Couture herself says, “Most of my clothes come from church resale shops and thrift stores. But then, the pieces I want to support are the pieces I save up for — and I know that my money is supporting ethical practices.”

Vote with your dollar! If you like what someone is doing, support them. 🙂

❤ Andrea