There's nothing better than a steamy mug of tea at the end (or beginning, or middle) of a long day. Even though I drink tea every single day, I am still mystified by its soothing powers-especially on days when I, say, sprain my ankle at the rock gym. (sigh!) Today, wildroot teas are calling to me. Organic, locally grown, and fair trade certified, buying them will feel almost as good as sipping them!

The fact that I'll have my very first nephew in a few months has me slightly obsessed with all things baby boy. And since the role of long-distance-aunt allows for some extra spoiling, I know that my search for fun and well-made baby gifts has only just begun. (Which, by the way, I am completely OK with!) So far, my favorite finds are these hanging mobiles by PinkPerch. Each one is made-to-order from eco-felt or fleece, and stuffed with a soft, bamboo filling. These made-to-order mobiles, like Outer Space Adventure, or Counting Sheep, will add a bit of whimsy to any baby's room, along with some guaranteed sweet dreaming.

I love seahagandwalrus. I love everything about them, including their name! What's not to love about earrings made from recycled shrink wrap?! Or vegan snarfs?! (It's not my word, but I sure enjoy using it!) I'm definitely going to have to get my hands on a pair of these beauties and, as luck would have it, I won't have to travel far. Seahagandwalrus items are available at Portland's very own Herbivore Clothing!* Yay!

*Herbivore Clothing is one of the very best vegan shops in the city. If you're ever in Portland, be sure to stop in and show your love! And, while you're there, check out the rest of the Vegan Mini-Mallers, too. SweatPea bagels are a weekly staple in this household.

More bicycyle art! I can't help it. I'm always amazed  by the different ideas that artits come up with to make their bike creations unique. These lovely, little pouches by deerowl are handmade from recycled bicycle tubes, and appropriately named NO SKIN.  I love how the exposed and simple stitches contrast with the smooth tubing. I also love that each pouch comes with two loops attached to the back so they can be worn on a strap as a mini purse, or on a belt as a hip pouch. And, as always, such a great alternative to leather!

Still looking for that perfect little something for your Valentine? Check out these candles from StepBeyond for an upgraded version of an ever-popular gift. What's so special about these candles, you ask? Not only are they hand poured from all natural oils, but they also posess magical powers! OK, so maybe not magical powers, but they can do something that my other boring candles can't do. They turn into body lotion! It's true!

From StepBeyond: TO USE - Simply light and burn the candle until a small pool of oil forms (a little goes a long way) then blow out the candle and apply as desired. (As this candle burns at a much lower temperature than regular wax you have no need to fear burning yourself.)

Love it! There are a variety of scents to choose from, like Jasmine Rose and Vanilla Lavender, and each upycled jar has a different lid, sculpted from clay to give these candles an extra-gifty look. So, rather than running out to some generic bath and body store the night before Valentines day, do yourself, your Valentine, and the planet a favor, and get one of these instead! (Just be sure to act fast! StepBeyond is having some serious sales and these definitely won't last long!) 

OK, I know that I've posted about adorable pincushions before, but these are different. These are emery pincushions, which Dottyral designs, sews, and stuffs herself. For all of you non-sewers out there (present company included) emery is the stuff that's used to keep your needles sharp.

From Dottyral: Are you familiar with the little strawberry that comes along with the famous tomato pincushion? Do you know the purpose of that strawberry? It's an emery pincushion. Its purpose is to keep your pins and needles sharp. It’s filled with a mineral called "emery". Emery resembles fine metal shavings. It’s used as an abrasive in industrial applications and on things like emery boards.

So, who'd want a little strawberry when there are sunny side up eggs and peas in a pod to be had? The emery is containted in its own casing and covered twice to prevent leaking through the pinholes. Plus, many of these cushions are created from ecospun polyester felt made from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles! Yay! They're also extra heavy, since they've been tightly packed and are much larger than others of its kind.

Dottyral's creative and, might I add, delicious-looking, pincushions are the perfect way to say "I Love You" or, at least, "Thanks for the Eggs!" to that special sewing enthusiast in your life.

Take that tiny strawberry!

I am in love with OTSbags. Each bag is beautifully crafted from recycled fabrics containing no animal fibers, and all are completely unique. I absolutely love the combinations of patterns and textures! And both The Uptown and The Daytripper styles feature interior pockets, a sturdy shoulder strap, and a magnetic snap enclosure. Such a great way to indulge those eclectic and animal-friendly tendencies!

So, we got married, spent two (fabulous) weeks in Costa Rica, and moved ourselves (and our cat) across the country, all in the span of 2 months! To say things have been a bit hectic for us would be, well, a lie. Things have been CRAZY! Add to that the full-time task of looking for jobs in this oh-so-stingy job market (did I mention that Portland's unemployment rate is over 10%?) and you have yourselves one chaotic couple. Fortunately, we've been managing to make ends meet with the phenomenal sales of Julien's belts. (Sorry for the shameless plug, but when it's your sole means of income you've gotta self promote, phenomenal sales or not.)

Anyway, now that things have settled down a bit, we promise to be better friends to cosa verde by reinstituting some regular vegan blog posts. In the last few months, crazy as they have been, we've eyed up some great stuff for future features. So, if you're as tempted as we are by ecofelt, dairy-free treats, and brilliantly designed apparel, we think you'll enjoy our upcoming posts!

And, speaking of posts, let's kick off the first Vegan Find of 2010 with a 2 for 1, because, well...we owe you!

Reward yourself for making it through the holidays this year with a gift you'll actually keep, like these fashionable and functional crocheted earphones by LateToTheRevolution. Keep the music playing while keeping your ears toasty! Not insanely adorable enough for you, you say? Then how about these earphone beanies?? Words cannot describe how cute you'll look sporting the Blue Bear,  or, my personal favorite, the Rockasaurus Rex! All headwear is handmade from acrylic yarns and is available for custom orders!

Feeling a bit more nostalgic at Christmas this year than usual, I found myself really missing my mom's homemade Christmas cookies. Visions of macaroons, walnut cups and sugar cookies shaped like snowmen danced in my head for about a month. Then, just yesterday, I came across these Christmas macaroons! Okay, so they're not necessarily Christmas macaroons, but they look like the ones my mom makes for Christmas. And even more exciting is Jaynelhollis' selection of intriguing flavors to choose from, like Chai Tea, and Orange Ginger! Perfect for some midwinter munching!

Happy New Year!