good bye october

can't say i am sorry to see you go!  here we go into a new month with new possibilities and opportunities, not a moment too soon.  it's not the the month was *bad*, it was actually a good and productive month.  it's just not my favorite, that's all.  no hard feelings, october.  {it's not you, it's me}

the shop is doing great:  got some local print coverage in the sacramento news & review and an online mag about midtown's goings on.  free advertising:  i heart this.  people are making their way in finding us on happy cow, yelp, and twitter.  these things work believe it or not LOL.  a lot of bay area friends have made their way down to sacramento with super nice things to say.  whenever someone *thanks* us for *doing this* and gives us genuine support my heart melts.  i just want to *do more*, and with the support of my very small, local and vegan business is one way i can more for the animals and our cause.

i am sitting at the shop, sipping a jamba juice and having 'breakfast with the beatles' on itunes radio thinking how much i really love all this.  this constant state of deja vu tells me i have done this once before somehow.  and i am ok with that.  {everything has happened and will happen again}  

in the meantime, i hope if you are local you have a chance to come shop and say hi.  if you are not you can follow us on facebook to get more constant updates on what's going on. 

*time flies*

it's true what they say:  time really is slippin' slippin' slippin...into the future!  i cannot even believe the month is half over and halloween is coming.  i think i purposely blank out this month out of my memory.  i had some highs, and some very scary lows in octobers of past.  i do love this time of year.  i LOVE when the seasons change from summer to fall and winter to spring.  even here in the sacramento valley, there are seasons.  and they DO change!  {even if you have to drive to "see fall" in the mountains...}

my website is in flux...i am slowly adding things and making it look fresher...

 nfbveganshop.com  
click and you can see i have been working on my site...{grumble grumble don't talk to me about it webshit sux and takes forever.  or should i say i suck and am slow}

the store is doing great--when it's slow during the week i have been getting everything in order for taxes (already!  shutup gah! noooooo) and the financial side of everything is looking fabu.  let's see if i can keep on top of everything and not get in trouble or fined or something lol.  {there is a lot to keep on top of, trust me}  with the customers and supporters:  everyone has been so nice, i *almost* can't stand it.  {don't. stop.}

mostly i wonder if they can hear me singing downstairs and through the open windows?  because when no one is looking, you better believe it's karaoke up in here!  {serious business...don't laugh!}

 

*good day*

moved the books, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

well i got through a segment on good day sacramento, our local morning program this week. lesson learned? live TV is not the thing for me LOL. i had in my head all these AR one-liners to combat the zings from the reporter but she was so nice and positive when the lights came on i TOTALLY BLANKED OUT on who i was and what the fuck i was doing. well...at least my intentions were good. and they were not condescending about all the fierce veganocity going on up in here. so, all in all it was worth getting up at 5 to be here at 6am. {that's really, really early for me to be imparting ANY information of any kind ever. but that's just me.}

after she left and i had a few hours to kill i rearranged {again}, putting up a new metro rack for the grocery items. if you come here on the regular don't be too surprised if it's slightly to extremely rearranged constantly. it's just what i do. it's the OCD in me. so, sorry for any confusion :)

also it was like xmas with the shipments! new this week is chicago soy dairy products: mozzarella teese and dandies marshmallows. they were so nice to send samples of all flavors which we are in the process of sampling at home. the cheddar sauce is pretty major. we also got some awesome and i mean fucking awesome belts and key chains made from recycled bike tires, oregon brand vegan chai mix and AR pendant necklaces from christy robinson. her work is so awesome, i have loved these necklaces from afar for many moons. i am honored to have them available here! come see for yourself :)

on a personal front i have never been busier! between the girls, home and the shop i feel like i am going at 10 all the time. i have discovered massages/bodywork and I AM SOLD! what have i been waiting for my whole life to get these? i say reiki me, baby. i am so ready. also shawn has been busy making AR buttons...and we are planning to host melisser elliott, the author of the vegan girl's guide to life in november for a book signing party. {your's truly just may have a blurb in the book...but you will have to wait and read it when it comes out!}

have a great weekend and if you are local or traveling through stop in and say HI!

*not the heat*

vegan dish, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

apparently we are experiencing a heat wave. or at least, regular late late summer sacramento weather we are not used to since the weather was relatively mild for us. {so, we swelter, or so it seems.}

but, in spite of record breaking heat i am still having my positive mental attitude. i am re-ordering tee shirts as we are running low {that's a great thing}-along with some hoodies and long-sleeves, the vegan dish pottery came {which i am drooling over}, and we set up an account with chicago soy dairy {vegan run, made on vegan equipment!} for teese vegan cheese and marshmallows {huzzah!}.

things are looking good. and feeling good too. i can't wait for a real weather change for hats and sweaters and socks. pumpkin pie in the cafe and cobblers. mmmmm. {i love fall!}

*snack and book porn*

pantry, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

look i know you just had the 'bottomless brunch' downstairs at sugar plum vegan, but dammit you know you want some hazelnut butter and some boxed mac-n-cheeze. you know, for later noshing.

along with some mighty fine junk food, i also have vegan cookbooks if you are the READING type. ;p (reconstituting mashed potatoes in the microwave doesn't constitute following a written recipe!) just got in 'that's why we don't eat animals' by ruby roth. it's aimed at children but if you can read this beautifully illustrated and factual book on treating all life with compassion without giving your current omnivore status a serious second thought, you are a robot. it's amazing and would make a great gift to a child you know.  also, we got vegan yum yum which you need for next dinner party, and the cookbook the mad cowboy howard lyman penned called "NO BULL"--good reading cover to cover, all of them. {if you are the abridged reader and prefer zines...have a few of those too. even one dedicated to vegan smoothies for that smoothie diet you were talking about not too long ago. wait, that was just me and it was the babyfood diet! what? i am trying to lose 10 lbs!}

*day two*

fancy aprons :), originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

yesterday was awesome! lot's of positive people, sales and great conversation. shawn and kristie brought me flowers, too! {so thoughtful}

even though the SUPER GRAND OPENING {tm} haha will be in october, i would have to say yesterday's first day was very grand and very special. {i love my job!}

in other non-business news: our beloved cat simon had a almost week long hospital stay for a urinary blockage and almost died! he's home with a new and favorable prognosis, thank god. then, if things couldn't have been more hectic with that and the store opening, the same day he went into the hospital my oldest daughter took a spill at school and sprained one of her elbows, and fractured the other. hopefully she won't need a soft cast on the one and the sling will do. i did a tour of TWO hospitals on the SAME day :) it's amazing my head didn't spin off my neck but you know what...everything's going to be OK for both cat and daughter! so you just have to roll with everything and not get too caught up. {er, at least that is what i have been told ;p}

happy sunday and i hope you have a wonderful start to your week! let's hope neither you or i have reason to see a hospital or dr. LOL

*nine days, seriously?*

love my birdy fabric curtains, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

NINE DAYS until i throw open the doors? say WHAT?

it's funny, i think i am in shock about the whole thing. because in order NOT to freak out, i am just NOT freaking out and rolling with it. {it's so very unlike me, you know, not to freak out.}

the sign for the outside got delivered today: that makes it official! plus with 90% of the space painted and decorated{how much do you love the birdy fabric curtains? thanks ikea and your inexpensive fabric ways!} and the fixtures delivered and stock here and ready to go out, it's kind of a done deal! i believe the only thing not ready is not a thing at all, it's a being and that being is ME. {ok, i lied. i am actually quite ready. i am just nervous! EEP!}

never felt better {vegan shop} is go!...well, almost. NINE MORE DAYS!

*painting is fun*

just keep painting, just keep painting...

me, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

i worked all this waaaay up in my head as the worst possible job to do for the space, but actually minus the 15 ft. ceilings between elisabeth and i we knocked out the front two rooms over the past two days. easy AND peasy, but still a kick ass cardio workout. i am hoping to lose 10 pounds drilling up and down the stairs in the future when no one is looking, and i hope this is the jump start to my hypothyroid metabolism! {one can only pray...}

now, you may ask yourself...what in the world is that color yellow doing? but tell yourself it is still wet in these pictures and there is nothing wrong with a little color in your life. :) this room, aptly named the yellow room LOL, is the "kitchen" area as the future home snack foods, cookbooks, aprons, dishware, pet stuff etc. i am in love with the sunny/happy/vintage feel of the color plus it's name is fairly lily. {+1 in my book.}

today was a good day, a productive day. cheers to many, many more of those.

*sneaky peeks 2*

and a few more...

flapper girl

 

 

vegan aesthetics

books by bexx

plus don't forget there will be cookbooks and snacky and staple vegan foods, too!

*sneaky peeks*

oh so retro

bread and badger

fork n spoon

just a few of the types of awesomeness you will find at never felt better {vegan shop} scheduled opening sept 18th, and the website is being worked on so it's "under construction" for the moment--please check back later for the new version!

so, you sly vegan, you...check back for more sneaky peaks to come between now opening :)  {just enough to wet your whistle, eh sacramento?! there's more...so much more...}

*moving on up...*

new logo w/ text, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

well things are happening over here at nfb central. the move to the new store front is eminent, when the weather cooperates and doesn't give us the promise of a heat stroke in the middle of it! {have i mentioned the shop is in an old victorian...UPstairs with a dinky window AC. and it's been record breaking heat here in the sacramento valley. yeah. so...yeah. the weekend is promising more mild temps that are more conducive to hauling stuff up a flight of steep steps! i also have a cleaning and paint prep CREW now...so i don't have to suffer respiratory distress on top of all the regular stress LOL. again, it's a dusty old victorian. and it hates my lungs right now.}

i have received many new items in the past two days, including a partial food shipment {vegan jerky and candy, anyone?} and some awesome handmade vegan lovelies you had no idea you needed. a metric ton of tee-shirts, with more great stuff on the way. cute brooches, bags, and bath and body items...vegan CONDOMS... everything will be ready and we will have that soft opening by sept 15...second saturday if the weather gods smile upon our faces. {no more hothothot weather, k weather gods? seriously.}

oh and how about the new logo? {i am loving it. i hope you are too.}

*at the car wash*

at the car wash, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

so i was at the drive-thru car wash, too hot to do the self-serve and there was a ton of bird crap on my black car. {not a good look} i took a bunch of photos, listened to music, enjoyed the lazy, selfish moment.

{just a few notes, hopefully more updates on the shop by the weekend. let's suffice to say that i bought window coverings. and there is no more room in my house for boxes and *stuff*! oh, yea the website is underway...i bought the domain name nfbveganshop.com. catchy, huh?}

*nfb poppy love*

finished poppies!, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

well, you are looking at the arm of a new midtown sacramento business owner :) finalized the lease conditions today, signed on the dotted line. now i can't run away flailing my arms...i am locked in for one year! {i am only half-kidding about running away, i am going crazy on the details of what has to happen and soon and the idea does occur to me from time to time!}

but as you can see, my never felt better poppies are finished, thanks to our friend mischa. and he also did my middle fingers {my favorite ones of all time}. i can't tell you how good it feels to complete something so dear to me, at a time when i am embarking on something so dear to me. the synchronicity and serendipity abounds. {it's magical}

i hope what merch i have gotten so far is as pleasin' to everyone else as it really is to me. i will have a meager start, but it's a start and every time i hear someone congratulate me earnestly or say how i am living my dream, well that's priceless. {i am living the dream, and it's pretty fucking sweet}

please stay with me when we get in to primer and paint {i am getting closer to picking out the final colors every day but i am not quite there yet} and keep in mind sept 15th is the date for the soft opening. along with the painting and sprucing up of the joint, i have a press release to write, fixtures and display stuff to pick up, and my craft area to fix up, all in about one month! {oh and get my kids back to school...oi that's another stress-mess with lucy's special ed and which school will they ultimately go to. yikes, how much more can i fit on my plate!?!}

happy weds and i hope you have some radical weekend plans going down. and if you are open to it, explore veganism. the animals need you!

2315 k st is a go!

sugar plum vegan, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

well, it's official. i put the deposit and rent down on the k st. space. me and my good friend and girl friday elisabeth went to meet with melissa for paperwork business, and to take some notes on what we need to transform the space. it was nice to have a fresh set of eyes and we came up with some great solutions to maximize the floor selling space.

afterwards, we went to go browse paint chips for color ideas. lucky for me i am being gifted primer (which we need tons of!) and most of the painting supplies. we begin this weekend! wut!

as far as vendors, i am 88% done with all my invoices. a few more tee sellers and the dishware gal are out but i finished up my supply shopping for things such as bags, price guns etc. i have fixtures and tables on tap, so that will happen more mid-month when everything is painted and dried. it's SO EXCITING! the good news is spreading...every time i go in to the cafe someone asks me if i am "that jen" while pointing upstairs LOL and yes, i am THAT JEN.

i had a dream last night that i was working alone, it was swamped, my register was jamming and some chick came in and bought most of my stock LOL. but then at the same time elisabeth had a less anxiety-riddled dream of serene shoppers and a cute couch and the painting touches she was wanting to try. i am going to focus on hers! my anxiety is at an all time high, people...but i suppose it's a good anxiety?

nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile!

*git yer buttons here!*

vegan buttons, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

a sheer metric ton of cute 1" vegan buttons (see picture there are way more styles than that but you'll just have to come see for yourself! when we open!) came this week by teeny tiny tantrums. i spaced on making buttons for the shop to giveaway but that's next on my ever growing list of things to do/buy/pick-up. some very cute coffee cozies and aprons came via flapper girl and also some awesome recycled tee shirt crocheted scrubbies that are hands down the best i have ever seen.

in the home front, we went to the fair on thursday and are going one more time just the mr. and me before it closes so we can go on the rides lyric was too chicken to go on as my ride buddy lol. the girls had a blast and we ate way too much greasy food. yay! shawn and i saw inception earlier in the week {one of the best movies of modern history! i can't say enough great things about it, so go see if for yourself to find out what all the buzz is about}.

today we are making vegan tamales and enchiladas. shawn and i were a well-oiled kitchen machine busting out both items in record time. whoever says tamales are too much work needs a punch in the throat. they are SO worth it, and come on...it's not that much work sheesh! it's called "cooking" lol. {slow food movement--- pbbbbbltttttt someone just made that up and is trying to sell a book and make a mint!}

happy saturday and i will blog about the tamales tomorrow, letting you know how they turned out. {i can tell you right now...delicious!}

*never a dumb question*

bulletin board , originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

here, in q&a format are a few questions asked recently in real life and via the internet about what the hell we are doing. :)

{for those just tuning in shawn and me are going to open an all vegan shop above sugar plum vegan cafe in midtown sacramento. the name is never felt better {vegan shop}. the website will be redirected to a new url and is getting a spruce job to reflect the new direction . i am really excited and distracted so i am going to try extra hard to keep blogging through the process! it ought to be fun!}

Q: you are going to have a store with all your handmade stuff in it?
A: no, my personal line of accessories will be available {i still gotta craft, yo!}, but i am so lucky to know so many talented people filling a store up with cruelty free and cute as hell stuff won't be too hard. not only will we carry handmade one of a kind goods for men and women, we will also do some vegan grocery staples, cookbooks and other household things that every self-respecting vegan should have ;p

Q: do you buy from only vegans?
A: i wish, but of course not silly. some are, some aren't. some of my good friends are omni's. and most of the crafters and artists are personal friends of mine so if i could turn out just one of them who isn't already i would consider that a personal triumph. HINT HINT HINT, personal friends!

Q: you called yourself the "vegan gift shop". are you kidding me?
A: no. i kid you not. i predict when you are done snarfing up some sugar plum vegan food you will come up the stairs and buy yourself a commemorative herbivore clothing company tee shirt, lollibomb "me so honey" vegan massage oil and a bag of eco-planet cheezy crackers because that's how you roll.

Q: what will i find in your store, really?
A: awesomeness. pure awesomeness. but keep in mind that the awesomeness you will find at my shop will be devoid of animal cruelty and suffering making it awesomeX10. so, vegan women's and mens clothing, accessories like buttons, belts and hair stuff, animal and AR related jewelry, animal companion accessories and v-dog food. bath and body stuff such as soaps, lotions and fragrance, vegan cookbooks-books-zines, paper goods and grocery and snaky items.

Q: will vegetarians be welcome?
A: everyone is welcome. especially veggies! although they will have to sign an enforceable promissory note to fully convert to veganism or they can only look through the window. LOL JUST KIDDIN'. {or am i? mwahahahahaha} putting all seriousness aside, these items are 100% vegan and 100% suitable for EVERYONE.

Q: i thought you were going to change your name?
A: i thought so, too. i think we are going to keep the other name we were tossing around for shawn's sustainable vegan skateboard company LOL. {our next business venture!}

Q: you have been saying you were going to get the vegan cookzine done for the past two years. what's the hold up?
A: life, laziness, shawn going gluten free and us having to redo some of our family classics. but don't think we have forgotten it, and it will come out in print soon. oh yes, it will be. no excuses...

Q: what's the new website info?
A: that is TBA. check back for more info, and like i said i will be photo documenting our process of before and after to the shop and sneak peak merchandise here on this blog. check back for more info soon.

so, that concludes the question and answer portion of the blog. :) i am certain i forgot some important information, but for a gal who is writing through a class 3 migraine i think got what i need out.

happy tuesday!

*lost weekend, found workweek*

calm waters, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

this lost weekend (some me time with my sister exploring n. california back roads, casinos and the yuba river, pictured above) gave way to a BUSY found work week. this is the week of the three bigger distribution entities needed to get some of the grocery, vegan dog food and cook books in the store. the v-dog people are local: a sacramento company which sells all over the US--and our three dogs are thriving on it. awesome stuff...pick a bag up with me when you stop by the store.

oh! and orders have started rolling in, like amazing vinyl bags and wallets on saturday, and another today of herbivore clothing co tee shirts, with two email confirmations others were on the way! i have a running vendor list that makes me very excited, i am hoping everyone else gets excited too lol! over the next couple weeks of painting and feathering my retail nest, as it were, and the more orders that come in i will be doing previews of what to expect from never felt better {vegan shop}. there is still really so much to get done in a relatively short amount of time but i have shawn, more help from friends that i know what to do with, and a vision so i feel half-way there in my mind :) but for right now it is in a corner of my living room until the space is ready.

*sweet holy cucumber*

sweet holy cucumber, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

{warning this is the post in which i drone on and on about a cucumber.}

today is double digits, and i kind of spaced on the garden thinking the soaking last night would last. {it didn't i had wilty everything...tsk tsk tsk on me.} when usually the cucumber leaves are like huge umbrellas and i have to hunt for the cuc's which is part of the fun, some extra wilty leaves led this *thing* to catch my eye.  tucked among the vines of the watermelon plants,  it's gotta be the biggest cucumber i have ever seen, and i thought the others harvested were big ones already!

man, i should have known and entered this bad boy in our fair--i think i would have a ribbon winner on my hands--literally.

enjoy my cucumber freakazoid. i know i am TOTALLY tickled pink over the mere sight...but i think i am 75% 12 yr. old boy. ha!

{you were warned about the prattling about a cucumber, so i don't wanna hear it!}

in NFB news, i am totally stoked to have a GANG of herbivore tee shirts en route. also, there will be held vegan belts, lollibomb bath and body, bread and badger {etched with vegan logos} pint glasses, and so so so much more. it's crazy! CRAZY i tell you! that was just a sneaky peek. {there will be many, many more of those...that i can promise.}

happy thursday and i hope you have some crazy weekend plans that will make me jealous as all hell. enjoy :)

*garden fresh quinoa pilaf*

garden fresh quinoa pilaf, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

in urban gardening news: today we had a cornucopia of harvesting goodness! we got chard, squash, yellow cherry tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers. shawn was craving quinoa so he made a quick pilaf using everything but the cucumber in it, with an addition of garbanzos, garlic and onion. i feel like a million bucks eating such rich, colorful and nutritious vegan food. it was like a bowl of vitamins! {this is a perfect warm or cold weather meal as it can be served fresh off the stove, or chilled. it's delicious in any form!}

in never felt better {vegan shop} news: for the past two days i have focused on following up on emails, placing orders and taking care of invoices. our printer is on the fritz and i need to print and fax two of the bigger distribution companies {like for the food and books}. so, if we get a replacement printer so it can be done by weeks end. {some stuff has even shipped already (!!!) and i am freaking out and can't wait to have them in my hot little hands.}

so happy tuesday, all...hope your week is shaping up good {and busy}!

*mental health day*

flowers, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

i am so ditching vending at 2nd saturday so i can experience some 2nd saturday with the family. it's all good--i called in and everything and some lucky bastard on the waiting list is going to have their day made. it's a win-win situation in my book. {i do what i can...}

along with sleeping in, so far this day has consisted of flax pancakes, fresh flowers, farmers market produce, fresh-from-my-own-garden produce, vegan tamales, swimming and family time. {i can't really complain. it's my kind of mental health day.}

behind the scenes it's trying to decide on two colors that will compliment the rooms, the dark wood floors and brightening factors of the new space. this takes more time than i thought. {actually that is a lie, i know exactly how long it takes. i can't make up my mind on the two rooms that need painting here at our house, never getting past the staring at paint chips stage. but, since painting the new spot is mandatory i think i will coordinate the two with the leftover paint from the shop IN the house as well and cut two carrots with one knife. GENIUS.} so far i have narrowed it down to a couple, three combos. plus i need an accent color or two for other things that need to be painted, like shelves. somehow i have to spruce up a standing vintage brass spinner that would perfect for the vegan held belts i am going to carry. i can't decide to paint or bring back the brass color, it's pretty rusted. {oh, if all my decisions were this hard: do i PAINT the display spinner or leave it natural? haha}

i can't wait to start previewing what's to come! the few things i have bought for the shop are nothing less than AWESOME and i feel like things are coming together, which is welcome. {this is really happening!}

happy saturday! i hope you are having your own version of a mental health day, whatever that may be. {peace}