OPEN OPEN OPEN

will this week be the week?  will we get keys to our new home by the weekend?  when WILL we be open for business?  WHY IS THIS TAKING SO LONG?  

we hear you, we hear you.  what was i thinking saying mid oct when that time has come, and is now in our rear-view?  well, i have to look at it from the big picture.  what is a mere two weeks in the scheme of things?  if you have ever worked with contractors you know what we are dealing with (even though our contractors are the NICEST people on the planet, who happen to be our 1/2 our landlord dreamteam lol).  they are doing their best, and honestly are only a couple weeks off MY target date so i really can't complain!  besides, once i get the keys and we move in all this will be again, in the rear-view and i can focus on our task at hand, getting back to vegan business.

last week when i popped in i saw there is a brand new door, they had plumbed the new bathroom and were drywalling, and they had roofed and opened the skylight in my office/storeroom which i didn't think i would have so this smile on my face is because, well...i have an office with a skylight :)  it's gorgeous.  simply gorgeous.  

new ADA approved front door! and check that golden yellow paint!  sunny.

monday or tuesday i am picking up the vinyl window decals which is pretty exciting.  and all the boxes of vegan belts, recycled etched glass tumblers, accessories, books, vintage clothes and vegan chocolate in my bedroom is pretty exciting.  switching banks from chase (ugh) to a local credit union (yay) is pretty exciting. 

artist's rendering (hahahaha) of our front windows :) 

SO things are happening, it's just all behind the scenes :)  i fully expect some great news monday or tuesday when i swing by the shop--i will let everyone know what the move-in timeline is as soon as we get that info.  NO ONE needs us to be back in business more than WE!  

lucy modeling next to our soycurl shipment!

  thanks for hanging in there with us...

--your friends at NFB <3

nfb2.0 is coming!

the time is FLYING by!  only a few weeks ago i was counting down 8, 7, 6 weeks now it's moving into the days category and i am um...kind of freaking out about it.  this is happening!

smile shawn!  i should have counted down so he could flash his pearlies lol

little window above the front door.  the windows are boarded and covered in plastic...

shawn is measuring our new front windows for me. 

i am secretly freaking out!

new storefront.  the landlords love these earth-tones in all of their buildings around town!

 we are shooting for the soft opening mid oct.  please visit again to find out what's the newest info...and if you haven't already friended us on FACEBOOK i am on there a whole bunch (probably too much lol) and it's even more complete with what's going on at never felt better HQ.  :)  wish me luck that i don't have a nervous breakdown before we open our doors! 

sunday lunch with the fosnights

we try to visit our loving hut (formerly known as au lac vegetarian) which is a stone's throw away from our house, on a regular basis.  we love these guys, and urge you to visit them regularly too to ensure they thrive! i have already reviewed their restaurant HERE at our food blog before they became a loving hut. in my opinion the food is consistent, fast and delicious and the service wonderful.  (and their week-day lunch special is the best price in town!)

today it was just shawn, lucy and i (lyric was on her way back from santa cruz, lucky girl!).  and for a while we had the whole place to ourselves, but then it picked up for a sunday lunch :)

someone is ready for her lunch!

lucy n me

apple juice is the preferred beverage

what's that lurking in the shadows?  a shawn monster!

broccoli tofu, made spicy for shawn :)

mongolian wonder for moi

lucy is a plain noodle kinda gal

with all the chaos and anxiety of being a shop owner and life in general, sometimes it's nice to just get back to basics with a good meal, family and of course taking pictures of my food! and with this being "crunch time"  i want to sock as much into this time as i possibly can...

animal place: music in the meadows

we are happy to announce we are tabling at animal place's music in the meadows saturday, oct 8th 1-5pm.  if you are like us and have been wanting to check out animal place but haven't done so yet, check this event out!  a lovely fall day to celebrate the good folk at AP and did you see the vegan who's who speakers, musicians and vendors?  we are so happy to be able to spend the day with such great company. 

that first week of oct will be a busy one for us at nfb headquarters...we are shooting for a mid-oct soft open and it's making me CRAZY!  i can't wait to be back in business doing what we love most, in our new location!  so we will be promoting heavily from here on out, especially at the AP event.  SEE YOU THERE!  

 

vendors redux

to continue the excitement of the upcoming shop opening and what you can expect...i give you:

max and ruffy's vegan and organic dog treats are a far cry from the nasty animal product-laden dog treats of yesteryear.  with our omni furry friends i figure if it's not human grade and looking like something i wouldn't put in my mouth, it's not good enough for our little pals.  our dogs are on a vegan v-dog diet so why wouldn't we give their treats the same consideration?  with names like:  Five-Star Blueberry (Grain Free),  Powerhouse: Sweet Potato & Alfalfa ( Grain Free), and The Kelp Highway: Butternut Squash & Kelp (Grain Free) they make the perfect snack for your vegan companion.  we also sell sample packs if you want to try before you buy, or to take on the go!

so many good flavors for your furry friends, get one of each!

bird mafia is another favorite of ours.  based out of the monterey and half of the in-test mode vegan candy co vegan sweet cups , she has managed to produce some of the cutest hand screened stuffies and patches we have ever seen!  don't you agree?

 there are more ways than this to put a bird on it, but these patches are a simple way to begin :)


stay tuned for more sneaky peeks this upcoming weeks including more vegan tree wool, and anapple for kids!

upcoming vendors:

i am able to secure some quality vendors if i don't say so myself.  i love buying for the store, and the rewards are so immediate.  sometimes the bombs are so painful but since life is learning, you mark down those stinkers and don't make that mistake again! the trick is to make those few and far between :)

one new line i have admired from facebook afar for a while now is chicago's ethically engineered.  i love to support all vegan companies when possible and these guys are the real deal to veganism plus their commitment to being earth-friendly.  i am so proud to be able to provide their line...i know you will love them for and not only for the men in your life.  i think you will be stealing their shampoo and conditioning no-bottle bars.  and possibly the razor sets lol.  

gear head no bottle shampoo and conditioning bars

deluxe shaving kit with old growth wood box!

 the vegan men folk are going to love their selections this fall and holiday season, that is for sure.


we will also continue to carry the vegan collection and offer their best-selling belts, wallets and clutches.  oh and that vegan slayer tee?  loving it, and so do our customers!

the captain belt

amelia clutch, ladies

i slay vegetables tee shirt.

the armstrong tri-fold

next, bread and badger made me some custom pint glasses with the vegan heart which turned out to be a huge seller for us.  this year we are doing more pint glasses, along with mugs and some recycled colored glass ware that are pretty awesome if i don't say so myself.  they will look like these but with the vegan heart hand sand-blasted into the glass.  awesome!  perfect for gift-giving to yourself or others :)

vegan pint glasses just for us!

i think these recycled colored glass pieces are beautiful.  i think you will too!

these will have the vegan heart logo--they're awesome!

 next post:  bird mafia, held belts, and max & ruffy's vegan organic dog treats!  plus maybe a bit more inspiration for the shop.  it's getting exciting for us over here at never felt better headquarters.  i am done being depressed about not having the shop, and i am ready to come back with a vengeance :)  

inspiration pt 1

past work from the vegan dish

i love the simplicity of a good bunting.  especially vegan ones :) 

vegfest post wrap up and shop news

vegfest:
we feel really fortunate that we were invited to vegfest 2.0 and got to spread the word about our shop moving.  people, who generally were n00bs or just learning about the veg scene, were excited to learn about us and we were excited to not have to go into the why of the move etc etc.  {booooring!}  we passed out over 200 flyers and people were so gracious and kind to us we know that some of them will take the time to visit our new location.  EVERYONE is stoked on the actual coordinates, as are well.  and everyone is doing a great job at tempering my neurosis about this huge undertaking.  our customers and friends make this worth while {even if i second guess myself daily!}.

i had a camera FAIL and was pretty busy even to take phone pics but here is one of shawn talking up alex from FARM, our caddy-corner booth friend :) visit their site and friend them on facebook.  good organization with good people behind it.

my only annoyance was some booths packed up early, like THREE HOURS EARLY.  now, i will give the out-of-town food vendors a pass, it was very busy.  however, the in-town folks who just either didn't care to plan or were unable to plan for the crowds (especially those who were here at the last one and know how busy it got) would not be getting another invite from me if i were the organizers.  it's just bad festival form all around.  really, no excuses would be good enough, but hey, that's just me!  :)

shop news:
our indiegogo is still up for 11 more days!  it's been slow going but i have a feeling it's going to surpass the goal ;p  pass along the word, let people know they can help us get this new shop up and going.  every little bit helps, especially while we are not open and in complete and total limbo...
 
i wish i could post actual construction pix, but they are doing lead abatement (it's an ooooold building) so it's papered up.  there has been work on the outside with painting and they are redoing the awning.  some flower boxes are up, and also they are doing the signs so they all match which i am totally excited about.  i will most certainly post more pictures as i can.  i have to do the before-n-afters!  i do have a map, though.  

1910 p. st sacramento ca 95811.

 what's new for the shop?  well i am expanding on my vegan friend honor's vintage corner.  it sold so well the last month we were open on k st!  she has lot's of vintage xmas and lots more kids items i cannot wait to see it up i the shop.  

also, we will be consigning more lines:  to start vegan treewool's late summer and fall lines.  i got to see her booth at vegfest and it looks so cute merchandised i cannot wait to get my hands on it.  also, local anaapple infants and toddler line.  onesies, tee's, hats and hoodies for girls and boys with the cutest eco-felt appliques.  saw her at the festival and she said she is working hard on getting us a full line for our opening.  i have the space and people are constantly asking for more vegan kids stuff.  so here you go!  i can't wait until we open!

ps we will be the only place to buy both of these lines.  how cool is that?  i think very :)

so the upshot is i am in limbo, scared, nervous, overwhelmed and anxiety-ridden.  what else is new?  such is the life of a shop owner in today's economy!  and you know what, i wouldn't have it any other way.

this helps, as do my friends and family who support this crazy life.  love you!

a couple of days change everything...

nfb has moved!  well, we are in the middle of a move!  we are signing the lease to our new retail location tomorrow and will have lots of updates on the opening date as they develop!  

in the meantime if you are local please visit us at the 2nd installment of sacramento's first and only vegfest!

last year was highly successful and we are hoping for another amazing event.  we will have a mini-shop there with all your favorites including grateful grahams, soycurls, sheese, teese and dandies marshmallows, mom's vegan kitchen pancake and french toast mixes and much more.  also available will be cookbooks and tee shirts!  come see what's going on, and hope to see you there, sacramento!
 

indiegogo is a GO GO!

this is what i like to call vegan fundraising redux!  the kinder, gentler campaign...where we break down our goals into more realistic bite-sized pieces.  indiegogo is a fundraising platform where small projects of most kinds can be created and even if you don't meet your goal amount you still get to keep the money!  snap.  i wish i would have known about them before the kickstarter but hey, live and learn. 

here's mine! 

so if you have a spare moment, check out this lil' thang here where we basically have the financing for our move etc but would just love a little bit more so we can advertise properly, get our website to a place it needs to be and make sure that our customers near and far know we have moved to a totally upgraded situation that is a WIN-WIN for everyone.  also we want to offer some coffee and bagels/pastry too while we work hard to bring the nacho bar to reality too.  

help us keep midtown vegan!

what's new?

mamafabun's vintage handiwork adorns our walls

vintage aprons, baby clothes, swimsuits and more...

i am happy to have some pretty new lines in the shop!

hemp bags, wallets, dog collars and leashes by stephen doyle

old favorites that are our best sellers

this is our last month on kst.  details on where to find us in an upcoming post! we are doing a website upgrade as well, to reflect our growth...all exciting and scary stuff...please stay tuned!

in the meantime, you should know that we have a new vintage section by mamafabun including clothes for women, children and housewares.  i am talking pyrex and other vintage you need for your kitchen as well as around the house.  we welcome honor with her keen vegan eye and love of vintage.  check in often to see what is new with her stock!

also, we will be carrying treewool vegan knitware in the new location! you won't believe the quality and style packed into these handmade treasures made by kristen, another rocking vegan friend from SF.  i am pretty sure we will be the only place locally you can get this line since it's brand spanking new, and i couldn't be more pleased.

for the vegan shorties in our lives we are also going to be carrying anaaple also a local sacramento veggie.  her shop doesn't have enough vegan themed stuff for my taste lol, so she will be making some designs just for us!  toddler tees and hoodies, infant onesies and bibs will be available at the new shop location!  we know we are the only place to get her stuff locally, especially anywhere near midtown and we are happy to have her.  

photo from anaapple's etsy shop!  cute!!!

 thanks for reading and we hope to see you in the shop soon.

times, they are a changin'...

ok.  so i have all but abandoned this blog until now and that's going to change.  blogs are good.  they make me happy, they are not a chore.  i haven't really had a good excuse for not updating with all the goings on so i won't try to make one up here {other than my computer died and i am lucky to be able to share shawn's for stuff like this.} let's just say that i have been having *technical difficulties*.  that's the nice way of saying i suck.

it's almost july and a lot has transpired at the shop since early spring.  mostly growing pains and learning experiences.  i scrunch my fist and shake it daily at the rut capitalism has put us in, everything takes so much money and there is A LOT to coordinate to keep things running semi-smoothly.  we have come to the conclusion that in order to stay alive in this town we need a ground level location with walk-up traffic and a whole lot of visibility.  we have learned that the people who support us may or may not be the people who try out downstairs, or the people who support downstairs may or may not be the people who support us.  it's a shame, my business plan really relied a bit too heavily on cafe customers, but it turns out perhaps a good chunk of those folks are not interested in a vegan lifestyle so much as they are to try out a vegan restaurant.  

we do have our support system in place though.  and it's a wide net of friends, loyal customers, and just good vegan folks who know that it's all cyclical and support is crucial.

SO.  our lease is up in sept, and we are scouting new locations to get some of that visibility we lack at the moment.  we are starting a kickstarter campaign to help us get a nacheez delux nacho bar and bulk up our grocery section (it's the best sellers--we heart our food, us vegan folk!). details to follow on that and how YOU can help!  it's been a tough spring but we are not quitters and we love what we do! 

this saturday my good friend beth has organized a bake sale fundraiser for us to help us over this hump!  it's being held inside phonoselect, across the street from the shop, saturday june 25th from noon to 4ish.  there are a ton of bakers, and a delicious array of vegan treats to be had.  won't you come and sample some goodies and help out your local little vegan shop?  we take cash and cards!

 

anime for animals

we are throwing together a mellow evening on april 2nd for showing the beautiful anime 'nausicaa: valley of the wind' to benefit japan earthquake rescue and support, a coalition of three animal rescues helping save and give much needed care to the many animal victims of the quake and tsunami!   the movie (starts at 7pm) is awesome and it's a family friendly event.  if you are local in sacramento and are looking for a way to help support our friends in need in japan while enjoying a rad movie--look no further.  it's $5 per family/$2 individual suggested donation.  it doesn't get cheaper than that for good entertainment, folks.

that same day there is a vegan bake sale benefit being held at freestyle clothing company at 11am too!  hit up both for double good vibes and vegan solidarity.  


and for your viewing pleasure, here are some updated shop pix.  because i fucking love my job and shop every single person who supports us.  EVERY SINGLE PERSON.  <3