The Vegan Collection - Blog » Kelly

SoCal Vegan Guide Launch Party

Kelly — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 07:01:40 +0000

Join BAND OF MERCY on Saturday, April 2 from 7 until midnight, in celebrating the release of their brand new SO CAL VEGAN GUIDE! The So Cal Vegan Guide is 140 pages of the best vegan-friendly eateries, markets, and shopping spots in LA, OC, and San Diego!

Fabulous features include:
- 320 restaurants and cafes to choose from
- Specially designed maps for easy locating
- Reviews including pricing, hours, parking and outstanding menu choices!
- Guilt-free, vegan shopping
- Farmer’s Markets for all your plant-based produce needs
…and so much more!

Our LAUNCH PARTY will be at Koos Studios in San Pedro, and will feature delicious vegan food from restaurants featured in the Guide, prizes from some of our favorite cruelty-free companies, music, drinks, and more!

Your ticket to the party includes dinner, and admission is only $5 with purchase of the Guide. (Tickets are also available for $10/person without purchase of a Guide).

Koos Studios in San Pedro, CA 1300 South Beacon Street San Pedro, CA 90731-4363

Buy your guide at: http://veganguide.info/

Organix: LA’s New Organic Vegetarian Grocery Store Opening Soon

Kelly — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:36:13 +0000

Individuals who may not frequently visit the Highland Park area of Los Angeles may now have a reason to – Figueroa Produce.

Found right on the corner of Figueroa and York, Figueroa Produce is a quaint store which provides an array of vegetarian and vegan products. The shop’s stock runs the gambit from Vegan Tamales to Dr Bronner’s Magic Soap. Breaking away from modern supermarket chains cloaked in the anonymity of both its customers and owners, Figueroa Produce is family operated and knows many of their customers by name.

When asked to discuss the impetus of Figueroa Produce, Reuben, one of three family owners stated, “the space that we occupy now used to be a Thrifty’s and my father used to take me here for a scoop of ice cream for a nickel.”(…) “our roots are firmly planted in Highland Park.”

Figueroa Produce provides high quality produce at a price that won’t break the bank, a concept that the Highland Park area desperately needs but is in short supply of. At mention of this Reuben explained, “apart from our establishment, Whole Foods and Bristol Farms would appear to be the only alternative grocers in the area to provide high quality products.”

As a customer of both Figueroa Produce and Whole Foods one difference is clearly apparent – COST. Typically one can walk out surprised at how little they paid but how much they walked out with. Now Reuben and his partners are looking onward and upward preparing to open an additional grocery store called Organix. When asking Reuben what sparked such a decision he had this to say, “The motivation behind Organix is to provide the Eagle Rock area, just north of Figueroa Produce with organic produce and an plethora of vegetarian, vegan, raw and gluten free products. We also wanted to establish a market where items in the store were free of animal products. This allows the vegan/vegetarian customer base to frequent the store without conflict.”

The store is ambitious in its desire to offer fresh organic products and is planning on providing a juice bar, sandwiches and other delicious nutritious treats. “Little by little we are trying to transform the community and offer alternatives with healthy options they (the community) didn’t think were possible.”

Organix plans to open its doors sometime this summer.

For further updates visit: http://figueroaproduce.com and add them on Twitter!
To see other customer reviews : http://www.yelp.com/biz/figueroa-produce-los-angeles

2009 Animal Rights National Conference Recap

Kelly — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:19:53 +0000

If you missed the 2009 Animal Rights Conference then you made a big mistake. There were booths abound filled with a wealth of knowledge and a treasure trove of cruelty free goodies. Attendees were able to visit shops and purchase items that would normally be only available through the internet. The conference also included a plethora of workshops and discussion panels. The Westin Hotel allowed dogs to attend the conference, but food vendors were not permitted to openly sell food. Vendors fortunately found a loophole that allowed samples and accepted “donations” from its patrons. For many of the exhibitors the conference could be seen as successful. Cosmos Vegan Shoppe sold out of some of its more delectable candy bar items early; while our own booth sold out of men’s medium and XL sized belts. The ballroom in which the exhibitors resided was described by one attendee as, “loud and aggressive,” wishing that the venue was outdoors. Despite this setback the event was both well organized and attended and we met a bunch of great people! Check out the pics below:

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2009 Vegan Earth Day Festival Recap

Kelly — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:14:00 +0000

Although the turnout may not have been what was anticipated, the weather for this year’s Vegan Earth Day Festival was exceptional. Different outlets hypothesized that attendance would exceed that of the recent similar festival, WorldFest, which boasted an attendance in the thousands. Despite the difference in the size of crowd, the location, Pierce College was far superior and inviting. The venue had built in tables, chairs, bathroom facilities (Yay!) and a serene atmosphere despite the odious musical talent. When bumping into friends at the fest they quickly proclaimed that the fest was so under the radar and that they’d only just found out that day.

Regardless of its shortcomings being a vendor at the event was well worth it. Thanks yet again to those who stopped by our booth! The next event we can be spotted at will be the Animal Rights Conference in Los Angeles (Jul 16-20). Hope to see you there!

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A Vegan Vegas: The Hipster Edition

Kelly — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:23:38 +0000

This past weekend my boyfriend and I were whisked away to the insipid region of Nevada known as Las Vegas. The decision to go to “Sin City” was not ours of course, but that of our friend’s in celebration of his 30th birthday. For the many who know us (Kevin and myself), it would not shock you to hear that the notion of spending a weekend club-hopping and pool lounging is an open invitation of a bit of vomit in the mouth. Despite the obligation to attend the abhorrent, dimly lit and egregious night clubs we did get a chance to visit other parts of Las Vegas often unseen. One such treasure is the Pinball Hall of Fame with its countless rows of pinball machines dating from the early fifties to present. For just a few dollars one can revisit their clumsy and youthful salad days just a couple miles off the strip. No trip would be complete without a pit stop to Ronald’s Donuts to purchase a pink box full of delectable cruelty free donuts. I’ve heard the store once described as a “hole in the wall,” but upon a complete inspection it bears no extraordinary difference in resemblance than that of any other typical donut shop. Though if you do ever plan a trip out to Vegas and get a hankering for Ronald’s remember to bring cash.

I hope that for those of you planning a trip out to the bright patch of desert known as Las Vegas this information has been helpful.

Animal Acres’ Country Hoe Down Roundup

Kelly — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:47:23 +0000

Animal Acres is a chance to get up close and personal with creatures that large percent of the population calls, “Food.” The sanctuary caters in rescuing many livestock animals; goats, pigs, and cows – you name it, it is probably there. Many showed for the event to get a chance to hang with the piglets and nibble on some Vegan food. Despite the ominous cloud cover and icy rain that sparsely made it’s presence known throughout the tour, the one hour trek to the refuge was well worth the visit. If you haven’t gotten a chance to see the refuge I strongly suggest that make time in the future and visit.

On a personal note, I would like to thank the little brown goat for not completely eating my jacket.

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WorldFest 2009 Roundup

Kelly — Sun, 24 May 2009 21:43:17 +0000

By all accounts all who stopped by WorldFest had a fun and interesting time. It was rumored that it was the highest account of attendance that the festival had ever experienced. Many different, diverse companies and groups were present making the event both eclectic and memorable. We at The Vegan Collection would like to thank those who took time to visit our booth, provide creative input, and to the many who purchased our products.

After the incredible sales turnout we have decided to extent our product line to include wallets and other accessories. The estimated time of arrival of these new products to our website is undetermined but we will try to be prompt.

At the festival we discovered a discrepancy with our belt sizes. We intend to remedy this issue by providing a greater variety of belt sizes which should show up in the store next month.

For all those who came to the event we hope you had as much fun as we did! Thanks again for coming and check out our WorldFest pictures below!

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The Stray Cat Alliance – 5th Annual Evening At The Stray Cat Club

Kelly — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:07:35 +0000

The Stray Cat Alliance, a well-known non-profit group dedicated to building a no kill nation one cat at a time, hosted its Fifth Annual Charity Auction and Dinner. The black tie event took place in Historic Wilshire Ebell Club. The evening was filled with wine, laughter, satin, sequins, cat costumes, and good intentions. Items auctioned were incredibly diverse and each could easily be considered a treasure to own. Pieces by famous artists such as Matisse, Picasso, and Degas to name a few were listed as well as autographed memorabilia of Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles, Ella Fitzgerald, and many more. Of course the event would not be complete without some kittens being placed in the limelight. A number of adorable kittens and cats arrived in style ready, willing, and able to be adopted. The vegan three-course dinner was eclectic and tastefully well done. Attendees of the benefit proclaimed that this year’s dinner and auction far surpassed anything that they could have anticipated. The event as a whole was interesting and supported an admirable cause. You can view pictures from the event below:

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The Best Thing About Carving A Pumpkin

Kelly — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:18:51 +0000

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds! Fall’s finally here…