Jumping up and down!  Chic Vegan Coats have arrived!! You’ve heard our woes about finding the perfect cruelty-free winter coat before.  Problem solved!

Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, Vaute Couture’s gorgeous founder, was on model contract in Hong Kong last summer when she thought about her annual winter coat woe- nothing fabulous and warm was also cruelty-free! Then stumbling upon endless discussions of where to find a kind of cute coat that was vegan and warm on the web- she realized- she had to be the one to do this. Her background in business, love for art and fashion, and lifelong voice for the animals made it an urge she couldn’t say no to. We realize this is not exactly the best time to be shouting out a vegan coat line, but we couldn’t resist spreading the good news!  Plus, off-season shopping is for cool kids.  And their website is cuter than mini cupcukes.

Vegan Goddess, Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart

Vaute Couture was born by Leanne enlisted emerging artists from around the world to help with the inspiration, and over 8,000 votes came in from the veg, eco, and art communities to voice their favorites! The first line has taken over 11 months, most of which was fabric development. Finding materials that were vegan, eco-conscious, stylish, weather ready and WARM, and at an accessible price range was a challenge. Vaute Couture’s line is designed of wind resistant, water resistant, heat retaining textured shell with a windproof liner, it’s a brand new advanced fabric from Polartec (R) that’s super pretty, slim, and textured. They’re eco-conscious too- the liner is 100% recycled, closed loop, zero waste, the shell is 100% recyclable, with a recycled option, and made in the USA. It’s all finished off with vintage deadstock and tagua nut buttons. This all makes the base of the super feminine silhouettes. The Vaute, one of the four styles, contributes all net profits (at least $50 per coat) to our friends at the Farm Sanctuary, a haven for rescued farm animals. What’s more, the line supports the growing Chicago fashion industry- as coats are locally produced on a living wage.  What are you waiting for?  Ready, Set, Shop!

PS… BOUTIQUE CALL: Chicago Vegan Fashion label Vaute Couture is ready to launch their line of vegan, eco-conscious, fair made in Chicago winter coats this fall- and looking for the right stockists. The line will be produced in a limited run, contact Leanne if you think it’d be a great fit! If you’re a fabulously conscientious boutique interested to see more- contact Leanne for the full Look Book and Line Sheets at Leanne@VauteCouture.com.

Our friend, longtime GirlieGirl Army Sgt and Beauty expert Allison Tray ofTres Belle Spa in Brooklyn, New York shares her tips for summer beauty with us. Why should you trust her?  Because we do - and cuz mad celebutantes be hittin’ her spot for everything from laser hair removal to eyelash extensions on the regular. Neighborhoodies can get some cuh-rayze deals on packages at Tres Belle if you are part of our Army.  Scroll to the bottom of this email to learn more.

Here are some of my tried and true cruelty-free tips for looking cool when it’s too hot to give a damn.

Your Epidermis is Showing:
Make your shower your own personal spa! After you are done brewing your favorite free-trade, organic coffee, dump the grinds into a baggie, add a splash of Grapeseed oil, your favorite essential oil and WHAM, you have an in shower body treatment that will slough away dull skin, stimulate blood flow and collagen and give you a lil’ kick in your organic booty shorts! Holla!  Don’t drink coffee?  No worries, use sugar or salt instead.

Pubes [and body hair in general]:
You spend way to much time thinking about your pubes. Get lasered already and be done with it. Laser hair removal will clear up all the bumps and break-outs caused by waxing and shaving and will remove your unwanted hair for good. Plus, your sessions are every 4-6 weeks so you aren”t constantly schlepping and calling for appointments! Get up in the morning and GO without ever having to think about your pubes, ’stache or leg hair, like for real! Who wants to spend a gorgeous summer day running to get an itchy dirty wax or using a stinky toxic depilatory cream??! You’re smarter than that.  Boys, you aren’t free from this shout out - dump that back hair for good.  We promise you, s/he doesn’t find it hot.  Unless s/he is a bear chaser and you know what? We got nuthin’ but love.  But that’s a whole other blog topic.

Give Good Face, Rita:
It’s a-ok to go totes make-up free during the summer if you are feeling naturally beautiful. Especially if you have regular deep cleaning facials to pull all that sweat, dirt, and toxins outta your skin. Phloretin CF, under your sunscreen makes your skin look glowy and fresh. This miracle serum has been proven to help prevent skin cancer and protect skin from sun and environmental damage. We use it in all of our facials, along with customized botanicals.

Look into my “Raccoon” eyes:
Let’s face it, mascara is not our friend when it’s a bazillion degrees and 100% humidity. Getting a lash tint will give you dark lush lashes that will last all summer long; outta bed, outta the pool, outta the gym gorgeousness without raccoon eyes, flaking or smudgies! Our lash Diva Yoshie was featured on Tyra doin’ lashes, book your appointment with Yoshie here.

Come on into Tres Belle for all your divalicious needs this summer!Tres Belle
105 Bond Street Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, NY. 11217, Tel: 917.763.6143 or 718.797.0033 Email: Allison@tresbellespa.com

STEALS N’ DEALS FROM TRES BELLE:

• Book an appointment with us for ANY or all of the following Laser Hair Removal packages and get 25% off when mentioning GirlieGirl Army: Bikini line or Brazilian,Under Arms, Full Legs, Back. Package must be paid in full on first visit.
• Book an appointment for Lash Tinting and get a FREE Eyebrow Shaping or Eyebrow Tint when mentioning GirlieGirl Army!
• Book an appointment for any facial and get a FREE travel size bottle of Phloretin CF when mentioning GirlieGirl Army!

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM ALLISON: We are turning this special for our Girlie Girl Army posse, into a “benefit” of sorts for Chuck Pappas, a hero for the animals who is fighting for his life. Read this, for those who haven’t yet read about Chuck’s story. For every person who takes advantage of this amazing summer special, we will donate $15 to help Chuck Pappas. Not only will you be looking great at a discount, you will be helping your fellow Brother.

Now go enjoy the better weather, grab a cooler of Kombucha and a trashy mag, and go see my Sistren at Tres Belle!

Green Chile Pine Nut Crepes: Gear up for some seriously gourmet and delectable savory eats with this divine recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of unbleached white flour
• 2 servings of EnerG Egg Replacer
• ½ cup of soy creamer
• ½ cup of water +1-2 tbsp.
• ¼ tsp. of salt
• 2 tbsp. of margarine, melted
• Vegetable oil spray
• 8 oz. of Better than Cream Cheese
• ¼ cup of pine nuts
• ¼ cup of roasted diced green chiles
• Sage for garnish

Instructions:

Serves: 8
Time to Prepare: 45 minutes

Prepare the EnerG Egg Replacer according to the package. Combine this with the water, soy creamer, melted margarine, and salt. Quickly whisk the flour into the wet ingredients until completely smooth (the batter should be thin.) Heat a pan to medium heat. Spray it with vegetable oil. Pour ¼ cup of batter into the pan and quickly tilt and rotate the pan until the crepe batter is spread thin. Cook the first side for about 2 minutes and then loosen the crepe with a spatula. Flip it and cook the other side for about 1 minute. it aside and repeat with the remaining batter. Reduce the heat to medium. Toast the pine nuts for about 30 seconds. Combine the Better than Cream Cheese with the green chiles and toasted pine nuts. about 2 tbsp. of filling and load it towards one side of the crepe, spreading it along the length. Roll the crepe closed and repeat until they are all done, garnishing with sage.

Presentation: Take some extra toasted pine nuts and sprinkle them around the plate.  You can also add a smattering of black berries for color, which happen to go surprisingly well with green chiles and pine nuts.  If those aren’t in season, a spoonful of green chiles and sage on top works great.

How It Works/ Chef’s Notes: Better than Cream Cheese and EnerG Egg Replacer can be purchased at Whole Foods, and just about any other health food store.  Everything else should be fairly common, though you will get the best price on pine nuts if you get them in bulk. The starches and gums of the Egg Replacer hold the flour and wet ingredients together as the crepe cooks, allowing it to be made into the iconic thin pancake.  The filling is there to add creaminess without being too saucy, the chiles giving a mild pepper flavor with the pine nuts adding some extra texture to it.  The pan is heated to medium high because a high heat would burn the crepe while a medium heat would turn the crepes too soggy. Don’t worry if your first few don’t look great!  These take a lot of practice.

Interesting Facts: Crepe is properly pronounced “krepp.” While the above recipe is a savory recipe, the traditional savory crepe uses buckwheat.

The lovely Cristophe Salon in Los Angeles is offering 50% off all salon services this Thursday, May 28th.  And it gets even better; 50% of the proceeds benefit Farm Sanctuary!

From 6-9pm enjoy complimentary organic, vegan lite bites and festive drinks… and peep the hottie in the chair gettin’ blown out next to you. Services for this evening include: cut, color, blow-dry, and deep conditioning.

Please RSVP for appointments: Paul + Williams  tel: 310.858.3883 or via email: laren@paulandwilliams.com.   Cristophe Salon: 348 N. Beverly Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90210-4701

You getting a trim = saving an animals life! :)

There is a time for gossip, a time for shopping, and a time to spring into action when a truly beautiful soul is in need.  Chuck Pappas is a hero, in more ways than one.  And he needs our help to save his life.  Here his BFF Casey tells his story:

Chuck and Jen Pappas are a young, bright, happy couple in love.  They gave up a comfy life in Boston to move to New York state years ago to work at Farm Sanctuary; Chuck rescuing abused animals and building them cozy new homes as Farm Sanctuary’s Shelter Project Manager, and Jen raising much needed funding for their care as the Development Department Manager. They are two of my closest friends, they are eco-vegan superstars, they have enormous hearts, and they have both dedicated their lives to making the world a more compassionate place for animals.

On March 23 2009, Chuck did not make it to work at the Sanctuary due to a severe migraine. Later that night, Jen noticed that his speech was becoming slurred and he seemed disoriented, so she immediately drove him to the hospital. As the medical staff examined him, Chuck went into cardiac arrest. Though they were able to stabilize him temporarily, they soon discovered a grapefruit-sized tumor in his brain that was swelling rapidly. He needed to be flown by emergency helicopter for immediate surgery to relieve the pressure. Though he survived the operation, the threat to Chuck’s life is far from over.

Chuck has a grade IV Glioblastoma Multiforme tumor, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. For most ordinary patients, the prognosis is not good. Chuckdoes have a lot going for him: He’s young, healthy and vegan with a great network of friends and family to support him. Also, he’s one of the toughest guys I know and he’s determined to kick cancer’s ass. But he and his family are in desperate need of financial help.

Jen & Chuck Pappas

That life-saving helicopter ride was not covered by insurance and came with the hefty price tag of more than $10,000, and that is just the beginning. It is still unclear at this point what treatments will be covered by his insurance, and seemingly every time they talk to somebody at the insurance company, they get different answers. He’s taking part in a clinical trial for a promising new drug that could make a world of difference, but as soon the trial is over, that drug could start costing $100 per day!

Finally, if Chuck truly is going to beat the odds, he needs more than just conventional medicine, which so far has no cure for his cancer. He’s going to need acupuncture, yoga, qigong - all that good stuff, plus as much organic leafy green produce as he can eat. But of course, in the infinite wisdom of our society, none of those things are covered by insurance either.

According to a study conducted by theNational Brain Tumor Foundation:

“The high cost of treatment, even for insured patients, coupled with difficulty with employability and obtaining disability insurance, leaves patients and families financially strapped, in debt, and even bankrupt. Patients and families pay substantial out-of-pocket costs for medical and non-medical expenses and often go into debt to do so, despite making cutbacks to household expenses. Debt burden extends beyond the treatment period and the consequences of the debt linger for years, sometimes extending beyond the patient’s life.”

Already Chuck and Jen have lost half their income and their house. Adding heartbreak to hardship, most of the animals they cared for at their own personal “farm sanctuary,” including two cats, two turkeys, two goats and twelve chickens had to be placed in other homes. Their entire lives have been turned inside out almost overnight.  They need help today, and after everything they have done to make this a kinder world, they deserve all the help we can give them. Just check out this interview Chuck did after spending three weeks braving toxic flood waters to save factory farm pigs abandoned by their owners:

Like I said, he’s got a lot of heart. That’s why a handful of Chuck and Jen’s close friends, including my wife and I, are getting ready to walk and bike almost 300 miles to raise money and awareness for these wonderful human beings. Starting at the Taking Action For Animals Conference in Washington DC, our goal is to reach the Farm Sanctuary Hoe Down in Watkins Glen, NY just one week later. In the process, we’re hoping to raise $25,000 to help shoulder just some of the financial burden that our friends are struggling with.

Chuck’s cause has already earned the endorsement of another vegan hero, Rory Freedman. The
“Skinny Bitch” author challenged her Facebook friends to contribute a total of $500 and then matched it! Want to be awesome like Rory? Here’s how. This week only, the first $300 in donations from Girlie Girl Army readers will be matched by our good friends J.B. Mulcahy and Diana Goodrich - two of the outstanding Directors at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest - and the next $300 after that will be matched by a group of friends at Farm Sanctuary. Are you ready to help us raise $1200?! Here’s how:

Step One: Visit our fundraiser page at GiveForward: http://www.giveforward.org/walkforchuck.

Step Two: Make a donation through their secure online checkout, and write “Girlie Girl Army is here for Chuck!” in the comment section. At the end of the week, or when the Girlie Girl Army readers have reached the $600 mark with their donations, we’ll double the money!

Step Three: After you’ve made your donation, post a link to our 300 Miles For Chuck Blog on your favorite social networking site - or all of them! Here’s the URL for that: www.Chuck300.com

Step Four: Sit back and enjoy a refreshing adult beverage of your choice while basking in the glow of your good karma! You’ve earned it!

Guest Blogger Casey Martinson has been part of the Farm Sanctuary family since 2005 when he took a summer job giving tours of the Watkins Glen shelter. He has been a Campaigns Associate there since July 2007, working on Farm Sanctuary’s anti-confinement and downed animal protection campaigns. When he’s not working or training, he brushes up on his Spanish, writes a lot of letters, and enjoys exploring Ithaca with his wife Jenn and their two beagles.