Danielle Legg, Our Hen House’s fabulous Coordinator, wears many hats over here in the coop (and they all look smashing on her). Among them, she manages the Our Hen House Etsy shop, and today she’s telling us about some gorgeous new handmade items from some of our favorite vegan artists — the profits from these items 100% benefit Our Hen House’s efforts to change the world for animals.
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For the Our Hen House Etsy World, Spring Has Finally Sprung
by Danielle Legg
Ah, spring. Spring is when winter loosens its cold, cruel grip and everything starts to come back to life. The trees begin to look like trees –not just their fall and winter skeletons. You can see the grass again! OK, so you can’t actually see the grass, since the snow doesn’t seem to want to leave (at least here in upstate New York), but it will eventually, right? For me, spring means that Arcot, my dog, and I will start staying out a little later than usual, going for actual walks, instead of our “please hurry please hurry. Bub, you done yet?” quick half-walks that we both suffer through from November to February. Spring also means opening my windows more often, dog parking, and getting my vegan outreach on.
Sometimes, though, spring isn’t as warm as we want it to be, unfortunately, and we still need to bundle up a bit. For those cooler mornings and evenings, the Our Hen House Etsy shop has the perfect gifts for you or someone you want to keep warm. We just received a shipment of absolutely beautiful hand-warmers – by knitter Beth Begany (whom we featured in our Vegan Knitting 101 video) – which are perfect for those early spring mornings, and for those dog walks right after the sun goes down. Hand-warmers were built for dog walkers, urban jet-setters, and anyone in between. Who wants to be stifled by mittens? With hand-warmers, you’ve got the best of both worlds. Your hands are warm and cozy, but they’re still free for all those important tasks. Like … um … picking up anything your dog drops, or digging around in your bag for your bus pass. Has the spring weather made you bold enough to feel like you can skip the coat altogether? Our Etsy shop has got the perfect (dare I even say swanky?) scarf for you, which will make the early springtime chill bearable (and stylish).
Now that the warmer weather has made you think it’s time to ignore your Netflix queue and venture outside, maybe you’ve decided that you want to step up your vegan advocacy, too. Hooray! The perfect way to do that is to wear a conversation starter. The brilliant and talented jewelry-maker, Bonnie Goodman (who joined the hens back on Episode 132 of the Our Hen House podcast) can help you get the activism party started. On the Our Hen House Etsy shop, Bonnie’s glass hen earrings are the perfect way to start talking to anyone and everyone about how you want to change the world for animals. I should know. I’ve got three pairs of glass hen earrings, and one pair of Bonnie’s chatter beads. Every day, at least one person asks “are those chickens?” or “what do your earrings say?” Thus begins an amazing conversation that always includes Our Hen House.
The best thing about the Our Hen House Etsy shop is that every purchase benefits Our Hen House. Not only are you getting a gift for yourself – or, if you’re feeling generous , for someone you love – you’re also giving Our Hen House a wonderful gift that will help us continue to provide content that will inspire you, remind you that you’re not alone in the fight, and offer you all the tools and resources you need to help change the world for animals. What are you waiting for? Get over to our Etsy!
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Danielle Legg, Our Hen House’s Coordinator, is elated to be a member of the flock. In April 2009, after watching a short Mercy for Animals exposé on chickens, her previously-held view that some animals were friends, while others were food, changed forever. After visiting Farm Sanctuary in May 2010, she became committed to devoting her life to protecting farmed animals. Danielle lives in upstate New York with her dog, Arcot — her constant companion — and her cat, Pekoe, who can most often be found demanding attention by tapping the laptop keyboard with her massive polydactyl paws.