Vegan, Etc

VEGAN, ETC

I wanted to include a page about veganism and animal rights because both of these things are very important to me. What I eat, what I wear, and how I live and look at the world make up the essential elements of who I am as a songwriter. I rescue kitties. I care for community cats. We will, at times, foster cats when we can. You’ll see photos, little stories, and vignettes below. Take what you will. I’m not telling you how to live your life; I am sharing how I live mine. <3


MUSIC:

Annette Conlon - Molly Malones - 021316

I love my Bedell Blackbird Vegan Parlor Guitar. This guitar is the ultimate forest stewardship guitar in addition to its vegan-friendly construction. I am inspired by the beauty and wonder of the American landscape: the streams and deserts, swamps and forests, beaches and valleys, and all the magnificent animals that grace this vast and diverse country, from shore to shore. I am honored to be an Endorsed Artist for Bedell. Bedell Guitars is committed to thoughtfully and sustainably celebrating our connectivity between the woods of our forests and our music, creating beautifully crafted instruments from “seed to song.”

I first shared this lovely vegan guitar on my Vegan Land~of~Sky 2016 Tour, where I performed at Sanctuary Brewing Company, Hendersonville, NC (a vegan brewpub that focuses on animal rights) on Thursday, Sept 28, 2016, and at Chicago’s Vegan Mania event on Oct 1, 2016! This inspired me to follow up with the annual Compassionette Tour through the Southeast, sharing compassion through music, fashion, food, and love. Check the Tour Dates page for dates current and past.

Couch Guitar Straps Couch makes all of my guitar straps. I’ve also purchased straps for Doug, too! I’m so happy to be an Endorsed Artist for Couch. (They don’t officially have other than me, but hey!) Couch Guitar Straps are vegan guitar straps made of automotive and upholstery vinyl. They are made of at least 25% found, deadstock, or recycled materials. They look sharp, work great, and are reasonably priced.

 

FASHION:

Vegan clothing, shoes, bags, belts, hats, guitar straps, oh my! All of these things help me live my life more thoroughly and help me feel I am doing my best to be the best possible version of me I can be. I want to leave the smallest footprint with the loudest (and sweetest) voice.

This section will be updated soon!

Cow Hugger sweatshirts, tanks, tees, shoes, handbags, belts, watches, jewelry, and more for women and men! These are designed by a husband and wife team (Patrick and Stephanie), and all items are 100% vegan. Not only do I love their products, I love them and buy something every time I see them!

Matt and Nat handbags, briefcases, shoes, belts, coats, etc. Excellent quality and worth every penny!

 

CAT RESCUE:

Clover and MiniPurrlIn Los Angeles, we did a lot of TNR and cat rescue, which is the most rewarding form of giving back. Every cat I’ve had as an adult has been rescued. Pamuk was saved from euthanasia at a Turkish zoo. She was scheduled to die the next day, and I paid 48,000 TL to save her (about $50 at the time and well worth 18 years of love.) Sophia was rescued from a shelter in N. Dallas several weeks after Pamuk died. The cats we have now (Winnie, Clover (RIP), and MiniPurrl) have all been rescued from our community cat crew. MiniPurrl was just a 4-week-old kitten who climbed into the engine of our MiniCooper for shelter. Leeloo (v2) is another rescue from a Pet Smart/shelter adoption program on Black Friday. It’s the best way to spend your Thanksgiving holiday!

When we had our colony, we fed approximately six cats outside every day/night. The number varied as they came and went as they pleased. We would TNR every season. We trapped and placed two kittens. We also fed four small raccoons, two Kitten Rescuedlarge raccoons (they travel in separate packs), and several birds. Caring for these community animals was very important to both of us. We felt connected to the planet and the community as a whole. When discussing being a compassionate vegan and desiring sustainability in our lives, I think of nothing better than nurturing the creatures that share it with us. I advocate for #adoptdontshop always. Contact me if you are ever looking for a new cat, dog, bunny, horse, or ANY animal. I will help you find a wonderful rescue animal to adopt.

 

VOLUNTEER:

In California, I volunteered with Stray Cat Alliance. (I helped with graphic arts.) I also performed at various cat events, including The Cat Club Los Angeles‘ St Catty’s Day Feline Art Show in Abbot Kinney on 3/17/16 and Kitty Bungalow’s Gradfest Reunion on 4/18/2016 at Pussy & Pooch in Beverly Hills, CA. I have also held fundraisers for Kitten Rescue, Operation Kindness, Heal the Bay, and California Wildlife Center.

Now that we are in Colorado, I do various Call To Actions for Mercy for Animals and The Humane League (online, primarily). You might have seen my song, “Cage Free Is All The Rage,” for The Humane League, targeting @BobEvansFarms on Instagram. I encourage you to jump in and help however you can.

 

If you have any questions about vegan food, makeup, recipes, animal rescue, adoption, foster, TNR, etc., please do not hesitate to contact me. I’m at your disposal.

Check back often – more to come!

 

VEGAN SHOWS:

  • Planet-based Living Festival 2023
  • VegFestCO – A Vegan BarBQue 2023
  • Vegan Holiday Market – Boulder 2022
  • Vegan Holiday Market – Denver 2022
  • MacKenzie Place Holiday Party 2022
  • Holiday Springs Vegan Market 2022
  • Luvin Arms Fall Fest 2022
  • Springs Vegan Market 2022
  • Planet-based Living Festival 2022
  • Luvin Arms Carnival 2022
  • Broken Shovels Tenth Anniversary on Dahlia Street 2022
  • LA Tofurky Trot & Vegan Food Fest 2017, 2018, 2019
  • SoCal VegFest 2019 (I curated the musicians/organized the two-day stage, and performed)
  • Sonoma County Veg Fest 2019
  • VegOut! Portland 2019 (two-day event)
  • Spokane VegFest 2019
  • VegOut! Scottsdale 2019 (two-day event)
  • Vegan Playground 2019
  • Santa Clarita Valley VegFest 2019
  • The Annual Veggie Connection Event in Rancho Cucamonga 2019
  • The 2nd Annual Kindness to Planet Event 2019
  • Food, Yoga, Music Festival 2019
  • OC Vegan Village 2019
  • Asheville VegFest 2018
  • VegOut! Tucson 2018
  • Oakland VegFest 2018
  • Central Coast VegFest 2018
  • Vegan Court 2017
  • Plant Fest (SoCal VegFest) 2017
  • Compassionette Southeast Tour 2016, 2017
  • Chicago Veganmania 2016
  • SoCal VegFest 2016, 2017
  • National Animal Rights Day (NARD) Los Angeles 2016, 2017
  • Have A Heart Ranch 2016, 2017
  • Earth Day LA 2015