It’s no secret that I have some of the most amazing followers in the world.  I so appreciate your comments & reblogs & questions! (by the way, I know some of you are still waiting on replies to questions, they take a while to sort through but answers are coming!).  That all said, I do have a few followers who take things to the next level with their appreciation, and today I want to send some of that appreciation back!

Meet Mirel: (find her here at paperbackscriber)

Not only is she a seasoned vegetarian and a wonderful advocate for the animals, but she’s also just incredibly thoughtful.  She recently mailed me a package- or “parcel” as she says in her adorable British way- (FROM LONDON TO CALI!) with a bunch of vegan goodies:

The chocolate bar, I’m ashamed to say, was completely inhaled by the end of the day.  It was sinfully delicious.  The soaps and lip balm are also heavenly, both in quality and in scent.  I never take the time to spoil myself with treats like this, so to receive them in the mail from a person I’ve never met brought me so much joy & gratitude.

So, in conclusion, thank you ALL for rocking, and please take a moment to wish Mirel a HAPPY BIRTHDAY because she’s celebrating today! And do it quickly, it’s almost tomorrow in London…

I know I know I know I’ve been the worst blogger ever for the past couple weeks as I’ve been traveling (and before that planning for the traveling).  I’ve been quickly losing followers due to my neglect, so I want to thank those of you who have been patiently sticking with me!  I have a million things to share as soon as I’m in a place with reliable internet.  So far I’ve been dangerously lost twice in the middle of the night in London, eaten at Inspiral, one of the best nearly-raw vegan cafes in the world (which has inspired me to start planning the opening of my own future vegan cafe/lounge), attended three protests in Dublin, and been spat at by an angry Catholic.  Tonight I’m heading out to some kind of vegan meetup on the outskirts of Dublin- I have no idea what to expect, but I have a feeling I’ll love it!  I promise not to abandon you all for much longer.  I love you lots, and happy almost St. Patrick’s Day!

To tide you over, here’s a picture I took in the flower market in London:

Oh don’t mind me, I’m just sitting in a windowsill, embroidering, wearing a fox mask.

xo, TK

BIG NEWS! Tree Kisser is going on the road, to London & Dublin in March!  First I’ll be spending a week in London with Chelsea, one of my favorite people in the world.  We worked on “The Details” together (and another disastrous indie film years before that), and are in the process of creating a script that deals with European misadventures.  Hence, I’m considering it a “research” trip so as not to feel too guilty about leaving all my Californian responsibilities behind.  After London, I’m venturing solo to Dublin- for the entirely cliche purpose of experiencing St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland.  I’ve always been neurotically obsessed with St. Patty’s, and as an Irish girl I’ve (with one glorious exception) always felt slightly let down by American celebrations.  I’m sure I’ll end up spending the day surrounded by drunk American tourists, but hopefully at least the bartenders will be authentically Irish!

Fortunately my trusty vegan guide QuarryGirl has spent a lot of time in both of these magical places (especially London), but I would still love to hear advice/anecdotes from you Irish and British followers (I think there are a few of you!) about where to dine, drink, celebrate, and explore!  In London I’ve heard Manna and Saf are not to be missed, and in Dublin the best I’ve heard is Cornucopia, but more advice would be much much appreciated!  I’ve seen London hailed as the most vegan-friendly city in the world, but it’s hard to imagine anything being able to rival Los Angeles! I entirely hope to see this claim proven true.

I know a few things for sure, one being that I will absolutely have this breathtaking British cocktail (@Saf) in my mouth before the end of my trip:

via QuarryGirl

…and also that I will absolutely be checking out London’s Secret Society of Vegans, which I’ve been hearing about for years.

In conclusion, I cannot contain my excitement enough to even write a logically organized blog post about this- hopefully I’ll eat enough food, take enough photos, and have enough adventures to entertain you for weeks on end upon my return!

(Yes, I’m posting this at a crazy hour because it’s not such a crazy hour across the Atlantic Ocean)

So- Suggestions? Cautionary tales? Offers to let me stay with you in Dublin because I still don’t have a place :)?

I awoke this morning to an email from my adorable French-Italian (but currently based in London) friend Gaia, telling me she just finished reading “Eating Animals” and is now going vegetarian and trying vegan.  She wanted to know if I had any advice/recipes/blogs to suggest (which of course I am sending in massive quantities because I want to make sure her experience is a good one).  In an effort to ease her in, I looked up what my favorite vegan blogger QuarryGirl had to say on the matter.  Quarry Girl lives in LA so usually writes about local treats, but she has a whole section for London vegan food and I have to say, I was shocked and impressed by what they have to offer over there.  It’s enough to make me pack my bags, cross the ocean, and convince the nearest man to marry me for citizenship.  Just a sampling of the wonders they have to offer over there (all photos stolen from Quarry):

Vegan Falafel Pita at Maoz Vegetarian

Punk Burger with vegan cheese and mayo and some sort of faux Prosciutto that looks eerily like the meat version.

Grilled artichoke crostini with lemon aioli

I could go on and on but if you’d like to continue browsing and starting at photos of food (one of my favorite pastimes), here’s the London link.

This news of London’s fabulousness came of little surprise to me, since I’d heard a few years ago that London was voted the most vegetarian friendly city in the world.  I attribute this in part to the positive leadership of Sir Paul McCartney, since the British do tend to worship him.  I just read that his current tour is entirely meat free, in that he only feeds vegetarian meals to his massive crew.  Love it.  (Look out future crew members who work on my movies.  When I have enough influence/clout, this is how my sets will be run)

I get the feeling that while there seems to be a true vegan community over there, veganism isn’t as much of a counterculture as it is here.  It appears to have seeped into the mainstream in London, whereas here I often find myself explaining to confused people why I don’t eat dairy/eggs.  I think the only true test of this theory will be to do a little traveling of my own.  Maybe I can convince my recently turned mostly vegan (well, pescavegan) Mom to add London to our Eurotrip we have planned for August…

Just look at their selection in the British Whole Foods!

*Sigh* (I don’t usually put my sighs into typing but I did notice myself letting out an exasperated breath of jealousy as I stared at that picture)

Don’t worry America, you totally have your finger on the pulse of progress, morality, and health as well…

KFC Double Down sandwich.  ”Two slabs of fried chicken holding together two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel’s Sauce”

Ew. Ew. Ew.

Okay London, I’m working on a plan.  I’ll try to revisit you shortly so I can once again bask in the aura of your vegan wonders, my eternal love of the Spice Girls, and the brilliance of Richard Curtis.