My name is Jean.
I’m interested in lots of things and I’m always trying something new. I love fashion, art, film, music, literature, decor. I like style. People with style, clothing with style, buildings or even packaging – as long as some effort was put into style.
I’m a writer and an artist. I sometimes teach ESL. I like making things. I was born in Toronto, Canada. I travelled around and landed in Seattle, USA. I’m a vegan. I love my cats and my dog. I have an adorable husband who puts up with all my endeavors.
I hope to use this blog to share my ideas with you. People have called me quirky, stylish, creative. You be the judge.
I’m not master of all; I’m Jean of all Trades.
~~~
Camera
I take all of my own photos with my Canon Powershot XS210 IS unless otherwise stated. Occasionally, my husband catches an action shot for me but he doesn’t like to take the credit.
Compensation
I am not compensated for sharing my ideas about products. They are simply my opinions. I hope you enjoy reading them. If I’m given a product, I’ll list it as c/o, to show it was given to me. I write honest opinions and work hard not to be influenced by gifts or loaner products.
Comments
I love hearing from readers! Email me or comment on posts. I feel it builds community and makes blogging more fun. However, if your comment includes links to ads or giveaways or contests (anything other than your blog address), I reserve the right to delete the comment or the links. Thanks for understanding.
Update
I gave a up new leather and wool a few years ago (to align with my vegan lifestyle). I used to wear second-hand stuff, and you’ll still see some older posts that include them. But as of April 2013, I realigned my wardrobe so it’s free of all leather, wool and silk. I never wore fur or feathers, so you won’t see any of those here.
jeanofalltrades 
I love your your about 🙂
I am a dabbler too (different style) as well as a dilletante and an amateur.
I was delighted by your blog.
Thanks for sharing
Peace
‘lu
Hi Jean. Nice to meet you via blogging. It’s cool to know a real “compassionista!” I’m looking forward to more of your posts.:)
I can’t make things and leave that to more talented people like you. But many cheers to dabbling ! L
Great blog! Glad I found you today, and I look forward to reading more about your recommendations. I also appreciate that you took time to clarify information about the ads on your site, the kind of retailers you’re supporting, etc. Thanks!
Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you like my “about” as well as the disclaimer. For now, free products are few and far between but I like being transparent with that sort of thing. Nothing worse than an ad disguised as “just my opinion.”
I love how your “about” page ❤
I enjoy dropping by your blog and reading your posts =)
That’s why I’m nominating you for the Reader’s Appreciation Award. If you choose to accept it, check out the details on my blog.
Thanks Michelle! I’m honored to accept it. I’ll do a blog post too and nominate others 🙂
OMG! You sound so much just like me!!!! It is funny! Will be great following you from now on:-) Have a great day!
That’s why I followd your blog! 🙂 I thought I’d enjoy your style and home decor posts. P.us, I love the the story about how you started thinking about meat and vegetarianism. Yay!
Hey Jean! You started following my blog so I wanted to check out your blog and say, “Hi.” Your blog is fun! I love your ‘Jean of All Trades’ photo – it’s creative with you all stylish against a brick wall and your blog title looking like it was spray painted. I’m going to go check out some of your posts now. Thanks so much for following!
Thanks for commenting! I’m glad you like the blog and the way I designed the banner. I like the brick wall but I need to update that photo now that my hair is lighter and longer. I think when I follow someone it shows up as Jean of all Trades, even though I might have come to you through my other blog, Sunshine and Slaughter. I’m working on a vegan shoe post for that blog so be sure to check it out when I publish it tomorrow!
Oh, okay. I thought you looked familiar. Yes, I’m looking forward to your shoe post!
You changed the look of your blog – it looks great girlfriend!
Thanks! As much as I loved the brick wall on the old banner, it was out of date. My hair was shorter and darker. So now I’ve updated it to reflect a current, spring theme 🙂
I like your hair the way you have it now too! I recently cut my hair really short. Still deciding if I like it or if I want to grow it back out. I never know what to do with my hair:)
That’s me! I can never decide. I cut it short and then spend a year growing it–only to cut it short again 😛
I hear you girl! My husband is getting so tired of me asking him, “Should I grow my hair out again.”
Oh, I haven’t ever been to the Tulip Farm but my dd’s have when visiting their Daddy. That place is soooooooo cool.
It really is! So cheery and colorful. Daffodils too! I hope you get to see one someday.
Hi. This is a really nice blog. I wanted to ask, since I didn’t know if you would see my question on the other blog, how does one eat more vegan? I had mentioned that I have celiacs, and can’t eat any soy, so it is difficult for me to not eat meat. I would love if you had some suggestions, especially as I have two large teen boys for protein considerations, as well. thank you!
Thanks for writing and for the compliments about my blog. I haven’t visited Celeste’s blog for a few days and I’m glad you posted here. Being a gluten-free, soy-free vegan is not impossible. It takes a bit more planning though. My main tip would be to cook with whole foods so you know what you’re eating and you can make sure you’re getting what you need. There are a lot of simple foods you can use to eat healthy. Foods that even teenagers will like.
One tip I recently learned is to chop up cauliflower in a food processor until it is the size of ground beef chunks. Pan-fry it in seasonings and it will take on the consistency and taste of beef. Perfect for tacos! Use corn tortillas if you can’t eat wheat. Add beans, tomatoes, avocado, onions and lettuce and you’ll have a yummy and healthy meal. Daiya vegan cheese is soy free and would be great to use as a topping.
I have a post on my vegan blog about protein requirements. http://sunshineandslaughter.com/2013/12/17/the-cult-of-protein/
Using the foods in the chart in that post, you can see how to get protein while eating vegan. For example, a cup of oatmeal and some peanut butter toast for breakfast, hummus for a snack, lentil soup for lunch, and a veggie-bean burrito for dinner would give someone lots of protein.
I really like The China Study Cookbook and the Forks Over Knives one. Neither uses a lot of soy or wheat so most of the recipes would work (or be adaptable). The China Study one was written by a mom with two teenage sons, They’ve been eating vegan for 18 years and all are healthy.
I recently learned how to make creamy sauces using cashews. Great for soy-free vegan toppings and additions to soups. The vegan version of deviled eggs I made uses a sauce made with cashews (http://sunshineandslaughter.com/2013/12/27/heavenly-potatoes). I can’t see any major allergy triggers in that recipe.
That said, I’m not an expert on soy-free, gluten-free cooking, but I know a few blogs out there that focus on that:
http://www.theglutenfreevegan.com/
http://www.soyfreevegan.com/
http://www.glutenfreeveganmom.com/ (she’s soy-free too)
When eating vegan, you’ll be getting fewer calories, so you might want to eat more. That’s totally fine, especially if you’re eating healthy food. If you make meals from scratch, eating this way shouldn’t break the bank either.
Thanks again for dropping by!
I’m really excited about this! I will print it out and try many of these things and share your blog, as well. I bought some quinoa this week to experiment ! Thanks so much….
Excellent! Glad I could help. Quinoa is a great food. It’s delicious, gluten-free, and full of nutrients, including protein. Let me know how you like it and if you ever need any other tips or ideas. I don’t always have the answers, but I’m happy to research and learn new things along the way!
Thank you, again. It is crucial that we find ways to connect to each other over the globe, spreading ideas that work, and unconditional love; learning from each other how to live in harmony. Blessings…
Agree 🙂 All the best to you too!
glad to have found your blog! and I saw a familiar face on some of the photos: your mom! I already knew her blog 😉
greets from belgium, trudi
Glad you found me too! How funny that you already know my mom’s blog. I’ll be sure to follow yours!
❤
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