Welcome Fall! (and an extra 25% off everything for 1 week only )

Hi Friends! It’s been a very very long time since I’ve written. So many wonderful things have happened since then – the film
The Ghosts In Our Machine was released, the book We Animals was published, new vegan designers appearing on the horizon (like Stephanie Nicora who is maufacturing in the U.S.!!) and Vaute Couture is launching another collection of amazing winter coats. There has been so much progress made in the world of animal advocacy. From movies to winter coats to the passionate ‘bearing witness’ of groups like Toronto Pig Save. There is no one size fits all when it comes to  being an activist. Everyone finds their own path – one that feels right for them. The trick is to do something.

I hope that if you read this, you will consider posting a comment about how you advocate for animals – or whatever your own personal cause is.

Now – the other purpose of this post is to let you know that for 1 week (from 10/3/2015 to 10/7/2015), I am going to take an extra 25% off ANYTHING that you order. This is how it will work – when the order comes through (and please know that I might not see it until evening time), I will refund your Paypal account for that 25%. This is because I don’t have a way of incorporating discounts on my archaic website.

Here’s the link to the website – http://www.cowjonesindustrials.com/.

Thank you for all that you do for our animals friends – keep spreading love.

Hibernation – Over!!!

If you have been following me, then you will have noticed that I haven’t written any new posts in a long, long time. As a matter of fact, it could be seen as unprofessional and downright lazy. In fact, I have been in a state of hibernation since closing the physical shop. Not sleeping all that time – but thinking, dreaming, considering possibilities and arriving at some decisions.

I love being Cow Jones – it is more than a shop (well, actually an e-commerce shop at this point). For me it is the identity that I have when I advocate for animals using fashion as a way into the conversation. And so not having a physical shop that allows for in-person opportunites has been difficult to come to terms with. In a sense, I have been in hibernation. But no more.

I might not be able to open another physical location right away -or possibly ever. But the online shop, the presence for animals the advocacy are all still there. I just have to get with the program a bit more – using Pinterest, being faithful to posting on FB and writing blogs – and engaging feedback from all of you – my wonderful, compassionate friends.

Happy Spring – keep dreaming, keep fighting the good fight, keep loving – and I’ll be right there with you.

xoxoxoxoxoxo
Donna

Farewell 5 Main Street

The sun sets on 5 Main Street

If you read my last post, then you know that I am closing the shop. At that time, I was uncertain of the date – but now it is official. September is the last month that we will be on Main Street.

I approach this date with a mixture of feelings – from sadness to joyful anticipation. How can I not miss what has been my little nest for so many years – a refuge of sorts. A place that helped to facilitate the start of wonderful friendships and conversations. And how can I not have excitement about what is to come? Life is a journey – and there are so many possibilities for us.

So, I hope that you can stop by on Saturday (9/22)  from 5-9 to help me bid farewell to the shop. There will be goodies and lots of hugs. And hopefully by then, more new fall fashions will be here! Even though the physical shop will close, the virtual shop will continue – with gorgeous pieces due to arrive very soon. 

I’ll keep you all posted on a possible new location.

It’s been an amazing 5 years!! You all are the best.
xoxoxoxoxoxo

For the animals,
Donna

Transitions & Letting Go

Hi friends!! It’s been quite a journey these past 5 years. Opening (and running)  a vegan boutique in the village of Chatham has been both a challenge and a joy. I have connected with so many lovely people and had wonderful conversations about our animals friends. 
For a number of reasons, I am planning to relocate the shop. The online shop will continue and though the number of new styles might not be numerous during the transition, the styles that we are getting in will be fantastic!
You might be wondering “when is she closing?”  I don’t have a definite answer yet – I plan to be here at least until the end of September and I plan to have a fun event before closing the doors – so stay tuned.
I love all of you – you have been supportive, encouraging and I couldn’t have been here this long without you. 

Hugs and kisses to all of you.

For the animals.

Pure Love

Our beloved dog, Marry, died suddenly and unexpectedly this past Friday. She was only 2 years old.  Her brief time with us was pure love.

 This is the season for giving. The best gift is love – and you know what? It doesn’t cost you a cent. Love freely, spread it around, encourage others to love. Give gifts that will help others – donate your time to sanctuaries and rescue groups. Play with your companion animals – and be in the moment when you do. You will be rich beyond your wildest dreams.

Holiday Fun – Dressy!

This will be a short but sweet post with some ideas for a dressy (but not black-tie) holiday get together. There are some fantastic styles available from Mission Savvy – one of my favorites is this lovely Carrie Parry dress –

Carrie Parry dress

 Need a pair of heels to go with this? Check out the fabulous olsen Haus Galaxy style available on our site

Galaxy

Finish off the look with this fantastic clutch available at Compassion Couture

 

Reveal Clutch

 

Now – who said that vegan fashion is boring ?

Tis the Season – We Animals

Photo by Jo-Anne McArthur

Cow Jones is having 2 specials during the month in December – the first is a one day sale on 12/10 (both in the shop and on the website). For those of you who can make it to the shop, there will be the most delicious chocolates ever from Lagusta’s Luscious of New Paltz. Any item that is not already marked down, wil be 20% off that day – lots of great gift ideas to choose from!

The second is a different type of special which will last the entire month of December.  We will donate 5% of gross proceeds from all sales during the month of December to the We Animals project. I can’t describe how amazed I am by this project and photographer/activist Jo-Anne McArthur who is also the human subject in the The Ghosts in Our Machine .

Jane Goodall’s words about Jo-Anne and her photos say it all:

“Powerfully disturbing. These images take us to dark and hidden places visited by only a few determined and courageous individuals like Jo-Anne McArthur. They reveal the secret practices that many people will not want to know about. For the animals’ sake, I beg that you will not only look but FEEL. For if we truly understand their suffering then, surely, we shall no longer condone it. And the heart warming images at the end of the book show us the road to compassion.”

I hope that you will take the time to look at the We Animals website. I’ll forewarn you that many of the images are beyond haunting. I can’t imagine where Jo-Anne finds the strength for this project but I am so grateful that she does.

 Tis the Season to show our gratitude.

Meeting on Common Ground

I think a lot about how to present my shop in a way that makes it clear what it is all about but does not alienate somebody who thinks that they may not be welcome here because of the word “vegan” on my sign. Some people come in because it IS vegan and they are so thrilled to be here (love it when that happens!).  I’ve also overheard people making comments outside about the type of shop that it is and then they keep walking without bothering to come in and check it out (hate when that happens!). And then there are the people who come in who are not really interested in the products but want to be with someone else who has a love of animals.

 This past weekend, 2 women came in together and when they spotted the book  “Do Horses Sleep Standing Up”, one of the women made the comment that horses are stupid.  I countered that not only are they not stupid but they possess an intelligence that most humans do not understand. The other woman stood there quietly for a few moments and then proceeded to tell me how she had recently seen some piglets nursing with their mother and how this was one of the most wonderful things that she had ever witnessed. I told her about the time that I saw a mother rabbit nursing her young in our herb garden last year and we both agreed that these were rare gifts that we had received and how lucky we both had been. Then she told me a story about a bird that had flown into her NYC apartment many years ago when she was a young girl- and how the mother bird had flown in and shown her baby how to get out. I knew that these were stories that she wanted very badly to share – and more than likely, her friend who thought that horses were stupid, was not the person to share them with. When they left, the woman with the stories thanked me for sharing with her. And I thought about all of the other times when people came in and after a while started to talk about their dog/cat/horse and knew that they were going to feel encouraged to express  love for their animals because this was a”safe” place for that kind of conversation.

I have a write-up that I’m thinking about posting somewhere in the shop – possibly in a spot where it can be read from the outside. This is what it would say:

We know that you love animals.

Most of you probably share you homes with a cat or a dog.

The thought of them being mistreated is too much for you to bear.

We feel that way about all animals.

Maybe you never thought about what it means to buy cruelty-free products – maybe you didn’t think such a thing existed.

Every act of kindness helps to build momentum for a kinder universe.

The act of opening your eyes, mind and heart is a big one.

We are happy to meet people of all philosophies in the shop and have conversations with them about something we have in common – our love of animals.

Enter the Ghosts

 

If you follow my Cow Jones Facebook page, then you know that my latest obsession is The Ghosts in Our Machine – described as “A film & web narrative in development about the individual animals used within the machine of our modern world”. I can’t properly put into words why I am so taken with this project. I have been a vegan for 22 years now but have not watched the films that so many people consider to be game-changers (like Earthlings, Food Inc., Forks Over Knives, etc). I do know that my journey began wth an image – an image of a cow on the back of a Peta newsletter (almost 23 years ago), with the caption – “Good intentions are not enough – stop eating meat”. I can still see that image and remember the stirrings of awareness that followed. When I first saw one of the trailers for The Ghosts, I had those feelings again and I thought – this is really going to be a game changer for so many people.

  I’m not going to write too much here about this project because there are so many excellent interviews and articles related to this project out there already. I suggest you check out the following:

 Interview with Liz Marshall  from the wonderful ladies at Our Hen House.

Interview with Liz Marshall from A Dog’s Eye View

This project is currently in the second half of  a fund raising stage. Anybody who donates $20 or more during this time is eligible to win some wonderful goodies – a bundle from The Roots of Compassion and a fantastic photo from We Animals and signed by Jo-Anne McArthur. The first contest ended on 6/22. The winner received an English Retreads handbag that was donated by us.

I had also promised on my Facebook page, that if the half-point goal of the project was met by 6/22, I would have a special sale on my website to celebrate. So here it is!! From now (June 27’th) until July 3’rd, if you enter the code “Ghosts25” in the special instructions/codes field at check-out time, anything that you order that is not already marked down, will be discounted by 25%. I don’t have a website that handles codes the ‘normal’ way, so you won’t see the discount reflected in the price at check-out but I don’t apply charges until I am ready to ship – and if I see this code, I will apply the 25% discount – and send you an e-mail with info about what the true cost is. It sounds cumbersome and requires some faith on your part – but it does work!

Check out this link if you would like to learn more about the fundraising campaign.

The dog in the picture was our beloved Betty. She was a rescued dog and we were really fortunate to share our lives with her for 2 years. She died last August and it is still difficult to even say her name. All animals are beautiful and wondrous and when we open our hearts and minds to them, we are the recipients of love without limits.

I’m just trying to do something good.

Mission statements – if you have a business, lead an organization or are simply applying for a job, you need to have a mission statement. I have agonized over this – even the “About Us’ page of my website presents me with a problem. Every time that I read something that I have written about what my shop is all about or what I’m trying to do, I cringe. It usually sounds too lofty, too much blah blah blah, too trite – or worse yet – too pretentious.

 Really, I think that my mission statement is simply – “I’m just trying to do something good”. Does that sound silly?