'la vie' feature: TerraCantata

I've mentioned that this week is going to be a bit different for 'la vie'. On top of traveling and the holidays, my grandfather and John's aunt passed away this week. My creative juices just aren't in full swing again yet, so we're making do... which is exactly what 'la vie' is all about... doing the best you can with what you've got. So, today we're going to feature an incredible company.
TERRACANTATA is the Etsy shop of my Aunt Patty. She and her husband, Cyrus, run a cruelty-free farm. For all of you vegetarians out there who don't eat meat because of the way animals are treated, please be aware that there are *many* farms that are dedicated to being cruelty-free. Research some local farms in your area! They produce fantastic food at their farm and go to great lengths to ensure extremely humane environments for their animals. In addition to raising animals, they also sell some great products. I'll highlight just a few today.

The girlies

First up are the wooden spoons, hand carved by my uncle. They are incredible. I've gotten a few throughout the years (a sugar spoon, coffee scoop and... my fav... the ladle!) and they are wonderful. They have such substance, they last forever, they're gorgeous and best of all- they don't release chemicals into your food. I get really nervous about a lot of the tools I use in my kitchen. I want to be sure that as they interact with high heat, they aren't leaking their plastic and silicone yuck. 

Taken from her Etsy shop

She also sells turkey feathers! You can see the picture of my little cousins playing in her feathers. She brought a few tubs with her on Christmas of all sizes and colors and the girls put them in their hair, made jewelry out of them and in general, just had a great time. The feathers are gorgeous. There are some that even look zebra striped! She sells them in several different quantities and they'd be great for all sorts of DIY projects. 

The last thing I have to show you are the pelts. She has tons of sheep at her farm, though she told me that she's currently paring down and allowing her land to heal before they begin investing in breeding stock. Do you know what that means? LAMBIES! John and I are soooo excited! I absolutely *love* little lambs. They are so, so sweet. She told me that we can come to her farm and take pictures of them wearing santa hats and bunny ears. Lambie of the month calendar. Back to the original thought, though, these pelts are gorgeous. She had them in various colors, but the one I pictured and the black are my favorites. I don't know if she'll have any more of these in stock soon, but they're worth the wait. 
I hope you have a wonderful day. Check back tomorrow for more DIY goodness. As always, thanks for reading.