Happy Labor Day

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1887, alternative apparel, art, artist, beauty, Cara Reynolds, Central Labor Union, clay bead necklace, coffee cozies, DAS, Detroit, eco-friendly, eco-jewelry, EcoFi felt, etsy, Fair Labor Standards Act, fashion, felt, gay, Groover Cleaveland, handmade, Happiness, home-made, homemade, inspiration, jewlery, Knights of Labor, Labor Day, Labor Day 2015, Labor Day Women, lavender, lesbian, Maria Emilia Borja, Mensa, Michigan, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, Mushpa y Mensa Free Shipping code, necklace, NYC, organic, organic cotton tees, plush animals, plush pets, promotion code, queer, recycled, recycling plastic bottles, refurbished fabric, screen printing, stuffed aimals, t shirt designs, t-shirts, tablet case, tanks, tea cozies, tops, toys, unique, Women in Labor Day, Women workers

Happy Labor Day to all! For those who don’t know what Labor Day is all about, here is the skinny. Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement (mostly promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor in NYC). Groover Cleaveland made it official in 1887. Labor Day is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Now on to some interesting Labor Day trivia!

• To take advantage of large numbers of potential customers free to shop, Labor Day has become an important sale weekend for many retailers in the United States. Some buyers retailers claim it is one of the largest sale dates of the year, second only to the Christmas season’s Black Friday. Ironically, because of the importance of the sale weekend, some of those who are employed in the retail sector not only work on Labor Day, but work longer hours. More Americans work in the retail industry than any other, with retail employment making up 24% of all jobs in the United States. As of 2012, only 3% of those employed in the retail sector were members of a labor union.
• Women were among the earliest factory workers in the mill and textile industries and also among the earliest to organize.
• 21.3% of women work in service occupations, some of which (domestic work, for example) are not covered by many of the employee protections we celebrate on Labor Day.  This lack of coverage dates back to 1938 when Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act based on a political compromise by which it excluded domestic and agricultural workers, who were primarily African-American. Today, high rates of Hispanic women work in the service sector (33.2%).
• In high society, Labor Day is (or was) considered the last day of the year when it is fashionable to wear white or seersucker.

We here at Mushpa y Mensa strive to contribute to the strength, prosperity and well being of our country, world and universe in everything we do. From the meaning we put into our art, to all the people we come in contact with at amazing events where we end up and through our online presence. We are blessed to have this job that pushes us to learn so many things from others and hopefully we give back as much to them.

Here is something tangible we can give back today, on the 2nd largest sale date of the year! ;] A free shipping promotion code MAYA007!!! This will get you out of shipping charges on any item(s) at our Etsy Shop. Exciting!!! 😀 Click below to get to our shop and check out our original designs on organic cotton tees, tanks and tops, plush pets with felt made from recycling plastic bottles and stuffed with real lavender, eco-jewelry, coffee and tea cozies made from unique, refurbished fabric amongst tons of other cool stuff. Spread the word!

We hope everyone has a chill Labor Day and you are doing whatever it is you want to do today and everyday.

– Mushpa y Mensa

Mushpa y Mensa Super Summer Update

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art, artist, beauty, Cara Reynolds, clay bead necklace, clay beads, clothes, crafts, DAS, diy, eco-friendly, etsy, fashion, felt, gay, handmade, Happiness, home-made, homemade, inspiration, jewlery, kickstarter, lesbian, love, Maria Emilia Borja, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, necklace, organic, plush animals, queer, quote, recycled, screen printing, stuffed aimals, stuffed animal, t shirt designs, t-shirts, tablet case, toys, yarn

Hello Mushpa y Mensa Super Fans!

Yes, you see right, it’s Mushpa y Mensa’s Super Summer update, after a few months of silence. We are happy to say that in the last three months, Mushpa y Mensa have begun their “Gypsy Market Life”. Already, on this journey, we have met quite a few amazing people, like the folks at Seaglass Salvage Market, Brooklyn Arts Center, Beacon House Inn, and Satellite Lounge to name a few. We have also danced and tasted many sweet wines at the Duplin Winery’s Main Squeeze Music and Wine Festival, as well as met dozens of new, fun people at the annual Azalea and Strawberry Festivals in North Carolina. ;] We even partnered up with Wilmington’s Earth Day Alliance and enjoyed a wonderful Earth Day Celebration at Hugh MaCrae Park.

It’s been surreal so far.

It’s amazing what faith, love, encouragement, and a little help from our friends can do. In terms of our little cottage industry, we are, as you say, busting a hump. We are constantly checking ourselves on how we can make things better from our art, to our business, to our life.

We have actually just updated the “Photos of Our Peeps” page on Mushpa y Mensa’s site. We added a photo uploading tool, so you can upload pictures of you in our organic tees, wearing our amazing jewelry, hugging our lavender filled plush pets, or even just keeping your hands cool with one of our coffee cozies. :]

And in terms of our Art? Well we keep on bringing to life tons of ideas in our head. For example, we recently created 3.5 new shirt designs. A cool Octopus Olivia with an Anchor Tattoo on her forehead,as well as R6: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Replenish, Reflect, Reimagine inspired by Earth Day.

We also have new organic Pima cotton relaxed fit tops that are flying out of the truck. Here is an example of the Pima tops with one of our new designs, Argema Mittrei, a female moth. Lastly, we spruced up Robot Girl and added a cute heart. All these designs we print for the ladies, the gents, and of course the smallest people around.

Mushpa y Mensa have also been focusing on custom shirts that have been selling off Maya so fast we don’t even have time to list them on our Etsy shop!

Spread the art, spread the love.

A few questions answered…

Where can I find the Art Truck?

Follow us on Twitter @mushpamensa. We are constantly posting when and where we will be. There is also an events page on our site, www.mushpaymensa.com/events we keep updated, but Twitter is best for the most up to date information.

We are doing some art shows, markets and fleas, but are hunting to find good spots to park around town. We are partnering up with cool people like the folks at the Beacon House Inn on Carolina Beach and Satellite Bar and Lounge in Wilmington.

And for all the natives and people in the know, since we are new in town, feel free to hit us up at info@mushpamensa.com or our contact page with any ideas where to park, festivals to do or whether you’d like us to rock a party or event with you!

Are you going on the road anytime soon?

We want to explore the grounds of NC and the surrounding area, so we will keep the max to weekend trips. But worry not, we will definitely be making it into the mid-west and west-coast! Maybe even an occasional trip to NYC sooner than you think!

If you have any questions about anything, make sure to ask! We love to hear from you all.

Until the next super exciting Mushpa y Mensa’s and Maya, Magical Mobile Art Machine update we say good day!

With lots of love,

               Cara and Maria Emilia

                                                             a.k.a.

Maya’s Magical Zine

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2004 Ford Super Duty E350 Step Van, art, artist, box truck, Cara Reynolds, crafts, diy, eco-friendly, etsy, fashion, gay, handmade, Happiness, home-made, homemade, inspiration, jewlery, kickstarter, lesbian, love, Maria Emilia Borja, Maya the Truck, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, organic, plush animals, queer, quote, recycled, renovation of step van, screen printing, t shirt designs, women dyi, Women DYIers, women owned business

Hello Super Mushpa y Mensa Fans! We know it has been killing you waiting for our next post. Well here it is Maya’s Makeover Zine!!! We will not go on and on about our amazing zine as it is pretty self explanatory, but here is what Maya’s zine includes:   Our truck’s full makeover archive with before & after pictures of the project. Mushpa y Mensa DIY tips a.k.a. our gained knowledge we give unto you! How-to everyday eco-tips Delicious food recipes Plus Mushpa y Mensa’s greatest hits and inspirational thoughts from our blog, “La Casa“! All this in a fantastical and printable PDF. Want some more Mushpa y Mensa?  Check out www.mushpamensa.com With much love, Mushpa y Mensa (a.k.a. Cara Elaine and Maria Emilia)

Go Magazine’s Red Hot Entrepreneurs of 2014

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artist, Cara Reynolds, eco-friendly, etsy, fashion, gay, Go Mag, Go Magazine, Go Magazine's Red Hot Entrepreneurs, Go Magazine's Red Hot Entrepreneurs of 2014, handmade, Happiness, home-made, homemade, homo says what?, Kat Long, lesbian, love, Maria Emilia Borja, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, New York City, organic, organic cotton t shirt, queer, Red Hot Entrepreneurs, Red Hot Entrepreneurs of 2014, t-shirts

That’s right, we’re red hot entrepreneurs!!! Read more about it by clicking on this super fly link!

Watch out world here we come! :]

– Mushpa y Mensa

Hester Street Fair Here We Come

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art, artist, Cara Reynolds, eco-friendly, fashion, gay, handmade, Happiness, Hester Street Fair, home-made, homemade, jewlery, lesbian, love, lower east side, Maria Emilia Borja, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, necklace, New York City, organic, plush animals, queer, recycled, screen printing, Street Fair, stuffed aimals, stuffed animal, t shirt designs, t-shirts

If you are in the New York area and want to check out our art in person you may!!! Good times!

Where exactly, Hester Street Fair, located in the heart of the Lower East Side and housed on the historic grounds of New York City’s largest pushcart market at the turn of the century, the Hester Street Fair pays homage to those roots by bringing together a collection of NYC’s best vendors in a bustling outdoor marketplace.  They curate the finest artisanal food, vintage clothing, jewelry, crafts, home goods and much more.  ​

Corner of Hester and Essex, take the F J M Z to Delancey F to East Broadway!

See you there.

– Mushpa y Mensa

Photos of Our Peeps

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art, artist, Cara Reynolds, clay bead necklace, clay beads, crafts, DAS, eco-friendly, etsy, fashion, felt, gay, handmade, Happiness, home-made, homemade, jewlery, lesbian, love, Maria Emilia Borja, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, necklace, organic, organic cotton t shirt, photography, photos, plush animals, queer, recycled, screen printing, stuffed aimals, stuffed animal, t shirt designs, t-shirts

What, Mushpa y Mensa has a new section on their site featuring their amazingly gorgeous super fans sporting their art? YES…yes, we do! You need to go check it out here, www.mushpaymensa.com/photos-of-our-peeps/.

If you too have a photo of you in an original, organic cotton shirt, unique handmade jewelry, or your lavender stuffed plush pets made out of recycled plastic bottle felt doing something, or whatever art you may have gotten from us here at Mushpa y Mensa, send it in.  We will put you up on Mushpa y Mensa’s “Photos of Our Peeps” page. Just email the photos to info[at]mushpamensa[dot]com and we’ll do the rest.

Much love,

– Mushpa y Mensa

The Final Countdown

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art, artist, Cara Reynolds, ford, ford box truck, Ford E350 Step Van, gay, handmade, Happiness, home-made, homemade, kickstarter, lesbian, love, Maria Emilia Borja, maya box truck, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, stuffed aimals, t-shirts

First off, Happy Memorial Day weekend. It is officially, unofficially the beginning of Summer! This is Mushpa y Mensa’s season of organic cotton, original design, hand-made t-shirt glory! You need a new organic tank top for the season? We’ve got it! We will be in Astoria at the Astoria Flea and Food @Kaufman Astoria Studios (click here for more information) today from 10AM-6PM. Come see us and check out Maya, our box truck in person! We will even have the diorama with us. I know…exciting!

Alright people let’s get to it! We have hit the final 3 days of our Kickstarter project, Mushpa y Mensa’s Magical Motor Machine Makeover! We are 81% funded at $5,971, but our goal is $7,300 in less than 3 days. That is $1,329 we need to raise in a very short amount of time. We can do it, but we need the help of family, friends and strangers. Go check out Mushpa y Mensa’s Magical Motor Machine Makeover and see how we will take this blank canvass of a box truck and transform it into mobile street art. Be a part of something you can brag that you brought into fruition! That alone is worth it. ;]

Much love,

– Mushpa

 

 

Paradise

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art, artist, beauty, Cara Reynolds, coldplay, dreams, fashion, freedom, gay, handmade, Happiness, home-made, homemade, jewlery, kickstarter, kickstarter project, lesbian, life, love, Maria Emilia Borja, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, Mushpa y Mensa Kickstarter, Mushpa y Mensa's Magical Motor Machine Makeover!, music, music video, organic, paradise, queer

We are going; come with us.

Check out our Kickstarter Dream – Mushpa y Mensa’s Magical Motor Machine Makeover!

ONLY 6 DAYS LEFT!!! Help us make it to Paradise. We promise we’ll save you a spot for when you get here.

Much love,

– Mushpa

Mushpa y Mensa’s Magical Motor Machine Makeover!

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art, artist, Cara Reynolds, clay bead necklace, eco-friendly, etsy, gay, handmade, Happiness, home-made, homemade, jewlery, kickstarter, lesbian, love, Maria Emilia Borja, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, music, necklace, organic, plush animals, queer, recycled, screen printing, stuffed aimals, stuffed animal, t-shirts, tablet case

In conjunction with “Care-About-Mama-Earth” week we are launching Mushpa y Mensa’s Magical Motor Machine Makeover (a.k.a. Our Super Cool Kickstarter Project)! Yes!

We will make this short and sweet as all the information you may want or need to know about Our Magical Motor Machine Makeover is here. You may also click on our 3 minutes and 33 second amazing docu-drama above to find out what we and this project are all about.  :]

Mushpa y Mensa’s Magical Motor Machine Makeover is something cool, different, and amazing. It is a way to connect with people all over; a way to find, have and give hope to our fellow humans…and there is some fantabulous functional art to take with you as well!!! A win/win situation.

Go see!!!

With much love.

— Mushpa y Mensa (Cara Elaine and Maria Emilia)

Here Comes Mushpa Y Mensa!

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art, artist, astoria flea and food, Astoria Flea and Food @Kaufman Astoria Studios, Cara Reynolds, clay bead necklace, clay beads, clothes, crafts, East Northport Jewish Center Vendor Fair, eco-friendly, felt, handmade, home-made, homemade, jewlery, Kaufman Astoria Studios, LIC Flea & Food, Maria Emilia Borja, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, necklace, organic, plush animals, recycled, stuffed aimals, stuffed animal, tablet case, Whisper Vineyards Long Island Art Show

Guess what time it is??? Flea Market season!!! Oh snap, you mean you can check out our wares in person, hang with us, tell us all your deepest, darkest secrets and buy amazing art all under the gorgeous NYC sun? Yes, that’s exactly what I mean!

Click here or any of the cute market photos in this entry to see where we will be at, when we are there and how cool it is going to be when you get there. We are even venturing out to that other world called Long Island in May, so if you live on the island and stay out of the city, you to will have the opportunity to chill with La Mushpa y La Mensa! Seriously. :]

We can’t wait to see you.

– La Mushpa