All posts by tdaait

The American Dream

Art, crafts, Cuban, Etsy, Gay, Latina, Lesbian, Queer, Small Business, Woman Owned Business, , , , , , , , , , ,

The American Dream

Let’s start like this, I made a commitment to write one entry a day, everyday in the Mushpa y Mensa blog. It isn’t that hard. It doesn’t really have to be about anything specific, just vaguely related to Mushpa y Mensa’s philosophy, ideology or really just the general vibe, so why is it that days have gone by and I have not done one entry? This lead me to the question, what is it that holds people back from being successful? More specifically, what is holding me back from being successful? Am I really stopping myself from what I want to do to go to an arbitrary 9-5 job? What is the point? What am I trying to prove? Why is it for others I can go above and beyond? Why can I make other people successful, rich, enlightened, but not for myself? I have better ideas, I will do better things for humanity, I have the skills and ability to do anything, and I am charming, so what gives? Is it the fact that for the formative years of my life I went to school and was brainwashed into believing that success is based on not only my career choice, but on my monetary value? Is it really so simple in its complexity?

I was saying to Mensa last night, what if we couldn’t get a job working for anyone? What if we had to work for ourselves to make money to survive? If this was our only option to have food, shelter, and comfort, well then I know Mushpa y Mensa would already be on Forbes 50 Most Innovative (and profitable) Companies’ list! Question is, why does it seem that I can’t make it successful without the fear of starvation and homelessness?

When we are children we are told and believe that we can do anything we want, that we can become anything we want. Then as we mature we are made to believe that this is a dangerous way of thinking. The funny thing is it is not dangerous for us to believe, it is dangerous for those wanting to make and control the majority of wealth in the world. Greedy children who never learned how to share. I want the American Dream I was promised. I want what I deserve and the only way I am going to get it is to believe not only in myself, but that if I do the work, if I do the right thing and have faith in this universe, I will attain this…happiness…success…serenity. I want to live my life, not just survive it. I don’t want to get to the end of the road and think, “Is that all there is?”, so today guess what?

I did my blog entry. :]

Much love,

Muspha

Music Break!!!

Gay, Lesbian, Music Video, Queer, , , , , ,

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCdjmupBehY]

I’ve been writing too much in these blog entries. I feel it is time for a mini music break. :] Don’t you want to get to know what I like? What music I like to listen to, books I like to read, movies I like to watch, pictures I love to look at? You know you do. Plus today is my birthday and I’ll do what I want!

You know I don’t sweat the little things.

-Mushpa

Compost This!

Green, Latina, Lesbian, Queer, , , , , , , , , , ,

Compost ItIt isn’t just about what we make, but also how we live. Por ejemplo, Mensa and I were trying to figure out a way not to put food waste in the garbage as to not attract flies or create a nesting site for said flies. We also didn’t want to have to bag up food everyday and throw it out. Then amidst the great obvious we realized we should compost. :] The next question is how to compost in a Brooklyn apartment. Let’s find out!!!

First off what can we compost? For us it will be food based only, but if you have land there are things you may compost from your garden you just need to do some research on exactly what. Okay, back to metro composting…

Things you can compost are:

  1. fruit and vegetable scraps
  2. coffee grounds and tea bags
  3. manure and bedding from animals that ONLY eat plants
  4. cut or dried flowers
  5. houseplants and potting soil
  6. sawdust and wood shavings (from untreated wood)
  7. stale beans, flour, and spices
  8. feathers
  9. breads and grains
  10. egg shells
  11. nutshells
  12. corncobs
  13. food-soiled paper towels and napkins
  14. shredded newspaper.

Some tips to good composting are add an equal amount of greens and browns to your compost bin, cut your food trash for faster composting, always maintain a top layer of browns. I said it. :]  Keep your bin moist, but not wet.  Lastly, stir well to aerate the food waste you love to call your compost.

Here is what you MAY NOT compost:

  1. meat or fish scraps
  2. cheese and dairy products
  3. fats, grease or oil
  4. cat or dog feces, kitty litter
  5. colored or glossy paper
  6. sawdust made from pressure-treated plywood or lumber
  7. coal or charcoal ashes
  8. non-compostable materials such as plastic, metals or glass
  9. diseased and/or insect-infested houseplants/soil
  10. biodegradable/compostable plastics

Now where to store it till we take it to a NYC drop off location? Ms. Mensa bought us a sealed, cubed container at the Dollar Store. Boom!

Cool Bin
Artist Rendering of Our Dollar Store Compost Bin

Another option offered to New York City residents are low cost compost bins, they even have coupons for composting worms here. What???

Next, where do we bring our compost scraps once our bin is full? Here is a list of all Brooklyn drop-off locations and for those outside of the realm of Brooklyn here are food waste drop-off sites in other boroughs.

What you want to be a composting super hero??? Here is your chance to take the NYC Master Composter Certificate Course. Nice!

Alright, let’s do this!

-Mushpa

Birthday Month

Clothes, Etsy, Fashion, Gay, Knitting, Latina, Lesbian, Queer, , , , , , , , , ,

Jeffe

It’s my Birthday month. Yes, I said month. :] My actual birthday is February 13th for all of you that want to know. I prefer not to just focus on the one day, but I feel a whole month is more the way to go. I’m just saying.

Today, Mensa tells me to go and get something from another room and when I go in what is there but two balls of yarn, three pairs of gold sparkly clear knitting needles, and some candles with a bow on top (the cat we already had). This is what it is about really. These are the kind of things she does that helps me believe we will be successful in this endeavor or any others we choose to do.

I don’t know what I am going to make from this, but I promise to show you when I’m done.

-Mushpa

Some Inspiration From New York Fashion Week

Clothes, Cuban, Ecuadorian, Etsy, Fashion, Gay, Latina, Lesbian, Queer, Woman Owned Business, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Moleskin Quilted Emily Coat
Moleskin Quilted Emily Coat with Zip Off Hood

Ms. Mensa and I needed a little fashion inspiration for some new shirts we are about to design, so we thought where better to go then New York Fashion Week!  We choose the Vaute show to start off with, by designer Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, one because it was the first all vegan fashion label to show in NYFW and two because her stuff is mad cute. That’s what we are talking about people! :] Anyway, all her fashions are made from organic, recycled materials. The photo above is the Moleskin Quilted Emily Coat with Zip Off Hood modeled by Mary Kate from Mix.   It’s vegan, eco-conscious, constructed locally in NYC.  The fabrics are all recycled, 100% vegan shell lined with recycled satin liner and engraved tagua nut buttons, which is pretty badass.  Check out the Vaute site to read more on her ethical, eco clothing line.

The show was sponsored by The Humane Society and Badass Brooklyn Rescue, so in the show were fashionable, adoptable furry friends.  The models make-up was all vegan and done by the DeVita team, all vegan hair done by Salon Champu, amazing women’s shoes by designer Monisha Raja of Love is Mighty and the men’s shoes by Joshua Katcher who is righteous as well as fashionable at Brave Gentleman.

Below is the greatest vegan Tiramisu by Vegan Treats. We loved it!

Vegan Treats

Loved the dogs as well…

You can find them looking for love here.

I’m inspired.

-Mushpa

Elephant the Pig

crafts, Cuban, Etsy, Gay, Latina, Lesbian, Queer, Small Business, Stuffed Animal, Woman Owned Business, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Elephant the Pig

Hello, my name is Elephant the Pig. I was born with my elephant birthmark which just confirms even more that I am an elephant trapped in a pig’s body. I love to eat leaves and foliage all day long. I am a herbivore through and through. I never met my parents, so who is to say I am a pig and not an elephant? Well, my body says I am a pig but my heart and soul knows different. I am looking for a home with a person, people, family that will accept me for who I am, not who they want me to be, not for whom I seem to be. If you are that person, people, or family then I am ready to come home.

Remember, there is only one of me in all the known and unknown universes, just like you.

Love,

Elephant the Pig

p.s.- I’m made from 100% Eco-fi®, a high quality polyester fiber made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. I’m just saying.

This Little Piggie

craft, Cuban, Etsy, Gay, Lesbian, Queer, Small Business, Woman Owned Business, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pig Love

Dear Mensa,

First off let me apologize for the delay in response to this post and the fact that it has been a minute since I have posted any entry at all. Life has been crazy!

I love the logo so far Mensa! I can’t wait for you to finish. :] I will make sure to put it up all over our blog, Twitter, Etsy store and the like. I am so glad you finally saw the light of digital editing and art. Life is a balance between the organic and mechanic. Point is Photoshop is addicting in an OCD type of way and I love it!

On to me and my endeavors. I am working on a my little piggie (see above). I have no real idea how she is going to turn out, but I am almost done with what I consider to be a black canvas of pig to work on.  Watch out world here she comes!!! This is the first of many little creatures…

I can’t wait can you?

-Mushpa