Tag Archives: Mushpa Y Mensa

Mushpa + Mensa in the 21st Annual Cucalorus Film Festival 10×10

 

Last week we went to Cucalorus’s opening night party.

The next day I got the flu.

The next day we made a movie.

The next day I was in the ER.

The next day I hurled all day.

The next day we were at the Cucalorus 10×10 Screening and CONNECT Presenters Party.

This was my last week and this is the film we made with our great team (Brianna Okamoto, Josh Stowe, Andy Nielsen, Hillary Scott). I wasn’t sure I was going to make it, the movie that is, but when you have a dream and are given an amazing opportunity you push through it all to get there.

-Mushpa

Art Filled Weekend in North Carolina

Hi All!

Feeling the autumn yet? Well in North Carolina we are JUST about starting to feel the chill. And moving from the big apple, I cannot complain. It’s a chill that cools my toes, and makes the heart warm.

Our journey in North Carolina has been wonderful so far. Having the art truck open has made me think about life quite differently. Richness comes through other means, other than the monetary. And of course that is the cliche. But one thing is saying it, and another is living it. At first every time a bill would come through our mail, my stomach would turn, and I would start worrying about how is it that we were gonna cover this one. But God always had my back, the Universe made it happen, and we always had money to pay it in the end.

Today another financial conundrum came our way. And that same stomach churning was starting to drag me down. But after shaking myself, I thought, don’t we ALWAYS make it happen some way? I said, yes. We do. And that’s when I things seemed a little more clear. All this life we are living, selling our art. This is why I am here. These moments of financial strains are the small price to pay for living the life I want. And once I learn how to deal with them, instead of letting them smack me in the face, I will deflect them away from me  and my environment and put them in a box of with some other papers that hold little value in life that will eventually be taken care of. Keeping the focus on life money, not real money,  is the best way to deal. Because always God will have my back. And that box of bills is only a box. And the only box that matters is the box truck where we sell our art. Where we are making our dream happen. And the beauty, the creativity, the human connections that spills out of that box is worth so much more than any pink envelope with a notice.

So in the spirit of the chilly winds, and the beauty that surrounds us in these Carolinas, I invite you to join us to TWO AMAZING events we are going to be at this weekend Nov 21-22.

1. Art for the Masses. Because art that the masses cannot enjoy, is never the intent of the artists. All artists want art for all. So we make it accessible for you.

2. Carolina Pine Music Festival. Because Music + Art + Food is the best combination that humans have been able to create over the centuries, and there is never too much of that.

And with that I will leave you with a little sound to the ears from one of the coolest music makers in Wilmington. Stray Local. Make sure to check them out on Sunday at the Carolina Pine Music Festival’s Art Factory where among other artists, and ourselves, we will all be.

Hope to see you there!

Mensa

Here Comes The Holidays!!!

GingerBread PeepsThe first week of November is here which means some people are starting their Holiday shopping and others are finishing it. We here at Mushpa + Mensa want to get into the game by offering our super fans a free shipping code on any and all purchases. This code is HoHoHo! It will be in affect until January 1st, 2016. You can start out getting an amazing handmade Gingerbread Peep made of felt created using recycled plastic bottles for your Christmas tree. You’re welcome!

Let’s get this holiday party started!!!

Much love,

Mushpa + Mensa

An Instrumental Lesson: The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe

First, a harp

Next, pizzicato cellos

Flute and piccolo

Electric guitar

Ukulele

Classical guitar

Banjo

Thin wood blocks

And two more harps

B-3 organ

Celesta

Bowed vibraphone

And piano

Pizzicato violins

And double bass

Tubular bells

And the glockenspiel

The ride cymbal

Piatti

Snare drums

Grancassa

Timpani!

Sixteen baritone bass singers

Xylophone

Bassoons

Clarinet

French horns

Tenor sax

Trombone

Tuba!

Trumpets

Triangle

Thank you very much for listening.

Goodnight!
-Mensa

Happy Labor Day

Women Labor DayHappy 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.

Women Trade UnionNow 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!

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

– Mushpa y Mensa

Just Something To Look At

I was power surfing and promoting Mushpa y Mensa last night and came across these photos on the World Wide Web I thought were worth sharing with you all.

Enjoy.

Naked

Fast

witches

:]

– Mushpa

We Got Into the Leaf Festival

We got into the Leaf Festival. I was unaware of how much I was pulling away from faith, mysticism and the Truth until I watched this video. I have been worrying about bills, money, and bullshit and forgetting about miracles, beauty and truth. Logistics are a lie. I am blessed and amazing and God is good. I’ve got nothing to worry about.

Everything is better than okay. I got into the Leaf Festival and have nothing to fear but fear itself.

:]

-Mushpa

Happy 4th of July Weekend

4th of July CatHappy 4th of July weekend!!! Mushpa y Mensa is offering free shipping till July 6th. Just use coupon code, HAPPY4TH :]

And if you want to hang with us tomorrow (July 4th), come to the Earth and Surf Fest at North Topsail Beach. Click here for more info on times and location.

earth and surf festxoxo

– Mushpa y Mensa

Mushpa y Mensa Super Summer Update

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.