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This week's DIY Tutorial post was totally brought to you by Pinterest but make sure you click the links to visit the actual blog posts!
Source: cakeeventsblog.com via Mailee on Pinterest
Source: makinglifealittlesweeter.blogspot.com via Cathy on Pinterest
Source: vanessachristenson.com via Bryson on Pinterest
Source: creationsbykara.com via Lupita on Pinterest
My iPhone is great, I love it! But there are just some things I can't do on it even though there are a million apps for senseless function. I can't really use it to to jot down my thoughts and ideas, not on a little gadget. I continue to love journals, planners, and diaries - paper!!! TASCHEN (one of my favorite book publishers EVER) has come out with Volume 2 of The Simple Diary by Philipp Keel. A nice gift idea for the holidays.
In a world where products are out as soon as they're in, where communicating without wires doesn't come without strings, and even our accessories need accessories, we need simple tools. A book that helps us look inside because we are overloaded outside.
This handy book is for anyone, any age, any occassion. On every page you will discover a taste of philosophy, a pinch of psychology and a twist of insight.It's not just blank pages with a date on top...
Simple Diary™ is Keel's response to having too much information and not enough meaning. The diaries are the culmination of his quest to gain insight into who we are, and why we do what we do. A great tool for when we want to take a step back and really think about how we're utilizing our time and what we make of each day that is given to us.
Yesterday I shared what was new at Pulp Sushi {dot} com, today I get to share what's new over at the Etsy shop....
Pearls! Pearls! And more pearls! The red necklace may look familiar, it is my second Cherries After Midnight necklace. The first one found a nice home in Germany, where will this one end up? This would look nice worn at a Holiday party wouldn't it?
I am so excited to share with you the newest artist at Pulp Sushi - take a look at the great stationery sets from isavirtue. Each set has ten sheets and five envelopes. Kaitlyn lives in Victoria, BC and is passionate about art and crafting. She makes products for her business Isavirtue that encourages users to revive the art of letter writing, handmade objects and simply taking a little more time to write a heartfelt sentiment.
While you're there you may notice the shop looks a little different. I added category buttons for navigation, what do you think?
Don't forget there is still time to enter the giveaway at Final Clothes-Out and win some great prizes, including a necklace from Pulp Sushi!
Great news! There is a giveaway going on at Final Clothes Out and guess what? Pulp Sushi has an item included in the fun! Along with a bunch of other great goodies, you can win this necklace.
In order to enter, you have to visit Paige on her blog Final Clothes Out and get the details and check out what other stuff you can win.
Inside this book are the notes, scribbles and poorly drawn sketches of my next project. The project that I can't stop tweaking in my head for the last few days. The project that I don't really have that much time for but I'm going for it anyway. My boyfriend might as well just walk out on me now because the computer will be taking up so much of my time.
I can't help it! I always want to do more and after that minor meltdown I had a couple of weeks back, I'm feeling super motivated. I made the annoucement to my friends on Facebook yesterday but I wanted to share it here because we're friends too right? :)
I won't share too many details yet but this is not going to be another shop. I'm not THAT crazy! However it does involve promoting, networking, and community. Pretty vague huh? It involves something I have felt passionate about for about five years now. It's about time I channel some of my energy towards that and feed that part of me, see where it leads. I will get started on it this weekend. I don't exactly have a deadline or annoucement date. It could be next month, it could be next year (which is only three months away yipes!). On that note, have a great weekend!
It's the first DIY Tutorial post for September (sorry I'm a lot late) and being that tomorrow is the official first day of Autumn, naturally this post will have a Fall twist to it.
Fall Leaves Garland at A Beautiful Mess
Felt Rosette Wreath from Stela Bird
Chalk Placemat (for the kiddies) at Sweet Magnolia Way
I'm always looking for more tutorials to share here so if you have any, drop me a line at marilyn @ pulpsushi.com
Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a nice weekend. I spent most of it at home working on the Etsy shop. I really wanted to give my images a new look with a different background. What do you think?
I think it's kind of pretty. :) The trouble with using natural lighting is you won't always get that consistent look no matter how much you tweak it on Photoshop. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it. I still have a ways to go. I have almost 100 items in my Etsy shop, it takes time to photograph all of them again.
In selling news, have I shared what I'm preparing for? I posted about it on the Hudson Valley Etsy Team blog today. I am organizing a team tent for the upcoming Hudsonfest on Sunday October 9th. I will be part of a group booth where eleven of us will have our items displayed for sale. I'd say we got a nice mix showing the talented diversity of the team. I really can't wait! I keep promoting it like a team Pop-Up shop for the day. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we'll have a nice turnout and I will have plenty of pictures to share. I know the last time I did a show back in August, I was pretty frustrated and thinking that maybe I shouldn't events like this anymore but it's so hard to give up completely. There is always the potential for a good day, I just gotta keep positive. :)
Ashley from After Nine To Five has a lot to celebrate! She kicked things off the other day to celebrate her one year blogiversary, one year of being self-employed, and six months of being married. Oh did I mention this blog party will go on for the next two months? Insane!
It's gonna be chock full of interviews, tutorials, guest posts and more! There is no excuse not to pay her a visit, say hi, and enter the many giveaways she's having, you can even win an Amazon Gift Card! There are also discounts available for her readers from some pretty cool shops (including Pulp Sushi!) so you just gotta see!
Congratulations Ashley!
Goodness! I haven't shared a What I ♥ post since JULY! And it's been a few weeks since I shared some treasuries so let's just mesh the two shall we? It is Friday afterall and that's usually Treasury time around these parts. In this instance, I want to share a couple of treasuries I recently made both with the similiar theme: FALL!
It's the season for spice drinks and rich colors! It doesn't get more gorgeous than New York State this time of the year. I didn't do much of it last year, but this year I must must must take pictures!
Here's a new project I've been looking forward to sharing. I am excited to announce a new service I am providing.
I would like to help you make your product items look their best. I go into more details here but in a nutshell, I know it is frustrating not being able to have your pictures look the way you want them to and not having the tools to fix them up. Whether it's on Etsy, Ebay, or your own e-commerce, it just bums me out when I see photos that are a little too dark or not cropped properly. It takes away from the item you are trying to sell. There is only so much you can do on your own so why not give me a shot? =)
Click here to learn more about this service or if you have any questions, drop me a line at marilyn @ pulpsushi.com
My inspiration wall continues to grow. My latest piece is actually one of my own. I was approached by the nice folks at Easy Canvas Prints about having one of my images set to canvas and share with you all what I thought of the outcome. I knew just the photo I wanted to use. Click images for a closer look.
This photo of a lotus flower is one of my favorite photographs. I took this a couple of years ago when I went to Wave Hill Gardens in Riverdale, NY. I love how the colors look. I always thought the center of the flower looked like a flame.
This is a great service and I would definitely consider coming back to have more of my photos put to canvas. You should check them out! Want to see some more examples of the amazing work Easy Canvas Prints has done? Check out Ashley's and Kristy's artwork!
Source: neverdimthelight.blogspot.com via Miss on Pinterest
Ideally I was going to use a Stop sign image but I saw this on Pinterest and face it, it's way cuter and I like the message I got from it. Ok, time for some REAL TALK!
My blog has been pretty quiet the last couple of days because I haven't had much to share and I've been pretty stressed out about my business and it all came to a head on Thursday when I checked my bank account and I had a minor freak out. It ruined my day. The sale I was running was a complete bust, I only sold one item and I honestly just got frustrated with myself, my shop, and my items. I got sick of seeing the same items not moving and my inspiration to make new pieces had flatlined. I see people buying on Etsy, just not from me.
Thursday night was the first time I said out loud to my boyfriend "I want to give this up, it's not going anywhere, I'm wasting my time!" and began to cry. I admit that I have become pretty obsessed with my shop and how to make it better and more appealing and get more sales, trying to do all the right things but not seeing much results. Yes this year has been better than last year but I am not getting any younger, I am so desperate to get out of my job, and I'm trying to save to buy a home - I think I let all of these fears and anxieties consume me.
I went to bed early Thursday night, still crying, I just had to let it all out. You know how usually if you let out a good cry, a calm will come over you? Well it does for me at least, and when it did the ideas started to come, one after another: maybe do this, stop doing this, focus on this, don't do that anymore...Suddenly, a clarity and certainty of what I need to do for my business just opened up a clear path. I started thanking God because it was probably the first time since I started on this journey that I felt such a sense of assurance in what I'm doing. I had to write it all down in my journal.
I was unsure if I wanted to say anything here but I thought not only would it be therapeutic for me, but maybe show anyone else experiencing the same anxieties that they're not the only one. I'm freaking out too! So I'm taking a step back from some things, I'll still update my blog regularly because I genuinely enjoy that. :) I'm not closing the Etsy but there will be some changes coming down the pike which will be shared here as they come along.
Ten years ago today living in New York and being a native New Yorker took on a new meaning. My heart was broken for my city. I didn't think things will be same. It hasn't been the same. Ten years later the emotions are still raw. Of course people move on, that's what we're suppose to do. But we have a heart that still feels the loss. I can't imagine ever forgetting the pain, the fear, then the hope that followed. I plan to spend today watching whatever footage and specials will air on television. No it's not too much, it's never too much.
End Of Summer Sale at the Etsy shop will be ending tomorrow night. Take 25% off your order when you use coupon code SUMMER25 during check out and you'll also get FREE SHIPPING! That's right, I want to clean out my inventory for the Fall/Winter season.
And there's a lot more where that came from! Visit pulpsushi.etsy.com to see more!
I see posts like this a lot. They're cute and all but I usually don't do them. I think Kristy from The Odd Girl caught me at an off moment because she posted one and it made me want to try it.
A. age :: 35 (I had to think about this for a second)
B. bed size :: Queen
C. chore you hate :: I hate cleaning my apartment
D. dogs :: No but I want one really bad. I made a scene at Toys R Us recently when I saw a bunch of stuffed Daschund doggies
E. essential start to your day :: Coffee & a toasted whole wheat bagel
F. favourite colour :: I love burgundy & teal & black<---new yorker
G. gold or silver :: Silver
H. height :: 5 ft 4 in
I. instruments you play :: in Junior HS I played the trumpet for two years. I tried to learn to play bass, that didn't last.
J. job title :: Jewelry Maker, HR Lady, Girlfriend, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Godmother
K. kids :: Child Free!
L. live :: Fishkill, NY USA
M. maiden name :: Perez (no relation to Rosie)
N. nicknames :: "Mar" from my coworkers
O. overnight hospital stays :: Only twice. Once in high school to have a cyst removed then last year for heart surgery.
Q. quote ::
Source: homeshoppingspy.wordpress.com via Marilyn on Pinterest
R. righty or lefty :: All Righty
S. siblings :: 1 older brother
T. time you wake up :: 6:00 am
U. university attended :: Lehman College, Manhattan College, Baruch College, The New School University - I get around.
V. vegetables you dislike :: Broccoli Rabe (but I do like reg broccoli)
W. what makes you run late :: my boyfriend
X. x-rays :: between dentists and heart stuff, too many to count.
Y. yummy food :: Carrot Cake!
Z. zoo animal favourite :: I love to watch Sea Lions at the Bronx Zoo
There you have it! If you want to play along make sure you share the link to your post with me so I can check it out!
In Etsy news, I decided to extend my END OF SUMMER SALE until this Friday! So you can still use coupon code SUMMER25 to get 25% off your purchase (and get free shipping!)
Happy Monday everyone! Hope you enjoyed (or still enjoying) a nice long weekend.I was out and about for most of it which is good because it is suppose to rain for the rest of the week. While I was out, I came across this pretty pendant I just wanted to make a necklace out of. Or is it a bead that I just made into a pendant? Either way, I was drawn to the colors. Though it's a flower and butterfly, it had a cool Autumn feel to it. It is now available at the Etsy shop.
END OF SUMMER SALE at the Etsy shop is still going on! Don't wait until the last minute, get 25% off your purchase and free shipping! Use coupon code SUMMER25<---applies towards the Etsy shop only!
Check out this exclusive necklace you will only find at www.pulpsushi.com! Made especially for those who still have a love of old school photography in their hearts. This little lovely can be yours for $13.00 US
END OF SUMMER SALE is still going on at the Etsy shop through Labor Day (that's this Monday!). Don't wait until the last minute, get 25% off your purchase and free shipping! Use coupon code SUMMER25<---applies towards the Etsy shop only!
It is a holiday weekend here in the States and I hope to be out and about for most of it. I hope you all enjoy it and have a nice weekend!
Starting today I am off from work until next Tuesday! I don't know about you but I got a good feeling about this month. The end of Summer<--which is a season I don't care much for to begin with, bring on AUTUMN! I'm launching a big (well big in my own mind) campaign for Pulp Sushi. I'm dipping my toe in some blog advertising. This month I am sponsoring the following blogs, some spots I've purchased, others were a swap:
Freckled Nest
Pulp Sushi has already made a little home at FN last month and I like it. I definitely see I get a lot of clicks from Leigh-Ann's blog and it's one of my favorites to read. I check it out daily and I know a lot of others do too. Expect a giveaway from me in October over at FN.
Sunshine & Carousels
I was excited to hear that Erin was launching Sponsorship spaces on her blog, it is so beautifully put together with great photographs.
Oh So Lovely Vintage
I love Stefanie & Erin's story of building their vintage business and their mobile shop "Olive". Their blog makes me happy. :)
I recently started following Amy's blog and was smitten by her witty writing style
Kelly was actually a customer of mine and it's always nice when I meet someone through a sale and we become blog friends. :) Follow this sweet Mama on her blog Orangie's Attic
I didn't want to just go with any blogs but ones that I am not only familiar with but big fans of. Fingers crossed for added exposure! Maybe I will post a recap at the end of the month.
