Pulp Sushi

Giveaway!! Summer Wardrobe Start Up from Atomic Cowlick

I learned about Atomic Cowlick through Pinterest and I've quickly become a stalker.  I'm super excited to share this business with you all if you haven't heard about them.

While Atomic Cowlick provides an array of graphic tee's and accessories for ladies and gents, their new line, The Women, is focused on the always changing attitudes of everyday ladies.  Currently, there are four ladies to choose from highlighting the goofy side, love for design, eccentric taste, and our devotion to Mother Nature. Have a look and tell us the type of woman you are.

Get started with your new Atomic Cowlick collection by winning two (that's 2) items to jump start your summer wardrobe - giveaway open to US & International:

1) a free tee from "The Women" collection to be selected by the lucky winner (color, size, and the lady graphic are to be chosen)

2) The Leopard Butterfly T-Shirt Dress (choice of sizes S, M, or L).  Both products are printed on high quality American Apparel.

How To Win (please leave an email for contact):
REQUIRED: Leave a comment in this post sharing which Woman would you be? (The Weirdo, The Selleck, The Fashionista, The Horned)

Additional entries (leave a separate comment for each one)
*Follow Atomic Cowlick on Twitter and make a new friend 
*Follow Atomic Cowlick on Facebook
*Pin Atomic Cowlick on Pinterest and share the link to your pin here.
*Follow this blog on either Twitter or Facebook
*Tweet this giveaway (copy/paste): Enter to win a Summer Wardrobe from @atomiccowlick at @pulpsushi blog: http://pulpsushi.typepad.com/index/2012/04/atomiccowlick.html.html

You have until Sunday May 20th to enter and the winner be announced by Friday May 25th.

Giveaway: Tiny Devotions Mala Necklace

Once upon a time I was a serious Yogini - I absolutely loved practicing Yoga, and especially loved my studio where I was at a couple of times of week.   I even had a Yoga blog but it is no longer updated.   I have a small library of Yoga & Spiritual books like The Living Gita, books by the Dalai Lama, Pema Chodron, BKS Iyengar and more.  I continue to love and respect the practice and it's teachings. I still try to implement them in my life but it's not always easy.  So where am I going with this? 

I have a very special giveaway from the lovely ladies at Tiny Devotions - a boho chic, fresh and inspired mala bead (or prayer bead) design company, bringing spirituality and fashion together. They are offering one lucky individual a $108 Mala necklace of your choice. 

I can't tell you how much I love my necklace - Amethyst Om. I am wearing it as I type this. Tiny Devotions' Mala necklaces feature rudraksha seeds with semi precious crystals and pearls. The Rudraksha seeds they use come from Bali.

 

Fine Print
-The prize is only for a Mala Necklace priced at $108
-Open to North America & Australia only
-Giveaway open until Friday April 27th

How To Enter (please leave an email to contact you) 
-Visit Tiny Devotion's Shop and share a comment in this post which 108 Mala you would like (required entry)

Optional Entries (leave separate comments if you do the following)
-Follow Tiny Devotions on Twitter @tinydevotions
-Follow Tiny Devotions on Facebook
-Tweet the giveaway: Win a special @tinydevotions Mala necklace from @pulpsushi blog at http://alturl.com/y6qa8
-Share what you think you need a little more of in your life which a Mala necklace can help bring? For me it was more peace and calmness as I'm always feeling stressed and frazzled.

I also wanted to share that even if you don't practice yoga, you can still benefit from what wearing and caring for Mala beads could provide which you can learn more about here. 

The Perfect Marriage - By Ashley (After Nine To Five)

Today is a guest post from Ashely from After Nine To Five, because February is generally associated with Love, I thought it would great for Ashley to share her story about getting married last year.  And when you're done here, check out her online shop.

 

Hi Pulp Sushi Readers! I'm Ashley from over at After Nine To Five. Today I thought I'd share a bit on my "perfect" relationship with my husband in honor of the month of love and heartfelt things!

I don't know what our friends and family expected, but when we got married about ten months ago, they were quick to offer us all of the advice in the world. I was told to never got to sleep angry. Pick my battles. Learn to compromise. Work with each other, not against each other. Don't fight about money. The list goes on, and on, and on.

And I took this as sound advice.

I thought that if we practice these things that every family member was happy to suggest to me, we'd become the perfect couple. Essentially a "couple 2.0" version of when we were just dating, or even engaged. That life after marriage was going to be nothing but a fairytale dream come true.

Let's just say I was probably never more wrong in my life.

We were far from perfect before we married and that didn't change any when we tied the knot. We didn't stop doing the wrong things. We didn't always do the right things. We didn't always say the smartest, or nicest things to each other. Not then, not now, not ever.

You see, getting married never changed us. I'd say that the only thing that changed was our last names, but well, w"e haven't even changed those yet. The one thing we always did right when we were dating, or even engaged, was find a way to make all of our mistakes worth while. We learned lessons, and gained insight. We realized what not to do, even though we were likely to do it again despite that. We realized what to do, even though we were unlikely to do it every time. We learned about each other and ourselves through the most pointless of arguments.

And that - our way to find something positive out of almost every negative aspect in our lives - carried through to marriage.

So I wish when we received the, what felt like unlimited supply of, advice when we got married, someone would have said to me "Stay true to yourself. Be the couple that led you down the aisle." Because that is something I would have been much more successful at since the perfect marriage that I was determined to create was never meant to be.

Onward & Upward Workshop - Register TODAY!

Sometimes things don't go quite the way you plan and you think you're destined for one path but life has something else in store for you. Making this adjustment can be a little daunting. Amy Schubert from Lemons & Raspberry wants to help you with your first steps by offering her new online workshop Onward & Upward which she was kind enough to share a little more about here (and even offer you Pulp Sushi reader a registration discount - keep reading) :)

How did the idea of Onward & Upward come about?
Once, about a year ago, someone close to me made a crack about my ‘day job. Now, I’m definitely a sarcastic person and 99 times out of 100 I can totally take whatever I dish out. But this time was different. This time it hurt. Not just because it was true. This little jab from someone close to me hurt because it was something I had been thinking myself and was kind of ashamed of.

She was joking about how what I do for work doesn’t make a difference to anyone. Which is absolutely true … and exactly what I was thinking when I started working on this class material. We all have work we were put on this earth to do – and it’s time to really discover what that is and act on it. I’ve been brainstorming about Onward and Upward ever since then.

What is your professional background?
I have years and years of critical studies training (including a Masters degree in English), years and years of customer service work and years and years of editorial/PR/copywriting experience. I also have a background in performance, blogging and photography. So, pretty much you could say I'm well-rounded.

Where has this passion for helping others come from?
I grew up in a Christian family, and spent a lot of time as part of our local church. Between volunteering for child care, being involved in the high school group there and all the other extra church-related activities my family was involved in, I spent much of my youth learning the value of serving others.

Then in college I kind of fell into a customer service call center job. It turns out I have an aptitude for customer service and I’ve found I’m meant to help people.

What will someone take away from this workshop?
Ideally, someone would finish the workshop a little less lost, a little more self-confident and a little more fearless than when she started. Or more than “a little” … You can check out the workshop breakdown here.

Beyond just the workshop material, there are plans in place to really encourage connecting, interacting and building relationships with the other workshop attendees. By investing your efforts in the workshop, you should be able to walk away with a new online friend or 2 who understand you and can act as your cheerleader!

Was there a time in your life when you needed a O&U workshop yourself?
Um. Always. Still. This is a never-ending process which is why I am intentionally calling this a WORKSHOP rather than a class. Yes, we’ll learn specific productivity techniques, insight about ourselves, about how to figure out our true passion but mostly we’ll be working through the material together – and finding encouragement and accountability in others going through similar situations or struggles.

PULP SUSHI READER DISCOUNT: Good through Labor Day, enter discount code "SUSHI" for a $15 discount when you register 

 

A little more about Amy & Lemon and Raspberry
I am a writer and a photographer offering tips and inspiration for small business owners and bloggers. I want etsy sellers to improve their product images, I want teachers to improve their sales copy, I want bloggers to grow their audience. Any thing I can do to help you achieve your dream with your blog or small creative business, I am happy to help you with.

At LandR she blog tips and inspiration for creative people – including photography resources, blogging resources, and photos of my messy workspace. I want to encourage everyone to do their best work and accomplish their goals. I believe everyone has big things to accomplish and I want to help them break out of their daily rut and do it! I really want to do GREAT WORK and help others do the same – I think that is the heart of my blog.

I ♥ Paper Sparrow

It's no secret that I love Paper Sparrow, both Andrea's blog and Etsy shop so my day was completely made yesterday when I received a little package from her.

I have been eyeing this print to hang on my little Inspiration Wall for a while now.  It's a message I like to be reminded of.  You can have your own print which she sells in her shop.

Some other goodies were thrown in the mix, a postcard also featuring her art, cute Kawaii stationery (alpacas!) and old European stamps. Love it all! Thank you Andrea!!!  If you guys don't follow her blog, head on over and enjoy!

Pulp Sushi Artist - Kathy Preston

It is time for me to showcase another vendor at Pulp Sushi. I would like to share the lovely Kathy Preston with you all. Currently, you can find the following of Kathy's strong, sturdy canvas totes in the shop

Vintage Camera Tote Bag With Fringe

Vintage Applique Sewing Machine Tote Bag

Tote Bag of Shame

I became aquainted with Kathy through the Hudson Valley Etsy Team. She helps me out with the team blog by posting the team whereabouts every week. I really like her style, humor and love her work ethic.  I'm so happy to be working with her.  She also makes baby onesies, bibs, toys, tshirts and more for her shop Gnorasaurus.   Since last time I shared a picture of me and Molly Shoelace together at a craft show...

Here's me and Kathy kickin' it at the end of the day this past weekend at our craft show in Kingston.  We also had our tables set up next to each other (directly behind us).

Blog Sponsor Sweetie: Eden Song Essentials

Stephanie's passion for organics grew into her business, Eden Song, where she is always striving for perfection. Her unbending purist attitude towards raw living edible natural organic ingredients has drawn clients from around the world, inspiring her to be the best she can be, and she is grateful for each and every one of you!

Blog Sponsor Sweetie: Bibeez Baby

 
 
Bibeez Baby more than just kid stuff. You'll also find super cute clutches, coin purses and bags.

Bibeez Baby is all about quality, custom creations that we use everyday. A hooded towel that is larger and more absorbent, a bib that has snaps instead of hook and loop closure, burp cloths that have flair and are super soft; all handmade for your custom order.

Read more about Frances and her business at her Bibeezbaby Blog and Etsy shop

Blog Sponsor Sweetie: After Nine To Five

I follow Ashley everywhere. This blog is a daily read and she will soon be teaching her own e-course Blog 101 starting August 1st.

Check out her shop After Nine To Five where she sells jewelry, prints and cute little zipper pouches.

Blog Sponsor Sweetie: Julie Ann Art

Julie Ann has a super cute blog at www.julieannart.com where she shares what's new in her Etsy shop, giveaways and tutorials. From Orange County, CA she makes greeting cards featuring her artwork.  Here are some of my favorite picks.

Blog Sponsor Sweetie: Oh Yeah Cat Heads

Brandy brings you a quirky Etsy shop, Oh Yeah Cat Heads which is just that - one of a kind clay pins/brooches and accessories that were inspired by her evil sphynx cat, Rasputin (she shares some pictures in her Etsy profile).

Blog Sponsor Sweetie: Cassia's Kitchen & Garden

I love me some handmade soap! You know what else I love? Starbucks.

 
Cassias Kitchen brings the two together and much more. Her Etsy Shop has a large selection of bath & body products. It all looks very lucious.

Blog Sponsor Sweetie: Hollybobbs

Lisa is a crafty blogger who calls Hollybobb home.  She features Etsy sellers, shares Etsy finds and recently participated in Make It Easy where you share 11 tutorials in 11 days.  Check out her blog and learn more about this UK transplant. :)

Blog Sponsor Sweetie: Sincerely, Putdar

Putdar is adorable! In exchange for our ad swap, she posted a little piece about me yesterday. Her blog just got a make over that you must see: The Nerdy Elephant.

Blog Sponsor Sweetie: Ms Bitty Knacks

Maria loves to make stuff, for as long as she can remember. Her "bitty knacks" as she likes to call them  making unique whimsical decor and knacks. Vintage, folk, Victorian Era and Halloween are my favorite themes of all time.

 

You can check out more of her delightful creations at her Etsy shop or follow her blog

 
You can check out Maria's shop on Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/msbittyknacks.

Blog Sponsor Sweetie: One Avian Daemon

Over at One Avian Daemon you will find absolutely darling vintage inspired fashion custom made by Naomi - totally my style too. I love this first dress below.

 
 

 

You can also follow her blog at www.oneaviandaemon.com

Blog Sponsor Sweetie: Hot Glue Hangover

 
First off, how cool is that name? Natalie makes handmade wreaths in the most fun color combinations that can work in any home. 

 
 
 

There's a large variety you can choose from in her Etsy shop Hot Glue Hangover. She also has a fun blog that you must check out, it's a really sweet and light-hearted read.  She shares pieces of her personal life like you're an old friend.  I love reading blogs like that.

Blog Sponsor Sweetie: Just Because by Lee Lee

Being that I am doing the sponsor *thang* this month, it is only appropriate I share with everyone a little something about the folks who offered to do an ad swap with me. Up first is LeeLee from Just Because an aspiring designer and fellow Indie Biz 3.0 student. Here she is modeling one of her bags.

Her blog shares cute DIY tutorials, updates from her Etsy shop, and her passions for handmade, music, photography and more. A real sweetie!

Giveaway at After Nine To Five

Ashley from After Nine To Five has a boat load of giveaways going on at her blog right now from herself and her sponsors.  There's still time to enter, you have until this Friday July 1st.

One giveaway I'm particularly excited about is for her new upcoming e-course Blog 101. I became friends with Ashley after taking the Indie Biz e-course earlier this year and her blog is one of my favorite and daily reads. She definitely has a passion not only for her business but for her blog which both seem to go hand in hand.  She is constantly coming up with new features and projects, I don't know how she does it all.

It goes beyond the basics of creating a blog and discusses how to grow your views, advertising, design, time management, and making your blog work for you + your style.

So be a dear and pay her blog a visit and check out the other neat giveaways she's offering.

Free Blog Sponsorship

 
This kind of happened all of the sudden but a Sponsorship swap took over my Twitter feed and I got swept up in it!  I think I'll blame Ashley from After Nine To Five, I missed the boat on her blog but it doesn't mean I can't share the same love here and offer free advertisement on my blog for the month of July.  Lee Lee from Just Because got on board and I followed suit. :)  I've learned that this blog is not meant to make me money which is why I gave up doing paid sponsorships a while back but it doesn't mean I  can't continue to share and promote other great talent.  That's where you come in.

So if you want to advertise here next month for free, send me a 150 x 150 ad to marilyn @ pulpsushi.com. Ads will appear in the right column of this blog.  You'll also post dedicated to your blog or shop or whatever you wish to promote.  Remember, this is a swap so let me know if you plan to use any of my buttons.   Ads will go up July 1st.