Thanks also to everyone who participated in the 4 contests that went on. I love doing contests however I hate picking winners. I want to give everyone a prize!  However I guess that would kind of defeat the idea. So for the first 3 giveways I randomly drew winners and here they are:

• Blog Post Giveaway:  Comment #7 – Mitch

• Facebook Post Giveaway:  Comment #23 – Christina

• Order Over $30 Giveaway: Fortune

The 4th contest was the SOS FAN one where people sent in pictures showing off their Sick On Sin love. So fun! Thank you so much to everyone who sent it photos! I love seeing pics of people with SOS goodies! However this giveaway was even tougher because I actually had to choose winners – not generate random numbers. TOUGH! I am sure you’ll agree that my choices are pretty good though!

Congrats to Erin (awesome shot of her sweet zombie loving family!), Lisa (adorable shot of her super cute twins enjoying the fall in their SOS tees), and Carla (what a fun shot of her looking ready to bake some cupcakes with her apron & magnet collection)!

Thanks again to everyone who entered! And congrats to the six winners – I’ll be contacting you with your $30 gift certificates soon!

*******************

Just wanted to remind everyone that today (December 6th) is the suggested shipping deadline for USA orders. So if you want to get goodies to give out for holiday gifts, please order them ASAP!  Mail always takes longer this time of year so even though I get orders out as quick as possible, once I drop them off at the post office they are in the mail fairies hands! Come shopping!

IT’S OUR BIRTHDAY!

It’s Sick On Sin’s SIXTH birthday! Wooo!!

I want to give HUGE thanks to everyone who has supported Sick On Sin – whether it has been through buying stuff, promoting us, or just loving us. It’s because of you guys I was able to try my hand at having a clothing & accessories brand and still be doing it 6 years later! I’ve said since the beginning that my favourite thing about doing SOS are the customers and fans and that’s still true!

Having your own business takes a lot of hardwork, dedication and sometimes literally blood/sweat/tears. Plus there are no regular paychecks, paid sick days or medical benefits. However there IS a ton of creativity, freedom, craziness, passion and adventure which far outweighs all that other stuff (hm, though dental WOULD be nice…). It’s so fun doing something that’s my own ‘baby’ and something so many people dig.

As you may or may not know, SOS is almost entirely done by me. I make the items, pack the orders, answer the emails, and do all the exciting stuff like accounting, inventory and data entry. However it would not exist without all the help I get from Michael. He does all of the cute designs as well as give me tons of support and encouragement. So a big THANK YOU goes out to him for everything he has done since day 1. I also want to take this chance to give shout outs to friends who give up their precious free time to help me at shows – thanks Jen, Lori, and Jenn, you’re awesome!

Now being an indie biz means that the more support I get from people like you, the more I can do! There are lots of way to show love – here are some of them:

• Make an order! Obviously some of the money is used for personal living expenses – I wouldn’t be able to do the store if it didn’t pay the bills! However all the rest is invested back into the business which means more products, events, etc.
• Follow SOS on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Tumblr
• Subscribe to the Newsletter
• Word of mouth is extremely powerful to small businesses. Please pass the site on to anyone you know who loves cute stuff, post about it in your blog, suggest the Facebook page to your friends, etc.

Thanks again for helping me reach and celebrate 6 years. I send you all lots of XOXOs and High Fives and virtual pieces of yummy cake! Now on to the birthday celebrating fun stuff!

*******************

**********************************************************

*******************

FREE SHIPPING! FREE GOODIES!

It wouldn’t be a birthday celebration without a sale now would it! All Canada / USA orders over $25 made between December 2-4 get FREE shipping! For International customers, free shipping is on orders over $40.

All orders this weekend will also receive extra goodies. Orders over $50 will receive one of our new Ornaments (just mention what design you’d like during checkout). And orders over $100 will additionally receive a $10 gift certificate which can be used on future orders.

HOLIDAY SHIPPING DEADLINES

I just wanted to take this chance to remind you about the holiday shipping deadlines. Mail always takes longer this time of year so you definitely don’t want to wait till the last minute! These are the suggested mail by dates if you want to receive items by December 24 (though of course nothing can be guaranteed when mail fairies are involved). Please be assured that I will get your order out ASAP regardless.

International: November 25 (orders still might make it there in time though)

USA: December 6

Canada: December 10 (Ontario/Quebec probably have till Dec 15)

*******************

**********************************************************

*******************

WIN A $30 GIFT CERTIFICATE!

In celebration of Sick On Sin’s 6th birthday, I am giving away SIX $30 Gift Certificates via 4 different methods! The winners will be announced via a blog post on Monday December 5.

*******************

1) Gift Certificate #1-3:

Snap a photo showing off your SOS Love and email it to me at info AT sickonsin DOT com by December 4. I’m giving away THREE certificates for this one – i.e. the 3 best photos win (where ‘best’ = cute, creative, fun, awesome, etc). If you own SOS stuff you should totally enter. Get full details for this giveaway here!

*******************

2) Gift Certificate #4:

Anyone who makes an order at www.sickonsin.com over $30 between December 2 – December 4 will be entered into a random draw for a certificate!

*******************

3)  Gift Certificate #5:

If you haven’t already, join the Sick On Sin Facebook page. Check out this link and make a comment to it. A winner will be randomly chosen on December 5.

*******************

4)  Gift Certificate #6:

Leave a comment below telling me what item(s) you would spend a $30 gift certificate on if you won one. Winner will be randomly drawn on Monday.

Get an additional entry by wishing Sick On Sin happy birthday on Twitter. Please include a link to the site (www.sickonsin.com) as well as our Twitter name (@Sick_On_Sin).  E.g. “Happy 6th Birthday to @Sick_On_Sin http://www.sickonsin.com”.  Leave a separate comment to this post saying you tweeted it and your Twitter name.

Get more entries by promoting Sick On Sin on your blog, tumblr, etc. by sharing the website link or showing a specific product you love. Be sure to post a separate comment to this post with a link to where you mentioned it.

*******************

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Hello friends!

This December is Sick On Sin’s 6th birthday and to celebrate I will be stuffing my face with cake! I will also be giving away SIX $30 gift certificates! To make things fun and interesting, the certificates will be awarded in a few different ways. The first method is through a SOS FAN contest.

The premise behind this giveaway is simple – take a photo showing off your Sick On Sin love and email it to me. That’s it. Snap a shot wearing one our tees or do something a little more elaborate. Put yourself (or loved one – either human or non-human) in the photo or use props. Whatever you do, have fun with it! The only requirement is that the Sick On Sin item(s) is clearly visable. Photos will be judged on creativity, quality, cuteness and overall awesomeness.

There will be 3 winners picked for this contest. Yes THREE. So grab that camera and take some pics! You have until December 4 to send them in. The winners will be chosen on December 5.

Giveaway details:

* Send photos to ‘info AT sickonsin DOT com‘. Please put ‘SOS FAN’ as the subject line and include your name in the email
* Contest is open to anyone everywhere.
* You can submit up to 3 different photos. (However you can only win 1 of the certificates.)
* Photos become property of Sick On Sin – which basically just means I can show them off by posting them online or in print.
* Winners will be contacted by email. They will also be announced on Facebook / Twitter / Etc.

Here are some ideas you can use, be inspired by, or ignore completely!

• Family shot of all of you dressed in SOS stuff
• Your fridge showcasing SOS magnets
• Your bag or jacket or hat covered in your buttons
• Your cute little baby in its first SOS tee
• A SOS tote bag filled with groceries, books, etc.
• Your naughty kitty taking a nap on your freshly washed SOS tees

Now this contest obviously only applies to folks that already own Sick On Sin stuff. The other certificates will be given out via methods that don’t have that restriction. Stayed tuned for details on what those contests will be. The easiest ways to get news is to sign up for our newsletter and join the Sick On Sin Facebook page.

(Psst – one certificate will be given out on Facebook so become a fan of the page if you’re not already!)

Soya Sauce says “Here’s a picture of me showing SOS love! Check me out with a pin done in my likeness!” (Hmm for some reason my once black kitty appears to be turning brown!)

*****************

For my birthday Michael and I got up early and went to Mountsberg Conservation Area. In addition to having wooded trails and a lake they have a Raptor Centre which provides permanent residence for close to 30 non-releasable birds of prey like eagles, falcons, turkey vultures and owls. These are birds who have been injured and/or imprinted on humans, and therefore would not survive being in the wild.

We we first got there we were walking around and I heard a noise coming from a garbage can so I crept over and peeked inside. Hello baby raccoon!! He was just hanging out playing with some trash and looking incredibly adorable. It was all I could do not to reach down and pet him! (Don’t worry, we told a staff member who later dumped him free.) We then walked down to a pond where there was a tiny duckling all by itself. Not sure where its family was – SAD! It was busy trying to eat a frog. I didn’t know ducks ate frogs but Google tells me they sometimes do. However I don’t think this little guy was gonna be swallowing the frog despite his determination.

*****************

After checking out some of the birds that are kept in enclosures around the area (such as a couple adorable Snowy Owls and a non-shy Peregrine Falcon) we went to the Centre. For my birthday Michael had booked us a special tour where we would be shown the ‘behind the scenes’ of the Centre, meet a bunch of the birds and get to hold one of the birds. I was SO EXCITED!!!

Our guide was Lara who was super nice and did a great job telling us so much about the Centre and about the different species. It was interesting to see the inner workings of the Centre and I got to see a bunch of fine feathered friends up close including a sweet vocal Kestrel named Bean and an adorable Barred Owl named Teddy. However the icing on the cake was getting to hold a Screech Owl named Echo! She was so small and so crazy cute I almost couldn’t take it! Apparently Screech Owls are super common around here but I had never seen one in person before. Sure she looks cute in the photo but times that by a billion to know how cute they are in real life! As many of you might know I loooovvveee owls so getting so see a bunch of different ones and getting to HOLD ONE made for a pretty awesome time!

*****************

After our tour we got to see Lara do 2 public bird shows, the first one featured Echo and another Screech Owl as well as a Turkey Vulture; and the second one showed the flying feats of Bean the Kestrel and a BARN OWL!!!

*****************

The rest of the time at Mountsberg was spent walking around and checking out the nature life. It was a super beautiful day and there was hardly anyone around so it was like we had the place to ourselves! It was so nice there and look forward to visiting again!

*****************

After Mountsberg we headed to my parents’ for dinner with them, my sister, brother-in-law and my niece (oh and my brother, Jake the dog!). Had a yummy BBQ dinner of veggie burger, potatoes and the first corn on the cob of the season while I told them all about the awesome day. I made sure to graphically explain how I saw one of the workers prepping the mice, rats and chicks for the birds. Getting in trouble for inappropriate dinner conversation FTW! For dessert we had cake AND pie – because that’s how we roll! Michael made me a chocolate cake (his first cake ever – it was super delish and iced perfectly) and my mom had bought the biggest pie I’ve ever seen (check that beast out!).

*****************

It of course wouldn’t be a birthday without a custom card from Michael. Every year they get better and better and last year he also started the tradition of making one from the cats. Check them out – aren’t they amazing?! The one from Miso and Soya Sauce is hilarious – they are such rock stars! The one from Michael is so cute! We just watched the anime Ouran High School Host Club on Netflix so he used that as the inspiration for the card. In our case it is Pukesill Manor Host Club – he joking refers to our house as Pukesill Manor sometimes due to Miso’s knack of barfing on windowsills. Look how cute I look on the card (complete with the stuffed raccoon I’ve had since I was a baby) and look how studious Sauce looks with glasses!

*****************

So yes, while I don’t particularly like getting older (especially turning 37), I had such a fun birthday! Thank you Michael! Oh and thank you to all the great Sick On Sin customers and fans – I came home to so many birthday wishes on Twitter/Facebook and tons of orders from people taking advantage of the sale!

]]> http://www.sickonsin.com/blog/2011/07/29/hooo-had-an-awesome-birthday/feed/ 4 http://www.sickonsin.com/blog/2011/07/22/happy-ornery-day/ http://www.sickonsin.com/blog/2011/07/22/happy-ornery-day/#comments Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:17:31 +0000 jen http://www.sickonsin.com/blog/?p=676

Today is the 9th anniversary of Orneryboy! Wooooo!

As most of you know, Orneryboy is done by Michael Lalonde – who in addition to being my husband, is the designer of all Sick On Sin stuff (yep, all the cuteness is attributed to him!). He started doing the comic back in 2002 as a creative outlet that featured the caricatures of us he had been putting on cards for me. Over the years it has grown into a popular property loved by both comic and non-comic fans alike!

For those who may not be familiar, Orneryboy is a comic that stars a moody guy Orneryboy, his animal-loving girlfriend Dirtygirl, their cats Soya Sauce and Miso, and the loveable zombie Brian who lives in their crawlspace. Michael has described it as a domestic romantic comedy, set against a backdrop of slapstick horror. If you like cats, zombies, comedic violence, relationship dynamics, silliness, suspense and spookiness then you should definitely check it out!

If you like the style of Sick On Sin items, then you’ll love the look of Orneryboy. Even all the scary and gross stuff is done in his signature Cute style! One of my favourite things about the comic is that many strips feature animation and some even have interactivity – pretty awesome!

While there are some great one-off strips peppered throughout the comic, Orneryboy is mainly made up of serialized story arcs so you should start with the first strip and read it in chronological order. Check out the About page for a peek into the Orneryboy world and its characters (as well as links for some interviews Michael has done).

Apart from the occasional hiatuses throughout the last 9 years, Michael has spent countless hours doing Orneryboy. I’m so proud of his commitment to it – especially at times when he was feeling discouraged yet still managed to whip off on awesome strip. As Orneryboy is free to read, it can be tough to devote time and energy to it when there is paying work and other life tasks he could be doing. So I really appreciate the love and support all you fans give him!

Speaking of support, here are a few ways you can show you care:

• If you have never read the comic, please go read the first few strips. Odds are good you’ll want to keep reading!

• Join the Orneryboy Facebook page and follow Michael on Twitter. Be sure to wish him a happy Ornery Day!

• Share the link for the comic with friends – I am sure you know at least 2 people that would love it, so pass it on!

• Buy Orneryboy merchandise. Sick On Sin carries a selection of Orneryboy-related tees and accessories – the profits from these items go directly to Michael so this is a way you can give a bit of financial support.

• Donate! As mentioned, Michael doesn’t get paid to do Orneryboy and it is free entertainment for the masses, so if you enjoy reading it each week please consider giving him some bucks in return. There is a link for tips on his site (look for the Hobo Zombie).

  
  
  
  

**********

ORNERY SALE

Now speaking of Orneryboy merchandise, it wouldn’t be Ornery Day without a special sale! From July 22-23, all Orneryboy stuff is on sale at Sick On Sin! So it’s a perfect time to grab a tee, some buttons or maybe a cute magnet set!

**********

ORNERY GIVEAWAY

To celebrate Ornery Day I am doing a special little giveaway. The winner will score their choice of a Orneryboy-related button or magnet set!

How To Enter:

- Leave a comment to this post telling us which Orneryboy character is your favourite and why.

- Get an extra entry by wishing Orneryboy a happy 9th anniversary on Twitter. Please include a link to the comic (www.orneryboy.com) as well as use the hashtag #orneryday. Then leave a separate comment here letting me know you tweeted it. (E.g. Happy 9th anniversary to @Orneryboy_Comic! http://www.orneryboy.com #orneryday)

- Get more entries! Promote Orneryboy on your blog, tumblr, facebook, etc by sharing a link to the comic and telling people why you love it (and why they should read it). Then post a separate comment with a link to show where you’ve mentioned it.

- Buy an Orneryboy item from Sick On Sin between now and July 25 and get 3 EXTRA entries! Just leave 3 additional (separate) comments saying you placed an order. Please make sure the email you post your comments under matches the email you used when you ordered.

- Sick On Sin love knows no bounds. Giveaway is open to everyone everywhere!

- Contest closes at midnight on July 25. Winner will be picked using random number generator and contacted via email.

- GOOD LUCK!!!

]]> http://www.sickonsin.com/blog/2011/07/22/happy-ornery-day/feed/ 46 http://www.sickonsin.com/blog/2011/07/21/sick-on-sin-at-polaris/ http://www.sickonsin.com/blog/2011/07/21/sick-on-sin-at-polaris/#comments Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:32:03 +0000 jen http://www.sickonsin.com/blog/?p=655 July till September is packed with a bunch of events I’ll be at (it’s usually my busiest times for shows). Last weekend I kicked things off with Polaris.

Polaris is a sci-fi convention that happens each year in Toronto (this was their 25th year!). I had never vended at this con (nor had ever gone to it) so wasn’t sure what to expect. It turned out to be a really great time! One of the first things we noticed was that the event had a super positive vibe and everyone was so friendly! There was also a really diverse mix of people including a lot of elderly sci fi fans which was awesome.

Over the weekend I got to chat with lots of Sick On Sin customers (it’s such a nice feeling when someone tells you how much they love your stuff and that they already own X amount of tees!), as well as meet/make new fans! I also got to see some friends including: the fabulous Katherine Curtis from Naked News (and one of SOS’s models), Sally from Yarn of Despair (the lovely gal that made Michael the Sauce Monster doll), the awesome Jacquie and Jackie from Baby’s First Boo, sweet Teri from Feline 643 Photography, Ajay from InnerSPACE and Danielle from Antimatter.

I love doing new shows and especially love when they turn out to be awesome. Thanks to anyone reading this that came by the SOS table – you rock! And big thanks to Michael for hanging out there all weekend, helping and keeping me company! I’ll definitely being doing Polaris again next year. However in the meantime I have plenty of other events to start preparing for including ConBravo (Anime event in Burlington) at the end of July and Fan Expo at the end of August!

****************

Booth shots – both with and sans me! My table was out in the hotel’s hallway but it turned out being a great (albeit hot) spot. Nice, bright and lots of traffic walking by.

This is one of the cutest babies I’ve ever seen! However I think she may gain some extra cute points by wearing our Cthulhu tee! Her mom was showing the SOS love too by wearing our Vampire tee.

A Red Shirt gets signatures for their ‘Equal Rights’ petition from who I can only imagine is a huge Star Trek fan!

Bet you didn’t know that Klingons (especially such important ones!) love Sick On Sin!

One of my most fave thing about this show was that there were a lot of dogs! Hurray for pet-friendly hotels! I got some sweet pettings in, however a few of the dogs (like this cutie) were service dogs so I just loved them from afar!

Speaking of cute – check out this little guy! Whenever someone asked to take his photo he would get SUPER excited and bounce all about!

Met and had a great time chatting with one of the event’s featured authors, Karen Dales. She had her eyes on some goodies so I happily did a trade for her books. I’ve already torn through the Prelude and am loving it the story and writing style! Karen is super nice as is her husband and son (who looked adorable sporting our I Love Zombies tee).

First was the contest to a signed copy of the book A Life Transparent by Todd Keisling and a $10 Sick On Sin Gift Certificate. Reading the comments made me laugh as well as feel bad for you guys – so many horrible job experiences! Personally I’d say my worse job was the 3 months spent being a telemarketer (yes – one of those jerks who phone at dinner time). I had to call people and try to get them to sign up for an info package for a cheesy career college. The script I had to stick to was so bad and long and made me cringe each of the billion times I rambled it off. I still can’t believe I actually did that. That’s why I have a bit of a soft spot whenever a telemarketer calls me (though thanks to call display I rarely answer their call!).

All of the comments were great and I’m sure it was hard for Todd to pick his 3 favourites to be the winners:

Hey folks,

I want to take a moment and thank everyone for sharing their most boring job experiences. I honestly did not expect so many entries, nor did I expect to hear so many tales of soul-crushing employment. When I wrote ALT, I worked as a copy clerk for a large law firm in my city. It was a thankless job, one in which everyone higher up the chain all thought they were first in line, and I battled to keep my sanity every single day I was there. I lasted 14 months before I’d had enough. That whole situation inspired the premise of the book–that a person can become so mediocre that they fade from existence–so I guess that’s a silver lining, right?

In any case, I’ll shut up now and get on with the winners of the contest. They are:

- Laura Thompson

- Andrew Diamond

- Shara

Congratulations! You three each have won a signed paperback of my novel, A LIFE TRANSPARENT, and a $10 SIck On Sin gift certificate. Please send an email to todd@toddkeisling.com with “ALT contest winner” in the subject line. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address!

Thanks again to everyone who entered!

Kind regards,

TK

Congrats Laura, Andrew and Shara! Hopefully the pain caused by those crappy jobs is eased a bit by winning this contest!  I’ll be emailing you re: your gift certificate!

***********

The second giveaway was for Earth Day and asked what green goals you have for the year. I LOVED reading these comments! Not only did people share the awesome goals they have but some also gave eco friendly tips of their own. Nice!  I randomly drew 2 numbers to determine the winners of the $10 Sick On Sin Gift Certificates and they are:

- Devon (who is planning on planting a huge veggie garden as well as bike to work every day until it snows again)

- Jessi (who listed several goals including getting books from the library instead of buying them, getting a rain barrel, and buying a bicycle)

Congrats guys and thanks for doing your part for the Earth – I’ll be sending you an email with your gift certificates!

Nowadays it’s difficult to go through a day without hearing depressing news concerning the environment, seeing a product described as eco-friendly, or having to make a choice between a green or the not-so-green option. Phrases like ‘alternative fuels, ‘renewable energy’, and ‘carbon footprint’ have become commonplace in our vocabulary. And whereas once upon a time being environmentally friendly got you labelled a hippie, in today’s world it’s revered.

This planet is such a beautiful, amazing place. Seriously, look around at all the trees, birds, flowers, and water as you take a huge breathe of air. Feel awe and wonder and honour! We have no right to inflict the damage and abuse to it that we do. However as selfish and destructive that we are, I try to keep faith that humans will learn from our mistakes and become better inhabitants. If we don’t I fully believe that the Earth will get fed up with us and boot our sorry asses out. And our eviction will be well-deserved.

Most people I know try to be somewhat eco friendly. However I occasionally I hear folks say things like ‘why bother doing anything’ or ‘changes I make won’t matter if other people are doing the opposite’. First of all, I view sentiments like that as lazy, negative and self-defeating. Second, you SHOULD bother and it DOES matter! Making environmentally friendly choices are not only your responsibility to the Earth but very importantly you set an example to others. As more examples get set, more people start changing. It’s human nature, yo! And a little bit of collective consciousness. Gandhi said it best, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

There are many things you can do to help protect and preserve our environment. They don’t all involve big changes such as getting a hybrid car, going off the grid or eating 100% raw diet (though those are sound wonderful!). In fact most are small and simple things! As an added bonus, many of them will save you money. Win-win! (Or at least one win if you are one of those who care more about their wallet than the environment – shame shame!)

Anyway, in celebration of Earth Day here are 25 of my favourite green tips. Try some out this weekend if you aren’t already doing them! You’ll be surprised that it’s in actually quite easy to be green!

• Turn off lights when you aren’t using them – ghosts can see fine in the dark. Switch your bulbs to energy efficient ones.

• Set your computer to go to sleep after 5 mins of inactivity. Shut it down when you are done using it for the day.

• Pick up litter around your home. Not only will your neighbourhood look nicer but it’s safer for the little animals that live around you.

• Hang your clothes to dry. Don’t have an outdoor clothes line? Get a drying rack or hang some twine in your basement (ghetto chic!).

• Go vegetarian or better yet, go vegan. The meat industry is incredibly destructive to the environment and uses a lot of water and fuel. At least start by avoiding animal products one day a week and go from there. You’ll still be making a difference environmentally plus reaping health benefits! Check out the Meatless Mondays movement to learn more!

• Speaking of eating, try to eat locally grown and organic products whenever possible. Pay a visit to a farmer’s market or sign up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) membership.

• Whenever possible, walk or bike instead of taking the car. Better for the earth, you’ll spend less money on gas and the fresh air and exercise will do you good!

• Take advantage of public transportation (just think of all the reading you can get done). If you need to drive to work, try to carpool with fellow employees.

• In the winter turn down the heat by a couple degrees and put on a cozy sweatshirt.

• In the summer, turn up your thermostat and wear tshirts. Or better yet, shut off the a/c, open those windows, close the blinds and use ceiling fans.

• Use less water whenever possible. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth and take shorter showers. Also I’m a firm believer in ‘if it’s yellow, let it mellow’.

• Clean green! Switch from toxic cleaning products to natural ones. Did you know that you can clean just as well with items such as vinegar and baking soda? Healthier AND cheaper!

• Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when you have a full load.

• Fix those leaky faucets! Not only will dripping slowly drive you insane, but that’s literally money down the drain.

• Plant a veggie garden. If you don’t have a yard, then do container gardening on your porch or balcony. Believe me, the best tasting produce is produce you grow yourself. Especially tomatoes. NOM.

• Take old electronics to an electronic recycling center. Don’t you dare throw items like old computers, dvd players, etc. in with your regular garbage!

• Don’t idle your car. If you need to wait somewhere for a few minutes, shut if off and relax.

• Spent a few bucks and invest in a reusable water bottle. Stop buying so much damn bottled water.

• Use reuseable bags whenever you go shopping. Cute tote bags are way cooler than plastic ones!

• Don’t use so much paper. Think before you print and make 2-sided copies. Switch to recycled paper and keep used paper as scrap paper.

• If you have a yard, get a rain barrel. Use it to water your garden.

• Use washable rags instead of paper towels when you clean. Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones (not only better for environment but they add fanciness to your meal, even when it’s just a peanut butter sandwich!).

• Plant a tree. Or two. Trees are magical and you earn mega karma points when you plant them.

• Switch from paper bills to e-billing. It’s the computer age after all.

• Recycle. Period.

See easy! So pick 5 things on the list and start doing them today! You’ll unlock the “Gives A Damn” achievement in the game of life if you do!

Now while I consider myself an environmentally conscious person and do all those above tips, there is definitely lots of growing room for me to become more eco-friendly. Here are 5 green goals I’ve set for this year:

1. Get a high efficiency furnace. We had an eco-accessment done on our house a couple years ago and this was one of the top recommendations.

2. Seed our front yard with clover. Our backyard has already been switched from grass lawn to amazing indigenous plant and tree jungle and this year I want to do something more environmentally friendly with the front yard. I think the bunnies in our neighbourhood will approve.

3. Redo our bathroom to be more eco-friendly. Install a low-flow showerhead, new toilet (e.g. dual flush one), and non-leaky facets.

4. Do a HUGE decluttering and donate all the clothing, books, houseware items, dvds, etc. we no longer need.

5. Continue to look at ways to make Sick On Sin as environmentally friendly as possible. As well, continue to support and donate to organizations making an difference. Sitenote: I would also love to offer eco-products like water bottles and reusable lunch bags featuring our cute characters.

How about you? What is one thing you will do to be greener this year? Leave a comment below telling me what change you plan on making. On April 26 I will choose 2 respondents via random draw and those people will each get a $10 Sick On Sin Gift Certificate!

Oh and btw, in celebration of Earth Day, I am giving 15% off of orders this weekend. Just type in this code during checkout: GREENHARE (expires Monday April 25). Why not treat yourself to some cute pro-environment items like a Give A Hoot magnet, Treehugger tee, or Vegetarian button pack!

One of my favourite things about doing Sick On Sin is meeting fellow artists, creators and sellers. It’s funny to think about all the awesome people I’ve become friends with who I otherwise would have never met. I thought it would be nice to introduce you to some of them and what better way to make introductions than with giveaways that featured prizes from such lovely folks!

For the first such contest I would like to introduce you to Todd Keisling, a writer from Pennsylvania.

If memory serves, Todd was an Orneryboy fan who Michael got to know via Twitter and who I later started talking to. I read his book, he bought some SOS goodies and the rest is history! As is so common nowadays, we’ve never actually met in person but hopefully one day our paths cross!

Todd is the author of A Life Transparent (ALT), a compelling and creepy fiction novel. It tells the tale of a man named Donovan Candle, a hardworking husband living a middle class life. A boring, mundane life. In fact, Donovan is so boring that one day he finds himself beginning to physically disappear. He also starts seeing the world in monochromatic shades, which would be freaky enough without the spooky figures that appear amidst the grey. But the fun doesn’t end there! Then his wife gets abducted and to save her he must go on a not-so-boring adventure and play by a stranger’s rules. Intrigued? I bet you are!

ALT was originally self-published through Lulu, however last year Todd used the power of Kickstarter.com to raise money to form Precipice Books. Yay for going independent! The second version of ALT (and its forthcoming sequel) are the test run for the new business and hopefully in the future Precipice will open its doors to other writers.

Want to know some more about Todd? In addition to ALT, he has written a number of short stories. His work has appeared in several print and online publications and he’s a two-time recipient of the Oswald Research and Creativity Prize for fiction. His tastes range from horror to sci-fi to speculative and slipstream. He doesn’t believe in confining himself to a single genre, but would rather allow the story to dictate itself. Authors who have inspired him include Chuck Palahniuk, Dean Koontz, Haruki Murakami, Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman, Stephen King and Ray Bradbury. Todd is originally from Kentucky however now lives with his wife and son somewhere near Reading, Pennsylvania.

For more about Todd and ALT, please go check out:

www.toddkeisling.com

www.alifetransparent.com

You can get A Life Transparent at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Powell’s Books, iBooks, etc. It is available in Digital ($2.99), Paperback ($13.95) and Hardcover ($22.95).

Now onto the giveaway!! Todd has awesomely offered up 3 signed paperback copies of A Life Transparent as prizes. In addition, each of winner will get a $10 Sick On Sin Gift Certificate. To enter, just respond to this post with a comment describing the most boring job you’ve ever had. Fun! Todd will personally read the comments and choose his 3 favourites to be the winners.

Contest runs from Monday April 18 until Monday April 25. It’s open to everyone (including you International folks). The 3 winners will be contacted on Tuesday April 26 via email (so be sure to use a valid email address when you make your comment).

Good luck!

(Here is a picture of Sauce giving a book report on A Life Transparent. He appears to be channeling some of the creepiness!)

I also wanted to thank those who took a stabbed at the Birthday Quiz we posted last weekend! I just went through all the responses and drumroll……1 (and only 1) person got all 20 out of 20 questions correct! So a big congrats and high fives to Minniegun for winning the $50 Gift Certificate! Haha either she’s super knowledgable about SOS, a good guesser or a stalker (or perhaps a touch of all 3)!  Special shout outs also go to Les (got 19 correct) and James (got 18 correct). Oh and I should also mention the winner of the $50 Gift Certificate in the random draw of people who made $100+ orders over the weekend – congrats to Amy!!

If any of you are curious about the quiz answers, here they are. Study up for next year!

BIRTHDAY QUIZ ANSWERS:

1) Sick On Sin was launched in this year:

b) 2005

** This was our 5th birthday so if you did the math you’d know that Sick On Sin was launched in December 2005. 83% of the respondents got this correct.

2) Before starting Sick On Sin Jen worked as a:

a) Website Manager

** Back before SOS I managed various websites including the top Canadian kids’ site, YTV.com (website for YTV television channel).  75% of the respondents got this correct.

3) Jen was how old when she started Sick On Sin?

d) 31

** When I turned 30 I realized it was time to do a big career change. It took me about a year to save up for / plan out a life of self-employment. 58% of the respondents got this correct (the rest of you either thought I was 27 or 25 – nice!).

4) Several years before Sick On Sin was born, Jen had the idea for this tee design:

b) No Meat (Steak)

** I knew this would be one of the harder questions but I’m pretty sure it has been mentioned in the past. About 4 years before I ever planned on doing the store I thought it would be fun to make shirts but never considered it seriously. The design of a steak with a strikeout through it was the first idea I ever had. 42% of respondents got this correct.

5) Sick On Sin is based out of which Canadian province?

d) Ontario

** This was a sneaky question – the province I live in is Ontario (province is like ’state’). However a bunch of you chose Toronto as the answer which is actually the major CITY I live near. Tricky tricky! 67% of the respondents got this correct.

6) All of Sick On Sin’s designs are drawn by the talented:

d) Michael Lalonde

** Yes, the superstar Michael Lalonde does all my design work! He’s also my awesome SO (we’ve been together almost 14 years)! I was happy to see that 100% of the respondents got this right!

7) The store’s name was inspired by a song by which band?

a) Sneaker Pimps

** The store’s name was inspired by the song Curl by Sneaker Pimps. I liked the way the words sounded and thought devil/flame branding would be cute. I love Sneaker Pimps but only the albums Chris Corner sings on. I super love his later venture, IAMX. Anyway, I’ve considered changing the name to something else that’s perhaps a little more ‘fitting’ to my designs however the name/brand Sick On Sin has become quite established so not sure if I should. Haha it’s my daily dilemma! 58% of respondents got this correct.

8 ) In October 2010, we launched 10 new tee designs. Which of these designs was NOT one of the 10?

c) Vampire Cupcake

** Raccoon, Cute Cthulhu and Herbivore were all launched in October 2010. Vampire Cupcake was launched in October 2009! 50% of the respondents got this correct.

9) Sick On Sin took part in several shows during 2010. Which of these shows WEREN’T we at:

c) Anime North

** This is a show I would love to sell at however I keep missing the cut-off. Maybe we’ll be there in 2011! 67% of the respondents got this correct.

10) During the last 16 days of November, there were daily blog posts suggesting Sick On Sin items to get a specific type of person. Who was the recipient for Day 5 of the Gift Guide:

a) Creepy Cute Fan

** On Day 5 I featured items that would be perfect for the person on your list that liked creepy cute stuff! 92% of the respondents got this correct.

11) What is the first design listed in the Women’s Tee section?

a) Cute Cthulhu

** Out sweet little Cthulhu is the first design listed. 92% of the respondents got this correct.

12) How many items are currently in the Women’s Undies category?

a) 33

** Easy peasy! 100% of the respondents got this correct.

13) We offer a variety of colours for our tees. Which of these colours is NOT currently available as an option for any of our designs?

a) Orange

** We offer a ton of different colour options however currently orange is not one of them! Perhaps people would want orange as a colour – would you? 92% of respondents got this correct.

14) Which of these animals is available as a tee design?

d) Skunk

** I’ve had Rabbit, Turtle and Beaver all requested for tees but currently only Skunk is available. 100% of respondents got this this correct.

15) Which of these products does Sick On Sin currently NOT offer:

b) Stickers

** I currently don’t sell stickers (or even have any SOS-related stickers made). However I get a lot of requests for them so they’re definitely on my list of upcoming products. Hopefully will have them next year! 92% of respondents got this correct.

16) When Jen is making items /packing orders she is often listening to podcasts by:

b) Smodcast Network

** A tough question! I think I have referred to Kevin Smith and his podcast family on Twitter in the past though. I looove the podcasts in this network – Smodcast (with Kevin and my crush Scott Mosier), Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave, Jay & Silent Bob Get Old, Blow Hard, Hollywood Babble-On and Plus One. Almost all orders are packed listening to them! I laugh so much during them so like to think a bit of those happy vibes (and tears) get sent to customers! 33% of respondents got this correct.

(Photo: Taken when I saw live Smodcast in Brantford earlier this year!)

17) Jen doesn’t have any Sick On Sin-related tattoos (yet) however if she did have one it would be this design:

a) Retro Owl

** This was a bit of a hard one too. And a bit tricky as I love owls, octopuses, cats and cupcakes. But the correct answer is Retro Owl. I am a huge fan of owls as well as stuff from the 70s and love when the 2 of them are combined! I’ve debated for a couple years now about getting this design done…one day I’ll get around to it! 33% of respondents got this correct.

18) Jen always runs a sale during her birthday. Which month is it in?

c) July

** If you’ve been a fan or follower of Sick On Sin for a while, you’d probably know that I’m a July baby! 75% of respondents got this correct.

19) Sick On Sin is the official retailer of merchandise for the awesome comic Orneryboy. There’s a zombie in the comic – what’s its name?

c) Brian

** The loveable zombie in Orneryboy is named Brian. If you don’t read the comic, you are definitely missing out. It’s cute, funny, violent and suspenseful all wrapped up in awesomeness. And it’s by Michael so if you like SOS designs, you’ll love his stuff! 92% of respondents got this correct.

20) Sick On Sin has 2 feline helpers. What are their names?

d) Soya Sauce & Miso

Yep, my 2 kitties are Soya Sauce and Miso! Soya Sauce (Sauce for short) is the chubby, bitchy black one. He had that name at the humane society – one of the things that attracted us to him! Miso is the kooky, beautiful grey one. His name was Dorian at the humane society but we thought he suited Miso. We often joke about completing the grey-scale and getting a white one named Tofu. 100% of respondents got this correct.