Seattle Trip - Day 1

After arriving late Tuesday night, Wednesday was our first full day in Seattle. This was the first time Adrienne has even been in the great Northwest, so our goal is to visit the most well-known Seattle attractions. The great thing about Seattle is that nothing is too touristy unlike most other cities. Much more to come!

Johnny Cupcakes Moves to London

If you've been following this blog for the past couple of years, you are no stranger to Johnny Cupcakes and the amazing things this guy is able to do...WITH T-SHIRTS. It's remarkable. After having stores in hometown Boston, then LA, Johnny is moving overseas to open a store in London. Here's the 3-part web series of the opening process from the store buildout, its unique machines and store features, to the Grand Opening. Incredible brand.
Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Beautiful Historic Building

This building was worth a couple pictures just because of its beauty in details and richness in history. This is the town hall and courthouse of the little town of Wooster, Ohio, that I traveled to this weekend. They don't make buildings like this anymore, and I wonder how the heck they even made them back then...?

Weekend Visit to O-H-I-O

We went to the middle of Ohio for the weekend. Sounds exciting, huh? Well, we certainly did our best to make it a weekend to remember. The reason for our trip was for the induction ceremony into the Wooster High School Hall of Fame for Adrienne's dad to honor his numerous achievements in the fine arts. Our first plan of action was to visit America's oldest, biggest, and best food market: Cleveland's West Side Market. Although Cleveland kinda sucks, this market was AWESOME. Pictures don't do it much justice, but enjoy them anyway. My apologies to any vegetarians, some of it is pretty gross.

Red Wing Shoe Company, Episode III

The third installment from the Red Wing Shoe Company segments their restoration process. The great aspect of Red Wing is that unlike most other companies, they do not produce cheaply made shoes that end up becoming trash. Instead, they have a restoration department specializing in reviving worn boots back into their original glory. That means their boots are: (1) very well made using quality materials, (2) their customers feel so incredibly comfortable and happy with their product that they are willing to get them restored rather than buy new ones, and (3) they are worth buying in the first place because there must be a strong bond between the shoe and its wearer if so many others are willing to go through the restoration process. These traits make for a great company and even better product - not to mention that the shoes have been being made in this same American town for over 100 years. Respect and hats off to you, Red Wing.

More FOX-17 News

Tonight my partner in my newest venture, Urban Liberty - which I have not yet discussed with anyone else before, was a special guest on FOX-17. It was actually the same talk show, One Seven, that I was on last week. I won't spill any more information except for what Michael mentioned in this clip (towards the end). Watch out for more within the next few months!
 

Homeless Man's Patriotism

Not a lot more needs to be said other than we need to view the homeless more as ourselves rather than looking at them as being a burden on our society. They should not be one homeless person that is not loved and well taken care of. That problem is on us for not doing more to help them. So, help them in any way you can, big or small.

Free Rip City Shirts - Now Available

Wednesday night I delivered these shirts to Detroit before the game against the Raptors. In summary, they got A LOT of attention and probably ruffled some feathers within the Pistons organization. Rip's camp loved them, and to me, that's all that counts. I was able to get some inside info from both sides of the controversy, and both sides seem to have their own arguments. It's a bad situation and unfortunate considering the great history between Rip and the organization. Hopefully both sides can iron this out sooner than later.

These shirts are available in extremely limited quantities on the T.WAY store.

Free Rip City Shirts

The labels are being sewn into the shirts as we speak. Look for them tomorrow!

Artwork: Double-Edged Sword

Original 22x28in Artwork - Acrylic on canvas ($250)

This piece was inspired by mean people. Do you remember the saying as a kid growing up, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me."? As kids we had no comprehension of what we were saying and the consequences of our words. Nowadays, too often people have been in life-long torment because of things said to them, even if it happened years ago in their youth.

It's easy to heel from a broken bone. Put a cast on it and in a few months, you'll be better than ever. But if you have ever had parents, siblings, cousins, teachers, friends, foes, or strangers say something negatively to you, I'd be willing to bet that the damage from their words may still cause pain within you. In reality, the saying should go, "Sticks and stones may break some bones, but words can kill forever."

The Bible talks about the tongue as a double-edged sword in numerous passages. In one of those, it talks about the word of God being alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (paraphrased from Hebrews 4:12). Unfortunately, we often misuse the power of our tongue. Sometimes our intentions can even be good, but the words we say or the way we say them can be damaging, bit by bit.

This subject could easily be extended into a lecture and discussion, but to keep it short and sweet: We should truly think about what we say before we say it. On a daily basis, I could benefit by choosing my words more carefully. I know I need to be more genuine with everyone I encounter, friend or foe. Let's better ourselves to build people up, not tear people down. After all, we should love our neighbor as ourself. Duh.

[Available For Purchase HERE]

Eminem: Letter To Detroit

K.I.S.S.

This collaboration yielded some fairly simple, yet very sophisticated results. I love the classic silhouette combined with the details in the materials, perforations, and stitching. The Stussy and Ransom brands worked with Adidas on this project and deserve a good amount of credit. Who says simple doesn't sell? It usually comes down to the timeless advice I learned in all of my advertising classes in college: K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid).

FOX-17 News Segment

Personally, I hate watching and hearing myself, but some of you might get a kick out of this recent segment on FOX-17 in the Grand Rapids and West Michigan viewing areas. Thanks to Tim Doty and the FOX-17 crew for having me on, it was a pleasure.
 

Red Wing Shoe Company, Episode II

The Red Wing Shoe Company just released its second video in the mini-doc series of their production process. This episode focuses on the tanning of their leather. It once again provides us with a new appreciation for their handcrafted footwear products. Well done, Red Wing, well done.

Benny Gold: New Shop + Design Studio

Benny Gold is building a bigger and better flagship shop in SF, and I am looking forward to seeing what he does with this one.

White Men CAN Jump!?

Jacob Tucker just took one big leap for a man and one giant leap for small white players everywhere, haha. This 5'11" Illinois College senior has a 50 inch vertical - that's incredible. Incredible enough to make the blog even.

ACK + Willie the Kid Event

Last night ACK hosted a pre-show party with Willie the Kid and Jon Connor at their new location in the Eastown area of Grand Rapids. I was only able to stop in for a few minutes to show support to the ACK crew, so I wasn't able to attend the show either last night. They did have a great turn out at the shop, though. Here are a few photos from the evening:




One of the best benefits of their new location at 1500 Wealthy Street is that they are directly across the street from the greatest hot dog establishment this side of Chicago. My mouth waters every time I look at, drive by, or smell those dogs.

Artwork: 24/7 Painting

I have some extra pieces of canvas board from my late great uncle that I thought I'd scribble some art on. Here's the first piece, titled, "24/7." The inspiration behind this piece stems from the long nights over the years dreaming, learning, worrying, wondering, and working. There's something strangely inspiring about working through the night. It's not a healthy lifestyle to live all of the time, but when there's a project or an exam you have to cram for, it's quite a rush to seem to be the only one awake in the world. Creative juices flow undisturbed during those nights, which is usually difficult to duplicate during the daytime. Also, creative ideas can sometimes literally wake you up at night that need to be sleep-written down wherever and with whatever you can feel for near your bedside. Some of these ideas can be monumental life changers. Others, you might wake up in the morning and wonder, "What the heck does this even mean?" I know I've had some golden nugget ideas, as well as my fair share of the brown kind of nugget ideas over the years. Either way, it's a true fact that our brains are always working, whether we know it or not.




With all this mysterious wonder of the night time, there is also a dark side to it - both literally and figuratively. There's been nights where I've wished I could turn my brain off. At times it's been when I need sleep and know the alarm clock will go off way too early, or simply when I need to get away from the stresses of everyday life. Sometimes we as people fear the night. We fear the darkness, the loneliness, the painful memories of past experiences, and countless others. Earlier today I listened to a podcast that said the most common command in the Bible is to "fear not." If I recall correctly, there were over 66 verses that tell us to "fear not." I'll leave the challenge of searching for those that apply up to you, but I'll conclude this blurb as an encouragement for you to fear not. If you are seeking God and his guidance, he will reach out his hand to guide you. This pain is only temporary.

Lady Gaga Concert - Grand Rapids

Lady Gaga came into town last night for a big concert, probably the biggest (and most controversial) there has ever been in Grand Rapids. I haven't really been a huge fan of her music just because the whole pop music scene hasn't been that attractive to my tastes. Nonetheless, I respect her for what she's been able to do in entertainment. She is a remarkable brand and is very strategic in what and how she does things. Sure, most of those things are super-duper weird and usually pretty freaky, but besides that point, she is doing an exceptional job of branding herself in an extremely competitive industry.

After attempting to look into and learn more behind her outrageous actions and use of imagery, I still haven't been able to formulate a solid understanding of Gaga. I don't think anyone has, nor probably every will. All I know is that she is using her fame, which she repeatedly denounces and refuses to let capture her - something most people can very easily get trapped in, to benefit a variety of social causes. I commend her for continually building others' self esteem when no one else has. She effectively uses her rough childhood experiences of being bullied to build a common bond with her fans, thus creating a strong "client base."

Gaga has reached out to a target market that no one else has been willing to do. She spreads genuine love when others have judged, condemned, and rejected them. She strongly promotes for them to be true to themselves and to not let others destroy or bring them down.

If she is willing to talk about Jesus and pray to God in the middle of her show like she did last night, then I can salute her for her boldness. She repeatedly said that no matter who you are, what you look like, or what you've done, Jesus still loves you and everyone else. I'm sure she steps on A LOT of people's toes in how she does things, but if I'm able to witness that light beneath the costumes and theatrical performances, then I think she may be successfully reaching out to fans that really need to hear her message. She's not perfect, but I can say that after last night's show, I've grown a new respect and appreciation for Lady Gaga.

I advise you not to jump to conclusions or judgments because I know it's easy to do. I can speak from experience on that one. It is something I challenge myself to overcome on a daily basis. My goal is to view every single person in the same way that Christ does - with love, grace, and compassion. Be who you are and use that to benefit and enrich others around you. We are all in a position of power to influence others - use it for good.

Vote Which "Free Rip City" Shirt Gets Produced

I NEED YOUR HELP: With the drama on the Pistons this season, one of Rip's people asked me to design a "Free Rip City" shirt in protest. The design with the most 'Likes' on Facebook will get produced ASAP! Visit the T.WAY facebook page to pick which you like best.