While the Paint Dries

Between applying the layers of paint on a piece I'm working on, instead of watching paint dry (how fun does that sound?), I find various things to do to keep myself occupied. I can't get too involved with a task because I've learned in the past when that happens, I'll stay too focused and then forget I was painting. Today, I happened to be munching on some carrots and felt it would be nice to "break bread carrots" with Mighty, the office pet mascot.

In-Progress Preview, Part I

Is this a big enough hint of who the next mascot will be?

(4 hours in)

Office: Make Room for the Mascot

I realized all that I've shared with you is the Before and After of the common area of the office space. The only other time you may have seen what the actual office looked like was when we were locked out last summer. I needed to rearrange in order to accomodate for the next Mascot Series painting, so I figured it'd make sense to do another Before and After, except this time within the office walls.
BEFORE:

This next piece is three canvas panels wide, so I needed some space to align them all together. So, I had to take out a desk, add a peg board, and play a little real-life Tetris to get everything to fit properly.
AFTER:

Can you guess who the next mascot is? Here's a hint: He lives west of the Mississippi and north of Yosemite National Park.

[FHH] x Corporal Hoffman Series - Grand Rapids Launch

Over the weekend, [Fashion Has Heart] officially released the Corporal Hoffman Series "Total Sacrifice" shirt (and decal) in Grand Rapids, MI. Swirls Boutique (963 Cherry St.) was their generous host who even invited a local high school a drum line to welcome Crprl Hoffman.
[View more pictures after the jump!]

Going Back to School

The other day I had the privilege to speak to a couple classes at the Vista Charter Academy on the south side of Grand Rapids.

These kids blew my mind. They were excited, yet under control. They listened and asked the best questions any group has ever asked. They drew conclusions and made suggestions. They simply did not come across as 5th, 6th, or 7th graders. They out-performed many college-level classes that I've spoken to in the past.

I walked out of that class thinking to myself that if every student, class, or school were like this, America wouldn't have education problems. They had a great teacher in Miss Blair, but most importantly, they seemed to have the work ethic, knowledge, and skills to be successful. These students inspired me more than I could have possibly inspired them. They reminded me why I'm willing to grind it out every day and go after the types of projects that I feel need to be done, whether they are paid well or not at all.

If you ever have a chance to talk to any group of students, DO IT. You'll be blown away. If your experiences, advice, and journey can inspire just one student, then you may have just changed their life forever. It is worth the couple of hours out of our days, believe me.

The overall message of the hour-long session is one you should be familiar with by now: DREAM IMPOSSIBLE. (Shout out to Mr. Joe Buys, my Dream Impossible mentor). #DreamImpossible

Corporal Hoffman Series Launch - Grand Rapids

After a successful event in Chicago last week, you knew it was only a matter of time before [Fashion Has Heart] would hold a release party for the Corporal Hoffman Series products at home, in Grand Rapids. Well, on Saturday, that time has come.

Join us (Facebook event) as we celebrate the products, the design, the message, and the hero. 

    

See You Tonight, Chicago!

[FHH] Sneak Peek

Tomorrow [Fashion Has Heart] will be releasing the second wave from the Corporal Hoffman Series. This release includes a t-shirt collaboration with Ranger Up! and a sticker decal. The release party will be held in Chicago at Shrine Harberdashers.

Welcome to Michigan

If you're from Michigan, this is nothing new. But, that doesn't mean it still doesn't affect you or feel like you're on this weather rollercoaster. This was yesterday at 3:22PM:
And this was today at 3:33PM:
Yesterday it felt like Spring and I walked from the office to downtown. Today, I hardly was able to walk across the street to snap the "After" picture of the bridge. At least it finally feels like winter, and I'm good with white snow. It's beautiful, especially to set-up a nice, coozy Friday night watching movies and eating fresh stovetop popcorn.

Have a great weekend!

Will Ferrell: An NBA Announcer?

This is funny. Last night Will Ferrell introduced the players at a Bulls vs. Hornets game.

Featured in Rapid Growth

On Thursday I had the pleasure of being flattered by Rapid Growth Media. Jason Lester put together a well-written story and photographer Adam Bird made the most of the rare Winter sunlight which resulted in some beautiful images.

Click to read the article