A need to create...

When I was in elementary school I didn't want a lot of toys. I wanted to MAKE things. I wanted bead looms and pottery wheels and sand art. I wanted to hammer outside in the garage with my dad and sew old cloth together for my Barbie dolls to make them new fashions. I wanted to mix nail-polish to make new colors. Otherwise I was playing Street Fighter or Sonic the Hedgehog. 

By the end of elementary school into and through middle school my passion was writing. I wrote a romance, poetry books and short stories about fireflies. I entered writing competitions, oratorical contests and was even published in Creative Kids magazine. I was interested in music too and played the flute in the jazz band by transposing trumpet music. I loved putting book reports together, I loved creating, doing, writing, innovating. I was taking photography through a pinhole, entering and winning science fairs, marketing myself for president, taking lego logo. My 6th grade teacher even suggested I get an invention I called The Big Peanut Butter and Jelly Squeeze patented. My favorite downtime was playing Oregon Trail, exploring the now antiquated Internet, creating communities in Simms and making movies on some program my parents bought for me.

Throughout elementary and middle school I was involved in ANYTHING ANYONE would let me get my hands on. I was incredibly inspired. I was at 4-H camps, roller skating lessons, art lessons, tennis lessons, swim lessons, craft lessons, library camp, vacation bible school. I played the flute but also the piano. I danced tap, lyrical, toe, jazz and I took acting. I was involved in environmental projects, in basketball, and in softball annnd I was taking French. I was ALWAYS on the go. I was always involved in something new. I loved it. 

In high school I kind of slowed down. Not really. I just became more athletically inclined. I was on varsity volleyball, softball, cross-country and cheerleading. I was playing competitive fast-pitch year round, seeing a trainer and a private pitching coach specialist. I was still dancing, tap, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, competitively on a traveling team. I took improv theater all four years and laughed. I was taking French, taking Saturday morning science classes at a special center and acing classes. My big push for something new my senior year included persuading my high school to let me take a Japanese class via Satellite after I spent 14 days at a summer camp for young diplomats at Princeton University and getting them to add a Biology II and allow me to take a united nations class through an online university.

Do you notice that shift? I didn't really stop getting my hands into everything but I stopped being creative. I stopped creating. I stopped writing, stopped transposing music, stopped making things. Dance was the closest thing I had to art. Assignments didn't call for creativity and neither did my athletics. 

College was much of the same but a lot less. I explored a more social side of life. Softball stopped. I still danced on the team and took lessons. Theater stopped. Really in general, besides crafting essays and term papers, my creativity came to a crashing halt. One inch margins and Times New Roman 12pt font ate whatever was left away. Not for good, but for that time period for sure. I tried my best to inject creativity back into my life by taking a creative writing class at a community college, interning at a creative consulting firm and taking Drawing for the Artistically Challenged my senior year. It all became so academic looking back now. 

I spent my first year of my job out of college feeling a bit bored and that aching desire for creativity crept it way back into my life. I started writing short stories at work, trying to find my voice and even trying to learn code to design web pages. 

At this point I'm feeling more inspired than ever to not just be a creature who consumes culture but one who creates it too. It's because of the Brandcenter. I used to think A's were what made you successful but now I realize what's it all about- IDEAS. I'm a little rusty but I know I want to start diving into more things. Getting my hands a little dirtier. Exploring more than just the web, discovering, experimenting, remixing, creating. 

I'll let you know how that goes...

A mind on the move.

There's my life and then there's my job. They overlap a lot. A hell of a lot. I do a lot of thinking in a given day about a million different topics. I'm a bit ADD (who isn't these days) and I get bored really easily. I love to think though and my mind is always on the move. I stay mentally exhausted but I would have it no other way. Sometimes I'm thinking about god knows what and sometimes I'm thinking about god knows what in relation to how consumers act and media behaves. I've decided to try to seperate the two a bit more for a healthier more rounded perspective in life.

This blog then, is for me. Things I do, see, hear, encounter, read, whatever that are interesting to me that make me think about things differently, inspire me, or that I just find interesting. 

For advertising/marketing/branding/ideating/planning/communications/media thinking, I've started a new blog with the intention of being a bit more focused and deeper diving into why people act the way they do, big ideas and how they are formed and etc related to those fields. I might be cross referencing and borrowing posts here and there but for all intents and purposes, one is play with a twist of work (ideasaurus) and the other is play with a hint of self-exploration (paper doll dancers).

Get it? Got it? Goooood....

Anyways, check out the new blog: IDEASAURUS.

Personalization.

Time's new magazine Mine lets you personalize it like an RSS feed. They're in the experimental phase so it's free for the first 31,000 respondents. Check out Fast Company's article about it and get yours for free. 

Here's the link:

Mine Magazine

Make You Think.

The City season finale happened tonight. No way that Jay and Whitney are done. But that's beside the point. The point is the show isn't a "make you think" one. It's not one that you derive some amazing inspiration from. It's just not that kind of show. 

BUT Diane van Frostenberg had an amazing quote. It was advice given to her by her mother. It went something like this: 

Absence is to love what wind is to fire. It extinguishes the small, it inflames the great.

So of course I Googled it cause that's what I do best. It's most popularly accredited to Comte DeBussy-Rabutin a French memoir writer. I love it. Thought I'd share.

Must see if in the NYC.

SO FUNNY. If you like to laugh, do yourself a favor and see this play. 

The program put it best: it's not a sad comedy, it's a funny tragedy. Kids might be savages sometimes but underneath our niceties, adults find they don't outgrow their most primitive ways making everyone wild at heart. We might get older and nicer but perhaps growing up is just a myth. 

Ok, it's playing at the Bernard Jacobs Theater. Go!

I want so bad.

Josh Keyes, "The Call 1", print, $175. Sigh.

I've spent an embarrassing amount of time today watching MTV as a result of being snowed in. It has been my background noise stealing far too many seconds of my time. The shows are pretty awful and as a classmate once put it, it's like watching fire burn. 

BUT, somewhere in the midst o f the mind numbingness, an interesting point actually inspired me. 

It happened during an episode of Made where a cheerleader coach from hell was sucking the life out of her poor high school team by screaming at them and demanded that they leave practice because they weren't serious enough. 

All the girls walked out but the guys on the football team that they scouted out to bring some testosterone to the mix were in awe that they actually left.  "They've never played a team sport."

Then one ran out after them saying (this is where the insight comes): 

"There are two types of pain.

1. The pain discipline and 

2. The pain of regret. 

The pain of discipline is hard to handle, but the pain of regret is even harder to handle than that."

Good point. I'll keep that in mind as I round out this last semester.

Spread it.

Back in the day the only thing that spread was peanut butter and the flu. The internet has really changed the meaning of that word. Anything can spread but figuring out just what will is hard to do. Or is it? It seems that what people really want to spread are the things that shock and amuse. It seems that entertaining stuff that shocks and that amuses spreads rapidly. Kids coming home drugged from the dentist, a dance that you can learn off of your computer... It's just cool stuff that doesn't offended and brings a bit of joy to our daily lives. It was the same when we were kids. Everyone sat around the lunch table. You had your chocolate milk, your smooshed pb&j and some carrot sticks. But then there was the kid with the fruit roll-up that could tattoo your tongue. THAT was cool. That was something every kid wanted to know about and then ask their parent to buy for them. It was the cool kid factor and it still is. It's not rocket science, but creating this pieces of joy that shock and amuse while entertaining is hard. Maybe we need a study on cool. Instead of hunting what is cool, we need to understand cool at it's most basic core. What do the masses think is cool? What are the trends in humor? Is sarcasm on the rise? Irreverence? Slapstick? What is entertaining? Is it 15 minutes of fame? Is it celebrity?

There must be trends in cool, funny and entertaining that can be discovered and perhaps as planners we need to shift our attention to finding them out.

Marketing topics that interest me.

Baby boomers who currently hold the purchasing power.

Millennial's since they will out number Boomers in the years to come.

What people say and what they do are so different. It would be interesting to discover the stories behind the products to help marketers understand the key drivers behind why people buy.

Cult theory can be directly applied to solid brands but you often hear, "cult brand" as a term applied to a smaller brand with a niche following. It would be interesting to understand how cult theory can be applied to mass retailers to help them become cult brands too.

What is an aspirational brand? How do aspirations drive purchase decisions? What does the term mean and how can marketers help people achieve their aspirations.

Often we talk about the rational and emotional reasons people buy. I would love to dive into these buying behaviors to uncover the key motivators across retail categories to see if there is any key differences.

Women and the world wide web are quickly becoming bff. How can mass retailers use social media to their advantage. When is it appropriate to enter it into marketing and what are the best practices of incorporating it into the brand.

I think competition is a huge driver for both men and women and how they buy. I once read an article on happiness in Money magazine (I think) that looked at happiness from an economic standpoint. It said that to be happy, we simply needed to know we were making more than our wife's brother. It was just a joke of course, but it was making the point that we need to feel that we are doing as well or better than our immediate social circles. So, to be and to have are nice but often times we buy to be better than or to have more than. It would be interesting to study our competitive nature to understand how marketers can capitalize on this very real piece of human nature in communications.

Look at how Walmart can be a hero to women, looking specifically at the beauty category. I'm interested in doing work with Walmart and the beauty category because I think that it's a rich topic. It changes between seasons, there's special events, and as you age you feel differently about it. I worked in the beauty category for many years and still have a copy of the presentation we gave to P&G after they bought Cover Girl called "You can't sell hope the way you sell soap." Yep, it is seasonal, there are shade promotions, there is oil control for younger, moisturizing for older, there's organic/natiural, etc. This is broad so look for an interesting hook that gives it focus.

Generations share nostalgia. But how can marketers capitalize on nostalgia without being cheesy? It's more than sharing a song or a style, it's bound in history, tradition and social norms that were appropriate.

I'm obsessed. It makes me happy. Enjoy.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year. 

I believe in New Year's Resolutions, the making them part even if not the keeping them part. I always want to know what everyone's is. Unless you're perfect, which the chances are you're not, you should have one. At least one, little measly one. There's always room for improvement!

Usually New Year's Resolutions are centered around health of mind, body spirit. Improving life, progressing forward. A self-help reflection.

Here's some of mine for 2009:

1. Be more active: 

There's a ton of stuff I want to do and always talk about doing but never follow through with. For example, take a hike, take a salsa lesson, go deep sea fishing, visit the climbing wall (and climb of course) etc., etc. the list goes on and on. This goal makes me more fit without having to say "Exercise more." There's just something so volatile about the word exercise. I make the same face when I smell rotten garbage. This is my way around that.

2. Eat less fast food:

This is my way to trick myself to eat healthier. It's not that I love fast food, contrary to popular belief. It's just that I LOVE how fast, fast food is. And my palate is underdeveloped so it's not like I'm too concerned with the taste. But I've promised myself to eat less of the stuff. Ukrop's salad bar better be ready for me!

My goals for the year include getting a full-time job, saving for a car, getting a puppy (maybe!), and starting a savings plan. Yay!

Whimsy.

What I wish my everyday was like. An ad for Dior perfume Miss Dior. Such French pretty whimsy. I knew I should have paid better attention in French class those 5 years!

Lessons Learned.

Important personal realizations/conclusions in 2008:

1. success is not as closely linked to happiness as one would assume. It doesn't bring you happiness nor does it do a good job at sustaining it. Happiness, as it would turn out, is a choice, a conscious decision to tune out and ignore the negative. Success makes us feel accomplished, proud and happy, but only for a short bit...

2. you have to give up and sacrifice almost as much as you get in order to reach your dreams. Growing up, no one ever told me that you couldn't have it all.

3. no one has the answers, we're all just making it up as we go along: friends, parents, bosses, professors, everyone.

4. you are whatever you say you are (turns out Eminem was correct). If no one has the answers, people are likely to believe what you say you are. If you say it enough, you'll believe it yourself and convince others.

5. tis' best to fake it til' you make it- always, confidence is key. Again, no one has a clue, so no use going around self-doubting.

6. "There's children starving in Africa" continues to bring perspective to my life daily. Anytime I feel self-pity monster creeping in, I remind myself what a lush life I live in comparison.

7. Ukrop's Chocolate pie may be the cure for everything. Seriously. 

8. But with that said, the number one thing in life is maintaining good health. It's all we really have and the part's of it we can control we should (exercise, eat right, keep learning, growing, stimulating the mind and body)- it will make us feel better when the unexpected (pre-cancerous cells) we can't control creeps into our life. 

9. Nice always, always, always wins. Kill them with kindness. You're friends will thank you and your enemies, if they can figure out what to think, will either hate you more or move on. It's a win win.

10. Cynicism and sarcasm are way overrated. I can enjoy it in small doses but I'm way over it as a lifestyle choice. Focusing on the positive. Saccharine is the new sarcasm.

11. If I close my eyes while running on the treadmill and listening to bump and grind club music like Britney Spears, I can fake myself into believing I'm actually at a raging dance party shaking it. eehh.

12. Budgeting makes you feel smart. Saving is necessary.

13. You know you're growing up when responsibility becomes sexy. 

14. Inspirational quotes (while easy to hate for being cliche and even cheesy) work. Really, really well.

Nostalgia remains a bia.

The most heart-wrenching quote ever:

"There's nothing sadder in this world than to wake on Christmas morning and not be a child." 

Kinetic Typography

Has anyone else noticed the trend toward using kinetic typography in the communications industry? You typically see kinetic typography used in cinema, at the beginning of movies. Advertisers are turning toward this kind of messaging, especially in instances where they are trying to explain stories, especially when conveying messaging around "good causes." I think it is an effective way of explaining, or jut telling a story in a way that holds attention, another form of advertainment if you will. I just wonder if it will lose it's appeal as more and more marketers use this in their communication. Obviously the novelty will wear off, but my bet is that effectiveness sticks. Check out these few I can think of, off the top of my head: The Girl Effect, Starbucks, Toms Shoes, and (the ever so controversial) Motrin. 

Re: Keep Your Love Lockdown.

As I went to post the previous article I noticed something interesting. Universal Music Group has posted on YouTube the official Love Lockdown music video. But they also have blocked users from embedding it (see photo above). This is incredibly interesting. First, it is well known that music labels are shaking in their boots trying desperately to find relevancy in an industry that is rapidly changing. So, it's understandable the caution with which they proceed into new ventures and you almost (but not really) feel bad for them as you watch them push for control, wherever they can get it. But not allowing users to embed the official video is just not smart business. Blogging is rampant, widespread and not slowing down. Video sharing is up 66% from last year alone. It is with lack of foresight that a label would keep their videos in such tight control. I was still able to find a version of the video and share it on this blog (at least for now... certainly it will be pulled soon as it is found out). I get that I could share it by sending the URL, but I think Universal is missing an opportunity to positively associate their brand with popular culture in a way that could help increase relevancy. It's a good thing when people, on their own volition, attach your video to their website...

Keep Your Love Lockdown

Kanye West is brilliant. I've been a fan since The College Dropout. 

Emotive in a thoughtful way.

Key to my heart.

They're by Miu Miu. They're COUGH $650. They're sold at Barneys. They're made in Italy. Shiny leather multi-embroidered palettes peep toe pump of love. 

I haven't shown this blog love in such a long time. 

Here's the update: 

I went the opera. 

I celebrated halloween.

I've been working my fingers to the bone. 

I bought a thanksgiving and christmas wreath. 

I downloaded $25 worth of christmas songs.

I bought 4 rolls of christmas paper. 

I might be turning into an elf.

That's basically it. 

Oh, and I started a new blog. visit it! 

Cute Dress Daily

Pus.

Pup.

Check out this website.

Some people deserve it. Click here to find out who.

I'm starting to think about Christmas presents. Just now, I had an idea to give out a sexy astronaut calendar (like the sexy firefighter calendars). But after a deep diving Google sesh, I realized such a calendar is yet to exist. As a result, I'm currently accepting applications for a sexy astronaut calendar shoot. If you are an astronaut and you are sexy, please apply. Otherwise, disregard this posting. Thanks.

A Culturally Relevant Quote If I Ever Did Read One.

"The Puritan ethic of hard work and saving still matters. I just hate the idea that such an ethic is more alive today in China than in America." 

~Thomas L. Friedman, "Why How Matters", The New York Times, October 14, 2008.

You young whipper snappers better listen up. Back in my day, I used to walk 15 miles just to make a penny. Okay, maybe not, but I was working at a very young age and not because I had to, but because I wanted to. I loved the idea of making my own money and so when I was 15 years old, I begged my parents to let me get a job. My friends all did the same. I started my first career as a timid receptionist and Excel spreadsheet data inputer at restaurant in the making called The French Betsy in Old Town Petersburg. My boss was a retired dentist who loved to talk about root canals and the place was robbed a couple weeks after I started. I quickly moved on... to a consignment shop for baby's clothing called Once Upon a Child. I was fired two months later for scheduling a doctor's appointment without asking my boss first. He sure was a cranker old geezer (who probably did walk 15 miles to work everyday). I digress. The point is I WORKED and was happy to be making money, all 5 dollars an hour. 

This quote gives way to an important insight into the new American way. The times they are a changing.

The View From My Front Porch.

The other day I came across this quote from Yoko Ono that really rung true for me, "Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance."
 
Autumn is arguably my favorite time of year. Marketers sell pumpkin flavored everything (yum), there is a nostalgic warmth, and the anticipation of all the gatherings of the holiday season awaiting us all leaves me full of joy. So saccharine, yet so true.

Living in the Sweet Virginia Breeze.

Once a year, those of us who live in the sweet Virginia breeze are called on by a long-lasting, well known southern tradition. Visions of cotton candy, corn dogs, craft shows, farm animals, ferris wheels, fun houses, freak shows, fried cola, and fatty foods dance through our heads. It's the Virginia State Fair at the Richmond Raceway that beckons us. This year I had my first order of fried oreos. Yum!

I just finished this book: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. It's a quick read. After a fatal accident at an amusement park, an simple, ederly man comes to understand his purpose on earth after meeting the five most important people in his life while in heaven. 

Watch It.

Spelling bee communities breed some crazy, smart kinds. Quite the culture. I hated the spelling bee. I was first down every year. It was public humiliation at age 7. I started spelling words on purpose just to put myself out of my misery. 

Read It.

It's funny. 

I think about deactivating at least once per day, but, sigh,

"With or without you,
With or without you,
I cant live,
With or without you."
-U2, lyrics, "With or Without You"

My love/hate relationship with Facebook is very, very real. 

My mother thinks they're ugly,

but my grandma digs them. The salesman didn't want to sell them to me. Trotters are considered old lady shoes. Most of them aren't cute at all but they are comfortable and well made. the company started in 1936 and is dedicated to fine leather shoes. They promise, Work, Play and Go as part of their brand. The salesman didn't want to sell them to me, even though he mentioned that they reminded him of classic Audrey Hepburn style (sold!). So I promised him that I could make this up-age brand of shoes look fashionable. His skepticism was highly amusing.

But I trusted my purchase because, for better or for worse, I've made the conscious effort to better understand, develop and accept the elements of design that catch my eye most. For example, I find that I'm drawn to softer colors that are met with a punch of unexpected, loudness. And, I really like where modern meets the whimsy of vintage, leaning more toward the 50's and 60's. I like the embellishments and the attention to detail. I feel like there was a patience that was put into things of such nostalgia. There was a craft that was more apparent in the make of things and as a result the found things from those time periods seem to have higher levels of authenticity (perhaps the most overplayed word). I think you see stores like Anthropologie recreating and putting a modern twist on these looks but often their price point is beyond my means at this time in my life. So I'm always looking for ways to get the look for less, hence, the unexpected purchase of these unlikely shoes.

BUT THEN, the other day, I was perusing a site I stumbled on called Sally Jane Vintage. The author of the site is an online auctioneer. She shops vintage clothing for a living and then takes pictures of herself in the clothing and then auctions them online and blogs about it. The most amazing job ever. I'm jealous! Anyways, I came across an older post with the same granny shoes that I just bought!!! Here's a picture of them. I've never been so proud of a fashion purchase. I want to take this picture in to the shoe salesman. Maybe he'll just stumble upon my blog (my inner comedian can't be suppressed). 

The most interesting part, was that after I found these shoes so stylishly displayed online, I was motivated to go to the Trotters website. I was a bit shocked when I saw the model on their home page. So much younger than I expected. So much younger than the shoes salesman expected too I bet. I guess they're marketing efforts are aspirational. 

Betrayed Vending Instincts.

Mark my words, next time, it's me and bun, hunny.

My very first avatar.

Face Your Manga is a great time suck website. Fun. Enjoyable. Telling. Here's mine!

My fool (proof, or ish) plan for a puppy.

While I don't like bumper sticker culture, I do like pet culture. Talking in baby voices, pampering and oozing out love for a little fluff ball creature that will love me unconditionally and will be happy to see me and spend time with me no matter how much of a crap mood I am in, is totally worthy looking like, and sounding like an idiot to everyone else. 

I realize that I am not at a point in my life where I can take care of a puppy. HOWEVER, my puppy clock is ticking harder than a single, childless, no boyfriend prospect, 35 year old woman's biological baby clock. 

Recently I was told I should set realistic goals for myself. So I have heeded this advice and put, "Get a puppy and take good care of it" on my list of goals for the next year. That means that if I don't have a puppy in my life by October of 2009, I will have to consider myself a failure. And who wants me to be a failure? I surely don't want to.

However, this means that I will need to start praying now that it never poops (unrealistic, yes, but if I'm praying, then I'm also believing that Jesus rose from the dead, parted the sea and turned water into wine... Obviously, anything is possible with Jesus on my side. So there.) I will also pray that it never throws up either. Ever...please.

I will name him (yes, him) MONSTER. grrrr. He will be my little monster (bear and bear face will inevitably get tagged to the end of this name, just an fyi). And I would love him and cherish him (and potty train it like a cat) forevermore. Swoon.

Mom, dad, Santa, anyone, if you are reading this, add this to my Christmas, Easter, birthday, something else to celebrate, list, pronto!

I am not a fan of bumper sticker culture. But today I almost changed my mind (not really but still). I saw one on a car that read, "I'm only speeding because I have to poop." So tacky yet so funny.

Oktoberfest!

Getting back to my roots at Capital Ale House's Oktoberfest. Music, pretzels, steins, brews, tents, and lederhosen. What more could you want? 

Virtual Sand Art.

Is Fun.

Click here ---> THIS IS SAND

My Art

Creature of Habit.

So I'm really into the "good" movement. Go green. Save a child. Walk an old lady across the street. Don't throw up the bird to the jerk in the Mercedes that took your prime parking spot you patiently waited for with your blinker on. 

As part of my efforts to do good I purchased two canvass grocery bags. But so far those grocery bags have haunted me and diluted my self-esteem.

The first month of my relationship with them, I forgot I had them completely. They stayed at home, hanging on my doorknob, mocking me every time I came home with plastic bags. The would just stare at me as my guilt ridden self promised me that I would certainly remember them next time. 

The second month, I realized that to enhance my relationship with the canvass bags, I would have to more actively date them. Get a little closer. Familiarize myself with them a bit more.   So I took them to the car. But just like a crack-head who leaves their child in the car on a hot summer day, I neglected them still by leaving them in the car. I would pull up to the grocery store, canvass bags in the passenger seat, and forget them a I got out of the car. I would mindlessly proceed to bag my groceries in plastic. Returning to the car and seeing them, I would curse the bags. "FUCK!" I would scold them as if they had made me forget their presence. "Maybe if you were neon you wouldn't be so damn hard to forget." Then, feeling guilty and full of shame, I would apologize and curse myself instead, "Mindless, stupid idiot. The polar bears need your help."

This was the start of month three of my relationship with my canvass bags. Today I promised myself I would be more mindful and I would use them once and for all. I pulled up to the grocery store and before getting out of the car, I tucked the bags into my purse. I felt accomplished, like we had really, truly, FINALLY progressed our relationship. This was an intimate moment between us; I had remembered, for the first time, to put them in my purse. I was beaming with joy.

But if you can believe it, I walked out of the grocery store WITH PLASTIC BAGS. I had really insulted the bags at this point. At the cash register, I had to go in my purse, my small purse, to get money out. I had to move the canvass bags out of the way, to get to my wallet. And yet somehow, someway, I still managed to forget to use them! Absolutely unbelievable. I realized for the first time that I am truly nothing more than a creature of habit. Sad. Sad. Sad. The shame.

Next time I go grocery shopping I plan to wear the bag around my neck. Additionally, I plan to make a t-shirt targeted at the cashier. In bold letters, it will read, "Dear Cashier, Save an idiot today. Please remind me to use my canvass bag."

SOUTH-SIDE! Speedway.

Our latest culture class took us to Southside Speedway. The thing is, I grew up 25 or so minutes away from Southside Speedway and a lot of people in my town were fans of this weekend activity. Being from the south and growing up in a small town I knew all too well the small town people and religious overtones that would go down at a mass public, red-neck type of event.I fully expected a high school reunion and while I didn't see anyone I knew, being there did give me waves of nostalgia. Something about it felt like a high school football game but I understand cars and circles a little bit more than guys and footballs. I had the best bbq sandwich ever and had much more fun than I anticipated. I'd even go back again...even if only for the bbq.

Yet another stolen blog post.

I stole yet another thing from a friend and classmates blog. This stolen bit of content is from Kyle's blog. I promise to get my own content...soon.

The thing is, I wouldn't call myself a hopeless romantic. I'm far too rational to fall into my emotions like that (hahaha, I'm a comedian, ps). Or so I would like to think so...

But perhaps it was because I was hungry, run down, and feeling lonely and restless at 1am, I found that watching the charming kid-like drawings and listening to the sweet, simple lyrics and somber musicality captured in this song and video, unearthed some hidden hopeless romanticism that I was unaware existed within me and that I would have preferred to suppress, for the record. I mean, I'm talking moved here people...all you hundreds of thousands of readers that care. There may have even been tears.

Then I googled puppies.

Thanks Oakie!

I saw this on my friend and classmate, Oakie's website, A Closet. Make bizarre but extraordinarily fun to make loops with this interactive tool. Visit Uniqlo.

Guggenheim Visit

Highlights: 

Louise Bourgeois retrospective. 

Themes that run through Bourgeois (b. 1911, Paris) work include gender, sex, and a deep introspective based on her childhood, her family, her cheating father and her patient, nurturing mother. All the work is incredibly personal. 

Some of her work like Femme Maison (House Woman) are easily understood (see above). The Guggenheim Exhibitions Guide's Katherine Brinson, Curatorial Assistant writes, "The images depict female heads and torsos subsumed in architectural structures, the lower parts of their bodies left naked and vulnerable. Drawing on her own struggle to maintain equilibrium between her roles as wife, mother of three young sons, and practicing artist, Bourgeois portrayed the responsibilities and constrictions of the domestic sphere as painfully indivisible from female identity."

Some of her sculpture work that shows male, female ambiguities and depict massed together forms are harder to understand and look like blobs, put nicely. Without explanation they are impossible to "get" and with explanation there is still a stretch of imagination and a leap of faith that must be taken to acquire a head nodding, "oh yeah."

Some of her later work, like Cells and the sewn sculptures of various body parts and such,  were actually quite haunting and I linked them to the horrific images of movies like Saw. The exhibition guide has a quote from Bourgeois, "The Cells represent different types of pain, the physical, the emotional and the psychological, and the mental and intellectual."

Finally, her gigantic steel spiders created in the '90's is actually about her mother. Brinson writes that Bourgeois was trying to, "rehabilitate the spiders reputation. Positing it as a symbol of embodiment of her own mother, the patient, nurturing weaver." I like that. Not only am a graduate of the only school with the spider as a mascot, I also remember a song that I loved from my brothers cd collection by Space (a mid 90's indie rock band from Liverpool, England) called The Female of the Species. The song was inspired by the spider with lyrics, "the Female of the species is more deadlier than the male". Who cares if I was 10? I was still rocking out. Bourgeois gives me even more reason to celebrate this seemingly uninviting, unlovable creature. 

An anatomy lesson.

So many families. So many kids. So much water. So much fun! My other Labor Day weekend stop. I haven't been to a water park in over 10 years. I forgot how great they can be. Seeing all the scantily clad people I also realized I had forgotten that we are truly animals. So much back hair...

Vineyards, Charlottesville, VA

I love wine tastings and tours. This is from my Labor Day weekend trip. These pictures are from the Kluge Estates situated on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Wine tasting can be done sitting down at the adorable tree-filled courtyard that you can see in the first picture. Go to http://www.klugeestateonline.com/ to learn more. The wine tasting was great but the countryside and picturesque views were incredibly beautiful...and the closet thing to Napa Valley Virginia might have. We also visited Jefferson Vineyards which had a great selection of wines and a great history lesson to accompany them; however, it lacked the prestigious, picturesque aesthetics of Kluge. Go to http://www.jeffersonvineyards.com/ to learn more. 

Culture Class

The second year of Brandcenter calls for a culture class. We are to gain exposure to outside stimuli, books, art, music, etc. so that our brains are given the opportunity to learn something more grandeur and relevant than fake ads and brand concepts. Not only does it make us more interesting people in general, it also makes our friends and family less likely to feel the all-consuming urge to punch us in the face when the only thing modestly interesting we have to talk about is the history of the Nutella brand and it's competitive analysis based on rough Google searches and scarce data mined through wiki's from that one assignment last year. Yay for Culture Class!

The weak can never forgive. 

Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong. 

~Mahatma Gandhi

Temperature Check

On the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn today I realized that the hipster craze has possibly changed the face of fashion forevermore. [Arguably for the better.]

 However, I am appalled at some of the items I see people wearing in the 100 degree sauna from hell that we can now call earth (thank you global warming). 

Here's an official list of things to NEVER wear in scorching summer heat. Under any circumstance. No matter how cool you make think these items are, the secret is, these fabrics, materials and articles of clothing will actually only make you hotter, in the sweaty balls kind of way. 

1. Corduroy 

2. Anything wool

3. Leather knee high boots

4. Dark opaque tights (...especially with toe....extra especially with leather knee high boots)

5. THE SUMMER SCARF 

Fall is just around the bend people. I realize we're a rather hurried group of citizens rushing about. AND I realize that stores are already selling fall clothing. I realize it's all very exciting and trendy. Fall clothing with its layers and such are so much more fun. I totally agree. But please, let's all make a vow now to opt for patience once in our life. Let's do ourselves a favor and put fashion a notch behind common sense.

People make me laugh.

If Rhett Miller of the Old 97's is the handsome charismatic man from across the bar that makes you ponder what he would be like in the sack, the leads of MGMT are like your confused emo kid brothers that you want to suggest to lay off the acid. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the music, and charismatic men and emo brothers all need love, but I thought I should point that out. 

The concert last night was fine, fine. The radio hits were a hit at the show as well. Dancing, singing, people really feeling it. Every other song besides might have come as a bit of a disappointment. Experimental psychedelic is not loved as much as synthetic pop. 

The most fascinating part of the concert by far were the people in attendance. Here are my favorites:

1. The guy dancing beside me who, through the course of the show displayed his technical skills at air keys, air bass, air drums and best of all symphony conductor. If he keeps practicing by the time he's 50 he might be ready to pick up a real instrument. He was as nerdy as it gets and not in that hipster way, in that 45 year old virgin kind of way. His bald spot ignited in me a fury of images of him at home, 35 years old, still living with his mother, head banging it out while playing guitar hero in his room as he fantasized about hot chick and cars. Anyway, the music was easily overshadowed by the entertainment value provided by Mr. Maestro. 

2. The woman dancing in front of me who completely invaded my personal bubble. I thought everyone must have a personal bubble but obviously they come in different shapes and sizes. Mine, I'm learning is on the large side. I once almost kissed my friends father because he was so close to my face and I wasn't sure exactly how to handle the situation. I thought briefly what kind of scene I would cause if I just gave her a little two handed shove on the back. It would be my luck "a little shove" would cause her to slip up on the fresh beer all over the floor causing her to break her back and thus my bank account as well. I opted for a nice little tap on the shoulder followed by an, "Excuse me but could you move up just a smidgen (smile)." Which I would have loved to have concluded with, "You're grinding on me like I'm your boyfriend you freak. Have you no decency!"

3. The beautiful blonde chicks beside me that were "just wasted man! Like totally!" Not only were they wasted but I'm certain that one of them was making dinosaur noises. Perhaps she was tripping or making she thought she was shouting for the band. Either way, it was a shame for such a pretty girl make such a horrendous, repelling noise. Anyways, dealing with their sloppy dancing and sweaty arms brushing against me to the beat made me think:  While my basketball career ended in 8th grade, I knew I had really learned something that would benefit me through the rest of my life. I didn't know what at the time. Turns out it wasn't sportsmanship, teamwork or any of that feel good stuff. It was the box out performed when vying for the rebound. Who knew how handy that move would become later in life when I started attending concerts and had to ward off drunk girls competing for the 1 square foot of space my body occupies. 

4. The 10 or so people who fell down the stairs, landing on their butts, attempting to save their beer instead of themselves on the way down. 

5. The 17 year old boy version of big foot in a pair of booty shorts. I never knew that large of a  man would be brave enough to attempt such a tiny amount of jean.  

Old 97's

Someone needs to introduce more 20 somethings to the Old 97s. I'll take the lead here. I went to their concert last night and there was a lack of young people enjoying their high energy brand of al-country rock. Here's my top 3 reasons to get into this band:

1. The music is good. 

2. The lead singer, Rhett Miller is model-esque and charismatic. 

3. You'll never see another man move his hips the way Rhett Miller does. He is my generations version of Elvis. 

Get Involved.

I love the non-profit sector. Love it. And I love this unique program, Stoked Mentoring that helps disadvantaged with programs that pair action sports, mentoring and coaching. Cool stuff.  

Design Doctor: Gap

A couple months ago I went into the Gap in desperation. I was hunting for cheap plain sandals and I could only guess Gap's cheap plain clothing would be the relief I was looking for. For so many years now the Gap has sucked and the continuously plummeting sale

s figures only reinforced their suckiness. For many, it was heartbreaking to see the brand, once so dearly loved for casual classics, go awry falling deeper into the design doldrums of boring, plain, frumpy cotton shapeless basics. Not the case. I found shirts I like and pants with surprising adornments. I found myself in the dressing room. And a couple of weeks later I found myself apologizing to friends for my desire to venture back to the store to check out what they had in new. I was shocked. So I did what I do best and Googled what was going on. Either my good taste had suffered some epilepsy or the Gap miraculously got good. Thankfully, it turns out the Gap got good. In an effort to resuscitate their dying brand, they hired a new designer, Patrick Robinson (of Armani, Anne Klein, Perry Ellis, etc), to act as a design doctor and breath trendiness into the classic apparel. Cosmetic Surgery at it's best.  

Dad and I.

Modern Love

The most accurate description of my generation's views on romance I've ever read. Perhaps b/c the author is 21. Either way, it's incredibly well written, thoughtful and right, just like most every other NY Times article. Enjoy.

Let's Not Get To Know Each Other Better.

I like elephants. Elephants like Pepsi. I like Pepsi commercial. 

Mellow Yellow Toe-nails.

Another Favorite Children's Story.

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola 

circa 1975

A pot of noodles takes over a city. A cute grandma witch with potions and magic and love. 

The image of  stringy noodles boiling over a large cauldron has stuck with me vividly over the years. 

serendipity:

ser*en*dip*i*ty

noun

The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

Time is not on your side. No it's not.

This is my favorite posting from my last blog. I felt the need to carry it over to this blog. Enjoy.

Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, but today is a gift, that's why we call it the present.

Here's where you take your bathroom break to clean out your mouth because you just vomited. Hopefully you're smart enough to realize I had no part in devising that nice sentiment. Heart of Humanity...

Anyways, the present is a gift, eh?

I think I wrote that in a speech I gave in middle school. What a load. The present is only a gift if you are a sleazy older businessman with too much money, a wife with a personality of a wet noodle, and a fondness for cheap hotels. "What?" You're wondering. What I mean to say is that the present is only a gift if you are a man trying to buy a prostitute (which interestingly enough you can do through Craigslist these days...but I digress).

You're still wondering what in the hell I am talking about. Well, think about it. If we personify time we come to the following conclusions:

The past is a liar.

The present is a whore.

The future is a tease.

The past is a liar. We never can trust what the real story was. We forget. We fill in the blanks. We exaggerate. We minimalize. Or we dull it down. We don't remember how events reaaaaally happened. We recall how they happened but what we reflect on is always better, worse or just duller than what it really was like when the past was simply the present. Typically when reflecting on the past, nostalgia befriends us and we feel an aching desire to be somewhere that we know we'll never be again that probably isn't even as good as we remember. Or is as good as we remember. It's hard to trust.

The present is a whore. It moves way too fast and it wants all of my time and money. Period.

The future is a tease. Every now and then I see a little skin, I see a little glimmer of what I want. But it never reveals itself to me fully. I have no idea what is going on under all of those layers. Sometimes I like the chase and am happy to have the challenge. Most times I just feel frustrated, left fiending for more.

More Cute Art.

Buff Monster

The Art of Super Happy Pink

Murakami at Brooklyn Museum of Art

Went to see the exhibit this past weekend. Very colorful, very cool. I enjoyed learning that many of the happy go lucky looking critters and adventures in his works often represent something much bigger and much darker about society and her people. 

Some brands have better websites than others. Duh. But a lot of the time it's because the look and ease of use is appealing vs. amazing, unique content and/or offerings. 

Marc Jacobs not only has some of my favorite fashions but it also has one of my favorite websites, not b/c it's so visually appealing but b/c it's got unique content. For example, there's a section called Employee of the Moment. Happy employees typically make happy brands and companies that exercise leadership that's geared toward making happy employees usually are doing something right. 

Check out the page for yourself and the fun, sometimes attractive, sometimes eccentric people behind the Marc Jacobs brand.

Marc Jacobs

"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."
— Chris McCandless

Must See Movie.

For a while I was against Netflix, clinching tightly to the human contact and relationships built by good ol' brick and mortar such as Blockbuster or the local favorite Video Fan. But after searching for "A World Without Thieves" and only finding it at Netflix, I might just convert.

A Chinese award winning movie about a naive village boy who brings his 5 years of savings on a train and experiences greedy thievery from professionals hungry for his earnings. Action packed with beautiful cinematography.  

Summer Goal #1.

Read the book that's been sitting on my night-stand patiently waiting to be read for the past 7 months:

Hip: The History

by John Leland.

"...the story of how American pop culture has evolved throughout the twentieth century to it's current position as world culture touchstone. How did hip become such an obsession? From sex and music to fashion and commerce, John Leland tracks the arc of ideas as they move from subterranean Bohemia to Madison Avenue and back again. Hip: The History examines how hip has helped shape-and continues to influence- America's view of itself, and provides an incisive account of hip's quest for authenticity."

One of the Best Children's Books Ever.

There's more than one side of every story. 

Help your kids understand that at an early age. 

The illustration is great as well. 

It's Not How Good You Are,

It's How Good You Want to Be.

-Paul Arden

Captured MOMA Moments.

Roaches wake up suits.

"Raw creative energy...dark and gritty like New York City."

~www.zooyork.com, history

Viral ad campaign from skateboarding brand Zoo York. 

Non-trad captured on video and released to the web.

See more at zooyork.com/roaches

Effectively gives Zoo York brand personality and 

cements authenticity with counterculture lovers. 

Perhaps the only thing that's true.

One of my favorite quotes is from Socrates.

The wise man knows he knows nothing.

Centuries later, Erykah Badu put it more eloquently in "On and On" (one of my favorite all time songs) on her album Baduizm circa 1997.

The man who knows something knows that he knows nothing at all.

Like a glass slipper....

...only way more comfortable, way more cool, and no waiting around for prince charming to bring it to you.

And as long as you aren't going for the Marc Jacobs jelly shoe, 

more affordable as well.

The jelly shoe is awesome but the clear jelly shoe?

Now that's where it's at. 

I buy at least 2 pair per year.

Nothing like looking like you're barefoot...

as long as you don't look like your preggers too.

A State of Uncontrolled Excitement. Delirium.

Delirium Tremens.

My Favorite Beer.

Born December 26th 1989.

To the proud parents of Huyghe Brewery.

Named Best Beer of the World in 1998 at the World Beer Championships.

Who doesn't love pink elephants?

Who doesn't love Belgian Strong Pale Ale?

Who doesn't love that bottle?

If you get lucky they'll serve it to you in their signature glasses adorned with adorable delirious little pink elephants. 

Book Love.

One of my favorite books. Filled with design, words, ideas, thoughts, musings, pictures, photos, and everything in between. A go to for inspiration by one of the greatest, highest quality publishers ever, Phaidon: 

The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher.

My Fair City.

Only in Richmond would you find a giant mural memorial of Princess Di on the side of a "gentlemen's club." For years, I thought about taking a photo. I'm glad I finally did. Someone finally realized how absurd it was and painted over it. Sad considering it was one of my favorite Richmond landmarks.

Yum.

STAY HUNGRY, STAY FOOLISH.

-Steve Jobs, Apple

Welcome.

I like paper dolls, I like dancing, I like random blogging. This won't have much purpose other than to house things I like, and things I think. Enjoy!