So, How Was Your Day?

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: A coffee. Cherry...

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:59:53 -0400

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

A coffee. Cherry Chobani.

Lunch:

Shared chicken Caesar and chicken fingers. Bloody Mary.

Dinner:

Buffet!

Morning ➛

I am headed to Boca Raton, Florida for our sales conference. Last night, I spent some time packing and did a little fashion show, fussing over this shirt with this tie and these pants with those shoes. Sales Conference is where I present the books I’m publishing to our sales force in a freezing cold conference room that is decorated like a prom hall. Today, I woke up early to do some final things. The son of a very clean Italian mother, I decided I could get a jump on my spring cleaning by stripping the bed of all the sheets, comforter, duvet, and mattress cover and have them laundered while I’m in Florida. I walked to the dry cleaner and dropped everything off and headed to Duane Reade (one of my favorite stores: candles, deodorant cleaning supplies, cards…and produce!) for some last minute travel items. Showered. Drank a coffee and had a cherry Chobani. Hopped in a car with my friend Ken and headed to JFK, where we had Bloody Mary’s, chicken fingers and a Caesar salad. We then met up with our friend Jen and she and I raided Cibo, as is our tradition before work excursions. Lots of nuts and gummy products for our rooms. And these terrible, chalky fruit candies that are in the shape of Pac-Man fruits, bright bananas and oranges and lemons. They are disgusting, delicious, and oddly entertaining at once.

Noon ➛

I am on a JetBlue flight, which is pretty empty. Listening to my girl Tori Amos and have my TV set on Bravo just in case the Beverly Hills Housewives reunion (part 2) comes on. My DVR freaked last night, and I missed it. Which saddens me more than I should admit. So now I’m grazing on snacks and doing absolutely no work work. This always happens to me. I love the quiet moment of flying and I love to have my headphones on and just zone out. I have a ton to read, including the thesis work of an NYU student whose defense panel I will sit on in about 6 weeks (this is my first time doing, so and I am dorkily excited). But instead, I write and tell you about my day. I have a very fantastic author coming to Boca Raton to speak to the sales force on Friday, and I should be thinking of how she should be introduced. It’s Giada De Laurentiis, and she’s writing this amazingly sweet chapter book series. She’s seriously awesome and I am definitely falling in love with her. She knows this. I drank too much white wine once over a lunch at Doug’s restaurant and told her as much. Blue Terra Chips just arrived. Time to snack and pray for housewives.

Night ➛

I am at the hotel, a pink and white thing that is really sort of over-the-top in that way that Florida does so well. I have re-showered, put on some new duds, and headed out to the Penguin family dinner, which will be full of many buffet choices — shrimp and steak and little canapé thingies and what’s that by the melting ice sculpture? About one million desserts. Lots of varying-stages of sunburned publishing people will eat and drink wine that is good but not that good. And I will merrily join them, buttering up rolls — and them — so they will have no choice but to love my presentations in the morning.

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with the most enthusiastic photo in the history of this site?

Aw! Really? I was in a hotel with a very good friend, working on a project, and he is a great photographer (thanks, Scott!). And we got into this thing of wanting to see if we could get my iced coffee (which you can’t see in the shot I ultimately chose) to be in the picture, right at the edge. And we were laughing at how ridiculous this task was.

2. You have two children’s book series under your belt and, as a publisher at Penguin, you’ve focused on creating an affordable book program for kids. Pretty inspiring. Where did this passion for books and education start?

Thank you. That’s very nice of you to say. The truth? I hated reading as a kid. Hated hated hated. But my parents are avid readers, and they always found a way to get me to read something I liked. Choose Your Own Adventures were key — because they didn’t feel daunting. You didn’t have to read straight through from page 1 to the end. You hopped all over. I devoured the book, like candy. And that has been my goal as a writer and publisher: to give kids books that they really want to read. That are, well, delicious. That make them laugh and make them happy and feel accomplished. We even play with font sizes and margins in my group so books bulk thicker and feel like even more of an accomplishment when they are read. But don’t tell any kids that.

3. Did you ever get to watch the Housewives reunion show?

I sure did. On the AWFUL plane ride home from Boca. Which had turbulence for most of it — but not up-and-down turbulence — side-to-side. It was horrible. But I drank a wine or two and watched as the Beverly Hills Housewives went at it, while Andy Cohen, in his tight suit and snappy tie, did his best to referee. Loved every moment. Even with the twin baby boys behind me screaming and squawking the entire time. (One was actually named Francesco, so every time his mother said his name, I immediately thought someone was talking to me. It’s not every day I meet another Francesco, especially one who cries more than I do. And that’s a lot. Give me a good Pampers commercial, and the tears start.) Anyway, Lisa Vanderpump is my absolute favorite. She’s a dream come true. I want her to adopt me and push me on that flowered swing Ken made for her for their anniversary. That scene is amazing, where he presents it to her. As he pushes her on it, she’s just purring, “Dahling. Dahling.”

Francesco lives in New York where he’s a children’s book author and a publisher at Penguin. He’s worked with authors from Anne Rice to Arthur Laurents, and oversaw the campaign for the final book in the Harry Potter series. francescosedita.com

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Cereal with hot chocolate...

Fri, 03 May 2013 12:17:00 -0400

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Cereal with hot chocolate milk. Carrot, beet & pineapple juice.

Lunch:

Chicken mole enchiladas. Soda water. Banana.

Dinner:

Spanish tortilla, with shrimp and mayo. Crusty bread. Ice cream.

Morning ➛

I woke up at 9am, I like to check emails and the news with my computer in bed before I get up. I chat a little with my friend Albert and listened to some new music from his band Lenticular Clouds. I´m was also listening to the new album from The Knife. It´s a little crazy but I love it. I replied to some emails and got up. Took a shower and had breakfast with my boyfriend Paul. We talked about our trip to Chicago in early May. I´m excited because I have never been there. I went to our roof top to see what the day was like and for some fresh air. We decided go to the Brooklyn Flea. I love flea markets, they are very inspiring to me. This time I found some old Michael Jackson Stickers from the 80´s with very beautiful and rare photos. I like to collect everything to do with Michael Jackson.

Noon ➛

We come back home, I was talking with my friend Jorge on the phone. He got a new job and I was very happy for him. After, I talked with my parents by Skype. They live in Santander, my hometown in Spain. Thanks to technology we are always very connected. I told them about our recent visit to Atlantic City. We had so much fun there. We were too tired to make lunch, so we decided to order some Mexican food from Cholulita, our favorite Mexican delivery in Bushwick, Brooklyn. After we ate I took a little nap. On weekends I like to rest more because during the week I´m always running. When I woke up from my nap, I went to meet my gallerist Lillan Munch at Munch Gallery. I had a solo show at the gallery last month. I missed the last opening and I really wanted to see Jacob Dahlstrup and Kristoffer Axén’s show. We talked about our future projects and laughed a lot. Lillan is so sweet and fun.

Night ➛

We went to the gym for an hour. I like to watch TV, reading the subtitles and listening my music at the same time as I exercise. I would like to go more, but somedays I don´t have enough time. Walking home we bought some groceries at Mr. Kiwi, the nice bodega near our house. At home I worked a little on my new art projects, wrote new ideas and did sketches. I made Spanish tortilla, with shrimp and mayo for dinner. I especially like to cook Spanish recipes that I learned from my mom, and Paul loves it too. At the end of the day we watched some TV and fell asleep on the sofa zzzZZZ!!

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with your bedroom? Pretty calm and muted compared to your work.

There are colours! But just not in the picture.

2. Your work has been shown at the most influential art centers in the world. Are you able to sit back and enjoy your success? Or are you one of those tortured artists that nothing is ever good enough?

I feel very lucky for the opportunities that I’ve had, but I think that it´s just the beginning. I still have so many things to do, and a lot of dreams to make come true. There are moments when things are not easy, but we have to trust in ourselves.

3. Share a recipe you learned from your mom, please.

Now that the summer is coming, I love to eat gazpacho. It´s very easy, healthy and delicious. Ingredients: 1 kilo tomatoes, 1/2 small onion, 1 small green pepper, 1 small cucumber, 1 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons of vinegar, 200 grams of day old bread (soaked in water. Then: Put the tomatoes, onion, pepper, cucumber, vinager, oil and bread into the blender. Add a glass of water to make thinner. Put the mixture into a bowl, add salt and pepper and leave the gazpacho to chill for at least an hour. Then eat.

Bubi Canal is a visual artist living in New York City. His work combines photography, video, and sculpture with the recurring themes of wishes, dreams, love, and magic. Bubi’s work has been exhibited in art centers from around the world, including Centre Pompidou in Paris and La Casa Encendida in Madrid. bubicanal.com

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Avocado Toast....

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:38:00 -0400

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Avocado Toast. Coffee.

Lunch:

Ham and bean salad. Water

Dinner:

Benne wafers. Pimento cheese. Wine.

Morning ➛

Wake up around 7 to my cat Marsha sleeping on my neck like a scarf. No yoga today, I just got a shipment in from Morocco that needs to be unpacked and repacked and shipped to some awesome shops! I realize I have no coffee so I drive to Earth Fare and pick up a bag of Intelligentsia Single Origin Rwanda beans. I love African coffees the most; they’re cleaner tasting with some subtle citrus and tartness. I get home, make a cup of coffee, eat some avocado toast and commute 15 feet to my office on the other side of the house. Sit down at my desk and decide which Pandora station is good for unpacking/packing boxes. I’m deciding between a Latino station and Malian (African) station but in the end go with Shakira. A few songs in realize there is way too much Pit Bull going on and change it to the Ali Farka Toure station. Perfect. I get down to the business of reading and answering emails for the next hour or so. I email with my producer’s in Guatemala to check on status of production and samples for a fun new project. Mañana they tell me. Mañana we will have an answer, mañana we will ship you your samples. Mañana, mañana, mañana, mañana. Fine, that’ll do I guess. Eventually get to unpacking raffia shoes from Morocco, tagging, and repackaging to send out to some of my favorite shops!

Noon ➛

Get a little bored/ADD and look for plane tickets for 30-45 minutes. Need to go back to Guatemala in the next few months as well as schedule a fun trip for my birthday at the end of May. Switch up the Pandora to Sean Kingston radio. I pretend I’m on a beach dancing for a few minutes then realize that NO, that’s not the case! I’m actually working on a production spreadsheet. A girl can dream, right? I get in my C-A-R (I have a very generic car and thought it fitting to call it a C-A-R) and run some errands around downtown Charleston; post office, dry cleaners, grocery store all while listening to the Breeders and Jets to Brazil. I have crossed many musical genres today. Around 2:30 I arrive at Susan’s house. Susan is a woman I help out a few days a week with her vintage and antique textile business. She has an incredible collection of global textiles, is extremely well traveled, and an overall inspiration to be around. She is having the Textile Society of America over tonight for cocktails and a tour of her gorgeous home. Guests arrive around 5:30 and we commiserate over textiles, traveling, economic development, fashion, and crafts. My kind of evening!

Night ➛

I get home around 8:30 after snacking on pimento cheese, pickled okra, benne wafers, and white wine at Susan’s so I’m not very hungry. Hang out with Marsha (my cat) for a bit. She’s deaf, albino, and precious. Sit down at my desk with a glass of red wine and answer a few important emails and revise a purchase order to send to Guatemala. Looking forward to New Girl I sit on the couch and realize it’s a rerun. Sad. Finish watching This is 40, laugh a lot, and then hit the bed around 11.

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with that blanket? It’s so good. Where is it from?

It’s a Fulani blanket I found in Mali. It’s my absolute favorite textile that I own! The Fulani are a nomadic tribe found all along the Sahel region of West Africa. They are traditionally cattle herders and known for wearing amazing hats and giant gold earrings.

2. In 2008, you quit your job to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity (and later this trip became your inspiration for Proud Mary). What gave you the courage to take this risk. Did people think you were crazy?

I thrive on change. Ever since studying abroad in college I have had some serious wanderlust. For a long time I thought this meant something was wrong with me. Why couldn’t I just settle down, why was I so antsy, why couldn’t I be fulfilled where I was? It’s taken me a while to realize this but nothing is or was wrong with me, it’s just how I am. So, picking up and going to South America was me doing me. There are a million different ways to “do” things and if you get that itch, you gotta scratch or it will drive you nuts! I don’t think people thought I was crazy, this was my 4th job in 4 years so seemed about right!

3. Since you travel to Guatemala so often, be our tour guide for a second and tell us the top three things we would need to eat, see, or do if we went tomorrow.

Skip Guatemala City and head to Antigua for a few days. Antigua is a beautiful colonial city about 30 minutes from the capital. It’s surrounded by volcanoes and coffee plantations, has some beautiful buildings, great shopping, and food. It’s quite touristy but that’s because it’s chocked full of charm. After Antigua, head up to Lake Atitlan. The lake is surrounded by cute little villages, each with a different vibe. I usually stay on the side of Panajachel because it’s close to some of my weavers. Panajachel is a funny little place with a lot of expats. If there go to Circus Bar, an Italian (I know sounds silly) restaurant owned by a German, gypsy expat. They have great live music. Take a day trip from the lake up to Chichicastenango on Thursday or Sunday for market day. The mostly indigenous Mayans bring their handcrafts and food from all over the country bi-weekly for this giant market. Bring lots of quetzales, bargaining skills, and stamina!

Harper lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her cat Marsha. She is the founder of Proud Mary, a line of modern home and personal accessories created by artisans from around the developing world. With a mission of “pride not pity”, her company’s goods are a celebration of the people and cultures that create them. proudmary.org

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Oatmeal with whiskey. Iced...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:59:00 -0400

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Oatmeal with whiskey. Iced tea.

Lunch:

Salad. Pizza (sausage and jalapeno!).

Dinner:

Shaved vegetable salad with homemade ranch dressing. Malted ice cream with almond crunch.

Morning ➛

It is the weekend, so we sleep later than usual (which isn’t very late—we’re up by 8am). I make some oatmeal while cleaning up the kitchen. Bryan (my partner) is in the other room exercising. I eat at my computer while checking email and getting lost in the internet. Have you seen a slow loris? Sensitive plants are so cool! I want to go to Portugal. I also spend a good amount of time researching Neko Case, in part for fun, in part for a project I am working on. She’s a good writer. But enough with the internet! I force myself to shower and get ready for the day. As I am getting dressed, I realize my closet is a mess and decide to deal with it by pulling a bunch of clothes out and piling them on the floor, at which point I decide I need to get out of the house. The clothes remain on the floor.

Noon ➛

Bryan and I go into the city to meet our friends Katie and Justin for lunch. Katie has been my best friend for forever and is due to have a baby any minute now, so we’re all anxiously awaiting his arrival. After lunch we walk over to Sprout Home, my favorite plant shop. Katie and Justin pick up some herbs for their kitchen, and we find a quirky little fern to add to the gang of plants in our sun room. We give Katie and Justin big hugs, knowing that the next time we see them they’ll likely be three instead of two. Bryan and I take our time strolling back through the west side of the city to the train. It is hard to resist these first days of spring, I want to be wandering outdoors all of the time. We spend a few minutes admiring the skyline from the Ashland green line platform bridge (which is our favorite view of Chicago) before hoping on the train headed west.

Night ➛

We get off of the train a stop early to get some groceries. Sometimes I feel like I spend most of my life at the grocery store. We impulse buy a lot of gum at the register. When we get home, I photograph some malted ice cream and almond croquant that I plan to write about on my blog. It’s delicious. I spend the early evening getting a little more work done, editing some photos, and writing a bit. For dinner, I throw together a salad using some homemade ranch dressing that I had invented the night before. It is tangy—I can’t decide if it is too tangy. We eat the ice cream for dessert. Bryan practices guitar, and I do some cookbook research. We meet up on the couch to watch The Inbetweeners Movie, which we thoroughly enjoy, though not as much as the series. I get into bed and flip through some recently acquired cookbooks (one of the benefits/curses of food blogging is that you get a lot of cookbooks) before switching over to George Saunder’s Tenth of December until it is time to sleep. I dream of Nicki Minaj, a 90s color-block production of Romeo and Juliet, and friendly zombies.

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with the whiskey in your oatmeal?

Bryan and I spent part of our honeymoon at Barnsley House in the Cotswolds. It is an incredible hotel in a gorgeous part of England. For breakfast they served porridge with an optional shot of whiskey added. It blew my mind. I like it best with Drambuie, which is an herb and honey infused malt whiskey. Drambuie isn’t very fashionable these days, but I am obsessed with the flavor. It also pairs really well with strawberries. Anyway, make oatmeal and add 1-2 tablespoons of Drambuie (or bourbon) and a little brown sugar—The Best. Also, you get to tell people you take whiskey in your oatmeal, which is nice and provocative.

2. Your site is one of the biggest cooking sites out there, you’re a food writer, and you go to bed reading cookbooks. Have you found a way to separate your real life from your blog life? Can you enjoy a meal without thinking about it as content?

Yeah, this is something that I am careful about. It is important to me that the writing I do about food does not get in the way of my enjoyment of food, or in the way of my life more generally. I almost never take process photos of cooking, because I don’t like interrupting the experience of preparing food. I also rarely make anything specifically to write about. I basically go about my normal life and cook the food I am interested in and curious about. If I like what I made, I snap a few photos. It is all pretty casual. It means that I only post on my blog occasionally, but you know that I really like what I do choose to share. I have always told myself that if the blog ever starts to feel like work it is time to stop. I still love it, so no end in sight! It is also important to note that I care about other stuff. My background is in art and design, I have a bunch of interests and food is just the one I am choosing to share with the internet. The term “foodie” bothers me, not because it is a stupid word, but because it is so reductive. Who cares about food if you don’t have art and love and nature?!

3. What the hell is a slow loris?

OMG! They are this amazing animal that is especially cute when eating a rice ball. I love how persecuted they look! Slow Loris Video

Tim lives in Oak Park, Illinois, with his partner, Bryan. He is a food writer, stylist, photographer, and creator of the award-winning blog, Lottie + Doof. lottieanddoof.com

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Coffee. KIND bar. Kombucha....

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:10:00 -0400

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Coffee. KIND bar. Kombucha. More coffee.

Lunch:

Handful of almonds. Wasabi rice crackers. Diet Coke.

Dinner:

Kale salad with cashew dressing. Tofu spring roll. Pint of Great Divide’s Denver Pale Ale.

Morning ➛

5:42 am. The familiar timba sound coming from my iPhone’s alarm fails to get me out of bed. Snooze wins. Yoga loses. I sleep until the guilt catches up with me at 6:48. Covers in tow, I scroll through the usual suspects - beginning with Instagram and ending somewhere in a slew of emails I’ve flagged for thorough reply. I do not have internet at my house so all catching up takes place via good ol’ 3G (and yes, the irony is not lost on me - an e-commerce entrepreneur without interwebs). With a sense of urgency (albeit often false), I make just enough time to manage a top-knot, mascara and some sort of plaid shirt before heading to the studio. I arrive to the quiet of my co-founder (and sister) Jenna working away on typical production strategies. I interrupt her, per usual, to take five minutes to talk big. Today we’re talking about a new recycled product we’re developing and the progress of the environmental impact audit we’ve commissioned. We promise ourselves to make room to work on this. To my desk, I decide it’s time to reclaim my to-do list from yesterday’s version - which is filled with chicken-scratched notes from a tech call. I spend an hour in my email, draft out some project ideas for our designer, and respond to some media requests; all this before falling into the rabbit hole of pinterest, feedly and instagram.

Noon ➛

I remind myself to focus and ignore the temptation to refresh my feeds. Because we’re a lean start-up (just 4 of us on staff), I wear many hats (including the one that’s now on my head - a surefire sign of someone who rushed out the door.) I feverishly try to reclaim my morning’s inefficiencies so I decide to photograph some new product to feature on our site banners. I have two calls today: one with the editor of Lifestyle + Charity Magazine and another with renowned photographer Elizabeth Messina. We talk about collaborations, the ‘how-we-got-started’s’ and the ‘let’s-change-the-worlds.’ 3:30 pm and I realize I need to get a post on the blog. Without an editorial calendar to fall back on, I channel my inner wordsmith by overplaying Mackelmore’s “10,000 hours.” Eight plays later, I’ve found my stride and complete a piece on the power of persistence in achieving greatness.

Night ➛

A bit weathered from the day, I laugh at the irony of the optimism in my latest blog post. It turns out 10,000 hours makes for a long work day. A quick to-go meal and I consider it a small miracle that I make it to candlelight yoga. On my mat, I’m reminded to continue persisting on the start-up path (perhaps it’s the Jose Gonzalez song or the yogic philosophies). Either way, it works and I take comfort in knowing sometimes you’ve just gotta “live for the tens” - to quote a friend. The hard work, the lows - you take them because you know there’s a ‘ten’ around the corner. Today’s ten? A pint of beer and a phone call with an old friend with whom I traveled Ethiopia. We talk about our company’s role in her work with the non-profit imagine1day…and about wanderlust. I call it a night with the conviction I’ll book the next trip. Soon. But first, sleep.

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with that awesome headboard?

Ah yes, I made it - but don’t let that fool you into thinking I’m one of those super organized, DIY types (I wish!)…I still have piles of frames that could only hope I were that on top of things. I invested about $12, a summer afternoon, and a six pack of beer (to hire the help of my man-crafty brother-in-law) to piece together an old piece of plywood into a dose of daily awesome for my wall. It reads “Rise and shine and shine and shine…” It took awhile to land on those simple words but it boiled down to my affinity for the word ‘shine’ - a case for choosing joy every. single. day.

2. You see so many stories/photos with the books you have produced through Artifact Uprising. Are there any special ones that inspired you or made you think differently about your own life?

I love seeing all the art come through as stories. The thing is - we live in a really incredible time with so many creation tools at our fingertips. Yet so much of that art lives online. There’s something about the tactile that’s really beautiful - and that is something in the past, by default, that was done so well. Photographer Fawn Deviney reminded us on the power of print with her book “A Well-Traveled Man” - a compilation of old photographs from her pop’s travels around Europe during WWII…it’s so beautiful.

3. Do you not have the internet at home on purpose or do you just live in the middle of nowhere?

Let me preface this by saying I wish I lived in the middle of nowhere…there’d be fields for frolicking, a wood shed and a Westfalia I’d drive to travel into the city. On the internet: what began as a conscious choice to separate work and play has actually turned into a devoted relationship to my iphone’s 3G. I’m on my phone more often than I’d like to admit - adding voice to our social channels and flagging emails for later follow-up. But the no-internet-clause has taught me to leave work at work - or at least the real ‘brain stuff.’ I’ve always believed you can’t do a good job if you’re job is all you do…it’s hard work to hold one’s self to that. But I’m trying.

Katie lives in Denver, Colorado. She is one of three co-founders behind Artifact Uprising - a design-forward, eco-friendly photo book company. In their six months since launching, their work has been featured on Refinery29, Oh Joy!, and Martha Stewart Weddings. www.artifactuprising.com

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Cup of cold water. Tea....

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 09:30:00 -0400

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Cup of cold water. Tea. Cheerios.

Lunch:

Turkey sandwich with multigrain bread, lettuce, onion, provolone, and honey mustard. Water. Banana. Second cup of tea.

Dinner:

Tilapia, avocado, onion, and lime tacos. Lots of salsa. More water.

Morning ➛

I snooze the alarm for another five minutes before crawling out from under the warm covers. Hot shower, blazer and dress, and out the door. As I bus into the city, I WhatsApp my friend in Hong Kong, read a few inspirational verses from my Bible app, and scroll through my workberry for the morning Financial Times headlines. Caribou Coffee is the first stop for my Pomegranate Oolong tea (extra large cup please!) before I get to my desk. I organize my notepad scribbles from last week’s meetings in California and remind myself to send thank you notes. I munch through a bowl (or was it two?) of cereal while working on slides for a client presentation later this week.

Noon ➛

Stomach is growling, so an early lunch today. A phone call and a few emails later, and I’m in a meeting room with some colleagues. We have the great opportunity to be interviewed and featured in an industry magazine, so it’s an afternoon of prep and brainstorming with the communications team.

Night ➛

I never know where the time goes in my day, because I look up from my desk and it’s already a quarter after five. I’m at Brooks Brothers 15 minutes later for the annual “Suited for Success” event hosted by One Million Degrees, a nonprofit organization focused on helping community college students. I stand in the back of the echoing atrium in a crowd of mentors, board members, and supporters, and watch in awe as a group of 20 scholars descend down the marble staircases dressed as sharp as any CEO. The whole time, I couldn’t help but wonder where my mentee, a young mother and aspiring pharmacist, will end up next year. Words of wisdom (dress for the job you want) and advice (socks should match pants not shoes) are shared before the shopping begins (clothes for a good cause? finally putting my hobby to good use!). After chasing down a few hor d’oeuvres and cookies, it’s time to call it a night. Delicious home-cooked meal from the husband, a quick DIY facial, and then the long awaited sleep, finally in my own bed.

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with you looking so young? Are you a child prodigy or something?

Child prodigy – I wish! I’ll take that as a compliment. I do try and add a few years to myself by dressing up more often or being in a suit at work (though I still get comments that I look fresh out of high school). I can thank years of great skincare (my mom has been giving me tricks since middle school) and my parents for their genes. My mom and dad both live healthy lifestyles – they could pass for being a decade younger than their true ages!

2. How did you become a mentor with One Million Degrees?

I first heard of One Million Degrees (OMD) through a colleague I used to work with. At the time, I was looking to get more involved in the city. Over coffee one afternoon, she suggested that I give mentoring at OMD a try. Many organizations throughout the city are dedicated to children, high school students, or adults. But the ‘limbo’ and lack of resources that many community college students might find themselves in is rarely addressed. The name of the organization is interesting too – a million degrees has no bounds, and that’s what we’re going for. My experience has been really amazing so far. My mentee, a very driven young lady, was actually just accepted into her top pharmacy school – an amazing feat for someone who also needs to juggle a family life with kids! We meet once a month and catch up on life and talk about classes or any career-related issues. We actually spent the last two meetings prepping for her interviews. I’ve come to realize how blessed I have been to have certain resources and relationships, whether through friends or family, and being able to share some of this knowledge with my mentee and helping her grow to achieve her dreams has just been an amazing experience so far.

3. Wait, hold up, what is this DIY facial?

Here’s what a standard facial at home looks like: I start by cleansing my makeup, and then I exfoliate. Professional exfoliants are great, but the best scrub is found right in the kitchen – olive oil and sea salt (courtesy of my aunt actually – I’m telling you, skincare runs in the family). Olive oil is one of the best and most affordable oils for the skin. Contrary to what many think, adding olive oil to the skin doesn’t make you break out – it can help soothe and hydrate deep into the pores. The salt, on the other hand, actually combats a lot of the impurities and acne that might be deep in the skin. Just mix a little in your palm and scrub in circular motions! Rinse with warm water, and your face feels amazing. Leaving some olive oil alone on the face for about 5 minutes can act as a great mask. Face gels or cooling lotions are great too – anything water based is great for the skin to soak up for a few minutes. And of course, I finish with a rich moisturizer – a must in a city like Chicago!

Jessica lives in downtown Chicago with her husband. She is a Hedge Fund Associate at Northern Trust and a mentor for One Million Degrees, a nonprofit focused on helping community college students succeed. onemilliondegrees.org

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Fried egg white on toast with...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 08:40:19 -0400

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Fried egg white on toast with avocado, tomato, and jalapeños.

Lunch:

Grapes, strawberries, blueberries.

Dinner:

Balsamic-glazed pork chops and broccoli.

Morning ➛

Alarm goes off at 6 am - oops. Not on a Sunday. Shut off and go back to sleep until 8:30. Grab my phone and check Facebook and Instagram to see what my friends back home got up to last night (Santiago is 5 hours ahead of California at this time of year). I stay in bed for a while and read food blogs and look though my cookbooks for lunch ideas for the week. A couple of my good friends/colleagues and I just started a project that we have very non-creatively dubbed “The Lunch Bunch,” where each of us takes one day of the week to cook lunch for the others. It’s so nice not to have to worry about making lunch every day, and we have had some fabulous meals. It inspires me to cook things I wouldn’t otherwise make for just myself. Eat breakfast. Make my shopping list and drive to La Vega Central, which is a huge produce market downtown. I go every Sunday. It’s summer here in the southern hemisphere, so all of the stalls are brimming over with fantastic fruits and vegetables. I love the energy of the market - so many sounds, smells, and colors. Park my car and pay a guy 2000 pesos (about 4 US dollars) to wash it while I’m shopping. Come out to a shiny, clean car, load it up, and head to the supermarket where I buy my meat. In the parking lot of the supermarket, a woman drives past and makes a hand gesture at me, the meaning of which I do not know. Text my teaching partner, who is Chilean, to ask him what it means. I’m a bit disappointed that it’s not vulgar/useful. I find very amusing the ways in which different cultures choose to express themselves nonverbally. Shop. Arrive home, and wash and put away all of the groceries. The grapes and berries I pop into my mouth as I wash end up being today’s lunch.

Noon ➛

Head downstairs to the pool for some vitamin D and grab a lounge chair, where I read the book for the book club I’m in. It’s a group of expat women from several countries, and we get together once a month to eat and discuss books. I’m hosting the next meeting, so I figure I’d better be sure to finish this book. It’s now an acceptable hour in California for phone calls, so I call my mom and chat with her for a bit, as I do almost every day. I think about how much technology has affected my experiences living abroad. I am constantly connected to friends and family back home. When my mom moved to the States from Mexico in the 70s, I think she talked to her family a couple of times a month. After the pool, walk over to the gym, where I settle in on the StairMaster for an hour and watch an episode of Dexter on my iPad. Not sure how popular that show is here, so I often wonder what people are thinking when they look over and see some graphic or gruesome scene unfolding on my screen. Sometimes I just throw my towel over it. Hit the steam room for a bit, then walk back home.

Night ➛

Sit down at the computer to make some travel arrangements. Call hotels and price flights for a girls’ weekend in Mendoza, Argentina. Initiate a group text message to discuss it, and 10 minutes later, all four of us have booked our flights. Rent a car for an upcoming trip to Easter Island (over Easter weekend, actually). Do some preparing for a presentation I’m giving at an educator’s conference in Buenos Aires in a couple of weeks. A colleague and I are presenting on the use of mobile devices in the classroom, so I browse educational technology blogs and put together the demonstration lesson. Grade the short answer section of an online quiz I gave my students and input the grades in the online gradebook. I’m trying to be as paperless as possible in my classroom (not because I’m green, just because I absolutely detest piles of paper), so being able to do everything online is great. Head to the kitchen and make myself some pork chops and broccoli, all in the cast-iron skillet I have recently become kind of obsessed with. Take a shower and dry my hair so that I don’t have to do it in the morning, and am in bed by 10 pm so I can get a full 8 hours and be up at 6 am to tackle another week.

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with you teaching in Santiago? How did you get a job there?

While I was doing my teaching credential years ago, I found out about international teaching from a professor. There are American and international schools all over the world that hire English speaking teachers. I was really interested in doing it, but at the time I lacked the certification and experience. By the time I finished my credential program, I already had a teaching contract, boyfriend, etc. Life had happened. About five years later, I was in a place where I could make such a move, so I signed up with a recruiting firm, went to a job fair, got a job, took a leave of absence from my job, and moved to Bogotá, Colombia to teach middle school history for two years. Last year I felt the itch to live abroad again, so I repeated the process and moved to Santiago about 9 months ago. I feel so fortunate to have a career that I enjoy and that I can do pretty much anywhere in the world.

2. Online quizzes and teaching with mobile devices is cool - but how much technology is too much in the classroom? They don’t even teach how to write script anymore.

Interesting question. I can’t remember the last time I wrote in full cursive. We have to consider how kids learn these days. Their brains are wired differently than adults’ are because of all of the technology they have grown up with. They process information differently. It’s my job to deliver content to them in ways that are engaging. I can have them analyze a photo or a painting on paper or projected on the board. They might tune in, I might have a few kids raise their hands and share their thoughts. Or I can give them an iPad with the same image on it. They can zoom in on details, mirror their screen on the board to share, or text in their thoughts. You would be amazed at the instant engagement and participation.

3. It’s disappointing that the gesture that woman gave you didn’t mean anything vulgar. So, give us one that is. You know, just in case we ever make it to Santiago.

I asked around. Apparently the middle finger is a universal favorite.

Erica is a Calforinian living in Santiago, Chile, where she is an eighth-grade social studies teacher. photo credit: Amy Bell

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Cereal. Orange juice. Vanilla...

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:41:00 -0400

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Cereal. Orange juice. Vanilla earl grey tea.

Lunch:

Leftover Khoresht-e Lubia from the night before (Persian green bean stew).

Dinner:

Sliders. Waffle fries. Bourbon.

Morning ➛

I set my alarm for 7am, snooze once or twice, eventually check my phone for any emails that may have come through, finally get out of bed, and off to the gym. At any given moment, I have a song or set of songs I’m trying to get through but tend to resort back to a few that are constantly on my radar. I listen to this ongoing playlist at the gym and when I’m home getting ready. After I’m all dressed, I turn on the news, make breakfast, and work on my laptop for a few minutes before heading to the office. Note: me being on my laptop consists of avoiding answering emails (unless it’s urgent) and is more or less me surfing the web while listening to some music. I’m bad at listening to music, in that I skip after only a few seconds into a song and don’t listen fully until I find something that catches my ear. I head into the office and am greeted by my colleague’s French bulldog, Harley. Currently playing: Little Green Cars, Yadi, Dead Times, Alizee, Kidnap Kid, MNEK, Gorgon City ft. Yasmin, Rudimental, Syron, John Newman, Vacant, Tourist.

Noon ➛

I have a phone call with a brand about the day-party my company is throwing at SXSW, which ends up turning into a bigger conversation about sponsoring a few of our artists’ tours this year. After, I finalize a few more details surrounding the party and make sure our invite is all set to go out in morning. I go back to working on coordinating the marketing and radio plans for an artist tour that is announcing this Monday. I was supposed to go to a meeting to discuss branding/marketing with a company downtown, but it’s snowing heavily outside. We reschedule and I hole up in the office. I warm up my leftovers from the night before and eat at my desk. I monitor news surrounding the agency’s artists and have our interns coordinate company website and social media postings. Currently playing: Annie Mac’s Sunday Show.

Night ➛

My colleagues and I have a get together at Small Bar in Logan Square tonight. I work in Logan, so I drive over to Small Bar right after work with a few coworkers. I’m ready to call it a night after having four sliders, waffle fries, two glasses of Bulleit bourbon, and great conversation with my colleagues. I head home and immediately start listening to a song that I have not been able to get out of my head the whole night. Eventually, I get into bed, check email, and take care of anything pressing. Around 11:30pm it’s lights out for me. Currently playing: MNEK on repeat.

Three Last Things…

What’s up with SXSW this year? Who are the bands/parties that shouldn’t be missed?

Honestly, SXSW has changed and isn’t what it used to be. I don’t recommend people go unless they have to for work or have a legitimate reason to attend. The conference has shifted towards the industry and has become heavily branded. The focus on music is lacking and almost every band that plays down there now is signed. I could ramble on and on about it. But if you do go, check out the Billions Showcase at Antone’s on Friday, March 15th. You’ll be able to catch some amazing artists.

2. You probably get demos up the wazoo. How are you able to determine when some “has it?”

This is tough as there really is no right answer. I am sent a ton of music, which is probably the reason why I have A.D.D. when I listen. I can get a strong understanding of how a song or an artist’s music will be after only a little bit into each song. The music will also have more weight if a trusted source brings it to me, but there are also a ton of occasions where my own research will lead me to something worth pursuing. If I connect with an artist, I have to look at what team is in place, and contemplate whether it’s worth pitching to the agents. It’s hard to do, but I think you have to be able to look at the bigger picture and foresee if the artist in question is unique, has a following, and can grow into something sustainable. There are a bunch of acts that I’ve found and haven’t given a second thought. A few months go by and the act becomes the next big thing. I never get hung up on this, because I always think that I passed on the artist for a reason.

3. I heard you speak Farsi. Translate: “Ardie, you look smoking hot in your photo.” Thanks.

Ha. Way to make me blush. Translation: Ardie, axe-toe khaylee khosghele.

Ardie lives in Chicago and is the Marketing and Media Manager for The Billions Corporation, a live music booking agency. He’s also a violinist. @ardieparty billions.com Photo credit: Tenae Graybosch

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Stuffed unicorn. Crest....

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:20:00 -0500

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Stuffed unicorn. Crest. Chicago tap.

Lunch:

Pistachio log. Baguette. Haribo.

Dinner:

Pickle tots. Pork-something-or-other. Scotch.

Morning ➛

My morning starts when my two-year-old son, Gus, crawls onto my face in bed and requests in a totally-too-loud-for-6am voice that I must wake up at once. Upon my refusal, he proceeds to play a car-themed video game on my I-Phone as he wedges his knee cap into my neck throat. My daughter scampers in carrying some sort of rainbow-colored equestrian animal that she introduces to me for the 1400th time. Usually, the unicorn’s name is Olivia. On this particular morning, I recreate the post-mortem of this delightful scene with the help of my photographer friend, Anthony La Penna. He speaks child.

Noon ➛

Dash down to the corner for the cheese drop that Stamper Cheese offers during the winter. Feels a little sketchy nabbing a brown paper bag from a dude in a white van on the side of the road, but they do cheese good. Once Gus finally naps, I sneak in a few projects around the house: paint a door frame, build a fort, design some stickers for the Cakegirls, host an impromptu Dora the Explorer dance party, craft an Old Fashioned with a couple extra Luxardo cherries.

Night ➛

My wife, Jen, and I get a babysitter for the evening and are grateful to hit the town for a few hours. Try out Trenchermen in Wicker Park and admire the wonderous pink spread that accompanies the pickle tots. Take notes for my Small Snack map before heading out to meet friends at Ada Street for cheery banter and a Pig’s Nose Scotch served in the coolest glass of which I was unable to convince the bartender to let me steal. While we are at it hit the Hideout for two Gumballheads. Uber ourselves home. Wander Instagram before dreaming of flags.

Three Last Things…

What’s up with Small Snack map you mentioned? What is that?

A Small Snack is the single best thing to eat, drink or do at a bar, restaurant or other locale. I chart these on maps of my own design for neighborhoods across the country and elsewhere. They are like little curated culture junkie walking tours.

2. Your book, This Is Your Book is such a thoughtful and modern take on a traditional baby book. How did it go from being something you made for your own baby to a published book?

Thank you. Three things that made a difference for me were 1) creating an original idea, 2) honing a marketing plan, and 3) finding a great book agent. Though my book was based on a familiar genre, mine was markedly different than the others in tone and design. In addition to writing, designing and self-publishing the book at first, I also created a web presence and sold the books to new moms and dads before a publisher ever came into the picture. That process helped me work out a lot of the kinks and proved I had a viable product. Finally, my wife did a lot of the networking that led to a partnership with a book agent at Stonesong Press who was willing to champion the work. Book agents are the gatekeepers to the publishing world and mine coached me through writing a proposal as well as connecting me with the deal makers at publishing houses.

3. How would you describe the taste of stuffed unicorn.

Magically delicious.

Ryan lives in Chicago with his wife, Jen, and two kids. By day, he’s a creative director conjuring up ideas for Happy Meals and Miller High Life. By night, he designs maps, prints, and books for his label, Star RM. He is the author of This Is Your Book and is working on yet another one of his Small Snack Maps. www.starrm.com smallsnack.com photo credit Anthony LaPenna

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Fried egg on toast,...

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:57:00 -0500

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Fried egg on toast, salted/peppered. A few berries. Huge glass of water. Small decaf iced coffee.

Lunch:

Platter of cheese, almonds, tomatoes, carrots, apple slices, pita chips and hummus. More water, and lots of it.

Dinner:

Caprese salad. Spinach and goat cheese pizza. More water.

Morning ➛

The alarm clock (aka baby monitor) sounds and I’m awakened by my 6-month-old daughter scratching at the sheets of her crib mattress. She babbles for a few minutes, then her talk turns louder as she lets me know she’s ready to play. I leave my husband and two dogs in bed and pad over to her nursery to start our day. I change her diaper and nurse her, then we head into the kitchen for breakfast. She sits on the kitchen counter and plays with her favorite toy (a wooden spatula) as I cook and read my emails aloud to her from my phone. After I’m finished eating, I leave my phone in the kitchen and we head to the spare bedroom for a good hour of uninterrupted, tech-free playtime: crawling, bouncing, singing, eating blocks and chewing stuffed animals. It’s fairly quiet, just Bee and me. She tires quickly so I lay her down for her morning nap. I then head to the office to answer emails and plan my day. She naps for an hour or so, and then we start the cycle all over again, sheet-scratching and all.

Noon ➛

My husband wakes up (he’s a night owl) and takes over baby duty while I shower, prep some lunch and head into our office to start my work day. I draft a few articles, answer emails, distract myself with Twitter and take breaks throughout the day to feed and smooch the baby. She’s in that fun, squishy stage where she smells like perfection and Skittles. Today I squeeze in a few calls: (1) With a snap manufacturer in Los Angeles to order custom color samples for a baby onesie line I’m designing, and (2) With a European content creator to discuss an upcoming keynote presentation I’m giving this summer. More Twitter distractions, some mindless Instagramming, some lengthy blog post edits and a few additional email responses before my husband calls me in for dinner.

Night ➛

Enjoy a quiet dinner with the husband and baby, which generally includes taking turns feeding Bee avocados and re-capping our days. Tonight, I head back to the office to tie up a few loose ends while my husband gets Bee ready for bed. He calls me when it’s bedtime and we head back to the nursery for her last feeding and some cuddle time. After Bee goes down for the night, my husband and I go through our nightly ritual of The Decision: (1) Watch an episode of Fringe? or (2) Enjoy a sauna? (My husband just built the most decadent Finnish sauna out of a spare closet in our bathroom.) Tonight, Sauna wins and we chat until our fingers prune and the steam fogs the door. I head to bed early to prep for another quiet, early morning with Bee, and Ken heads out to the office to edit a film he’s working on. He tucks me in with the dogs and I drift to sleep in 2 minutes or less.

Three Last Things…

What’s up with your dreamy porcelain skin? Your skin products, please.

Oh gosh, this is so hilarious because I have the most problematic skin in the universe. Everything breaks me out (I think the latest discovery is dairy, but I’m not willing to forgo cheese), so I’m constantly changing up my skincare regimen. Right now I’m using a combination of jojoba oil as a make-up remover, Neutrogena deep clean facial cleanser and Dermalogica skin smoothing cream. I also use shea moisture body wash and am obsessed with EO’s lotion for my legs/arms. And, of course, my #1 skin product is Photoshop.

2. You made a commitment this year to join the slow blogging movement. What was your tipping point to take a step back and let your ideas marinate?

I think after you become immersed in any job for so many years, you start to lose the why of it all. Blogging became very plug-and-play, and I hated that I was following the same formula for generating content and producing posts. It was becoming easy and old and tiring, and I wanted to jump-start my creativity again. So I returned to my roots - the reason I started blogging, which was to focus on discovery and ideas and sharing. As a result, I’m less concerned about posting daily and more concerned with whether I’m inspired at the very moment I hit “publish.” It’s been an amazing change - I feel invigorated by the idea that I can sit down for the day and have no idea what I want to share with the world, and I find that I’m letting my thoughts and imagination dictate the content I’m publishing, rather than what I have planned in my editorial calendar.

I think, too, that when you’re constantly searching for the next big trend or designer or product, you lose the magic that comes with truly connecting with the product or person you’re sharing. I’ve so enjoyed interviewing artists/designers again and truly listening to their stories. It’s been an incredible inspiration for me to hear of the struggles they’re overcoming daily. It’s nice to allow myself the time to ruminate over an in-depth concept, rather than trying to summarize and condense it as fast as I can so I can move onto the next post. It’s like a slow feast of flavors, rather than a quick trip to the drive-in. I’m so thrilled with the pace.

3. Your mission is to uncover “how design can change the world”. What designs have had the biggest impact on your life since you started Design For Mankind?

Oh man, choosing one piece/concept is so hard, but I find myself continually thinking of this infographic journal project even though it’s been nearly a year since I uncovered it: the Infographic Journal by Merel Brouns. I just can’t help but think how much better our world would be if we all took a moment to truly reflect on our days in this fashion - from the mundane to the groundbreaking. What sort of things would we realize about ourselves? There are so many minute behaviors and habits that we sweep under the rug, but by documenting everything about our days, the proof is in print. How might this motivate us to make positive changes in an effort to live a life that’s [quite literally] note-worthy? An inspiring thought, yes?

Erin lives in Indiana with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. She is a writer, speaker, stylist, and consultant. Erin’s work has been featured in Glamour, Lucky, Dwell, Nylon, Apartment Therapy, and The Huffington Post. Her blog, Design For Mankind, was named one of the “top 50 design blogs in the world” by the London Times. designformankind.com designforminikind.com

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Coffee from Gaslight. Greek...

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 09:25:00 -0500

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Coffee from Gaslight. Greek yogurt with strawberry rhubarb jam.

Lunch:

More coffee. Vegetable soup. Tea. Orange juice.

Dinner:

Cannellini beans with homemade marinara (recipe from my friend Viktorija Todorovskaʼs Puglian cookbook). More tea.

Morning ➛

I woke up at 5:30 and read the news on Twitter, checked The Curated Group email to catch up on some of my side projects, took a quick look at my FLOR email to make sure I wasnʼt in for any surprises at the office, grabbed coffee, and got ready. Iʼm just back from a trip to Italy, so my already lengthy morning process has only been elongated by having all of these new luxurious lotions and potions to play with. Iʼm obsessed with this make-up line I discovered in Florence, called Kiko. Listened to Glen Hansardʼs album on the way downtown. Heʼs definitely my celebrity crush. Got to work at 8:30. Iʼve been at FLOR for a year as their Director of Retail Operations, and weʼve opened stores all over the country this past year, so I have really gotten back to my road-warrior roots. I traveled over 100k miles this year domestically, which felt a little bit insane, but I like adventures and have loved getting to know our store teams. This morningʼs meetings were all about finalizing our 2013 strategy, closing the books on 2012, and getting ready to launch our new product lineup. The first copies of our new catalogue were delivered to our desks this morning, and I think it is really beautiful. I love seeing how other people live, and I think the creative team does an incredible job of using real homes to highlight our product. Iʼm also really excited because page 42 of the catalogue features my dog, Ivy. I guess that makes me a newly minted stage mother.

Noon ➛

Over lunch, I checked my personal email, read more news on Twitter, and got my work schedule for Greer. I moonlight at the store two times a month or so. It keeps me on the front lines, which is really important to me since I donʼt get to work directly with customers as often as I used to. I never want to lose sight of what it feels like to work with clients in a brick and mortar environment, and it also gives me an excuse to work in what I think is the most beautifully curated stationery store in the country and spend time with the owner, my dear friend, Chandra Greer, who has been a really important mentor for me. The Greer girl team (there are five of us) is like a family, and even though it sometimes means I work a six or seven-day work week, I wouldnʼt trade it for anything. After lunch I met with a Chicago FLOR Sales Consultant/Designer, Katie Schoen, who is helping me execute the designs for the flooring of the stage and outdoor areas for TEDActive in Palm Springs. Iʼve been attending the TED conference on and off since 2008, when I went as part of my job at Vosges Haut-Chocolat. Itʼs one of my favorite weeks of the year, and I am really looking forward to representing FLOR there in February. It is definitely the most concentrated dose of inspiration I get, and Iʼve met some of the most important people in my life there…so I have high expectations.

Night ➛

At 5:30 I was out the door to 826CHI, which is a center that provides free after-school tutoring, workshops, and field trips. It was founded by Dave Eggers, so the focus of the center is on creative writing, and it is such a gift to have a chapter in Chicago. Iʼve been on the Board since 2010, after volunteering for two years as a workshop instructor. I think I was mostly asked to join so that I could help advise the retail store that sits in front of the tutoring center, The Boring Store. Truth be told, the manager, Molly Walsh, is always teaching me new tricks. Iʼve been in retail since I was 14, and in 25 years I have rarely encountered a manager with intuition like hers. At 8 I rushed home to have a Skype call with Joey Colando, a singer-songwriter in Portland. Weʼre working on a project together called Circuses and Funerals. At 9 I made dinner, which I love to do. Since I am rarely in town these days, being in my own kitchen feels like a luxury. Now I am going to catch up on personal email and then work on the cards I have been designing for Greer. I have promised her (and myself) that she will be my only client to make sure it stays fun and doesnʼt end up being a job. I feel really honored that she bought them for the store, and it takes all of my willpower not to clap when I ring one up. I spend a little bit of time writing before bed (journal, letters, thank youʼs) and fall asleep to a movie on Netflix with Ivy snoring.

Three Last Things…

What’s up with that necklace? Aren’t you afraid of strangling yourself in your sleep?

My Grandfather was a jeweler, so it comes naturally that I believe that there is no occasion that one should be without jewelry, including bed and photo shoots. Actually, I don’t sleep in it, but I do wear it a lot. Parts of it were a gift from someone who figured into my life in an important way this year. The rest are beads and trinkets I’ve added as I’ve traveled. Very special to me. Lots of memories wrapped up in it.

2. Circuses and Funerals sounds both creepy and cool. What’s the project all about?

It’s a semi-autobiographical and semi-not-at-all-autobiographical exchange of letters and songs that will end up as a book and companion album. I’m obsessed with reading artists’ letters, and I still really miss mix tapes, so this is the cure for that obsession and nostalgia. I’ve always dreamed of going on a book tour, so hopefully we’ll be able to sell it and hit the road. I thought of the idea when I was at Burning Man this summer, and I’m glad I was able to convince Joey to create it with me. The title Circuses and Funerals is a reference to the summer of 1989, which I spent living in the USSR, and a nod to the name of a collection by one of my favorite clothing designers, Ray Harris.

3. You said you promised to only sell your line to Greer. What store could convince you to break your vow? There has to be one you dream about.

There are two. Am I allowed to choose two? My Mother’s beautiful store in DC, Upstairs on 7th, and Merci in Paris. I love my Mama, and I am obsessed with Merci.

Katy lives in Chicago. She is a fifth-generation retailer, owner of The Curated Group (a full-service luxury retail consultancy), and Director of Retail Operations at FLOR. thecuratedgroup.com @kddrew

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: 2 egg whites. Banana tofu...

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:04:38 -0500

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

2 egg whites. Banana tofu cocoa smoothie. Strawberries.

Lunch:

Apple slices with peanut butter. Tuna with vegan mayo.

Dinner:

Veggie stir-fry. Steamed artichoke. Chocolate mug cake.

Morning ➛

Woken up by two doxies jumping onto the bed. Up to the rooftop for an early run, catch the sun coming up. Head back downstairs to prep breakfast. A quick peek at texts and emails. Stretching and a half hour in the gym, and back upstairs to shower, shave, and run the dogs. I grab my Norse Projects scarf to keep warm in the chilly New York weather and head out the door. I’m boycotting elevators to increase daily exercise, so the 5th-floor home and 3rd-floor office help.

Noon ➛

Check in with the designers to make sure they’re still feeling inspired about upcoming projects and pitches. Make certain projects are on track, course correcting where needed. Update through a few current digital publications, including FastCo, Wired, Paper, and Monocle. Work through back-to-back phone conferences, then sit back down with my team to review project status and data. I wrap the day with a discussion of company branding initiatives…and am out the door by 6:30 or so.

Night ➛

Walk up to my place and dig into some of my favorite blogs as an emotional reset. Mix a drink and get off my feet for a while… Feed and walk the dogs, then start prep work on my own dinner. Enjoy slightly blackened stir-fry while checking over personal email. Head down for laps in the pool, then another 30 in the gym. Walk back up to a bit of reading and hop online for bill paying, shopping, etc. ‘til I’m about ready for bed.

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with the awesome apartment that has both a rooftop track and a swimming pool?

I found a new-construction apartment building in Greenpoint that had been built as a condominium but had gone through troubles in construction during the economic downturn. The new owners were in a spot and needed renters fast, so I got a very good deal on this place. It’s sort of a luxury building, but with corners cut when the building was handed from bank to bank. There’s no rooftop track, but since I’m the only one up there that early, I have the entire thing to myself.

2. From your Meme stool to the tool series for Restoration Hardware, your products are so clean and refined. Where does this design restraint come from, and how do you maintain it?

I’m a big fan of Simplicity! If there isn’t a need for something in a design, it’s usually got to go. The design restraint comes from my knowledge of classic and historically designed artifacts and tools from our past. We often solve problems today by layering complexity onto already busy resolutions. The key instead is to peel back the learned complexities and find the core issue or problem you are designing for. That said, I do enjoy ornamentation when it has the right purpose. I’m all about combining the form and utility of an object without overt complexity, and that may sound simple, but remember that “simple” doesn’t always mean “easy.” Ornamentation can serve as the Utility or Function in an object as well.

3. How’s that elevator boycott going?

You’d be surprised how much exercise you get doing a 5th-floor walk up a few times a day…and I’m amazed at how much easier it’s gotten. It’s also surprising to see that I’m about the only person that does this in the building. When I first started my studio, it required lots of down time on the phone and at a computer, so now I really enjoy any activity I can get.

Chris lives in NYC where he is the designer and director of Streng, a design and branding firm. He has worked with brands such as MUJI, Kitchen Aid, and Swatch. strengdesign.net photo credit: Maggie Romano

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Meal replacement...

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 09:21:00 -0500

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Meal replacement shake.

Lunch:

Shrimp in white wine broth & farro (made that shit at home).

Dinner:

Sushi.

Morning ➛

Woke up in a bit of daze. There were some earthquakes last night. Just another morning in LA. Can’t seem to get “Thinkin’ Bout You” by Frank Ocean out of my head. Seems to make sense, ‘cause there hasn’t been another song that I’ve been thinkin’ bout for the last friggin’ week. I shake the dust off and go for a run. Throw my ipod on to — you guessed it — Frank Ocean’s “White” (alright, maybe you didn’t guess it). Get back. Make a few calls. Head to the hospital to visit a friend who had surgery (womp womp). He’s fine.

Noon ➛

Return from the hospital, feeling oddly inspired. Can’t tell ya why. Started working on the next painting in my “Escape” series, which is composed of different items people use to escape reality (i.e., pills, cocaine, alcohol). I start one of a vibrator. Yep, a vibrator. Seeing as though I’ve never held a vibrator - or even seen one up close really, painting this shit is proving harder than expected. My patience is running low. My frustration is running high. I could go for one of the other items in my series about now. Instead, I tweet a sarcastic comment about girls posting pictures of their eyes on Instagram. I’m in a particularly snarky mood today. I blame the earthquakes.

Night ➛

Bounce over to a friend’s birthday dinner in Santa Monica, then I’m supposed to head across town to Silverlake. Apparently some shakin’ hipster party that might as well be on the fuckin’ moon. Thankfully, I’ve got a few Sigur Ros albums to calm the drive. I forget to bring my camera bag, so I have to swing home on the way to the party. I’ve been doing a photo project for the charity Operation Smile. I call it Hipster Camera. Which seems to make sense for this party full of hipsters I’m about to roll to. But as I head out, another friend invites me to this magazine party. She’s on the cover. So I go support. And it’s way closer to home, so it’s a no-brainer. It turns out to be on the rooftop of some hotel in WeHo. It’s stunning. The night concludes with a little awkward rumblin’ on the dance floor and feeling nothing but grateful for this day - which has not stopped moving.

Three Last Things…

What’s up Mr. Nonconformist? Why didn’t you take your photo in bed like everyone else?

Well. To start off, I guess — and to be completely honest — I wanted to stand apart from the rest. I mean…that’s what all of us (the people featured on this blog) were attempting to do. They were all attempting to reveal a bit of their talents, personalities, and knowledge by using thoughtful words and showing some character in their photo. I wanted to reveal a bit of my, I dunno, call it quirkiness, by having a photo of me waking up on the coffee table, surrounded by my cameras (the ones used in the Hipster Camera project). And lately, that project has been something that I just wake up thinking about - so I suppose I also wanted to show a bit of that as well. But also, in truth, sometimes I just wake up on the fucking coffee table (it’s where I do my work).

2. Tell us all about your Hipster Camera project with Operation Smile.

The Hipster Camera project is something that started out sort of unceremoniously. I bought one of the cameras, my sister took a photo of me taking a picture of her, and I put it on Instagram. Then I just started carrying the camera around, and people would ask if they could use it. While they were snapping a photo of me, I’d snap a photo on my phone of them. Every time I put it on Instagram, I called it Hipster Camera. It carried on like that for a while, until I had some of my friends who (without trying to make things sound like anything more than the reality) are recognizable ask to be involved in it. I put their photos up, it got some attention, and that’s when my mind started to churn this into something more. I approached Operation Smile because I like what they do. I have plans to do a book with them - taking more photos with the Hipster Camera, of course…but that’s just the plan. Things are developing daily. There’s some exciting shit that may be on the horizon, but my main goal with this is to help raise money and awareness for their charity. However I can do that, that’s what I’m after.

3. You’ve listed vibrators, pills, and cocaine as a few examples for your painting series. What’s your “Escape”? Real talk.

What’s my escape…? Hmmm. Real talk? I mean, I paint what I know (to an extent). I’m certainly not gonna lie and say I’ve never experienced alcohol, drugs, or sex. That would be some obvious bullshit. The things I paint in the “Escape” series are a representation of the things I’ve experienced, to some degree. There are just some moments, mornings, and memories that you don’t want to live out anymore. And that is what moves people to escape. I’m not trying to compel someone towards one thing or the other. I just want them to stop, look at the painting, feel what that image brings up, and then hopefully consider what moves them in that direction. I want the observer to become aware of themselves. To consider why they’d want to escape who they are. And maybe address those issues. It’s perhaps a lofty goal, but that’s what this series is about. So to circle back around to the question - and I’m sorry for not being specific - I use plenty of things to escape…but my art allows me to consider why.

Shawn lives in Los Angeles. He’s an actor (8 seasons on Desperate Housewives), a painter, and the creator of Hipster Camera. shawpyfrom.com shawnpyfrom.tumblr.com

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Toast with bananas and peanut...

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:08:00 -0500

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Toast with bananas and peanut butter.

Lunch:

Prosecco. Cheese. Cured meats. Pickles. Bread. Rillete. Pate. Marcona almonds. Country ham from the Goat.Sheep.Cow tent.

Dinner:

Pot roast with carrots and potatoes. Butter beans. Rice. Biscuits. Squash. Pickled cucumbers.

Morning ➛

The alarm goes off, and in typical Sunday morning fashion, I press snooze at least three or four times. I call my buddy Jason, the chef-de-cuisine at FIG, to check in. We are going to the Charleston Cup this morning to represent my company (Jack Rudy Cocktail Co.), and he has agreed to help out. Plus, there is fancy dress, tasty food, and pretty women in it for us, so it makes it easier to rise early on our sacred day off. I ask him to bring bananas, because I have some peanut butter that I bought online that I wanted him to try - and bananas are the perfect vehicle for peanut butter. Feeling mighty fine today because horse racing is the optimal time to throw on your finest threads, and I picked up a bow tie for the occasion. I have a friend, Cooper Ray, who designs bow ties for Brooks Brothers under his label, Social Primer. And Cooper lives in Charleston, so I love to support. After I finish the banana toast, I spread some peanut butter on some cucumber slices, which is a move that Jason introduced me to. Put that on dark rye - it sounds weird, but it’s good as hell.

Noon ➛

We leave the house, packing up my car with tonic, some Beefeater Gin, and some random snacks for the day, which I learn later we won’t need. We start heading to Hollywood, SC, only to realize a couple of minutes into the trip that I don’t have soda water or ice, which I will need for the bar. We stop at Harris Teeter and grab those sundries. We arrive at the track. Parking was tough, and we were lugging about 50 lbs of ice/coolers/goods each, so the trek was challenging. We watch the horse races, bet on the ponies, drink G&T’s, eat food, and generally make merry. We find the tent. Sweaty and exhausted. We take a bit to pound some prosecco, cool down, and eat some snacks. Friends swing by throughout the afternoon, the weather is perfect, and all feels right in the world.

Night ➛

On the way back into town I get a message from a friend that her mom is passing through town and has decided to fix a proper country feast. She asks me if I would like to join, and I respond with an enthusiastic “Hell yes.” In the interim, we’ve made plans to meet some friends at The Royal American for another cocktail once we hit downtown Charleston. We arrive, grab a bourbon and soda water, and take to the spacious patio. Our friends arrive - Liz Macpherson (from a previous SHWYD feature) and Harper Poe (the beautiful gal behind Proud Mary). We have a drink, laugh about an awesome inscription in the men’s bathroom, and then go our separate ways. I arrive at my friend Emmie’s house for dinner. At this point I’ve switched 100% to water. We chat as her mom puts the finishing touch on an incredible dinner that makes me feel like I’m back home in Kentucky. I go back for seconds, help clear the table, and then settle into the living room. I quickly realize that I’m getting very tired and excuse myself. Drive home. One roommate has returned from dinner with his girlfriend, and we decide to watch a movie. We surf HBO for a long time, mourning the lack of any good choice, and settle on a documentary about the annual competition in Cairo to find the student who has memorized the recitation of the Koran. It’s nice, but I’m tired, and…asleep.

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with that painting behind your bookshelf?

I bought that piece in Austin, Texas, at a very cool store called Uncommon Objects. I’ve collected art since I was 15, but I can’t always afford a lot. That piece is from a barbershop in Africa. It’s a brilliant, hand-painted piece that I would certainly call folk art, and it was a steal. There were two more, but I didn’t have the dough.

2. Why tonic?

The goal of the company is to take classics of the American bar and remake them for a modern audience. Imagine going to visit your grandparents and opening their liquor cabinet: tonic, grenadine, etc. We want to take those things, rework them, and re-introduce them to a younger audience. Tonic was a natural first start because I love gin, and a classic G&T is loved the world around. In short, I loved gin but had access to no good tonic, so I decided to make my own. When people responded favorably, I thought I might try to sell it. And it worked.

3. Cucumber & peanut butter on rye? Give us another one your master PB recipes to try.

The classic is peanut butter and banana. I probably eat 3 or 4 of those a day. Peanut butter spread on “Digestive Biscuits” from England is spot on, and when I’m with my son, pretzels in peanut butter or animal crackers in peanut butter never ceases to please us both.

Brooks live in Charleston, South Carolina, where he co-owns Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. In addition to landing distribution in Spain and stateside at West Elm & Anthropologie, he will be launching his latest product, Small Batch Grenadine, early this year. www.jackrudycocktailco.com eattheordinary.com

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Fruit salad. Lunch: Crock-pot...

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:09:00 -0500

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Fruit salad.

Lunch:

Crock-pot chili. Homemade honey-bacon cornbread.

Dinner:

Beef tenderloin. Twice-baked potatoes. Green bean casserole. Shrimp. Stuffed mushrooms. Fancy cheese white people eat. A glass of red. A Manhattan.

Morning ➛

Wake up at 7:45. After a solid 8 minutes of in-bed social media/news updates using only one eye, I get up and pour an iced coffee (I don’t drink hot coffee unless there’s no alternative) and crack open my laptop. Running through all my daily sites takes a few minutes. I set a reminder on my phone to compose a post for Peak Blackness, a new site I’m a contributor for. I get dressed and head for work. After grabbing another iced coffee, I walk into RedEye and head into a digital strategy meeting. My co-worker Andrew just got me on The Action Method, and I swear it’s like giving a fighter jet to a caveman. My process has never been to write things down, so ideas down into actionable steps is kind of a mind fuck. Anyway, we assign stories and come up with ideas for the next 5 weeks. After that, I look through social media, roll my eyes at people on Twitter, get a nice e-mail from someone about my Peak Blackness post, and schedule radio appearances for January. I’m now monthly on WBEZ’s The Afternoon Shift, and it’s a consistent reminder to always have an eye on what’s going on in the world. Sidebar: How funny is it that PR people will mail you a 3 lb box containing one little tchotchke, then send you an e-mail asking you if you got it that says “please consider the enviroment before printing”?

Noon ➛

I’m supposed to be writing a column! Yes, my amazing editor, Hines, suggested I write something about the term YOLO. We thought it would be funny to do a eulogy for the word going into the new year. I hunker down to write. Truth be told, I used to be a super shitty writer. At the beginning of 2012, I decided that I had to write every single day and it’s finally starting to pay off. I actually use a proper obituary format and research the dates and sales #’s for “The Motto,” the song that brought YOLO to the cultural conscience. Halfway through, I IM my friend and say, “Yo, I could be working in a coal mine right now.#Blessed.” My co-workers and I have a small toast to the years success and to each other. I love the people I work with and would gladly fight you if you harmed one of them. I leave work and head to a store in Wicker Park. It’s New Year’s Eve and I’m in search of a dinner jacket. After the November of Dressing Nicely, I’m very aware of the effect clothing has on a person and how it makes them treat you. After a bit of struggle, the homie (and Internet scene queen) Molly Soda helps me find a jacket that looks pretty damn good.

Night ➛

I didn’t sleep well the night before, so I take a 45-minute nap. I wake up, crank music very loudly, shower, and shave. Before heading out, I fill a big cup with water and put two Advil on my nightstand. I then head to a dinner party at my friend Jim’s fiancee’s house. Dinner is amazing. After a round of hugs, kisses, and new year’s wishes, I head to a party at my friends Veronica and Rob’s house. On the way, I call my mom and my best friend to wish them a happy new year. The party is ROCKING. My jacket is a hit. I see my ex-girlfriend and nothing happens. I get put in charge of playing tunes, and I consume several whiskey-based cocktails and get handed a bottle of champagne. After a few texts and calls from friends who are on the east coast, the ball drops, and I kiss the four closest women to me. The executive order is to play “Pony” by Ginuwine no less than six times. There’s a lot of dancing, drinking, and Instagram flexing. I ain’t exactly sober anymore, but I have the good conscience to take my ass to bed. Cab home and realize it’s coming up on 4:45 AM. I haven’t stayed out that late in years. I get home, chug Pedialyte (KEEP IT IN YOUR FRIDGE, TRUST ME), the big cup of water and the Advil, then pass the fuck out. Happy New Year!

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with The Action Method? How does it work?

Like a lot of people who fancy themselves creative, I can spout off ideas for cool things all day every day. The Action Method is a system that forces you to actually execute the ideas you have. Basically, I have a journal and desk pad that I have on me at all times. The point is that you leave every place where an idea comes up (a meeting or coffee with a friend) with tasks that need to be completed. Each Action Step should start with a verb: “Write post about drinking rules for people over 25,” “Buy a gift for Twan.” Then make a reference of where the idea came from and important shit like if it costs $$$, or if you need a specific document. Then…do the steps. Repeat until project is complete. Ta-dow.

2. Your monthly party Sensitive Thugs is pretty genius (especially fond of the No Limit vs. Cash Money themed night). How did the idea for this night originate?

It started with a rap podcast I used to do called Disrespectful Radio with some buds. A few friends and I have been referring to ourselves as “The Untouchable Chrysler LeBaron Music Empire” (#TheEmpire) as a goof on Maybach Music. We said fuck it, let’s throw a night. So we did. In addition to the quarterly R. Kelly tribute night “Bump and Grindcore,” there’s a “Sensitive Thugs” party where we play everything from Soul 4 Real to Sisqo to Drake to Jodeci. Last one we did at the Whistler, a guy literally picked up the girl he was dancing with and walked out. I hope he knocked her up.

3. What would the Ernest Wilkins’ Peak Blackness Moment post from the future say?

Ernest Wilkins’ Peak Blackness Moment will be March 2019, when I become the first black host of Late Night, taking over for Jimmy Fallon, who moves to The Tonight Show. I’ll be on the cover of New York Magazine, and there’ll be poorly written think pieces about whether America is “ready” for a black guy to inherit this franchise bouncing all over the Internet. Navy blue suit, Chicago flag lapel. First season = 3 Emmy nods, no wins. Be sure to tune in, ok?

Ernest lives in Chicago. He is a writer and digital strategist for the RedEye (by the Chicago Tribune). You can also find him on WBEZ’s The Afternoon Shift. @ernestwilkins Aldous Huxtable Peak Blackness photo credit: Marc Moran

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Iced coffee. Moose scramble....

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:02:00 -0500

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Iced coffee. Moose scramble. Seared scallops. Cheesy bear meatballs.

Lunch:

Nothing

Dinner:

Steak. Chicken. Sushi.

Morning ➛

Woke up around 8am. Did my morning ritual of reading news on my Ipad. Showered. Got dressed. Packed up my hotel room (I am currently in Anchorage, Alaska, photographing and making a video on the local music scene for Spin). Met the writer, Jeff Weiss, that I am working with on the article. We check out of the hotel and head over to The Sweeteners practice space. They are one of the best local bands in Anchorage. We are especially stoked because the drummer’s girlfriend told us she would make us moose and bear. Both of which I have never had. She made a moose scramble and cheesy bear meatballs. SO GOOD. After breakfast, I filmed an interview with them, and they also performed two songs for us.

Noon ➛

When we got done with The Sweeteners, Jeff and I set out to see the nature side of Alaska. We headed south towards the Portage Glacier. Along the way we stopped at a big game reserve. Saw some baby moose, elk, bison, a lynx, and a bald eagle. It was really awesome. At one point this elk got pissed that I was taking photos of it and tried to charge me, but I told him he shouldn’t be so aggro. After that he was pretty chill. I got his email and told him I would mail him the photos when I got home. We continued on to the glacier, which consisted of 20 more minutes of driving and a 20 minute walk through the snow. But it was well worth it. Glaciers are really rad. If you get the chance, go see one.

Night ➛

Earlier in the trip, Jeff and I saw a Benihana restaurant near our hotel, and we said that would be our final meal of the trip. So, after the glacier that is exactly where we headed. The performance and meal were awesome. Of course. And then from there we headed to Jeff’s friend’s house. He told us we could hang there until we had to head the airport for our 1:35am flight. We boarded the plane, and I was stoked to find out that I had middle seat for this 6 hour flight to Phoenix. We had a 2 hour layover. Got breakfast burritos. Boarded our next flight and then finally back in LA at 12pm the next day.

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with the prison photo?

Hahah! I hate being in front of the camera because I never know how to pose. So it usually ends up looking like a mug shot.

2. You’ve only been out of school a few years and your career is already going nuts. What are your hustling tips for up and comers?

When I first moved to LA, I met RJ Shaughnessy (a really great photographer and a cool dude). He told me this: “Sit in your living room and figure out a way to make the best cup of coffee that anyone has ever tasted. Once you figure that out, people will come to you for that cup of coffee.” I really took that and ran with it. Also, don’t be a jerk. Just work hard and be nice.

3. In four words describe what those cheesy bear meatballs tasted like (without using the words cheese, meat or bear). And would you eat them again?

Instead of describing what they tasted like, I’m going to describe what I felt like eating them. I felt like a “man in the wilderness.” I’m almost certain I grew a few more hairs on my chest after eating them. And yes I would have them again in a second.

Nathaniel lives in Los Angeles. He is a photographer whose client list includes French Elle, Spin Magazine, and Bloomberg Businessweek. nathanielwood.com

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Cappuccino. Lunch: Wheat...

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 16:03:00 -0500

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Cappuccino.

Lunch:

Wheat Thins. Hummus. Cucumber slices and cheddar. A few pieces of pineapple.

Dinner:

Hot toddy. Greens with Asian pear, toasted hazelnuts, and rice wine vinaigrette. Grilled pork chop. Sautéed kale. Polenta. Cowboy cookies from Baked Explorations.

Morning ➛

Woke up a bit late at 8am, did my usual iPad check from bed, followed by my morning chores: feed the dog, vacuum couch (where the dog usually sleeps), put dishes in dishwasher, make bed, fold clothes or put in laundry, water the Christmas tree. Put on my gym clothes and went to the gym (in our building) to do a very quick cardio (on the treadmill) while watching NY1. Sometimes I’ll text my friend Stephen during this with the names of the newscasters… Ruschell Boone, Amanda Farinacci, Annika Pergament. For some reason we are obsessed with all of their names. Shower. Got dressed, running a bit late and the weather is crappy, so I called a car to take me to Prospect Heights to get my haircut. Chatted with Shlomy, my barber (stylist? - I never know what to call him) about a variety of things. He’s a handsome and opinionated Israeli, who does 100 different things while cutting your hair, but he always does a great job. It stopped raining so I decided to walk home. On the way I stopped to buy some Xmas tree branches & holly berries at a Christmas tree street vendor and got some ingredients to make my dog’s food (sweet potato, chicken breast, yellow zucchini, peas).

Noon ➛

Had a quick bite for lunch, checked in with the bakery. Running late again, took another car to work. At the bakery, I checked in with our general manager who also is our shipping manager. He’s extremely busy shipping our brownies and cookies for holiday orders. He is also waiting on our new gift boxes to arrive via UPS. It’s really down to the wire, but they finally get there and we get everything out. Almost. I ran to the bank and then to 99¢ Dreams. I’m looking for wooden clothespins, because I want to make boutonnieresfor my baristas to wear throughout the holiday. For some reason, not one of the three people I asked knew what clothespins are. Regardless, I found them. At the bakery I made a few boutonnieres, changed our voicemail message to reflect our holiday hours, took a bunch of holiday phone orders, tried to catch up with emails, did some filing, had a chat with one of our bakers, finished baking some cookies to ship out, saved a person’s fur coat from catching fire after leaning against a very hot Christmas bulb, tallied totals for the following day’s online orders, paid some bills, gave my general manager a raise, had a phone meeting with my business partner, Matt, who usually works from home and finally had a quick chat with my sister, who was looking for our mom’s ‘S’ cookie recipe. She also wants to write a cookbook with me. We will see.

Night ➛

Took the bus home. Stopped by my friend Bill’s new BBQ restaurant (Fletcher’s), around the corner from my apartment. Had a quick chat, and of course I was running late, so I quickly went home, fed the dog, brushed my teeth, and called yet another car to take me to dinner at Lavender Lake. There I met up with my boyfriend Sven and our good friend Sean for a little Merry pre-Christmas dinner and cheer. We chatted about what we’ve been up to, Life of Pi (I loved it), and New Year’s plans. Sven and I walked home in the misty evening. I threw on my pj’s, Sven started packing for Germany (I’ll be doing that tomorrow), checked ourselves into our flight, did some last-minute online holiday shopping, wrote a few Christmas cards while listening to Tracey Thorn’s new Christmas album. Got ready for bed - a little iPad action and goodnight, Irene.

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with that little dude on your bed? She is very mischievous looking.

That lil miss is Tina Louise. And although she appears mischievous in the photo, she is actually the most chill and good natured chihuahua I’ve ever known. We’ve had her for 10 years (ever since she was a puppy), and she’s only barked 3 times. Three single, solitary barks in a decade. And also, what self-respecting homo would I be if I didn’t have a tiny dog?

2. You have three books, a line with Williams-Sonoma, and Baked is huge…yet you are still baking cookies yourself and making boutonnieres from clothespins. Do you ever think you’ll sit back and let someone else run the show?

Honestly, that is the goal - and maybe one day, we will achieve it - but figuring out how to get there successfully is a constant work in progress. However, experience has taught me that if you really want your business to be successful and stay on target, you need to be as hands-on as possible. That doesn’t mean I don’t let my employees take the reins on certain aspects of the job, but you need to always be aware of what’s happening in the day to day. Matt and I have been involved since day zero - and I don’t think that’s ever going to change. Plus, I love making boutonnières.

3. You made lots of wishes come true with your baked goods and treats. What is on your list for Santa this year?

Surprisingly, not much! We bought a new computer recently, and we are finishing up decorating our bedroom - so those became de facto gifts for ourselves. I did ask for some jeans and a wireless speaker system for the new computer - and judging by the boxes under the tree, it looks like I made out!

Renato lives in Brooklyn, NY, with his partner Sven and their dog. He opened Baked, a bakery/cafe in Red Hook in 2005. He has co-authored three cookbooks with his business partner, Matt Lewis, and has an exclusive line with Williams-Sonoma. bakednyc.com

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Spinach, goat cheese, and red...

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 09:13:00 -0500

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Spinach, goat cheese, and red pepper egg white omelette. Rye toast with cream cheese & hot sauce. Sliced apples with cinnamon.

Lunch:

Peppered turkey & hard salami with swiss cheese, spinach, and yellow mustard on rye. Carrots and chipotle hummus.

Dinner:

Parmesan chicken sausage with garlic grilled green and yellow peppers in vodka sauce.

Morning ➛

6am wake-up alarm went off, the lady hit snooze twice. Get out of bed, somehow. Go for a quick half hour run around the Logan Square boulevard and jump in the shower. Pull Frannie (the pooch) and out bed and take her down to do her business while the lady makes breakfast. Freakin’ delicious. Feed the pooch and gave her a good belly scrathin’, she was still sleeping basically. Scooter off to MAKE. and grab coffee on the way. Iced coffee all day, errryday. Process email for an hour.

Noon ➛

Got right to work on art direction and concepts for an identity and branding project. The client, an electronic medical records company, is a bit on the ‘corporate’ side for what we normally do, but we took on the project because they wanted to interject some personality and higher-end design into the brand. Break for lunch. Check a few blogs and social media thing-a-ma-bobs; tumblr, twitter, dribbble, etc… After lunch I get sort of sleepy from that turkey and need to take a quick break from the studio, so I scooter down the street to get another iced coffee. Do the requested edits on a packaging design project. Some of the textures that we integrated into the design needed to be updated, so I actually get to get my hands dirty in the studio for a second. Scan, scan, scan. Luckily we have worked with this client for a long time, so it actually went quite swiftly. Done for the day. Scooter home.

Night ➛

Get home to snoring bulldog, she sleeps a lot. Take her down to do the dance, again. Get started making dinner with the lady. Take the usual after-dinner walk down to the Logan Square dog park. Frannie finally comes alive, she always loves hamming it up for the people we pass on the way and at the park. She didn’t pay much attention to the other dogs though. I don’t think she knows she is a dog. Get back to The Bungalow (that’s what I call our little apartment) and settle in for the night. The lady turns on some trashy TV show, Gossip Girl I think. I can’t watch that stuff, so I open up the laptop and tinker with a personal project of mine called Athlete Objects. I whip out the start of the ‘Berry Sanders’ character illustration. Head off to bed. Check a few tweets and FB for a bit to numb my mind before bed. The lady (as usually) is out cold as soon as her head hits the bed. Frannie is snoring hard bed side, puts me right to sleep. Zzzzzzzz.

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with this “lady” you keep referring to? Are you living with British royalty?

Not British, but close. She is very Irish. The ‘lady’ is my lady, Ms. Abby Wynne. She is the ‘other half’ of MAKE. and parent of Frannie (who I sometimes call little lady, confusing I know).

2. Your Athlete Objects site is faaantastic (Bird and Malone are great). How did you get linked up with ESPN?

Why thank you, glad you like it. It is a personal project that I have been tinkering around with for a couple years. It has started to get some press as of late, ESPN even commissioned a couple character illustrations.

3. Paul Rand once said, “It is important to use your hands, this is what distinguishes you from a cow or computer operator.” Do you think this applies to design and illustration today?

Absolutely. Developing your hand-skills in super important. Computers are cool, but they should just be one tool in your tool belt.

Jesse lives in Chicago where he co-owns & operates MAKE., a Chicago-based design team, with Abby Wynne. readysetmake.com athleteobjects.com

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Spinach and mushroom...

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:21:00 -0500

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Spinach and mushroom omelet.

Lunch:

Salad.

Dinner:

Hors d’oeuvres and tequila.

Morning ➛

Woke up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy…no wait, those were the Ke$ha lyrics stuck in my head from the night before. It was my birthday. I actually just edited a shoot and worked on some production stuff for an album packaging shoot I’m doing in New Orleans next week.

Noon ➛

I took a lunch break and texted a couple of friends who skipped my birthday party. I said I had missed them, but I really just wanted them to feel guilty. I think it worked. When I got back to editing I noticed a Direct Message (that’ll be funny to look back on one day) inviting me to a BMI holiday party. For some reason, I thought it was from an employee at Warner Brothers, not BMI, and subsequently expected it to be a WB event. It got really confusing when the two women I mixed up were both at the party later.

Night ➛

My friend Jason and I went to the party. It took a while to figure out if we were at the right place or not because the door guy kept insisting there wasn’t a WB party happening… I typically don’t drink, but once we got inside I desperately needed something to numb my ears from the super loud DJ. The drinks were great, and so was the food. It was especially awesome trying to figure out how I confused the two womens’ twitter names. At some point in the night someone yelled that there was an “Industry Mixer” down the street later, and that I should go. They were wrong. I shouldn’t have. On the way out of the mixer we walked past a restaurant called Pink Taco, and I asked 1 of 20 or so paparazzi what was going on there. The gentleman told me it was an afterparty for Aerosmith, so we went in. It was a blast, and Steven Tyler looks a ton like my grandma. There was a man dressed as Jesus, a lot of friends, and Johnny Depp. I’m a big fan of his.

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with you crashing parties? Do you do this often?

No. I normally don’t just walk up on big after parties, but I happened to know the magic words for that particular one. Also, I think it should be noted that, during a party, if you shout at someone about another event, it’s considered a formal invitation.

2. Do you remember the first photo you took where you thought, “Wow, I can make a career from this.” How did you know?

There was this girl named Mae on myspace that I was super into, and that motivated me to have better photos of myself. My friends and I then started doing regular photo shoots of each other after that. She’s my wife now so, I figure I did alright.

3. How DO you think P. Diddy feels when he wakes up?

You really stumped me with this one. I’ve been sitting here trying to think of an answer and I’ve got nothing. Rich? What do you think?

Steven lives in Los Angeles where he is a music & celebrity photographer. His subjects have included Nas, Snoop Dogg, Rainn Wilson, and Common. steventaylorphoto.com @steventaylor

So, How Was Your Day? Breakfast: Kefir. Honeycrisp apple....

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 09:09:00 -0500

So, How Was Your Day?

Breakfast:

Kefir. Honeycrisp apple. Nugget of Panda Express orange chicken.

Lunch:

Sicilian blood orange green tea. Curried turkey salad with greens, carrots, red pepper and raisins plumped in Blis sherry vinegar and Co-op mole hot sauce.

Dinner:

A glass of Aglianico. Duck rillettes on warm baguette. Dante cheese with curried carrot puree and pepitas. Ham with grainy mustard and Raclette. Toasted brioche with cauliflower and Emmentaler Mornay sauce.

Morning ➛

Alarm interrupts a dream filled with frogs and unusually spunky turtles, inspired by some Chinatown pics viewed on Instagram before bed. I have an early flight back to Chicago, so head to the DC airport where time is spent reading a friend’s GQ story on Rihanna, catching up on Lena Dunham tweets and requesting samples of Panda Express orange chicken. I’m expectedly anti-fast-food, except for nuggets of o.c. at Reagan Airport, no matter the time of day. On the plane: Write a story about Fat Rice, a charming new Macanese-inspired restaurant in Logan Square, and make to-do lists for Fête.

Noon ➛

Back home and the first order of business is a pot of tea, always from my main dealer, Rare Tea Cellar. Fridge is mostly bare, save for an absurd collection of condiments, but I’m prepared with a stash of provisions brought from the parents’ house. Make salad, Instagram it, eat it, and get back to work. Write more, make a playlist for Tasting Table’s upcoming December dinner party story, and have an hourlong phone catchup with The Chicagoan’s JC Gabel about the future of the magazine and the daunting similarities between Citizen Kane and present-day Chicago publishing. Snacks include frozen peaches and spoonfuls of Blis bourbon-barrel-aged maple syrup. I swear, I could spend my entire salary on shoes, bedding and Blis products.

Night ➛

Dinner with a friend at Bar Pastoral, the new wine/cheese/charcuterie bar adjacent to the specialty shop of the same name. Head home to brainstorm pintxos ideas for an upcoming guest-pintxos-maker stint with Ryan Poli at Barcito. Feeling drawn to Middle Eastern flavors and southern Spain’s North African connection, so flip through Mourad Lahlou’s New Moroccan and Yotam Ottolenghi’s gorgeous Jerusalem. Fall asleep thinking about caramelized-onion tortilla with harissa aioli and chard with preserved lemons and ras el hanout.

Three Last Things…

1. What’s up with your new market Fête?

Fête is a nighttime food and design market that two partners (Emily Fiffer and Jessica Herman) and I are launching on December 6. It’s a celebration of Chicago’s creative talent; each season we’ll curate a group of local artists, artisans and entrepreneurs, and bring them together under one roof for a single festive night. Next year, when we do the market in a larger space, there will be pop-up restaurants, cocktail bars, a DJ… So you’ll spend the evening eating, drinking, connecting with inspiring people, scoring some incredible finds, and maybe even shimmying a bit on the dance floor (a.k.a. my dream night).

2. Most people don’t fall asleep dreaming about ras el hanout (or even know what it is)…where did your love of all-things-food begin?

It’s definitely nature, and a bit of nurture, too. I started pestering my mother and grandmother to do cooking projects as soon as I was old enough to raid their cookbook shelves. Thankfully they were open to spending weekend afternoons making Thai meatballs and Ghanaian jam with a precocious elementary-schooler. I’ve always connected with cultures first and foremost through food. If you want to get an immediate feel for a culture, its markets are the best way to do so (street markets, central markets and supermarkets — I’m fascinated by them all).

3. Anything you won’t eat?

In my line of work, you can’t (well, shouldn’t) be picky or have strong predilections. I can still evaluate or appreciate things that I don’t actually enjoy (natto, no thanks). There are only two things I’ve refused to eat: fermented raw squid innards in Hakodate, Japan, and a dish of warm Spanish sea urchin with corn at a rather famous restaurant outside Roses, Spain. I love urchin, but something about the temperature and flavor of this dish made me instantly queasy. I felt like a total wimp, but it was torture. My dining partner (who didn’t like it either) kindly took that one for the team and sneakily forced down the rest of my plate.

Heather lives in Chicago with her cat Laya. She’s the local editor of TastingTable.com and a co-founder of Fête, a food and design night market. Tasting Table Chicago Fête Chicago photo credit: Elise Bergman