pumpkin carving

happy halloween! my very traditional pumpkin carving. i attempted to make it cross-eyed, but that didn't work out. It was a team effort though - I handled the creative end, while Justin Denune did the gutting and final cleanup touches. How did I get out of that part?

NY Law License Ceremony

It was lightly raining on the Wednesday morning of September 15, 2009 when Roderick finally received his official NY Law License.

Roderick standing proudly outside the courthouse in downtown Brooklyn where his swearing in ceremony occurred. The ceremony was short and sweet with a brief speech by two judges. He will receive his official license on parchment paper in only 6 - 9 months.

GRW

I spent a wonderful weekend upstate at Cynara's cabin on the lake with some lovely ladies. We grilled out both nights on Cynara's deck, eating chicken wings and burgers, deliciously marinated to perfection. Hiking in the Minnewaska state park was amazing! We hiked for a few hours along a trail that overlooked the high cliffs dropping towards the clear, still lake below. We even saw some wildlife, a nice rattler and a sweet bear cub. But it was truly the company and great name games we played (helped along by some strong sangria) that made the weekend such a blast!

I wish my damn camera hadn't broken — but here are a few nice photos from the Catskill's visit.

Gowanus Jell-O Mold Competition

One of the stranger competitions I've seen. We went to a Jell-O mold competition in Brooklyn. I never realized all the possibilities of Jell-O. I was impressed.

Gangsta Tour

The writer shown above, Tom Folsom, published a book called 'The Mad Ones" which documents the life of a mafia gang in Red Hook. He offered a free walking tour of the waterfront area of Brooklyn and spoke about some key events that took place in that neighborhood. The gang leader, Joey Gallo is reputed to be the character that many films and books were later based on. Most famously, the Godfather is said to use bits from his life to shape the main characters. However a more silly film came out, “The Gang who couldn't Shoot Straight” starring Jerry Orbach was released a year earlier than the Godfather. The actor is said to have befriended Joey Gallo and brought him into the elite parties and introduced him to the social life in New York City at the time. Eventually Joey was gunned down in little Italy by a rival gang. Most interesting facts of course, were the gang's 'pet' lion used to encourage their victims to pay up. As well as nicknames of fellow gang members, Kid Blast, Mondo the Midget and Big & Little Lollipop.

Maya's 4th Birthday

We journeyed to Boston in May for Maya's fourth birthday party. She and Maizey are so cute. The couch and lamp are the items from Rod's grandmother Dorothe, that Emily is holding for us. The tray we found in New York and sent to Emily for her birthday. I liked it because it is a decoupage of a vintage postcard onto a glass tray.

getting inspired

As a designer, it is important to seek inspiration to feed future ideas. Design, is part inspiration/part process and the creative aspect comes into play by filtering through all the ideas to choose the most relevant solution. However, sometimes it's important just to play with images and type to regain that feeling of exploration. This helps open your mind to new ideas and techniques for later use and re-engerize you. So I've pulled some interesting images that I've found inspiring today. -- Artwork by the artist Kim Hiorthoy