Trying On Some New Shoes

Today I am starting yet another phase of my tenure at Wolverine World Wide.

My new role will be part of the graphic design team for the Heritage Brand group, including Cat Footwear, Sebago, Bates and Harley-Davidson. My focus will be primarily on the Sebago brand, which has produced upscale boat shoes since 1946. The brand has a history of fine craftsmanship and quality and I look forward to being a part of this hand-crafted, artisan lifestyle. 

*

This change follows Wolverine's decision to close the Cushe footwear brand earlier this summer. I was part of the Cushe team for 3.5 years, and for me it has been a time of immense growth. I was given incredible freedom in my role at Cushe, and I thank each brand leader who trusted me enough with that professional responsibility. 

Wolverine acquired the UK brand in 2009. The smallest brand in the Wolverine portfolio, Cushe celebrated moments. It valued life's journey, kicking back and the pursuit of happiness

**

When you work as part of a small team you develop a great respect for time, money, resources and the skills of those around you. The Cushe team was a dedicated staff, and I will look back very fondly on my time with them.

If you are a fan of the Cushe brand, you still have time to stock up on your favorites at cushe.com — most likely at a great deal. 

My schedule will remain the same following my transition to Sebago.***

*Photo by Dan Socie Photography

**Photo by Alicia Magnuson Photography

***3 days a week – except for the 6 weeks leading up to Fall and Spring Conferences (in May and November) when I am full-time at WWW. 

My 24 Hours in Detroit

I intentionally didn't plan an out-of-state vacation this summer, so that I could kick back and enjoy the season in Michigan. Summer is Michigan's gift to the residents that survived its winter. This summer has been filled with trips to West Michigan's pristine beaches, visits to the dunes, and camping, and sailing excursions.

So this weekend, I took 24 hours to explore a different side of the state, the East Side. And I packed a lot of Detroit into those 24 hours....

The Detroit Zoo: You don't have to have a kid to make a trip to the zoo... we had our own adult fun meandering with the kangaroos and playing peek-a-boo with the prairie dogs. What struck me most about this zoo was how cage-free it all felt. Wide moats around each exhibit mean they can ditch the fences. It all was significantly more vast and less depressing than the John Ball Zoo. The only animal's whose habitat broke my heart was the penguins, and they are moving into a 30 million upgrade next year!

Oh, and the giant Anteater is the most under-celebrated animal — I mean seriously, check this guy out ^

Dinner at Inn Season: I more than satisfactorily stuffed myself on a stuffed Carmen Pepper, Corn Chowder, and an incredible house-made Chai Tea during dinner. Inn Season has been in Royal Oak since 1984, and I am devastated I didn't know about this vegan/vegetarian gem when I was a resident there—it has one of the most incredible menus I've had the pleasure of obsessing over in a long time.

Drag Queen Bingo at Five15: Not your grandma's bingo.... An alternative to your typical Friday at the bar—Drag Queen Bingo is actually hosted in a coffee shop/gift shop in downtown Royal Oak. Angel Sheridan entertained us — while insulting us. Who wouldn't pay for the chance to be made fun of on stage!

Before leaving Royal Oak, we fueled up with breakfast at Café Muse. Muse was one of my favorites when I lived in Roak, but since then they have moved and expanded significantly. It was as tasty as I remembered.

Eastern Market: Eastern Market is the largest, historic public market district in the United States. And midday on Saturday, the market was bustling. Music, food trucks, flowers, veggies, specialty and traditional food items, and curiosities filled the streets and stalls. I stocked up on pierogies and even popped into a legit butcher— Mr. Food.

And while in the Eastern Market district, we stopped into the Detroit Mercantile.
The gorgeous shop was perfectly curated with Made in the U.S.A. products and focused on Michigan themed items.

Dutch Girl Donuts: Since 1947, Dutch Girl has operated on Woodward near 7 Mile. The donuts are still made by hand in the front window, but are now served from behind bullet-proof glass. 

And while we were passing through, we took a quick tour or Palmer Woods and Sherwood Forest, where I believe the phrase "Architecture Porn" was used to aptly describe what I was experiencing. 

It was a whirlwind, but Detroit won me over, and I've already planned the itinerary for my next journey East!

For Science: Tasting the Peace Burger

The guys over at Adweek are living the dream. If I wasn't a vegetarian, this is how I would have spent my lunch hour. 

David and Tanya have accepted Burger King's offer and they've brought the myth to life. It's the first documented union of the Big Mac and the Whopper. Adweek's very own McWhopper (and boy am I inordinately jealous).

The results looked.... precarious. 

My first comment? Well, they didn't follow the recipe.... 

Instead of chastising them for diverting from the plan, I will credit them with taking creative license. However, I think that standing by BK's original burger blueprint would have yielded mightier results. 

In the end, they say don't do it, but I still have faith that starting with fresh ingredients— rather than piecing together disassembled, mashed burger parts— would reveal the genius in Burger King's proposal. 

Needless to say, I choose to keep the dream alive. 

But read about their "foray into forbidden science" and see their recommended burger combos on Adweek.com.

The King Calls for Peace

Collaborations have become increasingly common in design and marketing*, but collaborations can also bring attention and awareness to international causes.

That's why Burger King has stepped forward with a proposal to create the McWhopper— the ultimate peace burger. On September 21st, Burger King and McDonalds would unite to bring awareness to International Peace Day**, to put aside their differences and serve a burger of monumental proportions, and significance.

Essentially it's a Big Mac on top, Whopper on the bottom.*** A burger masterpiece. For one day, the two mega-brands would meet in the middle (the middle being Atlanta), at the McWhopper pop-up shop, to prepare and serve burgers, while hoping to institutionalize peace [day].

But it seems the big burger with big ambitions' dreams just won't come true.

McDonalds issued this lame response to BK's mouthwatering proposal:

It's a shame too, because I would have set aside that whole being a vegetarian for a day in honor of Peace and eaten the shit out of that burger.

The execution of BK's scheme was amazingly thorough. On Wednesday, August 26th, Burger King took out full page ads in both the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune asking McDs to call a truce. Along with this, they released a [brilliant] website, which outlined the How, Where and Why of the proposal, and included sketch-ups for the shop, packaging and uniforms. 

The only question mark that really remained was... what fries do they serve?

The design, the messaging, the concept and the strategy was marketed perfectly...  all in a very public space, to gain awareness whether McDonald's took the bait or not. 

Whether or not the mega-chains will actually join forces on September 21st remains uncertain, but it does seem clear that McDonalds has made a [very public] misstep here and disappointed a lot of burger fans with their lack of enthusiasm about teaming up in honor Peace. However, it does sound like they may be willing to play along if they can Have It Their Way. Lucky for them, I've heard Burger King is pretty good at that. 

And this is why BK reigns king while McDonalds is simply a clown.

*And, while being great for PR, can often by somewhat goofy and ridiculous— as we saw earlier this week in my post Walking in Beer.

**Established by the United Nations in 1981

***Top Bun > All Beef Patty > Cheese > Lettuce > Special Sauce > Middle Bun > Tomato > Onion > Ketchup > Pickles > Flame Grilled Burger > Bottom Bun, 

Seams Like Gravy

When we think of images of women during WWII, we think of strong women, adorning pants and joining factory lines. We might even think about food rationing and metal scrapping.

It's unlikely we've ever considered how women made do without basic necessities like... stockings...? A standard of dress that women today will gladly, and readily, do without, in the 1940s was clung to with a sense of morale and duty.

In 1939, following the World's Fair, nylon sales were at an all time high. Marketed as a fabric made from “carbon, water and air", nylon was strong and durable, but when war broke out, nylon factories were retooled to make parachutes, cords and rope, instead of stockings

So what does the industrious woman do when her stockings are no longer mendable?

Using gravy as a paint, women began painting dark stripes up the backs of their legs to mimic stockings. These "Glamour Hose" gave the illusion of stockings during a time of rationing.  

These wartime images show women fighting a battle different than the ones we're used to seeing.

After the war, nylon production couldn't meet demand. Fighting broke out at home until manufactures were able to keep up. 

Read more about these improvised stockings at Mashable.com.

Walking in Beer

If you're like some of us, the coordination of your wardrobe with the evening's cocktails is crucial to a successful night out*. 

Luckily, major beer brands have been teaming up with shoe companies for years to outfit you for all your drinking endeavors. Here's a few collaborations for Sneakerheads to get drunk over. 

2008 Newcastle/Nike Collab  – Shop on Ebay

2003 Nike/Heineken Collab – Shop on Ebay

I have a hard time, however, visualizing skaterboarders drinking Heineken or Newcastle, so here's a few designs that seem to know their audience a bit more.

2011 Keds/PBR Collab, 2003 Nike/PBR Collab – Shop on Ebay

As it's the golden age of collaborations—and we're celebrating the merging of unrelated industries— I can't help but say "Cheers!" to these.

*sarcasm

Burger of the Week #227

It's only fitting that California, home of drive-thru dining and American fast food, serve up an out of this world Burger Experience....

Burger Invasion was Disneylands "meatiest" attraction from 1997 to 2008, as part of a 10-year contract between McDonalds and Disney Parks.

The former Burger Invasion is now Paradise Garden Grill, with a Mediterranean menu.

Burger of the Week #226

Apparently the best burger in Kansas City can be found at the Westport Flea Market. And they have the truck to prove it. 

Spike Gets Socked

A custom request from the site last week, led to this....

Sock Dinos—something of a crossbreed of a stegosaurus and a brontosaurus—soft, plush and lovable. 

Normally I'm a maker of monkeys, but I'm always up for a challenge. So when this request came in, I was happy to oblige. I particularly enjoy working with socks, adapting the traditional sock monkey, and unleashing the potential of a whole circus. 

Expect more dinos to show up on Etsy in the future. In the meantime, if you have a special request, or a unique idea, send me a note, we'll see if I can figure it out!

My Morning Coffee, Loaded with Custard

I've lived in Grand Rapids (essentially) for 30+ years. So I am amazed and delighted when I discover hidden gems.

Sandy's Donuts had been on my list to check out for a year or so, and I'm really quite disappointed in myself for not stopping sooner! It's everything a donut shop should be — completely old school with black coffee and enamel tables. The smell of fresh baked donuts welcomed me as soon as I stepped out of the car.

Sandy's has been a mainstay on the northwest side (2040 Leonard St.) for generations, with recipes handed down over the years. I couldn't find any formal information on its history, but it's the type of place I dream of having down the block. Someplace I could visit weekly, read the paper and drink my coffee. Looking around the diner, it was obvious that the gentlemen customers had been meeting here for years. The traditions present clearly went beyond the donuts.

For $2.50 I had donut and a large coffee. My eclair was fresh — nice and airy, it was filled with copious amounts of custard. Basically, my perfect donut. 

It feels like sacrilege to say it, but I would be inclined to call these Grand Rapids' best donuts. (Above Van's... and possibly followed by Dart's Donut truck — more research may be required on the subject to formally rank ;) )

Then again, perhaps it would be better for my waistline if I'd never found Sandy's... 

Burger of the Week #225

The Burger That Ate L.A., opened in 1989 and lasted until 1994. It appeared in both Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90210. Apparently the bar stools were shaped like pickle wedges and a giant tomato slice hung from the ceiling.

It later became an Acapulco Chicken Cafe (retaining the burger shape ironically) And is now a Starbucks.

Burger of the Week #224

Friendship bracelets sure have changed a lot since I was in grade school. Know what hasn't changed? The classic awesomeness of a burger and fries (paired together).

[Finally] Introducing the new fivefeettall.com

Some of you may recall when I posted this message on my website with the acknowledgment that the site was outdated and the solemn promise to update it within 3 years (before August 24, 2015). 

I know three years is a long time, especially by web standards. I gave myself three years, partly in jest, and partly because I know personal projects tend to get back-burnered. And there's nothing quite like procrastination...

But a deadline is always good, and I was happy (and relieved) to finally push my new site out a whole month before it was overdue*. Complete with a new unique mobile version.**

So this is the new fivefeettall.com. 

A site where I can hopefully feature new work in a timely fashion, reveal personal details about myself, and direct traffic to fascinating blog posts such as this one. 

I made the site using Adobe Muse. Which promised to be user-friendly and no-brainer for anyone who knows InDesign. I don't know that I'd justify those claims, but I think it did allow me more freedom than my otherwise outdated HTML skills would support. I also used a template from Muse Frame, which included a variety of scripts and widgets that I wouldn't have been to create on my own. 

Overall, I still found the process to be extremely finicky, and I don't know that I'd recommend Muse to new web designers. Still in search of the ideal web software for me, I have pre-ordered PageCloud, which I hope will be a game-changer, and I intend to implement a mini-relaunch when that becomes available this fall. 

So, feel free to head on over to the new fivefeettall.com and peruse recent work and my random musings. 

And, as this is a constant work-on-progress and still in testing mode, please let me know if you notice anything alarming!

I'll just be here, designing. Cheers!


*(yeah, yeah, i know it was about four years overdue)
**my old site was built entirely in flash and therefore couldn't be viewed on mobile or a tablet. 

Burger of the Week #223

I love these DIY necklaces from Studio DIY. These friendship bracelet ideas from the Polymer Clay Cookbook are adorable and inspired. 

Burger of the Week #222

It's my birthday week. So I'm celebrating with S'more Burgers. That's right, marshmallows and chocolate sandwiched together on a donut.

Where could something this mini and adorable and donuty be from. Of course! Aww.Sam. 

Bonus: S'moreman Swoon.

Gotta follow up yesterday's post because this was on Bronners.com today. Swoon.

Sugar Coated Christmas (in July)

This weekend's trip across the state, included a stop in Frankenmuth – Home of Bronner's – "World's Largest Christmas Store." 

It was here that I fell in love with this little s'more man.

We were about to go camping, we were at a giant Christmas store— this seemed like the perfect embodiment of the weekend ahead!

I turned the corner, to discover a whole army of s'more men! From skiers to fisherman, bakers to ballerinas. They were adorable, and boy, did they know it!

I was completely smitten with the talking s'mores. I'm wonder if I'm having a subconscious reaction based on my love of the Calvin and Hobbes snowmen. 

There's something about marshmallows that immediately sends me to a happy place. Sugar. That you can roast over a fire. 

And clearly this is what Christmas is about. Sugar. With a sense of humor. 

I don't put up a Christmas tree, but someday. Someday I will have my own army.

Burger of the Week #221

Because sometimes when we're texting... we get hungry. 

In a Big Company... It's the Little Things

“Nothing at Facebook is someone else’s problem.” 

What a beautiful idea.

Caitlin Winner, design manager at Facebook, undertook the task of updating Facebook's profile icons. It was a self-initiated project, that started when Winner noticed a divet in the shoulder of the original women icon.

Struck by inspiration, (and possibly a little bit of obsession), Winner set about fixing the shoulder, which spiraled into creating a new set of icons. She sent the new drawings out to the team, unsure if she was stepping on any toes, before long, the icons began updating and appearing within the Facebook platform.

These are subtle changes, that probably seem frivolous to most Facebook users, but when interpreted, they actually modernize Facebook.

Having worked in corporate, I'm familiar with a world that involves meetings, deliberations and committees, and takes months to accomplish inconsequential change. I'm impressed with Facebook for how seamlessly this was implemented.

It shows what can happen when people are empowered to make decisions and process change. I applaud Winner for being self-motivated and having the foresight to take on a project without being asked. And those around her, for not holding up the process, for taking it, and not sitting on it, but pushing it forward.

It is rare that people are invigorated with the spirit to not respond "not my problem" when an error is brought to their attention. This is a bad habit that human beings have adopted, not only at work but in life, and the world. 

If a company can inspire a work culture where people are inspired to initiate their own projects, it is possible for simple ideas to become reality and often with relatively little effort and time lost.

For more on the concept of meeting less and working more, check out Jason Fried's TED Talk on Why Work Doesn't Happen at Work.

A Plea to the Kremnut

Stumbled across this little creme-filled gem yesterday while in Detroit's Greektown....

Krema opened in February, by the owners of Greektown's Astoria Pastry Shop, at 531 Monroe, just a few doors down Astoria itself. They serve cream-filled and traditional Greek pastries (krema = cream in Greek) AND gelato! I also had what could possibly be the best Chai latte* I've ever had.

What will win you over the second you walk through the door, is the rows of original Kremnuts. Part croissant, part donut, each flavor is filled with a different filling. They're beautiful and intriguing. It's sounds like a variation on the infamous Cronut.

Now, I've never had a cronut (which has been trademarked by Dominique Ansel). The one time I tried, they had sold out hours earlier that morning. Screw getting up early and traipsing across NYC to wait in line, you can have a Kremnut any time in Detroit's Greektown—no line.** The Kremnut is hands-down better than any donut I've had in Grand Rapids.

In short, I would like Krema to be my neighbor. This little Greek Patisserie would definitely fill a void in Grand Rapids.

*I figured out there's fresh pressed gingered infused in their Chai concentrate. I ♥ Ginger. 
**Well not at midnight, when the Rolling Stones concert ends, because Krema closes at 11pm.

Burger of the Week #220

I love this burger art for this Flat's Magaizne (a lifestyle magazine for a collection of apartments and condos in Chicago) article. I would definitely buy plates that look like this. If you follow the link to the article there's also a recipe for a burger "that will leave your guests happy and ready for a comatose afternoon nap."

Growing Chairs

Arborsculpting involves the shaping of living and growing trees and plants into sculpted works of art.

In Derbyshire, England, furniture designer Gavin Munro has a 2.5 acre furniture forest, currently growing 3,000 chairs. Munro manipulates the growing patterns of plants by pruning branches and training them to grow along pre-made forms.

It will take 4-8 years to craft his furniture. Even after a plant reaches it's form, it needs time to mature so the branches thicken and become sturdy. Munro began growing in 2011, and the first pieces should be ready for sale next year.

This is a project of passion and patience. But there is an intrinsic, organic appeal of grown furniture  — Check out the Full Grown project, learn more about Munro and pre-order a chair here.

Feeling Zen in Grand Rapids

The much anticipated Japanese Garden addition to Frederik Meijer Gardens opened in June. The 8-acre space surrounds two ponds and is rather tranquil and serene. 

The space give the gardens an international upgrade. Planned by landscape desginer, Hoichi Kurisu, it includes a tea house, zen garden, bonsai garden, waterfalls, and fine art sculpture. 

Rocks, water and plants are essential elements in a Japanese style garden. FMG includes plants native to both Japan and Michigan. What matters most is the  manner in which the plants are planted, pruned, maintained, and sculpted. The plants here need time to mature, but have the potential to be a botanical wonder.

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"The sacred lotus flower represents spiritual growth, enlightenment and purity of body, speech, and mind. The flower emerges clear and bright into the warmth and light of the sun, like an awakened mind grows naturally towards the warmth and light of truth, love and compassion. The strong but flexible plant keeps the lotus flower ‘anchored’ but clear above the muddy waters that symbolize impure attachment, craving and ignorance." Source