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The Japanese have a long history of incorporating non-Japanese customs into their own traditions (denim, baseball, coffee, jazz…). Christmas is no exception. At the end of World War II, Christmas represented “America” for the Japanese. Images of Christmas celebrations gave a tangible picture of a prosperous modern life in America. In reaction to wartime constraints, postwar expressions of Japanese recovery and self-confidence were born. Even though less than 1% of the population was (is) Christian, the Japanese adopted the Christmas holiday and adapted it to suit their cultural contexts—adding distinctive features not found elsewhere in Christmas customs.

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A salon meets residency meets workshop meets retreat meets dinner party meets 1-on-1 mentorship. It’s none of the above and at the same time all of it. An invitation to Inquiry Pop-up feels familiar enough, and yet like nothing you’ve experience. I’ve been told it’s the answer to an (unconscious) prayer.

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The following 1972 Q&A between Madame Amic and Charles Eames is a timeless, and timely, expression of the Eames Studio’s design approach, philosophy and process.

Oh how it resonates for us. A beacon in fact.

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Those are Chelsea’s feet up there. She’s doing all she can do to get the shot. And that picture? Obviously for show. Art directed. Staged. Because while I absolutely crave new notebooks, and Blackwing Pearl pencils are found on surfaces around my studio, when I sit down to write, I do it on the computer. However, notebooks serve as the ephemeral gateway drug, leading me to the really good stuff.

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Being given only the most basic framework of ingredients and directions in a recipe can be liberating in its imperfectly perfect way. (Think Mark Bittman over Thomas Keller.) Egg nog falls into this category. It doesn’t require technique or advance preparation, and for the most part, much time. Making the concoction of warmed dairy, eggs, sugar, spices and readily available alcohol a delicious act of improvisation.

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While I thrive when in creative collaboration, it can be an edgy proposition because I’ve been “burned”. Developers flaked, models failed to show up fully, photographers have been less than consistent in communicating… So when I had the opportunity to work again with Wes Wages on a video, I literally jumped up and down. Yes, yes, and more yes!

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In my ideal world, Design would be properly valued and Designers paid handsomely for their work. However, there are good reasons to work for free. There are also some really terrible reasons, and this chart can help you figure it out.

You want to hear another terrible idea? How about Crowdsourcing. The act of outsourcing tasks, traditionally performed by an employee or contractor, to an undefined, large group of people or community through an open call, sets me ablaze. However I think I inadvertently participated in the abominable act myself.

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I buy $300 bathing suits.

There, I said it. And while I have no shame around this, I do know that speaking that truth, in most circles–the circles I prefer to marinate in at least–is a radical statement.

When something is a “great deal”, I look askance. Nothing delights me more than paying full price for, well, value!

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One of the projects I fully engaged in, was the design and production of a gut renovation for our new home. Like any other client project the balance between what something costs and its value is paramount: Where do we invest more than we expected and where can we go more off-the-shelf? What contrast of high and low will raise everything up? I’m thinking specifically about the “more than expected” handmade pendant we chose for our living space. It’s loverly.

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‘Open the kimono’ is some dot com jargon that translates roughly as possessing a willingness to share information freely—especially where timidity might currently exist. Like a Japanese wife showing her husband her naked body by opening her… kimono. Douchey? Maybe. And yet apt considering the circumstances here.

Full disclosure, sometimes, projects never see the light of day. And that’s okay. This logo is one of those. It’s been tucked away for 6 months or so, itching to show off. I thought it was time to expose this “fail”. No shame in that. It’s kinda hot, too.