***

What a lovely day.

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:48:30 -0700

What a lovely day.

Sand shadows. April 2013, Pacific Beach, Washington

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 10:00:19 -0700

Sand shadows. April 2013, Pacific Beach, Washington

Letterpress Accoutrements | June 2013, Constellation & Co.,...

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 10:53:56 -0700

Letterpress Accoutrements | June 2013, Constellation & Co., Seattle, Washington

Selah. May 2013, Green Lake, Seattle, Washington.

Tue, 28 May 2013 18:25:00 -0700

Selah. May 2013, Green Lake, Seattle, Washington.

Sound Structures. May 2013 | Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:46:23 -0700

Sound Structures. May 2013 | Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington

This afternoon, my coworker, Brian, and I took a walk down to...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:31:16 -0700

King Street Station Clock Tower. It's always been my dream to live in here, just like Hugo Cabret!

Detail of the ornate ceiling.

Station clock.

Waiting for the train.

More ceiling details.

More ceiling details.

Terrazzo floors with mosaic designs.

I could stare at this corner for hours.

The mosaic work on these pillars is really charming.

Gorgeous brass doors that lead to the Amtrak ticket counters.

This afternoon, my coworker, Brian, and I took a walk down to look at the renovations in the King Street Station. It’d been under construction as long as we both could remember being here and to see it unveiled in all it’s beauty was simply thrilling. So much thoughtful detail everywhere! Unexpected mosaic tiling, round windows and clocks in line with the molded rosettes, shiny brass doors, and the infinite notions in the vaulted ceiling delighted my curiosity to no end.

I love living in a city where buildings are cherished like this.

Waxy Fingers at Work. August 2011, Bellingham, Washington. Shot...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:03:05 -0700

Waxy Fingers at Work. August 2011, Bellingham, Washington. Shot on expired Kodak e100vs.

This is my friend, Jana, who does beautiful encaustic paintings, which are made with beeswax. When she works with her hands, she makes lovely things, be it culinary delights (I’m hoping for a repeat of that Gin & Tonic cake!), works of art, or simple gifts of friendship.

Structure & Smoke Stack | Pioneer Square, Seattle,...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:51:00 -0700

Structure & Smoke Stack | Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington. January 2013

Dual colors on a single stem.

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:21:27 -0700

Dual colors on a single stem.

So it’s National Film Day. I’ve been exploring film...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:17:58 -0700

So it’s National Film Day. I’ve been exploring film over the last year and half. I still have lots to learn and most of it has been experimental, but these are a few of my favorite images.

Cycling on Flickr. Taken in Portland, June 2011. Shot on expired...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:40:00 -0700

Cycling on Flickr.

Taken in Portland, June 2011. Shot on expired Ilford 125.

Golden Gate Fog. Taken April 2009 during one of the most...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 08:36:00 -0700

Golden Gate Fog. Taken April 2009 during one of the most significant trips I’ve ever traveled.

Looking at I-5 while humming Willie Nelson’s “Blue Skies”...

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:07:15 -0700

Looking at I-5 while humming Willie Nelson’s “Blue Skies” made me really nostalgic for summers past, traveling the country in a crew of vans. Arriving in Seattle always meant the end of the summer, the Space Needle skyline bade a bittersweet welcome. Some of my best friends and memories came from those long, hard experiences. It was the good kind of hard experience—the band of brothers kind. It was so nice to revisit these in my morning mind.

Watching the snow fall in Wallingford.

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:03:00 -0700

Watching the snow fall in Wallingford.

“…false dichotomies are attention magnets, tempting people who aren’t busy actually designing...

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 09:13:09 -0700

“…false dichotomies are attention magnets, tempting people who aren’t busy actually designing things into grandstanding on the pretense one side is right and that winning proves their design talents.”

“Design abstractions are fun but not worthy of long arguments if they’re taken too seriously.”

“Simplicity is a highly desired thing. No sane person wakes up and says ‘Dear god I hope each of my interactions with machines today is complex and overwhelming! Praise the lord of complexity.’”

“Even insane designers have moments of clarity and recognize that not everyone, all the time, is best served by militant simplification. There is always a person and a scenario justifying visible, and complex UI.”

Some of my favorite quotes from Scott Berkun’s great post this morning, The No UI debate is rubbish

The view from the ferry upon leaving Friday Harbor. April...

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:00:06 -0800

The view from the ferry upon leaving Friday Harbor. April 2012.

Been thinking about the presence and practice of my interests and hobbies lately. As a whole, I’ve been trying to focus my inputs and outputs, mostly figuring out what parts of my life need to go into the “not now” category. I have so many interests and it’s easy for me stretch my soul thin in an attempt to have it all—which only results in exhaustion, sabotaging the time I want to devote to making into hours of Netflix instead.

While sorting through these, I’ve discovered two hobbies have made themselves irreplaceable disciplines in my life right now: photography and cooking. Now that I think of it, they’re more than hobbies; they are exercise to my soul. When I don’t make time for these activities, my creativity and mood suffer. I’m not driven by them, more like soul maintenance. In tandem with a healthy body, and a strong spirit, taking pictures and roasting chickens are just as much a part of my whole being at this moment in time.

Someday these will go into the “not now” category too, but for now I’m thankful for the fullness of delight brought by their presence and practice.

What about you? What keeps your soul healthy?

More Sansa. Can’t get enough of her fancy face.

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 08:30:14 -0800

More Sansa. Can’t get enough of her fancy face.

Been missing my Swiss mountains as of late. On top, my favorite,...

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 10:04:00 -0800

Been missing my Swiss mountains as of late. On top, my favorite, Le Grand Muveran and on the bottom, the Dents du Midi (Mountain teeth) overlooking Huémoz and the clouded valley below (Bex, I think?).

These were the best to stare at while unraveling internal angst.

Photos from last year’s snow storm, as seen from...

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 08:30:29 -0800

Photos from last year’s snow storm, as seen from Washington Park Arboretum and the Montlake neighborhood, Seattle, Washington. Shot on Ilford 125. January 2012

British Delights for Your Ears

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:07:00 -0800

My love for British radio runs long and deep—which even led to a few dreams in a British accent. It’s my favorite things to listen to while designing. I feel it helps keep my mind sharp and focused when I’m working on high-level projects, like wireframing or doing production work. Filling up my favorites list to stream on their site throughout the week has now become a regular part of my Monday morning routine. Dramas and comedies are my favorite, with the occasional audio book and music program—er, I mean programme. All this accompanied by a cup of tea, of course.

A few friends have been asking for new podcast recommendations, and I say join me in exposing your ears to the wonderful delights streaming on the British Broadcasting Corporation this week:

Comedy

Cabin Pressure, a comedy about a charter airplane, where no job is too small, but many, many are too difficult. (starring Benedict Cumberbatch, for all you hipster Anglophiles)

The Unbelievable Truth, a game show in which comedians try to see how many truths they can hide while telling a bunch of lies.

Foul Play, a witty game show in which mystery writers must solve a mystery on-air.

Drama

Animal Farm, George Orwell’s classic novel, dramatized during a month-long celebration of the author’s work, narrated by Tamsin Greig for any Black Books fans.

Les Miserables, Need a refresher on the whole story after watching the movie? The BBC always does a nice job on authentic and honerable dramatizations of great stories.

The Canterville Ghost, Oscar Wilde’s tale about a home that is haunted by a ghost, and a family who takes it in stride.

Paul Temple and the Jonathan Mystery, a fun mystery series, similar to Lord Peter Wimsey, in that there’s a suave sluth married to an intelligent lady.

The Brothers Karamazov, which I am particularly excited to listen to. I need voices to help me keep up with all the Russian names. Also, there’s a great article here comparing Arrested Development with the Brothers K (not to be confused with one of my favorite books).

Audio Books

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, a great reading of Philip K Dick’s story, the basis of the film Blade Runner.

The Strange Case of Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde, read by the excellent Tim Pigott-Smith.

Music

Composer of the Week, featured John Williams last week. Includes clips and interviews.

Words and Music, a selection of poetry, readings, and classical music, all centered around a theme.

***

What a lovely day.

Sand shadows. April 2013, Pacific Beach, Washington

Letterpress Accoutrements | June 2013, Constellation & Co.,...

Selah. May 2013, Green Lake, Seattle, Washington.

Sound Structures. May 2013 | Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington

This afternoon, my coworker, Brian, and I took a walk down to...

Waxy Fingers at Work. August 2011, Bellingham, Washington. Shot...

Structure & Smoke Stack | Pioneer Square, Seattle,...

Dual colors on a single stem.

So it’s National Film Day. I’ve been exploring film...

Cycling on Flickr. Taken in Portland, June 2011. Shot on expired...

Golden Gate Fog. Taken April 2009 during one of the most...

Looking at I-5 while humming Willie Nelson’s “Blue Skies”...

Watching the snow fall in Wallingford.

“…false dichotomies are atten­tion mag­nets, tempt­ing peo­ple who aren’t busy actu­al­ly design­ing...

The view from the ferry upon leaving Friday Harbor. April...

More Sansa. Can’t get enough of her fancy face.

Been missing my Swiss mountains as of late. On top, my favorite,...

Photos from last year’s snow storm, as seen from...

British Delights for Your Ears

“…false dichotomies are attention magnets, tempting people who aren’t busy actually designing...