We had a handful of boxes that fell apart during our move and we caught ourselves almost dumping them in the recycling bin when we realized—Oh! We can use this for our moving announcement. So we did. Crate and Barrel boxes, moving boxes, all sorts of boxes. So each piece has its own character.

From the Richmond, we were Sunset Bound. The card pays homage to The Sunset, specifically where we live, just off 9th and Judah, where we can conveniently catch the N-Judah line, thus the blue-circle N. We had a local alterations shop sew the printed piece onto the scrap cardboard—mimicking the MUNI tracks and transit lines. And it gave it that extra tactile feel. We had fun working on this piece.

The Morning Ceremony
Every morning when I wake up, I hit snooze for about 15 minutes. This is easy. When I wasn’t working from home, I had to hit snooze for about an hour before I got up. Now I hit snooze for about 15 and get up after a 6–7 hour slumber. I pick up my iPhone to end the alarm, scan through emails, tweets and Facebook updates and my calendar. Okay. I’m up.

I put on my glasses, my robe (it’s still pretty chilly in San Francisco) and I walk over to the kitchen, heat up water in the kettle, brush my teeth, head back over to the  kitchen and press coffee for 5 minutes.

Over a delicious cup of black brew, beans courtesy of The Beanery, I read emails, catch myself up to speed on the ol’ to-do list, read my RSS feeds and create a playlist to last me at least a 1/3 of the day (thank you iTunes Genius playlists!). And then I’m on my hustle.

Midday Crash
I either make something for lunch or walk around my neighborhood, which is known for being a purveyor of all sorts of deliciousness. And it’s just great to stretch the lo’ legs.

Into the Night
By 5, I’m drinking a glass of wine. It slows down that race in my head and it calms my pulse. It induces that need to reflect and just kick it for a bit.

But Wine Everyday?
Yeah. At least a half bottle of wine a day. There are 9 days in a week, right? Well, I think it it’s fine. But my stubbornness is typical of Taurus behavior. So in respect of the wife’s wishes, I decided to cut down my wine intake. I can’t blame her as the same blood that courses through these veins have a history of a handful of diseases. As I’m within arm’s reach of 30, paying mind to my health, cutting down on my intake of wine, butter and bacon isn’t something that’ll punish me.

So Then What?
As a gift for my cooperation, the wifey bought me a cool teaset She knew that both wine and tea both calm me down and she knows I scoff at drinking tea out of a paper cup like it’s coffee simply for the sake of caffeine consumption. Drinking tea is something you do sitting down, not something I love to do when I’m on the go-go. Coffee in the morning and 2–3 pots of continuously hot tea throughout the day.

The wife is smart. 2 weeks in since switching up the routine and I’m still sane. Kate, you’re cool.

I always thought swiss clocks were dope, especially since they set the precedence of being punctual and organized. I heard they castrate men if they’re late to the synagogue. That’s not true.

Check it.

1. The Metric System. I always hated the standard system. It’s stupid. We should get on the metric system, for real.
2. Siesta. Please, please, please me.
3. A bottle of wine a day is moderate drinking for one person. That is not alcoholism. It’s real talk.
4. Tea breaks. The key to a healthy mind is incubation. Most Americans are two juiced up on their 2nd or 3rd cups of coffees and power through their workload. We need tea breaks for modarate caffeine consumption and mental relaxation. Tea time is always relaxing.
5. Observe holidays. At my lat job, I found myself working over even the major holidays. While corporate America got to enjoy Thanksgiving, Black Friday and the other two days of their weekend, I was working on their shit so they had something to pretend to care about and review come Monday. Yes. Let’s observe more holidays.

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Printed on Crane Lettra 220#, 3/0 with Mirasheen silver ink. Big ups to Jeff and Jim at Third Bay Letterpress. They definitely helped us carry out our vision on the most minute details of such a simple business card—from the impression (or depression) of the blind deboss to the registration from printing on such a thick stock. These guys are a pleasure to work with and we’re super satisfied with the final outcome. Check out a few pictures from the press check to the business cards themselves.

(The third image isn’t from our apartment).

Morning rituals are important. They are especially important on Mondays.

Respect the ritual.

In a past life, my former Senior Art Director, Lee, and I were tasked to design a logo and brand for some new technology that Vizio was developing. Well, that new technology finally left the blogosphere and into your homes. Our logo appeared in yesterday’s Superbowl Commercial—that one with Beyonce and all those famous YouTube clips. Yeah. I almost know Beyonce. Vizio VIA. Check it.

Drake and Cudi.
Lil Wayne and Birdman.
Shug n Pac
Bert and Ernie.
Rin ‘n’ Tin the Hip-hop Dalmnations.
The Neptunes.

Naw.

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See Kate’s blog.

Below is one of four samples we presented this week. We’re stoked.

My uterus has decided that I will not function properly (today).

Why do I have to bleed and hurt every month, while all a man has to do is nothing…. squirt sperm. Thats all. Fc%&!ing squirt sperm.

Speechless… But at least you don’t risk your member from being caught on the tracks… yeah… zippers hurt. Intro the buttonfly…

My guys threw me a bachelor party with a surprise visit from Jun who flew in from NY
My senior art director, an art director and my creative director left.
I learned that ROI is a BS term, but it helps you make hella money.
I discovered that humans run Google, not machines. I’ve met them. I swear it.
I Married Kate.
I did not speak to Kate for 2.5 hours on our honeymoon.
I saw the most beautiful landscape down the Na Pali Coast in Kauai (see above)
I lost my wedding band to the Pacific Ocean.
I found my wedding band 5 minutes later.
I watched 500 days of Summer and loved it.
I watched The Hangover and loved it and watched Kate love it even more.
I ATV’d for the first time and rocked it.
I built Kate a new bike.
I listened to Lil Wayne in unhealthy doses (Carter 1-3 + mixtapes)
I lost a cousin to cancer.
I visited my best friend and close friends in NYC.
I ate 5lbs of meat in one night.
I added a 6th godchild to my collection.
I saw Just Blaze live.
I quit my day-job for the free world.
I partnered up with long-time design collaborator, Rob at Majorminor.
I witnessed the flannel shirt plague spread to the Bay Area outskirts.
I watched The Pixies perform at the Fox Theatre.
I saw The Alchemist perform.
I moved to a new apartment in the Inner Sunset.

2010 is only going to be better. Cheers!

2006? I fought a lot of demons. I was the busiest I’ve ever been, being a little Hermione Granger in design school, teaching 2 core design classes and working side-by-side with Rob at The School of the Arts. On top of that, I lost my Lola and my dear Uncle within months of each other. I blindly kept busy, but in the end, fell victim to a nasty sickness. Recovering from that was a wake-up experience, just as the semester was wrapping up.

This year has been pretty nuts too. Great, but nuts. All excuses aside, for whatever reasons that required daily nightcaps, this year (past two years) was just was not kind to my liver. My tolerances for alcohol and coffee is/was insane. But last week’s sickness was part of a process to flush out whatever viruses enveloped me, while ridding me of my toxins and toxic thoughts. I felt like I drank ayahuasca tea with coyotes in the vast deserts of Mexico. I feel flushed.

Just in time for the near year, I feel renewed in body and spirit. I feel ready, for real this time, to embark on the adventures I set out for myself as an independent designer, with my wife, ready to write a new chapter.

More pictures on my flickr >>