Central Park in the rain.

My favorite part about my trip to New York was the time we spent walking through Central Park in the rain. We had decided to explore the park on our last day there, and of course, it was the one day that it wasn't sunny and beautiful. We borrowed some umbrellas from the Empire Hotel and went out despite the weather.   By the end of the walk, my shoes were completely soaked and stayed that way through the whole flight home. But, it was worth it. Experiencing a place like that with nearly no one else around was pretty amazing. 

Snapshots of NYC.

I can understand why people love to live in New York City. There are bits of americana hidden everywhere. I was often surprised by great historic architecture when I least expected it. The transportation system got us where we needed to go without any trouble. There's a lot of charm and a lot of energy. I love city life, but NYC is not for me.

One word: dirty.

But I'd go back in heartbeat. There's so much to see and do there. And eat.

My current TV guilty pleasure is Gossip Girl, so spending two nights in the Empire Hotel was fun.

Everything worthwhile had a line. Shake Shack was definitely worth it though.

Breakdancing in the Metro station. 

The ceiling of Grand Central Station is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. 

My boss was once held up at gunpoint while working in a Mr. Softee truck.

The Occupy movement marched through Times Square while we were there. 

A glimpse of WMC Fest.

I felt like, during the time I was able to spend at Weapons of Mass Creation, I barely scraped the surface of all the awesomeness that was happening there over the past weekend. I felt very proud to have been asked to be a part of it. It's clear, judging by the fact that I spent most of my time sitting on the floor of a packed auditorium, that WMC Fest is really taking off and I can't wait to see how much better it is next year. The event was an inspiring one for sure. 

(All of our Three Bears work can be spotted on the back wall there.)

(Some of my Totem Bears limited edition screen prints are still available, contact me if you're interested in purchasing one.)

(Tad Carpenter.)

(Friends of Type.)

During his talk, Nate Utesch said something along the lines of "participate in something that moves you to create." I think that's going to stick with me for a while. 

Progress.

The house is getting painted this week and I can't wait to cross another handful of things off of our "to do" list. 

Joseph's Coat roses have been my favorite for a long time. I've never been one to swoon over a bouquet of roses, but I love these. I bought four of them to climb the front of the house on either side of our pair of french doors. We haven't been able to plant them in the ground yet, but I got my first bloom the other day. 

Weapons of Mass Creation Fest 2012.

I just wanted to share that Charlie and I will be representing Three Bears at WMC Fest this year and we're really excited about it. There's a LOT of great stuff happening at this weekend event. If you can, come and check out our work in the gallery, hear a great band, or be inspired by a speaker. It's things like this that remind me how much I love Cleveland.