Stash Studios

Roll With It.

Skate, Music, Food, Art, Fashion and Booze for a good cause. This weekend is Sensory Overload 2, an ancillary event that arose out of support for the Johnny Romano Make-A-Wish Skate Jam benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 4411 Montrose starting at 7pm. Music, silent auction, food by Monica Pope, cutting demos, a live art installation with Tra' Slaughter and Dom Bam, fashion show, and the guys from Embassy Skateboards will be busting out some pro board moves for the crowd. 

photo | Gary Griffin

Stash is pitching in one of my handcut Bison Clutches for the silent auction and will be on hand to shoot the event. Come support our friends at cutLoose and Make-A-Wish. 

In case, you don't know the story of Johnny Romano, the catalyst for the largest skate-for-charity event, check out the Texas Monthly feature here.

Get your tickets at cutLoose and more info here. 

Later,

Oil + Water Do Not Mix

 

 

OIL & WATER DO NOT MIX from Happiness Brussels on Vimeo.

The publicity may be over but the work is not done. Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. Great project by graphic designer Anthony Burrill. What can you do?

Soul Surf

Soul surf project Bali on Vimeo

Despite the tone of the last post, there hasn't been a lot of rest aside from that one day around here. Working on orders, store stock and inventory at the moment and fighting off flu-ishness has left tiny time for computer, much less for blogging. But this morning, a friend led me to Soul Surf, an organization dedicated to beach cleanup, environmental education, and surf lessons for children.

In lieu of a Christmas card from Stash, I couldn't think of a better warm, joyful greeting than this.

Take good care,

Save Our Gulf

You might remember that Stash Co is currently donating 10% from every sale to Gulf Relief. Well, our friends at the Hotel San Jose in Austin are throwing a little bash to raise money for Gulf Coast Disaster Relief. 

Here is the lineup:

• 6pm - DJ
• 6:30 - Lost Bayou Ramblers
• 7:15 - State Rep. Mark Strama
• 7:30 - Brandi Clark
• 7:40 - Lost Bayou Ramblers
• 8:30 - Heather Paffe
• 8:40 - Raffle Winners
• 8:45 - Papa Mali & Friends

This Friday in the Hotel San Jose parking lot. Stash Co will be there. Hope to see you.

 

Sole Relief

Soles4Souls is an organization that collects your gently worn shoes and distributes them to people in need. Their work has stretched around the world from Iraq to Haiti to Tennessee. What a fantastic recycling program.

Imagine spending a day in your life without shoes. I know we have a few pairs that don't get much attention these days. So rather than taking up space around our closets, we are boxing up and sending to these folks.

Cheers,

 

Reduce. Reuse. Remarkable.

 

Many many thanks to my remarkable friend Bradford for the post on our market bags. We are busy in studio filling orders and preparing to ship as far away as Australia. In the meantime, we have extended our 10-4 promotion. So you can still save 10% and we will donate an additional 5% to the Gulf Relief efforts.

Love and thanks to all who have been tremendously supportive!

 

Sale + Gulf Relief Effort

Our hand-crafted, upcycled market bags are back in stock! Customer feedback and enthusiasm has been overwhelming. We recently took ours along on a twelve-day, nine-state road trip and found it quite useful from farmer's markets to the pool to days on the beach. Also shown here are new oiled-leather wristlets which coordinate beautifully with the market bags. 

And now through July 4th we are offering all readers 10% off all purchases and we will donate 5% of all sales to Gulf Relief efforts. Thanks to everyone for your tremendous support. You have helped me grow Stash Co in the past year and I look forward what lies ahead. 

Enter 10-4 in the checkout process to save 10%. 

Happy 4th!

  

Crude

via detourdesign.blogspot.com

I would love to stay focused on topics aesthetically compelling. This is not. It cannot be sugar-coated. It is an unmitigated f-ing disaster. 

We have long been planning a gulf trip and head out in a few days. I'm fairly certain we can't possibly be prepared for what lies ahead. My daughter has been working independently to raise funds for WWF when she heard about the disaster but I think this trip has the potential to bring a whole lot of reality to her cause.

If I can find wi-fi, I hope to post dispatches from the road. Stay tuned here for future details on how you can help.

 
 

Rogue Wave

One of the organizations we are looking to support this year is Surfrider Foundation. So I was interested to find out that andersonARTcollective will be hosting Rogue Wave II from May 29 - Aug 8. The Surfrider Benefit is 6-9pm opening night with the usual trappings of any good opening - food, drinks, live music, auction.

This exhibit is a collection of Surf Art from Will Adler, Kevin Ancell, Ron Anderson, Jay Kelly, Randy Noborikawa, Paul Roux, Blakeney Sanford, Renny Yater, and the Anderson Bros.

If you are in the Carpinteria area, go enjoy.

 

Design Like You Give A Damn

"If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves." – Thomas A. Edison

I think of this quote often and wonder what would happen if I put more energy toward making a difference.

Having grown up surrounded by construction and architecture and design, the subject is in my blood. However, I find I am more inspired these days by those building to make a difference. People like the pioneering non-profit group Architecture for Humanity who edited the publication Design Like You Give a Damn.

"The greatest humanitarian challenge we face today is that of providing shelter. Currently one in seven people lives in a slum or refugee camp, and more than three billion people—nearly half the world's population—do not have access to clean water or adequate sanitation. The physical design of our homes, neighborhoods, and communities shapes every aspect of our lives. Yet too often architects are desperately needed in the places where they can least be afforded." --Design LIke You Give A Damn

This issue has been clearly placed in the public consciousness given the recent events in Haiti. An earthquake is going to be devastating regardless but what if there had been more adequate housing?

A great example from the book is the Play-Pump in South Africa. Children ride this merry-go-round and pump water to a nearby water tower which is flanked by billboards. Revenue from advertising on the boards goes toward maintaining the pump.

Food for thought.