There’s nothing quite like Michigan in the fall. For those of you who’ve never been… I think these commercials sum it up pretty well. I’m really digging the Pure Michigan campaign right now. The images are stunning and the message it simple… makes me feel proud to be a Michigander! Check out more spots in the campaign on the next page!

Loving Chimay Ale brewed by Trappist monks in Belgium. This is one of only seven beers that are allowed to carry the Authentic Trappist Product logo which adheres to the following standards: 1) The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist abbey, by or under control of Trappist monks. 2) The brewery, the choices of brewing, and the commercial orientations must obviously depend on the monastic community. 3) The economic purpose of the brewery must be directed toward assistance and not toward financial profit.

A beautiful bottle, a fantastic tasting beer, and a good cause! I’ll drink to that….

For more on Chimay, visit their (English translated) website.

Check out the next page for more of my (slightly obsessed) photos.

I am a sucker for great new packaging and EOS “Evolution of Smooth” totally grabbed me at a recent trip to Target. The bottle is modern and fresh compared to everything else on the shelf and seemed like it should have been more expensive than it was. Beyond just the great package, it does seem to be an evolution of sorts from the normal shaving creams—feeling more like a lotion than like the normal foams out there. Plus, it smells pretty good too! Check out more of their products (including an organic lip balm) at evolutionofsmooth.com

Just got back from a visit to my hometown in Marshall, Michigan. Wandered around downtown and took some photos… I have to say, it was fun to take a fresh look at what I’ve known my whole life.

Check out the next page for more photos.

The other day, we went to a lovely spot to get some inspiration, clarity and lunch! Be the first to guess that place correctly and we’ll send you something Grand!

Go to the next page for more photo clues…

Check out wearpact.com, an underwear company that lets you decide what charity gets your support. Whether the charity you support is 826 National, ForestEthics or Oceana, Pact has got your back… errr… behind.

Great short clips of scenes around New Zealand from Chris Benny Imaging. Very inspiring.

Got this Nescafé instant coffee direct mail piece in the mail the other day. I like the packaging and that they gave me free samples! Who doesn’t love free?! I think that their overall look is very playful and appealing… Nice packaging and typography. However I can’t say that I’m head over heels for the actual product. Every time I’ve made it thus far, it’s tasted too weak or too strong, which makes me think that it’s my own fault and not fully understanding how much water to use. I never did like to follow directions…

Also, who are these people that buy instant coffee? Making it the normal way takes too long? Are these people serious coffee fiends just looking for their next quick fix? Or just really crunched for time? I have personally spent way more time attempting to perfect the exact formula on this instant coffee thing than it would have taken me to just brew a whole pot… and by that time I would have had 6 great tasting cups instead of 3 sort of weird tasting cups… Ok, just had to rant about that…

Anyhow, check out some more shots on the next page. And if you’re an instant coffee lover, I’d like to hear from you…

Shark week is here on Discovery Channel! I always look forward to this week, and it’s finally here. Nothing like finding out if a Great White will eat a ham or if a Lemon Shark will go for a prosthetic leg… And will a shark attack a live human or a mechanical turtle? Truly educational! Check out all sorts of great programs involving these amazing animals all this week on Discovery Channel. And in the meantime go to the Shark Week website and find out exactly what kind of shark are you?

Or, go to the next page for some screen shots from their site.

Just got around to uploading our music video for Stephen Lage on YouTube. We had so much fun making this last year… and we don’t it think turned out half bad for a graphic designer and marketing consultant! Watching it brings back all kinds of great memories… and makes me want to do another one… Hmmm… Any bands out there need a video?! While you’re contemplating, be sure to check out more music by Stephen Lage… an extremely talented musician out of Venice, CA.