Bake Sale Today in Chicago

My personal hero and t-shirt entrepreneur Johnny Cupcakes will be in Chicago tonight at 8 O'clock at the Bleeding Heart Bakery on 1955 West Belmont Avenue for The Back to Basics Suitcase Tour 2010.

If you need a little background check, Johnny Cupcakes it is a t-shirt company started in 2000 by "Johnny Cupcakes" himself, a college dropout whose success started from an idea and the trunk of a car. He started off making a few funny t-shirts with cupcakes on them because that was his nickname at work. After getting bombarded with questions about the t-shirts he decided to start to sell them purely out of supply and demand. He would sell his shirts out of the trunk of the band van when he was on tour. Eventually word of mouth led him to a fortunate series of events and in 2005 his success led him to opening up a store in his hometown of Hull, Massachusetts and that success led him to opening up a

shop on Newbury Street in Boston in 2006. Since then he has moved on to all types of apparel and accessories and you can buy just about anything with a cupcake on it.

I encountered Johnny Cupcakes when I was in eighth grade(2005). I was surfing in Hull and saw someone on the beach with one of his shirts and was in awe of how cool I thought it was. So with a little research and a friend of a friend who knew the kid, I got a ride to the store and bought my first Johnny Cupcakes t-shirt(pink with a yellow cupcake and crossbones) from Johnny Cupcakes himself. He was super a nice guy and complimenting me on my plaid shorts(which I probably wore for a straight week after that), signed a postcard for me(which I still have) and off I went, naive of how famous he was to become. Every since this encounter I have been following his success and been obsessed with his t-shirts. He is such a cool guy with a lot of creativity. Below are some of his sweet stuff:

Cheers to Cupcakes. Over and Out.

Warriors of Radness

Warriors of Radness is a relatively new clothing company based out of Los Angeles, California, "Warriors of Radness (WOR) embodies a stylistic point-of-view that is unique to a surf-city lifestyle. From Malibu Surfrider Beach to the multicultural surroundings that make up greater Los Angeles, WOR's philosophical spirit is rooted in an unwavering, imaginative idea that modern beach style should be as diverse and creative as the fun-loving individuals who wear it."

In other words, if you are a beach bum in the summer this is for sure your jam. WOR clothing is unique, colorful and fun, all qualities that I love to see. Check out a few of my favorite pieces from their spring Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 lookbooks:

What a bunch of bros. Later.

Another Staple Spring Slash Summer Shoe

Boat shoes, sperrys, and dockers are all synonyms for the same shoe which just so happens to be a spring and summer must have. Not only are these one of the more comfortable option for your foot but they are also one of my favorite shoes. I love the boat shoe because it looks good on anyone(male, female, adult, child) and can be worn with just about anything(shorts, skirts, sundresses, jeans, khakis, even athletic attire). Her are a few different variants of the same look I am sure you will think at least one version is cute, and if you don't do some exploring because there are millions of options.

1) The first two being the classic Sperry version, both classic colors and styles to go with any outfit.

2) These next two are from Yuketen Spring/Summer 2010 Footwear and are more playful and trendy versions of the Sperry

3) There is also a sneaker variant that can be found by a number of brands and lines. This following are the vans and Sperry versions

4) I wasn't lying when I said there were millions of options, these are some more funky pairs by Sebago

And the list could go on and on but I will spare you some time. Enjoy.

Remixes, Mash-up's, and Covers

Some sweet songs.

01 Little Secrets (Plus Move Remix feat. Future Kiddd).mp3

Ambien (Sleepy Trip) (Lil Wayne x Passion Pit).mp3

Not Lost f. T.I..mp3

Fresh Pair of Sunny G's

If it's about that time for a new pair of sunglasses and you are sick of seeing every single person in a pair of ray-ban wayfarer's(guilty myself, I know they are classic) then check out Raen Optics, they are an independent and original brand with a lot of crisp new frames. They are not necessarily cheap but they are worth the investment and have quality lenses. In fact I might indulge in a new pair myself.

These are a few of my favorites:

http://www.raenoptics.com/

Banksy Strikes Again

British Graffiti artist Banksy left his mark in San Francisco earlier this month with the above graffiti, it is always fun to see what he will do next. Not quite sure what he's going for here maybe peace and love but I could just be stating the obvious. If you don't know who he is or what I am talking about you might recognize his famous rat in the image below.

Sweet World Cup Coke Commercial

Coke Quest from Paranoid US on Vimeo.

Phoenix: Not Arizona

If there is one thing I love more than France it is the French band Phoenix whose latest album Wolfgang Amadeus really got my attention in the winter of last year. Ever since then they have been a staple to all my mixes and playlists. "If I ever feel better" is one of their songs I have never heard, it has an electric vibe to it which I have been enjoying these days so it was a splendid surprise for a thursday morning.

04 If I Ever Feel Better.mp3

Duet Day

I know earlier in the week I wrote about my love for duets, well here are a few of my favorites:

1) Nothing Better.mp3 by The Postal Service is a classic indie duet that I have been listening to for a long time now, it just never gets old.

2) Looking For Gold.mp3 by Solander is a new discovery of mine, but nonetheless it is a cute song.

3) 10 You and I.m4a by Ingrid Michaelson is short and sweet. Plain and simple.

4) 16 Crystalised.mp3 by The XX(my new favorite band) got me hooked the first time I heard it. It sounds like nothing else I had ever heard before. Both of their voices have a very calming effect to them that makes their songs easy to listen to and addictive at the same time. I think I might have listened to this song on repeat for about a day straight.

As always, enjoy.

Another Sketch

Something I just started doodling in class today and then drew it out big when I got back to my room. It includes all aspects of a crisp lifestyle.

First three songs on shuffle

I Couldn't have wished for a better three songs to play this morning. Each a different vibe but each equally good it its own way.

19 Long Distance Calls.m4a

_Nantes.mp3

03 Paranoia In Bb Major.mp3

Obsessed with this Song

This is the part II remix song to B.o.b "Airplanes" ft. Eminem and Hayley Williams. Enjoy.

12 Airplanes Pt.2 (feat. Eminem & Hayley Williams).mp3

Monday Morning

Here's a song to get you up and at 'em on this sunny Monday morning. I love duets and what could be better than a Ben Folds Regina Spektor duet to cheer you up.

04 You Don't Know Me.mp3

Sick

King of Spring 2010 from Kellen Dengler on Vimeo.

"I have started to form words"

As you can see I am still working on my graffiti skills, little shaky as you can see I am trying to work on word building instead of mastering the alphabet, which would be worthless. So I have to keep working on my flow.

Outnet.com

If you want to be crisp but don't have the funds or the balls to drop big bones on a nice pair of designer jeans, dresses or any clothing, you should look at www.theoutnet.com. It is a discounted designer website and every so often I see some real gems for great prices.

"Beach" in April

Lake Michigan in April is a sign that we are getting closer to summer and what could be more exciting. Got to start pumping the summer jams; here are two staples.

08 Sweet Honey.mp3

11 Beautiful.mp3

1-06 The Prayer.mp3

04 The Funeral.mp3

Band of Horses

Love these guys check out "The General Specific" and then "The funeral" both pleasant to the ears. "The prayer" is a Kid Cudi song featuring the Band of Horses which is also amazing but obviously a different vibe.

05 The General Specific.mp3

Spring Slash Summer Kicks

If your looking for a crisp spring and summer sneaker I would suggest to stick to the classic canvas look in a classic color. (Don't jump for the nike dunk low's with 7 different pastel colors) Your better off with something simple and less harsh on your wallet. Consider these:

Graffiti Alphabet II

Here's my second attempt at the alphabet; trying to attain some flow. Kinda like these surfer bros....

Jams

Everybody needs a constant flow of new jams; these four songs have been on a mini playlist on my itunes together for a long time now and they have yet to get stale.

Ceremony.mp3

Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare.mp3

02 Under The Sheets (Chiddy Bang Remix).mp3

07 Werewolf.mp3

At the end of the day...

Only one thing is for sure; nothing is more crisp than a fresh pair of new era's.

Song to sum up the day

04 The Sun.m4a

Graffiti Alphabet

Made up this graffiti alphabet today trying to come up with a tag, well see how that goes. In the mean time this is what I got. Over and out.

Class Doodles

If I had a surf/skate shop in california this would be the sign outside my shop...one day...possibly minus the crisp.

But wait there's more

This song is a little obvious but it is good so I will post it up anyways...

Daylight.mp3

Few Things

1. Bostonians take note because vans released a Red Sox edition of vans that comes in a package with a jersey. Watch it all go down on highsnobiety.com.(click on the link below)
2. I don't know where you are but right now it is a glorious morning in Chicago with predictions of 79 later today. If this song doesn't make you want to enjoy the sun I don't know what else would.

07 Normandie.mp3

Vans Video: http://www.highsnobiety.com/news/2010/04/13/vault-by-vans-x-mlb-boston-red-sox-release-by-levi-maestro/

In the mean time

I will share my song of the week; it is a cover of The Smith's infamous song "This charming man" by The Stars. So lend me your ear and have a listen...

04 This Charming Man.mp3

Commencing Blog

Hopefully the ol' proverb holds true for this one, "From small beginnings comes great things." Or else I'm screwed. Ha