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Steve Walther

Financial AdvisorEagle Financial Group, LLC82 E STATE ST STE C, EAGLE, ID [email protected]

Phone: (208) 870-7688

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Dear Mark & Kristina,

Welcome to American Lifestyle magazine!

I wanted to take the opportunity to connect and share this gift as athank you for your continued support through business and referrals.American Lifestyle is a celebration of the flavor and flair of life in theUnited States, and takes the reader on a journey of the nation's sights,sounds, smells, and tastes. This 48-page publication features articles oninterior design, travel, technology, restaurants, and culture.Entertaining writing coupled with gorgeous photography makes thismagazine a must read.

I hope you will enjoy receiving this magazine periodically and that youwill allow me to continue to provide great service to you in the future.Please feel free to share this issue with friends and colleagues. I wouldlove to hear what they think of the magazine too.

Thank you again for always keeping me in mind.

Steve Walther

Phone:(208)870-7688E-mail:[email protected]�EagleFinancialGroup,LLC82ESTATESTSTECEAGLE,ID83616

SecuritiesandadvisoryservicesofferedthroughAmericanIndependentSecuritiesGroup,LLC(AISG).EagleFinancialGroup&AmericanLifestylearenotaffiliatedwithAISG.MemberFINRA/SIPC.AISG,1036EastIronEagleDrive,Suite105Eagle,ID83616(866)485-4635

Securities and advisory services offered through American Independent Securities Group, LLC (AISG).Eagle Financial Group & American Lifestyle are not affiliated with AISG. Member FINRA/SIPC.AISG, 1036 East Iron Eagle Drive, Suite 105 Eagle, ID 83616 (866) 485-4635

Steve WaltherFinancial Advisor�

Phone: (208) 870-7688E-mail: [email protected]�Eagle Financial Group, LLC82 E STATE ST STE CEAGLE, ID 83616

SteveWalther

SteveWalther

FinancialAdvisorEagleFinancialGroup,LLC82ESTATESTSTEC,EAGLE,[email protected]

Phone:(208)870-7688

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DearMark&Kristina,

WelcometoAmericanLifestylemagazine!

Iwantedtotaketheopportunitytoconnectandsharethisgiftasathankyouforyourcontinuedsupportthroughbusinessandreferrals.AmericanLifestyleisacelebrationoftheflavorandflairoflifeintheUnitedStates,andtakesthereaderonajourneyofthenation'ssights,sounds,smells,andtastes.This48-pagepublicationfeaturesarticlesoninteriordesign,travel,technology,restaurants,andculture.Entertainingwritingcoupledwithgorgeousphotographymakesthismagazineamustread.

Ihopeyouwillenjoyreceivingthismagazineperiodicallyandthatyouwillallowmetocontinuetoprovidegreatservicetoyouinthefuture.Pleasefeelfreetosharethisissuewithfriendsandcolleagues.Iwouldlovetohearwhattheythinkofthemagazinetoo.

Thankyouagainforalwayskeepingmeinmind.

SteveWalther




SteveWaltherFinancialAdvisor�


Steve Walther

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SteveWalther

FinancialAdvisor

EagleFinancialGroup,LLC

82ESTATESTSTEC,EAGLE,ID83616

[email protected]

Phone:(208)870-7688

SteveWaltherEagleFinancialGroup,LLC82ESTATESTSTECEAGLE,ID83616

Mark&KristinaJohnston

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SteveWaltherPhone:(208)870-7688

EagleFinancialGroup,LLC82ESTATESTSTECEAGLE,ID83616

ISSUE65

Steve Walther

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Dear Bill and Judy,

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6

CONTENTS

Circular RealityBOULDER PLANETZ SERIES BY BRUCE HENDERSONBruce Henderson took his photography in a new direction—in circles—when he wanted to stand out in the landscape photography market.

12 What’s for Brunch?FRESH RECIPES TO SHARE FOR A MIDDAY MEALIf you are looking for tasty inspiration for a midday gathering with friends, try these recipes from Let’s Do Brunch by Brigit Binns (Weldon Owen, 2012).

20 Shelter Puppy LoveONE GIRL’S DREAM INTO A BUSINESSTheodora’s love for the dogs her family would adopt from shelters grew into an idea for stuffed animals that would match the personalities of these special dogs.

24 Leafy Litchfield CountyANTIQUES AND NATURE IN CONNECTICUTLitchfield County is an escape into fancy fall foliage, the best of antique shopping, and nature for days.

46 Clothesline MeditationSLOWING DOWN THE PACE OF LIFEAuthor, wife, and mother Tsh Oxenreider shares an excerpt adapted from her book, Notes from a Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World (Thomas Nelson, 2014).

32 Tailoring ColoradoTHE DESIGN SENSIBILITIES OF EDDY DOUMASDesigner Eddy Doumas reflects on his accidental and yet destined shift from the business side of the industry to the creative side.

40 Art at Your FeetTHE REALIZATION OF BUCKETFEETBorn from a dream to make art accessible to everyone, BucketFeet is the collaboration of an economics major and an artist.

ANTIQUES AND NATURE IN CONNECTICUT24

NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PUBLISHER.

This magazine is for information and entertainment purposes only; it is not an attempt to solicit business.

Designed and printed in the USA.

American Lifestyle magazine is published by ReminderMedia. For

more information about American Lifestyle magazine, please visit us

at www.remindermedia.com, e-mail us at [email protected],

or call us at 866-458-4226. All rights reserved.

AMERICAN LIFESTYLE

executivechief executive officer: STEVEN ACREE | chief operating officer: STEVE HUSSON

editorialmanaging editor: SHEllEy GOldSTEiN | editor: RObiN MANROdT

creativedirector: JOSHUA STikE | manager, production: kRiSTiN SwEENEy

manager, design: AliCiA MASTRiAN | traffic coordinator: PAMElA lOVEllproduction artists: SCOTT HiGGiNS, bRiAN FilONE, STEVEN HiGHT,

SHANA SMiTH, MARGARET NEAlER, CHElSEA wOERTHgraphic designers: RACHEl HERSHEy, JORdAN HUNSbERGER

print production specialist: bRyAN MATHES web design: dANiEl ACREE | communications: AliCiA dAViES

information technologydirector: JOHN SUPPlEE | technical lead: JOSHUA FREEd

manager, system administration: CliNT AlEXANdERassistant system administrator: ERiC ENGElHARdT

software developers: THOMAS SETliFF, JAMES MUllEN, AlEX PiTTiNGER, bRANdON MOCk, RObERT GUidA

customer serviceoperations manager: MiCHAEl GRAziOlA

team leaders: ANTHONy bURREll, NATHAN HARTMANmarketing advisors: NiCHOlAS PORRECA, PHOENiX FAlkENRATH-FREEd,

MiCHAEl CAMPANilE, liSA MAyS, TiMOTHy bUSHNEll, TERENCE HOPSON, MEliSSA GARVEy,

AlEXA SMiTH, MATTHEw wiCkMAN, MEGHAN dElANEy, ElizAbETH MACON, JENNy FUSCO, MARiA bRidGwATER, JORdAN wAdlEy

administration: kARi kiTCHEN, ERiCA EAby, REGiNA HAMMEkE

business intelligencemanager: dAN GAllAwAy | coordinator, internship program: kATiE MARTUCCi

assistant: JAMES bRySON | analyst: CRySTAl bURRiTT

productionmanager, print production: SHANNON MOSSER

lead press operator: JUdiTH APPEl | press operator: TOdd bEARd, GERAld kEllERlead bindery operator: JACk bATES | bindery operator: JOHN RiNGlER

production assistants: kylE ANdERSON, JON ziMMERMAN

sales & marketingpresentation trainer: JASON MATTEy | manager, sales operations: JOSHUA ACREE

senior account executive: JEFF CzERNiAkOwSki | vice president sales: lUkE ACREEaccount executives: kATRiNA ETTwEiN, ETHAN ACREE, lUkE JOHNSON,

NiCk biANCO, JOHN SCHEiRER, ERik wAlz, THOMAS SCHwARz, JOHN HOFFACkER, lARRy GRANOFF

accountingcontroller: lAURA HASEN

accounting assistant: ERiC HiRyAk

human resourceshr manager: JENNiFER GUiE | corporate recruiters: CAREy bAllOU, SAM zEFF

NATURESAVES LIVES

We are working with community leaders in more than 75 countries to make sure coral reefs have a

fighting chance to survive and thrive into the future.

Learn how you can help us heal nature by visiting nature.org.

of cancer-fighting drugs are derived from nature, such as coral reefs.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Bruce Henderson took his photography in a new direction—in circles—when he wanted to stand out in the landscape photography market.

B O U L D E R P L A N E T Z S E R I E S B Y B R U C E H E N D E R S O NCircular Reality

text: BRUCE HENDERSON photography: BRUCE HENDERSON

TELL uS AbOuT YOuRSELf ANd YOuR

jOuRNEY AS AN ARTiST:

While a first-year master’s student at the Uni-versity of Wisconsin – Madison in the 1970s, I was given a 35mm camera as a gift. One of the photos from my first roll of film was pub-lished in a newspaper. I was hooked, and I changed my whole master’s work to focus on photography. I then worked as a reporter and photographer for newspapers.

As time went on, I moved from reporting and photography to editing, layout, and design, and then began teaching journalism at the University of Colorado – Boulder in 1993. I also ran the student newspaper and con-verted it from film to digital photography in

the late 1990s. The quality of the digital im-ages (from a 1 megapixel Nikon Coolpix 900 camera!) was barely good enough for repro-duction on newsprint. I also began teaching Adobe Photoshop and hosting Photoshop workshops for photography professionals.

I did not get back into serious photography for myself until about three years ago. I was at a fall art festival in Boulder when I felt that the quality of the photography had shifted dramatically. I remember it was a swelter-ing hot day; there weren’t that many people attending the fair, and I had lots of time to talk to the photographers. They were shoot-ing with 20 megapixel cameras, and their large prints had stunning detail. Some were

I see things in very detailed ways with my eyes, especially in the

shadows and bright light. This also is a metaphor

for seeing into the darkness and the light.

I try to create that kind of seeing in my photography.

using a technique that expands the details in the darkest and/or brightest parts of a photo. I got very excited about photography again.

mOTivATiON fOR CREATiNG:

For me, photography is a way of seeing differ-ently. I see things in very detailed ways with my eyes, especially in the shadows and bright light. This also is a metaphor for seeing into the darkness and the light. I try to create that kind of seeing in my photography.

WHAT dRAWS YOu TO PHOTOGRAPHY?

I feel I can best capture what I see in dark-ness and light using a camera and a variety of photographic techniques.

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HAvE YOu ALWAYS fOuNd YOuRSELf

bEHiNd THE LENS Of A CAmERA?

Yes, since the 1970s, but coming back to it again is very different than what I was doing then. This time, I am doing it without being given an assignment, and without doing it as a job; I am creating fine art.

YOuR PHOTOS HAvE A vERY PAiNTERLY

QuALiTY TO THEm. WHAT dRAWS YOu TO

EdiT YOuR PHOTOGRAPHS iN THiS mANNER

AS OPPOSEd TO LEAviNG THEm iN A mORE

NATuRAL STATE?

A painter draws details into the shadows and in the bright areas of a painting. My photo-graphic technique does the same—it puts de-tails in the shadows and the highlights. This is what gives them that painterly feel.

dESCRibE YOuR bOuLdER PLANETz SERiES.

HOW did THiS SERiES TRANSPiRE?

I don’t think there was a single event that triggered the idea for the series. It was more like a convergence. I had taken a series of wonderful landscape photos and thought I might have a chance at selling them. I went to several art stores, though, and saw there are lots of landscape photographers. I began to think about what might be different, and what people might want to buy that is dif-ferent, entertaining, familiar, and fun. The Boulder Planetz series is, in one sense, a kind of landscape photography. Each photo is a 360-degree panorama that is then warped into a circle. Each photo is of a familiar Boul-der landmark, but with a completely different and fun look.

WHAT iS YOuR GOAL ANd mESSAGE? WHAT

RESPONSE dO YOu HOPE TO EvOkE?

I love it when people spend some time look-ing at all the detail in an image, or when they discover some detail and point it out to someone. It’s that seeing thing again. It’s like they are looking at something for the first time, discovering something, even though the place is familiar.

WALk uS THROuGH THE PROCESS Of

CREATiNG A bOuLdER PLANETz PiECE:

Each artwork consists first of a series of 20 to 25 photos taken in a 360-degree arc using a 16mm lens. The photos are sewn together to make a single panoramic image using Pho-toshop software. The panorama then is pro-jected into a spherical form through the use of Photoshop’s Polar Coordinates filter. The filter essentially maps the horizontal panora-ma onto a circle. The technique is sometimes referred to as polar panorama, spherical pan-orama, or “Little Planets.”

WHAT iNSPiRES THE SubjECT mATTER fOR

THESE PiECES? dO THE LOCATiONS HOLd

SiGNifiCANCE TO YOu PERSONALLY OR TO

THE CiTY iN GENERAL? HOW dO YOu GO

AbOuT CHOOSiNG THE NExT LOCATiON?

I have done a series of city landmarks and a series of buildings at the University of Colorado. They both have different audi-ences, with some overlap. I think students like to have an unusual photo of a building they spent four years in during an exciting period of their lives. I keep experimenting. I have this wonderful planet taken at a Utah rest stop. It’s all just a planet of mountains. I have another wonderful planet of a railroad roundhouse. It’s taken from the center of the track that rotates around to all these train repair buildings, so there are buildings all around the planet.

WHAT iS YOuR fAvORiTE ASPECT Of THE

CREATivE PROCESS?

Taking the original photo and working on it digitally. It’s similar to the film process: tak-ing the photo, and then watching with some anticipation and excitement as it comes up in the developing tray.

HOW WOuLd YOu SAY YOuR ARTiSTiC

STYLE diffERS fROm OTHER

CONTEmPORARY ARTiSTS?

My technique is unusual because these plan-ets are not perfect circles, and they have a random content emphasis. By positioning my camera closer to what I want to emphasize—a building, for example—I am able to make that building the largest object and put it at the top of the planet. This gives the photos an obvious emphasis. People say, “Look. It’s the Boulder Theater building!”

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WHAT dO YOu fiNd iNSPiRiNG THAT YOu

CAN’T WAiT TO RECREATE iN YOuR ART?

That feeling of having captured something in a new, highly detailed way.

HOW dO YOu CONTiNuE TO CHALLENGE

YOuRSELf AS AN ARTiST?

I keep experimenting, and keep reading about different techniques. I have learned so much over the past several years, and I never tire of discovering new things.

WHAT HAS bEEN THE mOST vALuAbLE

LESSON YOu’vE LEARNEd?

To learn how to learn. I created some of the first Internet publishing courses in the early 1990s at the University of Colorado. Technology was changing so quickly then, as it is now. I would teach the students that while what they were learning was important and cutting edge, they needed to learn how to learn. All the technology would change and evolve, and to keep current, they would need to learn how to learn forever. I do the same myself.

TALk AbOuT YOuR LifE OuTSidE Of

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Ha! I don’t know that I have one. I current-ly am the communications director for the ATLAS Institute at the University of Colo-rado. The institute has several undergrad and graduate programs focused on communica-tions technology, arts, and media. I take a lot of still photos and video as part of my job, which also includes print and web design, and promoting ATLAS programs using a variety of communications technologies, in-cluding social media.

WHERE WOuLd YOu LikE TO bE iN

TEN YEARS?

Doing photography exclusively. And I hope it still doesn’t feel like a job.

The Boulder Planetz series is, in one sense, a kind of landscape photography. Each photo is a 360-degree panorama that is then warped into a circle. Each photo is of a familiar Boulder landmark, but with a completely different and fun look.

AL :: www.brucehendersonphotography.com

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fOOd

If you are looking for tasty inspiration for a midday gathering with friends, try these recipes from Let’s Do Brunch by Brigit Binns (Weldon Owen, 2012).

F R E S H R E C I P E S T O S H A R E F O R A M I D D A Y M E A LWhat’s for Brunch?

text: BRIGIT BINNS photography: RAY KACHATORIAN

8-by-10-inch sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator

11⁄3 cups shelled peas1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese, drained

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint, plus small leaves for garnish

1 teaspoon minced lemon zestSalt and freshly ground pepper

1⁄4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves2 green onions, white and green parts, very

thinly sliced on the diagonal Fresh lemon juice for seasoning

Pea shoots for garnish (optional)

english pea and ricotta tart

cooking instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the puff pastry on the prepared sheet, and bake until puffed, 10–13 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with a sheet of parchment paper and another baking sheet, and bake until golden and crisp, 10–13 minutes. Remove the top baking sheet and parchment paper, and let cool.

2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the peas, and cook until tender, 2–3 minutes. Drain, and rinse briefly under cold running water. Reserve 1⁄3 cup of the peas. In a food processor, process the remaining peas, the ricotta, and 1 tablespoon of the chopped mint to make a chunky puree. Stir in the lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper.

3. In a small bowl, combine the parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons of mint, the green onions, and the reserved peas. Season with salt and lemon juice. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the pastry, and top with the parsley mixture. Garnish with mint leaves and with pea shoots, if desired. Cut into pieces, and serve.

ingredients:

s e r v e s 4 - 6

This delightfully delicate tart adds an elegant yet unfussy

note to any brunch table. Search out fresh peas in their

short season, late spring into summer.

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4 green or yellow zucchini, about 2 pounds 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest1⁄4 cup torn fresh mint leaves

5 ounces feta cheese, coarsely chopped1⁄4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

shaved zucchini with lemon, mint, and feta


1. Trim the zucchini, but do not peel; the skin will add color and texture. Using a sharp vegetable peeler, shave the zucchini lengthwise into long, thin strips, letting the strips fall into a bowl. (Don’t worry if you are unable to shave the seedy cores; discard them, or reserve for another use.)

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and lemon zest. Drizzle over the zucchini.

3. Add the mint, cheese, salt, and pepper to the bowl, and toss gently. Adjust the seasonings. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or platter, and serve.

ingredients:

s e r v e s 4 - 6

The bright and pleasing combination of lemon, mint, and

feta always makes me think of Greece: sun sparkling on

crystal-clear water and a rustic table in the shade of a

tree—the perfect setting for brunch.

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for the garlic aioli: 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1⁄2 teaspoon salt2 large eggs

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

11⁄2 cups olive oil

4 slices coarse country bread, each 1⁄2-inch thick2 tomatoes, cut into slices 1⁄4-inch thick

Salt8 thin slices bacon, cooked

1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced

avocado, bacon, and tomato tartines


1. To make the aioli, process the garlic and salt in a blender. Add the eggs, lemon juice, and mustard, and process again. With the motor running, slowly pour in the oil, and blend until the mixture thickens to the consistency of mayonnaise. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Preheat the broiler. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. Place in the broiler, and cook until lightly toasted, 2–3 minutes.

3. Spread the aioli on the bread, and top with a few tomato slices, pressing the tomato into the bread. Season with salt. Top the tomato slices with the avocado slices, season lightly with salt, and then finish with the bacon, and serve.

ingredients:

s e r v e s 4

My kind of BLT forgoes the second slice of bread so that

I’m free to concentrate all my appetite on the best stuff.

Avocado adds to the pleasure.

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4 large ripe tomatoes, preferably in a mix of colors, about 21⁄2 pounds

1 small English cucumber, halved lengthwise and seeds removed

1⁄2 red onion, diced 3⁄4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely

chopped 1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegarSalt and freshly ground pepper

Leaves from 1⁄2 bunch fresh basil, torn into small pieces

bread salad with charred tomatoes, cucumber, and olives


1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Lightly toast in the oven until the cubes are just dry and very light brown, 8–10 minutes. Remove the cubes from the sheet.

3. Preheat the broiler. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place the tomatoes on the prepared sheet. Broil 6 inches from the heat source until the skins begin to char and blacken, 2–3 minutes. Turn the tomatoes, and broil for 2–3 minutes more. Remove from the oven, and let cool. Remove and discard any loose skin. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, and transfer to a large bowl.

4. Cut the cucumber halves crosswise into slices about 1⁄2-inch thick, and add to the bowl. Add the onion, olives, oil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, and stir well. Cover, and let stand at room temperature for up to 1 hour to blend the flavors. Add the toasted bread cubes, and toss gently. Add the basil leaves, and toss gently. Adjust the seasonings, and serve.

ingredients:

s e r v e s 4

If your guests are likely to crave a sweet note with this

hearty dish, keep it light by adding a generous bowl of fresh

strawberries tossed with Demerara sugar.

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WHAT ARE SHELTERPuPS?

ShelterPups are plush stuffed animals that are modeled after quirky and loveable shelter dogs located throughout the USA. Exempli-fying all the characteristics of real dogs—from their soft and beautiful coats to their dramatic eyes and floppy ears—ShelterPups boast realistic expressions and tons of doggy personality. Each one is handmade by arti-sans, and a portion of the proceeds are do-nated to local SPCA shelters. ShelterPups can even be custom made to resemble customers’ personal four-legged loved ones, based off of photographs and detailed descriptions of their family pooch.

HOW did THE idEA fOR

SHELTERPuPS TRANSPiRE?

We were in New York City for a weekend with some friends, and one of the young kids re-ally wanted to go to the American Girl store. It was a fascinating place, but my daughter, Theodora, had no interest in dolls. So we also walked up Fifth Avenue to browse the stuffed puppies at FAO Schwartz. On the ride home, Theodora said, “I wish someone would make a stuffed dog that was more like a real dog.” What she meant was that the standard, ge-neric plush animals of pedigree variety did not interest her. She wanted something that reminded her of her own dogs—bad teeth, blind eyes, funny looking ears. She loved most our family’s rescues, and the dogs she visited with our family at the local shelter. I instantly recognized this as a great idea and told her she should pursue it. Almost everything about ShelterPups was conceived during that car ride.

Theodora’s love for the dogs her family would adopt from shelters grew into an idea for stuffed animals that would match the personalities of these special dogs.

O N E G I R L’ S D R E A M I N T O A B U S I N E S SShelter Puppy Love

text: jIm vERHAGEN photography: SHELTERPUPS

ANimALS

TELL uS AbOuT THEOdORA ANd HER LOvE

fOR dOGS:

Theodora was born with her love for dogs; and each year, that love has grown into obses-sion. It really came from nowhere; it was just always there, as many childhood passions are. Soon her room was filled with dog books, encyclopedias, plush dogs, and everything/anything dog related you could imagine. Our family loves older dogs, and we always adopt geriatric dogs from shelters that no one wants. While the incredible diversity and variation in breeds fascinated Theodora, she soon discovered at home that the best dogs were often the ones nobody was interested in—the old, the tired, the sick, the difficult. She learned that all dogs are wonderful and special in their own way, and when you add a little love and care, they become the heart of your life.

WHAT TOuCHEd YOu mOST AbOuT

YOuR dAuGHTER’S SHELTERPuPS idEA?

I think it was the idea of serving the under-dogs out there: both the rescue dogs and the owners who loved them. We saw the toy store through Theodora’s eyes, once she pointed it out to us. They were showcasing and celebrat-ing somebody else’s dogs. There was the in-sinuation that our rescue dogs were somehow less worthy—not worth the effort. Theodora wanted someone to honor her dogs, to share her love. We knew how many people would see it the same way, and feel the exact same thing when we presented them with Shel-terPups. The idea that we were honoring all those dog owners out there—honoring all the quirks about their dogs that they loved

On the ride home, Theodora said, “I wish someone would make a stuffed dog that was more like a real dog.” What she meant was that the standard, generic plush animals of pedigree variety did not interest her. She wanted something that reminded her of her own dogs—bad teeth, blind eyes, funny looking ears. She loved most our family’s rescues, and the dogs she visited with our family at the local shelter.

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so much—that just tickled us. Honoring the underdog, doing things differently, and con-necting with those people out there who get it—those factors are what touch us every single day.

did YOu kNOW THiS WOuLd bE A

SuCCESSfuL buSiNESS vENTuRE?

I’m not sure we knew it would be a great busi-ness, but we did know it was something worth creating and an opportunity worth pursu-ing. We certainly recognized that Theodora was looking for something that could not be found and that many other people out there, including ourselves, wanted a ShelterPup too. We made them because we wanted one!

WHAT did YOu HOPE TO ACHiEvE

THROuGH SHELTERPuPS?

I think the only goal was making the idea a

reality. There were so many exciting pieces to the puzzle, so many challenges. We were attempting so many things that excited us, but that most consultants were frowning at: mak-ing stuff in the USA, fundraising, educating, and using natural materials. In our hearts, we saw a vision, and we knew it could become a reality. The fact that we had so many people predicting failure encouraged us all the more. So did the fact that this had never really been attempted before. Doing something quirky and different is always a thrill. Looking back, it is very clear that just the pure act of follow-ing a dream and creating something out of nothing was the fuel that made this happen.

TALk AbOuT THE PROCESS Of TAkiNG THE

buSiNESS fROm idEA TO fRuiTiON:

It was intense, and turned our lives upside down (and I don’t think we’re right side up yet!). It was also unimaginably fun. Creating something out of nothing is always a volatile, emotional roller coaster with extreme highs and painful lows. We were very lucky to start with a great team of creative individuals who all wanted the same thing. As the product took shape, we also took shape as a team, learning how to communicate differences, make compromises, be open-minded, follow the right leads, think outside the box, etc.—all of that stuff everyone tells you to do, but is in fact so hard to do in reality. The creative process can lift you to new heights, or smash you down. We were so fortunate that we found a way to work together that just kept making the product better and better, more and more fun, and avoid those bitter, unrea-sonable, and stubborn conflicts that kill great new ideas every single day.

HOW ARE THEY mAdE?

The ShelterPups are all made by hand. We make them 100 percent here in the USA. Our workshop is about as old-fashioned as you can get. When we say made by hand, we really mean it. Our primary tools are our hands, our eyes, and our brains. We knew a lot of people would want these, so all dur-ing our prototyping phase, we focused on our process for making them. We wanted to make something that could be made by lots of people, and wanted to avoid the artistic pitfall of having some people be able to make

great ShelterPups and others make poor ones. Consequently, a team of skilled artisans is involved, hands on, with every pup. Each pup takes a team about three days to make. Each coat is hand blended of gorgeous meri-no wool, hand felted into a plush animal, and then highly finished and sewn into a true, one-of-a-kind creation.

HOW dO YOu CREATE SuCH fANTASTiC

dETAiL ANd PERSONALiTY fOR EACH PuP?

We work really, really hard at it. It all goes back to the purity of Theodora’s original vi-sion. She wanted all the individuality and quirky details of her dogs honored; so from the get-go, that was a goal. We spent years developing a process so that the finest details and techniques could be communicated to, taught to, and understood by anyone with a real passion to make ShelterPups. We’ve spent years studying the finest details of dog breeds and what makes them unique. We’ve studied dog skulls, and even the genetic sci-ence behind dog breed variation! We contin-ue this process every day, as each custom pup we do introduces new quirks, new challenges, and new ideas. We keep getting better at it, and that’s a huge thrill.

WHY did YOu TRANSiTiON iNTO mAkiNG

CuSTOm SHELTERPuPS fOR CuSTOmERS?

It was our customers who forced our hand! We knew from the beginning that what we were developing was ideal to do custom work, but at first we left that for later. When we first launched our website, it was full of our prototypes. We did not expect anyone to actually buy them . . . we just wanted some-thing to show people how much fun we were having. It was only a few months before they started leaking all over the Internet. When-ever we honored a special dog in need of res-cue, people would immediately start asking if we could do their dog from their photos. We said, “Why not?” And that was that!

TALk AbOuT THE imPORTANCE Of kEEPiNG

THE mAkiNG Of THE PROduCT iN THE uSA:

It is of the utmost importance to us, especial-ly since we have created so many jobs in the midst of a terrible economic climate. Because we were driven by passion, we probably took a lot of risks we might not have taken if we

really had taken the time to analyze them. Nobody thought it was a good idea to make the product in the US. The whole time we were pursuing the dream, growing, and thriving, there was a backdrop of negative economic news, political and social unrest about “job creation,” and the problems with the US economy. It was amazing to wake up and realize that we were the job creators. We were the innovators. And we are just regular people. The American dream is not dead: if you have a dream, pursue it. Make it real. Don’t wait for someone else to do it. Just go for it.

HOW dOES THE HANdmAdE NATuRE Of THE

PROCESS Add TO THEiR CHARm?

The charm comes from the fact that real, creative people are putting all their attention into each one. People love their dogs more than anything, and we honor that in our process. Sometimes we wish our customers could see a team of artists sitting around the table looking at photos of their precious baby and brainstorming about how we could make the ShelterPup as adorable and quirky as the dog is in real life. They would be thrilled to see how much attention their little angels get in our workshop!

ARE THE dESiGNS Of THESE SHELTERPuPS

ALL bASEd uPON ACTuAL SHELTER dOGS?

Mostly. We are constantly looking at photos of dogs, testing things, experimenting. We of-ten model real dogs from real shelters that we find irresistible. Occasionally, we’ll do some totally wacky, make-believe creation that comes from our hearts, like Easter egg dogs and other holiday or special event themed ShelterPups!

TELL uS mORE AbOuT kEEPiNG A

CONNECTiON TO HELPiNG OuT REAL dOGS

ANd ANimAL SHELTERS:

This is a big focus for us, and it fits so natural-ly with what we do. The original ShelterPups were designed for children, and a big part of the goal was promoting animal rescue and educating children. It was not long before we realized all of our customers were adults. Fundraising for animal shelters was a natural fit; and for a while, it worked out a little too well! Each time we would do a fundraiser,

we would be so slammed with orders that we could not keep up. As we continue to grow and continue to increase our production ca-pacity, our opportunity to do some serious fundraising again is improving.

THROuGHOuT THE PROCESS Of bRiNGiNG

SHELTERPuPS TO LifE, WHAT WAS THE

biGGEST ObSTACLE TO OvERCOmE?

Managing the customer demand with prod-uct quality was certainly the biggest obstacle for us. We are constantly faced with customers beating down our doors to get their hands on a ShelterPup, and we have always struggled to keep up.

HOW did THEOdORA REACT TO SEEiNG

HER idEA TuRN iNTO A viAbLE buSiNESS?

It was a huge thrill and an even bigger learn-ing experience. Her vision was precise, and small deviations were painful. She was very, very insistent about the quality and design decisions during prototyping. Learning to compromise with the adult world can be a challenging experience for a child. The best part is, Theodora was right about so many things. So many of her preferences and hunches made a huge difference in the mar-ketplace. ShelterPups would not be as won-derful as they are if it were not for her vision and her insistence on many, many details.

TALk AbOuT THE AddiTiON Of CATS TO

THE COLLECTiON:

Honestly? Theodora has been the holdup! We love cats and can’t wait to do them; she loves cats, but has been very, very concerned that we’ll lose our focus on making better and bet-ter dogs! She does not think our work is done with dogs, and until it is, she is insistent that we not move on to cats or any other animal. Having said that, our cats are in the works, and we are really excited about them.

fuTuRE GOALS fOR THE COmPANY:

Growth. We love almost everything about what we do, and we simply want to do more of it! And it is growth in the broadest sense. We don’t want to just make more pups, but we want to make them better, have more fun making them, delight our customers more, and help more animals.AL :: www.shelterpups.com

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Litchfield County is an escape into fancy fall foliage, the best of antique shopping, and nature for days.

A N T I Q U E S A N D N A T U R E I N C O N N E C T I C U TLeafy Litchfield County

text: SHELLEY ROSE photography: SHELLEY ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY

TRAvEL

mOTORiNG THROuGH SCENiC NEW ENGLANd to witness the leaves in their autumnal ward-robe seems like one of those activities you check off on your bucket list. And where bet-ter to wind around than picturesque Litch-field County, Connecticut, known for its 945 square miles of hills, farmland, antiques, and charm. The county is geographically the larg-est in the state and is situated in the north-west corner of Connecticut.

Start in Kent, on the western edge of Con-necticut, and take in the historical landmark of Bull’s Bridge, a single-lane wooden cov-ered bridge across the Housatonic River. This picturesque spot is an ideal photo opportu-nity, with frothy water tumbling over rocky rapids against a backdrop of burnt orange and yellow leaves. Along Kent Road, two red barns appear, one embossed with the words Kent Land Trust. The greenhouse and four tilled acres are leased and run by Brooklyn, New York-native Megan Haney. Dubbed

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Marble Valley, this organic farm is run by Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), which means locals pay for the farm’s upkeep in exchange for a share of the produce.

A bit southeast of Kent is the town of New Preston where tourists can catch a gorgeous view of Lake Waramaug from Washington Town Beach. At sunset, head east to the town of Bantam to grab a bite to eat at the Bantam Bistro. This cozy, yet modern eatery greets diners through a set of French doors inside the historic Litchfield Inn. Start with the housemade mozzarella and heirloom tomato appetizer, with basil and balsamic. For the main course, try the Scottish Salmon Chop, with crimson lentil tabour, fennel-jicama salad, and pomegranate tzatziki.

For a little nature with your morning coffee, the 200-acre Van Vleck Farm and Nature Sanctuary in Woodbury offers a network of well-marked trails on a piece of land that’s part of the Flanders Nature Center and Land Trust. Pick up a trail map at the Stu-dio at the corner of Church Hill and Flanders Roads or the South Farm Welcome Center on Flanders Road. You can also drive and park

You can also drive and park right near the Sugar House.

Constructed as a new post-and-beam structure in 2002, the Sugar House

is the hub of the nature center’s maple sugaring

operations. One section of the space holds the sugar

processing equipment, while another large room is

the venue for public gatherings, educational

activities, and children’s summer programs.

right near the Sugar House. Constructed as a new post-and-beam structure in 2002, the Sugar House is the hub of the nature center’s maple sugaring operations. One section of the space holds the sugar processing equip-ment, while another large room is the venue for public gatherings, educational activities, and children’s summer programs. Flanders became one of the first land trusts in the area in 1973, and has today preserved more than 2,000 acres.

About ten minutes south of the Van Vleck Farm is renowned Woodbury Pewter. Found-ed in 1952 by Ruth Holbrook and Lee R. Tit-comb, its original location was in the center of town next to the historic Hurd House. In 1952, Ruth Holbrook bought the business from Myron Holmes and formed a partner-ship with her nephew, Lee. In 1967, the busi-ness was relocated to its current location, and ownership has since been passed down to Lee’s son, Brooks Titcomb. All Woodbury pewter is handcrafted in Woodbury, Con-necticut, by master craftspeople using a vari-ety of methods, including spinning (flat discs of pewter are clamped into a lathe against a wood or metal form called a “chuck,” while a hand spinning tool is pressed against the turning disc to turn the pewter down over the chuck into the desired shape), casting (molten pewter is poured into a bronze mold through a channel called a “gate,” and allowed to cool until solid or in some cases, is poured out at the proper time to create a hollow item such as a spout), assembly (each piece is carefully filed, drilled, shaped, burnished, or ground to assure a perfect fit, and the parts are then soldered together), and finish-ing (the piece is polished and buffed by hand with a cloth wheel to achieve the desired lus-ter and patina). Pewter is an interesting metal in that it melts at 500°F, which means it’s not suitable for cooking or even sitting in a car on a hot day. Current owner and occasional tour guide Brooks, a stylish man with tanned skin and shoulder length hair, interjects stories from his days as a musician in the band The Tymes—his parting gift, a guitar pick.

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The Good News Café is everything you’d want in a lunch and dinner spot—the decor is ar-tistic, but not fussy, the menu is inventive, but accessible, and the staff is efficient and atten-tive. The squash soup with toasted pumpkin seeds is satisfyingly warm and nutty. It leaves just enough room for the divine portobello mushroom with goat cheese on plantains and peppers, topped with a miso dressing. The desserts range from cakes and chocolate tarts to cheese plates to ice cream from local Are-thusa Farm and Dairy. It’s easy to see why this restaurant wins top honors year after year. Chef Carole Peck and partner Bernard Jarrier have created something special.

It would be a crime to come to Litchfield County and not visit an antique shop or two. Woodbury is known as the Antiques Capital of Connecticut after all! Monique Shay, which opened in 1980, is the place to browse French Canadian pieces from the late 1800s. Housed in six beautiful barns on the property, the pieces come from farms, factories, auctions, and even convents. Old farm tool benches are restored and refashioned into kitchen is-lands. Though the shop is not a gallery, col-orful paintings are displayed and for sale as they complement the furniture pieces. Paint-ings by Marcel Fecteau make several appear-ances throughout the showroom. Shay, the matriarch of this family-run business, used to knock on doors of convents and farms to find pieces that could be brought back to life and sold. Now she has pickers who scour the country for her.

Country Loft Antiques, just up the road on Main Street, isn’t just an antique shop—it’s also a destination for weddings and special occasions. It sits on nineteen acres of beauti-ful countryside, and the colonial home and

The squash soup with toasted pumpkin seeds is satisfyingly warm and nutty. It leaves just enough room for the divine portobello mushroom with goat cheese on plantains and peppers, topped with a miso dressing.

guesthouse can house guests with its seven bedrooms, a gourmet kitchen, and four bath-rooms. Ms. Carole Winer purchased the nine-teen acres, which included the Bull House barns and a silo, in 1994. It was originally the Samuel Bull Homestead, built by Dea-con Samuel Bull. A graduate of the Parsons School of Design, Winer offers complete inte-rior design services and has extensive knowl-edge of eigtheenth- and ninenteenth-century French antiques. The circa-1706 Homestead retains the style of the period, with a sprinkle of creative license here and there, along with modern upgrades.

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For a unique hiking experience, try out the boardwalk trail that winds around Little Pond. The raised

planks allow hiking in otherwise boggy terrain, and it’s an ideal spot for bird watching.

If the outdoor beauty of the grounds at Coun-try Loft Antiques inspires more time with na-ture, the White Memorial Conservation Cen-ter is the perfect place to wrap up a trip to Litchfield County. This nature museum and environmental education center is located on 4,000 acres of land, which includes wa-ter, woodlands, fields, campgrounds, boating facilities, hiking trails, and big open spaces. For a unique hiking experience, try out the boardwalk trail that winds around Little Pond. The raised planks allow hiking in oth-erwise boggy terrain, and it’s an ideal spot for bird watching. Time it just right to see a bit of sunset while giving yourself enough time to hike out of the forest.

This low-key fall destination is the ideal place to escape when you want quiet, privacy, and the healing that comes from tromping around on crunchy leaves. Whether on foot or in the car, once you realize how cathartic it is to wind around roads in the Connecti-cut countryside, it may very well become an annual pilgrimmage.AL :: www.shelleyrosephotography.wordpress.com

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dESiGN

dESiGNER EddY dOumAS NEvER THOuGHT

his self-described “artsy fartsiness” would someday be a marketable talent. Explains Doumas, “I went to a fine arts high school, and I have a degree from Cornell College in fine art and classical studies and art history, but I never thought I’d end up doing this.” Growing up as a first-generation American in an immigrant family from Greece, being artistic didn’t really count as work.

Doumas was raised in Chicago while spend-ing summers in Greece. “At fifteen, I was with my buddy in Greece. We’d strap on our back-packs and get on a ferryboat and find a job for the summer. I was always pretty adven-turesome.” After college, he followed a couple friends to Vail, Colorado, intending to learn to ski for the season. “There were twelve of us, and we worked together and lived togeth-er and had a blast. And before we knew it, we had real lives.”

fROm buSiNESS TO CREATivE

Doumas started out as a bookkeeper for a small design firm. He assumed he would stay on the business side of things, easily grasp-ing concepts that seemed foreign to more creative types. As a side job, he set up little vignettes in the window displays of a t-shirt shop. Eventually he began creating window displays for the design firm. Through one of these creations, he met his first client. She was not interested in hiring a designer, but she needed a design firm to deal with reuphol-stering a couple pieces of furniture. Doumas ended up designing her 6,000-square-foot home and soon found himself at a cross-roads—stay on the business side or migrate to the design side? “All of a sudden, I realized this artsy fartsiness could turn into some-thing I really enjoyed, and a way to make a living,” Doumas recounts.

Twenty-six years later, Doumas is a very hap-py designer, though he is adamant about lov-ing the business side of things just as much. “I love reading spreadsheets. I love profit analysis

Designer Eddy Doumas reflects on his accidental and yet destined shift from the business side of the industry to the creative side.

T H E D E S I G N S E N S I B I L I T I E S O F E D D Y D O U M A STailoring Colorado

text: LAUREN DAvID photography: AS NOTED

photo | EMILY MINTON REDFIELD

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and negotiating contracts just as much as I love brainstorming fabric schemes and floor plans.” He is certainly a rarity—a business-savvy brain in a predominantly creative in-dustry. And his colleagues recognize it, often turning to him for help with contracts. He gives informal lectures and offers free con-sulting to his colleagues on how to effectively present the business side of a design job.

Extroverted, with a great sense of humor and a genuine warmth, it is easy to see why Doumas excels in this people-centered pro-fession. His favorite clients are repeat clients. He reasons, “We get to know each other on the first project, and after that, I’m working with a friend. The interaction is much more fun and joyous, and I know where I’m going with the project.”

fOREST ROAd HOmES

He also works with high-end residential developers. In the case of Forest Road, the property was a series of tennis courts on Vail Mount purchased by a developer who di-vided the land into four separate home sites. The home sites, three of which are featured here, were put on the market preconstruction

and purchased individually at framing stages, allowing for more customized floor plans and finishes.

COLOR PALETTE

One house belongs to a young, fun, ener-getic couple with three children, all under the age of five. The bright color palette with lime green and turquoise reflects the owners desire for a less fussy design. They wanted a fun home.

CuSTOm fuRNiTuRE

Another Forest Road home belongs to a more serious older couple. The circular couch was custom designed to suit the big, square room. The client knew she wanted to use the Ingo Maurer light fixture that hangs over the space. Doing a very sleek, stark fireplace al-lowed the light fixture to really be the cen-terpiece of the room, without competing





photo | EMILY REDFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY

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ONE HOuSE bELONGS TO A YOuNG, fuN, ENERGETiC COuPLE WiTH THREE CHiLdREN, ALL uNdER THE AGE Of fivE.

The bright color palette with lime green and turquoise reflects the owners desire for a less fussy design.

“

with other elements. The light is truly an art piece—brushed aluminum on the outside and hand gold leaf on the inside—and comes with gloves for the electrician. They are all one of a kind.

In the bedroom, the wood headboard is the showpiece. Custom made from a ten-foot slice of a walnut tree from Southern Califor-nia, this beautiful wood is simply oiled, with no finish on it.

The kitchen is lighter and brighter than most of the house, which is primarily dark wood. The woman of the house is very social and likes to entertain, so the kitchen was de-signed to convey a lighter, happier, more breakfast-room feel. The man of the house is much more introverted, preferring to spend time in the dark wood oasis of his study.

mixiNG fiNiSHES

A third home is owned by a father with two adult sons, who each have families of their own. The space would be occupied by all adults, all guys, or full of kids, and the chal-lenge was to create a design that would be adaptable to all of those scenarios. Doumas loves mixing woods of the same species, but in different finishes. This is most evident in this particular house, with the white oak floors in one finish, a lighter version of the white oak floors in the tongue-and-groove planks on the ceiling, and then a much darker architectural beam in the same material.

COLORAdO AESTHETiCS

Doumas and other designers have been working to change the stereotypical design aesthetic of Vail. For years, everybody felt their moun-tain home needed a certain amount of rus-ticity and western flair. In the last decade, it’s shifted to a more sophisticated, tailored look. Doumas jokes, “It need not be cov-ered in plaid and antler chandeliers. There’s no reason to pretend you’re a cowhand or a cowboy when you’re not.” With that said, he asserts the importance of introducing some organic elements into the design. Doumas’

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own style would best be described as organic modern—a mix of very clean, tailored pieces with more organic, natural pieces. He lives for the juxtaposition of styles and rule break-ing. Someone looking at his room should not be able to identify it as all contemporary or all traditional, etc. There are elements of ev-erything stirred together.

iNSPiRATiON ANd dESiGN PROCESS

It’s this contrast that makes Paris his go-to city for design inspiration. He elaborates, “There’s so much creative energy in Paris, with so many contemporaries of mine work-ing in spaces that are several hundred years old. I love the combination of modern aes-thetic and technology with architecture that is historic.” He has great love for Greece as well—a country with a landscape that is both calming and inspirational in an emo-tional way. The aesthetic doesn’t quite trans-late into Vail style, but visits there renew his creative energies.

Doumas’ design process and the way he starts each day have one thing in common—prepa-ration. He wakes up early on purpose to have time at his coffee table to review financial reports, flip through magazines for inspira-tion, or just have some quiet time before the phone starts ringing. For his clients, prepa-ration involves collecting the ideas and likes and dislikes in the form of magazine pages or Pinterest accounts. Doumas notes, “It’s al-ways fascinating when they hand me a pile of magazine clippings, and they have torn out

the same picture multiple times.” He takes the pile of images (virtually or literally) with him to study, and then presents his vision, aiming to hit the nail on the head with the first presentation.

Perhaps most telling is Doumas’ response to the most rewarding part of his career—the people. “It’s a joy to be around beautiful, talented people. I know so many incredible furniture and textile and landscape design-ers, and all we do is talk shop because we’re creative people living the dream. My vision coming to life integrates their vision. There is a synergy between all the designers and the end user.” It’s an answer in line with Doumas’ outlook on life—he lives for his family and friends. His friends and coworkers would de-scribe him as a generous goofball, who loves to take his staff on trips and have people over for dinner. He loves to cook Greek food, taught well by his mother, who also advised him to always be a gentleman. It’s quickly apparent he has taken her words of wisdom to heart. AL :: www.worthinteriors.com

Doumas loves mixing woods of the same species, but in different finishes. This is most evident in this particular house, with the white oak floors in one finish, a lighter version of the white oak floors in the tongue-and-groove planks on the ceiling, and then a much darker architectural beam in the same material.

photo | RIC STOVALL STUDIO

photo | RIC STOVALL STUDIO photo | RIC STOVALL STUDIO photo | RIC STOVALL STUDIO

photo | RIC STOVALL STUDIO

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buSiNESS

WHAT iS buCkETfEET iN ONE SENTENCE?

BucketFeet is a footwear start-up company that collaborates with emerging artists to de-sign each shoe.

HOW LONG did THiS idEA bREW bEfORE

YOu WERE AbLE TO PuT iT iN mOTiON?

This is an interesting question. Aaron Fires-tein started creating hand-drawn custom shoe patterns back in 2006, and even back then, he called the shoes “BucketFeet.” The two of us met in 2008, when Aaron and I were volunteering in a poor neighbor-hood outside of Buenos Aires. That’s when Aaron sold me a pair of shoes that I wore as I traveled. In 2010, after spending the eighteen months prior traveling around the world (twelve months backpacking to over twenty-five countries on six continents and six months living and working in Abu Dha-bi), I reached out to Aaron with the idea of turning BucketFeet into a brand. We offi-cially launched the company in the spring of 2011, but our first artist collaboration (other than Aaron) was in spring of 2012. Depending on how you look at it, this idea evolved from life experiences we had over the course of one to five years before it became a real company.

WHAT iNSPiREd YOu TO REACH OuT TO

AARON AbOuT THiS buSiNESS vENTuRE?

It was based on my own life experiences, as well as a story Aaron told me about shad-owing street artists in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. We mutually bonded over the idea of travel, seeing new places, and especially, meeting new people. Traveling solo around the world, I found the shoes Aaron designed for me were conversation starters, and be-cause there was a real person with real art behind them, I had a very interesting story to tell. The idea behind BucketFeet really

Born from a dream to make art accessible to everyone, BucketFeet is the

collaboration of an economics major and an artist. T H E R E A L I Z A T I O N O F B U C K E T F E E TArt at Your Feet

text: RAAjA NEmANI photography: BUCKETFEET

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I grew up in Indiana as a first-generation

American. I attended Northwestern University

and majored in economics. I spent

four years working in investment banking and

private equity before deciding to take my own path and quitting my job to travel the world which

led me to meet Aaron and start BucketFeet.

Erin burke is a painter, illustrator, and graphic designer originally

from South Carolina who now calls Chicago home. From wedding

invitations to concert posters to acrylic painting, she brings a unique

color palette and vibrant style to the art she touches. Although she

creates art for fun, her full-time job is a graphic designer for a

small firm in Chicago.

Jayson Atienza was born in batangas City, Philippines, and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey, where he began drawing at the young age of five. while at the School of Visual Arts, Jayson developed his signature painting style, which began with a meticulous watercolor-and-ink approach. over the past decade, Jayson has expanded the mediums with which he executes art on traditional and nontraditional canvases alike.

erin burke

jayson atienza

stems from our belief that art is for everyone. It is about giving access: a larger audience to artists and allowing consumers to consume art anyway they choose (through our shoes, through our art prints, and eventually be-yond). Art, for us, is the language that allows people from all over the world to connect with a product that speaks to them in some intimate way, that inspires them, and that al-lows them to express their individuality all at once.

WHAT WAS AARON’S fiRST THOuGHT

WHEN HE GOT YOuR E-mAiL AbOuT

mOviNG TO CHiCAGO TO TEAm uP?

I think he was honestly super excited. That’s his personality. He’s willing to try anything and is very trusting of people. He believes the best in people and dreams big. All that said, I’m pretty sure he wasn’t a fan of the cold!

iNiTiAL STAGES Of THE PROjECT:

The initial stages of the project were building a website and figuring out how to make quality shoes at an accessible price with high standards. These were not easy tasks, and we spent months and sleepless nights solv-ing these problems. We now work with a great web developer on our website, and we work with one of the top sourcing agencies and factories in the world to produce our shoes (they also happen to work with some of the most respected, well-known brands in the world).

TALk AbOuT YOuR bACkGROuNd:

I grew up in Indiana as a first-generation American. I attended Northwestern Univer- sity and majored in economics. I spent four years working in investment banking and private equity before deciding to take my own path and quitting my job to travel the world, which led me to meet Aaron and sub-sequently start BucketFeet. Aaron has a po-litical science degree from the University of Oregon, and is fluent in Spanish and French.

HOW HAvE YOu uSEd THAT bACkGROuNd/

SkiLLS iN YOuR WORk AT buCkETfEET?

One thing I’ve learned while launching Buck- etFeet is that no matter the industry, most businesses go through many of the same

obstacles. You need capital. You need to build a team. You need a website. You need sales, and so on. My experience in finance gave me a great foundation for understanding what it takes to build a business, and specifically why some businesses succeed and others fail.

WHAT iS THE STORY bEHiNd THE NAmE

“buCkETfEET?”

“Bucket” was actually Aaron’s nickname in college. In everything we do, we try to be authentic to our story. When Aaron started drawing on shoes for himself and for friends, he decided to call them “BucketFeet.” We liked the name, and when we decided to turn this into a company, the name stuck. People seem to really like it, and it stays true to who we are. We believe people appreciate authen-tic brands over those that are not.

HOW dO YOu CHOOSE ARTiSTS? dO YOu

APPROACH THEm, OR dO THEY ASk TO

bE iNCLudEd?

All of the above. We approach artists, but they also find us through social media, press coverage, friends, or even seeing BucketFeet walking down the street. Currently, the ma- jority of our artists come to us. If there’s a certain city or country we’d like to see rep- resented, a certain style of art, or even a very specific artist with a particularly interesting story, we’ll seek them out as well.

WHERE dO YOuR dESiGN SENSibiLiTiES LiE?

The beauty of this brand is that our design sensibilities are literally inspired by the entire world, which allows us to create a range of products and styles that is very difficult for other brands to match. I think one of the rea-sons that we’ve grown so fast in the United States as well as the rest of the world is be-cause we now work with artists from over twenty countries. By tapping into the creativ-ity of individuals, it gives us access to designs that would be difficult to imagine in-house.

WHERE dO YOu HOPE THiS PROjECT

WiLL GO?

As I mentioned earlier, we believe art is for everyone. Everyone deserves access to art, but what that really means is that art is a plat- form that can be used to connect the world.

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Knowing that we are connecting people around the world, making art more accessible, telling stories,

and giving people a new way to express their individuality is the best feeling in the world.

exciting, fun, rewarding, life-changing, and educational process of my life. It’s exceeded all of my expectations. I’ve worked harder than ever before in my life (and I used to work in investment banking), but I’ve loved every second of it.

WHAT ASPECTS Of YOuR PERSONALiTY

mAkE YOu SuiTAbLE TO THiS PROjECT?

WHAT ASPECTS mAkE iT CHALLENGiNG?

I think my relentlessness and attention to detail are helpful. I think those things also make it challenging because I don’t sleep a lot and I don’t have a lot of time for other things. Aaron and I do have complementary skillsets which gives a good balance. He’s more laid- back and willing to try anything.

ARE THE SHOES ONLY SOLd THROuGH

THE WEbSiTE?

Definitely not! We actually now sell our shoes in over twenty countries and in some of the best retailers around the world.

dO YOu HOST EvENTS OR fuNCTiONS fOR

PubLiCiTY? HOW dO YOu GET THE WORd

OuT AbOuT THiS PROjECT?

We do everything! We hold a lot of events and try to make them as interactive as pos- sible where we can have our artists present. We also have a very large social media fol- lowing, with over 130,000 fans on Facebook alone. More than anything, our artists get the word out for us, which makes it very organic so we don’t have to pay for advertising like many other brands.

dO YOu WEAR buCkETfEET ON A

dAiLY bASiS?

Of course! Even when it is -40°F in Chicago, I am wearing BucketFeet.

We want to do our part in connecting the world and bringing people together through authentic products that mean something. We’re doing this through shoes and through art prints right now, but the product possi-bilities are endless.

WHAT iS THE REACH Of THiS PROjECT? dO

YOu HAvE ANY fAmOuS ARTiSTS iN miNd

YOu’d LikE TO WORk WiTH, OR dO YOu

PREfER LOWER PROfiLE ARTiSTS?

Currently, we work with over 1,000 artists who have a one-degree social media reach of over ten million people. We do not care if someone is rich or poor, famous or not famous, from the United States or not, etc. We want to bring the creativity of the world to the masses in an authentic way.

dO THE ARTiSTS HAvE fREE REiGN, OR dO

YOu HAvE A SPECifiC LOOk?

Big differences between BucketFeet and other brands are (1) collaboration is all we do—it’s not just something on the side—and (2) art-ists have full creative control. There is no limitation to what an artist can do as long as it works on our structural product. We do not try to follow trends; we believe there is beauty in diversity. If an artist is talented, we are confident they will make a product people will love.

mOST SATiSfYiNG PART Of buCkETfEET:

For me, it’s about bringing people together. Knowing that we are connecting people around the world, making art more accessible, telling stories, and giving people a new way to express their individuality is the best feeling in the world.

HAS iT mET YOuR ExPECTATiONS?

This journey has been the scariest, most

WiLL THERE bE OTHER STYLES Of

fOOTWEAR iN THE fuTuRE? WHY did YOu

CHOOSE THE STYLE YOu HAvE?

Yes! We’re launching mid-tops with a combination of leather and canvas. Early on, we wanted to create a classic style that was super comfortable and easy to wear in a variety of settings. It was also very conducive to the art we put on the shoes.

WHAT iS ON YOuR mOST PLAYEd LiST ON

YOuR iPOd OR mP3 PLAYER?

This is a very different answer than what most people at BucketFeet would say, but I love R & B, and I always have. I’m proud to say it.

WHAT ARE YOuR PASSiONS OuTSidE Of

THiS PROjECT?

For me, it’s travel. My favorite thing to do in the world is to see new places and meet new people and really live like a local. It’s been a privilege to see so many places, and I rarely spend money on anything I don’t need except for travel.

WHO dO YOu fiNd iNSPiRiNG TOdAY

ANd WHY?

I find anyone who walks to the beat of their own drum inspiring. Purpose is inspiring. AL :: www.bucketfeet.com

AL 4746

fRENCH PHiLOSOPHER ALbERT CAmuS

once said, “Life is the sum of all your choic-es,” and boy, do we make a lot of them. Be it which brand of coffee to put in the cart or whether we should move to another country, our days of adulthood are filled with deci-sions we’re required to make, month after month, year after year. If you think about it, our journeys twist and bend based on ev-ery decision we make. My eyes were opened when our family moved overseas, and my everyday practices from my home country didn’t translate so well into another culture. I realized how much societal praxis affected my daily choices.

After moving from Turkey back to the United States, I realized we were still living what felt like other people’s lives—a busyness we never

Author, wife, and mother Tsh Oxenreider shares an excerpt adapted from her book, Notes from a Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World (Thomas Nelson, 2014).

S L O W I N G D O W N T H E PA C E O F L I F EClothesline Meditation

text: TSH OXENREIDER photography: KYLE OXENREIDER

I decided I’d give this line-drying thing a whirl.

To my delight, not only was it painless, but hanging and

pinning actually became one of my day’s highlights. I’d

gather the wet laundry from the washer, haul the basket outside, and one at a time,

snap each shirt straight, and clip it to the rack.

LiTERATuRE

wanted, a lack of community, and a low-grade sensation that we were still foreign. We need-ed to take our rich experiences from life in Turkey, and redefine them into gifts to open here in the Western world. We would take the beauty of life in a slow, relationship-based culture, and mold it into something beauti-ful and useful in our native culture, where the prevailing mark of a good day is getting a lot done. We would ask questions like, “Can we live effectively in the US without productiv-ity as our primary goal?” and “Is it even pos-sible for us to live slowly in America, or is this wishful thinking?” I’d write about our experi-ences and chronicle our quest for intention, about whether we can slow ourselves enough to savor the experience of slowing down. And all along, I’d ride my blue bike.

When we lived in Turkey, one of my favorite chores was hanging the laundry to dry. Our washing machine fit under the bathroom counter, so each load washed was small and took two hours per load on average. I man-aged one load per day, every day.

And as a good American is wont to do, when we first moved there, I insisted we fork over the money to special-order a tumble dryer—I couldn’t imagine life as a young family with-out one. Even from my previous experience living overseas, I was honestly unaware that most households around the world, even those in developed countries, function fine without dryers. Dealing with laundry with-out a dryer was unfathomable to me.

But less than a year later, I found myself bare-ly using it. The dryer took six weeks to arrive after we ordered it, since the appliance store had to request it directly from the manufac-turer (they’re not normally for sale to the gen-eral public), and our apartment didn’t even come equipped with a spot for a dryer. It was relegated to the balcony off the kids’ room, since that’s where we had the most space, but there was no outlet on that balcony, so we’d have to thread a construction-grade ex-tension cord through the balcony door into

the outlet near the baby crib. This naturally meant that the balcony door had to remain open while my babies slept in a bedroom with an open-air balcony up on the fifth floor of a high-rise. So laundry could only be done during waking hours if I used the dryer.

This became pretty tiresome, so after a few months, I bought a package of clothespins and an inexpensive drying rack at the grocery store, and I set it up on the other balcony. I decided I’d give this line-drying thing a whirl. To my delight, not only was it painless, but hanging and pinning actually became one of my day’s highlights. I’d gather the wet laun-dry from the washer, haul the basket outside, and one at a time, snap each shirt straight, and clip it to the rack. The balcony was about sixty-five feet high and faced a bay, so we didn’t suffer from a lack of wind. I’d breathe in the clean laundry, dampen my hands with each shirt and sock, and let my mind wander.

If entertainment isn’t our right, does this mean our days have to be drudgery? Well, sometimes, yes. Life has never promised us nonstop parties and parades. But our every-day rituals can also become our entertain-ment, if we let them.

These small, mundane, repetitive acts are also best done side by side with my husband and kids. Tate and I have had extraordinary con-versations over folding a clean pile of nap-kins, the golden stuff of a mother’s memory. Reed will tell me something sweet and succu-lent when our hands are covered in sink suds. And some of my best conversations with Kyle have happened during leisurely, going-nowhere drives on date night.

As I’ve gotten older, I better savor those mo-ments in life, things like laundry hanging or folding, dusting the shelves, or driving to the store. My brain craves the monotonous rou-tine and a breather from information over-load. As an adult, my struggle isn’t recogniz-ing the value behind the little things—it’s intentionally setting aside time, energy, and focus to breathe them in, deeply. Sucking the marrow out of life requires that I sit down in the silence, unentertained.

And then, remarkably, the marrow-sucking becomes the entertainment I crave. AL :: www.simplemom.net

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SteveWalther

FinancialAdvisor

EagleFinancialGroup,LLC

82ESTATESTSTEC,EAGLE,ID83616

[email protected]

Phone:(208)870-7688

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SteveWalther

FinancialAdvisorEagleFinancialGroup,LLC82ESTATESTSTEC,EAGLE,[email protected]

Phone:(208)870-7688

Please tear off yourcomplimentary Recipe Card.

DearMark&Kristina,

WelcometoAmericanLifestylemagazine!

Iwantedtotaketheopportunitytoconnectandsharethisgiftasathankyouforyourcontinuedsupportthroughbusinessandreferrals.AmericanLifestyleisacelebrationoftheflavorandflairoflifeintheUnitedStates,andtakesthereaderonajourneyofthenation'ssights,sounds,smells,andtastes.This48-pagepublicationfeaturesarticlesoninteriordesign,travel,technology,restaurants,andculture.Entertainingwritingcoupledwithgorgeousphotographymakesthismagazineamustread.

Ihopeyouwillenjoyreceivingthismagazineperiodicallyandthatyouwillallowmetocontinuetoprovidegreatservicetoyouinthefuture.Pleasefeelfreetosharethisissuewithfriendsandcolleagues.Iwouldlovetohearwhattheythinkofthemagazinetoo.

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Steve Walther

Financial AdvisorEagle Financial Group, LLC82 E STATE ST STE C, EAGLE, ID [email protected]

Phone: (208) 870-7688

PleasetearoffyourcomplimentaryRecipeCard.

Dear Mark & Kristina,

Welcome to American Lifestyle magazine!

I wanted to take the opportunity to connect and share this gift as athank you for your continued support through business and referrals.American Lifestyle is a celebration of the flavor and flair of life in theUnited States, and takes the reader on a journey of the nation's sights,sounds, smells, and tastes. This 48-page publication features articles oninterior design, travel, technology, restaurants, and culture.Entertaining writing coupled with gorgeous photography makes thismagazine a must read.

I hope you will enjoy receiving this magazine periodically and that youwill allow me to continue to provide great service to you in the future.Please feel free to share this issue with friends and colleagues. I wouldlove to hear what they think of the magazine too.

Thank you again for always keeping me in mind.

Steve Walther




Steve WaltherFinancial Advisor�


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B

Steve Walther

Financial Advisor

Eagle Financial Group, LLC

82 E STATE ST STE C, EAGLE, ID 83616

[email protected]

Phone: (208) 870-7688

Steve WaltherEagle Financial Group, LLC82 E STATE ST STE CEAGLE, ID 83616

Mark & Kristina Johnston

�

Compliments of Steve Walther



Steve WaltherPhone: (208) 870-7688

Eagle Financial Group, LLC82 E STATE ST STE CEAGLE, ID 83616

ISSUE 65

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