I was a bit worried that the mix would be the typical “wall of mud” that you too often experience, but the sound gods were kind to us. Seeing as this was the first time I’d seen them live I was immediately struck by the appearance of Bradford Cox. I knew he was thin but the ailment he suffers from is like nothing I have ever seen. Thin is the understatement of the year. I wondered how he could sound good live when he didn’t seem strong enough to pick up his guitar. However, one measure into the first song, I abandoned all reservations about him being able to pull it off live, and found myself in that glorious state of being completely entertained. A feeling I feel way too little, but thanks to the genius of Bradford Cox did Sunday night. Like a great movie – you forget about self and are transformed to the place the director wants you to go. I was gladly taken to the place that Deerhunter wanted me go. I enjoyed my stay there so much that I want to go back… re-entry has been tough.

Crema makes great coffee. I always order a medium latte, Brian always orders a small skim latte (he can’t hang). The lattes are so smooth with a perfect balance between the milk and espresso. I’m not a coffee aficionado, but even I can tell a difference. This isn’t your normal latte. They typically will put some cool design on the top as they pour it. I have no clue how they do that. I’m convinced it’s magic. Did I mention that they roast their own beans? Some mornings you’ll get out of your car and you can immediately tell that Kevin is roasting. It makes me smile. I pause for a second and I’m reminded how blessed I am. I have given their coffees to a number of friends and everyone raves about it. My Mom and Stepdad were in town for the holidays and they both complemented the coffee. Currently I’m on a Nicaragua kick.

Did you notice how I said “Kevin”, and not just “Crema?” Crema is the kind of place where people are on a first name basis. Kevin and Regina are the couple that own Crema and run the place. If it’s open, they’re there. They learned my name before I learned theirs (they’re nicer than me). Regina typically has some sweet tunes playing, and Kevin is usually roasting, or manning the espresso machine. We talk about music, t-shirts, the weather, coffee beans, tea… anything really. They say goodbye to you when you leave. Kevin and Regina are just good people.

We pretty much run our business from this place. This entire website was coded while sitting at Crema. We’ve brought in boxes of samples to look through. We just set up shop. A lot of other people do too. In fact, I’m writing this post while sitting at Crema. Crema has great free wifi with no annoying “sign-in” screen. They do it right around here. I really feel like I’m at home when I’m here. If you live in the Cary area you should check this place out. If you don’t live in Cary then you should call them and get them to ship you something. I promise you’ll love it. If you don’t, I don’t want to know about it

I’ve actually thought about how cool it would be to do a “Crema” shirt here at Pure Joy. The shirt would have some sweet design on it and it would come with a pound of some Crema flavor. Anybody interested? I’m not joking.

Crema is definitely on my “Pure Joy” list.

This is so cool… I had to share. Thanks to ISO50 for the link.

• Good Music – There’s something about great music that just makes me smile. As a drummer I’m always listening for the rhythm section. A tight rhythm section brings me “Pure Joy.”
• Good Food w/ Good Wine – Have you ever had a moment after taking a bite of something delicious and then sipping some wine where you genuinely feel like all of your worries are gone? Fleeting, but so real.
• Coffee, Sand, Water, A Good Chair, & A Good Book – I’m not a surfer (that’s Brian’s job), but I have grown to love the beach. I love to rise while others are sleeping, sip on some coffee, settle into a chair, and read. It almost freezes time.
• Beer – I love the stuff. Not just any beer, but real beer. I tend to prefer IPAs, but I like it all. A few years ago my brother-in-law bought me a Rogue Imperial IPA. I can still remember sinking into a chair sipping on that. Joy.
• My Kids – I had dinner with my oldest daughter recently. We had just watched Avatar together and we were discussing the movie over Indian food. I sat there listening to her in awe of her grace and beauty. It was joyous. I am so blessed to have such amazing kids.
• My Wife – I remember, like it was yesterday, my wedding day when my bride walked down the aisle. She took my breath away. She is the source of so much “Pure Joy.”
• My Faith – This is the framework through which all of my Joy is delivered. It provides the context in which my joy makes sense. Does that make sense?

So what about you? What is “Pure Joy” for you? Feel free to add comments, or if you’d like to author your own post here let me know in a comment. I’m going to be recruiting some other friends to contribute to this series. So, stay tuned.

I’ve known since those first days that Dwayne was a world class graphic designer, and I’ve  looked for every opportunity possible to work with him. (He created the identity for 2 of the companies I’ve worked for in the past.) When Brian and I decided to start Pure Joy, I knew that we had to reach out to Dwayne. I needed him to be a part of what we were building. The rest is history.

This design represents the first in what will be a long-running series of shirts designed by Dwayne.

Dwayne now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. He runs a very successful design firm, St. Dwayne Design. If you need design work you should call him. Do it now, you won’t regret it! Dwayne blogs regularly at The Design Religionist, and he’s also active on Twitter.

We’ve printed this design on two different colored shirts. You can find the military green version here, and the orange version here.

Thanks Dwayne.

In 1969, if you were in the right place, at the right time, you might have seen Steve McQueen driving a Porche 911 down Sunset Boulevard heading to Malibu. Or you might have listened to Miles Davis, yet again, turn the jazz world upside down. Modern architecture was alive and well. So was Andy Warhol.

1969 was a cool time to be alive. Americans had a lot to be excited about. I’ll never forget the excitement of hearing, “The Eagle has Landed” on TV as the Saturn V rocket went to the moon and man walked on it. We all wore t-shirts that depicted that momentous event. Nowadays, the Saturn V rocket is pure vintage nostalgia. This shirt is our interpretation of that “Circa 69″ rocket that made history. We hope you like it.

You can find the shirt here.

As a side note… Jared (my partner) wasn’t even alive in 1969 so I’m not sure yet if I’m going to let him wear the shirt.

A couple things that 2009 has taught us. First, we’ve learned that life is way too short to worry about the little things. Second, we’ve realized  just how materialistic we really are and how we have seen the need to readjust our values. That’s why we put off starting up our automobile rims business and downplay it by starting a t-shirt company. Not really. We have always wanted to have well-designed shirts that are printed on quality goods made in the USA. 2009 has made that possible because we may have continued on our merry little way if things hadn’t slowed down. We know it’s been a tough year for many families. We are not immune to it, either. But, stepping back and looking at the big picture, 2009 has been a great year for us. Our minds are buzzing with the possibilities that are before us and we can’t wait to expand our humble company.

Here’s to 2009

Cheers!