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RAH Blog Be Bustin’ A Move

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 00:55:25 -0700

Poland – The Low Down Adventure

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 10:07:26 -0700

Last year I had a fairy-tale-worthy sourcing trip with my parents – some made-for-TV shit chock-full of magic moments and warm fuzzies. What made the trip so special? That it even happened. Being an immigrant includes a host of challenges and for my family, being a family was the hardest problem we faced.

Like so many immigrants, my parents worked nonstop. They were relentless – saving every penny, working every second their bodies could endure. My parents felt beat up. They were overwhelmed. They didn’t understand how to navigate a new system of parenting that was so foreign – so totally opposite of their upbringing. I’m not sure what I felt, but I do know what I didn’t feel – connected. We turned against each other instead of turning towards each other. I wish I could tell my teenage self that one day, we’d figure out how to be a family.

My parents are now retired, but they’re still nonstop relentless. They’ve become a huge support system for RAD AND HUNGRY. When I’m not out there huntin’ down office supplies, we’re probably having dinner together.

I wanna keep creating epic memories with my parents, so I brought them along to Poland. We woke up to snow on our first morning in Kraków. It was magical despite the harsh wind. We broke for snow ‘cause watching my parents giggle while catchin’ snowflakes is way more important than office supplies. Can you believe it was the first time my mother caught snowflakes? Crazy, right?! But when you’ve been working nonstop since you were six years old it doesn’t leave much time for play.

It’s also the first time my mother spent more than two consecutive days doin’ nothing but chill. She rocked pj’s all day and played Pokémon Go from the sofa. She stayed up late watching Polish movies with no subtitles. I worried that she was bored. My mother smiled and replied that this is what vacation feels like. It’s corny but true – shared experiences make lasting memories.

It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with Poland. How could I not? I was nonstop meetin’ super rad folks! Like the amazing wife/husband duo, Papierniczeni, their catalog of goods be dope as hell (more about Magda and Piotr in their upcoming Maker Profile!).

But it don’t stop there… the architecture, the design scene, the people, the M’THR F’IN unreal moments like seeing my last name tagged on walls! WHAT?! And it continued to amaze… A rainy day adventure looking for a recommended restaurant that was closed led us to a different spot. Thought I was dreaming when I heard the owner speakin’ Korean to my father. Turns out Tomek studied in Korea and spoke Korean like a champ!

I didn’t want to leave Poland. My parents didn’t want to leave Poland. There was so much more to do and see and people to hang with and drinks and grubbin’. Poland – you got that whip appeal.

oxxo, Hen

Two Tickets to Paradise – Summerville, GA, a RAH Mini-Adventure

Wed, 17 May 2017 20:14:07 -0700

I’m not exactly a country girl, so I was as surprised as anyone that a pilgrimage to paradise meant trekking to rural Georgia. The chance to visit a Baptist preacher-turned-outsider artist’s kitschy studio? Too unique to pass up, so we set off for Summerville, GA.

I didn’t anticipate feeling so connected to Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden or so welcomed by some of the locals. That feeling of being shaken out of your comfort zone? It’s one of the best parts of travel, especially in your own country.

Whether you’re looking for art, grub, or inspiration, our guide to Summerville and the surrounding area has you covered. This trip is deep-fried, small town Americana with a side of funky fixin’s.

After arriving in town, we let the locals be our guide – even when they threw in a detour to Alabama! You’ll start at the roadside diner where locals line up at 5:30 a.m. and end on top of a waterfall. A set of wheels is a must for this classic Southern road trip.

oxxo, Jessica

a RAD AND HUNGRY Mini-Adventure
Two Tickets to Paradise – Summerville, GA

sleep in an ARTIST COTTAGE at Paradise Garden

Start your journey in Atlanta and take I-75 N to GA-140 W. Then, take US-27 N to N. Lewis St. Plan on two hours but traffic and time of day may make for a longer journey.

Get the full-on Paradise Garden experience by spending the night in the Artist in Residence Cottage. It’s burstin’ with artwork and vintage touches. Who needs rock star parking when you’re steps away from the entrance to Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden! Reservations include unlimited access including after hours entry. Check out all the awesome by moonlight and let the magic wash over you. Availability is limited so book ahead.

eat BARBECUE at Henry’s BBQ

A pork plate for breakfast? Trust. The locals be up before dawn to start their day with Henry’s grubbin’ BBQ. Load up on Southern favorites like biscuits kissed with sunny dots of butter, grits, and the house-smoked sausage or bacon. The staff is the epitome of Southern hospitality. Tell Caitlan we sent you!

On your way back to Paradise Gardens, look out for Ye Olde Trade Grounds (US-27 and Smith Rd.). People flock from all over Chattooga County every Tuesday and Saturday for the Trade Day flea market at this parking lot. Browse everything from vintage jewelry to hunting knives, but the best deal is just gabbin’ with locals.

get INSPIRED at Paradise Garden

Paradise Garden was built by retired preacher Howard Finster when a vision told him to paint sacred art in 1976. He spent the rest of his life spreading his message by creating folk art and expanding his garden. The grounds are a wonderland of weird, featuring everyday bric-a-brac turned awesomeness. Watch your reflection multiply in the glittering Mirror House, try to count hubcaps amassed into a 20-foot-tall tower, and enjoy the gentle stream running through this outsider playground. If Finster’s work seems familiar you may have seen the album covers he created for R.E.M. and the Talking Heads. Protip – watch the short video shown in the visitor center for a glimpse of Finster serenading Johnny Carson by banjo.

shop the CRAFTS at Log Cabin Craft Village

Alabama? Hey, we go where the locals tell us. Drive NW for roughly 30 minutes from Summerville to Mentone on GA-48 W then AL-117 N.

This tiny mountain town is home to a surprisingly eclectic collection of artisans, craftspeople, and souvenir stores. Look for the group of log cabins that’s been converted to shops. The biggest surprise? A Dutch woman who moved from Seattle to Alabama and spends half the year sourcing goods for her shop in Ecuador and Peru!

go HIKING at Desoto Falls

A quick 10 minute drive and you’ll be lookin’ out at Alabama’s highest waterfall! Head west on AL-117 N and turn left onto Co Rd 613 until it dead ends at the DeSoto Falls Recreation Area.

An easy two-mile hike will take you through the lush Chattahoochee National Forest and back. Or just sit and admire the powerful 104-foot falls as they dive into the gorge below. Soak in the natural wonder before hitting the road back to Atlanta.

8ARM, Atlanta, USA – Spot Check

Sun, 30 Apr 2017 06:46:06 -0700

Atlanta is the New South. If Savannah be drippin’ in Spanish moss and New Orleans reppin’ colonial architecture and jazz heritage, Atlanta is a global glass tower on a hill.

The city is boomin’ and lookin’ ahead. Whether it be for the film industry or finance, attracting people from all over. We felt a little lost in all this newness – like when a billboard for Pencil Factory made our hearts race and turned out to be converted condos. Ponce City Market’s huge Art Deco sign is dope as hell, but the historic building turned out to be an overwhelming mall housin’ chain stores and a trendy cafeteria. No hatin’ – it’s just not our jam. No rare office supplies to unearth, no RAH–worthy goods to share.

We wanted a local grub spot and found it just a few blocks down the street. The rad street art mural out front was the first good sign.

Inside, 8ARM kept gettin’ more inviting. A bright orange and white cafe led into an open dining room dotted with plants, and then to an outdoor patio and bar housed in a container. Turns out the building was an old scooter garage!

8ARM felt like your cool kid friend was cooking for you. Sippin’ coffee, scopin’ out the designy vintage touches while a hip crowd trickled in. A snake and wolf mural with a Latin phrase dominated the sunny room – something from Aesop’s fables. Awesome!

The menu rocked some brunch classics, but didn’t play too safe. Lamb cheek for breakfast with lemongrass and carrots? HELLZ YES. Everyone said the biscuits were a MUST, but to our dismay – SOLD OUT. Cravin’ the pastries in the glass case was as close as we got.

We coulda been grubbin’ at 8ARM all day, moving from morning cafe to cocktails on the patio. Instead, we walked off our grits at nearby Paris on Ponce (antique market) and the BeltLine (rail line converted to a pedestrian path). Next time we’re in Atlanta though, those biscuits are top of the list.

oxxo, Jessica

SHOP STMT X USA
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photos Hen Chung, Jessica Mlinaric

Galería La Catrina, Puebla, México – Spot Check

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0700

Souvenir specialist I be. I land in a city, and within minutes I’m buyin’ up a storm. Office supplies, textiles, art, books… anything and everything that inspires me. My RAH Tote Bag gettin’ heavier by the second from nonstop collectin’ every matchbook, sugar packet, and flyer that caught my eye. I’m steady snappin’ photos of everything that excites me – signage I pass, sewer covers I step over, people I meet, food that I eat.

I love putterin’ way outside of the city center chock full of tourist traps to discover dope hidden spots to get my shop on. But sometimes tourist shops are where it’s at. Magnets. Check. Postcards. Check. Socks rockin’ the city skyline. Check.

It’s more than the draw of the standard souvenirs. Sometimes I run out of time. Sometimes I don’t wanna run around comparing prices, searchin’ for the one. And sometimes after I’ve secured all the goods for the STMT Kit I’m totally spent. No amount of caffeine is gonna make me wanna walk another block. Sometimes I just wanna discover a touristy-but-not-touristy shop and fall in love with everything. Lucky for me, I discovered just the spot in Puebla – Galería La Catrina!

Don’t expect cheap tchotchkes at Galería La Catrina. Instead, be prepared for a choice selection of goods reppin’ the local culture made by local artist. The perfect balance of enough – not too much that’ll leave you overwhelmed but plenty of variety to find the perfect souvenir! You’ll see familiar stuff – Day of the Dead figurines, all things Frida, colorful skulls – but also not-so-common treasures. Their most popular pieces? Gorgeous handcrafted birdcages.

I walked out with non-touristy magnets, Day of the Dead figurines, and a beautiful handmade clay statue overflowing with flowers. I also scored tips for visiting Puebla from the owner, Blanca. Her suggestions? Visit Puebla Cathedral. Stunning. Eat mole. Grubbin’. Eat Chiles en Nogada. Didn’t happen ‘cause we ran out of time but it’s gonna. Food recommendations from locals? Mark my return!

oxxo, Hen

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USA – The Low Down Adventure

Tue, 11 Apr 2017 12:29:33 -0700

I’ve traveled far (South Africa) to hunt down office supplies. I’ve traveled to remote places (Atacama Desert, Chile) and random places (Paraguay) but I’ve never explored the American South. The time felt right for a mission trip to Paradise Garden – an Outsider Art mecca located in small-town Americana that’s been callin’ my name.

Summerville, Georgia be unlike any other place I’ve been. We arrived at dusk, slowly creepin’ into town. We passed estates sitting on acres of perfectly manicured lawns. I wondered out loud if Crayola named their grass green crayon after their lawns. Then we drove through some real-life True Detective swampland shit that gave me chills.

It’s no secret that we M’THR F’IN love to grub. It’s a big part of sourcing trips, sometimes more than huntin’ down office supplies! Our first taste of Summerville – peel ‘n eat Gulf shrimp, fresh oysters, chicken wings with a side of tortilla chips (??), and deep-fried dill pickles – at the only restaurant crackin’ on a Friday night. But the real winner of dinner? The heavy dose of locals. That syrupy-sweet drawl? Bonafide real. And the only other non-white person kickin’ back drunk with his feet up on a stool had me all sorts of confused.

We hit up the corner gas station. Another slice of small-town Americana, another spot where we commanded silence the moment we walked through the doors. Townies wonderin’ what we wanted, we wonderin’ why there was only one cider option but two different Four Loko flavors? WTF? Purple Hooter and Pink Scorpion probably woulda turnt up the night but we were deep in the south. We didn’t need the night to go south.

We grubbed on grits and barbecue for breakfast at Henry’s BBQ, the spot that locals get their mornin’ grub on. They line up at 5:45 am, 15 minutes before they open. We rolled in at 1:45 pm, 15 minutes before they closed.

One of the waitresses, Caitlan, took our order. What she really wanted? To get our story. She pegged us as outsiders and wanted to connect. Turns out Caitlan was feelin’ like an outsider herself – lookin’ for a sign from afar. We left loaded with leads, exchanged phone numbers, and promised to keep in touch. Later, we hit up one of Caitlan’s tips – hello, Mentone, AL!

But the prize of the STMT x USA sourcing trip? Paradise Garden – Howard Finster’s twisted-fairy-tale-turned-real haven (more about this magical spot later this month!). The preacher-turned-artist called himself a “visitor from another planet,” and walkin’ the grounds was like entering another world. Everyday items transformed into art – merging real with fantasy. My head was spinnin’ from all the rad… It’s bizarre, a bit creepy, and a whole lot of awesome. Even the insects were otherworldly – ginormous bees and massive dragonflies hovering all around us, nature proving its strength in Paradise.

Nonstop surreal and out there moments. Outsiders hangin’ with outsiders. We all out here. Who’s left inside?

oxxo, Hen

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Be Boss – This Here Now

Sat, 08 Apr 2017 15:12:02 -0700

It was all a dream… hawkin’ office supplies from around the world.

Releasing three STMT Kits was guaranteed, six was being hopeful, and 12 be my pipe dream come true. When we neared our 50th release, it blew my mind. Nonstop travelin’ for five years, huntin’ down lo-fi office supplies and sharin’ them with RAHstrs all over the world? MAJOR BOOTYCLAPPIN’!

To celebrate the 50ths STMT Kit I designed the “Every Day We’re Traveling” illustration featurin’ some of my fave icons from some of our most popular kits… whales reppin’ Ukraine, a boombox reppin’ Finland, snails reppin’ Croatia… We plastered it on T-shirts, custom drawing boards, our RAH Passports, stamped it on pencils, and more.

This month we drop our 70th Kit (HELLZ YEAH!), and totally ready to celebrate! Seven years in and my love for pencils still beats strong. The force behind RAD AND HUNGRY, my all-time fave office supply – PENCILS ARE THE SHIT. How we gonna celebrate? To start – custom pencils proclaiming my love of pencils!

The pencils I ordered were waiting for me after my return from last month’s sourcing trip. My whole flight home I was excited thinkin’ about surprising RAHstrs with ‘em. Back at the office, I tore into the package. And you know what? The pencils aren’t the shit; they totally look like shit. The body paint is streaky, the text cracking – the pressure of stamping the text was too much causin’ the letters to crack through the uneven paint job. Noooooo!

After all my bummed out feelings washed away, my next thought was… OMG, I don’t wanna deal with the vendor! Will they offer to redo them? Will they offer a refund? Are we stuck with shitty pencils that clearly aren’t the shit? What do I do when I don’t wanna make that call or send that email? ‘Cause sometimes I don’t wanna be boss. Sometimes I wish I could snap my fingers and all the not-so-rad tasks and headaches of running a small biz would resolve themselves. But that’s not reality.

Sometimes I let things ride, let issues slide. Accept half-assed because it’s easier, because I don’t wanna stir shit up. But that’s never a good thing. I gotta remind myself to be boss. Day in, day out. Dealin’ with all the good and bad of owning it. Owning my pipe dream. Owning a small biz. Owning every day whether ridin’ high or sinkin’ in shit. I gotta have the emotional strength to deal with any bullshit slung my way, big or small.

I’m gonna make the situation right, I’m gonna make that phone call. I’m gonna M’THR F’IN be boss ‘cause PENCILS ARE THE SHIT, and one not-so-hot experience isn’t gonna stop me from spreadin’ the pencil love!

oxxo, Hen

Hit the pavement, feet to the fire – reunion to reunion. That fire that ignites? Temperature’s...

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 23:18:24 -0700

Hit the pavement, feet to the fire – reunion to reunion. That fire that ignites? Temperature’s risin’. Burn, baby burn. Out of the ashes, we come hard – slangin’ lo-fi office supplies and handin’ out hi-fives. It’s STMT x Mexico!

Our 69th limited-edition STMT Kit features old-school awesomeness! One vintage Scripto Thinline mechanical pencil, one phat notebook, one vintage paper stencil, and a Yearly Subscriber BONUS! One vintage rub-on transfer sheet.

Shop the STMT x Mexico Kit and read the Low Down to learn about the fire-and-desire sourcing trip.

Mexico – The Low Down Adventure

Tue, 14 Mar 2017 01:40:03 -0700

71 countries later and México is still my all-time fave. Rome may be my home away from home but México? México is home despite not having a permanent address or havin’ one of those nightmare trips that you read about but hope never to experience. Morocco and the desert storm? A dream compared to this trip.

Was it all bad? Hellz no. The nonstop love-filled reunions full of so much rad far outweighed all the bad! From our first full day in México City with Maggie, to Puebla where I reunited with Marco and his entire family. I never had to ask, Marco and his family took care of everything. It’s like they knew exactly what I needed, what I wanted before I knew! Huntin’ down locally-made candy and art for the RAH Rock and Hard Piece subscription. Check. Eatin’ grubbin’ tacos la oriental. Yup. Gettin’ down with mariachi bands? (More about this AH-MAZING night later this month!) BOOM!

Marco and I didn’t miss a beat scorin’ supplies. We headed to my favorite papelaria to meet up with Juan (check out his “secret” museum of vintage office machinery!). I regretted not snatchin’ up Juan’s entire stash of vintage Scripto mechanical pencils during the last STMT x Mexico sourcing trip to Puebla. But you know what? Juan still had them! Minutes later, I secured every last bit of his vintage office supplies stash. BOOTYCLAPPIN’!

Next stop? We visited my homie Emilio at La Pasita and stocked up on pasita. We continued on… walkin’ familiar streets, gruppin’ on tasty treats… dreamin’ and schemin’ about my next trip to Puebla.

Then shit went up in smoke. The travel life be rad – but it’s all about the grind. You gotta turn and face the hard shit – the shit that ignites. I’ve dealt with a lot of crazy, but this was different. I had to navigate a situation so uncomfortable; it was like a rash breakin’ out all over my body. It started slow, and then grew so massive that I was burning up. And then? I broke down and cried.

In the end, it all worked out. No more tiptoeing around. No awkward flight home. Holy shit sometimes the world can feel so wrong. Then with a flip of the switch, so much love oozes out and life is back to rad. I was reminded that you gotta listen to your gut – especially when the signs are all there.

I love Mexico City but my love for Puebla? It’s some next-level shit. I was sad to go. Sad to leave my friends, old and new. Homeward bound, upside down. But you know what? Sometimes when shit goes wrong, you just gotta let it all burn to the ground. Burn, baby burn.

Out of the ashes, we come hard – slangin’ lo-fi office supplies and handin’ out hi-fives.

oxxo, Hen

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Dolla Dolla Bills – The Badge for STMT X Viet Nam

Thu, 23 Feb 2017 19:00:02 -0800

Some cultures feel familiar, despite the fact that stereotypes we learn aren’t totally accurate (and often head-shakin’, jaw-droppin’ wrong). But sometimes we get a true glimpse.

Pretty much since the city was founded, Seattle has had a large Asian community. I grew up with Vietnamese friends, so way before I visited a corner nail salon or had my first bowl of phở, I ate bún chả giò. Another thing I learned about Vietnamese culture? Their deep connection with Buddhism. I loved how every family, every business maintained a shrine. I loved how different each shrine was – the different offerings, different sizes. They always looked so fancy compared to the Korean shrines I grew up with. Plus, Korean shrines aren’t part of daily life – the only time my family set up a shrine was to mourn a death and on the anniversary of the person’s passing.

A big part of the Vietnamese Buddhist culture is joss paper. I first learned about it from a local Vietnamese grocery shop. I spied some in an aisle and right away started fillin’ my cart with stacks. The texture of the paper, the gold, the bright colors, and especially the pieces lookin’ like watches… so rad!

I asked an employee about ‘em. He explained that they’re burned for offerings. I went home and immediately pinned a few pieces on my wall. I didn’t burn the stash I purchased. I kept it safe.

During our STMT x Việt Nam sourcing trip, I knew I had to buy a phat stash to doll up our kits! We bought our entire stash from a sweet lady who was amused by us Americans – speakin’ no Vietnamese, but so clearly smitten by joss paper. She spoke no English but smiled and laughed and kept scrawling numbers on a sheet of paper as we collected more and more stacks of awesome.

The stall was located a few doors down from the Jade Pagoda. There we saw joss paper in action – locals visiting the site, burning the paper and making offerings. Stoked we got to experience this bit of culture firsthand – and even MORE so that we get to share it with RAHstrs!

oxxo, Hen

(PS – Why Việt Nam instead of Vietnam? How the locals do.)

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Botako, Belgrade, Serbia – Spot Check

Mon, 20 Feb 2017 19:00:07 -0800

Yes, weird be the theme of the STMT X Serbia sourcing trip – but so was pizza. A calculated risk proved a major win – the questionable Airbnb booking was located next door to the best pizza in Belgrade! Are you M'THR F'IN KIDDING ME?! Crazy lady be damned. No amount of crazy-weird takes away from this total chance awesomeness. Pizza for breakfast, pizza for lunch, pizza all day long.

Walking into Botako was another Twilight Zone moment – I was transported to a magical place. One minute you’re walking down a narrow street, swallowed by the gray and grime of Belgrade… the next minute you’re walking through their door into a fairy-tale forest complete with fairies. Fairies that sprinkle pizza dust and serve up grubbin’ pizza. But the BIGGEST piece of magic? Their omelets are served on a pizza! TRUE PIZZA LOVE.

My love of Botako ran deep – I ate as often as I could there, I had meetings with vendors there, I met new friends for breakfast. One day while waiting for my pizza, I walked around and took a closer look at the art on the walls, the faces and animals between the branches. I was drawn to a few so I asked my server if the art was available for purchase. Yes, yes it was. And just like that – I secured a bit of Serbian fairy-tale magic for the Rock and A Hard Piece Subscription. No matter where we be on the World Tour, it’s true – pizza makes magic.

oxxo, Hen

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Flip the Bitch – This Here Now

Tue, 14 Feb 2017 19:00:05 -0800

I’m not crazy but for realz – there are many many moments when I ask myself how come I’m not M'THR F'IN Wonder Woman. All 2016 long, I felt like we were gettin’ more and more behind because we were adding more and more rad to our plate. I kept thinking… dude, I can’t wait till 2017 so we can have a clean break, a fresh new start.

Almost two months in and I’m wondering – how come our list never gets shorter? How come it’s actually longer?! And now I know why. Because there is so much I want to do, so much more rad I want to create that there’s always gonna be a never-ending list of shit to do. My list will always be massively long and it will always feel endless.

The real question is – how do I not stress the M'THR F'IN out? Short answer – the answer everyone seems to preach – is balance. I agree, there needs to be balance. But dig deeper… I think it’s accepting that if you want to create a lot, do, see, be part of a lot… then the never-ending list can’t be something that stresses you out. The energy that feels like stress should actually be excitement.

So do it – flip the bitch and prioritize all you want to do, then go do it. ‘Cause you got this. Go be you, go be M'THR F'IN badass. I plan to.

oxxo, Hen

Solarium – Risograph Book by Alice Wietzel

Mon, 13 Feb 2017 18:00:32 -0800

Office supplies be our first love, our main obsession. But they’re not the only lo-fi goods we bring back from low-down travel. Where the magic REALLY happens – mixin’ lo-fi style, travel and design.

When we spy goods that totally nail the mix? Of course we snatch ‘em up! A handmade photography book from Brazil. Hilarious coloring books from the USA. And the latest edition to the lineup – a limited-edition Risograph book from World Tour Artist Alice Wietzel.

Created in collaboration with Riso Presto, Solarium tells the story of a group of bootylicious ladies drinkin’ up the sun. In Alice’s own words: “It’s about women bathing in the sun without sunscreen or swimwear. The hours pass as you turn the pages of the book, and they get more and more sunburned. When the sun sets, they all get back to normal.”

Solarium is limited-edition – each book is individually numbered. Shop the book, and read our Maker Profile with Alice to learn more about her process and rad work.

Huffin’ and puffin’, struggling with the weight of a heavy past. Serbia be aching –...

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 19:00:22 -0800

Huffin’ and puffin’, struggling with the weight of a heavy past. Serbia be aching – but never stopping. When shit gets weird, embrace the crazy – like a Vinjak-fueled dance party endin’ with the cabbage dance. It’s STMT x Serbia!

THREE (!!!) big honkin’ notebooks – standard-issue exercise books that students use in Serbia. Pattern overload with bold black and green, red and blue.

A ballpoint pen dressed up in classy cream and black. Click open the fine tip and you’re in for a surprise – blue ink! Waffle-textured grip means your fingers never be slippin’.

Shop the kit and read the Low Down to learn about the Twilight Zone sourcing trip.

Serbia – The Low Down Adventure

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 15:24:16 -0800

Belgrade be weird. Not crazy weird. Or even funny ha-ha weird. Like some Twilight Zone shit kind of weird.

It all started with my Airbnb apartment. Super-cute, ideal location, lots of natural light, glowing reviews. Everything was rad except one thing – a bonafide crazy neighbor. The apartment description mentioned a neighbor who struggles with mental illness and warned that she yells a lot. Did I think twice about booking? Of course. Yet I went ahead and booked it. Why? Because I don’t mind a bit of crazy. In fact, I embrace crazy.

And crazy it was. When the host and I walked up to the apartment, she was standing at her door, yelling at us. It was intense – like the shared stoop was the entrance to another world. We turned and entered the apartment and just like that – we were back in real time. M'THR F'IN TWILIGHT ZONE SHIT.

I was a bit scared every time I left or returned to the apartment. But you know what’s crazy? The neighbor isn’t the reason why I almost booked another apartment. It was smoke. The first two days, the non-smoking apartment smelled of intense smoke. My throat hurt. My lungs hurt. I couldn’t sleep. No matter how many times I shampooed my hair or scrubbed my skin – it stuck to me like glue. I hit a whole new level of ghetto – I sprayed air freshener in my hair, on my clothes.

When I woke on the third morning – nothing. Not even a lingering scent of smoke. Thankful? Yes. But WEIRD.

The STMT X Serbia sourcing trip is the first trip where every day, nonstop I was runnin’ around meeting with people that I had met the day before. Lunches, dinners, walks around the city, coffee and dessert – one date to the next. And know what I discovered? Belgrade felt tired. A city that’s huffin’ and puffin’, struggling with the unbearable weight of a heavy past. OMFG the history of former Yugoslavia / the Balkan countries is so vast, so complex. I feel like history just overlooked this region. Why is my only introduction to Serbia and the Kosovo War a TV show, The Last Panthers? I visited the ruins of the Belgrade bombings by NATO during the Kosovo War. 19 years later and looking at burnt shreds of carpet draping the bomb-crushed walls of the Yugoslav Ministry of Defence building… chilling.

Belgrade’s spirit is aching – but not stopping. The people I met didn’t have much hope for better days, for a stronger economy, for a better life. They resolved to accept that shit is crazy – like they accept the struggle because it’s the only option. At the same time, the people I met want to work. They want to create. They want to M'THR F'IN make shit happen.

I don’t miss the constant fog of smoke or my scratchy throat, the neighbor-lady screamin’ through the walls. But I do miss the people, and can’t wait for a repeat of our late-night, Vinjak-fueled dance party (cabbage dance!!). Weird, ya feel me?

oxxo, Hen

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Driving down narrow roads, our mini car huggin’ the stone walls as we rounded one corner...

Wed, 01 Feb 2017 19:00:25 -0800

Driving down narrow roads, our mini car huggin’ the stone walls as we rounded one corner after the next. For sure we were on the road to nowhere. Google had done us wrong! Thunder and torrential rain kept stormin’ down – the unwelcome theme of our STMT x Italy road trip. But sometimes you just gotta roll with it. Weather be damned. We drove. Slow but forward. We had a destination in mind – Ristorante Bagni Delfino.

When we finally approached the restaurant, the host spotted us, ran out, and waved us forward to park. We asked where. He pointed right in front. Rock star parking!

It’s not often that I discover tasty gluten-free pasta, especially in Italy. I finished the third course – noodles with sea urchin sauce – and knew I had to try more. The noodles melted in my mouth.

I moved on to their seafood risotto.

I don’t even know if I ordered the courses the Italian way (how do they manage so many courses for dinner?), but I DID devour more courses from this meal than any previous dinner in Italy. Final count? Seven. Next time I’m in Italy? 10. Future goals.

oxxo, Hen

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Betty Turbo, American Illustrator – Maker Profile

Mon, 30 Jan 2017 19:00:05 -0800

One thing we’ve learned on our World Tour… Insta-BFFs are TOTALLY a thing. Some people, you click with the moment you meet – or “meet” in the case of Betty Turbo.

We first spied her work while researching an artist for our 2nd World Tour Gift ::

“Betty Turbo (aka Agnes) is an illustrator with mad style – we knew we were kindred spirits when we saw the word ‘rad’ in her bio! We totally dig her mix of colors and typography, the all-out ENERGY that just jumps off the page.”

Over the past four years, that instant connection has grown into a fast and firm friendship. Agnes may be the only person as obsessed with pizza as we are (so much so that she created two pizza-themed coloring books).

And to this day, we still grin BIG whenever she creates new work. (I mean, check her Instagram. Her mad skills reign supreme!!) It’s about damn time we interviewed Betty Turbo for a Maker Profile!

RAH – We LOVE LOVE LOVE that you created a hilarious card based on a video that Hen shared. What typically inspires your work?

Food, powerful women, outer space, signs and packaging, pop culture, things people collect and save…

RAH – You’ve lived in Alaska, Nashville, Oregon… wide range! Did any place particularly shape your style?

I hope all of them have! Though some effects might be buried deeper than others… Living in Portugal made me a lot more conscious of how surface patterns describe a sense of place. In a more blatant fashion, my years letterpress printing in Nashville directly influenced how I handle type and lettering. I think cultural impressions of Nashville also shaped how I approach storytelling, and the relationships between pop culture and everyday lives.

RAH – Your work is filled with so much FUN – grubbin’ food and badass women and general silliness. The art world can feel so serious – was it a conscious decision to focus on happy things?

Goofiness is definitely a natural Way of Being to me, and I’m a firm believer that you can be serious about issues and concepts without taking yourSELF too seriously. I feel like humor is a useful tool because it is an access point to invite more people into the conversation. We can tackle intense, hard things and still find moments of joy and positivity, and there is a place for laughter in activism and protest.

(Love these posters? Download high-res versions to print up – All Are Welcome, Dear Students and We’re Open.)

A BIG bootyclappin’ thank you to Betty Turbo for takin’ the time to answer our questions. Shop a selection of her goods on RAD AND HUNGRY, and check her Etsy shop for more rad work. And BONUS!! Download the special pen wallpaper she created especially for RAHstrs!

1 - First, the basics: pencil or pen, ruled sheets or grid?

Pen! Be BOLD! I do love a luscious pen. Ruled sheets if I can’t choose blank! And it better be college-ruled or freakishly small international lines – wide-ruled paper gives me hives and sends me into a panic that I’m wasting space and I’ll never have enough room to get down all my ideas.

2 - What’s your favorite food to grub on? Drink to sip (or guzzle, you know how we do)?

I know I front like all I eat is ice cream and candy, but I really do love Japanese and Thai food best! I think I could subsist on some incarnation of veggies and tofu forever and ever. As long as there are some jellybeans hidden in my desk.

To sip? I like weird sodas which I find in the wild or make at home. Drinking vinegars are my jam! Shrub a dub dub.

3 - Describe the Portland art scene in 3 words.

Cooperative, self-referential, weirdos!

4 - What’s the one thing everyone should experience in Portland?

Eat at food carts!! Their variety and abundance is sure to delight you. A great way to sample different cuisines on the cheap, satisfy a group of friends with varied tastes, and explore different neighborhoods.

5 - You have a jet all fueled up and ready for your own personal World Tour. Where you headed?

Oh my gosh, how much fuel do I have? Can it last forever?? My dream World Tour (if I do have to come home eventually) would include Japan for food and art investigations, Hungary for the ancestral research aspect, Iceland, because I come from the ice and snow and will forever dig on Arctic climes for good times, and Brazil to put my Portuguese to the test!

6 - You know we had to ask – favorite pizza topping?

Pineapple is the best pizza topping, let it be known to all and sundry. Also, leggings ARE pants.

Photo

Sat, 28 Jan 2017 10:00:00 -0800

2016 was all about chasin’ the sun and squeezin’ in as many beaches as possible…...

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 19:00:10 -0800

2016 was all about chasin’ the sun and squeezin’ in as many beaches as possible… From South Africa to France to Portugal to Albania to Việt Nam – and finally Italy, kickin’ off the 7th World Tour.

Amalfi Coast on my mind, we drove south from Rome. Was it the picture-perfect Italian vacation seen in one tourist brochure to the next? No. By night – stormy as fuck. So much so that the thunder broke me out of deep sleep, shook our apartment, and lit up the bedroom like a fireworks show. By day? Glorious and awe-inspiring.

I love traveling to places foreign to me because I’m constantly asking how? Why? Italy’s Amalfi Coast was no exception. Like how the M'THR F'IN did people figure out how to build homes on the side of cliffs? Who was the first person to look up at the towering cliffs and say, I’m gonna M'THR F'IN build me a home right here? Who was this man?

Whoever he was – a big thank you for his crazy. If people didn’t follow those schemes and dreams, how would we get snaps like this?

oxxo, Hen

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Sign o' the Times – The Badge for STMT X New Zealand

Tue, 24 Jan 2017 18:03:46 -0800

Sometimes inspiration for designing STMT Kits overwhelms me – other times I’ve gotta dig deep in my travel journal. Came back from our New Zealand sourcing trip knowing that whatever the design be, it would mos def be Māori inspired.

Māori culture runs deep in New Zealand. You’ll spy its influence everywhere – the traditional symbols, bold and graphic, are tattooed all over bodies, carved in buildings, and so much more. No matter where I turned, where I be, I always spied a hei-tiki, worn as a pendant or sometimes as a brooch.

You can even feel the magic. Have you ever watched a Haka dance? The stomping, the shouting, the face contorting… how they stick out their tongues! It’s INTENSE! It’s powerful. You totally understand why, back in the day, the Māori performed Haka before battle. The tradition continues today – but instead of war battles, it’s rugby matches (and other special occasions).

The little bits of culture we’re exposed to during sourcing trips inspire the concept for each kit… so when I started to design the poster for STMT x New Zealand? Of course it included a tatted Māori with his tongue out! The 5-year-old in me smiles BIG every time I look at it.

One lil’ piece of luck brought the whole concept together… Finding a stash of green faux-pounamu hei-tikis made in New Zealand!! A little piece of Māori culture, shippin’ out to RAHstrs all over the world? THAT be magic.

oxxo, Hen

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https://blog.radandhungry.com/

RAH Blog Be Bustin’ A Move

Poland – The Low Down Adventure

Two Tickets to Paradise – Summerville, GA, a RAH Mini-Adventure

a RAD AND HUNGRY Mini-Adventure Two Tickets to Paradise – Summerville, GA

sleep in an ARTIST COTTAGE at Paradise Garden

eat BARBECUE at Henry’s BBQ

get INSPIRED at Paradise Garden

shop the CRAFTS at Log Cabin Craft Village

go HIKING at Desoto Falls

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Galería La Catrina, Puebla, México – Spot Check

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Driving down narrow roads, our mini car huggin’ the stone walls as we rounded one corner...

Betty Turbo, American Illustrator – Maker Profile

1 - First, the basics: pencil or pen, ruled sheets or grid?

2 - What’s your favorite food to grub on? Drink to sip (or guzzle, you know how we do)?

3 - Describe the Portland art scene in 3 words.

4 - What’s the one thing everyone should experience in Portland?

5 - You have a jet all fueled up and ready for your own personal World Tour. Where you headed?

6 - You know we had to ask – favorite pizza topping?

Photo

2016 was all about chasin’ the sun and squeezin’ in as many beaches as possible…...

Sign o' the Times – The Badge for STMT X New Zealand

a RAD AND HUNGRY Mini-Adventure
Two Tickets to Paradise – Summerville, GA