Pixelpalooza 2004

Many thanks to Iconfactory, the guest judges, and the plethora who have downloaded Spring Jam Vol. 1 over the course of the last month or so.

Spring Jam Vol. 1 was the Runner-Up in the CandyBar category this year, and as always, it’s a privilege to participate in such a great community event.

Honestly, I didn’t know how these icons would be received. They’re a bit of a departure from my typical style, with a little nod to the Phil Jackson of icon design (thanks for continuing to push the envelope). It was a treat to push my skills in a different direction, and hopefully I’ll have the opportunity to design more icons like these.

Again, huge props to IF for putting on a great show, and congratulations to all the other winners, especially Yegor Gilyov, whose Underwater icons were my personal favorite as well.

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Emerging From the Rubble

Well, we’re in the house, the internet is up, and the boxes are being unpacked. We’ve hung a lot of our artwork (not my personal artwork, but art we’ve collected), and the house is beginning to look a little like a home.

New photos will be coming soon, and I must say that now that we’re living here, the colors on the walls are even better than what I imagined they would be. More to come soon after I reply to all my email and finish all the work I put off during the move. Hooray.

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Y’all Ready for This?

Wow… that’s all I can say. The painter is finished, and has confessed that he has never smiled more while painting a house. The blues in the gathering room, kitchen, and studio turned out amazing (complimented by a pale french pink in the laundry room).

The guest bedroom and bath take on a different tone with brighter pink and purple tones… This is where the term "South Beach" has been used to describe the effect. The pink and purple are very bold, and the look totally rocks. I know the tones are brighter than what many would prefer, but quote frankly, we Americans are a boring folk.

We’ve also gotten a ton of comments from friends about how well they like the way the master bedroom turned out as well, which is pictured here with the ceiling fan. I’ll shoot some more complete photos when the lighting changes in the room.

These photos are just a sampling. More to come when we get the artwork hung, furniture moved, etc.

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H to the Double-O P

Well, I was going to tell you how this is a photo of Rach and I at last night’s final regular season Mavs game, but I know I can’t hoodwink you. I’m sure you’re aware that I’m not quite as tall as Antoine Walker.

Close friends had scored us two lower-level tickets that gave us pretty decent access to Antoine and Company (but we all know it’s Finley’s team, of course), and when time expired the Mavs beat out the Grizzlies, and on to the playoffs we go.

In a gesture of kindness to the common folk, with about three minutes left in the game, some fellow on his way out hands us his two courtside tickets, Row A Seats 5 & 6, complete with VIP access. So of course we mosied down the hardwood as fast as we could to skim about 45 bucks worth of play time off the $700 tickets.

And we wonder why companies like Enron are under investigation. I know where the money went.

All that said, if I had the cash, I’d buy the tickets too. It’s almost surreal when you’re looking up at Dirk, Antawn, and Marquis instead of down.

If you haven’t been to a pro basketball game lately, they’re quite a treat… especially in Dallas, where ownership takes care of the fans. Even when there’s a timeout on the court for a television break, the action doesn’t stop. There’s always some form of entertainment or spectacle to draw you in to the sights and sounds of the spectacle.

So a big shout out to the Carrolls and the UBS executive who made our evening. It was a treat in the midst of a busy week.

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Before the Color

Four days until we move, and the painter is going to town today. I shot a handful of photos yesterday of the inside of our home in all of its stark, white glory. Later today, our home will be splashed with tones of blue, yellow, pink, brown, and purple.

I know, no orange… But you see, we were going for contrast.

All that said, our painter was really pumped to get started since he seemed to be unsure if he had ever painted any home with such an assortment of colors… Seeing as how beige, tan, brown, and white are all the rage here in Texas.

So we may end of living in a bag of Skittles, but at least you can’t accuse us of not being original.

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One Word to Rule Them All

Okey dokey… This is one I’ve been meaning to jot down for a few months now, and in the end, this problem is probably mine.

And this is my feeble attempt to rectify the situation without stepping on the toes of ones I love so dearly. So here goes:

Many years ago, in 1999, I purchased the domain yellowlane.com. The story, in short, is that I have been fond of the color yellow since I was very young, and when choosing a domain for my personal site, I wanted that to be reflected… for whatever sentimental reason. I dunno.

Musicians have Green Rooms. I wanted a something with yellow. So in a stroke of Network Solutions-induced madness, I came up with "Yellowlane."

Now, for whatever reason, I never intended Yellowlane to be spelled as two words. Yellowlane, while based on the color yellow and something akin to the brick road, is not actually supposed to mean anything… It was simply conjured up because the lowercase letters looked swell.

Yellowlane is simply one word.

Other websites named with color in mind have used similar convention. You can think of "Yellowlane" in this same manner.

So now I should take a moment to thank the countless people who have linked to Yellowlane, and share my gratitude, awe, and appreciation for your kindness. I am amazed at the many people who stop by for the icons and whatnot. You’re the best!

All that said, should you decide to update your linkroll anytime soon, it would bless my day if you could delete that extra space.

Thanks a ton. You’re the bomb.

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No Wagering, Please…

From the Tongue-In-Cheek Department: Yellowlane made an appearance at the first official Gurus vs. Bloggers Design Shootout over at Design by Fire.

The results were a little brutal, and it seems Yellowlane may have picked a fight with the referee. For that, we’re deeply sorry. Please know that we hold all combatants in the highest respect.

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Closing Time

Well, today is the big day! In a couple hours Rach and I will go pick up the keys to our new home (although don’t tell our builder that the general contractor slipped us the garage door openers last night).

The trim has been painted, the drywall touched up, the fixtures hung, and the yard… well, we’ll have my (professional luxury landscaper) dad redo the yard (for free, right Dad?). But seriously, our new home has turned out to be a gem. We’ve learned a ton in the process of building from the ground up, and can’t wait to move in next week.

We’ll be sealing the tile tonight (most of the floor throughout the home is tile), and the painter will be adding the pretty interior colors next week. Many have asked, why don’t you paint it yourself? And here’s my answer: While I may do some custom paint work in my home studio on my own, I’m not a painter by trade. My great-grandfather (and engineer), once asked by a friend why he didn’t mow his own lawn, replied, "I wouldn’t hire my landscaper to design my house… and I wouldn’t hire myself to mow a yard."

I figure there is some wisdom somewhere in that statement, and I have full confidence that our painter is going to a much more professional and talented job than I would be able to in a million years. That is his expertise.

Besides, I wouldn’t hire him to design my website.

Moving right along though, we’ve signed more papers in the last 24 hours than I’ve signed collectively in my entire life, and I am entirely convinced that title companies are raging thieves. (No offense to those who work for title companies, but I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.)

So the papers are signed, the keys are ready, and apartment life will soon be over. I was eleven the last time I live in a house (as opposed to an apartment), and I am entirely stoked about the week ahead. I will post many more pictures as we get moved in.

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