Monthly Archives: April 2012

A Page from Dwell Magazine.

Leave a reply

Wanda began our weekly planning session, last Tuesday, by telling me about her recent interactions with people from her past.  Wanda reminisced that there were several interactions that happened only after she had thought randomly about each of the people. We spent the next hour brainstorming some marketing plans for the next few months for her eco-boutique, MODERNFOLK Living.

As we finished this session and walked to our cars, I thanked her for the coffee and asked her to continue her streak of manifesting beautiful relationships.  3 days later this Los Angeles Times article appeared, featuring Wanda, her husband, their gorgeous home and MODERNFOLK Living.  I was thrilled to read Wanda described as having the “knack for softening the modern architecture with handcrafted decor” because I’ve always been attracted to her approach to modern design and decor.

1971 Ojai ranch house remodeled into modern retreat

Having spent a few days  in their home while the Sakai’s were on a road trip, I can vouch that yes, this home and this article could easily be found in Dwell Magazine.

Please enjoy the full article here and remind me next time, that I need to ask Wanda to manifest the winning lotto ticket!

If you happen to be in the Ojai area, I highly recommend swinging into MODERNFOLK Living – if only to stand in awe of a truly beautiful store.

Join me on:
 

Importance of a Good Story

Leave a reply

As many of you know, I officially launched my website earlier this week after months of slowly learning about the backend to my website, how to write code and more importantly, how to ask for help.  As a result of this launch, I was humbled and relieved to read the encouraging email responses.  One of my favorite responses came in from my father-in-law, Rob, and I’ve decided to share it because it illustrates, yet again, the importance of a good story.

Rob, taking a load off after our wedding. Photo by Nathaniel Wilder

In the late 1980′s Connecticut State Parks hired a consultant to do a master plan for the proposed Rapids Exhibit Center at Windsor Locks Canal.  On the team was a high paid national consultant that we would get for half a day, when she flew into town.  She consulted with museums across the country giving them advice about the latest trends and technologies.  The meeting with her lasted almost three hours but I hadn’t gotten anything substantial.  In a desparate act I asked her one final question, “New England is blessed with hundreds of museums.  What separates those that make it, from those that …. don’t?”
She thought for a moment and said three words ……….. “A good story”.

And that is a true story.
Love,
Dad

 

Join me on:
 

S’13 Costa Rica Photoshoot for Merrell.

4 Replies

When this Costa Rica photoshoot was first mentioned to Natty on our last shoot, in the Pacific Northwest, I assumed that I wouldn’t be involved because of the cost to bring additional folks to an international location.  I had been to Costa Rica a few times before and knew part of the country fairly well, so when I got the email asking if I had the time available, I jumped at the chance to help organize and produce another shoot for Merrell.

April marks the end of the dry season in Costa Rica, and it was the driest I’d ever seen. Among a few other spots to target on this shoot, Merrell had requested somewhere that was lush and green.  I had done some research to find a ‘non-touristy’ waterfall with high forest walls and ever-lasting green foliage, yet as I flew over the brown landscape and walked off the plane into the dry heat, I wasn’t sure that we’d find much more than a trickle of a waterfall.

Natty met me at the airport and after walking around the town of Liberia with an urban shot-list in mind, we headed West in search of this waterfall.  The entrance was down a dusty dirt road and the suggested donation went to a local elementary school, which we happily paid.  Upon parking and navigating our way down the trail, we were stoked to hear the rushing of water and the laughter of people, cooling off after another hot day in the sun.  Locals flanked the beach and perched themselves on big dry rocks to catch a bite to eat before jumping back in.  The sun was brilliantly shining down through the forest canopy and the water was perfect. Due to the heat, I decided to get my hair wet, in order to keep cool.  As I submerged my hair, Natty yelled for a Little Mermaid moment.  The sunlight played along quite nicely, so after drenching myself with repeated hair flips, it became Natty’s turn to whip his hair back n’ forth.

Feeling refreshed, we jumped back into the rental car and made our way to Nosara, which was to be our home base for the photoshoot. After a day and a half of scouting and successfully finding some key locations for our 4 themes: marketplace, urban, beach, lush green – the two models (Nadira + Ben) and Sophie from Merrell joined us and the shoot began.  The 3 days of the shoot yielded a bounty of incredible images that you all will be able to see, come Spring ’13, from Merrell.  Never having met, Ben and Nadira fit together like a perfectly ripened mango and my mouth.  Sophie was able to offer key advice throughout the days, which Natty and I greatly appreciated and the long and hot days felt more like a group of friends hanging out, than work.

 

Perhaps on our next shoot, we can finish writing the song “Me & Ballsy MaGee” in honor of the male howler monkeys – just a thought.

Thank you all!