The Bear Den's Holiday Gift Guide 2009 (or TBDHGG09 for short)

Dearest Bear Cubs-

I know it's been awhile since I've posted, but I've been so incredibly busy with everything else in between.

But fear not, loyal readers, because I have prepared for you my third annual Holiday Gift Guide!*

For the "that guy" in your group.


For the "but what if I didn't lock the top-lock" in your life.


For Danny.


See above.


For Bryan.


For the "too much PDA couple" you go and play boardgames with every Wednesday night.


For the "I don't want anything for Christmas this year, really," person in your group.


For the person who thought the Jabbawockeez were cooler than they actually really are.


For the person who has everything.


For the person who prefers butter warm, but would never dare to warm it up in a microwave.


For the person you hop to see in heaven, but chances are they probably aren't going to make it. (Hint: I'm gonna need a few of these.)


And finally, for the person who loves their dog but not their dog's essence.


But if you've got some sense (and cents) in ya, it's probably you're best bet to check out some of these sales happening this weekend. And as always, you can thank me later.

Insight


Paul Frank


WeSC


RVCA


KEEP


TOMS


And for the lovely last-minuters like myself, Obey.


And here are a couple links from some of my favorite places to shop online...

Chubby
KnitCole
KidRobot
The Mason Jar

Happy Holidays!

jason

*I'm not 100% sure I've done guides in the previous two years, but I needed a bit of credibility. Bear with me.

A T-Shirt Says A Thousand Words

GIVE ME VAUGHN!!

Paul Sighting...

via Mike Glory

Life or Death @ VERSUS Feb. 2009 from MIKE GLORY on Vimeo.

Where have you been Paul?!

BB x TS x KJK x UNDFTD

Two Saturday's ago, TOMS and UNDFTD hosted a party launching the Collaborative Canvas Collection featuring Brandon Boyd and Kristin Jai Klosterman- and believe me it didn't disappoint. With less than 80 pairs available, you could almost already expect the crowds, but I don't think anyone ever expected this...



The line was already 50+ deep when I got to Silverlake. We heard that there were a few who actually camped out- what are we releasing, Nike Dunks here?!


Hey guy in purple, your dad loves you.






The Peps, Brandon, and I- Argentina 2010?


Not sure how he left the shop in one piece.





Typhoid pills couldn't stop Kelli.


TOMS fam.


The best account executive in the business.


10pm, and there were still people in line. When I peeked my head out before the sun set, the line had made a pretty sweet looking U in the parking lot.


And wouldn't you know, guess who decided to show up? Sorry we couldn't save any beer for you, Ace- people were thirsty.


If his bike could talk..


Ace- "Dude there's a grasshopper on your car man."
Me- "What do you think it means?"
Ace- I don't know, hopefully something lucky."



THANKS THANKS THANKS to everyone involved, especially Sylvia @ TOMS and the kind folks at UNDFTD Silverlake. Nice seeing you too, Ace. I know it came late, but I promised you'd be up on The Slow Den. Great chat with you afterwards, we have to have more of those.

Family Tradition

Play this first, then scroll through pictures.


















FAIL

Reflections

Last year, Bryan and I had the privilege of being in New York City during the sixth anniversary of the attacks on September 11th. I blogged briefly about what it was like for us, and sharing our stories with Nichole- our friend with who we stayed with.

Here's an excerpt from that post...

During dinner, we shared our 9/11 stories.

I had just come back from NYC a week before the attacks. I was in high school at the time, and had summer reading as an assignment that I decided to do while I spent most of July and August in New York. The World Trade Center had a mall underneath the structures, and I bought the books, Madame Bovary and The Things They Carried, from a D.Dalton there. For some reason I saved the receipt- which is hanging in my room to this day as an eerie reminder of how close things could have been. For weeks I wondered if there were terrorist scouts with me on trains, at that mall, behind me in line. I wondered if the courteous salesperson had died, or maybe didn't have to work that day.

I woke up to that morning of September 11th with my dad telling me the Trade Center was on fire, a plane had hit it. Minutes later, I saw the second. Not long after that, the Towers fell. It's giving me chills just typing about it. I don't think I went to school that day. I'll never, ever forget the way I felt that day, and the link that I have hanging framed in my bedroom.

Nichole remembers waking up to a call from a friend saying to "not go to work today, the Twin Towers are on fire." She got up, walked to her view of the NYC skyline (she was living in Jersey at the time), and saw the second plane hit. Seeing her choke up telling the story was something you can't describe in blogs, or even in person. You just had to be there.

And here's Bryan's account, if you missed it-

"I was on a flight home from Ireland, somewhere over Greenland or Iceland- I don't really remember which. The captain first announced that the airplane was turning around, and gave no specific details as to why. As time went on, he gave us bit by bit info until he finally admitted that the United States had been victim to a terrorist attack, and that the World Trade Center was targeted.

The airport was crazy. The media was interviewing everyone, including ourselves. The people on the ground were trying to explain to us what had happened, since we hadn't seen any footage still.

They shut down the airports for days, and told us to keep calling back to see when it was safe to fly again. A week afterwards, I was home. It was a quiet flight."

I was just speaking with my aunt about her experience- about how she was called into work (despite being on vacation) to help out at the hospital downtown where she is a nurse. The hairs rose on my neck when she told me that while everyone on staff was waiting, hardly anyone came other than firemen/policemen/other personnel. She paused for awhile, and then said "I don't think I'll ever forget how quiet it was, just waiting there."

It's stories like the ones told that I feel need to be passed down to future generations. As morose as it was, I recall hearing stories from my grandpa about Pearl Harbor and the resolve that strengthened the country not only from a global view- but more importantly from a person to person basis, which mirrors what happened to all of us just eight years ago. I can't help but believe that the proud and hopeful feelings I had as a child listening to these stories might be the same ones felt by someone else regarding what happened on that dark September day.

I'd like to hear some of your stories as well, if you care to share them. Feel free to send me an email, drop me a phone call, reply down below- whatever works best for you. I'll be compiling some of them for a journal that I'm making.

Here are a few pictures from last year's memorial.

Sleepwalkin'

Before and After

Before (yes, that's right after P-Rod dropped Girl for Plan B- and yes, that's Eric drawing money flowing out of Paul's chest pocket)



After

TONIGHT!!!

New paint job

Amelia got her car painted this weekend.
-Bryan

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