Being able to be the one who makes that first personal connection with the UncommonGoods brand is really important to me. Learning what keeps these artists ticking and how excited they are to be a part of our community really warms me up! I tend to get really attached to my design challenge artists and develop design crushes on them!

Each time I ask an artist what advice they would give to someone considering entering a design challenge, I am blown away by their responses. Considering entering a design challenge yourself? Here are some of my favorite bits of advice.

Take a risk and enter. Be sure to rally up your friends and colleagues, they can be some of your best chances to filling in votes. But, above all, don’t let negative comments get you down. Constructive criticism is one thing, but personal preferences and insults are not necessary in the creative process.

Jeff Knight, Woodworking Design Challenge

This is a great opportunity it doesn’t cost anything to enter there is really nothing to lose! Even the opportunity for a jury to look at your work usually costs money; here you get a team of professionals to evaluate your design for free! The semi-finalists get great exposure on the website through the voting platform and there is another opportunity for honest feedback and insight into your work. We made a goal several years ago when looking at an UncommonGoods catalog to some day be featured in their collection, and it took this long to do it. Without ever having that thought or goal to begin with it never would have happened!

Patrick & Carrie Frost, Glass Art Design Challenge

My first bit of advice would simply be to enter the competition. Don’t prevent yourself from taking advantage of such an awesome opportunity by worrying about whether your art is good enough. Just enter it and see what happens. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Those circumstances are not very common and should always be ventured.

My second piece of advice goes hand in hand with my first. I think Andy Warhol summed it up perfectly. He said, “Don’t think about making art. Just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” Whatever the outcome of this competition or any other artistic venture you attempt, don’t worry too much about the results. Just keep making more art. If you’re consistent, you’ll eventually stumble upon a great artistic breakthrough that someone will notice and adore.

Elise Wehle, 2013 Art Contest

Submit work that you not only know is strong, but that you are genuinely proud of. If selected as a finalist, you’ll be discussing the design challenge with your with friends and colleagues; it’s much easier to talk about your work with enthusiasm when you feel truly engaged with the work.

Sarah Nicole Phillips, Art Contest-May

Still not sure about your design challenge entry? Check out my advice to artists here.

Grammar Rules Plates, $12.50

Here are my top 10 picks for summertime:

01. Bamboo Sunglasses. Eco-friendly, teal, and super cute? Sold.

02. Succulent Wall Planter Kit. Succulents are huge this summer. Create a display indoors or out with this planter kit. P.S. you can use it as a gorgeous centerpiece OR hang it on the wall. LOVE.

03. Mini Ice Cream Sandwich Press. Enough said, right? How cute are these mini ice cream sandwiches?!

04. Diana Camera. Create soft and dreamy photos of your summer adventures. My #1 summer pick for sure.

05. Perfect Pops. This book has 50 party-ready recipes, from banana malted milkshake to prosecco rose petal pops. I might need to make all of them…

06. The American Cocktail. This is the ultimate guide to American cocktails, featuring over 50 classic and contemporary drink recipes from across the U.S. Check out this free recipe for a southern cocktail that’s sure to please in the summertime!

07. Twiddle White Pitcher. You know, for all those cocktails… or lemonade. This pitcher would also make a gorgeous vase for your favorite long-stemmed flowers.

08. Bicycle Glasses. These little guys just say summer, don’t you think?

09. Love at First Swing Hammock. This hammock is hand-woven from 3.2 miles of soft, vibrant, and weather-resistant cord, which basically means it’s unbelievably comfortable. Let the summer relaxing begin!

10. Magpie Hopscotch. Hopscotch stones for your garden! Genius.

What are some of your must-haves this summer?

To make sure our educational experience was comprehensive, we decided to test each of our new home brew flavors by comparing them during an in-office beer tasting; but first, we had to wrangle some brewers.

The Brewers

Warehouse Operations Coordinator Bradley cooked up a batch of Southern Bourbon Stout, Product Development Associate Sarah celebrated her home state with the Texas Chipotle Amber, Marketing Analyst Kira revisited beer making by giving the West Coast IPA a try, and Marketing Analyst Matt tapped into his inner lumberjack by bottling some Vermont Maple Porter.

The goal was to keep this competition fair and balanced, but Brad did make an attempt to pick up some bonus points by adding a personal touch to his finished product. Kira went another route and, knowing that the way to a beer judge’s heart is through the stomach, brought some homemade pretzels. (She insists that these were for the purpose of palate cleansing between sips, and were no way intended as a bribe.)

There is also some suspicion that two of the contestants may have been in cahoots.

While it wasn’t too hard to get the brewers on board, recruiting judges was almost too easy. (Apparently, people jump at product testing opportunities when they involve delicious adult beverages.)

The Judges

Copywriter Stephanie, Director of Marketing Brian, and Systems Administrator Paul agreed to sample the goods.

With beer flavor checklists in hand, the judges tried each carbonated creation. Here are some beer basics discovered during the tasting.

West Coast IPA
Kira’s brewing tip: “Be Tall. It’s hard to pour things!” You have to place the strainer on top of a funnel on top of the carboy, so a step stool (or a short table) may be required to help shorter folks make beer with ease.

Judges’ Notes: Stephanie said “it definitely smells like an IPA,” but upon tasting said that this IPA “isn’t super hoppy.” She commented on notes of “citrus” and described the flavor as “75 degrees and sunny.” The beer was served cold, though. Just for clarification, the IPA could be described as tasting like a summer’s day.

Brian agreed that the beer “tastes like California,” and said that it may be a good choice for someone who doesn’t love IPAs, since it’s not too “IPA-ie.”

Texas Chipotle Amber
Sarah’s Brewing Tip: “It’s a weekend project, because it does take a while to set up.”

Judges’ Notes: Brian called this brew “ridiculously good,” “smokey and spicy,” and “interesting.” Paul agreed with the interesting comment, and added that it was “fresh,” and had “a hook…not a gimmick.”

Stephanie also called out the unique spiciness of the beer, and said she was a fan of the “big, bold Texas flavor.”

Southern Bourbon Stout
Bradley’s Brewing Tip: “Malt, grains, and patience.” He also reminded us that his kit took a little longer to brew, on account of the extra step of soaking oak chips in bourbon to infuse the beer.

Judges’ Notes: Paul was near-ecstatic about the subtle, unexpected sweetness of this stout. He described it as “almost like eating cookie dough.” Brian agreed that it was sweeter than expected, but said that though the smell was intense, like a “shot of vanilla,” the actual taste held a “multitude of flavors.”

The judges agreed that the bourbon taste was there, but it wasn’t overpowering.

Vermont Maple Porter

Matt’s Brewing Tip: “Read the instructions before you start, and make sure to sanitize everything.” Matt’s tip came about after a bit of a brewing faux pas. It turns out, that his inner lumberjack was actually neglected–he forgot to add the maple syrup.

Judges’ Notes: “It’s hard to judge accurately without the syrup,” said Stephanie. But, despite the porter’s syrup-less-ness, she called it “creamy,” “very malty,” and “smooth drinking.”

Brian didn’t appreciate the deviation from the recipe. “Matt’s renegade style often gets him in trouble,” he said. “This is another example of that.”

Paul was also unhappy with the not-maple porter, and decided to add some syrup after the fact. This improvisation is not recommended.

When the flights were finally empty, the judges all agreed on a favorite. While the Bourbon stout was a close second and “equally as good [taste-wise as the winner],” according to Brian, the champion was the Texas Chipotle Amber, which is “more memorable.”

Sarah took home the prize (which is the knowledge that she chose the beer kit the judges liked best) and all involved in our brew-haha finished the remaining spicy chipotle, (sans) maple porter, subtly sweet stout, and refreshing IPA.

Fish in the Garden, $95

Send us your necklaces, earrings, bracelets, bangles, rings, cufflinks, and tiaras. Well maybe not the tiaras. Actually, throw them in too!

To submit your jewelry designs and read complete contest rules, visit the Jewelry Design Challenge page.

Talk Dock, $36

Research
I was already familiar with the Corkcicle, but was excited to hear of the introduction of the Chillsner– a stainless steel tool you freeze and then put in your beer, juice, or soda.

Hypothesis
My hope is that my beverage remains cold, even if I get distracted playing video games.

Experiment
I have to admit I was a little skeptical about using the Chillsner. Also I was a little nervous my lips would get stuck to it, due to the Chillsner’s time in the freezer. So on the first night, I put the product in the freezer for an hour. (The instructions call for 45 minutes.) I took it out and stuck it in the bottle, but not following the instructions, I spilled some of my beer because I didn’t take a sip first. Stupid physics.

The first attempt worked pretty well, even though I purposely put the Chillsner in a warm beer, and it cooled it pretty quickly. Yum.

The next night, the Chillsner had been in the freezer for 24 hours. My lips still didn’t get stuck. Also I made sure not to spill my beer. It kept my chilled beer chilled as I nursed it for an hour and a half. Normally I don’t take this long to drink a beer, but sacrifices must be made in the name of science.

Conclusion
Overall, I was pleased. My beer stayed cold for much longer than I was used to. I look forward to using the Chillsner this summer.

It’s not news that dads are the original hipsters so we’re sharing some stories and photos of our fathers from back in the day.

WarningI This post contains a dangerous amount of facial hair.

My Dad was great growing up. He was a Disco DJ in the ’70s & ’80s and now has his own online radio show (Disco935). My dad has given me a GREAT love for music and my entire family thought I would follow in my dad’s footsteps and be a DJ one day. My Dad would play his “mixes” for me and I would dance & sing around the house all day. (I still do) Daddy’s Little Girl is an understatement.

-Lauren Negron, Custom Orders Specialist

My father plays a huge part in me being the person I am. Things he has introduced to me that have held my interest throughout the years are: hip hop, flowers (he’s a florist), graffiti, style and having a good sense of direction.

-Ne’Quana Rollings, Merchant Assistant

Whether on the back of a motorcycle, out camping with his not-quite hippy friends or on cross country road trips my dad took me on all sorts of unpredictable adventures. When we were lost or if we didn’t know what was around the next corner it didn’t really matter since he always led by example and taught me how to follow my true north in both life and on the road.

-Matt Monsees, Paid Search Analyst (and robe model)

My dad is the KING of corny jokes. We even created a term for his ridiculous puns – they are called “Dale-isms”. And boy, when one of those suckers comes out, the eye-rolls are all over the place.

-Mindy Wilson, HR Manager

The most important thing my dad taught me was to care about stuff in a genuine, nerdy, non-ironic way. His dedication and work ethic is something I try and apply to every challenge I face. The second most important thing he taught me is that craft beer is for drinking and sh***y beer is for pouring on your head.

-Hannelore McElheny, Graphic Designer

My dad taught me tolerance for racial and religious differences, the value of the family dinner, to explore the outdoors, and how to pick up women in the supermarket.

-Zack Notes, Search Engine Guru

My Dad simply had the best work ethic of anyone I have ever known. He was real consistent in trying to impart this on both of his children. He said “Only one person can be the best at any one thing, strive to be that person, but if you are not, simply give your very best effort nonetheless.”

-Jeff Mayer, Customer Service Rockstar

My dad was a school teacher for more than 30 years and I witnessed how positively his students responded to him. I thought it was so cool that they liked my dad as much as I did.

-Jackie Udden, Assistant Buyer-Jewelry & Accessories

Big Al’s always thinking up ways to make things better and what his newest invention or innovation can be. He’s definitely passed on his enterprising ways to me, and his amazing good looks.

-Gaby Dolceamore, Community Outreach Coordinator

Black Skinny Wood Tie, $36