Dear Santa/Wife/Millionaire Admirers

I have once again been inspired to make a list of sorts, this time with a little helpful inspiration via the Grain Edit 2009 Holiday Wish Lists. Below you will find an entirely hypothetical list of things I wouldn't return if given to me this Christmas (I say hypothetical because if anyone ever bought me a gift costing over $50 I would feel so guilty that I wouldn't be able to enjoy it).

Some new kicks for myself and in turn a child in a third world country

An inside look at the most successful branding anyone has seen in years/possibly ever

A sweet print to accommodate my vintage camera collection

A much needed upgrade to my bicycle

This rad shirt by a rad designer

A really nice jacket to wear for one month out of the year

This desk to hide away wires and mid-afternoon snacks in

A new driveway decoration

A visual treat from The Decemberists

More goodness to hang on my wall

And of course. World Peace.

2009 - The Year in Review

If your anything like me your a fan of lists and end of the year/top 10 lists in particular.

My love of end of the year lists started a couple years back when a few of my favorite designers over at Invisible Creature (formerly of Asterik Studio) would post their favorite albums of the year, every year.

My categorization curiosity has continued to evolve due largely to the fact that one of my co-workers, Scott Shipley, assigns nearly every album movie or show he consumes to a seemingly endless running list in his head comprised of top of the year and top of the decade categories. He claims to be comprising a Top 500 Albums of the decade list but we have yet to see anything come to fruition but I can assure that Outkast and Nas will make the cut.

This year is the first time that I have actually created a list of my own and it was every bit as fun as I thought it would be. I probably could have spent more time contemplating my entries but I tried to go with my first reactions for sincerity's sake. The entries are in no particular order so there is really no number 1 album or movie just a top however many.

I hope this will inspire others to create their own top whatever lists so I can read thru them and see what kind of stuff my friends and acquaintances are into. Happy listing.

Top 10 Albums
Thrice - Beggars
Blakroc - Blakroc
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Outer South
The Decemberists - Hazards of Love
The XX - The XX
He Is Legend - It Hates You
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus
Brand New - Daisy
Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
The Dead Weather - Horehound

Top 10 Songs
Thrice - Beggars
Thrice - Helter Skelter cover
Brand New - Bought a Bride
Conor Oberst and the MVB - I Got the Reason #2
Monsters of Folk - Whole Lotta Losin'
Every Time I Die - The Sweet Life
He Is Legend - Mean Shadows
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Home
The Dead Weather - 60 Feet Tall
Blakroc - Ain't Nothing Like You

Top 5 Films (Haven't seen enough to constitute a top 10 list)
Zombieland
District 9
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
UP!
Inglorious Bastards

Top 5 Shows (There are only so many you can keep up with)
Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Fringe
30 Rock
The Office
Lost


Top 10 Websites to Frequent
Kitsune Noir
A Time to Get
FFFFOUND
For Print Only
Huffington Post
Digg
Design Sponge
The Art of Manliness
Pitchfork
Thrice

Top 10 Highlights
Getting hired on at Fender Guitars and having rad co-workers
Buying a home in Coronado Historical District
Starting FightforFeuille.com and helping a friend
Finding out that I will have a niece in 2010
My wife graduating from the Aveda Institute
Phoenix Design Week and all that came with it
My good friend graduating with his BFA (Good work Beardagon)
Being asked to contribute to a design book (coming in 2010)
Having two good friends move into my guest house
Being a part of the Praxis Creative Team and making some great friends in the process