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Okay, let me explain.

Screen Print Dave dropped off the 3 news shirts the other night while I was relaxing on the water with some friends. We had ordered new Gals Tank Top, a Gals 2-fer Long Sleeve and a Guys Thermal Long Sleeve.

After a couple of drinks at the Grand Traverse Yacht Club, followed by a dinghy ride and bike peddle home I was excited to open the boxes and check out the new gear. It looks GREAT!

I decided to throw on the guys long sleeve. I tried a large, but it was very tight. So I tried an XL, still tight. Finally an XXL and it was still very tight. At this point I started wondering if I was suddenly getting bigger. I couldn’t figure it out. I had a couple cold ones in me and was confused.

The next morning I looked at those guys shirts and realized they were gals (the manufacturer sent us the wrong shirts). So yes, I was trying on women’s clothes after having a few beers. So now, we have Gals Thermal 2-fers (but no smalls and limited mediums for now, because it was suppose to be a guys order).

My good friend Jimmy D turned me onto a recent Men’s Journal interview with Jimmy Buffett (get it, “Me & Jimmy”…hey, coming up with blog titles everyday is hard). Anyone who knows me, or reads this blog, knows that not only am I a big Buffett fan but also look to his career and lifestyle for inspiration and motivation as I build my own lifestyle brand with Snoloha.

This particular interview is about 10 questions long (you should visit your local bookstore and read the whole thing), and there are two questions that I wanted to share here along with the partial answers.

What should every man know about money?

“You’ve got to be able to take it out of the equation in order to enjoy life and make good decisions.”

What’s the secret to staying young?

“For me it’s being in the water everyday, whether it’s surfing or swimming. I look at these guys in Hawaii and they’re 80 years old in the surf break and look great. And that’s all they do. I want to be in that club when I’m old.”

This summer I started stand up paddle boarding (I also learned in this interview that Buffett also recently picked this up, which is kinda cool. Now if he’d only reply to the Snoloha package I sent him a while back.). I can’t get enough of it. I get so excited to throw the board on the Jeep and make the long 2 block drive down to the beach. Yes, I should walk, but that think is so long it would be a bit awkward, but I should try it.

I have never surfed, so I can’t pretend to know what the connection to that lifestyle is. But having been on the water quite a bit lately on this board, and having spent 14 years snowboarding, I do understand the feeling of being on your board….suddenly there are no worries. It’s just you and the water or the snow. It’s very therapeutic. I hope it is the secret to staying young.

This is a very cool photo. Andy & Kathryn are enjoying a honeymoon throughout Australia and shared this with me via Facebook. This is Kathryn in her SnoFlake Palm hoodie and a July sunset on the Indian Ocean from Subiaco, Western Australia (southwest coast).

Keep the photos coming.

Thanks to everyone for voting on the next Snoloha design. I’m not sure if I had a favorite, I really like ‘em all. So having your feedback is a big help in deciding which one to launch next. After a week of voting, the “Land n Sea” design beat out “Sail the Arctic” by one vote. The others weren’t far behind, which is a good thing. I think we have four strong designs here that all need to be printed eventually (thanks Joe).

The big news this week was Amazon buying Zappos for something like $900 million. When you read about these two companies there is a similarity that they both have (that many successful bidnesses share), and that is the customer. Yes, it sounds repetitive and every company can claim they focus on the customer, but I can say from experience as a small business owner that customers are the key to Snoloha’s success. It’s probably hard for big businesses to keep this in mind, but they have to, after all that’s what allowed them to grow in the first place.

I’m a bit giddy today because I’m sending out one of my favorite orders placed. It came in thru Facebook (which is proof that a website alone is not enough these days). This particular customer inquired if I’d she’d be able to custom order 12 Snoloha hoodies for their family vacation this summer. How cool is that ?! So today I’m shipping the 12 black and white (which we’ve never printed that color combo before) hoodies to Seattle, Washington.

It’s not really the actual sale that is so cool, it’s the fact that the entire family will be wearing Snoloha while on vacation. It’s the fact that it’s the lifestyle and what the brand stands for that this customer identifies with. As I’ve said many times, it’s that connection with my customers that continues to drive and motivate me.

Thanks again, Shannon. I can’t wait to see the photos.

I do not enjoy running. Unless it’s making a run to get more ice, a beer run, running to pick up the pizza (you get the idea), running, for me, is not fun. I’m sure growing up with asthma has something to do with my feelings toward running, but I won’t get into the psychology of my youth…that could get scary.

However, as I approach the halfway point between 30 and 40 (isn’t 40 the new 30?), I’ve made it a point to regularly get the heart pumping by running a couple miles each night. It sucks.

And boy how times have changed. There was a time when the music selection was a bit more intense during activities such as snowboarding or mountain biking, but last night I found myself working out and enjoying The Boat Drunks, Ziggy Marley, Counting Crows and Jerry Jeff Walker (there was some Beastie Boys in there as well).

But at least I have Snoloha Performance T’s to wear. I figure that when I do get hit by a car, the last thing the driver will see is the “Somewhere between the islands and the arctic” printed boldly on the back. You should buy one. You don’t have to be a runner to need performance. If you have to walk more than a few blocks or bike more than 10 minutes to get to the beach…that’s performance. If it’s 80 & humid and you’re in charge of the grill…that’s performance. If you need to wash the car or mow the lawn…that’s performance.

As I was running along the bay hoping not to get hit by a car, one of my favorites came on…”The Cape” by Jerry Jeff Walker. That song always reminds me that it’s okay to get older, but it’s important to remain youthful and to keep dreaming.

“Well he’s eight years old he’s got a flour sack cape tied all around his neck
He’s climbing up on top the garage figurin’ what the heck
He screws his courage up so darn tight, that the whole thing come unwound
He got a runnin’ start and bless his heart, he headed for the ground

Now he’s old and grey with a flour sack cape, tied all around his head
And he’s still jumpin’ off the garage and will be til he’s dead
All these years the people said the fool was actin’ like a kid
And said he didn’t know he couldn’t fly, well of course he did”

See what I mean? “Growing older but not up” as Buffett would say.

The Snoloha / Homemade Wine partnership is taking shape. The fellas have been playing gigs throughout the south and sporting their Snoloha gear. Be sure to check out their website to learn more and I’ll be sure to keep you updated with the launch of their CD that they have been recording this summer as well.

It’s time to introduce a new Snoloha design, and I need your help deciding which one!

Have a look and choose your favorite. Vote as many times as you’d like.

Thanks for the input!

Now that this site is back up and running I’m finally getting caught up with certain things…including the monthly Snapshots & Scenery contest (Rob your package should be there today and Genie the new gals tanks should be in any day!!).

So, it’s that time again, there 4 ways to share photos for a chance to win Snoloha Gear:

1. Visit the Snoloha Community. Create a profile. Upload photos.
2. Visit the Snoloha Facebook Page. Become a fan. Upload photos.
3. Send them to me via email.
4. Use a shot of you in your Snoloha gear as a profile pic on one of your social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc)! And be sure to send me the link!

Not sure how I stumbled across this, it’s an older article but if you are a Tiger Woods fan then you should check it out, from ESPN.com…it’s worth the read.

Good quotes, they need to be shared. I wanted to share this quote from Woods:

“The greatest thing about tomorrow is, I will be better than I am today. And that’s how I look at my life. I will be better as a golfer, I will be better as a person, I will be better as a father, I will be a better husband, I will be better as a friend. That’s the beauty of tomorrow. There is no such thing as a setback. The lessons I learn today I will apply tomorrow, and I will be better.”