SEARCH COLLECTIONS

You can never have enough pins. At Storm Ritter Studio , we had tubs and bins full of original & vintage pins. I personally have a pretty hefty collection of pins from all decades and styles, including my own work. Currently making some new ones on the reg as they are easy to wear, quick to buy, and can help voice opinions. Pins empower! When I pin up a garment, 9/10 times the theatre kid shines through as I sing Telephone Hour from Bye Bye Birdie . WELL, I HEARD THEY GOT PINNED! DID SHE KISS HIM & CRY? Back in the day, courting couples would give or exchange a pin to represent their UNDYING LOVE for each other. With all the pins I have, I obviously have quite the impressive number of suiters. The late 1950's style in this movie is parody of the Elvis craze - right before the boom of 1960's rock madness. In a fashion sense, I love meshing a retro 50's cut of clothing with a psychedelic twist. Duality and merging of styles is of interest to me, and a constant investigation. Linking punk'd out pins to a Technicolor musical, it all makes sense to me.

Ah, the month so many wait for! But alas, we are headed into a time of holidays & fall events. Not to be a debbie downer (wah-wahhh) but Coronavirus is out there lurking. Don't be blas é to the whole matter! But you know, you do you. However, I do have justifiable social anxiety when it comes to restaurants and outings in the city. As a self-employed business owner, I got to stay on my toes! This painting is called Social Anxiety , embodying my current October festive, yet uncertain vibes. It's actually not as stressful as the title sounds with it's gorgeous gold-pink-orange palette & divine people. You can purchase the original, here . Orange is the dubbed color of the month. I'm starting a small color study in my sketchbook -- just the beginning. I did take a beautiful stroll down to the West 4th Ace Hardware this past week and replenished my paints. Nothing brings more joy to an artist than paint restocking, except you know, paying that bill. Of course, you can't have Halloween without cats. A witch's essential! The Cool Cats are back with a new series this month. More canvases and other garments fresh out of studio. Thanks Velvet for the attitude modeling. You can purchase this painting, here , or place a special order . And you can't have a good start to a new season without a record restock and fresh bakes. Wrapped up September with a visit to Village Revival Records on Bleecker Street and ended up with a bundle of new vinyls, including a coveted Laugh-In LP. I scored one of their small-run tees, which of course I ended up distressing and dying. Got me in a mooooood. Still shipping out masks like crazy and repping The Cool People on the regular. Other than that, we have some new record bowls fresh out of the oven with chipped vinyls & a new recipe for homemade avocado-pumpkin-banana-oat bread. I think this month is going to a hell of a circus.

Bad ass bitches from Venus! Female forces have so much strength, and it's time we keep moving to the forefront. Women get shit done. Amidst our world's chaos, don't you just wish you could switch up your planet? I was recently watching one of my fav absurd 1980's flicks, Earth Girls Are Easy , which inspired the campy mood and vibrant color palette of these pieces. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. And, w hat does Mars represent? In palmistry the Mount of Mars resides near your thumb and it can delve into how you deal with aggression and handle your temper. But woman too can house quite a marvelous amount of Mars. But perhaps, using different methods of madness. The paintings and illustrations of The Cool People throwing up the bird started after the first presidential debate. Go figure. First some painting with India ink then moved to acrylics. The images created new canvas pieces and spawned a a few empowering artist buttons. My first cat and loyal best friend was named Venus . She lived to 18 and was a fierce, take-no-shit bitch! My pride of cats growing up were my siblings, and she specifically taught me how to be feminine and dominating. So that name hits home for me more than just the goddess or planet. Now, Velvet and I are bad ass bitches under the spiritual reign of Venus.

November 3rd is coming up fast. My only coping mechanism is to stay strong as hell because we are battling the devil himself. After the first "presidential debate" (if you choose to call it that) I fell into an overwhelming pothole of terror. The only response to this catastrophically massive stress ball is painting it out. Ergo, you won't find me without a sketchbook this month to say the least. Feeling an insane amount of fury, and a simultaneous radical need to find a stronger voice. But we can only do so much. Obviously, VOTE! And keep educated. But no matter how many protests or social media awareness you take part in, the essential element that needs to remain active if your inner strength . The ability to house and protect your own opinionated point of view is huge. Stay strong as hell.

The Cool People have been an evolutionary motif in my artwork for seven years now. In the past year, I have entered a new dimension of their world -- especially with color and texture. The ambiguous forms come from my spiritual and physical experiences, but recently their environments on canvas have been peeling away. I prefer a monochromatic, story-telling style when I ambidextrously paint them, but when there is radiant magic, it's apparent. I have slowed down their process to uncover more about their mystery. You know when you see something divine -- it just hits your heart. And it's not just from their forms, which have began to express new life. But from the canvas they live upon. I am passionate about ephemera and artifacts. I prefer to work on loose canvas and build up a prop, daresay. Creating a small piece of value beyond paint and surface; comparable to something of archeological substance. The Cool People need to live in space that's not contrived, as they are born from a marriage of the unconscious and conscious. This piece below, Fire, Water, Air has a literal soul and story. Sometimes art just captures power and energy. The spirituality of The Cool People can run dark, and often fall into a place of purgatory or madness. Well, people experience all emotions, right? I feel they reflect human nature on all aspects. These loose canvas pieces embody spirit and soul. I call them tapestries, even if they are 8x10". You can simply tact it on the wall if you chose not to frame them. They are talismans of luck. The two pieces here are entitled, Divination and ONE . The focus on the textural environment houses energy with greater stability. More on this to come.

...you gotta fight, for your right, to paaarrrty. Beastie Boys, aside (and awfully irrelevant,) but PARTY is a great launching point here. No matter what party you side with, fucking vote for CHANGE in office. Leadership needs to change. We need to change how we interact as well. What is ahead is unknown. Just too much to wrap this blog post around. It's a simple one. Come together and vote. If you don't think your voice counts, it does. And in some crazy universe where elections are fixed (*serious Trump cough*) you are a character person for using your right to vote. All we can do is use our voices, educate ourselves, and connect our like minds, to evolve. The more unity and communication we have with each other is better than anything. TALK ABOUT POLITICS! HAVE A DRINK! HAVE A SMOKE! BITCH ABOUT IT! It's ok. If you want to hide from it, cool too! If it fucks with your mental health, take a step away, but don't be complacent. If you want to vote for Trump, you shouldn't be here.

...and also with you! I'm a dedicated member of the church of cool. Don't mess with the peace sign or call it a stereotypical hippie thing. It means so much more than a social association. The peace sign comes in many forms, means many things, but at the end of the day for me, it's about being a cool, kind person. Not only does the circle sign represent peace, but the classic throw up two fingers move. It's cool to show some love. You'll almost never see me without my peace sign on. Dead center above my little purple house in Florida hangs a handmade, large-scale peace sign. Made out of PVC, wrapped with string lights, I see my family home as a house of rising peace. My parents taught me the religion of the peace sign. And, that's the good stuff! Both of them always wear a sterling silver peace sign necklace -- ever since I can remember. Finally joined the club of peace years back. It's a simple statement that it's cool to be peaceful. And peaceful doesn't always mean complacent, because It's cool to care about shit! It's cool to be nice. Recently found a divine art detail with a specific cool person and their peace moment.The organic slant of the head and the stance of the upper arms just speaks loudly. Body language, baby! Love the simplicity of it. Shop the button here and peace related artwork! The Cool People obviously throw up the peace sign, and you'll find a peace sign quite often in my artwork. It's apart of my past, present, and future, so I'm all for keeping the peace sign in my scene. The Cool People obviously throw up the peace sign, but you'll find a peace signs quite often in my artwork. It's apart of my past, present, and future, so I'm all for keeping the peace sign in my scene. And especially when you pop it out with color, I'm psychedelically sold. Shoot me a message to order something special and keep checking up on the shop for new peace listings.

Dig those crazy jackets. Painted patches all over a vintage cotton/denim barn smock – hot damn, ma'am! This year of 2020 is all about searching for my fresh meaning for authenticity, beauty, and quality. Wait...what the fuck does that mean? So broad! I know, I know. What I am really saying is that my growth as an artist continues onward. On a journey to refine my life to the HIGHEST of fulfillment. Or maybe all that pot has caught up with me. Haha, but in all seriousness, moving forward, new pieces have a fresh playful spirit, purposeful intent, and unexpected individuality. Inspired by my surroundings and mental images, most jackets are tied to a reference, unknown or known. For example, the Village Artist jacket below has a painted sign on the back mimicked from the 1960's Greenwich Village shop sign. If I was walking the streets in 1963, that would def be my spot. Time and health are the biggest luxuries out there. The pandemic x quarantine obviously gave everyone a taste of isolation-station, you know, embedded with countless self-quandaries! How lucky are/were you if you were healthy, had access to food/water, and a safe emotional place to be in. After that being said, I had hallucinations of me and Velvet packing up old school hard suitcases with only the coolest of cool clothing, books, jewelry, and chackqkis. We'd hop into a psychedelic VW van and fly off, like in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang . Needless to say, that did not happen. But what did happen was growth. My artistic vision turned towards creating rare-feeling pieces that would be worthwhile packing in your one suitcase to travel the world. 2020 turned into a year of focus on self, business, and renewal. Adapting and changing to the times was something I always vibed with, but what's different is my interest in taking a step back. Ok so back to these jackets! I am a collector of meaningful things, and nothing beats a patched up jacket from years of experiences and stories. I wanted to recreate the feeling of vintage garment filled with life. Starting with mint condition vintage barn jackets, each patch is hand painted while the jacket is overall aged with paint and styling. The more you wear it, the more it becomes a part of you. The Cool People are the luckiest of charms. They appear as accents or as the real deal on the jackets. Thematically, each jacket embodies a concept, whether its based on color palette, composition, or patch meaning. Heavily thought out but organically created. Contradiction? Why, yes, but are you surprised? I usually flow with synchronicity in my artwork. With these new pieces, it triggers the future magic. You can shop or order custom , as always.

Doesn't it feel sometimes that you repeat the same day over, and over? Same goes with painting. Sometimes you paint something over and over...and over. But more than mania, sometimes that repetition is teaching you to enhance something. Or perhaps, it just works and you feel it in your gut. It could feel like, YES I like what this feels and looks like - let's keep the pattern up! The difference of practice and obsession is all mindset. I often feel as though I'm in a hallucinated trance. Maybe because of the repetition of my day-to-day or due to visualizations from listening to certain music -- but either way, its all creative process. Or it's pot? Around March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, I started really thinking about duality and cohesion as interconnected concepts. The black and white image of The Cool People with the reversal design came out one day, and I was like YES! This simple thing works for me. I enjoy the process of creating it, and the meanings are vastly achievable. It fulfills duality and acts as an excellent cohering image amongst Technicolor visuals. So, THIS JACKET! I find that the heart of this piece is the reversal image of The Cool People on the back. The painted patches on this jacket are all relevant to my day-to-day living in the West Village. From the 1 train to the one way, there's a lot going on. A vintage barn jacket to start, made of 100% cotton, this garments feels like a lightweight denim and already has quite a story. You can purchase this jacket or others like it here , and as always, send me a message for special order and have your story created just for you.

Holy cow, batman! This jacket is a new heirloom if I've ever seen (or made) one! Gorgeously groovy painted leather jacket, this is truly a statement piece that's outta this world. Worked on this garment for a solid amount of time, adding layers of colors, concepts, and moods. Building something valuable takes many parts and many ideas. A constant in the process however was the music choice that seemed to play while I painted on this guy. Always been a fan of The Animals , especially their most popular song, "House Of The Rising Sun." Their Best Of record was always on the table, and I perhaps was too lazy to change vinyl (or even flip the side!) Ergo, this song took the thematic wheel on this work (and titled itself on the back.) Shop this jacket! Ugh, whatta classic -- melancholy, angsty, and dark. A reflecting rock/folk song, it's a hauntingly bluesy anthem. Interpretations can be literal or metaphorical, ya know? Don't we all spend a time time spending out lives in "sin and misery?" I mean, forewarning, life can throw you some shit! Listening to this song on repeat made me want to pack a patched-up suitcase, throw on a single leather jacket and take a train -- anywhere! The song (and jacket) takes you to another world, huh? Makes you feel like another kind of person? Maybe. Regardless, this is the jacket I'd bring on my journey if I headed off to embrace a psychedelic house of rising sun. The details on this jacket appear endless (...or are they?!) Numerous of layers and lots of fun. Little phrases are intertwined with variations of The Cool People with saturated color moments. The more you wear it and the more it ages, the cooler it gets. You know how really epic vintage items happen to be expensive? Age creates beauty and value - don't let anyone tell you otherwise. When wearing this jacket, honestly a pair of black jeans and solid color tee would do the trick. But in true personal fashion, I snazz it up with complimentary kicks, shorts, and a chapeau! The shoes are customized Vans , shorts are painted and patched up Levi's and the vat is mint condition vintage! I do have a few duplicates of that hat (wholesale vintage guru) and of course, special order is verrry doable for you! Just send me a message and I'd love to make you something that makes you feel you've owned it for years and it's passed down from your second cousin who used with trip on acid with Dali and Gala.

As an ambidextrous artist, The Cool People were birthed through a practice of emotion with motion painting. My right hand forms the technical structure and the left hand contributes the organic movement. Just like with people, you can't plan how they will unfold. And not one person is identical.  Cool is authenticity and confidence. Cool is knowing the power in the self and the power of good people. Cool is disregarding norms to use your own brain. Cool is saying fuck it , and dancing to the beat of your own drum. Cool is knowing when you need help. Cool is empathy. Cool is loving all the people in your head. The Cool People are storytellers and truth speakers. Ambidextrous painting gives me a freedom to paint with my unconscious and conscious, hand in hand.  When I paint openly, they can answer my questions and school me with insightful reflection. They visualize my inner dialogue.  Two hand jam! What life they bring when The Cool People come together. The burst of unified movement showcases the POWER OF THE PEOPLE! When we all move together, we rise up for what's right. They speak when I can't seem to find words. The Cool People keep the ego in check. As surrealist motifs, they are embedded in almost all of my work, unintentionally and intentionally. Good luck charms, they are!  When wearing their image, you represent cool. You're representing a confident  you. The Cool People stand for something. They adapt and reflect the current state of our world. How they translate is honestly intimate to you. I don't identify them by gender, race, or age, but solely acknowledge their authenticity. It's always up to you how you  identify.  Learn more about The Cool People.

Oh, so aloof . Associations are the heart of my creative jive. This morning, I'm jamming with coffee and planning to start a little illustrative work in the sketchbook. Alas, I needed some body language inspo, so pulled the 1969 Sweet Charity iconic frug scene, choreographed by the twisted genius, Bob Fosse. Now, not only did the music put me in A MOOD but had me jumpin-jivin-jiggin all over the place, ya know? Open the fridge, what do I see: FIGS ? Instant connection (obviously.) Ergo, I was about to take myself on a figgy, fosse fantasy. So immediately I pulled out my brushes & ink, started scribbling out The Cool People in pure dance mode. Nothing is cooler than expression. As I was tapping my toes and pissing off my neighbors, I got some sweeeeeeeet work done. My kitchen lights are pink and orange-- aka my constant environment is psychedelically set. The groove was on . And those fresh figs were on my mind at this point. It's 8am, need a stellar snack, especially now that I am in this jazzy mood. Figured, well let's bring the creativity full circle. As the paintings dried, I did some light googling for a prompt recipe on fig-oatmeal cookies, but I'm out of most of the ingredients needed. Always experimenting with baking/cooking, so I crafted my own version. What resulted was a spicy-steel-cut-oats-biscuit-cookie, featuring fresh figs, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, truffle salt, and lots of groove. Scribbled down my ingredients for next time. 9/10 times, I never follow an recipe fully anyway. Prefer a risk and spontaneity. Sliced up the figs, chopped the walnuts, mixed the dry ingredients, blended the wet, and logically combined together! Added a second egg, splashed extra seasonings, and plopped 4" sized cookies onto a oiled up baking pan. Wow, not going to brag, but gonna brag. Hot damn. Super moist (sorry for that word) and tastes like fall (sorry for the cliche.) Hand me a cup o joe, and we got the fuel for the day. As I noshed on my fosse fig finger foods, I continued on with the inspired Aloof dancers x The Cool People paintings. I used leather paints, acrylics, gesso, and india ink on hand-woven, cotton 9x12 paper. Ended this morning with a bang! You're welcome to share this fosse fun and snag this special painting! THE COOL PEOPLE - ALOOF FOSSE Four characterizations of The Cool People in a purple haze. *Also, if you haven't watched the show, Fosse/Vernon on FX, you totally should. I personally may watch it a second time. The show really captures their work. The series does school us on how brilliant Gwen Vernon is and how she's the true POWERHOUSE behind Bob Fosse.

Developing a stronger vision and communicative process relies on my consistent research practices. Very important to take notice of synchronicity along the way. It's all about connecting the dots. Let's break down Sunday morning, shall we? A little journey of association! First things first: brewed coffee, open sketchbook, dress the cat, & on our way. 6AM call time. Turned on the 1966 flick, The Trouble With Angels , starring Rosalind Russell and Haley Mills, specifically to watch the opening credits. I used to watch this movie as a kid and it always triggers my nostalgia for 1960/70s game shows -- specifically Match Game . Probably the music - dig that crazy organ. Morning nostalgia calls for breakfast. Open the fridge to see what's on the menu for Sunday sun-up. We got dates and some old fruit -- serendipitous choice since Match Game is on my mind. Guess some kitchen sink bread is on the to-do. The creative mojo is up now. Want to snack it up, but first, let's get some art rolling. Reminiscing with the illustrative credits, I note the cartoon of a spoofed showgirl juxtaposed with nuns. Love that kind of kitsch - very inspired with this. And also still thinking about 1960's into 1970's television. Games shows especially - gross how woman are spoken to, portrayed, and treated. I mean, Richard Dawson, in Family Feud ?! Whole 'nother topic. But a strong and relevant jumping off point. Anywho, two figures of The Cool People a la Trouble With Angels birthed. With their pill-like signs comical held up, I'm sparked to watch clips of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. That show embodies camp, politics, feminism, etc. What a time for women (I mean, when is it NOT a time ) but we are talkin' a specific span of sexual revolution. Off on the races, we got an association train chugging along. Before I pull up Goldie Hawn sketches, I searched for Match Game refreshers. Would ya look at Betty White in pink, and the set design in orange and blue. We got a color scheme, ladies and gents! Next, I look for a musical scene from Laugh-In , and WHAT DO YOU KNOW -- the same color palette. Cool coincidence. The song "The Sexy Sixties" embodies all the questionable, feminist themes I'm tossing around with the Trouble With Angel 's showgirl prompt. Investigating here - all a process. Comedy goes a LONG WAY in appropriately handling political and social topics. Combining the shapes & color palette influences = a new design! The quote, "...you might say the pill changed the shape of the sixties" struck me hard! I started off thinking just about color, but then symbolic meanings hit quickly. Found a number called "Four Happy Pills," which helped carried the allusions into the art. Dolls-mimicking-pills; all bougie content. I made a few paintings in the past merging The Valley Of The Dolls and Valium pills, so this continues to evolve my style. I am jazzed about the new art - all pieces are essential to my process archival. The two paintings available for purchase are entitled "That's Just How It Is" and "Three Happy Pills." Feeling a new series coming on... Oh and in case you were wondering what happened to my date-based breakfast? Here's the ever-so important incorporation of the impromptu bake. When I am in studio mode, I can't stop making cool shit! The final result of my breakfast was incredibly satisfying as it was similar to a poundcake meets spiced fruit cake. Painting and baking/cooking go hand in hand -- you never stop thinking like an artist: a blessing and a curse. And also grateful that at least the "homemaker" stereotype today has evolved (I hope) because EVERYONE should fucking know how to use their kitchen.

Taking Care Of Business vs. The Cool People. Thanks to Elvis, the TCB acronym is commonplace in my terminology, but TCP has been a new norm as well. Simply put, all my files and folders about The Cool People are labeled, "TCP." Thinking about it a bit more, TCB is similar to TCP -- but, Taking Care of People . The Cool People in my art are ambiguous. They are spiritual forms, open to interpretation. But one thing I do say about is that they care about things. And they take care of business! It's way uncool to be passive about life. The Cool people represent confidence, coolness, and care. Shop the exclusive enamel lapel pin - pretty classy 'to & cool. Emphasis on the cool , ya dig? You can buy the artist pin, here ! ...you can't mention the king without adding a music tribute link. So here's a little adorable number from my favorite Elvis era.

Absolutely LOVE when a client gives me something of theirs to breathe new life into it! Subconsciously, we are all creating our own fluctuating costumes. Building an identifiable look from the pieces we wear and surround ourselves with. As a collector of nostalgia – as I like to phrase it – my home studio is a cornucopia of physical memories. As a retailer of my own work, I really don't have an issue saying goodbye to items I've made. Why? 1) I work quickly when in the zone , so my production rate is high. 2) I am happier to spread out pieces of myself to others, as its more fulfilling to give than receive. (yeah, that's very H allmark card , but it's fucking true.) I keep pieces that are of divine, intrinsic value to me – perhaps due to where I originally got it or the first time I painted a new motif. Those things are my heirlooms and artist relics. My most requested pieces are usually ones that are essentially, mine. How I can elevate the pIeces I do sell? Everything I offer should have authenticity of soul. Quality over quantity, my friend! This had me thinking about the importance of heirlooms, or moreover, new heirlooms . For example, this vintage leather jacket, was purchased as gift to me by a family friend in France. The jacket was gifted to me worn, patched with a few beaten up patches, and matted studding. As I added paintings onto the jacket, those moments of artwork immortalized a learning time in my life. This jacket is tattooed with experiences, Wow, now that beats out a new garment any day. And completely identifiable to me as it's with me throughout the fall/winter seasons. But that's just the start of this conversation with myself. Off the top of my head, I remember being watching Scooby-Doo cartoons, flopped down in front of the television set. Damn, how I craved to have an identifiable costume that was just me. You know garments I would rock on the regular! But furthermore, I was more interested in where Daphne's green scarf went. Who inherited Velma's glasses? Ok, cartoon aside, the point is I was intrigued about rare personal items that weren't mine. Craved to build my wardrobe immersed in pieces that held a lot of meaning. As I hit my early 20's, I've built quite a collection of special items, passed down from my mom or coveted from estate sales. Growing up in Florida, my mom and I exclusively shopped at second-hand vintage shops and local garage sales (quite the mecca down there for that.) Thanks to my main bitch, she instilled the concept of making an outfit for yourself that meant something. She is an artist herself, always wearing a white button-up shirt, cotton black pants, covered in paint – and also dripping in chunky, sterling silver jewelry. Trisha, aka Trish The Dish, was the most beautiful palette to me as a kid. Watching her stand on ladders for hours, painting children's room murals, in her ARTIST OUTFIT –– the clothing she wore when her soul shined! That was when she appeared powerful. She still has those painted shirts, some of her most prized possessions. The concept of an Artist Outfit spawned a small run of white cotton t-shirts with this design simply showcased. I encouraged my customers to wear it with the knowledge that it becomes a part of you! Embrace the stains and changes of time. It's YOUR artist piece. A simple example of how something of quality can be transformed into something much bigger than a white tee. You can have a 100 t-shirts, but try to choose one that could be worn everyday because it tells a story. Let me tie up this conversation. My point is, clothing should be SPECIAL. Could be a green scarf or a white tee with a perfectly worn feel. I don't need to express how the concept of fashion can teach time, environment, society, etc., but I do want to point out that our modern American culture is fast! Guess that just reflects our technology-obsessed, instant-gratification era. Americans are known to constantly feel the need to buy new, with cheap prices, and in bulk. The we throw things away as fast as we buy them. Let's sloooow the fuck down. And patronizing the bombarding number of "sustainable brands" isnt helping. Generations before us perhaps were just as consumerist-minded, but the products available (pre-outsourcing) were of higher quality and of manufacture standards. What I am suggesting a change in is MINDSET. Enrich your home and wardrobe with new heirlooms, from yourself and others. Can you leave a garment for future generations to use, that holds your energy? Do you have heirlooms already that you could be using or re-purpose? When you do purchase something new, think about who made it, what it means to them and what it means to you. How will that item bring your closer to feeling naturally cool? 2020 has taught me that in order for you to feel the best about your life is when you are surrounded around things that are are understood as authentic to you. Memories are the best when you have a true experience. Since I mentioned Scooby-Doo , I recalled one of my favorite songs I had in my portable CD player in the early 1990's. It was a soundtrack of 1970's songs played in the cartoon. Guess you can say, no matter what kind of modern entertainment I had, there was always some nostalgia tied to it. This song Recipe For My Love , written by Dany Janssen, but performed by Austin Roberts was my jam as a kid. I used to dress up in costumes and bounce on my bed to this. Simpler times.