Every holiday and every vacation we go on, I make logos for our trips. This year was no different. Most of the Chrismakwanzikkua family logos I do feature the tree from the first one I did. It might seem lazy but in terms of branding, it’s pretty fucking smart. It is efficient, but more importantly it’s consistent and consistency is key. Especially with branding. Even the little piddly shit like angles, shapes, font weights, sizes, etc…

Working on them over the years has actually been a good exercise in consistency. It was something that I struggled with for years when I was a not-so-young, young designer. I was already getting pretty fucking crusty when I started, but I’ve always been a late bloomer.  Over the years, I’ve gotten way better about consistency but I’ve gotten way better about my process, efficiency and prepping so I was able to knock this one out pretty damn quick. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out and the alternative versions I whipped up as I was working. 

This year we’re spending holidays at Kim’s family home in Arizona, thus the name. It’s been a while since we were Stateside for a Christmas holiday so it’ll be nice enjoying the little things I’ve missed. Things like eggnog with some spiced rum, gingerbread houses, ridiculously excessive Christmas decorations, wasting gasoline driving around looking at peoples houses lit up, last minute shopping, even crowded Target stores with empty shelves. And peppermint mochas. I fucking love those things. They’re my holiday guilty pleasure. 

The holidays also remind me that there are people who aren’t as lucky as we are. There are folks who don’t have anyone to share the holidays with. There are folks with no roof over their heads who are cold, and hungry, and alone. And there are folks who still have to endure shit like wars, famine, and general calamities. Even if they don’t celebrate the same holidays we do, they’re still out there facing shit that we don’t have to.

So this holiday, let’s be grateful. Grateful for the shit we have that we don't necessarily need. And grateful for the people we get to share our lives with even if they’re far away.

Merry Christmas, y’all!