We are very fortunate to have a steady source of dependable and reliable workers by virtue of the local vocational college.

Minnesota Sate College Southeast Technical has a unique guitar and mandolin building program. These students typically have an uncommon attention to detail and are always mechanically inclined.

We came to know Devin and his girlfriend Hailey this past year while Devin attended the guitar program. Devin is holding his final electric guitar project and Hailey is holding his mandolin project.

We hired Devin last year and he was a terrific employee. He finished his program and immediately landed a job in St. Paul in a guitar shop.

We are delighted to have gotten to know both of them and wish them good luck!

Bear has been a shop fixture since we opened the shop.

His body failed him earlier this year and it has been a steady decline ever since. He will be genuinely missed.

Bear was an extremely active dog with a terrific sense of humor. If he was in a playful mood, he knew exactly how to agitate to get the attention he wanted.

He enjoyed greeting the customers long enough to get their attention and hopefully get a treat.

Rest in peace Bear.

For the past six months we have been quietly, but diligently working on a new family of products that we call the Acrylic Print.

The idea was to have a premium family of products that would compliment the Panel Prints.

It took several iterations, but we are delighted to introduce the Acrylic Print. We are very excited about the sharp and vivid details this presentation package provides.

More details can be found at Red Wing Digital.

1) I will enjoy the buffet.
2) I will come back again. Thank you as well.
3) I will not smoke and be younger than the age of 16 as I dispense fuel.
4) I will floss twice a day, every day, the entire week before my next dental exam.

That's all I got.

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Actually, 2013 is ramping up to be a very ambitious year for several reasons.

Life is not simple, but it should be enjoyed. Creativity is a uniquely human delight that drives this enjoyment.

"Your Dog" by Yoshitomo Nara is a personal favorite. It is in one of the rotunda galleries of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

It completely captures how the world must look from a child's perspective. You cannot help but enjoy this and feel the wonderment of it all.

Happy new year!