Colt Miller

OMG I HEART: Million Dollar Road Trip

WeeklySchedule_0016_MON_ OMG I HEART MDRT

Two brothers, one trailer, and hundreds of dreams are traveling around the US on a mission called the Million Dollar Road Trip.

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Here's what the boys, Patrick and Walter, have to say about their mission:
The Million Dollar Road Trip (MDRT) is a cross-media marketing business promoting American Small Business and inspiring the entrepreneurial spirit today. 
We have embarked on THE ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP: a journey throughout the continental United States, touring over 50 of the nation's largest cities and attending dozens of marquee events.  Our Airstream International (which we live in) is the ideal medium and our trip the ideal canvas to deliver our message, inspiring young people to dare to dream and do, to think and act boldly. Now. 
We are profiling small business owners from around the country.  We want to highlight bold action to inspire people to continue to dream big and take risks to pursue their passions.  We are awarding young entrepreneurs with cash grants along the way.  Entrepreneurship is an essential American ethos spanning geography and generations; it is fundamental to who we are, to where we are today, and to where we will be tomorrow.
Small businesses from all over the country buy space on the outside of our trailer and we promote them on the road and on the web. The ad sales fund our operations, promotions and grants.  We provide valuable marketing for all the businesses while covering the trailer with thousands of logos from across America.  We will create a monument to small business and entrepreneurship, and our goal is to put our Airstream in the Smithsonian Museum.
We are the Million Dollar Road Trip. Be inspired! Join the journey!

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Below are a few shots from the road that I snagged from their site and facebook

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my favorite picture

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I found out about these guys a little late in the game. I believe two weeks ago they said they are about 9 months in their year long road trip. Anyway, I saw on facebook, that my friend Colt Miller (killer boot maker) was up for some kind of Inspiration Grant. I immediately voted for him and then I went back to read up on where the money was coming from and what the heck was this 'Million Dollar Roadtrip.' I read through their site and watched the video (at the end of this post) and my mind was blown. How could I not have known about this? 

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I started following their journey on facebook and twitter over the next few days and when they came to Houston, we met up for tacos. Turns out they are not axe murderers (joke, the thought only crossed my mind for .125 seconds), they are two awesome brothers full of character and a contagious excitement for life. I look forward to the next time they come through town.

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If you are interested in being a part of the Million Dollar Road Trip, CLICK HERE to read up on how to purchase ad space.

Follow their journey

a few of my favorite things

...from Daniel's and Alan's place.

I went to Lubbock last weekend to visit with Alan and some friends. While I was there, I found a pocket of time where I had Alan and Dan's house all to myself. Alan had to go to work (Rrraaaaaaalph's Records) and Dan took off for tour (Thrift Store Cowboys). I dropped Alan off at Ralph's and decided I needed sandles and a shower. First, a shower. The night before was the Lucero/Thrift Store Cowboys show and I smelled like a stale smokey bar and there was something funky going on with my bangs because someone's whiskey found it's way to the front of my head when the crowd got a little (lot) excited. After my shower, I was trying to fix my hair and do my make up and I realized I couldn't see what I was doing because all the blinds are shut. It's about 4 pm at this point so I went and opened all the blinds in the house. Those two boys have the BEST natural lighting. Sunlight was just pouring in and bouncing off of everything making everything immediately beautiful. I hurried through my hair and make up and pulled out my camera. I felt bad because I didn't ask the boys first, but I couldn't help myself. It is a boy house, but these two have a lot of treasures lying around that little Lubbock home.
Here's a peek.

Daniel & Alan's house
Every time I saw that head over my weekend visit, I told Alan I wanted it. I need to find one next time I'm at the flea market.


When I visited in November, I noticed two-three typewriters within a 10 ft radius. Dan told me he still uses them to write letters and that he HATE emails.
 
Baseball fans, YES!

Alan's trail of life made me love him more. He said he's had the pig since he was twelve. I like finding out what "odd" items people choose to hold on to throughout their life. Do you have anything slightly odd that you are attached to?

 
I didn't capture this one very well, I'm short and this is a shot of the top of their fridge. First thing I loved about this was the way the sun light was peeking from below and above this old radio. Second, I loved that the radio, picture frame and door frame were all uniform in color. Third, Audry Hepburn is framed and on top of the fridge. How can you not love the two boys?


 In the living room, on top of the stereo is Alan's Muppet Babies keyboard. I always tell people that one of my favorite things about Alan is he's a perfect mix between a five yr old and an old man.


In the living room you will find a guitar on the wall, on a mound of blankets, and one on a stand. There was a mic stand in the restroom, but I didn't think to photograph it.



This one made me laugh. It's a framed article about Thrift Store Cowboys, but it's on the floor cuddling with dust mites. Come on Dan.


Their walls are covered with posters by various designers. The bottom one is by Dirk Fowler. You may remember me mentioning him before in the Flatstock post. The top poster always makes me smile and cringe. I smile because it's the first show poster Alan ever asked me to make and I cringe because I was a baby designer still in school when I made it and everytime I see it I was to change it all. haha. I hear it's like being an accountant and not having all your decimals lined up. It made my heart all warm and fuzzy to see it up on their wall.

The random necklace...I don't know.


This was also in the living room. It probably need to go through the wash, but it still rocks.
 
In the restroom, another F-2 Design poster for TSC and Devotchka. I was at that show :)

Here's where I hope I don't get in trouble with Dan. When I peeked in his room and saw his bedside table was a stack of suitcases I actually laughed (in a good way). This is something that in the past couple of months has been a trend in home decorating and here it is, in a man room with super old suitcases. When I asked Alan about it, he said it's been that way forever. Oh Daniel and his eye for beauty. I also go a kick out of his boots (made by Colt Miller) being right by his bed.

I wanted to take this off the wall too.

Behind Dan's door was a cool tin (picnic?) and a patterned dog hanging out.

pretty red bike

...and I better leave Dan's room before he never lets me stay in his house again.

In the kitchen is where you will find most of the posters in the house. This is another F-2 Design poster that was made when The Diamond Center moved from Lubbock to Richmond, Virgina. They had a huge musical going away bash.

Is that a Bueno Bueno feather dangle I see? Brandi gave this one to Alan for Christmas.



more posters. The Magnolia Electric Co is a F-2 Design poster, The one in the middle I have always been in love with, also made by Colt Miller. The one on the right is the second show poster I've ever made. I feel the same way about this one as I do about the first one. Still, it made me smile to see it made "the wall."
 
Two more F-2 Design posters in their kitchen.

I don't know what kind of boy houses you've been to, but I was impressed. These two have some really cool items in their house.
After taking one hundred photos of the Lubbock house, I went up to Ralph's Records to hang out with Alan during his last 3 hours of work. I'll be posting about that later.

I hope you enjoyed this boy-land with me!
muchos besos,
kel

if you love original boots...


Where the best boots are made. 

While living in Lubbock I met some amazing people, one of them being Colt Miller. He's a boot maker from west Texas (Click here to read about him). After looking at the boots on his website, I decided these were my favorite.








 

If you are into original BEAUTIFUL boots, you should check out www.cobrarock.com