The Handsome - Stephen from Somethings Hiding in Here:

So excited for this interview today! If you haven't heard of Shauna & Stephen from Somethings Hiding in Here, you have to head to their site right now! I think they pioneered the mustache on a stick phenomenon and they're constantly coming up with new & innovative ideas. I'm always inspired by the products they create. They're my dream couple: they get to be creative all day long and work together - does it really get any better than that? Oh, and they've been in Martha Stewart, I'm sure that's another dream for some of us too ;) Hope you enjoy this interview friends!

photo credit: nikon d60 wireless shutter release

Please tell us a little about you and what you do: Hello, I'm Stephen, the "engineer" behind Something’s Hiding In Here. Shauna's the idea machine, but I figure out how to realize the things we want make. I spent six years studying sculpture in art school and I've always loved problem solving and making things. I think it all started in grade school when i took apart an electric blanket to see how it worked (I may or may not have caused a small fire).

How did you & your wife meet? At a kissing booth... true story. Almost sixteen years ago, Shauna paid me 50 cents for a kiss at an art school party. I've had her hooked ever since.


You guys are always coming up with such innovative things. Where do you gather inspiration from: Like everyone, our inspiration is a mix of people, places and things. Shauna and I went to grad school at Cranbrook. It has a rich history of mid century "form follows function" design philosophy, and I think that had a lot of influence on both of us. I've always felt a connection to vintage Americana from my 66 Chevy pickup truck, vintage Pfaff sewing machine and old wood working tools, to my typical uniform of Red Wing oxfords and paid shirts. I think our Forage Bow Ties are a good example of these influences.


How many hours a day do you/your wife spend blogging? Shauna is the main driver of our social media front. I would lump many outlets into the idea of blogging since technology allows us to be so multifaceted these days (blog, flickr, tumblr, twitter, guest features, etc.). I would say we're probably at it about 3-6 hours a day. ps. This is the perfect opportunity to plug my new twitter account @FORAGEbowties. Hit me up on the twitters!

You've been featured all over the place! What's been your favorite/most unique experience so far: Hands down, our Martha Stewart Living feature, in the February '11 issue. We drove to NYC from Philadelphia with a car full of rusty tin dollhouses and a mason jar containing my wood knot collection. I was most excited to meet Fritz Karch, the collections editor (his beard and plaid suits are legendary). Before we knew it, we were in a vacuous, all white photo studio. While admiring the movable sets for the photo shoot, I looked up to see Shauna shaking hands with Martha. EPIC! To cap off the experience, we were given a tour of the “props room” which is indescribable. I’ll never forget that day.

I think lots of couples would ideally love to work with their spouse, I know I would. How is it getting to work with your wife 24/7? Do you guys always get along and see eye to eye? I'm crazy about Shauna, but we definitely duke it out while working on projects together. We approach everything from different angles, which leads us to unexpected solutions. A recent example: while attempting to print a simple poster, we spent ten hours debating what it should look like. Before we knew it, we made a rad letterpress, canvas banner that has inspired new product for us. In the end our common ground lies in our obsession over the details. Everything we make is truly a collaboration - I wouldn’t trade it for the world.