{my rituals} phillip and chelsea hansen of typewriter boneyard

Mid-century. Vintage. Antique. Handmade. Thrifted. Do I have your attention yet? These are all words to describe the super-cool light fixtures crafted by Typewriter Boneyard, a company that specializes in vintage-inspired lighting pieces and pendant lamps. Started by Phillip Hansen in 2009, the company has grown organically and now includes the design talents of his wife Chelsea. The couple lives in downtown San Diego (in a rad industrial-style loft, by the way), each balance two jobs each and make it all look easy. Here’s what keeps them calm:

Name: Chelsea Brooke Hansen
Age: 26
Hometown: Vista, CA
Current: San Diego, CA
Profession: A creative entrepreneur focusing on lighting design and moonlighting as a barista.

Mornings alone
I really appreciate the morning, especially in the city. It is calm and quiet. One of the things I enjoy the most is sitting in our window that overlooks the street. Around that time, the sun is just peeking into our living room. I make my coffee, a little breakfast and grab my journal. Here I get to think, write, sit, and pray. Whatever I feel like. The best part is the freedom I have during that time. No to-do lists and no agenda. Philip and I are always busy and on-the-go. So I do my best to be intentional about sitting in the stillness when I can.

Walking our dog
We have a Boston Terrier and he is quite the little ball of energy. I do my best to take him out for long walks on my days off. Sometimes it’s an hour, sometimes it’s more. We live in the heart of San Diego’s downtown area and I absolutely love our neighborhood. There is always something to see. I try my best to always be aware of what’s around me on these walks. Almost everything can inspire me in some way. Sometimes its the architecture of the buildings, landscaping or being outside enjoying the fresh air. Sometimes it’s just seeing how someone made the most of their balcony space. This is my time to soak it all in while he gets all of his energy out.

Name: Philip Christopher Hansen
Age: 26
Hometown: Vista, CA
Current: San Diego, CA
Profession: Operations manager for an eCommerce software company by day, lighting designer & imagineer by night.

Fishing
This probably isn’t very common in SoCal, especially with people under the age of 40, but one of my most cherished routines is fishing. I grew up fishing with my dad and have never been more than a few months without having a rod in hand. Now that we live downtown, the San Diego bay is a few close blocks away. Although I could traverse the wretched SD Convention Center stairs, I often drive over to the bay, as I’m always running low on daylight. Although it’s sometimes only 20 minutes, I try to get down to the water at least once a week to satisfy my itch. On weekends, I sometimes escape to a local lake with the wife for a morning or afternoon. Although she doesn’t fish, she makes a wonderful companion (as she does with any activity), and an extra hand carrying gear isn’t a bad thing either. Fishing is one of the only activities that disconnects my brain from the crazed, and often whirlwind, pace of the rest of my life. Working a full0time job and trying to float a side business is very consuming on mental and physical energy.

Solitude/Face Time
Another way I recharge and gain a sense of quiet in the chaos of life is by spending time with Jesus. It can sound cheesy if I’m not in person explaining this, but setting aside just 10, 15, 30 minutes to seek God through reading, praying, journaling (you name it, no rules) etc. is a critical reminder of who I am, who He is, and why we’re all here. You don’t have to follow Jesus to acknowledge that a bigger perspective helps anyone handle ‘life’ more effectively. I shoot for the biggest perspective I can find since I can easily get sucked into Philip Land.

Cheap cigars and good whiskey
Best served with friends, but occasionally served to a table of one. Some of the most intense, encouraging and uplifting conversations I’ve had with other men (or women) have been over a cheap cigar and an adult beverage. I think it’s important to have a few meaningful relationships with more than just a spouse or significant other. Although it may only be once a month, I love spending time on our downtown rooftop looking out at the skyline with someone as we aimlessly wander from one topic to another. The beverage and tobacco provide something ‘to do’, so if we sit in silence for 30 seconds or even a few minutes, it’s never awkward. In my college years, I spent many nights with friends sitting in the bed of my 1990 Ford Ranger, drinking Yerba Mate from a gourd and smoking a myriad of cheap cigars. This evolved from Starbucks parking lots into back patios as friends started moving out of their parents house or got married. Present day has a very different vibe, being married and living downtown, but it’s still the same ‘man-stuff’ ritual at the core.

Thanks to the lovely couple for sharing their rituals. Happy, happy weekend, folks!

(All photos courtesy of Phillip and Chelsea Hansen)