I just won my first award, and you know what? It’s totally bitchin’. Like, hyper-super bitchin’.

When I say first, I mean my first award outside of the various awards you pick up in college. You know the kind, Best Portfolio, Best Projectile Vomit, Student Gone the Longest Without Showering, etc.

No, this one is an Applied Arts Interactive Award.

The redesign of Gelaskins.com done by the great people at Teehan+Lax is what scored. On the team specifically, was Shannon Weir and Christy MacLeod (Project Managers), Steve Taubman (Designer, now Art Director) and myself.

I did it. I made the jump. I’m leaving Teehan+Lax.

Let’s just let that sink in.

Still with me? Good. This was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve made, but ultimately, the best one for me at this moment. I joined the team at T+L in the fall of 2008, it was a bold move knowing the caliber of work and the amount of really f’n smart people that were behind it. We’re talking, like, really, really smart. I was coming from a place where I was THE front-end developer – the mack shit, if you will – and was quickly knocked off that pedestal when introduced the work of the other developers. Not just the work, but what they were capable of, and what was expected of them. These guys could build anything and everything – and in probably less than an hour.

Humbling? Hell yes.

It wasn’t just the devs, but also the brains behind the projects. To put it bluntly, the partners at T+L are brilliant people. All of them understand the web unlike anyone I’ve ever met before. They take risks, they know what works (and what doesn’t), and how to connect everything together.

I’ve learned more than I ever thought my brain handle, and built things I never thought I could build. I’ve been pushed to be the best I could be and step up my game in all aspects of my career. I’ve met people that have challenged me, supported me and exposed me to all sorts ridiculous cute animal videos.

So why am I leaving?

Relish Interactive is a small shop and I’ll be heading up their front-end development. I’ll be able to collaborate on creative projects, help form dev best practices, and have the opportunity to create amazing things. Not to mention, I get a shitload of vacation and a desk near Sacha.

The guys at Relish are not only good looking and full of charm and charisma, they’re also badass and very involved in the Toronto interactive community. They produce great work, support a creative environment, and bathe regularly. I really couldn’t ask for more and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of their team.

A few weeks ago, I met with Grant Van Gameren. This was the first time I had met him, but definitely not the first time I had tasted his tongue. You see, Grant Van Gameren is the co-owner and chef at The Black Hoof, and his Tongue on Brioché is quite easily the best thing I’ve ever eaten.

As much as I wanted to indulge in bone marrow and foie gras, this meeting was strictly business.

Currently, Grant is using his blog, Charcuterie Sundays, as the main online presence for The Black Hoof. Looking to move from Blogspot to WordPress, we talked about a few options. After a lot of discussion, we figured out that developing an entirely new website with blog integration would be the best option. A quick call to John Thai, and 10 minutes later we’re onboard for doing a complete design and build for The Black Hoof.

Really fucking cool, right?

After brainstorming with John for a few hours, I can say I’m really, really , really excited for this one. We’ve got some great ideas and Grant seems to be really into them. Amazing!