National Coffee Day, a Little Mug Love and an Introduction?

Today is National Coffee Day, but around here, coffee is an everyday thing.

And you can’t have coffee without something to drink it out of. So today we’re giving a little love to the vessel that holds the good stuff and the artists who make those vessels look pretty damn cool.

Coffee never gets old to us. We still get excited about making that first cup in the morning, roasting a fresh batch and, of course, drinking it.

Coffee is enjoyed all over the world. No matter what coffee you buy or where you get it from, it’s something people look forward to for all kinds of reasons. Hanging out with someone, chilling by yourself, getting through the workday, or just dealing with whatever life may throw at ya.

And sometimes what life throws at ya is people. Family, friends, strangers, we can all get on each other’s nerves from time to time.

But that’s one of the cool things about coffee. Somehow we can still sit around the same table, pour a cup and find a little common ground, even if we’re giving each other a little side eye while we do it.

We may not agree on everything, but give us some coffee and suddenly we’re all saying, “Mugs Up!”

Truthfully, coffee has probably kept us from going insane a time or two. Sometimes it’s just that little moment in the day when you get to sit with something you enjoy and find a few minutes of sanity before getting back to life.

Now, About Those Mugs

Most of you know Joey, whose original artwork has made its way onto so many of our Iron Bean mugs over the years.

Now we’d like you to meet Kristen.

We’re really grateful to Sierra, who also plays rugby, for introducing us to her.

Kristen works in graphic design, printmaking, video, and illustration. She also illustrated the children’s book Patriot and Rowan: Journey Through Grief, a project developed by Amanda Held and written by Sara Kendel to help children navigate grief and loss.

Kristen brought the story to life through her illustrations, and that part of her work really caught our attention.

Many of you who have been with us from the beginning may remember that we were once part of a group that came together to help children who found themselves having to go to court, giving them a place where they could feel safe enough to speak and open up. Between that and our own experiences in life, helping children has always been something close to our hearts.

So when we learned that Kristen had used her art to be part of something that could make an impact in a child’s life, that stood out to us.

We’ll leave a link here so you can read more about the project, the people behind it and Kristen’s work as the illustrator.

Patriot and Rowan’s Journey Through Grief

And somehow, out of all the artists in the world, we managed to find two who have something else in common.

Bad Ass Athletes!!

Joey does Judo.

Kristen plays rugby for the Toledo Celtics.

What are the odds? LOL

All I know is I ain’t messing with these two.

A Little Badassery, a Little Compromise

The fun part about our artwork is that it’s never really just one person coming up with something and handing it over.

I work really closely with Joey. I’ll give her an idea of what I’m looking for, we go back and forth, and sometimes we build these things piece by piece until it feels right. Fred throws his ideas in there too.

And when it comes to art, Fred and I are definitely on two different pages. That’s been one of the challenges from the start.

He likes more badassery.

I like cute and fun.

So adding Kristen into the mix might actually give Fred a chance to get his way a little more often.

I know. That wasn’t easy for me to say.

But hey, I guess that’s what marriage is about. You’ve gotta compromise somewhere.

Just don’t get carried away, Fred.

Original artwork takes time, and artists have lives and schedules too. Meanwhile, you guys are usually already asking us, “When’s the next mug coming?”

Having Kristen create for us from time to time alongside Joey gives us another creative mind to work with and another opportunity to keep bringing you original Iron Bean artwork while working around everyone’s schedules.

Welcome to the Iron Bean Family, Kristen!

And we want you guys involved too. If there’s something you’d love to see on an Iron Bean mug, tell us. Give Kristen and Joey something to think about. Give us something to think about. Some of the coolest ideas start with somebody simply saying, “You know what would be cool?”

So let’s welcome Kristen as part of the Iron Bean family! I don’t know how active she is on Facebook, but I’ll definitely share some of your love with her.

From the little bit I’ve gotten to know her so far, she’s a pretty awesome person. Sweet, talented, excited to create, and clearly not afraid of a little badassery.

We’re excited to have her as part of the Nation.

Just a Little Sneak Peek…

Her first artwork for Iron Bean is coming for Halloween, and since we’ve already talked this much about it, it would be rude not to give you a little sneak peek.

Just a peek, though.

And Joey has been busy too. She’s already finished the artwork for our Christmas mug, so while we’re handing out sneak peeks, we figured we’d give you a little peek at that one too.

Halloween from Kristen. Christmas from Joey.

Because It Isn’t Just a Mug

And while, yes, technically a mug is the vessel that gets the coffee to your face, these mugs mean a little more to us than that.

When you buy an Iron Bean mug, you’re supporting our small business. You’re helping us work with and pay artists, create new artwork and turn those ideas into something you can actually hold in your hands.

Seeing our mugs out there in your homes, at work, next to your coffee maker or in a picture you send us never gets old. There’s a lot of pride in seeing something we all worked on together become part of someone else’s everyday life.

Because it isn’t just a mug.

It’s a little piece of Iron Bean out there in the world.

So grab your favorite mug, fill it with something good and enjoy it.

Happy National Coffee Day!

Mugs Up!

Mama Bean & Papa Bean
Iron Bean Coffee Company