Justin

Well, First off, if you want to know what I have been up to go to www.jrahouseofdesign.com and that pretty much will tell all...So, where do I start and how honest do I feel like being? I guess I could say that I am a wedding dress designer that isnt gay, I am a proud father of 3 of the most beautiful children alive, I have a marriage that is more than anything I could have imagined for myself, I have my own business and I have a really cool cat. In all this, make no mistake, I have not "aquired" any of these things. They were given. They were generous gifts....I am not sure that I ever jot down thoughts of what I think of myself so this is taking a little thought. If I were going to be gut level honest this is what I would say: I fight daily the the temptation to be consumed with worry for my children and wifes' safety. I dread my sons teenage years; for I wonder how i will keep his heart close to mine through those years. I have not accepted the fact that I am older. The fact that kids today know nothing of Purple Rain actually offends me...I appreciate wisdom in all its manifestations. It does not matter to me where truth comes from. It doesn't matter to me if it comes from a hypocrite or honorable person, a fairy-tale or point in history. I believe truth will always be true to me . Now if only it were that simple to live by it.....I long for a cohort in my industry. People who do what I do for a living are far and few between. I face the fact that I am relatively alone in my area of expertise and have very few people who I may bounce ideas or philosophies off of, particularly in the deeper aspects of design. Most people do not really understand my craft beyond "ooo! that dress is really pretty" or "that design is cool". The compliments are welcome, needed and appreciated, but are rarely stimulating as an artist....I am an unapologetic 80's music fan, punk....I believe in God. There is too much evidence out there to believe otherwise. But beyond all that, God is the only one I have ever met and read about who actually knew how to manage true Love, sustain it, make it grow, and last forever - for real. Now, that is someone I could follow and learn from...Working with women and fashion for roughly 18 years has taught me a great amount about them. I would say that, by now, I have developed a talent for understanding women. I think I have discovered the secret to understanding them. (if there is such a thing). Oddly, it is no different than the secret to understanding men, your pet, or whatever. Wanna know what it is? It's simple, just love them. I realize not everyone will understand what I mean by that. I won't explain it here. But feel free to ask if you really wanna know. I'll tell ya....I love my brother, Vincent, to tears...I dont like to loose touch with any of my old friends. I try to keep them close, but its funny how I am so terrible at remembering their birthdays.....There is an African proverb that i love. it goes something like this:It is not what you call me, but what I answer to, that matters most.... What draws my hearts attention more than anything, another heart. when someone puts their heart into something, when they have invested their effort, creativity and passion into something, it is hard for me not to notice. It always shows....I love castles, ancient architecture, human anatomy, rainy days, nighttime, Prince, dry salami, and Lord of the Rings and I have an insatiable desire for Popsicles...