Do you have your holiday cards yet?

Greeting cards with a punch of sass

Times are tight, but they don't have to cramp your style

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Pep Greetings today released its holiday run of greeting cards for 2008. Both unique designs feature award-winning art in full color, with a healthy kick of sass and tasty drink recipes to add to the cheer of the season.

The cards and matching envelopes come individually packaged or in packs of five, are printed on medium card stock and are suitable for gifting.

Both designs are available for purchase via the company Web site at http://www.pepgreetings.com or via the artist community etsy.com.

"After years of brainstorming over wine and writing and sketching fun designs and sayings for our friends and families, it's good to have something fun to share with the world," said Co-founder and Head Scribbler, Jessica Strelitz.

"It's great to see a friendship that has been going strong for 12 years and counting be represented in the cards we now make. Both of our personalities, likes and dislikes come together to form Pep Greetings, a very exciting venture for both of us!" said Co-founder and Head Doodler, Doreen Mulryan Marts.

Pep also provides custom card work and soon will be adding birthday and Valentine's offerings.

About Pep Greetings: Doreen Mulryan Marts and Jessica Strelitz founded Pep Greetings in 2006. Marts is a freelance illustrator with a global client base, specializing in spot illustration and children's book artwork as well as product and toy design. Strelitz is a professional writer and editor, specializing in food and drink, business and sports writing. The pair met in 1996 as students at Carnegie Mellon University and their friendship has taken them from drinking daiquiris at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, to beers in the bars of D.C. and NYC and cocktails after ice hockey games in every tiny rink in western Pennsylvania.

Sign up for blog updates at http://feeds.feedburner.com/PepGreetings or drop us a note at pepgreetings@gmail.com for the latest on the greeting card world, updates on new Pep designs and glimpses inside of our warped minds.

Saying thank you

I just added another year to my very rich, often scandalous and never boring life and have just finished my thank you cards. This is something my parents encouraged me to do when I was young, and after 25 years, I never grow tired of putting them in the mail. If someone goes out of their way to recognize you on your birthday, your anniversary, your wedding, a holiday -- whatever prompts people that like you enough to give you a present -- you should say thank you. Whether it be via Facebook, e-mail, or a note -- expressing how you are grateful in writing makes you happier.

"We are all walking around with an amazing resource: gratitude ... It helps us express and enjoy, appreciate, be thankful and satisfied with a little effort. We all have it, and we need to use it to improve our quality of life," said Kent State University's Dr. Steven Toepfer, who conducted research on the subject and found that students who wrote letters of gratitude felt better about themselves.

"The most powerful thing in our lives is our social network. It doesn't have to be large, and you don't always need to be the life of the party, but just having one or two significant connections in your life has shown to have terrific psychological and physical benefits," Toepfer added.

So wait a few weeks and buy our soon-to-be-released thank you cards. And use them. I can guarantee it'll do you good. It's a scientific fact.

Paper cards -- they can't steal your identity (or your wallet)

Happy holidays -- among the myriad things to be afraid of this time of year (purse snatchers, people breaking into your house when you go on vacation ala "Home Alone," beer goggles at the corporate holiday party and eggnog hangovers come to mind) please add e-greeting card identity theft.

Yet another reason why paper greeting cards are superior to their e-cousins.