Finally taking down those holiday cards?

I know you have them. Stuck to your fridge. All around the door jam. In that special display holder on your kitchen counter that someone gave you last year. Or, if you're like me, they are all over the kitchen counter and littering your dresser tops.

But now it's time to say goodbye to the holidays. Box up the ornaments, the garland and the menorah. Bring in the lights. But those cards -- handwritten greetings from family and friends. Glitter. Stars. Smiling reindeer. Peppermint-laced martini glasses. Warm blues, greens and reds. Are they destined for the trash? Can they all fit in another stack of shoeboxes (or in my case, Kate Spade boxes)?

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, an organization that cares for abused, abandoned and neglected children, hopes not.

"Over thirty years ago, wishing to show our donors appreciation for making St. Jude’s Ranch for Children possible, the idea was conceived for turning the previous year’s Christmas cards into "new" cards for the coming season. The recipients were so delighted with their unique "thank you," they requested the children sell them the special cards... since then, the Program expanded to include all occasion greeting cards… the children participate in making the new recycled cards by removing the front and attaching a new back made with recycled paper. The new card is a beautiful, “green” card made by the children and volunteers. We are accepting used, all-occasion greeting cards thru February 28, 2009. Mail your donations to:

St. Jude's Ranch for Children
Card Recycling Program
100 St. Jude's Street
Boulder City, NV 89005"

You can also order their recycled cards online. I would encourage it -- as long as you consider ordering some of ours too.

And I hope you realize that if you still have your tree up, it's a major fire hazard. You can recycle that too. Just let it go.

Do not bend

Envelopes are important. If they are too thick, they can feel wooden (and add to postage rates). If they are too thin, they can tear and get jammed at the PO, and no one wants a card in a plastic bag.

We are proud of our envelopes. Made of medium cardstock and thick enough to hold up in the mail sorters, but thin enough to be able to hold up to the light and get a peek of what is inside. If you're into that.

And we promise -- no baggies in your mailbox. Unless, of course, you're into that too.

Beating card

"Get Fuzzy" is an often amusing comic strip, and considering the amount of times it makes references to Maine, lobster and now greeting cards, I sometimes wonder if I am writing it in my sleep...



Thanks to Patrick for the link.

I've got your M&A activity right here

Dear American Greetings: I know we're just launching things, but everyone seems to like the cards we've released so far and the talent level Doreen and I can offer is worth way more than the several million dollars you're shelling out for Recycled Paper Greetings. I know you probably got them at a fire-sale price, but they're in Chapter 11! Were they paying their illustrators and writers in gold? Are you sure you want to deal with folks with those types of business practices? We are a safe bet -- well run, young, smart and full of fresh ideas. All we require is a fully stocked bar. Health insurance would be nice too.

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.

Glitter and the Patriot Act

If you have seen an e-mail encouraging you to write to soldiers at Walter Reed this holiday season, it appears to be a hoax:

"Millions of people are receiving an e-mail that suggests sending cards to "wounded soldier" at Walter Reed Army Hospital. Unfortunately, due to security reasons, your card will be thrown away unopened."

Generic cards don't fly anymore with the Pentagon. All mail needs to be addressed to specific soldiers. But don't let the technicality stop you from reaching out to fighting men and women this year. The Red Cross sponsors a program that facilitates getting cards to soldiers in combat zones and military hospitals in the U.S. and overseas.

Through Dec. 10, send your greeting cards -- with adequate postage and a return address -- to Holiday Mail for Heroes, P.O. Box 5456, Capitol Heights, Md. 20791-5456. But please, no glitter.

The importance of audience & art

The Bush White House's (next-to) final Hanukkah reception invitations are out ... featuring an image of the White House **Christmas** tree "being pulled by a horse-drawn cart with a Christmas wreath tacked on to the White House in the background."

The First Lady says the "intended" ones will be in the mail next week. Let's hope they remember to leave out the image of the holiday ham this time around.

Drinking with Santa

I have seen snow, found the Christmas music station and spotted my first sets of lights, so clearly we are deep in the holiday season. I actually don't know how this happened, but apparently time advances in some sort of a lunar cycle. Or so they tell me. In any case, to celebrate, Doreen and I have created a festive holiday card for you. We SHOULD have it online next week. It features a drink recipe that I have been dying to share since the stranger who shared it with me 6 years ago told me not to. It also has a deer on it. Get excited.

But if you MUST purchase cards from others, The Onion reminds you of the perils of pissing off Santa and our boys at Bald Guys invite you to celebrate Hannukah with Morty.

Save your money, buy a greeting card

Who isn't watching their wallet a little closer these days? Even my CEO was telling me (proudly) this week how he and our CFO ordered pizza -- and even walked to pick it up -- instead of doing dinners out during budget meetings.

My birthday is in two weeks and I've rented out part of my favorite bar and invited a ton of friends to celebrate with me. Presents not accepted, presence is enough. But I do hope I get some fun, creative cards. I really appreciate the time and effort someone puts into their choice, especially if it makes me think, or smile or tear up. And I save them all. (Dad, this no-gift policy does not apply to you -- I still want that wine fridge).

Of course, a couple glasses of whiskey are also welcome. I'm never one to turn down booze.

I'm glad I never moved to Akron

In a previous life, I considered it. But, quickly, on to Shaky Lady Art.

I am completely happy to tout the greeting card venture of an 80-year-old nursing home resident from the Cleveland area. Especially because all of the proceeds go to a national nonprofit project that fulfills the late-in-life wishes or dreams of nursing home residents. Both very good things.

But, as a professional writer, I cannot accept seeing this in print: "They're missing out on the real gift, which is this — she rocks!"

I'm without words...

Business cards, new cards and a kid nearly 20 years younger than me who is 20 steps ahead

We now have a holiday card and a birthday card nearly ready for the printers, with new drink and baking recipes and beautiful, original art. The business cards are printed, the raffia is ready to be tied and we're almost, almost, almost 100% open for business.

But this is where I turn into John McCain during the Oct. 15 debate -- a crotchety, old lady (man): We have to compete for ink with this Colorado kid who thinks running her own greeting card company is "just fun." Shouldn't she be watching HSM3 or something? And whose dreams come true before they go through puberty?! And those flowers are stupid.

I'm going to go settle in front of 20/20 reruns with a bottle of Metamucil now.


PS - Don't bother telling me. I am well aware that I am already going to Hell for hating on a little girl. Jealousy is an evil thing.

Good wood

Doreen sent me this link when we were meeting in N.J. the week before last. Night Owl (and I used to be one before my days of 4 a.m. training sessions and 6 a.m. workouts) has a unique line of cards made of actual wood. The letterpress card company is also a two-person shop and a dream turned real. I love those stories.

Exciting!!!

Our first batch of cards has arrived from the printer!! Wee! Things are starting to come together :) Be on the lookout for out Etsy shop to be opening up soon so you too can own your very own Pep Greetings cards!

New Find!

I love all things retro! Especially retro illustration from the 50's and 60's. Very inspiring to me. So here is an old 1957 New York state map that I found at an antique shop this past July, enjoy!

Do we look lazy?

On the contrary! Our first card is printed and we are started to show our baby around to family and friends. Doreen and I are getting together on Thursday to do packaging, drink wine and brainstorm until we either pass out or end up watching a Dawson's Creek marathon. Either way -- good times.

After NJ, I head up the East Coast to meet with friends, drink, fish, sleep on the dock, eat lobster and drink some more. And my new magazine piece comes out that week too -- hopefully it will cause a stir.

I like my martinis very dirty, with as many olives as you can fit in the glass

Card purchased for a bachelorette party this weekend in Vegas:

"Honey, I like my martinis the way I like my men ... the stiffer the better."

Also, the best/worst cupcake topper -- ever.

Hallmark, proving a wee bit more progressive than its rivals

The greeting card giant has launched a line of same-sex "union" cards, featuring "two tuxedos, overlapping hearts or intertwined flowers, with best wishes inside." The cards don't make any specific reference to weddings or marriage, which makes them appropriate for commitment ceremonies, as well as the more than 100,000 gay weddings that are expected to fill the aisles in Calif. in the next three years. It also means that Hallmark isn't 100% jumping into the pool. But it's a step, and certainly better than its largest rival -- American Greetings -- whose statement on the issue is just to "its current offerings are general enough to speak to a lot of different relationships."

Pussies.

May I someday be Phyllis Stocking

I am sure she is a lovely person, bakes the world's sweetest cakes, gives great hugs and has a throng of adoring grandchildren, and despite the fact that my own holiday/birthday card list is already long enough, thank you, I think I love Phyllis Stocking.

The Wyoming woman sends 90 to 100 cards a month and spends $1,000 a year (paid out of her Social Security check) on stamps to mail them to folks -- some of which she clearly doesn't know that well, or else this story would have never been written. But who doesn't love a card? Even from a stranger. Who wouldn't love a note from Phyllis?

She works to keep addresses current ("I figure they'll be looking for their card") and her husband reads the obits to help keep the list ... alive, and though she seems fond of media folks -- the 73-year-old says she works hard not to look "like I'm a stalker."

No one wants that.

The proof is ... on my counter

And it's good! Now, on to the hangtags and other marketing materials. Anyone want to buy a card?

How's that for marketing?

On the way

The proofs are coming from the printer this week on Card #1. We don't know whether to be scared, excited, or a little bit of both. But they're on their way, and I'm choosing not to flip out. Yet.

Green trees, less trees

Hallmark this week announced that it will unveil a line of enviro-friendly greeting cards, "for businesses to minimize environmental impact while building relationships with customers and employees." There will be nine cards with pro-environment or traditional holiday greetings, made of a mix of sugar cane pulp and recycled paper.

After having spent several months looking for an affordable green printer, I hope that this becomes more of the norm in the larger printing and publishing world for cards, to help smaller shops like us and dedicated green printers across the country. It's a small margin business, but we should be unified in our efforts to produce quality, smart products.

Weekend fun!

Went to Michael's today and picked up two magazines for inspiration and to keep up with current trends: Artful Blogging and Just Cards! They seem like fun magazines, and I'm a sucker for impulse buying. There should be a picture of me at their board meetings with the words "Target Customer" written under it ha ha.
In other PEP news, we think we have finally found a printer we like! Woo hoo! I am sending out our first card for proofs this weekend. So be on the look out for our shop to be open soon! Have a happy and safe 4th of July weekend everyone!

Blended families

As a child of several versions of blended families, I was excited to hear about the thestepcardcollection. This should make mother's and father's days a lot easier moving forward. Considering how many marriages end in divorce, I wonder why they aren't rolling it out to more regions of the U.S. Fear of conservative backlash?

And since when is Delaware a test market?

Everything's A-OK

Sunny days at American Greetings, which has renewed its licensing agreement with Sesame Workshop. Strange that they never specify the actual length of the contract, though.

Even jerks should know that we are thinking of them

I am a huge fan of this idea, proposed by Illinois comedy club owner Dave Sinker:

This could be a multimillion-dollar business for greeting card companies. The same people who gave us such made-up holidays as Sweetest Day, Grandparents Day and Secretary's Day need to expand. How about Meddling Mother-in-Law Day, Smelly Co-Worker Day, Cheating Husband and his Tramp Day, and Ex-Girlfriend with the Restraining Order Day?

Because, at the end of the day, everyone deserves to get a card in the mail. Or nailed to their doorjam.

Toast

Here's a good card for making one. Created by SF design group Chewing the Cud.

E-cards' impact rising

American Greetings' download site Kiwee.com last year had more than half a billion downloads - and its own subscription sites ( BlueMountain.com and Americangreetings.com) have nearly 4 million customers -- totalling $100 million a year. The cards-to-cell idea however, not so much.

Which is scarier -- this press release or the card?

I would be more upset if she WASN'T being made fun of, just like the boys. Hillary can take it.

Inspiration, procrastination

The surface pattern design site print & pattern is bursting with ideas. Time to get to work in the studio.

Father's Day backlash

Dads of the world, unite against stereotypes -- you snoring, lazy outdoorsmen. Not longer will you be pigeonholed to a land of cards featuring empty beer bottles, ugly recliners, bad pants and even worse parenting skills. At least one Washington group (I tread lightly here) has decried the "dumb, dangerous or disaffected" label, requesting the value of fatherhood be treated with more respect.

I bought two mushy-type cards this year. Neither of my father folks are of the mold that mainstream-card USA trends toward. Send me your "loves to take walks in the woods and drink good Scotch Dad" and "is obsessed with all earth sciences and awesome martinis Dad" cards, and you'll get me. You'll also probably understand a bit more about where I came from.

Paper Cravings

Paper Crave is a nicely put together, regularly updated site exploring the paper and gift industry. And Im a sucker for a fellow sticker lover. There is no way to explain how much I regressed to being 10 upon seeing the Mrs. Grossman's booth at the NSS two years ago. I was such a visibly freakish wreck, that one of the kind booth boys gave me a bag full of swag, upon which I immediately bolted to the bathroom and tore it open. It was awesome.

A great artist passes

Alton Kelley, along with Stanley Miller, created some of the first pieces of art that I recognized as art beyond museums, galleries and what I learned in school. He created the skull and roses poster that millions of people associated with the Grateful Dead, as well as poster art for Hendrix, The Beatles and Journey. I look forward to paying homage to him in San Francisco in a few weeks.

"I don't know, it must have been the roses
The roses or the ribbons in her long brown hair
I don't know maybe it was the roses
All I know was I could not leave her there... "

The economy hits the industry ... hard

Hallmark this week announced it consolidate its manufacturing operations, culling greeting card production operations at plants in Toronto, Arkansas and Indiana in the coming months, and outsourcing some of the work to Asia and Mexico.

It's a tough time for everyone, people. Go buy some cards.

Logo

Look up.

We are playing with our final logo so it may look different over the coming week or so.

Do you like it?

Blank hedgies

I am in love with these hedgehogs. Robot Candy's cards are "printed one at a time, using hand carved blocks." Name is cool. Technique is cool. Two girls starting a company together -- always cool.

They say it doesn't smell

I am all for saving wildlife... but do they have to call it Poo Poo Paper?

Apple scoops me. Again

Somebody call my patent lawyer. I need to get this model I have for alcoholic greeting cards into legalese.

More on how Apple continues to revolutionize how we get basically everything.

Design spin

Things that have caught our eyes in the last few weeks ...

• OhJoy! blogs from the Stationery Show in NYC this week. Next year for PEP. Next year...
• Mollaspace features pretty, delicate things and lots of weird ashtrays
• Irene Hoofs features the "beauty of things created and happy" from artists around the world at Bloesem
• Print and Pattern is a U.K. blog focused on surface pattern design. Looking at this page is like looking at the walls of Doreen's studio.
• And last, but not least, HONK IF YOU LIKE CHEESE
  

Calif., Mass. wedding guests rejoice

There is a new line of same-sex, all occasion cards -- celebrating everything from adoption to Jewish holidays and anniversaries -- which are being billed as "family friendly." The approach is a good one for this underserved market, which is mostly dominated by, well -- NOT so family-friendly tone. OpenCloset celebrates families and love "with gay regards" -- in all shapes and sizes.

Hungry?

I did some blogging over at Maine Food & Lifestyle last weekend as part of a story I am writing on classic Maine eateries. I drove more than 800 miles over five days -- some

highlights: Blueberry pie from Maine Diner; strawberry pie with cream from Helens; fresh local burger with hand cut fries from A-1; pancakes at Moody's; and a granddaddy lobster roll from Red's. Yes, that's an entire tail, plus a lot of claw meat. Those were just a fraction of things we ate along the way. Read more at Plating Up.

Freeee Coffeeee of the iced variety!!

The summer season is officially in full swing! I bought my first iced coffee the other day and took my flip flops out of the closet.
And to add to my glee Dunkin Donuts has made today FREE ICED COFFEE DAY!! From 10 am- 10 pm you can get a free 16 oz. iced coffeee. Weee! My mind is so excited for the free caffeine buzz, I must go get one now! Ooops it just came to my attention that I left the "D" out of "iced" in my illo ha ha, that's why I'm not the writer :)

The scary aisle

My brother needed some Mother's Day reinforcements the other night, so we took a quick trip to the frightening mecca that is SuperWalmart. We went to the card section -- after passing the brilliantly placed "quick grab" gifts of ice tea makers, candles, flowers and candy -- and were faced with a sight that probably only has its match on Christmas eve in a stocking stuffer aisle: men, and men with their young children, grabbing at every heavy-card stock, flowered, singing, script-emblazoned greeting card they could find an envelope for. Art to follow as soon as I get back to Virginia.

For the record, I purchased all of my cards 2 weeks ago -- when the getting was still good.

For the boys --- and girls -- in harm's way

A Nebraska woman is campaigning to get 1 million greeting cards to troops. Her initiative is called "Make Two Tell Two" -- and it doesn't matter if the cards are purchased or hand made, the idea is to get them there. Here's how to help: Send cards to Make2 Tell2, 991 Road 325, Harvard, NE 68944 or go online. The deadline is June 1.

Waiting

Have e-vites made us ruder? The NYT explores how folks deal with electronic invitations of all kinds. It takes a lot to plan a party these days. I like to send invitations at least a few weeks in advance for any gathering of more than 10 -- but the last time I did a written, hand addressed invite set, I got the worst response ever. Of course it was for a 60th birthday party. It seems the older you get, the busier you become.

Time to stock up on sin

New Hampshire alarmist Cyndi Desrosiers has apparently decided that a Hallmark card touting wine as "liquid clothes remover" (which, frankly, I think would be an excellent marketing campaign for all wine) is inciting local teens to cavort in the streets.

You know what is MUCH more likely to lead to teen sex in seacoast New Hampshire and other parts of northern New England: Allen's Coffee Brandy. Don't worry Cyndi, they check IDs pretty closely at the state liquor store. Even mine ... and oh look, wine is on sale.

Bringing culture to the cards

Robert Jeffers' card company, Lyrics Personals, is working to keep it real. Lyrics strives to reach out to the younger, urban market in a way few of the giants are.

"You have a lot of cultures that aren't represented in the greeting card industry. They have to go buy what they can find," said Jeffers, 31, who also writes and takes pictures for his line. "You're not going to see a picture of the projects on a Hallmark or American Greetings card."

Angel kisses someecards

Someecards has raised a $350,000 seed round from Google’s former "Head of Special Initiatives" and generally brilliant guy Chris Sacca. Smart move. The site is now averaging 1.5 million unique visitors a month. And it remains funny as hell.

Tasty things were meant to be licked

I missed Ben & Jerry's cone day. It stopped last night at 8 p.m. last night -- and I even saw a participating shop and walked on by... Oh, and I have an "issue" with lactose. This, however, has not stopped me in the past.

Tonight (run out right now, readers) is Baskin-Robbins' 31 Cent Scoop Night to benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. So, go eat some soft serve, even if it gives you a stomach ache.

Is it Mother's Day again, already?

Nearly every married woman I know over the age of 27 is either 1) trying to get pregnant, 2) pregnant or 3) just had a baby -- so I can't possibly give them ALL cards this year, as much as I would love to. Instead, I will focus on a card for MY Mom. Lover of the Beatles, walks in the woods, sweets, premium dipping oil and overflowing Christmas stockings. Former competitive skier, bread baker and sometime model. And a great giver of cards herself.

I'll be home for Mother's Day this year. I'm working on a food piece for Maine Food and Lifestyle (my most recent piece was on vodka...) and after a few days of driving around the state eating chowder, blueberry pie, mac-n-cheese with hot dogs and lots of beans, we'll settle in for a nice meal -- and the presentation of many cards.

Some contenders:

-- First there were the music cards (I now own several) -- and now Hallmark has RECORDABLE music cards. Confused? Watch a (really lame) demo online.

-- She does finally check e-mail nearly every day ... so perhaps a little sock puppet opera.

Or .... what else? Is Mother's Day so sacred that there are no fun greeting cards out there?

Honk if you love cheese

You probably didn't know that April is Grilled Cheese month. And you probably didn't know how much Doreen and I love cheese. In fact, if we didn't already have a mascot (aka Baxter), we would probably have a mascot that was a grilled cheese sandwich with legs ... or something (this is why I'm not the designer).

So, if you love cheese as much as the ladies at PEPCards do, then let us know. Oh, and let Kraft know too. They may reward you with FREE FROMAGE. We'll probably just rejoice by sharing our favorite recipes for fondue.

Damn, this posting makes me crave Mt. Tam and a box of lactaid.

Something special, when gas costs $3.30 a gallon

As part of their efforts to stimulate the economy, greeting card makers are encouraging folks to BUY CARDS. Officials say that the industry hasn't been affected by recession issues in the past, in fact, as folks cut back, they may be more likely to send a card than a gift. And considering how expensive some cards are these days, that isn't always a cheap prospect.

Birthdays with The King

When BK, maker of my dirty-secret breakfast sandwich that I only get when things are really REALLY bad, launched its King ad campaign a few years ago, The King was everywhere. His plaster smiling head, perfect hair and shining crown. It was glorious and always made me want cheesy tots (strangely, even before there WERE cheesy tots). And now "special occasions will be even more memorable thanks to the King."

Jail Mail

I often have card ideas when I am looking to mark a somewhat unusual occasion, like "it's your birthday, and even though Im mad at you, I want to be the bigger person and let you know I remembered. Dammit."

A California lawyer's experience has led her to write a line for folks "who can't come home from prison" and established Three Squares Greetings. You know, for the meals you get every day. In jail.

Also, an audio interview with NPR.

Happy Green Beer Day!

A new sketch from PEP -- drink up!

Starting early

The Carty sisters, of Piscataway, N.J., may only be teens, but they already have several years of philanthropic business under their belts. Their greeting-card company, Tea Party and Things, supports a local nonprofit organization that supplies clothing to women and children in shelters.

In Chicago

The Chicago Trib recently profiled several local card artists and letterpress folks -- including Julie Morelli, 27 and the graphic design company she and her bf started, Letterform. Cards for foodies. Still a small, untapped market with a lot of potential.

Also mentioned, Ezra Daniels, a rare male entrant to the biz, and his Loaded Blanks concept -- where "They provide the pictures (and the blank spaces) but you provide the words."

More from Sandra Boynton

The New York Times takes a look at her "unconventional approach to business" -- from her early interest in finance, entrepreneurial activity and the arts -- to the work that allowed her to combine all three. At 21, she made a shrewed decision to demand royalties from her first professional card design gig. That job -- for Recycled Paper -- grew into her designing 4,000 different cards for the company, which saw its own revenues from $1 million to $100 million "largely because of the popularity of Boynton cards."

But what Sandra really did was become a pioneer for quirky design -- something many contemporary card designers now try to push the limits of to find their own niche within a niche. “It’s a lot easier to start in this business today than it was when Sandra Boynton got started,” Patti Stracher, manager of the National Stationery Show. “She fueled a trend in what were then called alternative greeting cards. Alternative cards helped people communicate about topics that were really hard to address or that you could poke fun at.”

And after 30 years of work in the card world -- and beyond it into music, books and other design forays -- Ms. Boynton has done what many of us are looking for -- continued to find joy in her work.

“I love what I do, I love the people I work with, I care very much about the value of the work I create, and I don’t need more money than I have. This is not revolutionary philosophy. It’s just common sense,” Boynton told the NYT.

That's more enviable than being the one of the best-selling card creators of all time by any measure.

A spin around

New finds for PEP -- design studio Girl Metro in Chicago ... she specializes in weddings and is an etiquette expert ... on the flip side of high-brow, 16 sparrows ... a shop that specializes in sarcasm and offers free downloads. Everybody loves that.

HVTD

And kudos to PEP (mostly Doreen!) for selling our first design at an art show in New York (White Plains, but it's NEAR the city). PEP hopes that everyone's LOVE holiday is full of champagne dreams and caviar kisses.

It's never too late for pancakes

Doreen's famous line from Mardi Gras 1998 was "I ate a pancake." I'll never forget it. I think I was drinking a beer at 9 a.m. at the time.

Hope you all got some tres yum free buttermilk pancakes on 2/12.

Fun facts about one of PEP's artistic genius' fave foods ...

-- IHOP served 1.1 million free pancakes on National Pancake Day last year.

-- All of the free pancakes served on National Pancake Day would create a stack more than eight miles high.

Can you imagine the amount of BUTTER and syrup that would necessitate? Delicious.

Letterpress me

It's expensive and time consuming, but it also leads to some beautiful art. Albertine Press has found success with it, and with a studio cluttered with history and smelling of chocolate, it would be hard not to get caught up in the uniqueness of what Shelley Barandes is producing each day in Somerville.

Many hippo returns

The year I was born, Sandra Boynton drew a picture of a hippo, a bird and 2 female sheep. Ten million birthday greetings later, you have a card has been redrawn five times because the printing plates keep running out. She was 21. I think I'm having a BTR moment.

Greetings from Bethlehem

Each year, hundreds of people (I assume in my area) who think their Christmas card receivers are really going to notice, travel to Bethlehem, Md., to make sure that their postmark is even more authentic. The postmaster of the town of 150 estimates she processed more than 50,000 cards during the holiday, and that people really, REALLY want to make sure that folks know the lengths they went through making that arduous trip to the Eastern Shore, to get the blessed stamp.

"Postmaster Karen Durham said she has seen her share of interesting people stream through the lobby every Christmas. "Then there are people who send cards and their people don't even notice, and they get really annoyed. So this one lady made stickers that she put on the back of her envelopes saying, 'I mailed this from Bethlehem.' "

Merry Christmas, dammit.

Eye Write 4 U

I was standing in line at a store once, and the man in front of me was laboring over what the write in an enclosure card. He was holding up the line. While the cashier looked at those of us behind "Lost for Words" sympathetically, I leaned forward and offered him two simple lines, and waited for him to finish. He did, and as I put whatever it was I was buying on the counter, he asked me how I "did that so fast." I think the jist of my response was -- "What you write shouldn't be hard if you mean it. And if you don't -- keep it short and it won't look forced."

I am amazed that people struggle writing cards -- especially thank yous and birthday cards -- but I am not surprised that some companies just run out of time (or don't plan well enough) to handle them efficiently during the holidays. Here is where the company that that businessman likely went out and helped found (or fund) after our conversation in Easton, Pa., while I likely went back to my tiny desk to update basketball stats for the next 10 hours with a cup of ramen soup at my side: Red Stamp.

Don't have time to thank Grampa for the $50 this holiday? Outsource it. Etiquette experts may think it's uncouth, but let's face it -- not everyone has the time, or patience, for sitting down and writing out 250 holiday cards every December. And if you have the money, the least you can do it make sure it is personalized.

It's holiday card time ...

Get in line now. The USPS says 20 billion cards, letters and packages will be delivered between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The nation's e-card business may be diversifying and growing, but hand-written notes are here to stay.

"They're very different mediums," the Greeting Card Association says, claiming that e-cards don't actually compete with paper cards in the marketplace. The reason? Emotion.

"An e-card is fun and it's instantaneous, and the sender and receiver recognize that," a GCA spokeswoman adds. "A greeting card has far more sentimental value. You send one for a longer-lasting, deeper meaning."

One company that is bridging the electronic-paper gap is Seattle's GreetQ. GreetQ offers users the ability to select and schedule mailings of actual greeting cards, which can then be sent to your home to sign and mail, or, for a $1 fee, GreetQ will have its staffers handwrite your note and send it for you.

"We aim to do what Zappos.com has done for shoes and what Netflix has done for movie rentals. It’s now time for greeting cards to enter the fold," GreetQ.com cofounder Jennifer Taylor said.

And right on the front page of their site: our friends at Bald Guys Greetings!

Hallmark sees Red

I am a big fan of this campaign -- despite its hipster-overtones -- mostly because I believe that Bono cares deeply for the cause.

The RED campaign supports the The Global Fund -- which is an amazing initiative. I have had the pleasure of covering news focused on world health, poverty, environment and human rights issues for the past 3 years, and part of our major focus is on HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria -- three of the biggest killers in the developing world. Hallmark is selling 23 greeting cards and other products, some of which are made in Africa, a portion of the sales from which will go to Bono's group and support the Fund.

"The company estimates that the donation from the sale of each $4.99 (Product) Red greeting card with sound, for example, will provide a contribution large enough for a single-dose treatment to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV from mother to child during childbirth."

Yes, it's steep for a card -- even one with sound -- but how often do you see something on a U.S. store shelf that could support the prevention of MTCT with antiretoviral drugs?

Not all e-cards are viruses

The NYT discovers the new breed of e-greetings.

First let me say that no one ignores an e-card, or an e-mail from someone they haven't heard from, all day at work. It sits there and taunts you otherwise.

Second, this is the third mention of Someecards.com in either MSM or by my friends in the past few weeks, which in USAT terms makes it an official trend.

What interests me most about e-cards is that men appear to feel more comfortable with sending them than traditional greeting cards. The convenience factor, I'm sure, plays into it. And the less-dippy-drippy-cheesy humor of some of the site's card (One my favorites: “When work feels overwhelming, remember that you’re going to die.") certainly calls more to the laugh than the heart.

Christmas shopping already?

Check out etsy, where I realized I have been bookmarking items for over a year. Including that damned cereal lamp that I now realize if I buy for my squeeze Patrick Cooper, will likely end up getting destroyed -- as it is a light that has to be "kept out of direct light if possible." Also, it is apparently priceless, which means I can't afford it.

But etsy is a great creative spot for designers and creators of beautiful things like jewelry, glass bowls, fun art -- and my favorite geekery.

Fabulous

FabulousStationery.com allows users to create anything they want -- wedding stuff, baby, calling cards, couples cards, you name it -- they can make it as "unique as you are."

Love the cuppycakes too.

Procrastination -- it's heroin for writers

I cannot believe I waited this long to write something I have been thinking about for months. It feels like Sunday nights at CMU all over again. But even more appealing than the temptation of Purple Hoooter shots at PHI, I have foolishly set up the workstation in my new pad next to my *very* well stocked bar.

Of course, I'm writing about vodka. Maybe I just need to drink some while I write. Naturally.

Hallmark Pop

Since Hallmark has licensed quotes from "Grey's" -- I am hoping they create one with a reference to the "penis fish." Imagine the art for that.

Meanwhile, in another garage....

Zeichen Press, started by two Minneapolis women in their 30s last year, is focused on "vintage old-school letterpress" and is just about breaking even finance-wise. With a line of stationery, coaster sets, CD sleeves and greeting cards -- its creators seem amused by their own modest success. Zeichen is an example of another company that was inspired by a wedding -- in this case, one of the creator's sisters was getting married and she created a card to go with a gift. The reaction led her to muse "Hey, maybe people would buy this stuff." And buy, they have.

Marzipan

The graphic designer who owns Marzipan, a 6-year-old greeting card company based in Wisconsin -- is only 30, but distributes her work around the world and is able to work where all of us would love to -- from home. Lori Dunbar says that her work doesn't sell in her own town of Sheboygan, price point being the issue there, but she's certainly found a way for it to sell elsewhere for $5 each.

When asked about her success, she noted "It's pretty cool." Not too much more to say.

And Marzipan's cards seem to reflect the creator -- simple, understated and quiet -- focused. Is that why all of PEP's ideas are so hard to get down on paper? Is any card big enough?

In search of Lisa Frank

This story, about a woman my age and her love of and quest to find Suzy Spafford reminded me of how much I loved Lisa Frank as a 10-year-old and how awesome my sticker collection was (deemed the largest in the State of Maine the year I entered the contest at the local hobby shop in Auburn).

"My friend and former tennis teammate in college, Suzie Hayes, (whom I got Suzie hooked on "Suzy's Zoo" about 10 years ago) traveled with me to San Diego from the Bay Area last month. I was so excited the night before, I was giggly until finally falling asleep.When we walked into the company offices, my eyes welled up in tears. I quickly pulled myself together as we went in to meet Spafford, a tiny, warm, modest woman -- a mother of two grown daughters with a big heart.She spent an hour and a half with us, looking through my packed photo album containing all the stickers and cards I won't use. I have doubles of most, so those are the ones I put on cards and envelopes. She signed several things for both of us, then began pulling stickers off the long rolls on each wall, making sure we got the ones that we didn't already have. (Or just in case we needed some extras.)"

This gave me chills. Rolls and rolls of stickers! Road trips with your best friend to a land of your most special images and memories. What would my meeting with Lisa be like? Is there, in fact, a Lisa? Or was it just something else owned by Blackstone or some other private equity firm?

A quick check online and I was excited to find that there is -- or at least was -- back in 1979 -- a Lisa Frank -- and that she (or her entity) is still filling girls' bedrooms and binders with images of unicorns and rainbows ...

Suzy Spafford's work, by the way -- not so much my taste.

Sees

I love Sees Candies. Amazing suckers. Great flavor -- especially the coffee, especially for someone who can't drink coffee anymore and misses it sometimes. From the first time I went to Calif. and found them in a Berkeley shop while we were waiting for our reservation slot at Chez Panisse, I was hooked.

They now offer personalized greeting cards with their orders. $2.95 is a good price point, and you can even add a custom photo.

When I was headed back from Manila in April, the stand in my terminal at SFO closed before I could get to it. So sad. I probably won't go back for a few more months, so if anyone is stopping in SF on their way back to D.C. -- please grab me an assortment.

New Home

I received a few sweet cards when I moved a few weeks back -- but recently checking out that card set when I was looking for one to send to my friend Megan, who recently relocated from the Burgh to Atlanta, I was disappointed. Girls buying their own homes should have a whole set of options for congratulatory exhaultations for the big event. I did see some new product from the girls at YouSendMe though -- very sparkly, ladies.

In many ways, doing it solo is one of the biggest events of your life. It's truly just you and the mortgage person. And your agent. In my case, it took 30 minutes to sign all the papers and shake some hands. Then I headed to the Italian Store for some much deserved eats ... and (eye) candy.

As soon as there is color on the walls, I expect a flood of guests...

CafePress gets a run for its money

If there weren't cats all over the front of this Web site, I may have gotten a little more excited. But the rev share model is pretty cool.

GreetingCardUniverse says you'll see up to 50 cents per card. Considering overhead and the startup costs for new artists (ahem!) this may be a good way to get going for some ... I wonder what the fine print says.

Flirt

Maybe Flirt Keys are the new "Check yes or no" note to pass in class/the bar.

If you can't get enough courage up, liquid or otherwise, to approach someone in a bar, work, the library -- wherever -- and strike up a conversation, maybe you should just find a better wingman.

Will AG come out?

American Greetings looks like they will go big with promoting thier newest venture -- a line with Ellen DeGeneres.

I like Ellen. She's funny. She makes commercials with animals. She has a beautiful girlfriend and they seem very happy together. She also has a very strong female appeal -- her daytime show is so popular and seems to have gotten her past the fallout of her comedy series, which basically ended when she came out. Which leads me to thinking -- will she and her "team" target the lesbian market with these cards? There's one things Hallmark doesn't seem to touch with its new "edgy" line, and that is gay relationships.

Will AG be the first "big box" greeting card firm to cross the line? Looks like for now the focus is on the Big 4: "birthdays, friendship, thank you and encouragement."

There are no Hallmark cards for abortions

If you know a woman who has made this decision, you can show that you support her with an e-card. The service is offered by Exhale, a non-profit group that provides post-abortion counseling services. The cards are simple and all are offered in both English and Spanish.

What is probably most surprising is where I found the AP story: Fox News. A pro-choice DME working quietly in their midst, perhaps. One can only hope.

The card box

A lot of people have these. Mine used to be shoeboxes under my bed. Filled with letters and greeting cards from holidays and birthdays. Then Mike got a set of copper pots from W/S and I got to keep the wooden crate they came in. Now that's full and I have been shoving the cards/letters I get on top of it -- under my desk -- for 2 years.

I am moving soon, and I'm sure I'll be going through that box -- and the many other containers all over this apartment that have filled up with recipes, story ideas, published works, books, condo docs ... everything a writer girl needs. And there will be reading. And remembering.

Unlike this woman, writing in the San Fran Chronicle about how she has lost touch with many of the friends whose memories she rediscovered in her card box, I have retained most of mine. But I haven't had kids, or moved a bunch of times, or even changed jobs in the past 5 years. When I vacate this spot, for a sunny place of my own a few miles down the road, I will leave behind lots of things -- but many of the memories I will carry out with me in a box from Mauviel.

Uncooked

Doreen sent me a link to this kind-of-freaky & complicated card company's Web site, and I fell in love with it. Right down to the cricket sounds and bizarre animation.

All of the samples are in Flash so I can't direct link, but check out the one for Father's Day.

Luckily, I don't have that angst as my father did -- and continues to -- take me fishing. A lot.

HBD

Happy birthday PEP blog. You are more than 1 year old. I forgot your actual birthday, so to celebrate, I will make you cupcakes this weekend. Of course, you won't be able to appreciate them without me mushing them into the keyboard, so I'll take some pictures of me and others enjoying them so you can see how your birth brought happiness -- and vanilla, flour and sugar -- to the land.

As long as they don't corner the OCD market

Hallmark has released a 176-card collection which touches on "sensitive" issues like depression, accidental death, losing your job, cancer and eating disorders.

The Journeys collection is mostly focused on the "encouragement" angle. PEP has discussed similar topics, but definitely from a younger, lighter perspective ... which some many consider "insensitive." We consider them cards you can get/give with a close friend who understands. The inside jokes of cards that are shared by more than you and your friends.

" If you keep washing your hands ... I'm leaving you in the bathroom and taking away your soap privileges"

"I swear ... the stove is off. So are the lights. And the door is locked. Really. I swear."

"That was quite a spill you took off the wagon. I'd help you up, but I'd have to put my martini down first."

If you're afraid of offending, go Journeys. If you want to tell it like it is, go PEP.

Paralysis

This pre-VTD opinion piece explores the idea that "words on cards make men nervous..." Luckily, for some men, it just makes them silly (says the girl who got her very own "Wild Thing" musical VTD card this month. Patrick, unlike me, says he enjoyed opening all of the musical cards and listening to the sound clips.)

I agree with the main sentiment on of this commentary -- don't overthink the card, just buy it. You probably want to steer clear of a woman who takes every word some "hack" writes in a super-sugary card to heart anyway.

Where is Scooby when you need him?

I like to think I'm up on what the kids are watching, including my 31-year-old best friend Jenny who loves Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, but I have never heard of My Gym Partner Is a Monkey. It sounds like I would like it too:

"The story revolves around Adam Lyon, a human student at Chester Arthur Middle School. After a typo changes his last name to "Lion", he is sent to Charles Darwin Middle School a school for anthropomorphic animals. Shortly after his transfer, he is partnered with Jake Spidermonkey (an actual spidermonkey) in Gym, hence the title. While Adam has to deal with the obvious difficulties humans have performing animal-like tasks, Jake just has fun at everyone else's expense."

Luckily, Hallmark is partnering with Cartoon Network, so I can learn all about what makes this program and its partners so funny via simple illos and tag lines. Spidermonkeys are a good start.

Celebrate Black History month

American Greetings is working with Ebony Magazine to promote cards marking February as BHM with images from past covers of the magazine. Those featured include Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Frederick Douglass, Rosa Parks and Josephine Baker. You won't be able to get them everywhere, but they will be $2.99 on the shelves and will most likely have a lasting historical and cultural value.

$14B in love

Business owners say it's profitable -- and that has only grown in recent years. The obscene amount of candy, the 189 million roses and the date nights at fancy restaurants (something I recommend against, as do most restaurant critics, since it often affects service quality. Just go on the weekend and make something at home that night!). VTD is also the top time of the year for OTC sales of greeting cards. 65% of households will celebrate with one.

Apparently, one of the biggest things in Mississippi this season will be choosing the right tune...

"They're $4.99, but it's worth it, I tell you. You open the card and it will play a few lines from a song - like 'Jamaica, Bahama, come on, pretty mama,' " Singh sings, reciting lyrics from the Beach Boys' Kokomo.

Ah, the beautiful romance of the song my 7th-grade boyfriend performed with his best friend at the school talent show in 1988. And true Beach Boys fans the world over wept.

I was in a card store last week and checked them out. They were big -- fat with graphics and images -- pricey and kind of heavy. The envelope looked like a cross between your acceptance letter to college and your taxes going out. And the music was very loud and played immediately upon opening the cards -- so it didn't make for quiet browsing, which may be a detterent for some. One of the great things about buying cards in a card store is reading through at least 5 of them. If everyone knows you are more drawn to the "I Love Lucy" designs, it's like allowing a peek into your soul. That may be a little intimate than what you want to reveal at (insert name here)'s Hallmark shop.

Greetings from the White House

I work about 4 blocks from the White House. I walk by it when I decide to make the 4-mile track home on foot, including last week on balmy 30-degree evening. Regardless of who is in power, it's always quite a sight. Crowds of tourists taking their photos in front of the fence. The woman who has been camped out in protest under her blue tarp for years. Security. TV cameras. More tourists. The street in front is mainly free of traffic as it was sectioned off following Sept. 11, so you can basically walk down the middle of the road without having to worry about being run over -- unless a motorcade is coming or going.

Lights glow in many of the windows and it makes me wonder what is going on in there (since we know not much thinking is going on the Oval Office) -- in the kitchen, in the side rooms, in the offices. Apparently, someone is sending out greeting cards. While Im sure these folks are not actually working inside the White House, folks at the White House Greetings Office apparently send cards to "U.S. citizens for special occasions, including births, 80th birthdays, weddings and 50th wedding anniversaries." Requests can be made here. If you're into that. Personally, I think I'll wait until the next administration come along. Or see what would happen if one of my friends in a single-sex relationship decided to tie the knot.

CardSavers

Doreen alerted me to this via DailyCandy:

CardSavers give your old cards new life.

A cursive "Z"

Teachers at my public elementary school in Auburn, Maine, was going to make sure we had handwriting as good as the the Catholic School kids in Lewiston. But "z"s -- which I unfortunately had in my last name -- were a bitch. It looked nothing like Zorro. It just looked stupid.

Luckily, the cursive stuck. And depending on how fast I write a letter or a card, people comment on how nice my handwriting is. However, get me going too fast or emotionally, and I'm scrawling all of the page worse than my father on an estimating sheet or my boyfriend trying to figure out new layouts for work.

Now, kids are taking keyboarding classes in kindergarten and only the gifted kids get to devote time to penmanship. No wonder I got 90% typed notes from people during the holidays this year. Everyone has forgotten that a "Q" has a curl.

The year of challenge

Last year was the year of bread -- part of my celebration was working on my cupcake recipe with great success. Doreen can hopefully back me up on that. This year is the Year of Challenge. Work and new clients. New homes (for both of us). Finding our way -- with great design and ideas.

"Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk."

Time to take more risks.

Of course, it's hard for me to the quote the Dalai Lama without thinking of Carl from Caddyshack: "So I jump ship in Hong Kong and make my way over to Tibet, and I get on as a looper at a course over in the Himalayas. A looper, you know, a caddy, a looper, a jock. So, I tell them I'm a pro jock, and who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lama, himself. Twelfth son of the Lama. The flowing robes, the grace, bald... striking. So, I'm on the first tee with him. I give him the driver. He hauls off and whacks one---big hitter, the Lama---long, into a ten-thousand foot crevasse, right at the base of this glacier. Do you know what the Lama says? Gunga galunga... gunga, gunga-galunga. So we finish the eighteenth and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consiousness." So I got that goin' for me, which is nice."

This doesn't bode well for me reaching a stage of enlightenment anytime soon.

Bad to the Bone

Hallmark is using its (apparently) incredibly popular musical line to attract more men to card buying.

I don't know any guy who would buy a greeting card for another guy that plays music when its opened, especially one that plays George Thorogood, but when it comes to TV theme songs, I could totally buy into the idea of "Law & Order" -- boom-boom!

Sketchy

Hi there! As the desinger I thought I'd start posting stuff now that we are starting to get things rolling ... I'm actually at the sketching stage now :) So here is a little thumbnail sketch for our first holiday card! Jess came up with the idea, and on the inside of the card the tagline will be something like "The Holidays are sneaking up!" The sketch is of a snowman and a little snowflake sneaking up around the corner from a chick walking down the street!

Rock, Scissor, Paper

Doreen turned me onto Rock Scissor Paper several years ago, and I have ordered some of their things online. A funky vintage feel with bright colors featuring cute animal designs -- I especially like the hippo -- a love of dachshunds and some naughtiness.

The company, started by 2 sisters 13 years ago, has grown to sales of $600K. In a recent profile in the Los Angeles Times, founders Heidi and Susie Bauer discuss the industry and shed some light onto how they have flourished in a heavily-saturated market where most start-ups dissolve in 5 years. They learned as they went. They discussed how tough it is to break into the large retail market. They started out by focusing on an untapped market -- the 35 and under set -- one that is lucrative in its influence and buying power. But now -- how do we -- all greeting card companies -- keep those buyers buying -- and not just sending text messages all day/night long?

I bought 5 cards in the last month, becoming part of the more than $7 billion in revenue in this industry. I purchased cards for weddings, for new babies, for inspiring friends and sending my brother Michel off the college. What did you buy them for? And where? And more importantly -- why?

How do we slow down this world to let ourselves in? We can't. So instead we have decided to speed up to meet it. Learning, we realize, also as we go.

HELLO!

Cash only, please

There are things coming to this space. I promise you. Things we want you to check out. You -- the buyers. You -- the readers. You -- our friends, family and pets. You -- the lurkers trying to get into our hearts and minds. You -- lovers of paper and correspondence. With any luck, it will be graphically represented in much lovelier way that I, and my 4 years at Carnegie Mellon working on designing Web sites/e-zines and other related editorial worlds from scratch (when I wasn't leading drinking chants, yelling at hockey players to skate harder in foreign languages or timing pledges while they chugged beer), can now represent visually and virtually.

Luckily, that is why I am the writer and Doreen is the designer.

Just wait. Not much longer now.

Dinner on Friday with our lawyer person -- Via Emilia. Recommended by my boss for its great food, quiet atmosphere and good location in the Flatiron District. Cash only, please.

We can save Craft for when we fill our first order.

OK, when we fill our first 100 orders.

Work

I know it may not look like it, but we're working here. Lawyer meeting in Sept. in NYC. Mock-ups due. Ideas flying. Wine being consumed. Baxter -- our official pet -- is wonderful for moral support. He also chases one hell of a piece of paper around the room.

What it means to be from Maine

Picking wild blueberries in the yard for breakfast. Finding chanterelles along the front of the property to saute in olive oil and fresh herbs for dinner. Hauling lobsters off the dock. Watching a crab pick his way through the seaweed under the walkway. All-you-can-drink iced tea and Wi-Fi in a place you have been coming since you had delayed-start Wednesdays in high school; and not being charged because you still know the barista -- he was named best eyes in his high school class. Duck fat-fried fries with truffle ketchup and making little girls squeal as you photograph their lavendar-frosted vanilla cupcakes. Vodka made from local potatoes and spring water, bottled like Chopin and handled like a newborn. Fried clams, crab rolls and a Maine root beer with Dad.

Be thankful you can always go home again. And that black flies are so annoying that you have to run faster in the mornings to escape them -- so that second (and third) helping doesn't feel as sinful later on.



But getting around the card side of this day: lobster pots. The lobstermen around Quahog Bay have banded together to sell placemats with the pictures of their pots -- and boat names. This symbol of the working water would be a beautiful picture -- and one that supports a critical industry -- plus a tourist draw. An interesting partnership idea for the future -- small, local industries and giving their cause a chance to be seen around the world, via cards.

Also, picked up some photo cards by Stacey Cramp -- a beautiful set of coastal works by this photographer who lives in Portland and went to Bates.