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.