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!