Vintage Ephemera Designs from Austin Press

I was sent a package of samples from Austin Press in San Francisco the other day, and wanted to share with you the letterpress artistry of Kimberly Austin on Crane's Lettra paper.


Located in the historic San Francisco Shipyard, Kimberly creates beautifully crafted ephemera on her vintage presses. Inspired by a collection of rare books and alphabets, Austin Press offers a rich assortment of ready-to-write and custom tailored note cards.


Enjoy.

A Note From and Salute to Bravo Company, 82nd Airborne in Iraq

We recently received a letter from a member of Bravo Company, 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division. He is a Sergeant and a Forward Observer deployed in Baghdad. With this information alone, one has to believe that this is one rugged paratrooper.

Here's part of his letter:

"I had some of your amazing stationery when I left, but I ran out. And nothing else will do after you have had cotton. Most people think in today's age, that e-mail is everything. But mail is still a huge part of soldier morale we depend on when we are abroad."

Needless to say, our sargeant will soon have a new supply of Crane stationery.

Given his statement about mail and soldier morale, I hope you all will find an opportunity to send a gift, a goodie package, a box of stationery, to one or more of our troops serving overseas. Check with your local American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Red Cross, or do a Google search for "gifts for troops in Iraq."

NY Times Career Couch: Print Your Cover Letter!

Just a quick note to let you know about an interesting article in today's New York Times.

The newspaper's Career Couch columnist Phyllis Korkki presents some rock-solid advice to job-seekers:

A Cover Letter is Not Expendable

It's an enlightening read, especially for those who think the world revolves around ones and zeros.

Here's one real-world example if you haven't seen it already.

Sonic Commercial: Money Made from Trees?

Hi Gang:

Just a quick appeal for your assistance. I figure we're less than six degrees of separation from this one.

I heard from two people at Crane today that Sonic Restaurants is running a commercial with a mom and child, where someone says "money is made from trees."

Now, of course, we all know that our nation's currency is made from recovered cotton and flax fibers, not from trees. But if today's reports are true, Sonic's ad agency believes the opposite.

Don't get me wrong, I love these ads. I think they are clever, with lines delivered beautifully by their ensemble of improv artists.

But, but, but. Money may grow on trees, but no trees have been used to make U.S. currency paper. And certainly no tree has ever been sacrificed to purchase a Sonic burger.

So please help me out. Send me a link. Send me a video.

And you shall have some Crane stationery -tree-free, of course!

I thank you in advance.

Peter

The Hourglass Solution: A Boomer's Guide to the Rest of Your Life

Time to buckle up, Baby Boomers, and get ready for the rest of the ride - wherever it may take you. And to help us get there, we (OK, I said it) now have some valuable assistance in the form of The Hourglass Solution: A Boomer's Guide to the Rest of Your Life by Jeffrey Johnson and Paula Forman.

According to the authors, "You've focused on your goals, achieved almost everything you had your eye on, and now that you've arrived, you ask yourself: Where am I?

"Many boomers are surprised to find themselves stuck in the middle of the hourglass, constrained by the choices they made earlier in life and downright afraid of the retirement days that stretch ahead. But as the voices in The Hourglass Solution confirm, it’s all a matter of perspective: you can remain stuck in that narrow channel for the rest of your life—or it can be a passage to an expanding future of possibilities."






Johnson and Forman both hold PhDs - Paula in Sociology and Jeff in Psychology - and both are veterans of the upper echelons of the advertising industry.

In The Hourglass Solution, Jeff and Paula tackle the "sense of ennui, fear and confusion that confront many of us who are 50 and older, and offer up stories from those who broke free from the neck of the hourglass."

You’ll meet a successful attorney who’s ready for a life change. You’ll hear from a big-city banker who packs up and moves to Phoenix, to the surprise of friends and family. Also there are stories of a couple looking for ways to reconnect after caring for aging parents, a former accountant who finally does buy that dreamed-of diving shop in Costa Rica, and a couple who downsizes to travel.

Jeff and Paula have created a blog here. You can also contact them via e-mail here.

"We hope you will send us feedback on what topics interest you and perhaps tell us your own story. If you feel “stuck” in mid-life and see few options — we might have ideas. And if you have found an Hourglass Solution we would love to hear about it."

I may just take them up on the offer. Perhaps you should as well.