Fired Up

We truly love what we do here at Luscious Verde, but that’s not to say that we don’t welcome the occasional distraction, especially if that distraction involves a large garbage can engulfed in flames.

We don’t necessarily think of ourselves as one, but our headquarters here in scenic Beachwood, Ohio, is primarily a factory. And as such, the law requires that we be trained in a multitude of safety drills. Last Friday, after much anticipation fit for a remake of “Return to the Planet of the Apes,” we held fire extinguisher training, with the help of Anthony from the Beachwood Fire Department.

Expertly timed to coincide with Miniskirt Day (see Boot Day), we all filed out of the building to test our mettle against the scourge of fire. Those workers who never pranked their friends in high school learned the basics of using a fire extinguisher, hopefully to actually put out a fire.

“My favorite part was pushing Kelly towards the fire,” says Erin in production art, referencing the fact that Kelly was none too excited about using the fire extinguisher, and needed some prodding to do so.

“What I learned from the training is that you shouldn’t be scared of using a fire extinguisher,” says Luscious Verde co-owner Wendy. “Before we did this training, I had never used a fire extinguisher.”

Fire, you better watch out. Your days are numbered.



-- Rob @ L.V.
(Extra-special thanks to the Beachwood Fire Department.)

Trivial Pursuit

The Luscious Verde recruitment and hiring processes are inspired by protocol at the National Security Agency. We use exhaustive polygraph sessions and background checks to make sure that the men and women making your cards have nothing to hide. Still, there are those quirky truths about each of us that have slipped through the cracks. For that reason, we staged the Inaugural Luscious Verde Fun Fact Bonanza early this year.

Think you really know the people who you regularly speak to on the phone? We’ll have you know that Rob says he used to be a pop star, Toni (whose cat Moxie graces the top of this post for no reason at all) has broken four bones on the left side of her body, Liz went to Gary Sinise’s high school, and Roxi is a Civil War re-enactor!

Of our proofers who put your orders onto paper, Kate is deathly afraid of ketchup, Beth can’t touch the roof of her mouth with her tongue, and Mandy has danced onstage (and bumped knuckles) with Vanilla Ice!

Printing your cards are former tarot-card reader Melissa, former Ecology Club V.P. Lisa, and Kelly, who her doctor says was born on the unlikeliest day of the year.

An even greater collection of surprising quirks awaits your cards in production art, where orders are brought to life by a former Akron Beacon Journal Spelling Bee Champ (Rachel), a sports car fanatic (Sasha), a head of hair that has changed color over forty times (Stacey), and a certified public relations consultant (Megan).

To learn more fun facts about Luscious Verde, stay tuned to this space. One of us is actually the Lindbergh baby – next time on Fun Fact Bonanza!

-- Ted @ L.V.

On the Job

At any business, you usually talk to a multitude of people every day, usually the same people you’ve talked to a million times before. Have you ever wondered about the hopes, dreams and aspirations of those phantom people behind the phone or card? Maybe they’re a Lil’ Jon trivia whiz, maybe they knit jumpers for prison inmates, or maybe they spend their idle hours at the library staring at people. Or maybe you haven’t wondered. Anyhow, here’s the third bi-weekly Luscious Verde employee profile. You may talk to us on the phone every day, or you may see our name on the “Made By” tag that comes with each order – but we’d like you to know a little more – whether you care or not.



Paper Chase – The Saga of Kelly Primozic

When asked if she has any words of wisdom for readers of the Luscious Verde blog, this print production artist says, “I’m still young. I have no wisdom. I don’t even have my wisdom teeth.”

While that may not necessarily be so, Kelly is one of the youngest people at Luscious Verde, and is sometimes treated like a little sister. That said, she’s an industrious and creative worker, responsible for about a third of the printing that goes through our doors. And, to boot, she’ll be only 20 next month.

Born in Ohio, she was half-raised in Willowick and Wickliffe, two towns on Cleveland’s far east side. She went to Catholic school and was “straight-laced” until the seventh grade, when, well, she stopped being straight-laced.

Graduating from high school two years ago, she got in touch with Luscious Verde through a friend and was hired as a production artist. Sasha, another production artist who helped train Kelly, says, “She was a very quick learner, and it was obvious that she was really good at anything she did.”

Future goals for Kelly include moving out of her parents’ house, and continuing to dominate the Cleveland indie rock scene. “I want to stay in Cleveland a long time,” Kelly says. For the sake of Luscious Verde, we hope so too.


ALL ABOUT KELLY

Favorite Style of Dance: Rave dancing
Favorite State: Ohio
Favorite Band: A Silver Mt. Zion
Favorite Animal: “Bunnies and puppies”
Favorite Snack Food: Spicy Nacho Doritos



-- Rob @ L.V.

True Colors

It’s one of our new card designs!

Just kidding. It wasn’t a snow day, it was an “in-service” day at a local school district. So we put a couple of the Luscious Verde kids to work, like any good company. Above lies the fruit of the labors of Sophia, 7, and Rebecca, 8. Behold the Official Luscious Verde Flag. When we declare independence from the surrounding community, this will be what we run up the flagpole.



-- Rob @ L.V.

Knit Happens

Ah, caffeine – I find myself at Starbucks, drinking up that nectar of the gods, that which keeps me awake through the workday. However, it is six p.m. on a Tuesday. That can only mean one thing: Stitch and Bitch.

It turns out that we at Luscious Verde cannot help but spend time with one another. We have grown to need the company of our coworkers. Aside from our 40 hours a week, we have multiple social events, and now this get-together, where we stitch (and crochet) up a storm. You may think we need this outlet because we don’t get the opportunity at work to discuss our personal lives. This is not the case. Once a month, we get together at a Stitch and Bitch to talk even more – and consume caffeine, which we may or may not drink to excess at work already.

I tried my best to get everyone to meet someplace that served the other sweet nectar of the gods (alcohol), but I had no luck. Wendy (one of the co-owners of the company) fears travel, despite her super-swank minivan. Pity the poor patrons of a small Starbucks in Beachwood who do not work at Luscious Verde, but this is our chosen spot. I can’t complain – they make a mean latte, and the last time we were here they begged us to drink their cappuccino experiments.

Most of us Stitch, and I crossword, but the action we all share is…the Bitch. We love to talk. If teaching someone to knit means you can segue into a Bitch, even better. Now Lindsay (assistant operations manager) has a giant hat, Mandy (graphic designer) has the beginnings of a scarf (below), Toni (client relations) made some nifty crochet flowers (above), everyone knows how Roxi (materials manager) got engaged and needs accessories for her belly dancing outfit (also below), and I still need a four-letter word for “what blowhards do.” Who doesn’t love a Stitch and Bitch? Well, maybe everyone else at Starbucks that night. I still wish we had booze.

-- Lisa (print production) @ L.V.

What's Next

Out of all the questions that we get every day, one comes to the forefront more than any other. Is it “Where can I get a Luscious Verde mug?” No. “How come your blog is so awesome?” We wish.

No, it’s “What are you guys working on next?” Well, in the past year, we released three brand-new catalogs for baby announcements, weddings, and correspondence. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work. So you could forgive us if we take time to recharge our artistic batteries.

That said, we’ve still been busy. In the first two months of this year, we’ve already released a smashing new six-spread update to our wedding book, adding a touch of elegant flair to our already-hip collection. And with our new ability to provide 100 percent customizable cuts, the sky’s the limit.

Next on our plate is a five-spread moving update to our increasingly popular correspondence book. It’s filled with designs you won’t see anywhere else – and it’s free if you already have the correspondence book. If you don’t have it (and you're a current retailer), you can get it and the update for just $300. Just e-mail us at info@lusciousverde.com or call us at (216) 360-3600 for more information.



-- Rob @ L.V.

Over the Top

A few Fridays ago, Luscious Verde was turned into a Roman coliseum, as ten competitors stepped up to show off their arms of steel. With the theme song from “Rocky” blaring in their heads, they prepared for competition. It was on, and the crowd went wild as a cross-section of Luscious Verde pulled out everything within their arm muscles to take their opponents down.

We were wondering if anyone would survive, as everyone had their game face on and no one wanted to go home a loser. One after another, winners were declared as Ted (proofreader/referee) determined who could put their money where their mouth is. The first round ended with Jason (designer), Jesse (assistant to the plant manager), and Rachel, Megan and I (production artists) ready to take anyone down and be named Arm Wrestler of the World (or even the Universe).
With five competitors left, who would take home the gold? It was anyone’s guess as veins popped, faces turned crimson, and strange grunting noises came from the center of the ring. In the end, only two competitors remained: Jason the Designer Man Destroyer, and Laura the Wee Woman Warrior (that’s me). Only one would take home the crown and the title.

All eyes were on the center of the ring as our hearts were about to pump out of our chests, anxious with anticipation. One could almost hear the theme to an old Clint Eastwood western playing in the distance as Jason and my eyes pierced at each other, trying to intimidate. But only one would remain.

In the end, Jason reigned supreme and took home the title Arm Wrestler of the World (or even the Universe).

For anyone interested in a rematch, I suggest you get your thumbs into the gym for some thumb lunges and thumb aerobics – I heard a thumb-wrestling competition is in the works.



-- Laura @ L.V.

Win $1,000,000!

Sorry, that title was just to get your attention. We're not actually giving away $1,000,000. But we are pleased to announce the first monthly Luscious Verde Contest Extraordinaire, a.k.a. the Battle Royale. Each month we will present a (probably trivial) challenge to everyone who reads this blog and reward their creativity and excellence with a Luscious Verde gift basket packed with innumerable luscious goodies and valued at well over thirty dollars.

This month's challenge is actually a reprisal of our January posting "Bad Libs." Click the link, fill in the blanks, and leave your own “Mad Libs”-style Luscious Verde press release as a blog comment. During the last week of March, a hastily put-together panel of judges will decide which one is the best. Thanks, and best of luck to all.



-- Rob @ L.V.

Baby (and Correspondence) Book Notice

Howdy. We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback about our new Birth Announcement book, and we thank you for that.

We’ve gotten a lot of questions about Page 19B, the list of die-cut letters that can be used on the Grace Ann (or pretty much any other) invitation. Just to clarify, we are able to custom-cut almost any typestyle, from ½” to 2” height.

Pricing will remain the same for these items regardless of typestyle or size chosen. Feel free to throw out Page 19B, or you may keep it for design guidance. This also applies to Page U-2B in our Correspondence book.

If you have any other questions or comments, don’t hesitate to contact us at (216) 360-3600. Thanks again.

(thanks for the tip, Wendy!)