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Valentine's Day is coming up and that has got us thinking about our favorite romantic comedies. Who needs roses and candlelit dinner if you can kick back on the couch with some microwave popcorn and watch a cheesy movie that will make you laugh at the hilarity of relationships! No significant other necessary. See what everyone chose as his/her top pick below ... 

CLAYTON. Sarah, I know how you feel about one of the actors in this film, but How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days definitely made it to the top of my rom com list. I'm drawn to the hilarity of catchphrases like "Bull s&*#. Buuuuull s&*# mamma!," "–Women of New York, Frost Yourself! –Frost this!," and "Our love fern! You let it die? Are you going to let us die?" Throw in a sloppy Carly Simon sing along at a bougie red carpet party, and it's game over really.

SARAH. This was an easy choice for me. I didn't have to mull this one over or pick between several contenders because my favorite romantic comedy, hands down, is Man Up. If you haven't heard of it or seen it (it came out in 2015) you're in for a hilarious treat!

APRIL. My very favorite romantic comedy is Bringing Up Baby. It’s old, but so, so funny! It stars Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant on a wild mission to find a lost dinosaur bone and missing leopard named Baby. There’s a lot of fast talking quick wit as opposites attract. I just love it—I’ve watched it dozens of times and I’m sure I’ll watch it dozens more!

HALEY. I'm going to go with 10 Things I Hate About You. It's always been one of my favorite movies but I watched it the other night and I remembered all the reasons why I love it: soundtrack, cast, wardrobe ... the list actually goes on and on. From Patrick's performance in the football stadium to Katarina's poem at the end (which we all have to admit we have memorized but are simultaneously caught off guard with tears––or is that just me?) it is just the perfect teen-angst rom-com.

ERIN. Picking a favorite romantic comedy isn't as easy for me as say, picking out a favorite action movie (Die Hard, obviously). I have a few that I like, but I'm going to have to go with While You Were Sleeping starring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman. It has a believable cast of characters, isn't over-the-top like a lot of rom-coms tend to be, and, most importantly, it's funny! Not to mention it's got some killer 90's fashions (her wedding dress/frilly socks combo makes me cringe every time!). I dare you not to swoon a little when Jack shows up in his manly work boots and explains "leaning" to Lucy.

ALLIE. I have to admit I haven't seen many romantic comedies but from my limited repertoire my pick is 13 Going on 30. It wins in my book just for this scene alone.

SABRINA. What can I say? I could watch Hitch over and over again (and have!) and it never gets old. My husband will even stop switching channels to announce that my boyfriend is on TV whenever it is playing. Yes, I do love Will Smith. And watching Hitch bomb his first date with Sara (the ravishing Eva Mendez) or give dance lessons to Albert (nailed by Kevin James) just cracks me up.  How can you ever listen to Yeah! by Usher without conjuring images of "the Q-tip" and "throwing it away?" 

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If you haven't already noticed, we've been singing George's praises ever since he took over press operations last October. Behind in printing our fall release when he started, we left him with the not-so-easy task of getting us back on track. He accomplished this and more, keeping the presses running and helping us to organize and streamline our production and QA. I mean the guy loves labeling drawers and moving huge pieces of furniture around. He's also a sucker for Cool Runnings, plaid flannel shirts, and a cup of joe. But probably the best person to talk about George is George himself! Read on to learn more about how he and letterpress were destined for one another ... 

(photo credit: Studio Nouveau)

What path led you to become interested in letterpress?
Letterpress first hit my radar toward the end of my college years. I was studying graphic design and my typography professor noticed that I gravitated toward typefaces that resembled old wood type. I would often choose very bold, slab-serifed display type and so she asked me if I knew about letterpress. Looking back, the similarities that she saw are obvious, but I was clueless at the time. It was those old wooden fonts, the tactile nature of letterpress prints, and the demands of working within the limitations of the medium that first drew me to letterpress printing and led me to focus my senior thesis on the method. After growing weary of computer work and struggling to find work in the design industry, I set my sights on an apprenticeship in letterpress printing as a way to work with my hands while still putting my education to use.

(photo credit: Thy Doan)

What do you love most about letterpress?
This is a tough one. I love the presses. The little quirks and unique personality that each one has. Learning to operate and maintain a new press. Troubleshooting the numerous issues that might come up on any given day. But I love the letterpress community, too. I’ve found so many open doors in the industry from the Pacific Northwest to Florida, and from San Francisco to upstate New York. Besides just opening their doors to a fellow pressman, many of the printers I’ve visited across the country have become close friends and go-to resources when I find myself in a jam. When it comes down to it, the part I love the most is the fact that this is how I make my living.

Where do you regularly turn to for creative inspiration?
Although I’m now a printer, I still like to keep an eye on the design industry. The latest print projects are of particular interest to me as I want to be careful to never underestimate the possibilities of letterpress. At home, I never have to look very far for inspiration because my wife is a graphic designer and hand letterer. Our conversations are always full of plenty of design and printing geekery.

What do you find is the most challenging aspect of the printing process?
The most challenging part of the job is the first time I face each new issue with a machine or a specific print run. Luckily, this can also be the most rewarding part of the job. Resolving an issue that I've never faced before brings such a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Granted, these issues never pop up at convenient times and that gratification doesn’t come until you’ve pushed through hours, sometimes days, of stress and frustration. Of course the hope is always that each victory will hold little lessons that will help me through the next bit of troubleshooting.

Which presses have you used? Do you have a favorite? Why?
All told, I’ve run more than 20 different presses: C&Ps, Vandercooks, Heidelberg windmills and cylinders, Kluges, a Brausse, and a Frontex Automatic Cylinder. The Heidelberg K-line cylinders are my favorite presses, hands-down, and I have a tough time imagining that changing. The Heidelberg windmill wins for ease of setup and use, but the cylinder presses get better ink coverage and impression. The K-line presses are the smaller of the Heidelberg letterpress cylinders, but are large enough to run a 12x18” poster. Plus, the smaller size makes them more manageable to run and allows them to run jobs that would be too small for the larger cylinder presses. Add the fact that these presses pretty much run themselves once they’re all dialed in, and if I had to choose just one press to run everything on, the K-line would be an easy choice.

(photo credit: Studio Nouveau)

What is your #1 piece of advice for someone who wants to learn about letterpress? Is there anything you wished you had known as a beginner?
The only thing I really wish I had known sooner is just that letterpress exists. It is hard for me to think back to my college years, being unable to take a letterpress 101 type course until my final semester, and not wonder what more time on press as a student would have done for me. At the same time, I don’t consider myself a printmaker and I think that is where most of the school programs and workshops tend to lead: fine art, design and printmaking. Instead, I see myself purely as a pressman. Printing is my trade and it is a service industry that I work in. A pressman’s job isn’t to pursue his or her own vision, but to execute the design or vision of the client—in my case, Smudge Ink. I think this is the biggest thing I would want to clarify for anyone looking to get involved with letterpress and especially for anyone that I might personally be training. The first step to planning your route is deciding which end of things you ultimately hope to land on.

What would be your dream letterpress project?
Easy. A 1950s COE box truck rebuilt to carry a mobile, production-ready press shop. The dream would be the combination of a custom letterpress shop, a bit of a retail offering, and an in-house stationery line created by my wife. The truck would allow us to tour the craft shows without getting behind on custom orders. Plus we’d have the ability to do demos at the shows. It’s a pipe dream, but one that I’ve spent a fair amount of time thinking about. I'll admit I’ve even run the numbers once or twice …

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?
Breakfast is the favorite meal in our home, so on Saturday mornings you can always expect us to go above and beyond. No instant breakfast or cereal here (maybe Cinnamon Toast Crunch on my birthday). Breakfast is followed with coffee, reading, and the dogs. We have two nine year old lab-mix, litter-mate, shelter dogs that have us tightly wrapped around their paws.

Thanks, George! Keep your eyes out for more from our trusty pressman in  the upcoming Dear George series. In the meantime, you can find more of George's recent work here and follow him here!

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Valentine's Day is one of our favorite days of the year! Whether you have a bestie, soul mate, or secret crush, there's nothing like sending sweet and sassy cards to our favorite people. We also like to use this holiday as an excuse to bake heart-shaped goodies and assemble a pretty bouquet of flowers—whether they're a treat for ourselves or a loved one! Here are some of the Valentines cards Sarah and I have been eyeing to make someone's Valentine's Day extra special ...

1. What would Valentine's Day be without a T. Rex? This Hello!Lucky card will make all of your dino-loving friends' hearts melt (ahem, Sarah). 

2. We all remember our first letterpress card. And for Sarah it was a Valentine by Egg Press. Simple and darling, this heart-filled card works for a romantic partner or your bestie. 

3. You're good at Valentine's Day things. Sapling Press is good at making us laugh till our bellies ache! And this checklist card is no exception. 

4. Full disclosure: Sarah's sister is the talented illustrator behind Scottie & Rooh. Sisterly love or not, can we talk about how all is right in the world when you see this hedgie? 

5. Thanks to Ladyfingers Letterpress there's a strange yet perfect Valentine for your favorite Netflix binge watcher and 80s child.

6. Express your feelings with this rosy-cheeked beaver and make your Valentine feel pun-tastic! 

7. For the love that will last a cross country trek on (very pixelated) oxen-led wagons until one of you dies of dysentery or a snake bite, then only this Odd Daughter card will do.

8. Say (or mouth) the words your sweetheart has been waiting to hear with this sweet and silly card. 

9. Nothing says we’ve got a one-of-a-kind love more than a bunny in Bjork's swan dress. Dear Hancock, you get us.  

10. Let someone know you're ready to get serious with this foodie-approved card. Because Little Low Studio knows that nothing beats out snack time!

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THE GOOD. Business-wise, it's been a good month. Customers have been ordering from our new catalog, and we have two new fulfillment assistants filling those orders. Welcome, Haley and Allie! At the same time, we are excited to announce Erin's promotion to Shop Manager as well as Sarah's new role as Sales Manager. We couldn't ask for a better team!

I especially love this time of year when we're shipping lots of Valentines out to stores. I'm absolutely smitten with these cards, and I get such a thrill when my favorites are packed up in an order. I never knew what my spirit animal was until I saw this beaver.

Last but not least, our print room is getting a makeover! George is reorganizing everything, and it's pretty cool to watch the transformation. There's something about moving furniture around and cleaning out every nook and cranny that adds new energy. Good feng shui, perhaps?  

THE BAD. For the most part, things in the office have been pretty great this month. It's the outside world that's been a real challenge for so many of us. We're sad and angry but it has been encouraging to participate in the Women's March, letter writing and phone calling campaigns, and protests. As a country, we seem to be rediscovering what civic duty means and we're coming together. It's going to take a lot of work. 

THE (NOT SO) UGLY. Check out this feed for a dose of pure joy.  

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I’m so glad I went to the Boston Women’s March because the day felt happy and hopeful, a much welcome change to the feelings of dread hanging over me since the election. It was wonderful to find myself surrounded by over 100,000 people who care and want to be involved. Not to mention there were more than 2 million people across the country and around the world who were also marching!

I marched with a group of friends and my dad carrying signs designed by Hello!Lucky and The Working Assembly. My dad’s been an activist since he was a teenager protesting the Vietnam War, and I felt proud walking the streets of Boston with him by my side carrying an “I’m with her" sign. I was inspired by the creative signs, passionate speeches, and the mere ability to demonstrate peacefully in a respectful show of democracy and civic discourse. And I don’t want the momentum to end with the March. To make sure our voices continue to be heard, I’ll be following the Women's March campaign's 10 Actions in 100 Days, and contacting my legislators regularly to let them know what I'm thinking. I will also be sure to send thank you notes (I usually use one of these, of course) when our elected officials stand up for our rights—they'll need the encouragement as they fight the good fight.

I was also proud that Smudge Ink had good representation at the March! Read on to hear about everyone else's thoughts and experiences.

SARAH. The Boston Women's March was beyond inspiring and an important reminder that everyone's voice matters. But more than that, it was a powerful reminder to me to show up and be an ally for people whose voices aren't being heard. To that end I look forward not just to participating in more marches and protests, but also doing my part by calling and writing to local and national elected officials. As one of the speakers said, "we've come so far but we have so much farther to go." On a side note: the signs were amazing. And I was happy to read that museums all over the world are adding them to their collections. 

CLAYTON. I honestly didn't hear of the Women's March until a couple days before when I began to hear office chatter of people attending. Sarah invited me to join her Smithie group, and with that invitation, I decided go. It was my first protest ever. I went because: 1) there are a number of strong women in my life that I love and admire and 2) being there seemed like a good way to voice my discontent with the newly elected alongside many others that feel the same. It felt good being there. The sun was shining. And despite the many fears and much unhappiness amid the newly rising political and national climate, that day, amid the thousands, it felt like everything would be okay.

ERIN. I was excited and nervous for my first march. I really didn't know what to expect. I went with a group of some of my favorite nasty women, and we were definitely fired up listening to Elizabeth Warren and Maura Healy speak. It was very encouraging to be surrounded by so many people and know that we're standing up together. Though it took us at least an hour to even get out of Boston Common to start marching, I left feeling hopeful for the first time since the election.

GEORGE. I am not a protestor. As a rule, I don't speak out. I avoid conflict at all costs. But there comes a time in life where we have to ask ourselves where the line is—what is too much? What will it take to push us to speak out? Having the rights of those around me challenged by the highest office in our land is well beyond my line, so far beyond that I could find no justification for staying home while my wife marched. To paraphrase my favorite sign of the day, the concern is so high that "even the introverts are here." My favorite moment, the one that made it worth the claustrophobia, was hearing an older woman telling her friend that "it's different this time" because so many men were there.

The sign I carried proclaimed "Liberty and Justice for ALL." I hope I live those words.

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