Miss Your Face

Oct. 7, 2020 — In the month since it was released, I Miss Your Face has become our Cardies’ top pick of Thinking of You cards. Given all your choices, that’s quite a rise! We thought it would be fun to share a couple of endearing stories tied to this design.

Last week, our Fulfillment Manager Ryan stepped in the doorway of CEO Ana’s office with a quick question. His mask happened to be riding a little low, revealing enough cheek for Ana to exclaim, “You’ve grown a beard!” I would love to have seen the grin under mischievous Ryan’s mask when he had to say to the boss lady he sees every day, “Um, I’ve always had a beard.” They both laughed as Ana acknowledged, “I guess I just miss your face!”

A month ago, as we were preparing to promote the new design, our graphic designer Brandon was sharing his screen via Skype, showing us this composite image he’d built in Photoshop. He’d superimposed a photo of the card on the face of a model.

Just as Brandon and I were ending the call, an email from Cardie Mary Ann Martello arrived and, in the preview, showed just this much of her granddaughter Cece McElwee. In my reply, I attached the model’s photo and wrote, “Mary Ann, this is C R A Z Y!  While I was looking at this model’s pic, yours of Cece popped in. What synchronicity! Both the timing and the resemblance.”

When you see the full photo that Cece had sweetly sent her grandmother and Mary Ann forwarded to us, there is Cece at our fixture in Cozy Cottage near her home in Fort Collins, CO. She’s pointing to the card that features a photo she took of her baby duck, Peeps. She was only 11 when she took the pic that her proud grandmother submitted to us, four years ago now. :)

Mary Ann shared, “Cece’s a sophomore now, and really doing well in this crazy time. It was a jolt when I first saw this picture, as — with her in Colorado and me in Ohio — I’ve not seen her wearing a mask. What strange times we are bearing witness to. Take care! I enjoy reading your newsletters and am looking forward to seeing smiles again.”

“More synchronicity!” I wrote to Mary Ann. “Your ‘Looking forward to seeing smiles again’ is exactly what someone would pen inside the new card. And, hmm, Cece would make a better card model than the model. Just for fun, maybe she would be willing to stage the shot?”  She was. ; – )

“Seeing my card in the store was such a cool feeling,” says Cece, “as it’s something I am very proud of.” While wearing a mask in public places is a state mandate in Colorado, “I would wear a mask anyway to protect myself and others,” she says. “Of course, I don’t like wearing it when with my friends, but if putting the thing on helps us get safely through these times, I’m doing it.”

Yay for you, both wise and talented Cece! May we all follow your safe and happy lead.

Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative