(Top Row L to R): John Lemons, Hugh Fairchild (Bottom Row L to R): Bill Morey, Pam Gleason, Arnold Clark)

First of all, we want to recognize those among us at the CMC Group of companies (that includes PMT and PMR) that have served. A heartfelt thank you to the following: Arnold Clark (Specialist, Army  – Production Supervisor), Hugh Fairchild (Sergeant, Air Force – Art Files Clerk), John Lemons (Staff Sergeant, Air Force – Master Digital Mac Product Artist/Team Leader), Heidi Chambers (Specialist, Ohio Army National Guard – Director of Sales), Pam Gleason (Sergeant, Ohio Army National Guard – Inside Sales Specialist DayMark), Bill Morey (Corporal, Marine Corps – Inside Sales Specialist), Greg Rogers (Sergeant, Marine Corps – Vice President of Business Development).

So, when exactly was the first Veteran’s Day observed, and how did this day honoring those who served come about?

Veteran’s Day actually evolved out of another National Observance: Armistice Day. World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. Fighting stopped several months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. As a result, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars”, and thus called “Armistice Day.”

The Department of Veteran’s Affairs says this in regards to how Armistice Day eventually become known as Veteran’s Day:

“An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.’ Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word ‘Armistice’ and inserting in its place the word ‘Veterans.’ With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.”

In addition to honoring those that have served, we’d like you to remember those that are currently serving our country. We have troops all over the world eager to come home to a grateful nation. Let’s keep them in our thoughts and prayers for a safe return. To help show that support, PrintMyRibbon.com is proud to offer Support Our Troops Awareness Ribbons to help you bring awareness to others of the fantastic job the members of our Armed Forces have done for us both presently, and in the past. Again, thank you to all veterans and members of our military. We appreciate and honor you!

Dale, how many years have you been employed at PrintMyThing & PrintMyRibbon (Century Marketing, the company behind these awesome websites)?

“I started working at Century in November 1991. At that time my wife, Ruth, and I had only one son. We moved from Crawfordsville, Indiana,  to Bowling Green in January 1992.”

You have a hobby that some might consider “unusual” (and yet it isn’t in other circles). Tell us a bit about this pastime you enjoy so much:

“Growing up on a family farm in Indiana and actively farming there until age 33 afforded me many opportunities that many people never get the chance to do. Me and my four siblings were all 10-year 4-H members. I showed both pigs and sheep, but raising and showing sheep is what I enjoyed the most. In fact, today I am still involved in the purebred sheep industry by being involved in a partnership with Mapolyne Farms in Sycamore, Ohio, ever since I moved to Ohio nearly 20 years ago.

Over the years I have raised and exhibited numerous State Fair and National Champions, along with two International Supreme Champions. I also judge sheep shows from time-to-time at County Fairs, State Fairs and National Shows. I have judged sheep shows as far west as California and Washington and to the east coast in the state of Massachusetts and New Jersey.”

You’ve made probably hundreds of different template designs on the PMT website. Are there any that particularly stand out to you that you really like?

“Now that’s a tough question! There are so many, but I guess I would have to say some of the designs I created using photos of my granddaughter, Adelaide. A couple of those would be the ‘Pink Hearts’ baby announcement card and the Christmas card titled ‘Peace Love Joy‘”.

Family is super important to you, and that love of family shines here in the office. Tell us a bit about your wife and kids:

“My wife, Ruth, and I have been married over 25 years. We met on a blind date; I was the farm boy and she was the city girl from Indianapolis! We knew on our second date that we were ‘meant for each other’.

We have four sons that span several years apart in ages. Padraic (23) is married to Holly and the have a 3-year old daughter, Adelaide. Padraic earned a degree in Chemical Engineering from UT and works for a company in Toledo. Our second oldest son, Isaac (17), just graduated from Bowling Green High School and is such an accomplished artist at a young age. Isaac has won many awards and scholarships for his fine art. He will attend college this fall at Kendall College of Art and Design, Grand Rapids, MI. Our son #3 is Micah (13). He is quiet but does extremely well in school. He enjoys video games, violin, art and is learning to play the guitar. He will be in the 8th grade at Bowling Green Middle School. Last, but certainly not least, is Elijah (8). ‘Eli’ always seems to be the life of the party and enjoys ‘hanging out’ with his older brothers. He too, does very well in school and also loves art. Eli will be in the 3rd grade this fall at Conneaut Elementary School.”

When not doing graphic design projects for PMT/PMR, what is your favorite type of art to do for your own personal enjoyment?

“Ever since I was I kid I always enjoyed drawing and painting. Raising four boys has not given me much time to do any oil painting in recent years. I always say that ‘when I retire’ I will enjoy having the time to paint again. I also have a small business I run out of my home where I do graphic design work. Nearly all of this design work is creating logos for folks in the livestock industry to use in their advertising. I also create many advertisements for a couple of sheep publications throughout the year.”

Your wife is an amazing cook. If you had to narrow it to one favorite dish that she makes, what would it be?

“Wow, tough question #2!! I must admit she is a great cook and wife. She can make anything taste wonderful! Her manicotti is the best and her pot roast with potatoes and carrots are great, too. Oh, and when she bakes the pork loin roast, mmmm! I better stop here as my mouth is watering, but I think you get the idea!”

What’s your favorite part of the PrintMyThing and PrintMyRibbon websites that you think our readers would be intrigued by?

“What amazes me about our websites is the vast offering of products, materials and colors we offer. Many printers will only specialize in one or very few products. Obviously, we don’t. I think this impresses many of our customers. Also, customers who can design their own custom product on our ‘design canvas’ take pride and ‘ownership’ in something they created themselves.”

Thanks for taking a few minutes to chat with us Dale! And thank you for all you do to bring awesome designs and templates to our customers!

In the next entry we’ll talk with Jason, another one of our Graphic Designers that does absolutely amazing work for you the customer!

So, let’s meet the next PrintMyThing & PrintMyRibbon team member: Kristin!  Kristin has been a part of the team from the early days of the website. Let’s chat with her…

Kristin, you’ve been with the PMT & PMR team for awhile now. When did you start work on the websites with the team?

“I joined the e-commerce team in November of 2006. I believe PrintMyThing.com was only about 8 months old at the time. It’s fun to reminisce of all of the changes the site has gone through in that short amount of time to make it the great site it is today.”

Something pretty big just recently happened in your life.  Do you care to share the joy with our blog readers?

“I GOT MARRIED! And believe it or not our website had a little something to do with it. My husband, Nick, worked here as an IT intern when I met him. He ended up working a few hours a week alongside me in e-commerce while working in IT. I still find it so funny that he used to be known as IT Nick, often resetting my office voicemail password for me when I would forget it and now he’s my husband!”

Do you prefer dogs or cats? And do you own any?

“I love them both for different reasons. Pets are so great because we can have relationships with them that are completely uncomplicated, unlike people. All they need is your love to be content. Currently Nick and I own two cats. They provide endless hours of entertainment in our small apartment every single day.”

What are some of the things you’re responsible for in the E-Commerce Department at PrintMyThing and PrintMyRibbon?

“My job title is E-commerce Marketing Specialist. I handle our paid advertising and website promotions. I’m also part of the team that publishes our new PrintMyThing and PrintMyRibbon monthly newsletter, Yours Printed.” (Create an account on PrintMyThing.com and you can get the newsletter and stay up to date on our new products and offerings.)

If there were only one food left on earth, what would you want it to be?

“Pizza. Hands down.”  (Author’s note:  Kristin, Craig, and another employee in the Internal Sales department celebrate getting hired together each year at Pizza Hut.  We know Kristin’s answer to be wholly true…she loves her pizza!)

It’s summer time.  What are some of your favorite things to do when it’s warm out?

“My favorite summertime activity is spending time with my extended family, cooking out and enjoying one another’s company. It really doesn’t get any better than that.”

Thanks for talking with us Kristin! It’s been fun getting to know you better and finding out a little more about the group that runs the PrintMyThing and PrintMyRibbon websites!

Coming up in future posts we’ll be meeting Dale, Jason and Craig!

CMC Group, Inc, the parent company of PrintMyThing and PrintMyRibbon believes in the power of giving.  They believe in it so much that they instituted “Giving at Heart”, a non-profit foundation that allows employees to make contributions to be used for fellow team members in need, local charities, national charities and even international aid groups.  The company believes in the power of giving to the point of matching dollar for dollar, every voluntary employee contribution made.  The Mission Statement of Giving at Heart says this:

“Our vision is to help our employees manage and grow their giving. God calls us to give generously. The foundation is a non-profit organization that will provide our employees with the tools to give back some of what we are blessed with. The foundation reaches out both internationally, nationally and locally. Our goal is to improve the lives of families and children, empowering them and blessing them.”

Steve Hill, Chairman for the Giving at Heart Committee says this about the company’s philosophy on giving:

“Help others as we help ourselves. As a company we are blessed to be able to participate in a program supported by our team and matched by our company. You will search long and hard to find a program that supports our team as well as the community, the country and our world. Giving is such a personal issue, but we all know the feeling we get when we contribute and see the results of our gift.”

As a customer of PrintMyThing and PrintMyRibbon you are helping people all across the country and world with physical and financial needs.  We appreciate your business and partnering with us to help fulfill our vision of giving to others.

Donna, how long have you worked for PrintMyThing and when did you start as a Live Chat Operator?
“I have been at PrintMyThing for eight years. In regards to Live Chat, I’m a rookie. I started four months ago.”

What do you enjoy most about interacting with customers via the Live Chat feature on PrintMyThing.com?
“I enjoy being able to help with their questions about our products on the web and their shipping and status questions.”

What is the highest number of chats you’ve been involved in on the website at one time?
“Two chats and a phone call at the same time.”

What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited?
“Daytona Beach on Spring Break: it was very interesting and I enjoyed seeing a wide variety of people there.”

Related to that, if you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go and why?
“Native American Indian reservations! I would love to see and learn the culture.”

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten…and liked?
“Chocolate covered coffee beans. YUMMY!”

Unfortunately, the interview had to end here due to Donna not being able to sit still for any further questions…but we understand.

So there you have it: the three Live Chat Operators of PrintMyThing and PrintMyRibbon.  If you ever have a question in regards to your web order, shipping, or how to use the design tool, you can always click the “Live Chat” link in the upper right corner of the browser window and talk to either Kathy, Erica, or Donna. Any of the three of them would be delighted to help you out.

This time we’ll get to know Erica. If you’ve ever talked to Erica, you’ll find her to be positively upbeat and cheerful and a true joy to speak with. We talked to Erica to find out a little bit more about her and thought we’d share the conversation with you. Here’s what she told us!

Erica, how long have you worked for PrintMyThing and when did you start as a Live Chat Operator?
“I have worked here for eight years and started working directly for PrintMyThing in October, 2010. I started Live Chat in 2009.”

What do you enjoy most about interacting with customers in Live Chat?
“When I am on Live Chat with a customer visiting our site, I just really feel that they are getting the best service with our site for providing pricing, directing them to the right page, or answering their questions immediately. It is a great tool for someone who needs assistance immediately and that I am there to help is rewarding for me.”

What is the highest number of chats you’ve been involved in on the website at one time?
“The most I have had at one time was three  – and that was only once!”

What’s the last movie you saw?
“The last movie I saw was Gone with the Wind. It was on TV last night and I had not watched it since I was 12 years old!”

If you could be one musical instrument, what would it be and why?
“If I could be an instrument, I would be drums. Without drums there is no beat and a beat is the foundation to the song!”

Can you share a favorite quote that means a lot to you?
“This is a quote that I thought of one day while thinking of my husband. I am sure someone thought of it first, but it is ‘Love is the answer, not the question.’ I just feel that when I truly love someone or something, there is nothing to question, that love reveals all answers in time, along with patience and understanding of course!”

Your coworkers all know you make one awesome tasting Tiramisu. Do you have any other culinary masterpieces you like to make?
“My all time favorite culinary masterpiece is a family recipe that I brought back from Italy: Braised Veal with Risotto – totally to die for!”

We’ll be over for dinner. Thanks for your time, Erica!

Kathy and Erica both would be more than happy to help you while you spend time on PrintMyThing and PrintMyRibbon. (Donna will be more than happy to also, but you haven’t “met” her yet!) Be sure to check out our online design tool for whatever custom product you’re interested in. If you have any questions during your design process, you can click on the “Live Chat” link in the upper right corner of your browser.

Next post, we find out a bit more about Donna, our third and final Live Chat Operator!

There are three ladies who serve as Live Chat Operators on our websites. We’re pleased to introduce to you Kathy, Erica, and Donna. We’ll conduct a short interview with each operator in a series of three posts so that you can get to know them each a bit better.

Let’s start with Kathy.

Kathy, how long have you worked for PrintMyThing and when did you start as a Live Chat Operator?
“I have worked here since 12.27.04, so 6 years. I was the first Live Chat Operator back when I worked in Customer Service – sometime in 2005.”

What do you enjoy most about interacting with customers in Live Chat?
“Helping customers with design questions is the thing I enjoy the most, but I enjoy being able to assist customers while they are on the site with any question. I like the fact that I can answer their questions while they are on the site looking at what they need and then they can get on with their order.”

What is the highest number of chats you’ve been involved in on the website at one time?
“I have handled three chats at the same time while also answering incoming calls on the toll free number.”

Do you have any unusual or unique hobbies?
“I do things as they seem to fall into my life and I consider them all a little unusual or unique. I walk over 12,000 steps a day. I currently am teaching my daughter-in-law to sew. She has never sewn a day in her life. Also, I have just started Tai Chi to provide balance and deal with the stress of day-to-day life.”

What is the last book you read?
“The Secret: The Power by Rhonda Byrne. This books reveals nothing new to anyone…we have heard it all before. What it does is reveal that you need to be positive, grateful, and love every second of your life.”

Do you have a favorite music style or artist?
“My favorite music would have to be Folk music, especially ballads. My favorite group is Peter, Paul & Mary.”

If you could only cook one type of food the rest of your life, what would it be?
“Mediterranean. I love the spices they use – so much more than the salt and pepper that I grew up with.”

Thanks for allowing us to get to know you a bit better, Kathy!

If you’re ever in need of some personal assistance on PrintMyThing or PrintMyRibbon you can chat with one of our incredibly talented Live Chat Operators! When you do, you’ll have the pleasure of knowing that you’re dealing with a real life person that won’t just give you a canned response. Next time we’ll meet with Erica, another one of our Live Chat Operators!

Craig: If you could suggest one thing to grooms out there in regards to helping with the wedding planning, what would you share?

Kristin: “My advice to grooms would be to listen to your bride-to-be. She’s probably got a lot on her mind and may want to talk about it every once in awhile. Just indulge her a bit. Also, if you have an opinion about something, be open about it. When you are involved in the planning the wedding will be more about you as a couple. That is what your guests will likely remember.”

Craig: Band, DJ or other and why?

Kristin: “We’re actually having live music and we are really excited about it. We fell in love with the idea because it’s different. The guy we’ve hired is actually known for taking live requests! We just felt that our guests were the type to really have fun with that as opposed to having a DJ.”

Your wedding is all about you.  Be sure in your planning you think through the best ways to personalize your wedding.  PrintMyThing.com and PrintMyRibbon.com can help you with everything from custom wedding invitations to personalized wedding ribbon.

Best wishes to Nick & Kristin for their upcoming May 2011 wedding!

Craig: Do you have any money saving tips to share for the “Budget Bride & Groom”?

Kristin: “When Nick and I started planning we had recently gotten back from a really fancy, well-planned wedding. Every detail fit so perfectly and was very fancy. I’ll always remember how wonderful the wedding was, however, I can only imagine how expensive it was! With that in mind, Nick and I knew that we could never afford a formal wedding if we wanted to do it right, so we decided to have a more intimate, backyard-style wedding for family. Once we picked that style, things like chair covers and elaborate centerpieces aren’t necessary anymore. We can use mason jars as vases for our centerpieces and serve cupcakes instead of a custom four tiered wedding cake. By choosing a more casual style and creating a small guest list, it allows us to have our own well-planned wedding, complete with all of the right details that fit within our budget.”

Craig: What wedding planning websites have you used and found to be the most useful?

Kristin: “I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration from online sources like younghouselove.com, marthastewart.com, and oncewed.com. It’s wonderful to have so many ideas out there. All you have to do is give yourself time to find them.”

Be sure to check out some of the resources Kristin has mentioned, and also be sure to swing by PrintMyThing and PrintMyRibbon for some ideas on how to personalize your wedding!

So, having been a reader of such material for so long I thought I’d take a crack at doing a short series of blog entries on the topic of weddings and wedding planning.  It just so happens that I have someone to interview right here in our E-Commerce department at PrintMyThing.  I’d like to introduce Kristin.  Kristin has worked at PrintMyThing since November of 2006.  She and her fiance Nick will be exchanging their vows on May 21, 2011.  We’ll be talking with Kristin over 4 blog entries.  So, without further ado:  “Interview with a Bride, Part 1″

Craig: What was the first thing you finalized in your wedding planning?

Kristin: “When Nick and I began planning the first two things we secured were the photographer and the caterer. We had one of each in mind that we felt really strongly about so we wanted to make sure that we planned our date around when they were available.”

Craig: What are some of the more unique/personalized things you’ve got in mind for your ceremony, and for the reception after?

Kristin: “We’re both fans of Prairie Home Companion on NPR and would love to find two readings for the ceremony that are light-hearted and quirky by Garrison Keillor. Also, Nick will be wearing a pair of Converse® Jack Purcell® sneakers instead of dress shoes and my dress and bright pink shoes are from J.Crew, which has always been my favorite clothing store. Our parents laugh at the thought of our shoe choices, but that’s who we are everyday so why would we be any different on our wedding day? Also, if we’re lucky, I would love to find a way to rent a vintage Volkswagon Beetle to take us from the ceremony to the reception (we both drive Volkswagons), but I’m prepared if this doesn’t work out.

We really want to personalize the reception with our menu choices. We actually chose our reception venue based on the option to hire our own caterer. Having a really delicious, well-planned  menu for all of our close friends and family is really important to us. We’ve also decided to create our own playlist for our dinner music. We want to pick out old recognizable love songs like, ‘In My Life’ by the Beatles and ‘Good Luck Charm’ by Elvis.”

Kristin has some great ideas for her wedding and she’ll have more to share in the next 3 parts of this series.  She’s got budget friendly ideas, thoughts on being “green”, and some of her favorite wedding planning resources she’s used.  Be sure to join us for the next part of the interview next week!