You would have to be lacking a soul not to have been moved by Rory McIlroy's palpable show of emotion when he won the 2025 Masters Tournament this past Sunday and clinched the Grand Slam, the first to do so since Tiger Woods in 2001. But enough about golf. Let's talk about the ultimate tchotchke — the green jacket — which, I found out by reading an article in The Athletic, doesn't technically belong to the person who "wins" it. It's still property of Augusta National Golf Club. And, if you happen to win it two years in a row, you don't get a second jacket. The coveted green blazer is custom made by Hamilton Tailoring Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, so it's not your average swag, but something so exclusive it can easily go for seven figures if one ever makes it to the auction block.
Wait — who am I? I typically don't give a rip about golf and here I am droning about green jackets and crying at the end of the Masters. One thing I will say, Augusta National has brilliantly guarded their brand and brought an air of sophistication to the humble egg salad sandwich. And they must make a killing on all the merch — the polos, the straw hats with the ribbon, and the countless other specialty items that don the iconic old school script and almost hand drawn 3D map. I know a good tchotchke when I see one, but I really don't know anything about golf. So if you want to read more about that jacket, here's a link.
Waxing Nostalgic
I’m really going to date myself, but back in the day, malls were THE place to be. After church, my family would go to Piccadilly Cafeteria in the mall for lunch, and after we scarfed down our meat + 3, we would walk through the eerily quiet mall. Back then few stores were open on Sundays on account of blue laws. There must have been a loophole, because there was one store that opened at 1:00 pm, Bookland, and I am indebted to that store for the rare chance at commerce on a Sunday after church and for its extensive stationery (and tchotchke) selection. I would love to say you could find me in a corner with my nose in a book, but it was the stationery section that my creative brain was drawn to. I was particularly obsessed with the colorful wax sticks you could set fire to and drip on an envelope to seal your thank you note to grandma. It was tactile and colorful and it involved fire! Recently I was asked to source something similar -- a wax seal that wasn't a wax seal. It looked the part but was a sticker. How cool is that? They are about $1 a piece, and can be found in an abundance of colors at nostalgicimpressions.com. As a bonus, you will receive the engraved die with a wooden handle in case you want to leave a mark with the real thing.
Here's To the Crazy Ones
This blog post was originally written for Red Square Agency on August 25, 2011. I came across it while looking through old files, and I think it still holds up.
Call me a wuss, but every time I watch this commercial, I am moved to tears. Seeing someone succeed when the odds were against them does that to me.
Steve Job's resignation this week has spurred an onslaught of reflection usually reserved for someone who has left this mortal life—not someone who just stepped down as CEO. But as so many have been quick to point out, Steve Jobs wasn't just CEO of Apple. He WAS Apple.
His leadership was unique in that it bridged the gap between the business side of the business and the creative side of the business. He inspired people, and he expected more out of them. And what he got in return was nothing short of greatness.
A self-proclaimed gadget freak, I am probably one of Apple's biggest fans. From the very first MacIntosh computer I touched in the summer of 1987 to my first generation iPod to my current iPhone, I love everything about them. I love the packaging, the user interface, the way the instruction booklet talks to me like I'm an old friend and above all else, the sheer beauty of the design.
I am currently enjoying my sixth computer, my fifth iPod, my second iPhone and hoping Santa brings me an iPad this December. And I pray that it doesn't stop there. If Steve Jobs orchestrated his succession plan as well as he built his empire, there will be many yet unnamed iGadgets in my future--that I didn't even know I needed but absolutely have to have.