dispatches from the new world of work

Happy Summer

We neglected to mention this last Friday, but in honor of summer's arrival, we did post a new banner at tompeters.com. In case you hadn't noticed, somewhere along the line we decided to usher in each new season with a new image/images at the top of our homepage. We've been working with Joy Stauber, who we met through our friends at 800-CEO-READ. She's responsible for the home page banner and all the sub page banners as well. Joy is smart, fun to work with, and she really gets Tom.

We put a lot of thought and time into selecting what we post at the top of this page. Our goal is to create a sense of the season and even a sense of moving through that season. In the current incarnation of the banner, we've got a morning image of a dock jutting out into the water (Tom says it reminds him of him of growing up in Severna Park, Maryland, on the Severn River). The lobster buoys are the requisite technicolor component and the lobster is there because we eat lobster in summer here in New England but also because it is red, Tom Peters red. Initially we had a cherry pie, but for some reason our team wasn't all that keen on cherry pie. We've even worked in a small image of Tom hiking in New Zealand. The lilacs replaced the multi-colored tulips, which were too spring-like. (I'm telling you, these are pretty complicated decisions we make about these images, after much discussion.) Now the lilacs are somewhat reminiscent of spring as well, but we liked their color and I guess we all smell them when we see the image, so they powered their way into the banner that way. And at the end, at sunset, a young woman splashes into a lake. End of the day, end of the season. Yes, we look ahead to the end of summer, but we savor every moment in between.

We wish you all a happy and sun-filled season. For those of you in the other hemisphere, we hope your winter is just as fabulous. (The ski season in Portillo, Chile opened this past Saturday.)

Erik Hansen posted this on 06/23/08.

Comments

Such sweet smells engender memories of all kind. A few months ago I hired a group of "mountain men" from Tennessee to work on my houses. One, in particular, was having some personal difficulites last week; they have at various times. They are great workers and craftsmen, but some have issues. (No problem...I can deal as long as the work isn't affected!)

Just the other day there were lilacs growing under a window of a newly purchased house, and the youngest of the brothers began to silently weep, remembering the many lilac bushes his mother planted beneath each of their windows on their farm in Tennessee. He's the youngest of eleven.

Looking at these tatoo-wearing, long blonde bearded, tatoo wearing men, one may not think that they would be so sensitive. From these memories, he vowed to straighten up his act in memory of his mom with no prodding from me. The lilacs did the deed. I have agreed to do what I can to help him and his family, besides hiring seven of his relatives.

Happy Summer! It's going to be a great one!

Posted by Judith Ellis at June 23, 2008 12:58 PM

We are in right in the middle of a very cold winter now, in Argentina. Hoping for summer to come fast, allthough I wont be having any lobster.

Posted by fd at June 23, 2008 3:38 PM

Nice job on the new banner, Erik and the team. It uplifted my spirits. I'm glad you picked a lobster over a cherry pie. The summer evening experience at the Barking Crab just wouldn't be the same with cherry pie and steamers all round!

Posted by Richard King at June 24, 2008 5:12 AM

you're so right, rick.

Posted by erik at June 24, 2008 7:42 AM

I love the masthead. It's always good for the seasons and Tom's pictures. It keeps the blog fresh as you spin through the too short seasons in New England.

Posted by dan fitzgerald at July 2, 2008 1:49 PM