Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Welcome to our newly redesigned website and blog. Thanks for stopping by!

While you’re here, please take a moment to meet the whole family, one by one, and sign up to have the Cartoon of the Week delivered to your inbox! Read “About Us” to find out how Perrie Meno-Pudge® was created. See the newly developed line of unique gifts for the midlife woman who’s not afraid to use her sense of humor. Take our Poll! Look at our “Favorite Links.” Follow us on Twitter and become a Fan on Perrie's Facebook page. Scroll through the Archives to read past cartoons you may have missed. Soon we will add an E-Cards section that you will be able to use to tell friends you are thinking about them.

In future blogs, we will invite the experts to answer questions and speak to you here about what they know best. But today we'd like you to get to know us a little bit better in hopes that you will share your story with us in return. Tell us what's on your mind. We're listening.

It all began because we think your health, and ours, is a laughing matter.

Well, think about it...we count calories, make sure we get enough exercise, fiber, fruits & veggies, water and calcium, so why overlook the minimum daily requirements of our funny bone? While the reason is not always clear, people who laugh more generally have a better sense of well-being and control in their lives. The power of humor has been recognized and recommended for centuries.

Don't get us wrong, we know how challenging the effects of midlife body changes can be and we respect the difficulties many of us must go through. We will address those serious issues in a serious way right here with advice from experts. We also believe we have a choice, we can make life’s lemons into lemonade and, at the end of the day, we will have benefited from a shared common experience that humor, laughter, encourages. If we can all do that, we are more likely to enjoy each day to its fullest and perhaps even spend a little less time at the doctor’s office.

We think your health, and everyone else's too is a matter of laughing....more.

In the beginning, Barbara hired Joanne as an Art Director for a New York City Design Studio she ran many (!) years ago. It was then that a long time friendship and true creative collaboration began. About four years ago, both baby boomer BFFs decided to relocate their homes and families to Florida, they built homes one house away from each other. Afterall, when the going gets tough, New Yorkers get to Florida!

With more than 30 years experience as a graphic designer and owner of a full-service graphics studio, Barbara Kimmel is a creative problem solver in production, branding and internet marketing. Over the years, clients have included Microsoft, Advil, PBS, The United Nations, Disney’s FamilyFun Magazine, to name a few. Barbara Kimmel lives with her husband of 22 years, son and four cats. She loves cooking and eating, obsessing, boating, buttercream, Pilates and everything Disney.

Joanne Fsadni earned a BFA in Communication Design from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY ('76). She lived and worked in New York City for more than 15 years where she met Barbara, before marriage and the adoption of her daughter prompted an escape to the suburbs on Long Island. A freelance graphic designer, she began creating cartoon characters at age nine in the margins of her notebooks during class and despite discouragement from her teachers, hasn’t stopped. She lives with her husband of 19 years, daughter and 3 cats.

The duo gets Inspiration from stepping back to take a look at their lives. Like the time they were leaving a store they’d driven to using the GPS, and again, could not remember where they’d parked the car. The frustration which inspired a wish out loud that the GPS came with a feature to get them from the store back to wherever they'd parked the car, also inspired a cartoon.

The Husbands are also a wonderful source of inspiration. Once, while standing in front of an open 19 cu.ft refrigerator, a husband  was cursing the fact that he “can’t find the bleepin' ketchup because it isn’t in it’s usual spot!!” Perrie’s suggestion…“If it doesn’t jump into your hands within the next 5 seconds, try looking on a different shelf”….became another cartoon. (Sound familiar?)

We hope you will come back to visit us often and see our musings about midlife...we won’t mind if you laugh!

MIDLIFE ROCKS!®


4 comments:

  1. Love the new site and your opening blog--especially the story of your friendship and collaboration! Perrie and her creators have been tickling my funny bone for some time now, and I love the giggles.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LOVE your new website and love your blog!I have been following you on Twitter and receive your email cartoons - can never get enough of you and your wonderful humor!! You keep me sane in my middle age!!
    Love you both and wish you the best always!
    XO Candy Dye

    ReplyDelete
  3. The new site design is wonderful! Great job and congratulations! =)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dear Ones,

    It's great reading the backstory! Thanks and thank you for the many smiles. My mum thanks you too. Peace and all good things for you in creativity and in life.

    Sincerely,
    Diane

    ReplyDelete