Friday, March 25, 2011
The Power of Color
“Life is Better in Color” is Tepper Jackson’s motto. We live, breathe and favor all things beautiful and colorful; so for this post we wanted to discuss the different meanings of colors, their cross cultural interpretations and how best to convey a message or mood by wearing a suitable color.
Is the need for color embedded in our DNA? This is a question that extends beyond the scope of this blog, but suffice to say we use color on a daily basis and have somewhat become experts on the matter. Think about the long term commitment we make when we choose a color for our home? As casual practitioners of the ancient, yet popular practice of Feng Shui, some colors are credited with creating a balance in the energy of our homes and lives (Blue = Tranquility, Black = Success, Purple = Spiritual Awareness, White = Purity). Another Eastern philosophy, the Hindu practice of Chakras or “Force Centers”, believes that the human body is a recipient of positive and negative energy. There are seven main Chakras symbolized by colored crystals; each located throughout the body’s nervous system, from the skull to the bottom of the spine. This practice was revisited by Western medicine in the 1940’s and is now applied as an alternative/holistic treatment. It is suggested that the energy released from the colored stone to the corresponding body part can be therapeutic. For example, a Blue stone placed on the throat can heal a sore throat.
Here is a brief over view of how the three primary colors relate to certain cultures and how they can be used as spiritual remedies.
Red is known to be a stimulating and empowering color. It is also the color of Passion, often used by both genders to seduce or draw attention. A 2008 study by the Rochester University psychologists concluded that Red enhances men’s attraction to women. Men were tested by being exposed to pictures of women and asked to describe how attracted they were to them. The results were convincingly clear: Women wearing red garments were said to be significantly more attractive and sexually desirable than the one’s wearing other colors. Spiritually, Red is the color of the root Chakra, the base of the spine, which is thought to stimulate courage and energy, help with stability, and more importantly guarantee physical health.
According to a survey conducted by webcenters.com, Blue is the world’s favorite color. It is considered to be a soothing color; it is the color of trust and commitment. However darker shades of Blue are often associated with depression and sadness. The term “feeling Blue” comes from an old nautical custom whereby a ship’s crew would honor their dead captain with a Blue flag at the mast and a Blue band painted along the ship’s hull. Conversely, “Blue light therapy” is a remedy against both depression and insomnia. The exposure to blue light can help compensate for the absence of sunlight during the long winter and prevent the “winter Blues”. Spiritually, Blue is the throat Chakra. It is linked to our neck, arms and hands; it is the essence of speech and hearing.
Yellow is considered to be the color of Optimism and Enlightenment. Indeed shades of golden Yellow are believed to bring a positive future; and let’s not forget that “Gold” itself is a precious and valuable material. Coincidence? Although, according to colormatters.com, lemon bright yellow is the color that is most irritating to our eyes. For example, babies will cry more in a yellow painted bedroom and couples are subject to more fights if they are surrounded by yellow. So if you’re fan, we advise you to reconsider and minimize the usage of Yellow in your living and working environment. Spiritually, Yellow is the color of the solar plexus Chakra which includes the stomach, the liver, skin and the whole muscular system; it is known to empower a person, promote personal strength, vitality and will.
Consciously or unconsciously, garments and more specifically the colors we choose to wear influence the way people perceive us. Sometimes whole personas are created around colors. Want to look mysterious? Well, black is your color (think of Zorro, Ninjas, and Darth Vader). Want to look sexy and passionate? Red is the go to color (Jessica Rabbit, Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes). Want to convey a natural/ healthy look? Then any shade of green will do the trick (most logos trying to convey their eco friendliness will have green in them).
It is important that we acknowledge the benefits and pitfalls of colors in our lives. Although we may not pay attention to it, colors do influence our physical, mental and spiritual well being. We should not underestimate their ill effect which can be harmful or negative. So the next time you decide to treat yourself to a Blue necklace or pair of earrings, you might not only be making a fashion statement, but you might also enhance your speech or become a better listener.
Is the need for color embedded in our DNA? This is a question that extends beyond the scope of this blog, but suffice to say we use color on a daily basis and have somewhat become experts on the matter. Think about the long term commitment we make when we choose a color for our home? As casual practitioners of the ancient, yet popular practice of Feng Shui, some colors are credited with creating a balance in the energy of our homes and lives (Blue = Tranquility, Black = Success, Purple = Spiritual Awareness, White = Purity). Another Eastern philosophy, the Hindu practice of Chakras or “Force Centers”, believes that the human body is a recipient of positive and negative energy. There are seven main Chakras symbolized by colored crystals; each located throughout the body’s nervous system, from the skull to the bottom of the spine. This practice was revisited by Western medicine in the 1940’s and is now applied as an alternative/holistic treatment. It is suggested that the energy released from the colored stone to the corresponding body part can be therapeutic. For example, a Blue stone placed on the throat can heal a sore throat.
Here is a brief over view of how the three primary colors relate to certain cultures and how they can be used as spiritual remedies.
Red is known to be a stimulating and empowering color. It is also the color of Passion, often used by both genders to seduce or draw attention. A 2008 study by the Rochester University psychologists concluded that Red enhances men’s attraction to women. Men were tested by being exposed to pictures of women and asked to describe how attracted they were to them. The results were convincingly clear: Women wearing red garments were said to be significantly more attractive and sexually desirable than the one’s wearing other colors. Spiritually, Red is the color of the root Chakra, the base of the spine, which is thought to stimulate courage and energy, help with stability, and more importantly guarantee physical health.
According to a survey conducted by webcenters.com, Blue is the world’s favorite color. It is considered to be a soothing color; it is the color of trust and commitment. However darker shades of Blue are often associated with depression and sadness. The term “feeling Blue” comes from an old nautical custom whereby a ship’s crew would honor their dead captain with a Blue flag at the mast and a Blue band painted along the ship’s hull. Conversely, “Blue light therapy” is a remedy against both depression and insomnia. The exposure to blue light can help compensate for the absence of sunlight during the long winter and prevent the “winter Blues”. Spiritually, Blue is the throat Chakra. It is linked to our neck, arms and hands; it is the essence of speech and hearing.
Yellow is considered to be the color of Optimism and Enlightenment. Indeed shades of golden Yellow are believed to bring a positive future; and let’s not forget that “Gold” itself is a precious and valuable material. Coincidence? Although, according to colormatters.com, lemon bright yellow is the color that is most irritating to our eyes. For example, babies will cry more in a yellow painted bedroom and couples are subject to more fights if they are surrounded by yellow. So if you’re fan, we advise you to reconsider and minimize the usage of Yellow in your living and working environment. Spiritually, Yellow is the color of the solar plexus Chakra which includes the stomach, the liver, skin and the whole muscular system; it is known to empower a person, promote personal strength, vitality and will.
Consciously or unconsciously, garments and more specifically the colors we choose to wear influence the way people perceive us. Sometimes whole personas are created around colors. Want to look mysterious? Well, black is your color (think of Zorro, Ninjas, and Darth Vader). Want to look sexy and passionate? Red is the go to color (Jessica Rabbit, Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes). Want to convey a natural/ healthy look? Then any shade of green will do the trick (most logos trying to convey their eco friendliness will have green in them).
It is important that we acknowledge the benefits and pitfalls of colors in our lives. Although we may not pay attention to it, colors do influence our physical, mental and spiritual well being. We should not underestimate their ill effect which can be harmful or negative. So the next time you decide to treat yourself to a Blue necklace or pair of earrings, you might not only be making a fashion statement, but you might also enhance your speech or become a better listener.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Flower Power
Spring is right around the corner and we’re excited at the idea of rising temperature and most definitely ready to put this harsh winter behind us.
Taking a look at this spring offerings, one trend is certain, “Flowers” are playing a predominant theme in the collections showcased by today's top designers. Indeed, Galliano masterfully used ornamental flowers as neck accessories to accent his vision, while Vera Wang and Anna Sui featured fun and flirtatious flowers by adorning light and ethereal dresses, skirts and blouses with water colored flowers.
Perhaps at a time when being eco-conscious is becoming mainstreamed (or fashion statement?), designers want to remind us of Mother Nature’s fragility. Perhaps they are paying homage to the ritual of spring.
Embracing both concepts, Tepper Jackson’s latest collections feature the Blossom design with its bold and colorful flowers and the Lotus design which uses for inspiration a modern day version of Moorish tile design. In the pursuit of using more natural textiles, we are printing our playful designs on double printed 18oz canvas that is both durable and environmentally conscious. Say ‘Goodbye’ to winter with its load of extra layers, and say “Hello” to spring with its airy and romantic feeling.
This photo is property of Tepper Jackson.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Official start to Summer 2010
Happy Summer 2010,
It has been a while since we have posted on our blog. I plan on updating our blog at least once a week (that is between updating our facebook page, tweeter updates, online sites)...
I'm very proud with the release of our newest collections: Bloom and Lotus. Both groups will be made of 18 oz canvas and will include a total of (9) new silhouettes in the travel category and (2) new silhouettes in the loungewear category. Both designs are somewhat a departure from our previous aesthetics. We have spent about six months developing and fine tuning our fall collections and I find it very difficult to distance myself and be objective. People always ask me: What is your favorite design? My answer is always the same: It is like asking a parent which one of your children do you love the most? Stay tuned for additional details.
The summer of 2010 will be in my mind forever associated with the World Cup that is currently playing out in South Africa. The location of the WC is particularly significant given that 17 years ago Blacks in South Africa were not allowed to attend a soccer match in the national stadiums throughout South Africa. It also pleases me to see that US is finally catching WC fever as it has been almost impossible for me to find an empty table at my favorite pub to watch the game...this is certainly a change from 4 years ago. I know that most expect Brazil to be a finalist, but how "awesome" would it be if the US team made it to the final...US vs Brazil final?
It has been a while since we have posted on our blog. I plan on updating our blog at least once a week (that is between updating our facebook page, tweeter updates, online sites)...
I'm very proud with the release of our newest collections: Bloom and Lotus. Both groups will be made of 18 oz canvas and will include a total of (9) new silhouettes in the travel category and (2) new silhouettes in the loungewear category. Both designs are somewhat a departure from our previous aesthetics. We have spent about six months developing and fine tuning our fall collections and I find it very difficult to distance myself and be objective. People always ask me: What is your favorite design? My answer is always the same: It is like asking a parent which one of your children do you love the most? Stay tuned for additional details.
The summer of 2010 will be in my mind forever associated with the World Cup that is currently playing out in South Africa. The location of the WC is particularly significant given that 17 years ago Blacks in South Africa were not allowed to attend a soccer match in the national stadiums throughout South Africa. It also pleases me to see that US is finally catching WC fever as it has been almost impossible for me to find an empty table at my favorite pub to watch the game...this is certainly a change from 4 years ago. I know that most expect Brazil to be a finalist, but how "awesome" would it be if the US team made it to the final...US vs Brazil final?
Friday, December 11, 2009
Holiday Sample Sale!!
It’s that time of the year again… Tepper Jackson's Holiday Sample Sale!!
Huge selection at ridiculously reduced prices!
Huge selection at ridiculously reduced prices!
Tepper Jackson will be offering 40%-80% off retail prices on items such as Carry All Bags (Retail $110.00 Sample Sale $25.00) and Plush Terry Bath Robes (Retail $150.00 Sample Sale $40.00)! 
When: Tuesday Dec. 8th- Friday Dec.11th
Monday Dec. 14th - Thursday Dec. 17th
Time: 10am-6pm
Where: 254 5th Avenue (between 28th & 29th street)
5th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Ph. 212-629-9500
Payment Methods: Cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express.
No personal checks accepted.

When: Tuesday Dec. 8th- Friday Dec.11th
Monday Dec. 14th - Thursday Dec. 17th
Time: 10am-6pm
Where: 254 5th Avenue (between 28th & 29th street)
5th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Ph. 212-629-9500
Payment Methods: Cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express.
No personal checks accepted.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Sample Sale Time!
It's the most wonderful time of the year....
Tepper Jackson + Nick & Nora's Sample Sale!
We're going to be offering a huge selection at rediculously reduced prices!
Tepper Jackson will be offering 40%-80% off retail prices on items such as Carry All Bags (Retail $110.00 Sample Sale $40.00) and Plush Terry Bath Robes (Retail $150.00 Sample Sale $40.00)!
“Nick & Nora” the defining sleepwear collection will be offering its' whimsical and ultra comfy pajamas, robes, and slippers at 40-60% off retail! This is a great opportunity for all Nick & Nora fans to pick up their favorite designs in time for the Holidays!Also, Nick & Nora will be opening their archives on their iconic scarves and shawls. This is a once in a lifetime chance for Nick & Nora collectors and fans! These are now vintage Nick & Nora pieces and are truly collectors’ items!
Who: Tepper Jackson + Nick & Nora
What: Sample Sale (50-80% off retail prices)
When: December 8th-11th & December 14th-17th
Time: 10am-6pm
Where: 254 5th Avenue (between 28th & 29th street)
5th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Ph. 212-629-9500
Payment Methods: Cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Give a Gift that's InStyle
Believe it or not holiday season is right around the corner.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
One Kings Lane

One King's Lane is having an event today - Thursday featuring Tepper Jackson Products!
Sign up today and get all their great merchandise updates.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Calling All Friends!
Become a friend of Tepper Jackson on Facebook today and receive 20% off your entire purchase at www.tepperjacksononline.com! Offer valid now through 9/28/09. Find the promo code on our Facebook Page and enter it at the time of checkout.
Labels:
20% off Tepper Jackson,
coupon,
Facebook,
Friends,
Promo
Fall Into a New Skill
Don't say it... summer can't be over yet!

This week marks the last days of summer and onward to another fall season. This is the first fall season that I won't be heading back to school. Autumn always felt more like the New Year to me. It was a time to start from scratch and put a smarter wiser foot forward. Not going back to class has kind of thrown off my yearly schedule and left me with an itch to work and progress towards something new.
Which is why I'm taking up sewing! I have an old sewing machine that used to belong to my grandmother, and (jackpot) a mannequin I found discarded years ago in the hallway of my old internship (I had a feeling it would come in handy some day). I'm going to start easy maybe some throw pillows and drapes and hopefully morf my skills into an expertly crafted trench (one can only hope). I've been carrying all my fabric and supplies around in my spacious Dial Vertical Tote, which has been a lifesaver!
I'll keep you posted on my progress, and yes you can put your throw pillow order in now because I'm booked solid ;).

Labels:
Autumn,
Class,
Dial Vertical Tote,
Fabric Bag,
New Beginnings,
School,
Sewing Bag,
vertical tote
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Fall/Winter '09 Brochure
Below is our very latest Fall/Winter '09 Brochure. Be sure to check out our latest designs Calypso in colors Black & Cream, and Kaleidoscope in colors Blue & Pink. Let us know what you think!


How Beachy
Last weekend I brought one of my good friends with me to Point Pleasant Beach in New Jersey...a true Jersey Shore location. Being that she grew up in Laguna Beach, California and had never experienced the Jersey Shore I knew this would be an interesting adventure for her.
With our SPF and floppy hats on, she bared through with wide eyes.
The beach was incredibly crowded, barely an arms-width away from your neighbor but what else was there to expect on a beautiful Saturday afternoon? So many things amazed her like the abundance of muscle-y men with tattoos and their scantily clad girlfriends, and the bar that was located on the beach.
After she was thoroughly burnt and the day was done she said she had a great time, and would like to go again sometime soon!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Creativity with Weddings & Luggage Tags
Who knew that luggage tags could be used as something other than an ID for your bag? Recently we've seen people use them in creative ways for their weddings.
One couple uniquely used our Umbrella Flower luggage tags as "Save the Dates".
As seen on the blog Tried and True.
And as shown on Brides.com a couple used Multi Dot Luggage Tags as favors, each with their own travel related saying such as, "Thank you... for making the trip with us."
Let us know what creative ways you have used our merchandise!
One couple uniquely used our Umbrella Flower luggage tags as "Save the Dates".
As seen on the blog Tried and True.And as shown on Brides.com a couple used Multi Dot Luggage Tags as favors, each with their own travel related saying such as, "Thank you... for making the trip with us."
Let us know what creative ways you have used our merchandise!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Stay Hungry Stay Foolish
A lot is to be said for the hungry and foolish in the world. Some of the most influential companies are the ones started on a huge risk but with great passion. I recently heard the commencement speech given by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation at Stanford University. And since graduation season is upon us; the time of new beginnings I'd like to share this very inspirational speech with you.
This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.
I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?
It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.
And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.
It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.
Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
My second story is about love and loss.
I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.
During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.
I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
My third story is about death.
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Thank you all very much.

And if you haven't gotten a graduate you know a gift yet, get them started on the path of greatness with a Tepper Jackson card holder.
This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.
I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?
It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.
And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.
It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.
Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
My second story is about love and loss.
I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.
During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.
I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
My third story is about death.
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Thank you all very much.

And if you haven't gotten a graduate you know a gift yet, get them started on the path of greatness with a Tepper Jackson card holder.
Labels:
Apple,
card holder,
commencement speech,
Graduation,
Steve Jobs,
tepper jackson
Friday, May 8, 2009
Mom Knows Best
As I ponder what to get for my Mom I begin to think about all the advice and lessons she has taught me over the years. So I thought I'd ask some people, what's the best advice you've received from your Mom? Because as they say... Mom knows best.
Whenever a boyfriend and I would break-up she'll say "You'll get over it." Tough love but turns out to be true. -Tara (New York, NY)
"Money isn't everything." -Phil (New York, NY)
"Don't underestimate yourself." -Yuci (Queens, NY)
"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." -Rafael (Norwalk, CT)
"Believe in yourself because you can only rely on yourself." -Sasha (Brooklyn, NY)
"Go back to school!! and really no matter what you do, do something you love." -Abbey (Staten Island, NY)
"Her best advice to me is to walk fast, be straight, and don't drink!" -Jess (Binghamton, NY)
"Never get a girl pregnant." -Dan (Syracuse, NY)
"Be yourself, be yourself!" -Jen (Buffalo, NY)
"Study hard and work hard so you can support your family." -Jucke (Queens, NY)
"Be happy in life nothing else is worth it if you're not happy." -Kimberly (Labo, TX)
"Never go to bed angry at someone." -Marie (Brockport, NY)
"In regards to dating, if you spend more time talking about the problems and everything than actually having a relationship... that's not good." -Maggie (Bronx, NY)
"Never settle for anything less than what you deserve." -Robin (Oswego, NY)
"Keep your friends close and if people treat you badly or leave you behind you didn't need them anyway." -Bill (Binghamton, NY)
"Always follow your intuition, a woman's intuition is never wrong." -Marielle (Bayside, NY)
"Always bring toilet paper with you to the bar." -Ashlie (Oswego, NY)
"Make sure you wash your hands." -Nat (Los Angeles, Ca)
After all this great advice you should buy your Mom the Taj Majal, but if you need something a little more in your price range get her a pair of luxurious cotton sateen lounger pj's at tepperjacksononline.com.
Whenever a boyfriend and I would break-up she'll say "You'll get over it." Tough love but turns out to be true. -Tara (New York, NY)
"Money isn't everything." -Phil (New York, NY)
"Don't underestimate yourself." -Yuci (Queens, NY)
"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." -Rafael (Norwalk, CT)
"Believe in yourself because you can only rely on yourself." -Sasha (Brooklyn, NY)
"Go back to school!! and really no matter what you do, do something you love." -Abbey (Staten Island, NY)
"Her best advice to me is to walk fast, be straight, and don't drink!" -Jess (Binghamton, NY)
"Never get a girl pregnant." -Dan (Syracuse, NY)
"Be yourself, be yourself!" -Jen (Buffalo, NY)
"Study hard and work hard so you can support your family." -Jucke (Queens, NY)
"Be happy in life nothing else is worth it if you're not happy." -Kimberly (Labo, TX)
"Never go to bed angry at someone." -Marie (Brockport, NY)
"In regards to dating, if you spend more time talking about the problems and everything than actually having a relationship... that's not good." -Maggie (Bronx, NY)
"Never settle for anything less than what you deserve." -Robin (Oswego, NY)
"Keep your friends close and if people treat you badly or leave you behind you didn't need them anyway." -Bill (Binghamton, NY)
"Always follow your intuition, a woman's intuition is never wrong." -Marielle (Bayside, NY)
"Always bring toilet paper with you to the bar." -Ashlie (Oswego, NY)
"Make sure you wash your hands." -Nat (Los Angeles, Ca)
After all this great advice you should buy your Mom the Taj Majal, but if you need something a little more in your price range get her a pair of luxurious cotton sateen lounger pj's at tepperjacksononline.com.
Labels:
advice,
Hexagonal Pink,
Lounger PJ's,
Mother's Day,
Pajamas,
tepper jackson
Monday, April 20, 2009
Summer on a Budget
Looking to maintain your Summer lifestyle while on a budget?
Carry-All Bag Aurora Gold by Tepper Jackson
A new handbag will instantly breathe new life into every outfit!
Be one of the first to own pieces from our 2 latest collections: Serengeti & Aurora which were recently launched on our website tepperjacksononline.com.

Bath & Body Works Foot Patrol
No more weekly pedicures?
Your feet should not suffer as a result of your budget (neither should other people who have to look at them). At the cost of a single pedicure $24.95 this kit comes with all the tools you will need too keep your toes looking fresh all summer long.

The American Aparel Shinny Sash
Turn that bland cotton sundress into a whole new knock-out piece. This American Apparel sash can be worn 9 unique ways and comes in 5 eye-popping colors.
Carry-All Bag Aurora Gold by Tepper Jackson
A new handbag will instantly breathe new life into every outfit!
Be one of the first to own pieces from our 2 latest collections: Serengeti & Aurora which were recently launched on our website tepperjacksononline.com.
Bath & Body Works Foot Patrol
No more weekly pedicures?
Your feet should not suffer as a result of your budget (neither should other people who have to look at them). At the cost of a single pedicure $24.95 this kit comes with all the tools you will need too keep your toes looking fresh all summer long.

The American Aparel Shinny Sash
Turn that bland cotton sundress into a whole new knock-out piece. This American Apparel sash can be worn 9 unique ways and comes in 5 eye-popping colors.
Jergen's Natural Body Glow Express Moisturizer
No beach house this summer? No problem! Skip the harsh skin cancer causing UV Rays anyway and opt for a healthier alternative. I recomend Jergens Natural Body Glow Express Moisturizer. It gives you a natural glow in just 3 uses & smells great.
Commute Via 2 Wheels
Soon it will cost $2.50 to ride the subway. Assuming you ride the metro 6 days a week, that will amount to an additional $24 a month and $288 a year to your expenses.
Save yourself a gym membership & the environment with a bicycle! Our best suggestion to you is craigslist.org where people are willing to sell their bikes for a fraction of what they purchased them at.
I still have my eye on this oh-so-cute pink Cadillac bicyle.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
April Showers Bring May Flowers

If the saying holds true, "April showers bring May flowers," we're going to be spending the next thirty days indoors waiting for the sun to come out and the tulips to bloom.
Now is the perfect occasion to put on our blissful pj's and lounge around in style. We've just launched our comfortable collection of pajamas, kimono's, and robes on our website. Come and check out our large assortment of designs that are sure to bring a smile to your face.
Labels:
butterfly,
colorful,
cotton sateen,
fez,
fez cobalt,
hexagonal,
kimono,
kimono robe,
Lounger PJ's,
mariposa,
Pajamas,
pink,
robe,
silk,
tepper jackson
Friday, March 20, 2009
Spring Inspires Invigoration of the Senses

Spring is here! Even though some of us woke up to snow this morning, just the idea of warmer weather hopefully puts a little bounce in your step today.
Believe it or not we here at Tepper Jackson are already hard at work on our Fall '09 collection.
Believe it or not we here at Tepper Jackson are already hard at work on our Fall '09 collection.
Check out our inspiration board. We're playing with the idea of a tribal theme next season.
We get inspired by art, nature, travels, movies, or just people watching at our favorite hangout.
Stay tuned and watch how our collection evolves this season!
What inspires you?
Labels:
colors,
design,
fall '09,
Inspiration,
Spring,
spring '09,
tepper jackson
Friday, March 13, 2009
Friday the 13th!.. Cuddle up with Loyd from Entourage

Two Friday the 13th occurrences in less than 3 months?! Pretty spooky.
We're thinking tonight's a night to stay in and watch a scary movie. Why not cuddle up with our friend Loyd from HBO's hit series Entourage... he loves our PJ's!
Our scary movie recommendations:
*The Ring... still by far the scariest movie I have ever seen
*Rosemarry's Baby
*The Omen (the original!)
*Frailty
*The Hills Have Eyes
What would you suggest?
Labels:
colorful,
Entourage,
friday the 13th,
HBO,
Izzy,
Lounger PJ's,
Pajamas,
scarry movies,
stripe,
tepper jackson
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Saved by the Luggage Tag
Ring Luggage Tag by Tepper JacksonI just returned home from a long weekend in Miami which was absolutely beautiful! Sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 70's every day. I came back to NYC and it was the aftermath of a snowstorm... must have been the city's way of welcoming me home.
Half-asleep I waited for my bag to come around the conveyor belt at baggage claim. When across the way I noticed a woman grab my bag... and begin to walk away with it!
In this sea of black luggage and sun kissed faces I was able to realize this was MY bag she had because of the super bright and colorful luggage tag that was attached. Ah Ha! I dashed across the baggage claim area and caught up with her to inform her she had the wrong bag. Thank goodness I had my luggage tag or I would have been going home with someone elses dirty laundry.
Labels:
colorful,
luggage tag,
miami,
ring,
tepper jackson,
vibrant
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)

.bmp)







