Saint Patrick’s Day, an annual feast of Saint Patrick, one of the patron saints of Ireland, is held on March 17 every year. Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations are generally themed around all things Irish–wearing of the color green, eating Irish food, imbibing in Irish drink and attending parades.

The largest St. Patrick’s Day parade is held in New York City and it is watched by over 2 million spectators. The first one was held in Boston in 1761, organized by the Charitable Irish Society. Some cities paint the traffic stripe of their parade routes green. Chicago has dyed its river green since 1961 when sewer workers used green dye to check for sewer discharges, and then got the idea to turn the river green for St. Patrick’s Day.

Green, the color most widely associated with St. Patrick’s Day, may have gained its prominence through the phrase “wearing of the green,” meaning to wear a shamrock on your clothing. St. Patrick used the shamrock, a 3-leafed plant, to explain the Christian concept of the Holy Trinity.

Traditionally, those who are caught not wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day are pinched, although this practice is alien to those who actually come from Ireland. Another way to wear green is to put on a lapel pin. Some of the more popular St. Patrick’s Day pins depict a shamrock, a leprechaun or just cute sayings like “Kiss me, I’m Irish!” and “Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!” Fancier ones feature green glitter or blinking lights.

The Monterey Company can create custom-made St. Patrick’s Day lapel pins for 2009! You don’t even need finished artwork—just an idea. Our friendly sales team and designers can create a pin that features your Irish family crest, a photo or family name. There are endless possibilities! Let’s talk about them! Call toll-free 1-800-259-6496.

In the meantime, we’ll leave you with An Old Irish Blessing:

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

Posted: March 17th, 2008 under Articles, Lapel Pins.
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Your first pin creation can be a simple process. Inspiration can come from many sources including other pin designs.

• The first thing to consider is to identify how the pins will be used, as this will allow us to suggest the correct pin style for your event.
  • For example a Years of Service pin would more than likely be a pin made with shiny gold or silver plating with sandblasting and engraved with years of service compared to a printed trading pin made with glitter ink and blinking lights.
• The second step is to decide on the metal finish. Metal finishes are available in antique, satin, shiny as well brushed metal.
• Step number three is to pick the size of your lapel pin. Sizes range from a very small pin that measure 1/2″ to extremely large pin that measures 2″ If your design is round we recommend 7/8″. Square pins are usually made 1″, rectangle pins 1 1/8″ and oval pins can be as large as 1 1/4″.
• Step four is to send us your sketch or pin ideas and let us create a proof for your review. The proof process allows You and our design team to create your design and suggestions will made to metal finish, color placement and sizing and 2-D versus 3-D. This service is included with every order.
• Step five is to go ahead with production, which starts as soon as you give us your proof and order approval. If time allows pre-production samples can also be created prior to full production as a final way to approve your pin design. Please let us know if you have a deadline and we will mark your order as a Rush Order.
• Step six Pin delivery is normally 2 weeks after your proof was approved. If your order was a rush, special shipping arrangements will made so your pins arrive on time. Feel free to contact us and we look forward to working with You.

Posted: February 16th, 2008 under Articles, Lapel Pins, Things to know about ordering pins.
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IDYLLWILD, CA, FEB 15, 2008—The Monterey Company, one of the nation’s leading suppliers of lapel pins and military challenge coins, has been awarded the Destination ImagiNation (DI) license this year. The Destination ImagiNation Flagship Program is the world’s largest creative problem solving program for young people from kindergarten through college. For the past 25 years, it has fostered creativity, problem-solving skills and teamwork. Under this license, The Monterey Company will custom design and supply trading pins to many of the 1,200 students participating in the Global Finals which begin in May.

There are five competitive team challenges, each with its own educational focus, including technical/mechanical, theater arts/science, fine arts, and improvisation, structural & architectural design. Last year, The Monterey Company designed a set of trading pins for a Michigan DI team whose pins made honorable mention at the Global Finals. (See photo inset). The set depicts imaginative fictional creatures which played a central role in the team’s skit at the tournament. The pins feature beautiful colors and glitter colors—a big hit with the DI customers.

Destination Imagination Lapel Pins

“It was pretty exciting for us,” said Paul Stark, president of The Monterey Company, based in the Alpine village of Idyllwild, CA. “Our Destination ImagiNation customers always have the most creative ideas for their pins. It is really fun to work with them!” “We are also impressed with the effectiveness of this program to motivate and inspire young people. We are excited to be part of that experience, at least peripherally.The pins serve as a nice memento,” he added. Stark and his staff have been in direct contact with Destination ImagiNation’s regional affiliate directors and expect to create even more spectacular pins this year. On Monterey’s design staff is Mr. Watson, a local illustrator who once worked for DreamWorks.

“It’s only natural for Mr. Watson to create fantasy-based pins because that’s what he did every day while working in the film industry,” Stark said.

Posted: February 15th, 2008 under Articles.
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If you do a search on Google, you’ll find that The Monterey Company is probably the only national pin supplier that doesn’t have the word “pin” in its name. “That was a deliberate decision,” said President Paul Stark. “Putting ‘pin’ in our name might bring us up faster on Google and other search engines, but it doesn’t define who we are.”

Although it accounts for a majority of its business, The Monterey Company provides much more than lapel pins. It offers military challenge coins, graduation medallions, key chains, cuff links, and embroidered patches, among other things. “We didn’t want to limit ourselves to just one item,” Stark added. “Calling ourselves The Monterey Company opens up a universe of possibilities. We can add a myriad of diverse products later on.” The company, which has been growing at a rate of 30 percent a year for the past five years, is not based in Monterey, California–as many people might think. Its headquarters is in Idyllwild, a small Alpine village located at 5,500 feet above Palm Springs. Stark chose Idyllwild because of its rustic remoteness. The town of 3,000 people is located in the San Jacinto Mountains, and offers hiking and mountain climbing, but not commercial skiing. There are no fast food restaurants or traffic lights and most locals like it that way. Idyllwild also claims to be “One of the Best Art Towns in America,” featuring the work of hundreds of local artists. One of the local artists on staff at The Monterey Company worked for years in the Hollywood film industry. Some of the other Monterey staff members are graphic artists and painters who have a keen eye for design. They can help you design your pin to look spectacular.

Posted: February 15th, 2008 under Articles.
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