{ just another manners MONDAY } giving thanks

Doesn't it feel great to be thanked by someone? How often are you the "thanker"? Perhaps not enough? Below are the top 5 ocassions that warrent your HAND-WRITTEN note.

1. If someone hosts you in their home ~ Did your neighbor cook her legendary pot roast for you & yours? Did you enjoy coffee at a pals house while your kids swam in her pool? Write the note...even if you are a vegetarian & the coffee made your stomach turn!

2. If you receive a gift ~ That's right...even if it was a re-gifted singing bass fish, the wrong size or just plain ugly. And don't feel guilty if you return it, but please don't feel obligated to tell the giver!

3. If someone throws a bash in your honor ~ A surprise birthday party (that you didn't want), an engagement party (where the guests were all 30 years your senior) and a silver anniversary party (when you've been married only 24 years) all require THE NOTE!

4. If someone extends their sympathy ~ whether they sent flowers, food or a card...let them know you appreciate their concern.

5. If you are on the receiving end of a kind gesture ~ did your cousin help you move (for the third time)? Did you say "I really owe you one!"? The least you can do is write a note!

If this is a dreaded chore that ends up on your procrastination list, why not motivate yourself with some lovely new tools of the trade!

a simple statement...from Etsy

on behalf of your child(ren)...at Etsy

say it with style...from Etsy
You can even buy vintage stamps at local stamp collector shops or Ebay.
This makes a statement without saying a word!

or, if you're the "personalizing" type...try stamps.com...

{ thrifty THURSDAY } SALE AT ELUM

Who doesn't love a beautiful letterpressed card?

The letterpress technique creates priceless designs...

but at a pricey cost to the customers.

Elum is a lovely online retailer specializing in

modern designs featuring custom artwork.

If you order your wedding invites prior to August 5th the nice folks at Elum will throw in the printed envelopes for free!

If you're not one of the many bubbling brides these days check out Elum's generous sale on a wide range of paper products. Plan ahead (for once) and scoop up their beautiful holiday cards.

Send a note to your gal pals with this totally unique notecard.

Best of all, grab these festive party invites and come up with an excuse to celebrate!

{ coulda shoulda woulda WEDNESDAY } VERY CHEREE BERRY

If you know your stuff (stationery stuff, that is) you know who Cheree Berry is.

A favorite among Martha Stewart followers, Cheree Berry is a top-notch paper designer who creates sophisticated & whimsical products (a tricky combination).

Formerly an associate at Kate Spade, Berry's creations reach out to the same market. Her stuff is clean yet intricate & ranges from corporate to wedding & everything in between. Happily tying the knot herself last September, Berry designed the ultimate paper-palooza of a wedding. Featuring my current favorite color combo of crimson red & robin's egg blue, Berry sprinkled her paper designs on every aspect of the wedding day.

Take a look for yourself and see what paper-passion is all about!

Guests scooped up a bag of their choice - all designed by Berry, of course.



Berry had cloth napkins letterpressed with her own signature design.

Featured on the reception tables were intricately designed pink paper chargers, dual purpose placecard/menus (genius!), and friendly tented reminders to save room for dessert.

{ trendy TUESDAY } WOOD VENEER IS HERE

Why not set the tone for your nature-inspired wedding with real wood invitations?

Shock your wedding guests with a truly custom look from Oslo Press . This company, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, began in 2006 as the owners/designers planned their own wedding. By combining wood veneer & high-quality paper with laser engraving & letterpress, you are left with a totally custom design. You pick the type of wood, paper & ink colors, design & typestyle, and you are left with a piece of mail not soon forgotten!

So, this blog clearly does not fit in { thrifty THURSDAY }, and this product may only be for those immune to our current economic crisis...but I know you're out there! For the rest of us the programs & save-the-dates are a more realistic acquisition...and equally as fantastic!

Check out Oslo Press pricing and see for yourself.

And please don't forget to hand-cancel these at the post office...I don't want my lovely invite smeared with black ink when it arrives!

{ just another manners MONDAY } HOW NOT TO NOTE

As a woman in the south where tradition lives strong, there are several books on etiquette & social graces that I believe have a place in the library of every young man & woman. (I'll save that library list for another blog.)

One of those books is Margaret Shepherd's "The Art of the Handwritten note - A Guide to Reclaiming Civilized Communication". Use this book as a refresher course or Note Writing 101 for a rookie correspondent. The "seven deadly sins" as Shepherd calls them are just the beginning...but a very good place to start...

1. Do not write with a pencil or use notebook paper.
2. Do not cross out & correct more than 2 errors per page.
3. Stationery can be printed with "Thank You", but it's not required.
4. Do not apologize for a tardy note in the first line.
5. Do not misspell the recipient's name.
6. Do not open or attempt to read someone else's mail.
7. Do not mail a letter written in anger.

The handwritten note - a lost art? Let's hope not.

With all of our emailing, texting & twittering I fear we're headed for a completely impersonal society. Just imagine a community of people who no longer look each other in the eyes to share an exchange of words. Imagine a school where our children no longer learn to write in cursive & the quintessential stationer Crane goes out of business (gasp!).

So please, in an attempt to save our society, one social exchange at a time, write a note. Take 5 minutes out of your hectic twittering-texting life, sit down with a pen (see #1 above) and write a short note to a deserving pal. Say "thanks for hosting dinner last weekend" or "sorry my dog ate your newly planted begonias". Whatever the message may be, make it sincere. And for goodness' sake, don't spell the poor reader's name wrong!

Need some stationery inspiration? Check out Crane's semi-annual sale and stock up! My fav is the wasabi notecard with it's chic envelope lining.