One of the best gifts MotherBang ever gave me in my young years was gorgeous William Arthur stationery with my name engraved in rich green ink. The envelopes had a green sort of William Morrison flower motif, and the paper was rich ivory stock. She bought me both letter size and card stock. Elegant as hell.
I used those cards for years –to send thank-you notes, special fan letters, condolences – -and re-ordered them again and again over the next decades. I still have some left in my desk at the parsonage.
One of my favorite things to do at the start of the church year is to hunt for beautiful note cards. It can be a challenge, since many designs are either too big or too whimsical for my pastoral needs. What I like is pretty designs but nothing too saccharine. I also load up on sympathy cards, congratulations cards and thank you cards, although I believe that when in doubt, send your best monogrammed stuff.
As we rely more and more on e-mail correspondence, it is really special to receive a hand-written note. If this concept hasn’t occurred to you (and men, I am under the impression that for some reason, you have been less encouraged that women have been to sit down and pen notes — but if I’m wrong, please correct me!), get some notes and start writing!! Worry less about the design on the note card (but nothing too erotic — say, Klimt’s lovers embracing — or too sardonic– say, Andy Warhol’s soup can) and put your heart on the page.
I even buy stickers to seal the envelope with — sunflowers, usually — and I own a few actual wax seals. I used to design my own writing paper with rubber stamps, but who has time for that these days?
Yes, spelling and penmanship count.
😉
Yep, these things are important to me, too. (I’m think one who commented on your Facebook page that I carry around a little cloth envelope with stationery, stamps, and addresses.)
American Stationery has some nice, less-expensive options. (I’m nuts about Crane, but I need something less spendy.)
I do also love to pen a letter or card. I´m not that fond of special paper or cards (which are surely important) but I´m so fond of my old fountain-pen.
I also use it for signing important certificates such as baptismal/wedding certificates.
Have you ever checked out cardsbyanne.com? I use them a lot–get well, thinking of you, baptism, sympathy. Really lovely and most available without a message inside.
I have some lovely stationery that my mom gave me. I recently wrote my first letter as part of the CLF’s prison ministry and realized after it was all said and done that I couldn’t use envelopes with linings. I had to rip out the dark green inner part of the envelope to keep within the rules.
Sigh.
I’ve been writing more cards and notes this year as part of ministry work. The occasional one to colleagues, followups for pastoral care. It is a good fit for me.
Dear PB, you yourself sent me a thank-you note once, and I was so thrilled that I felt like sending you a thank-you for the thank-you.
Alas, my own handwriting is so monstrous that you might not have been able to tell what I was saying. Still, it’s worth the struggle to have an actual correspondence with someone. I sometimes have to dash off my impromptu comments several times to make them legible, but sending off a sealed envelope and waiting for the response can be a real treat. I just wish I did it more often.