Bonjour!
As part of my commitment to joyful living, I love writing letters and sending mail. It is chic and charmant, and also creates an authentic connection with the recipient. Writing notes is a great way to help during the pandemic by keeping in touch with friends and family.
Making Correspondence Personal
“Letter writing allows us to be alone yet connected.” – Alexandra Stoddard, Gift of a Letter
Using personalized correspondence stock to write your letters elevates the everyday and incorporates simple pleasures into daily life. Growing up in Alabama — a Yankee-born tomboy among the Southern belles — introduced me to the charm of Southern etiquette and tradition. I still incorporate many into my daily life, including personalized correspondence stock.
As a treat to celebrate passing the Vermont bar exam and getting my Vermont law license, I ordered a stationery wardrobe from Embossed Graphics. You can also see what tickles your fancy at sites like American Stationery, Shutterfly, and Minted. Or, if you’re lucky like me, your friend Ryan just may design some personalized stationery for you!
Because I am a new professional in a new state, I want to be able to send notes and business cards to new contacts when I network. I also enjoy sending thank-you notes and just reaching out to say hello via snail mail. And I love a good monogram!
The Stationery Wardrobe
“Each day is a fresh new adventure when we regularly send and receive letters.” – Alexandra Stoddard, Gift of a Letter
A traditional stationery wardrobe contains the following.
- Flat card: A flat card decorated with your initials or favorite motif (like a French-inspired image of a fleur de lis or honeybee) is great for dashing off a quick note to a friend to say hi. You can also enclose a flat card inside a book you’re lending to someone. My new flat cards feature two designs: one with my full name and one with my initials.
- Folded card: A folded card looks more formal, especially when personalized with your monogram or full name. A fun border in a matching or coordinating color punches up the impact. My friend Megan’s personalized stationery features her full name on a field of turquoise with a brown border. You can use folded cards for thank-you notes to friends, family, and colleagues.
- Gift enclosure card: Small cards with your monogram or full name lend an air of thoughtfulness and class when included with a gift. In an envelope, slide this card under the ribbon on a wrapped gift; sans envelope, punch a hole in one corner and tie it on the gift. All you need is a a simple, short message.
- Calling card: In lieu of a formal business card, use a more memorable calling card to share your personal contact information. These cards are appropriate for anyone, whether casual acquaintances, peers, family, or professional contacts. You can include your full name, phone number, email address, website URL, or social media handles. I designed my calling card for Joie de Vivre at Shutterfly.
A stationery wardrobe could also contain larger, flat sheets suitable for writing longer letters. These can feature a motif or your full name or monogram. For more ideas and tips on building your own stationery wardrobe, check out this article from Southern Living.
There are beaucoup de ways (too many?) to design your own notes and cards. I spent an ungodly amount of time on the Embossed Graphics website playing around with colors, fonts, and styles — and enjoyed every minute of it!
How would you design your own stationery wardrobe?
Merci for reading and please subscribe and share!
À votre santé,
Katie
Joie de Vivre 