In days gone by, a properly written thank you note was not just a point of etiquette. It was an expectation. The idea that one could receive a gift and not respond politely was unheard of, as was attending a job interview and not following up with a hand-written token acknowledging the job seeker’s appreciation of both the employer’s time and opportunity. Today, the world is a different place. Gifts are selected over the internet, wrapped by a third party, and drop shipped to an address without ever being seen or touched by the giver. Job interviews are often held over the internet via Skype or some other video platform. When interviews are held in person, they often are not very personal.   Complicating things even more, in today’s electronic society, most everybody is wired 24/7, and international messages are no more than a button push away. Communication is instant, and social media ensures we “see” everybody we know all the time, whether we want to or not.   Are Thank You Notes Still Viable in the 21st Century?   Surprisingly, the answer is not just, “Yes,” but a resounding, “Yes.” That said, there are a few things that should...Read More
Stationery
In our modern age of quick mass production, where everything seems to come with a one size fits all impersonal nature, it’s refreshing to hold something in your hand that’s more individualized – especially if it’s custom made.  Not everyone is all that crafty with their hands, and even those who are may not feel as if their skills extend quite so far, but that doesn’t mean you can’t at least be up to date on various style trends.  After all, there are some great sources for stationery out there that provide hassle-free, quality products that still allow you to express a more personalized tone. A Touch of Spring: Everyone loves it when the long, chilly darkness of winter finally starts to recede, and spring ushers in a special awakening of plants and animals.  The days begin to lengthen and grow warmer, flowers and new shoots start to burst forth, and one is struck by an unmistakable sense of rebirth.  Spring is a time for positive outlooks, for stretching one’s body and soul after the long haul of winter – thus making this the perfect time for celebration.  Whether you have family and friends with birthdays or special anniversaries in...Read More
In many countries, Teacher’s Days (or Teachers Day) are intended to be special days for the appreciation of teachers, and may include celebrations to honour them for their special contributions in a particular field area, or the community in general. The date on which Teachers’ day is celebrated varies from country to country. Teachers’ days are distinct from World Teachers’ Day which is officially celebrated across the world on October 5. As of November 4, 1976, November 6 was also adopted as Teachers’ Day in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Currently, Massachusetts sets the first Sunday of June as its own Teachers’ Day, annually. Really any time is a good time to think of a teacher. Wood Pen This Classic Maple Rollerball Pen offers a sophisticated look for you or that special someone. These pens are made from quality maple wood with your personalization in Dark Brown. Each pen comes with a German ink cartridge and has a ceramic ball for smooth writing. Priests and prophets taught children of the wealthy and noble, the skills to take up their roles as leaders and businessmen. The priests’ position was elevated above many strata of society, and they were treated accordingly for...Read More
A Christian holiday and popular cultural phenomenon, Mardi Gras dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites. Also known as Carnival, it is celebrated in many countries around the world–mainly those with large Roman Catholic populations–on the day before the religious season of Lent begins Brazil, Venice and New Orleans play host to some of the holiday’s most famous public festivities, drawing thousands of tourists and revelers every year. According to historians, Mardi Gras dates back thousands of years to pagan celebrations of spring and fertility, including the raucous Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Lupercalia. When Christianity arrived in Rome, religious leaders decided to incorporate these popular local traditions into the new faith, an easier task than abolishing them altogether. As a result, the excess and debauchery of the Mardi Gras season became a prelude to Lent, the 40 days of penance between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Along with Christianity, Mardi Gras spread from Rome to other European countries, including France, Germany, Spain and England. Traditionally, in the days leading up to Lent, merrymakers would binge on all the meat, eggs, milk and cheese that remained in their homes, preparing for several weeks of eating only...Read More
The origins of Valentine’s Day trace back to the ancient Roman celebration of Lupercalia. Held on February 15, Lupercalia honored the gods Lupercus and Faunus, as well as the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. For 800 years the Romans had dedicated this day to the god Lupercus. In addition to a bountiful feast, Lupercalia festivities are purported to have included the pairing of young women and men. Men would draw women’s names from a box, and each couple would be paired until next year’s celebration. From Feb. 13 to 15, the men sacrificed a goat and a dog, then whipped women with the hides of the animals they had just slain.  Young women would actually line up for the men to hit them, Lenski says. They believed this would make them fertile. While this pairing of couples set the tone for today’s holiday, it wasn’t called “Valentine’s Day” until a priest named Valentine came along. Valentine, a romantic at heart, disobeyed Emperor Claudius II’s decree that soldiers remain bachelors. Claudius handed down this decree believing that soldiers would be distracted and unable to concentrate on fighting if they were married or engaged. Valentine defied the emperor and secretly...Read More
Are you by chance, old enough to remember penny postcards? Or 3 cent postcards or a nickel?  Time was, these were as common in everyday life as the newspaper.  You could go to the post office, get a pre-stamped postcard, address it and write a brief message and it would be delivered anywhere in the country for a penny.  It’s really hard to imagine these days. We have an archive of letters and correspondence that goes back decades here. One of the treasures is a penny postcard sent in 1945 that a son sent to his mother announcing the birth of his baby daughter. It struck me as odd that the son would communicate with his mother on such a momentous occasion with an impersonal method when she lived only 20 miles away! The lovely lady whose birth was being heralded by that postcard is nearing the end of her 40 year career at our company and I asked her how it came to pass that her father wrote to her grandmother in such a cold manner.  Her reply was illustrative of even my inability to comprehend the times. First of all, she was the fifth baby in the family,...Read More
January 1 represents the fresh start of a new year after a period of remembrance of the passing year, including on radio, television and in newspapers, which starts in early December in countries around the world. Publications have year-end articles that review the changes during the previous year. In some cases publications may set their entire year work alight in hope that the smoke emitted from the flame brings new life to the company. There are also articles on planned or expected changes in the coming year. This day is traditionally a religious feast, but since the 1900s has also become an occasion to celebrate the night of December 31, called New Year’s Eve. Happy New Year Holiday Cards Send cheerful New Years greetings with these fun cards. Inside, we’ll print your personalized message. Folded Size: 4 5/8″ x 6 1/4″ Set includes 25 cards and 25 plain White envelopes Optional printed envelopes available Records show that around 2000 BC, the Babylonians began celebrating New Year’s on March 23, the beginning of spring. Although references show that they themselves had no written calendar. They had a regular festival going on that lasted for eleven days. For Romans, New Year’s began on March 25...Read More
The traditional colors of Christmas are green and red. White, silver and gold are also popular. Red symbolizes the blood of Jesus, which was shed in his crucifixion, while green symbolizes eternal life, and in particular the evergreen tree, which does not lose its leaves in the winter. The Christmas tree is pagan tradition and ritual surrounding the Winter Solstice, which included the use of evergreen boughs, and an adaptation of pagan tree worship;  Saint Boniface, who was a missionary in Germany, took an axe to an oak tree dedicated to Thor and pointed out a fir tree, which he stated was a more fitting object of reverence because it pointed to heaven and it had a triangular shape, which he said was symbolic of the Trinity. The English language phrase “Christmas tree” is first recorded in 1835 and represents an importation from the German language. Holiday Bow Invitations These elegant red invitations look like a beautiful gift. Perfect for announcing your holiday party. Christmas cards are illustrated messages of greeting exchanged between friends and family members during the weeks before Christmas Day. The traditional greeting reads “wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”, much like that of the first commercial Christmas card, produced in London in 1843. The custom of sending them has become popular among a wide cross-section of people with the emergence of the...Read More
It would be easy enough to imagine Christmas as a simple continuum of tradition dating from the birth of Christ. You’d begin with the nativity story, apply the December 25th date to Jesus’ birth, establish the gift-giving precedent of the magi and work from there. Over the centuries, classic Christmas traditions would accumulate: perhaps beginning with the Yule log, followed by the Christmas tree and finally winding up in the present day with giant inflatable snowmen and icicle lights. Candy Cane Square Labels Add flair to your holiday envelopes with these adorable candy cane striped square labels. Size: 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ The history of Christmas, however, is hardly a continuum. It is a varied and riotous story, one that actually predates the birth of Christ. Early Europeans marked the year’s longest night — the winter solstice — as the beginning of longer days and the rebirth of the sun. They slaughtered livestock that could not be kept through the winter and feasted from late December through January. German pagans honored Oden, a frightening god who flew over settlements at night, blessing some people and cursing others. The Norse in Scandinavia celebrated yuletide and each family burnt a giant log and feasted until it turned...Read More
While vellum made from animal skins is still produced, the process is obviously painstaking and costly. Vellum is generally only used for archival copies of important documents. Vellum paper and vellum stationery today is made using cotton rag fibers to create a high-quality, translucent paper with a smooth, vellum-like finish. The highest quality vellum paper, sometimes called Japanese vellum or vegetable vellum, is made from 100% cotton fiber, which gives a smooth, almost polished surface to the paper. Today, vellum usually refers to one of two very different kinds of paper. Vellum paper, often used in scrapbooking or to draw blueprints, is generally translucent and comes in a variety of colors. It may appear to be plasticized, or made of Mylar because of its texture and translucency. It is often used as overlays for wedding invitations, cards, scrapbooks or programs. Vellum may also refer to vellum finish, a slightly rough surface paper that is extremely high quality, holds ink well and is preferred by many businesses because of its crisp, heavy profile. Vellum stationery is the epitome of quality, the ideal choice for executive communications, formal invitations and programs. Your office stationery and executive stationery conveys a certain impression to...Read More
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