We’ve all had to write a letter at some point in our lives, whether it was a thank you note or a “thinking-of-you” letter.  For some of us, the ability to sit down and write a heartfelt letter just isn’t easy.  Sometimes, the words just won’t come out right, and we struggle to find the perfect way to say what we mean.  If this sounds familiar, don’t worry.  These tools won’t magically produce the words of Pablo Neruda, but they may be able to help you write a better letter.   A Fountain Pen Fountain pens have been known to increase penmanship, and they are the preferred writing tool when it comes to writing for long periods of time.  This is because writing with a fountain pen requires less pressure to produce enough ink, which helps reduce hand cramping.  The novelty of using a fountain pen is also something that makes them attractive to writers.   Letter Writing Prompts We have all stared at the paper in front of us and drawn a blank on what we should write.  Getting started is often the most difficult part, and, once we get over that hump, everything starts flowing.  To motivate you...Read More
We currently live in an age where the preferred medium of communication is social media. Instant messaging and emailing are deemed to be the most convenient ways of reaching out to other people. There is no denying the fact that texting someone or sending them an email makes life much easier for us. It certainly saves us a lot of time that we can utilize for other more productive activities. That being said, advancements in technology almost always have a major downside. Internet communication might help you to connect with more people, but it takes away the personal touch from your messages. Such forms of human interaction are not always appealing and often do not carry the weight that is required to sustain a healthy relationship between two people. A card or a letter is much more appropriate when it comes to communicating on special occasions such as Thanksgiving. Sure, you could send your friends a text on Thanksgiving Day letting them know that you are grateful for their company, but writing a personalized letter on such an auspicious day would be a much more fitting way of expressing your love for your friends or family members. We understand that...Read More
Thanks to modern technology, we are able to fire off texts and emails to convey any message we may need to send. In today’s society, we have gotten used to modern conveniences as the main methods of communication. Instead of walking to the next office over, we quickly write and send (usually without a second glance) an email to our coworkers. After house warming parties or bridal showers, it is not unlikely that the host might want to send a mass thank you text to all the guests. Plus, in the business world, it is not only the norm, but also expected for someone to send an email after meeting with a potential client or after a networking event to further the relationship or send thanks. To update our friends, we might send a tweet, make a Facebook status, or post an image to our Instagram feed about achievements and milestones that happen in our lives. It is easy to get lost in the sea of instant communication, but some situations call for the simplistic beauty of a handwritten note. Think of how much better you will be perceived, in all of those situations, if you send a handwritten note...Read More
In our hyper-connected world, with its text messaging, the good, old-fashioned handwritten letter has nearly become extinct. Which is a shame because when it comes to sharing one’s true thoughts, sincere sympathies, and deepest gratitude, words traveling along the invisible digital superhighway will never suffice. Sending a letter is the next best thing to showing up personally at someone’s door. Ink from your pen touches the stationery, your fingers touch the paper, and you seal the envelope. Something tangible from your world travels through machines and hands, and deposits itself in another’s mailbox. The recipient handles the paper that you handled and they see your personality and individuality conveyed in your handwriting. If you are writing a casual letter to a friend or family member, quality stationery is a nice touch, but definitely not necessary. Your friend is not likely to take note of the excellent texture of your paper. But for some kinds of correspondence, only real stationery will do. If you are writing a love letter, a sympathy note, a thank you card, or a letter of congratulations, you don’t want to send such meaningful musings on paper you tore out of your spiral notebook. Quality stationery adds...Read More
We’ve talked about it before, one of the reasons we don’t write much anymore is because there seem to be much easier ways to communicate. Or at least quicker ways like the telephone, social media, texting, and email. What method we use to communicate says a lot about what we want to say. If it’s a quick hello or question, then it makes perfect sense to be quick about it. But, something that makes letter writing truly important is the way writing makes you feel. When putting a pen to paper, we feel more at ease “letting it all out”. When we send a quick text to say life has us frustrated, we’re angry, in the moment and unable to resolve anything. Sobbing on the phone does not allow a moment of clarity. But, when we are writing, we are thinking. We become agitated, we calm down, we realize what it was that upset us, what went wrong, and what can be. There is a reason we’re told to journal and keep diaries when we’re younger. Writing how we feel helps us sort out our feelings. There is therapy in writing. Like when you think back to a conversation and you...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
When I was a kid back in the early 60’s, I had a maiden aunt who lived in my mother’s hometown of Morton, Washington.  Given that we lived in the middle of Indiana, Washington state seemed as exotic as the moon. Every few weeks, my brother and sister and I got letters from her, addressed very formally Master Michael and Master Greg for us boys and Mistress Vicki for my sister.  The letters spoke of all the family happenings, what our aunts and uncles and cousins were doing, and what it was like in the green hills of Washington.  I had never met this Aunt, nor any of my mother’s family, but those letters served as an introduction to these strange people from a land that had to be 10,000 miles from us. I remember how thrilled we were and how important we felt when those letters came. I look back fondly on getting those letters almost 50 years ago, saddened by the fact that my girls, now in their 20’s, rarely received letters in the mail. They do not have a clue what they had missed. The excitement of going to the mailbox, finding a handwritten note from a...Read More
Engagements, births and promotions are always deserving of a “Congratulations!” But how about those other joyous occasions and achievements which often go unrecognized like big wins at work, kids success at school, etc? Sending notes of congratulations on beautiful personalized stationery to help your loved ones celebrate the happy moments in their lives will make them forever grateful…and they may even return the favor when you get good news of your own! An example of an easy and elegant “Congrats!”: Dear Janel, I just heard the fun news! I know you’ve been looking into adopting a pet for quite some time. Congratulations on the new addition to your family! Jan told me that Sparky is just adorable and I can’t wait to meet him myself. Here’s to years of long walks and good times with your newest furry friend. Casey A few tips to follow: Make it clear in the first sentence or two why you are writing (so the congratulations does not sound like an afterthought) Get the note in the mail as soon as possible after you hear the good news. Say the word “Congratulations.” There’s no other word in the English language to express the same sentiment....Read More
Texting and instant messaging are common ways of communicating with friends these days, but writing a letter is a traditional, effective way of bringing a smile to someone’s face. Whether you write a letter using email or mail it the old fashioned way, the form is the same: a friendly letter should include a salutation, inquiries about your friend, news about your life and an appropriate closing. Whether children and teens miss friends who’ve moved away or want to keep in touch with family while traveling, letter writing is the key to ongoing communication. Invite young adults to write letters to classmates, postcards from travels, and e-mails to family and friends.  There are endless possibilities for this type of communication! Bold Bordered Postcards Send your quick hellos and short reminders on these boldly bordered postcards with matching personalization. Size: 5 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ Border & Ink Colors: Red, Blue or Green Two Color Correspondence Cards Let your creativity flow with these two color correspondence cards.  Choose one ink for the border and your last name, and a second for your first name. Optional printed envelopes available What will you write about in your letter? Tell your friend about something...Read More
Date and sign your letter. In the technologically advanced world we now live in we’ve become spoiled. We’re so used to our email dating and signing everything for us that some people actually forget these two important things when handwriting a note. You may be asking why you need to date it. Well, if the recipient chooses to keep the letter for sentimental reasons it’s nice to have the date on it so they know when they received it. The signature is important for obvious reasons. If you don’t sign your name they won’t know who it’s from. Write clearly. This tip isn’t just about grammar. We also mean penmanship. When you write a letter you need to use decent handwriting. For some of you this might be asking a lot, but at least try. Proper grammar is also important when writing a letter. Try to avoid spelling errors. Nice handwriting and proper grammar not only makes the letter easier to read, it makes it look nice too. Get personal. You don’t have to write about all the intimate details of your daily life, but there’s nothing worse than getting a letter that seems like it was written and then...Read More
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