Courage

It takes a lot of courage just to live these days. Courage to make the right choices. Courage to do the right thing and not say the wrong thing.

It's so much easier, it seems to me, to live cowardly. But not in the long run.

Starbucks

Is it me or does Starbucks just have the best customer service? What a model!

They somehow make drinks, take orders, use that crazy steaming machine and still manage to be polite, greet you with a smile and say thank you.

According to my cousin Rob, Starbucks and Chik-fil-a are the only two places you can get that kind of customer service.

Clearly, he has yet to order stationery from his favorite cousin.

Beautiful weddings

I attended a bridal show today. What a lovely group of people. It is so fun to assist brides in picking out the perfect wedding invitation.

I didn't have this kind of selection when I chose my own wedding invitation just twelve years ago. Now there are some for every imaginable theme! .... Destination, autumn, calla lillies, even pears!!

I just wanted something with a little color...!

Autumn

It's beautiful here today.

Crisp.
Warm.
Sunny.
Golden.

It's a pretty great day here.

Autumn is a special time. Time for reflection. Time for resting. Time for preparation for the winter ahead.

Many beautiful weddings are in the fall. Lots of gorgeous invitations to chose from.

It's also a good time to re-evaluate. Did you do a good job over the summer keeping in touch with people? It's easy to get off track with the nice weather, kids out of school, all the vacations.

Take some time to re-connect.

Keeping in touch

This past week I stopped to see a friend that I hadn't seen or really talked to in 19 years. And I. looked. terrible.

My hair was frizzy.
My make up was all but rubbed off.
My t-shirt had a baby stain on it.
My jeans were completely bagged out.
And my toenail polish was chipped.

But I stopped anyway. And he opened the door, gave me a huge hug and we caught up. 19 years in about 19 minutes. Funny how you can just summarize so much living in that short amount of time.

And I didn't care one bit about my hair, or my toes or my clothes. And I'm sure he didn't either.

After that, I stopped to see another friend. But he wasn't able to throw his arms around me because he passed away in May. But I still stopped to pay my respects and have, albeit one-sided, a conversation. And he didn't care what I looked like either. I did a good job of keeping in touch with him over the years and yet, I almost, almost, didn't stop to see my friend that is still living. Just because of some stupid self-doubts over my appearance.

Don't let anything - not anything - get in the way of keeping in touch with people.

Not your messy handwriting.
Not your lack of cool stationery or stamps or addresses or phone numbers.
Not your fear that you will catch them at a bad time.
Not your poor spelling or your bad grammar.
Not anything.

A post about boys

"What do you think about boys?"

I was asked this past weekend by someone quite a bit younger than myself. And after hemming and hawing around a bit,mostly within my own head, things like:

"Quite a necessary evil"
"Not bad with a little salt"

I concluded, out loud to her, that I think boys are terrific IF you are in a good place yourself.

This may be where I lost her. Her being 7 and all.

Where you come from

As a big fan of stationery, I am always on the lookout for cute items.

These are a definate qualifier.

These round labels are adorable and you can chose the stick figure that most closely resembles you or your house! There's even a palm tree option which I promptly ordered for my mom in Florida.

Fun!

Party all the time

You know what we don't have enough of anymore?

PARTIES!!

Think about having one before the end of this year. In fact, have two. Just get together with your friends, have a few snacks, a few drinks and enjoy entertaining and being entertained.

If you need party invitations, we have a great selection!

Have fun!!

Customer Service

When asked if I believe in customer service my answer is obviously "Yes, of course!" However, yesterday I got to talking with my husband about customer service and the one-way-ofness that it seems to have in its definition.

I was speaking with an architect regarding our home. He was reviewing some of his qualifications and I was so excited because it seemed that perhaps this was going to be an answer for us and someone we could work with. I think he was thrown, though, when I told him how excited I was to meet him and looking forward to our appointment.

And it occurred to me that maybe we too often think of customer service being about the vendor servicing the customer. And what we really need to think about is how we can all serve each other. It isn't as if the "customer" is the king. I don't think I really believe that the more I think about it. I think more that YOU are important. Whether you are buying from me or selling to me.

What's important is that we are of service to each other. Regardless of what we buy and sell.

An Attitude of Gratitude

I am so thankful for my health.
I am so thankful for my wonderful husband.
I am so thankful for my beautiful mother
I am so thankful to have had an amazingly energetic father
I am so thankful for my smart, wise, tender-hearted sister
I am so thankful for my dependable, steady, encouraging brother-in-law
I am so thankful for my adorable niece
I am so thankful for my awesome friends
I am so thankful for my home
I am so thankful for my pets
I am so thankful for my business
I am so thankful to have a place to live and food to eat
I am so thankful to live in a country where I am free
I am so thankful to those who make that possible
I am so thankful that I worship a God who loves me

Christmas in September?

Yes, Virginia, you can order Christmas and Holiday cards as early as September. In fact, it makes a lot of sense to do so.

If you order your cards before September 30, you can received FREE return address printing on the back envelope flap. Now THAT is a time saver!

Check out the links at the top right of the page or click here for terrific Christmas and Holiday card selections.

Keep writing!!

Beautiful colors

There is a bride I am getting ready to meet with today. Her colors are red, orange, pink and yellow. Don't you like her already?

How do you pick colors for a wedding? Or your favorite color for that matter? Can your favorite color change through the years.

I used to love red. And, when asked what color I best represented, 9 out of 10 people surveyed said "RED!". (#10 was my husband who said 'burnt orange' - more on this later.)

But lately, I have been gravitating more towards pink as my favorite. I don't know when this change occurred... maybe I am mellowing. Or maybe just a shade off my normal self.

But, last week, I started carrying my red leather purse again in honor of the season's change. Paired with my red leather shoes and a cute outfit I did start to feel a little like my old self.

What can I expect to spend on wedding stationery?

Another question I am frequently asked, "What can I plan to spend on wedding invitations?". Answering this is a bit like quoting a price for a car - are you buying a Volaire or a Cadillac?

However, probably the best number I have ever heard and what I've found from my own experience is that you can expect to budget 3-5% of your wedding budget for your stationery needs.

There are so many options out there now that I have always been able to match up a bride with wedding invitations and stationery that she loves and that are within her budgeted amount. Like anything, she may pay a little more than she anticipated but only if she really, really loves it and wants to have it.

When you think about the entire wedding budget, 3-5% is a pretty small amount to spend for the first impression all the guests will have of the wedding event.

Need any help with narrowing down your decisions? Just email me: sales@finestinvitations.com. It's what I do!

Did you write a note today?

Did you write a note to someone today? There are so many benefits. I found this wonderful post about this very subject. He says it very well.

If you need some beautiful stationery, click on the link to the right. Otherwise, take out a notepad and a pen and get to writing.

Please keep in touch with people. You will make their day and boost yours in the process.

When to order & when to send

I am frequently asked "When should I send out my wedding invitations?" and "When should I order my wedding invitations?"

The wedding stationery ordering can take place 7-12 months before your wedding. It can even be earlier than that if you have your venue scheduled, ceremony time, groom picked out, etc. But, typically, 7-12 months is the timespan for ordering.

As far as sending them out, 6-8 weeks in advance of the ceremony date is standard.

There are some nice options out there now for brides and grooms who want to have their guests "Save the Date". These can be sent 6-12 months ahead of the wedding date.

Hopefully, deciding on your wedding stationery is a highlight in your wedding preparation plans. If you have any questions, I am available to help: sales@finestinvitations.com.

Just email and ask!

Two good reasons

I had my annual breast scan performed this morning.

If you need to know why to have your breast examined by yourself and your doctor;
If you need a good reason to put your wife on the phone and call for an appointment;
then read this post by Jenne Fromm, National Spokesperson for the 3Day Breast Cancer Walk: "Everyone Deserves A Lifetime"

Just make an appointment, any appointment, and get things checked out.

Please.

What's the deal with the two envelopes?

Occasionally, I am asked why wedding invitations have two envelopes: one outer and one inner.

With the advent of the printing press, now the "common folk" not just nobility and royalty were able to have beautifully printed invitations. These invitations were delivered by hand courier to the house of the guests. Couriers, in these times, were not known for their clean hands..and let's face it...we are talking about a period of time when refuse was present in the streets.

Therefore, the invitation was enclosed inside another envelope. Once it arrived at its destination the outer envelope was discarded and only the inner one (and the CLEAN one) was placed in the hands of the honored guests.

A show of luxury and expense is still important today. Before any of the guests see the bridal gown or the flowers or even hear any of the music, their first impression of the event is the invitation. It sets the tone and the anticipation for the event.

Most brides today will spend the extra money to make their wedding's first impression a great one.

Pen At Hand

Pen At Hand is a terrific company and offers many, many options for personal stationery, note cards, invitations, address stickers and more! .... All with the original stick figure logos.

That is why I love this company... you can buy a gift for someone (yourself included) and design the character to look just like the person... right color hair, face...even pick an activity - tennis, golf, driving a minivan, talking on a cell phone.

I love these items!!

If you would like to order any of these items, just email us @ sales@finestinvitations.com and let us know!

Organized for Success

Helpful hints to improving your letter writing

1. Buy some beautiful/fun/funky/gorgeous stationery.


2. Carry some of it with you: in your car, at your office, in your purse.


3. Buy a book of stamps and keep them with the stationery.


4. Keep your address book handy.


5. Write a note whenever you get a moment!




Take a moment and make someone's day!

Writing Thank You Notes

Dear Reader,

Thank you for logging on to my blog. I appreciate the time you spend here. There and so many demands on your time that I love it you spent some of it here with me.

I hope you found this site helpful and informative and, maybe, a bit entertaining.

Please check back with us.

Until then,
CC

p.s. The lost art of letter writing includes writing Thank You notes. They couldn't be easier - just use this 3 step process:
1. Thank & Name the gift
2. State something personal about the gift: how you are going to use it, what it means to you, what you think of when you see it.
3. State something personal about the giver.

It doesn't have to be in this order. The important thing is to WRITE THE NOTE and then MAIL THE NOTE!

You can do it!!

Is she in her write mind?

I have always loved stationery. So, a few years ago, when I had a chance to buy a business with a terrific web presence and 75 stationery books I jumped at it. With the on set of email, texting and cell phones you may wonder why paper? Isn't that going away?

I hope not.

Maybe letter writing and communicating by paper is becoming a lost art. But it doesn't have to be.

Think about the last time you went to the mail box and there was a colored envelope - a real one: not the one with colored paper in it containing a shut off notice.

Or a letter with a hand written return address: not a computer generated font, but a real live person actually wrote your name and address.

I love it.
It makes me feel special.
It makes me feel like someone took the time out of their busy lives to sit down and invest some of that time in me.

My company's goal is to help strengthen your realtionships with memorable, tangible communications.

And, with this blog, we are going to help you do that.