I am a sucker for greeting cards, especially pretty, witty, quirky ones. Part of the reason for this is probably because I am a child of the 60s and we did not even consider spending on cards. We'd make our own. We'd overwork our creativity to come up with (what we thought was) brilliant cards. In our family, a rather large extended one, I might add, everyone looks forward to my cards - be it birthday, anniversary, or just for no reason. I like doing that.
I never enjoyed writing letters on post cards. It always felt much better to make a card, use pretty letter paper to write my letter, and then, put both inside a specially decorated envelope and imagine that the recipient would cherish and treasure it for a long time.
And they did, you know. The recipients, I mean. In fact, each time I visited my aunts and uncles, they'd pull out the latest bunch of cards and letters and show it off to anyone who was ready to see.
On a side note, after the first time, I was more careful about what I wrote!
While growing up, my Mom always encouraged me to create handmade cards, and I am glad to say I still do it. It is a sort of family tradition.
When my son turned one year old, I made 100 invitation cards-by hand. Animal shaped and colored. Of course, I started a month ahead, making a few each day, so as to have them ready a week before the day of the party. Yes, my son helped. Go on, smile!
As long as my Mom was alive, we could rely on a handmade card from her for every little celebration, and not just the birthdays and anniversaries. She was all about the thank you cards, and the surprise I-love-yous.
Tomorrow's our 20 th wedding anniversary, and we know that our son, who is away at college, is busy writing a poem to accompany the card he has made. So yes, he's in the digital age and will email it to us. And we welcome this, as it is far easier to access, and enjoy it for years to come.
When he was at home, he would make massive cards-more like banners, to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. And we loved them!
Over the years, we've quietly evolved, thanks to technology that has made life far easier, especially with communication. Gone are the days when we had no choice but to snail mail a card. Now, we can send, via email, any number of cards, thanks to lovely online sites. I love to send and receive cards, and my family knows it. I am glad I can do it in an eco-conscious manner by going digital. My feet may be large, but I don't want my carbon footprint to match!
I especially love sending personalized picture cards to family and friends, with photos from our travel to different places. I remember how my uncles wanted our pic with The Dalai Lama, so we made a few cards to send them!
Also, each time I send my son a parcel, I like to add a little card to it with a loving message before I head out to the post office to send it.
Right now, I am busy working on a card design for my niece's baby shower at Paperless Post, one of my favorite design-focused websites for cards. Don't you love the name? Don't let that fool you, though. Besides online cards for all sorts of occasions, they also design and print them, if you want. Because sometimes you just have to send them out, no?
I really love their humorous cards! Go check it out.
Celebrate life's most memorable moments with lots of beautiful cards that you can personalize with their smart online tools. Play with the colors and shapes and sizes.
Just some of the fun ways to make use of the site are:
- Valentine's day cards - d'uh!
- Birthday cards
- Wedding cards
- Save the dates
- Announcements
- Invites
- Thank you cards
- Anniversary cards
- Celebrating milestones
- Surprise parties (of course!)
- Graduation day parties
- Get-togethers
- Business events
- Baby announcements
- Baby shower invitations
- You name it.
I am already using them, and to show my love for them, I am giving away 1,000 coins (a $90 value) that you can use on Paperless Post for some exciting electronic cards and notes.
Ooh, announcing that made me feel like a Queen on a throne!
To be eligible to win . . .
. . . here's what you must do: comment and share
Comment, answering the following:- Tell me about your favorite greeting card, why, and who sent it to you
- Tell me how you will use the 1000 coins at Paperless Post
Writer, editor, blogger, social media enthusiast. Love DIY, Coffee, Music, Reading, Photography, Family, Friends and Life. Mantra: Happiness is a DIY Project. In my free time I play with my dust bunnies and show my diabetes who's boss. Tweet as @vidyasury
