It's in the cards

A selection of my holiday stationery

     My wrists and fingers have been giving me some trouble over the past week, so I haven't been able to get my holiday thank you notes out as promptly as I had hoped.  I really like handwritten correspondence, and in our ever paperless world, sometimes the only opportunity for me to send a note or card is as a thank you for a gift or hospitality. 

      Since my elementary days writing an Irish pen pal, I've also really enjoyed choosing beautiful stationery to express my thoughts. My early selections were scrolled with ballerinas, puppies and flowers, and I had a very bright folder of Lisa Frank paper and stickers that I was quite proud to mail. Next, in college and my first years working, I loved to buy notecards decorated with the works of some of my favorite artists. These cards were pretty and vibrant, and reminded me of museum visits in the United States and Europe each time I opened my paper drawer. 

      When I became a married lady, I was thrilled (THRILLED!) to order my first formal stationery. Since I was young, I had admired the engraved monograms on cards sent by my great aunts and I had pored over the sections in our etiquette books that covered what items belonged in a well stocked stationery portfolio. It might seem archaic to wait until I was married to get nice personal stationery, but I was trying to be practical. I didn't want to invest in good paper and be left with an unused pile in my maiden name once I married.

     My favorites are from Crane&Co. I think there is something luxurious about the weight and texture of their papers and the designs are simple and elegant. For all occasions, I have copper monogrammed notecards in a creamy ecru, and I also get seasonal cards with my full name embossed across the bottom (even though I was excited to have a married monogram, I still like seeing my maiden name spelled out in ink). To fill out my paper drawer, I also pick up the occasional box of cards inspired by Asian art (such as Koizumi's birds above) that can usually be found on the discount shelves at bookstores.