Summer Projects

I grew up in a house with good ole fashioned, traditional values. We ate dinner every night as a family, we went to church on Sundays, we held grandma’s arm when she walked, and we always sent thank you notes.  Before toys were unpackaged or checks were endorsed, we sat with a stack of note cards and a list of recipients, expressing gratitude.

Times are different now. Things, information, even friendship…it all comes easier. We can go shopping from our living room, have questions answered and techniques explained instantly, and we can send a quick email out at any time of the day to say anything we need to say. Life is simultaneously better and worse, more connected and more estranged, and simpler and more complicated than ever. But there are some traditions worth the effort to preserve.

I believe that families should spend as much time together as they can…eating or otherwise. I believe that whatever you stand for or believe in, that you should do it faithfully with your whole heart. I believe that our elders should be respected, revered, and tended to like royalty. And I believe that a gift deserves a note of thanks.

I also believe that this modern day world with its ease and savvy can help to preserve these deep and treasured traditions. Paper Coterie’s new line of everyday cards, for example, is such a great way to honor the spirit of a personalized card while embodying the luxury of technology. I was able to quickly make up this set of thank you cards for my daughter to send out after her 6^th birthday. Rather than both of us laboring over a dozen handwritten notes for hours, I could quickly order up these personalized cards without leaving home. The greatest part is that with every ‘thank you’, the addressee gets a picture of the thanks giver…a gift all its own! And there are still plenty of ways to involve my daughter in the process of giving thanks…to help her to learn and grow to cherish those values as well.

I can think of a million uses for these cards…invitations, change of address, birth announcements. I’ve even made a set with a blank back to have on hand for when I need to send a quick and cute note.

I love the opportunities to bring back a little human connection, thoughtful detail, and heartfelt thanks…all while I’m at home in my jammies!

To see more of Maegan’s creativity, you can find her here.