I am rather groggy and sleep deprived so grant a little grace should this post be a mumble jumble of words. A tornado watch was put up just as I was going to bed so when I heard the storms roll through about 1:00-ish, I got up to follow them on our local news channel.
While we were under severe thunderstorm warnings, the only actual rotation was in another county and once the excitement was over, I went back to bed but could not get back to sleep easily.
My ponderings this week about the pantry lifestyle were prompted by the recent season of "Hallmark Holidays" and family birthdays. No one received a card from me! I used to be so good about going to my favorite stationary store (in whatever town we lived) and stocking up a couple times a year on birthday, get well, sympathy, etc. cards.
I have even purchased beautiful cards on vacation when cute little gift shops had cards that were not available in my area. A few circumstances changed all that but they were mostly... my income went down as the price of cards skyrocketed. I can't believe how much some of those pretty cards cost these days.
It is still a good idea to plan a couple stock up dates (for me it was usually the beginning of the year and summer-ish) if you send a lot of cards. I used to purchase all my birthday cards at the beginning of the year as they are easy to plan.
However, one never knows when they will need a get well or sympathy card and having them available makes it more likely one will send a card!
I know a few people who love making their own cards but the birthday, anniversary, etc. is suddenly a day away and there is no time to make one of their own and no time to shop for a card... so years go by with no cards sent. Which is why I'm planning a day this summer to make some cards ahead of time... if it is not planned it does not get accomplished.
I purchase my Christmas cards when they go on the 50% off sale each year. We just don't send out as many with the price of postage going up so much. We should have stocked up on the Forever Stamps a few years ago!
One year when Stephanie was still little, we were going to be in my husband's hometown on his elderly aunt's birthday. I had no idea what to get her until a friend said one of their best gifts they ever gave a family member in a nursing home was a box of all occasion greeting cards with a book of stamps. What a great idea and yes, it was appreciated!
Have you ever thought about how people are not writing real letters, anymore? I love getting notes from people, even if they are short (I have a big hat box filled with your cards, letters, and notes!). I keep them all! But I admit to being amiss about sending them out...
I was perusing some nonfiction books on my bookshelves yesterday and thinking how many of these books about the American Revolution came from researching letters and journals. I wonder if... a hundred years from now... historians will be perusing e-mails?
11 comments:
Now that's an interesting thought. I'm more interested, though, to know if anyone is perusing them today. < insert wry grin >
Oh we must be long-lost relatives. I receive far more cards than I send. I don't make them...don't enjoy cutting and pasting...I hate to buy them so I buy what few sympathy cards I send at BJ's for 50% off or I buy from the dollar store for birthday cards. They're not as nice, but they'll do. I'm tempted to say that it's the thought that counts, but there's not a whole lot of thought that goes into it. I must say that I have loved the note cards that so many have given to me using their very own photographs. They truly are lovely!
Stay safe out there and hope that you get to take a little catch-up nap.
Most of our cards we get in bundles from the used stores. We look through the year and get them when they are marked down even at the junk store. We have gotten many beautiful ones. There is always a steady supply of bags of cards for 99c or less. I do make cards too using things I have saved from magazines or anywhere of pictures of things relative to that person's life and gluing it onto construction paper or better paper if I have it. The savings of things of course takes much time to find enough for a card but I keep looking. My mother saved all the letters I had sent her as a very young wife and mother. What a hoot reading them now !! They were also full of information on our children't development and antics that we had forgotten. Even with all these cards around I still forget to send some! :( I sure hope these many storms settle down and the country can relax. I hope you both get some time today for a nice long nap. Sarah
...perusing e-mails and BLOGS!
I still do send occasional cards. I like to scout out the card selections at a couple of thrift stores when I go. One sells them regularly for $.45@ and has a really sweet collection. I HAVE found some for even less at another store or two. Still, when you add first-class postage to them, it all adds up :(
By the way, I spent last night in a similar way to you! And more storms predicted here this afternoon...
So glad you are safe from the tornadoes! No fun going through a sleepless night, however. Hope you get a nap today! Love, Love, Love the garden statue of the little girl holding the kittens on your deck!! SO Darling!! When the local Hallmark store near me, closed, I decided to start making my own cards. Since I'm a scrapbooker, I thought it would be an easy project. I even took some card making classes! Well, I have made a few, but I guess I'm too much of a perfectionist, so I still buy special ones when I can find one I like. It's difficult to spend $4 & $5 for a card, however! My favorite cards I've made have been ones with photos I took. I need to spend a rainy day making cards ahead of time, too. That realy does take the pressure off when you suddenly realize you need a card pronto!
Take and God Bless!
Laura C. (From WA state)
I am always on the lookout for nice cards at the thrift stores or even at yard sales. I have a big box full of cards for all occasions, including graduations since I am a substitute teacher in a very small community so I know all the kids. I also keep pretty cards that are blank inside so that I can add whatever sentiment is appropriate for the occasion. It saves me lots of money and time.
I some times find beautiful cards at yard sales. Another place that has nice cards inexpensive is the Dollar Store in our area. I'm sure your handmade ones are much nicer though.
I used to work for a greeting card and giftware company. I love cards and stationary and giftwrap...but I don't love the cost!
I've gotten very bad about sending cards and notes. I need to get better at it again. I love getting mail, myself, so I need to remember others do as well!
Deanna
I make all our cards with a Hallmark Card program. Not really cheap when you count the paper (over 50© each, the ink in the printer, and of course the program). My husband and I together have 25 grandchildren and many more great-grandchildren. We've been married ten years and I enjoy sending birthday cards to them. But, now my color printer is not working. Rather than buy another printer, I may just start buying cards at the dollar store. The homemade ones were much more versatile however and could be edited to be more personal.
I always stay up when we're under a tornado watch. My husband will go to sleep - I don't know how he does it!
We don't really send out too many cards anymore. I have found some pretty boxed ones at Goodwill. We mostly give and receive e-cards and we phone and email people. The only time I really make a point of sending a card is when I send a sympathy card.
I love this idea of having extra cards around because there have been several different times over the last year or so that something has come up and I have missed out on sending a card because I did not have time to go get a card. Thanks for sharing, Lisa :O)
Can't wait to get the new Mennonite Girls Can Cook book! It just looks beautiful and I browsed through it on amazon and it sounds terrific! Need to buy that one and "Well Fed" but you know how it goes.....
I just can't get over the price of cards these days! Yikes! They almost cost what a present in my budget costs! I do end up making mine and these days that just means I print out a whole bunch of my own photos and stick them to cardstock and get envelopes that fit the half folded cardstock. Stationery would be a whole area that it would be fun to splurge in. :)
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