One grief counselor told a woman who was wondering what to say to a grieving friend that you will never know what to say. This problem often rears its head when looking for sympathy cards. When sending out a note to a friend in mourning, it’s easy to feel a loss for words. Any thought or sentiment can sound shallow or meaningless in the face of what your loved one is going through.

There are some obvious statements that you can and should put in your sympathy cards. Saying “I’m sorry for your loss” might seem weak or trite, but it doesn’t matter. Put it in your own words if you have to, but no matter what, these words won’t sound empty to the person in mourning.

Let the person who has experienced a loss know that you will help them in any way in the sympathy cards. And then follow through. Talk to them once and ask if there is something you can do, and give them suggestions. If you know they have a lawn that is being ignored, tell them you can go over on Monday to mow it. Or let them know in your card that you donated money in the name of their loved one to a charity. Don’t be pushy – you might really want to help, but they might be overwhelmed. If they turn down help, give them some space. Come back in a month to see what you could do then.

Use the card to tell a positive story about the deceased. Giving a concrete story is better then generic adjectives. Write down something small that happened with you and the deceased that the person in mourning didn’t know or wouldn’t remember. These sorts of little moments can mean more than any sort of bouquet or frozen meal. One woman mentioned a story between her and her aunt to a cousin mourning her mother’s loss. It was a small moment of silliness that passed between the woman and her aunt, a joke the aunt told about her life as a kid. The cousin never knew the story and later told the woman how much it meant to have that written reminder of her mother in a playful mood.
Remember that you might never know what to say, and that’s okay. Try not to shy away or overwhelm the mourner. Be sensitive to their needs, whatever they may be. And keep trying to learn what they need, whether that be helping around the house now, proving food for later or lending an ear in a few months, after the funeral is over and the guests have gone home.

If you happen to be looking through cards on the Internet to send for a special occasion, its likely that you’ll see sympathy cards among the categories listed.

Believe it or not, you can pick out a card and e-mail it to a friend or family member with a few simple clicks.

Although this is an extremely easy and efficient way of conveying a message to someone, make no mistake: it is not appropriate to send to someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one!

Besides being impersonal, unsympathetic and out right tacky, sending an e-card to express condolences is just plain rude.

It is a matter of simple etiquette. Sending out hand written condolences shows that you have good manners and are a thoughtful person. On the same token, thank you cards should also be written by hand and never sent via e-mail.

If a letter is hand written, it shows that you took the time to think about what you wrote. You took time away from your computer and your otherwise hectic schedule to collect your thoughts into a few sentences that will let someone know that you are thinking of them.

How warm would you feel if such a card was sent to you?

Immediately after hearing the sad news, an appropriate condolence card should be mailed out. However, it’s equally important that you follow up with a phone call up after you have allowed a sufficient amount of personal time for the grieving.

Choosing a simply white card with an small embellishments on the front can serve many purposes. Send them out for condolence cards, thank you cards and greeting cards.

Be careful not to pick out blank cards that have excessive decoration or color on them; they won’t be as versatile, and if you use a card like that to convey sympathy, it might come across as brash or rude.

Even if your chosen condolence card already has a default message on the front, you still need to include a personal note on the inside.

Regardless of how little time you have to spare, it’s important that you dedicate some of it to sending hand written sympathy cards rather than simply sending an e-mail to let someone know you care.

Writing letters often seems like a lost art; however, hand written sympathy cards will never go out of style or be replaced by electronics. They will forever be the standard in times of loss and grieving.

When someone is grieving, knowing that someone has empathy for their situation makes the entire grieving process a tad bit easier for them.

Sending out cards is an excellent way to share your thoughts, and picking out the best card for the occasion will show your loved one that you are considerate enough to make a thoughtful decision during this difficult time.

Save The Date Announcements And Save The Date Invites Are Popular, But When Should You Send Them?

With custom save the date stationery, timing is everything

Save the date announcements have made their way into mainstream wedding planning and wedding etiquette. When I got married, lo those many years ago (13 to be exact), save the date invites were hardly used at all and then only for destination weddings or holiday weekend weddings.

White Rose Save the Date Card

These days, it seems that everyone is using wedding save the date personalized stationery to announce their forthcoming nuptials. So what are save the date cards and how are they used? Continue reading ‘Save The Date Announcements & Save The Date Invites From Giftsin24.com’ »

Writing business thank you notes is the just the first step in mastering business thank you note etiquette

They say that golf is essential to doing business. I don’t know about that, but I do know that etiquette is. Practicing proper business etiquette takes you (and your business) to the next level of professionalism in the eyes of your business partners, vendors and clients. That’s why learning how to write business thank you cards is so important.

Writing business thank you notes gives you a competitive edge

Knowing how to write a business thank you gives you the leg up

Business thank you note etiquette ranks among the top skills all professionals should hone in their arsenal of business etiquette tactics. Writing business thank you notes is as important as paying your bills on time and knowing your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. Believe it or not, learning how to write business thank you cards gives you a competitive edge. Continue reading ‘How To Write A Business Thank You Note and When To Send It’ »

September Is National Courtesy Month, So What Exactly Is The Meaning Of Courtesy?

I find ‘courtesy’ to be an interesting word, probably because we unfortunately don’t hear it too often. I assumed I understood the meaning of courtesy, but I looked it up, just in case.

The meaning of courtesy

Dictionary.com kindly informs me that ‘courtesy’ has a number of definitions; those most closely applying to our discussion include:

• 1. Excellence of manners or social conduct; polite behavior.
• 2. A courteous, respectful, or considerate act or expression.
• 3. Indulgence, consent, or acquiescence
• 4. Favor, help or generosity

I like it!

Striving for proper etiquette and the core meaning of courtesy

One of my career aspirations in younger years was to be an etiquette consultant – can you imagine the pressure of constantly trying to be perfect – and teaching others to strive to do the same? I’m glad I let that one go. I do still value and appreciate manners, and I think courtesy is a core value of good manners, as reflected in definition #1. Continue reading ‘September is National Courtesy Month’ »

Write a thank you message that captures the power of Thank You

One of my most important goals in life is to teach my children that the simple act of saying ‘thank you’ is among the most important things they can do. Of course, saying ‘please’ ranks right up there, but ‘thank you’ takes the cake for me.

Teach children to say thank you

Two simple words – thank you – hold so much power. Saying thank you not only expresses gratitude but also respect, courtesy and often love. For a child, saying thank you is short and sweet. For us grown-ups, it can become a more intricate task, especially when we are putting our thoughts into writing.

I would certainly say there is an art to good thank you note wording.

My mom writes me thank you messages for just about everything. I save all of them, not only because it makes me feel good to read them, but also because they are treasure troves of memories, helping me recall how we celebrated special occasions and how I expressed my love to her in gifts.

How to Write Thank You Notes

For me, the number one rule in how to write thank you cards is to try not to make it read like a thank you note. Confused? How boring is it to read “Thank you for the blender. It blends really well. We will get a lot of use out of our blender. Thanks again.” Blah. Instead, try something like… Continue reading ‘Thank You Card Wording And How To Write Thank You Notes’ »

Busy Summer? Don’t Forget Summer Thank You Cards For All of Your Events

From summer thank you letters to wedding thank you cards, make sure you remember to say thank you

I love receiving handwritten summer thank you cards in the mail. There’s something very special about reading messages from loved ones when you know they put time and thought into writing. With that in mind, I always try to write my thank you notes promptly.  Summer thank you notes are often more challenging, with all of summer’s distractions, but they’re just as important as any other time of year.

What better time to order summer thank you notes

Now is the perfect time to order personalized thank you notes for summer’s special occasions.  Summer thank you notes are nice because the design appears on the fold-over front, leaving you more room on the inside of the stationery for a lengthy message expressing your gratitude.  One of my favorite notes here at Giftsin24.com is the new Classic Monogram Note with border.  I think it looks great on white paper with a pink border.  We’ve also brought back the quirky Duet Monogram, with two letters instead of the traditional three.  Both notes, and all of Giftsin24.com’s other personalized notes, offer plenty of room for heartfelt, handwritten sentiments.

Classic Monogram Note with Border

Try summer thank you cards to remember the ones who made your summer events memorable

Summer thank you cards are another good option. Contrary to the note, the thank you card is a flat piece of paper with the printed or embossed design on the front of the card; the thank you letter is written on that same surface, rather than opening a flap to find the message inside like fold-over notes. Continue reading ‘Summer Thank You Cards & Summer Thank You Notes from Giftsin24.Com’ »

Calling Card Stationery History Brings Us Back to Customs That Have Stood the Test of Time

The history of calling card stationery spans back to an era when personal calling cards were left after finding that no one was home upon making a house visit.   Life without cell phones and computers was a different life, unimaginable to many of us today.  Yet we can still appreciate the charm of personalized calling card stationery and handwritten letters.

Personal Calling Cards of the 18th and 19th Century

In 18th and 19th century society, what we now refer to as “visiting” was known then as “calling.”  Personal visiting cards, as they were termed, actually postulated their own delivery etiquette.   As Belight Software points out, the history of business cards harkens back to a time when society embraced certain social conventions and rules of etiquette.

Personalized calling card Victorian era

Calling Cards in the Little House on the Prairie

In Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie series, there is a lovely chapter in Continue reading ‘Personalized Calling Card Stationery History & Etiquette’ »

On June 15, we received the following email from a customer:

“In this tough economy jobs for college grads are hard to come by. My son applied for a position and was one of over a hundred applicants. Only 3 of the 100 wrote a personal thank you note for the interview. His was the only one on personalized stationery. His boss recently told him that the personalized stationery was the deciding factor…the difference that set him apart from the other applicants.  Thank you “Gifts in 24″ for turning out a quality product at an affordable price for your customers such as my son.”

Wow. Does it get any more convincing than that? Out of 100 applicants, this college grad distinguishes himself with a hand-written note on personalized stationery.

I got to talk with Tyler Stricklin and his mom, Pauline, who originally shared his story with us.

Giftsin24.com: Why did you choose to write a note on personalized stationery instead of sending an email?
Tyler Stricklin: Well since I was young I was always taught to write thank you notes. They started when I was young on construction paper and over the years they have developed in to your general cards with blank space to write comments. As I graduated college I wanted to be sure that my thank you notes to employers got the point across, made a bold statement, and stuck out from the other applicants’ notes. My personalized stationery accomplished everything and more. Continue reading ‘New Grad Lands Job with Help from Personalized Stationery’ »

Weddings can be very paradoxical. Weddings are very important ceremonies, but they are also big parties. They are the end of one era of one’s life’s and the beginning of another. People are happy, but still they cry.

Now, the crunch in the economy has created yet another wedding paradox; with super spender uber rich fantasy wedding parading across the air in shows such as WeTV’s Platinum Weddings, many couples planning to marry find what they need most is a wedding planner budget worksheet not more fantasy fodder. This brings another strong paradox right into play. Continue reading ‘Start from the Invitations; A Classic Wedding on a Budget’ »