Christmas Cards for the Rich!

Have you started your holiday greeting cards yet? I know it's only mid November, but with so much to do for the holidays it's best to get started on the greeting cards right away.

In the world of the rich greeting cards are not optional. In fact they're mandatory, and Hallmark cards aren't going to cut it. (Sorry Hallmark, no offense intended whatsoever.)

In early September I ordered the necessary number of personalized greeting cards my rich employer requires, and in October delivered them to our calligrapher for addressing the envelopes. In fact, she'll have them ready by the end of this week - plenty of time for my dotty old employer to add his signature or personal hand-written words, as he so desires.

I know there are beautiful cards out there in every elegant department store and boutique, with designs by the best of artists. But around here we always resort to Crane and Company - makers of fine stationary for the rich, and the very paper our United States dollars are printed on.

From this company you can get a nice box of 100 personalized greeting cards (including your own inside message and choice of fonts and colors) for easily under $500 dollars. In fact, the more cards you order, the lower the price per card. They also have pre-made cards that drops the price considerably, almost down to Hallmark prices. But at least you'll still have the Crane & Company insignia.

The thing is, social correspondence for the rich is a deadly serious business. If you have time for further reading on the subject, several months back I wrote four different posts about the importance of hand-written communications in the world of the rich.

RSVP, Invitations, and Regrets;
Thank You Notes;
Stationery for the Rich;
Calligraphy for the Rich.

I hope this hasn't been too long or overbearing, but if you wait 'til the last minute to do your greeting cards then the whole attempt might become more of a chore rather than the pleasure it should be in reaching out to say "Hello" to our friends and loved ones at this special time of year.

Thanks for dropping in this evening,

Andrew

Shut Down the Holidays!

Okay, so Halloween is behind us and the tidal wave is just ahead - Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's in rapid order.

Even though it's still two months out we're beginning to hear Christmas jingles on the TV, right? And all the stores and shops are starting to gear up. The Hallmark channel has already knocked The Golden Girls off the air and started their sappy reruns of lugubrious holiday movies.

In my naiveté, the thought occurs to me that since our current dysfunctional Congressmen are so prone to shutting things down (like the United States government for example), perhaps they could do something truly beneficial for the American people just for once and shut down the holidays.

Not forever, mind you. Just this one year and give us a break. I'm sure we could all use a rest from the annual onslaught of commercial fawning that denigrates the holidays in the first place - not to mention leaving us exhausted and throwing us all into debt.

As popular as this idea might be in the polls, if history is any indication Congress would probably just kick the holidays down the road a few months - shoving Thanksgiving and Christmas right up against Easter and Spring Break. And what good would that do anyone?

The reason this comes up, with the divorce and the new girlfriend on the scene I have no idea what to expect these coming holidays, no clue whatsoever as to how to proceed or prepare, and I'm dreading it no end. With the former wife there would have been endless parties and galas, well planned in advance. But this year, who knows?

Thanks for stopping by tonight. I do hope your holiday plans and preparations are a little less frustrating than mine. But it sure would be sweet to just skip it all for one year.

Andrew