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
Sounds very British. I've always been intrigued by why we did have to learn calligraphy in school (I am not originally from the United States and my country was once colonized by the British) but the older I become, the more I appreciate the artistry of calligraphy. I remember in high school that one gentleman took his love of calligraphy from school and became a professional calligrapher, with clients that included even the Queen of England herself. He would always give us a neat demo every time he visited. It's great to know that there are people out there who still appreciate good penmanship.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your charming and interesting comment, which I'm sure readers will appreciate as well. Please do drop by here anytime with your observations, experience, and comments.
DeleteOf course, I'm entirely curious about where you live. Who wasn't colonized and/or occupied by the British at one point or another? (Including where I live, in the United States.) But please do me a favor: add some initials (or even a fake name) to your comments, so I can keep up. And PLEASE do keep sharing your memories, and wisdom!
Andrew
How do I find a calligrapher? I need one quick!
ReplyDeleteEasy enough, Debby. Just Google 'Calligrapher in your city' and websites in your area will pop up.
DeleteThanks to my husbands successes, I guess we are now included among the new rich and your blog has been extremely helpful in so many ways, especially all your articles about social correspondence. I just wanted to say thank you. Matilda
ReplyDeleteThanks for saying that, Matilda. You just made my day. And congratulations on the new rich thing. Hope you're having fun with it.
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