Thank You Notes

Thank You Notes:  Putting pen to paper. Do people still do that? Ahhh, the art of the thank you note.

Are thank you notes still custom? Not thank you texts and not high fives on the way out the door, but genuine and heartfelt thank you notes. We mean like the good old fashioned way of taking pen to paper and letting someone know you’re thankful.

Do people still do that?

More often than not, we receive a text just a little while after the fact that goes something like, “Bob and I had a wonderful time last night. Let’s do it again soon,” and while a thank you text like this works, there’s just something missing. 

You’d be right in saying that it gets the job done. In fact, it’s even appreciated when someone sends a thank you text after a nice night out on the town. However, there’s just something special to be said when it comes to receiving a handwritten thank you note versus a quick thank you text.

It’s elegant and feels nostalgic in a way (Crazy, I know, that receiving a letter would feel nostalgic.) Although a thank you text will suffice, a thank you note is much more impressive and meaningful. In our opinion, a well-written thank you note is certainly worth the effort.

When it comes to writing thank you notes, our go-to formula looks a little something like this: 

Dear…

1. Thank you so much for… (name the gift or thing you’re thankful for!) 
2. Tell what you most enjoyed about the gift or describe what the action meant to you (Be specific!)
3. Say what the person means to you and how much it meant to receive the gift or action from them specifically

Thank you so much again!

Sign your name here!

Add a few tweaks here and there and you’ve got it! It really is just that simple. You see, everyone enjoys a nice thank you note because when they receive it, it becomes evident how much time and effort the person took to thoughtfully put into writing -- on nice stationery-- just how thankful they really were!

Now that we’ve gotten the foolproof thank you note formula out of the way, I have one question to ask you before we go any further. Do you own nice stationery? 

My friend once said she was going to write a nice thank you note as soon as she found the perfect stationery. So, instead of waiting for her to find the perfect stationery, I found my own and wrote her a note using the formula above.

 On a nice card stock personalized note card, I wrote a note saying that I hoped she would find a nice personalized note card of her own so that we could continue sending notes to each other. 

Long story short, she did, and shortly after, I received a highly inappropriate note from her thanking me.

This story goes to show that personalized stationery and a hand-written thank you note really do go a long way in creating lasting and meaningful relationships with the friends, family, and colleagues in your life. 

If you’re on the hunt for a set of personalized stationery of your own, here are a few local places that will do you write! (My number of “mess up” cards is down to two from usually three or four, so make sure you have plenty of note cards on hand!) 

You can procure the perfect stationery, among other great stuff at: 

• Soiree Signatures
• My Lady Dye
• Chapel Farm Collection

If you’re anything like me, you recognize the importance and appeal of sending and receiving a hand-written thank you note, but you also know it seems a whole lot easier to just shoot a quick text or give a swift pat on the back on the way out the door. 

Although this might be true, trust me when I say there is something sincerely special about an age-old hand-written thank you note, and once you have the perfect stationery in hand, there’s no excuse not to join the tradition. 

P.S.: I like P.S. Afterthoughts… the salutation is the hardest part.

Bonus: Grief Notes:  

I was at his side when Willie died. He was a loyal friend, kind, and always good to me. He was a gentle giant who could be counted on for a good time on any occasion or any adventure you could conjure up. He made friends easily. He loved boating, the beach, swimming or just sitting on the wharf with friends, enjoying a good breeze. And he was a foodie.

Willie did have a bit of a stubborn side, but you always knew where you stood with him. He was a good communicator and wasn’t shy about sharing his opinion. He was especially demonstrative about letting you know how happy he was to see you, even after he became ill. He was a very special guy and loved everyone. I wish everyone was like that. He will be missed by all but not forgotten.

P.S. Grief notes are more valuable than thank you notes. Let it out. Express yourself and your feelings. Healing and cleansing at the same time. Good for the soul!

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