There's nothing particularly personal about personal communication these days. We are all terribly guilty of letting our digital selves do it all. We whip off text messages instead of hand- writing thank-you notes and we (cringe) e-mail birthday party invites. Good news about babies, engagements and the like arrives in our Outlook inbox, not our mailbox. That, my friends, is a sad state of affairs.
After all, who isn't absolutely thrilled when a note, special invite or announcement is nestled in among the daily mounds of bills and junk mail?
Don't take this the wrong way. E-mail is a wonderful way to communicate quickly. When The Consumer's e-mail is out—even for an hour—tread softly.
But some communications demand a more personal touch. Many times, this means a hand-written note, preferably on personalized stationery, but off the shelf will do. Some of those occasions include, but are not limited to: thank-you's, good wishes, and condolences.
Remember all those hand-passed notes in junior high school? It's a bit like that, only way more grown up, with fancier paper, mailing addresses and postage stamps.
Nestled within the scrapbooking smorgasbord that is The JulieJane Paper Co. is Blonde Designs, a custom stationery, announcement and invitation line created by Las Vegas native Angie Gubler and her partner, Kristin Rees. Both worked at Martha Stewart Living in New York City where Gubler was art director.
Blonde's simple designs are unique in the world of personalized paper products because of their quiet brilliance. The minimalist designs, pleasing fonts, top-quality papers and subtle ink choices whisper elegance.
The JulieJane Paper Co., 452-5263.
For the first time in the 187-year history of our country's mail program, citizens can create their own stamps at Stamps.com. That photo of you from kindergarten or snapshot of your puppy can be uploaded to the website and made into a sheet of 20 US Postal Service legal stamps. It costs a little extra. One sheet of 20 stamps runs $16.99, or about 85 cents each vs. the standard 37-cent stamp. But it's worth the effort if you want extra impact. Plus, it can make letter writing more fun than it already is.
E-mail Anne Kellogg at
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