1. Buy your cards anytime throughout the year, whenever the moment strikes you.
2. Get your mailing list organized before you sit down to write your cards. Doing this can help you remember everyone and can also give you a sense of completion when you've sent a card to everyone on the list.
3. Timing is important. Send your cards in early December (late November if sending overseas). Sending cards to service members overseas? Plan on sending those right after Thanksgiving to make sure they arrive on time. Sending cards to business clients? Any time between Thanksgiving Day and New Year's Day is appropriate. While it's nice that cards arrive before Christmas, better late than never.
4. Write as much or as little as you want. Don't feel that you have to draft a long missive. Sometimes the shortest notes are the sweetest. At the same time, if moved to do so, indulge yourself and share as much as you want.
5. Don't stress, Enjoy! Put on your favorite holiday music, pour yourself a glass of mulled wine, make yourself comfortable and pace and enjoy yourself.
Hello!
I wrote earlier about how much I love to send Christmas cards to people and that got me thinking about how this tradition of sending and receiving cards is so much more than an opportunity to connect with people far away.
When I was a child, my grandmother would gather us up and sit us down at the dining room table. The younger kids would get to draw and sometimes she would send these along with the cards. The older kids would help her write cards and address envelopes and put stamps on them. My grandmother would regale us with stories about who the person was or why she was writing to them. Sometimes she would share a little gossip about the person, but we often had no idea who she was talking about so it didn't matter to us. It was just nice to hear her stories.
This was something I do with my grandchildren. It's a wonderful way to keep the kids distracted while their parents are off helping Santa with his seasonal chores. In those years when the kids are busy or off elsewhere, I like to put on some holiday music, pour myself a glass of mulled wine, get comfortable and spend a few evenings writing messages to people. I am not so stuck in my ways that I believe in tradition for the sake of tradition. But when I find a tradition that keeps us together, one that allows me to show that I care about others, I try to hold onto those and share them with my family.
If sending Christmas cards is new to you, I've put a list of tips on the website.
Until next time, may your ink run clear, may you have an ample supply of stamps, and may just the right thing to say be on the tip of your tongue.
Betty
Hello!
I was visiting my new neighbor, Carol, the other day and all of a sudden she jumped out of her chair. "I'm sorry," she said in a panic, "I must do this right now."
I don't know Carol very well. She and her husband bought the house next to mine earlier this summer and we've only had a few opportunities to visit.To be honest, I haven't quite figured her out. She speaks like a dragonfly and flitters from topic to topic as if each one doesn't have what she is looking for. I sat with patient curiosity until she returned.
"I almost forgot to order my turkey," said Carol when she returned to the kitchen table. I was almost finished with my coffee and was getting ready to leave. She continues, "Every year we order a pecan smoked turkey from Texas. It's the best. They fly it right up all cooked and everything." I pondered and smiled a little at the thought of a turkey flying more smoked and roasted than it ever did alive. What a world we live in.
On the walk back to the house, I thought about how in some ways we are more connected than ever. Just a few clicks and you can have a turkey from Texas on its way to you. I get my turkey from a farmer in town. I call him every Halloween to place my order and then I'll drive over there a week before Thanksgiving. It's the one time of year we catch up. In spite of how connected we are, it can be hard to stay in touch with everybody.
That is why I love sending Christmas cards to people. It's that one time a year when I get to sit with my address book and think of all the people I know, all the people who bring me joy in my life, and reach out and touch them.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner so remember to order your Christmas cards soon!
Until next time, may your turkey be juicy, your cranberries sweet, and the whipped cream generously heaped on your pumpkin pie. I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving!
All the best,
Betty
Hello!
Sometimes I wish autumn would last forever. Emily Brontë said it best, "Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree." I dream of a world where we pick apples with the grandchildren every weekend. The smell of wood fires floats in the breeze. And the air is calm and crisp.
I love the flurry of domestic work that fall brings. The garden is harvested and put to bed. A stew simmers slowly in the crock pot. I arranged a collection of pumpkins and squash by the front door. Later today, I will drive into town to buy some ribbon to tie the corn stalks that will welcome visitors.
Tonight, I will write letters to dear friends, to summer friends who have gone south for the winter, and to kids off at school. I know they would prefer that I email, but I want them to learn the joy of receiving a piece of mail in their box. You can't feel or smell an email. Maybe I will leave my stack of cards on the shelf in the kitchen so they can collect the smell of stew cooking and think of me. Is that too much? Perhaps.
I wish you the best Fall. May your apples be crisp, your pies be delicious, and may you find bliss in every leaf....until next time.
Sincerely,
Betty
]]>
Hello.
I love visiting my sister because in the woods behind her house there is a creek. What a magical place! The water rolls gently over the rocks. Bugs whiz above the water. Lush grasses unfold themselves over the banks. Occasionally, through its gentle rumble, you hear a fish jump in the water. At different times during the year, I find flowers blooming, I hear frogs ribbiting, and sometimes, well, once really, I saw a turtle. I love to visit her creek and escape to its placidity.
Creeks remind me that places of tranquility and serenity need not be dead. I love how creeks are so full of life. When I visit, I try to capture those feelings and save them for later. When I'm thrown into the bustle of daily life, waiting in line at the post office or running the recycling to the dump, I like to think of the frogs and the turtles soaking up a sunbeam as a breeze waves through the grasses.
Kasini House Cards is pleased to offer a By the Creek Collection from Studio C. Each pack contains ten large greeting cards, two of each title, including turtles, bullfrog, frog, fish, and heron. Studio C greeting cards are 4.25”x6.25” and are printed on heavyweight matte paper. And if a single title is of particular interest, those are available, too.
May the waters that run through your life be gentle but strong.
Sincerely, Betty
]]>Hello!
If I may be so bold, there is just something wrong with you if you don't like the color purple. It's regal and joyous. I love to see it in the garden. It's the color of one of my favorite scarves. And it's wonderful when one of my friends comes to book club with streaks of purple in her hair. (I could never be so brave.) The color is long associated with royalty, magic, mystery, and piety...all good things, I think. I suppose purple is most connected with passion, a complicated emotion. When carried away, passion can take us down paths we probably shouldn't travel. But put to good use, passion can allow us to work longer and love harder.
People have a lot of passion these days and that's not always a good thing. I don't know if it's healthy to be as passionate about our opinions as we are. That is, after all, the difficulty with passions. Tempered by a good nature and strong values, they lead us to do beautiful things that make the world a better place. Enflamed, our passions can consume us. Interestingly, the leaves of some plants are purple because, scientists believe, that it protects them from getting too much sun. Purple reminds us to temper our passions, to keep them regal.
Kasini House Cards is pleased to offer a Purple Collection from Studio C. Each pack includes crocus, grape hyacinth, scilla, violets, and pansies....all beautiful exemplars of purple in nature. Studio C greeting cards are 4.25”x6.25” and are printed on heavyweight matte paper. And if a single title is of particular interest, those are available, too.
I must get back to reading because the ladies from book club are coming over tomorrow. May your passions be as harmonious as the color. And may you be brave enough to wear streaks of purple in your hair.
Sincerely, Betty
]]>Hello!
Dolly Parton sang everything about butterflies we need to know: "Love is like a butterfly, as soft and gentle as a sigh, the multicolored moods of love are like its satin wings, love makes your heart feel strange inside, it flutters like soft wings in flight, Love is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle thing."
Well, almost everything. Did you know that butterflies taste with their feet? When you think about it, butterflies are strange things. They come from eggs, they spend their youth as worms, then worms with feet, and then they wrap themselves in a sleeping bag and emerge a completely different thing. Were changing our lives so easy?
That is where Dolly's song is so apt though. Love changes you. Love makes you think and act differently. At its best, love quiets our rage and softens our demeanor. Love makes us more like the butterfly, light and airy, floating through life like we are on pillows of air. And sharing that love is a wonderful way of bringing it out in others.
Kasini House Cards is pleased to offer a Butterfly Collection from Studio C. Each pack contains ten large greeting cards, two of each title, including the popular titles Blue Butterfly, Spotted Butterfly, Sulphur Butterfly, Butterflies, plus our newest title, Butterfly Garden. Studio C greeting cards are 4.25”x6.25” and are printed on heavyweight matte paper. And if a single title is of particular interest, those are available, too.
May the love in your life be as soft and gentle as a sigh and may your garden be full of butterflies.
Sincerely, Betty
]]>Hello!
How brave is the daffodil? Unafraid to shoot up at the first sign of warm weather and unfurl its greenery and unleash its sunshine-colored petals. "I am here. I am alive. I am again," it seems to say, disregarding the likelihood that a late snow will dust it in wet, frozen powder. The daffodil perseveres.
The Latin name of the daffodil is Narcissus, a reference to the myth of the hunter who became so obsessed with his own reflection in water that he drowned. The story says the daffodil sprang from where he died. It has also been suggested that daffodils bending over streams represent the youth admiring his reflection. Mine grow around an old oak. I prefer to think of them as youth inspiring the old.
Kasini House Cards is pleased to offer Daffodil from Studio C. This watercolor is available as a greeting card, a notecard, and a gift enclosure, single or box of 10. Cards come with matching envelopes. In addition to daffodils, we have a lovely selection of flowers to brighten someone's mailbox.
I'm curious. What do you think of when you see daffodils? Visit Kasini House Cards on Facebook and tell me what you think.
Here's hoping spring comes soon and all your bulbs bloom.
Sincerely,Betty
Click here to learn more and to order.]]>Another snowstorm! Wet snow weighs heavy on the ash tree across the road. I'm not even going to bother to shovel. Instead, I will stay inside and drink hot tea and wait for warmer winds to melt it all away. I will sit and think of spring.
I love the tenacity of spring flowers. I love the idea of herbaceous bulbous perennials underneath the snow, waiting, pining. The Snowdrops, a simple and delicate flower, inspire us, perhaps because we are so excited to see signs of life after a long winter. Shakespeare wrote of making garlands of fritillaria and the rougy buds were staples of Dutch and Italian flower painting. And pansies are the happiest little flowers. I can't wait to see them for sale in the hardware store.
Kasini House Cards is pleased to offer a Spring Mix Collection from Studio C. Each pack contains ten large greeting cards, two of each title, including single Snowdrop, a bunch of Snowdrops, Fritillaria, Purple Pansies, and a Spring Mix of Lupines and Lily of the Valley. Studio C greeting cards are 4.25”x6.25” and are printed on heavyweight matte paper. And if a single title is of particular interest, those are available, too. They are the perfect card to convey a sense of hope and comfort as we wait for the real thing.
My tea waits. Maybe a bird will appear once the snow stops. May Spring come quick and your season of renewal be as tenacious as the flowers.
Sincerely,
Betty
]]>Tasty Little Things releases a dozen collage-themed greeting cards just in time for the holidays.
In the Reindeer Collage Collection, deer leap and play and the cards are greeted "Happy Holidays". The Winter Collage Collection features snowflakes, stars, gifts, and poinsettias. Cards are greeted "Season's Greetings". And in the Christmas Collage Collection, ornaments and candy canes mingle with Christmas trees and stockings. The cards are greeted "Merry Christmas". Titles are available as single notecards, in boxes of 8 notecards, and as part of a box of assorted cards.
Tasty Little Things Notecards are 5.5”x4.25” and are printed with a unique, full color pattern design. Notecards are printed on heavyweight matte paper with a blank interior. They are sold in a clear, resealable polypropylene protective bag with a matching envelope enclosed. Individual note card titles are available in sets of 8. Boxes of 8 greeting cards are packaged in a clear, resealable polypropylene protective box with matching envelopes and a heavyweight paper single-sided title card. Assorted collections include four titles, two each for a total of 8 cards.
Tasty Little Things is a line of Kasini House Cards that features eye-catching colors, shapes, and patterns on notecards, notebooks and handmirrors. Kasini House Cards makes greeting cards, note cards, gift enclosures, magnets, journals, and other stationery items. Other lines include Art Cards, Studio C, Fifi & Ave, and Zoo Zoo.
See Tasty Little Things HERE.
Hello.
When I went off to college, my mother hid a box of Thank You cards in my luggage. She was always good at finding not-so-subtle ways to remind me to be a better person and to practice etiquette. But at the time, I thought it was a personal dig at me, as if she was reminding me of her role in my graduation to adulthood. So that semester, once a week, I sent her one of those cards with a small note about how I was doing and reminding her that I was behaving myself. When I went home for Thanksgiving, I learned how I had misread her gesture.
On returning to my childhood bedroom, on my bed was another box of Thank You cards and a note that said, “While I am grateful for your correspondence, I gave you the first box so you could thank others.” And then it dawned on me. My mother was not being passive aggressive or worried that I would forget what she taught me about good manners. She was trying to teach me about the the importance of gratitude.
Gratitude is a magical, powerful thing. To be thankful to someone else, for something else is to be less self-centered, to be humble. This makes it easier for others to like and appreciate us. More importantly, it can make us less envious, less materialistic, and happier. Expressing gratitude to friends, spouses, and even strangers, humanizes the recipient and reinforces our connection to one another. Indeed, gratitude, for the big things and the small things, brings us all closer together. But don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself. Send a Thank You note to someone today and see how you feel. Bring joy to others and you will bring joy to yourself.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. May all your pies be sweet, your turkey juicy, and the people around your table as wonderful as you are.
Sincerely,
Betty
Kasini House Cards announces the launch of the Thank You Collection of cards from Studio C:
Studio C’s Collection of Thank You cards features various watercolors of fruits and flowers appropriate for any season or occasion: Peonies, lupines, hydrangeas, hyacinth, echinacea, crocus, violets, berries, and gourds. The box has ten unique cards all of which say “Thank You” on the inside. Cards come with matching envelopes. The collection is available as greeting cards and notecards. Boxes of 10 of individual titles are also available.
]]>Hello!
Farms are wonderful places. Crisp dew in the early morning, the chickens clucking as the sun rises. The cows shuffling in the barn waiting for their morning milking. The cat making his way home from a night of hunting in the field. The solitude of farm life has its ups and downs. While the quiet has a special kind of stillness, it can be lonely. It's nice to hear from friends. That's not unique to farm life. No matter where you live, it's always nice to hear from those far away.
Kasini House Cards is pleased to offer “On the Farm”, a collection of greeting cards from Studio C inspired by farm life. A cat sits in the tall grass. A horned bull grazes in a pasture. Sheep huddle together for warmth and security. And, my favorite, chickens. Each pack contains ten large greeting cards, two of each title. Studio C greeting cards are 4.25”x6.25” and are printed on heavyweight matte paper. And if a single title is of particular interest, those are available, too.
We can’t all live in the country, but we can surely appreciate it. I hope you and your family are have a serene Fall. May all your apples be ripe, all your pumpkins firm, and all your chickens make it home at night.
Sincerely,Betty
]]>Hello!
The kids are off to school. The boat is put away. The leaves, oh, the leaves are getting ready. You can just feel it. In the yard, the squirrels are busy packing away their treasures. Reminds me of a Robert Gibbs poem about a chipmunk, “This autumn when trees bolt, dark with the fires / Of starlight, he’ll curl among their roots...” You can read it here.Autumn is my favorite season for pie. They warm the kitchen and fill the house with cinnamon and nutmeg. There is a stillness to Fall that is different from other seasons. The bustle of summer recedes. The traffic slows as people get back to work. Summer friends, one by one, begin to head back to the city or South in anticipation for what is about to come. I must prepare to write them about trips to the farmer’s market, of bouquets of sunflowers and baskets of gourds and apples. Pretty soon, it will be time to carve pumpkins.
Kasini House Cards is pleased to offer this collection of Autumn-themed greeting cards from Studio C. Each pack contains ten large greeting cards, two of each title. Studio C greeting cards are 4.25”x6.25” and are printed on heavyweight matte paper. And if a single title is of particular interest, those are available, too.
I hope you and your family have a joyful Autumn. May your windows be tight and your sweaters warm.
Sincerely,
Betty
Nothing connects us more than the food we eat. Think about it. Meals gather the family at the table. Grocery shopping is an opportunity to run into friends and acquaintances. A trip to the farmer’s market lets us meet the people who work the land to grow our food.
And food brings so much color into our lives. Asparagus in Spring are often early shoots of green. What joy there is in the glistening yellow of lemons, the earthy oranges of carrots; the myriad of reds found in tomatoes and cherries. Beans and pears offer us a parade of soft greens. How would we even know about deep purple if it weren’t for eggplants and plums?
Fruits and vegetables are a feast for the eyes. Kasini House Cards is pleased to offer these thematic packs of assorted greeting cards from Studio C. Each pack contains ten large greeting cards, two of each title. Studio C greeting cards are 4.25”x6.25” and are printed on heavyweight matte paper. And if a single title is of particular interest, those are available, too.
I hope you and your family are having a wonderful Summer.
May your company be as delicious as the food you eat.
Sincerely,
Betty
(click image to view)
]]>For those of us in the Northeast, we are at the point in winter when it feels like the snow will never end. The joy of waking up to a fresh blanket of snow covering the land gives way to a quiet despondency when you realize the walkway to the house once again needs shoveling and the windshield of the car will have to be scraped before running out to the store.
But don’t despair. In the beds around the house, underneath the heaps of snow, in the ground under the autumn leaves left to mulch, a field of flowers is waiting to rise up to the sunshine. You can feel the little seeds and bulbs just thinking about it.
Below is a selection of cards to help you THINK SPRING! Kate Longmaid’s Cherry Blossoms help me meditate on the good things to come. Flower Pot from Studio C reminds me it’s time to plan my garden. I am inspired by Early Risers. Zoo Zoo’s Three Bold Bunnies make me look forward to Easter. I hope you enjoy them.
Send a card to someone you love today. It can change their day.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful February!
Sincerely,
Betty
]]>
I want to introduce myself. My name is Betty Bristol and I am the voice of Kasini House Cards. I want to tell you a story.
This past week, I’ve been feeling a little sad. The doldrums of Autumn, I suppose. Yesterday, I went to my mailbox and in between the bills and adverts was an envelope with a handwritten address. How rare it is to get one of those these days!
Inside the envelope was a note from my sister. It was nothing particularly important. She could have sent me a text message and expressed the same sentiment, but something about holding her note in my hand, knowing she held it too, made me feel connected to her. The day was less grey. The sun shone a little brighter. The air felt light.
Send something to someone you love today. It can change their day.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Sincerely,
Betty