For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved the sound, feel and touch of handmade paper. If the words, *deckled edge* bring a ping to your heart, you’ve found a kindred soul.
As you read down through this post today, you will learn how to write a beautiful thank you note, { maybe on deckled edge paper? } – one that is sure to bring a smile of appreciation to its recipient.
With so much of my life lived online, slowing down enough to take the time to send a handwritten note of gratitude or appreciation on handmade stationery when someone sends me a gift brings me a moment of happiness and contentment every time I do it.
Do you feel the same way?
I love sitting down at my Grandmother’s antique secretaire, with all of its little drawers and cubbyholes in the early morning, lighting a candle, and taking the time for this ritual.
The image you see below is of this secretaire in my Mom and Dad’s Florida bedroom, taken about 12 years ago now, before we packed my Mom up to move to Texas – after my Dad passed away.
I remember my Mom sitting at this desk writing her thank you notes on her custom stationery – always Crane. It was de rigueur back then, in pre-internet days, to send handwritten thank you notes for gifts you received or lunches you attended, etc.
When we moved her to Texas, she didn’t have space for this in her new home, and so it was passed down { so thrillingly! } to me.
It has its original charming small key….and all original hardware. Pitter patter goes my heart every time I sit down at it – still to this day.
Do you have a desk like this in your own homes? I’d love to see a picture of it if you do. Tag me with it using #DesignHappyLiving over on Instagram.
So, what do I do before writing my handwritten thank you notes?
First, I carefully select the paper, thinking about the recipient and their personal style.
I have a stationery wardrobe, just like I have a clothes wardrobe, and I love choosing the style of notecard I think my recipient would love.
Then, I choose the color of pen to use, { I have lots of those, too! } to coordinate with the paper.
I also choose the type of pen to use, depending on the kind of paper I’m using, so that the ink flows and doesn’t smudge. I want the pen to feel good in my hand while writing, too.
Next, I take a minute or two, by looking into that candle, to center myself and really think about the gift I received and what it meant to me. This centering step is important to clear my mind of all its mental clutter so I can write what I genuinely want to say.
Now, I’m ready to write….
And below, my friends, is how to compose a meaningful handwritten thank you note.
If you’ve never or rarely sent a handwritten thank you note to a friend, or even just an “I’m thinking of you today note” may I suggest sending them more often?
If you make this a regular practice, for at least 6 months, I invite you to come back to this post and leave a comment, letting me know the ways in which your life has changed.
In Gratitude
Leslie
#DesignHappyLiving
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Ah! Kindred spirit here…I love beautiful stationary products and the words “deckle edge” and “fountain pen” are music to my ears! I will admit, I don’t write notes nearly as often as I should, but there is something magical about them in this digital age!
Thank you, Janet! It’s wonderful to know I have a kindred spirit in my love for beautiful stationery products. And while I don’t write as often as I should, I still do write because nothing puts a smile on someone’s face more than getting a pretty note in the mail!
It’s such a simple way to create a #designhappyliving *moment* for a special friend!
I’m just catching up…both on your blog and on my thank you notes. 😉
I lovelovelove paper. All paper. And I appreciate thank you notes – I save most of the notes I receive and have precious thank yous from people long gone.
And!!! I have my grandmother’s secretary as well! One of my most beloved possessions…my kids are all trying to tag it for when I’m gone.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful site and this post. Showing others our appreciation for their thoughtfulness is a great way to keep gratitude in focus in our lives.
Jeri:
It is so good to hear from you! Thanks for taking a minute to come over and comment. I appreciate it! It’s fun to know that you’re a fellow paper lover and that you, too, have your grandmother’s secretary! I love knowing that.
And yes, showing others our appreciation for their thoughtfulness IS a great way to keep gratitude a focus in our lives, and a key way to design a genuinely happy life.
Have a great week ahead!
This is beautiful Leslie! I love your cards and your grandmother’s secretaire is so perfect. Cubbies and secret drawers full of writing treasures!
I used the same Crane stationary cards for everything. They were white with a navy edge and then used a gold sticker seal with a J initial on the back. I stopped sending them after I had kids and then just never picked the habit back up. I should get back into it. Especially, after lighting a candle.
Hi Jennifer~
Thank you very much. I treasure my grandmother’s secretary and was always fascinated by seeing what was inside all those cubbies and drawers growing up! Now that it’s mine, I still like getting surprised by what I’ve stored there and forgotten.
And thank you for sharing with me about the style of your own stationery. That sounds lovely. Crane is the best!
And yes to getting back into the habit, especially with a candle lit – which is exactly what I do early in the mornings. It starts my day out just right.
Great advice! I taught my kids to write thank you notes all through their youth, writing notes every time they received gifts from their grandparents or other family members. It stuck and now, they are more conscientious than I am! 😅 Good reminder!
Hi Carla ~
I think teaching children to write thank you notes is one of the ways we teach graceful living. People appreciate getting a handwritten note so much these days and it also forces us to slow down and dip into a deeper state of gratitude – a key way to design a happy life. Your children are fortunate to have a Mom like you who helped them understand the importance of saying thank you with a handwritten note.
Growing up I remember I was taught to write a thank you note within 5 days of receiving a gift. My mother was adamant about it. She told me that thank you cards must be sent within a month after our wedding. I spent weeks writing but made the deadline!
At the time I felt like it was a chore. Today I love writing a thank you note. I like the idea of lighting a candle to make it extra special. Thank you for that idea. I’m going to incorporate a candle the next time.
Good morning, Linda ~
You and I had the same kinds of Moms: moms who taught us to immediately write thank you notes. And I, too, felt like it was a *chore* when I was young, but now I love doing it.
I don’t always do it as speedily as I should, but I do do it as I know how much it means to people on the receiving end. And can I thank you here for the lovely birthday card you sent to me …snail mail? I still have it opened to the beautiful flower within!
Have a wonderful weekend ahead! xo
Thank you note writing is sadly becoming rarer and rarer. One thing that I think will affect it is the lack of having stamps on hand. One of my nieces said this is why she never gets around to mailing birthday cards – she keeps forgetting to get stamps. But there’s nothing like receiving a handwritten piece of mail. If I want to send someone a wordy letter, I type it and slip it into a nice card. My handwriting has gotten so bad and tortured it just looks awful, so I’d rather do a nice printed font!
Hi Linda ~
It’s true that thank you note writing is becoming rarer and rarer, which is why I thought to write this post, so that people would not forget the art of how to write a lovely thank you note – if they wanted to. And I hope it will come to be seen as a gratitude ritual vs. a chore, especially when done in the early morning, by candlelight.
Re: stamps. They can be purchased online now, and there is a BEAUTIFUL flower stamp out now. Maybe a nice gift for your niece would be a book of these slipped into a pretty card?
And re: your own handwriting being bad. I hear that.. My Mom used to have gorgeous penmanship, but in the past few years, hers has changed dramatically and she can’t hold a pen steady anymore so I understand your desire to do a nice printed font if you need to write a wordier letter.. and slipped into a pretty card!
What a lovely idea. Centering yourself and focusing on gratitude, making a lovely ritual out of writing it, taking time to select the perfect paper and pen. I love it all.
Thank you so much, Mary Ann. I love writing handwritten thank you notes …it really is a centering ritual for me and helps me to focus on gratitude in a profound way.
Oh how this post warms my heart! The long lost art of letter writing…
I remember my grandmother sitting at her secretary desk late into the night corresponding wiht friends around the globe.
I love that you have a palette (or wardrobe) of papers to suit your mood. I do too! Sadly they are not used nearly as often as they used to be, but who doesn’t love to recieve a hand-written note?
I couldn’t agree more, Judith! We all love to receive hand written notes -especially these days when they are such a rarity.
Thanks for taking a minute to comment, I appreciate it!
I love a hand written note! We always send out hand written Christmas cards in addition to thank you cards after we complete a project. I love that we make time to do that!
I’ve never thought of having a palette of paper to suit the mood. Your post has given me food for thought!
Hi Sheri.. I’m glad to read that you, too, love a handwritten note. And the fact that you send out handwritten Christmas cards to your clients is truly wonderful. It makes a difference!
And re: having a palette of paper to suit your mood? It really is a fun thing to treat yourself with..a harmless and pretty indulgence!
These are such great tips! Writing a good thank you note sounds so simple but writing a meaningful one can be difficult! I will definitely use this advice in the future.
Hi Lisa – good morning! Thank you for taking a moment to comment and I’m so glad you found this post helpful. It’s true – writing a meaningful thank you note is not as easy as it seems at first glance, but when you get it right, it makes all the difference.
Have a blessed week ahead!
Leslie
I loved reading this blog post Leslie, I also try my best to create the mood before I write down my thoughts, that way they seem more genuine.. You certainly are sitting at a desk that will surely bring back wonderful memories, I love that!