2.20 Lessons – Greeting Card Box

Bestest Friend and I are in the middle of a blog project. Each day of the month we will post a picture on a pre-determined theme and write a little something about it. The theme for the twentieth day of each month is "Lessons."
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When I was in high school, a friend of mine mentioned that his mother had a box in which she kept greeting cards, so each time he needed a birthday/graduation/thank you card, he just went into the box and selected what he needed. I thought this was genius and had a box of cards and stationery. I know that writing letters is kind of old skool, with most of us relying on email, text messaging, and social media to keep us connected, but I love opening the mailbox and finding personal correspondence from postcards to greeting cards to letters and when I send out letters, I like to imagine the person receiving the mail gets a little lift from it. 

Anyway, my box of greeting cards was disorganized until last year when I actually made dividers for each type of card I had and then I was able to see when I needed to go on a spending spree and buy more. .  I love knowing that if I get the news tomorrow that someone just had a baby or someone is in the hospital, I’ll have just the right note to send along.  There’s just something satisfying about it – I’ve got this one thing figured out about adulthood. 

I rarely shop for cards in actual stores anymore – some of my cards are just Hallmark cards I pick up at Walgreens or Target, but most of my cards are from Etsy sellers. I’ll list some of my favorites below. 

1. (upper left) Birds Block Printing by Gwen Frostic - I found these in the gift shop at Dow Gardens when I was there last weekend. I plan on sending these to my grandmother.

2. Happy Capsules Get Well Soon by Man vs. George - This shop is out of Milwaukee and I love supporting Wisconsin businesses.

3. Mom and Baby Turtle by Annya Kai Art and Illustrations - I've only ordered from this shop once, but I placed a huge order because the cards were so colorful and vivid. I am incredibly impressed with the quality of the paper and design.

4. Magical Birthday by NIQUEA.D (purchased at Papyrus) - Going into a Papyrus store is an overwhelmingly happy experience for me. It's impossible for me to get out of the store without buying more than I absolutely need.

5. Peacock by Annya Kai Art and Illustrations - Another great find from this shop.

6.Trio of Owls by Bee Dazzles Gifts - I have ordered from this shop many, many, many times over the years. The quality is outstanding and I love the whimsy of the illustrations.

7. Congratulations on Your Cowpoke by Man vs. George - I love the merchandise in this shop.

8. Birds Bride and Groom by Tyler's Workshop - My absolute favorite shop makes watercolor greeting cards, but it doesn't seem to be actually in business anymore, so I've been looking for cards to fill that hole in my collection. This is close, but it's a watercolor print, not an actual watercolor.

9. Thank You Crayon by Happy Day Studio - This is my absolute favorite shop. Unfortunately, the shop owner went on vacation in 2011 and never came back.  :(

10. Bike on Orange by Allen Zumach (The Twin Cities Collection) - Zumach's photo collections are amazing. I want to buy everything. 

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To see what Bestest Friend wrote about the theme of the day, check out her blog, Too Legit to Quit.