CNotes

Commitments

So, we're at the end of the first month of 2010 and I didn't make any New Year's Resolutions, but I've been kicking around what I resolve to do this year.  Since we've already passed National Break Your New Year's Resolutions Day (think it was last Saturday, the 23rd), I think I'll share with you the commitments I've made to myself for 2010, with some of them extending far, far beyond the year.

Me Category

• Be a better friend ... and I mean to be a more intentional friend. Reach out more often, tell people I love having them in my life & being a bit more demonstrative about friendship.
• Improve my ability to confront issues with which I'm uncomfortable

Personal Health Category

• Work out 200 times.  At the suggestion of Heather, my WW leader, I'm using an old-school montly flip calendar to mark the days I exercise.  I'm currently at 18 workouts for January. Good start.  (I have smaller monthly goals that roll up to the 200 number)
• Track what I eat everyday.  Period.  Research shows that people who track/write down/journal what they eat lose more weight & keep it off.  MUST DO THIS.  Again, I look at my success/failures on this one weekly.
• FInd alternate WW meetings when I am traveling or unable to attend my normal Saturday. I am more successful when I go to a meeting. Period.

FUN

• Spend more time developing my paper craft hobby - I've enjoyed making journals, candles and taking classes at Paper Crown.  (and, I promise the Hub it won't get expensive)
• Try to buy all handmade gifts this year.  I like to support local artisans & want to spend my dollars with them.

I think that's enough and moving my achievement levels in each of these areas will help me continue to become a better person.  And, since I'm rolling them out at the end of January, I can't call them New Year's Resolutions, so there's no need to break them. :)

Correspond

January is National Letter Writing Month. We've already discussed my love of stationery and paper here ... but, what does it mean to write a letter, or perhaps a note will suffice?

Do you remember running to the mailbox as a child to see if there was a letter, SOMETHING, just for you? (Almost like the Wells Fargo Wagon comin' down the street in The Music Man?  - oh, please let it be for me!!) I do. I still do. Oh, please, please, let there be something besides a bill, catalog or junk mail addressed to "Resident." Few things brighten my day more than a hand-addressed envelope in the mail waiting for me.

Don't get me wrong. I love technology & think email is ab fab. However, where will the stacks of letters be for me to peruse as an old lady? There just won't be many. I have all the cards, postcards & letters the Hub sent me during our long-distance courtship. I haven't read them in awhile, but I know exactly where they are.

I've read the letters from my Daddy to my Mom when he was in the army. I have letters from old relatives when I was conducting genealogy research as an elementary school student (not sure exactly where Aunt Orpha's letters are - thanks, Mom, for not naming me after her - but, I still have them.) Letters are tangible memories.

My cousin asked the Hub & me to send a letter to their only son for his High School's Senior Retreat.  We just spent Christmas with them & Jeff is a great kid. Who knew the toddler standing on the trunk of our convertible wedding getaway car would grow up into such a nice young man. And, he's smart. And, we really loved spending time with him over Christmas. I hope he'll keep these letters. I'm honored we were asked to write one.

So, write a letter, a note, a card or something to someone you like. Or, someone you haven't heard from in a long time.  It only takes a few minutes, usually, and always gives me as much joy as finding one of those treasures in the mail.

Well, phooey. According to some reports, National Letter Writing Month is April.  Well, despite the controversy, don't wait until April, write now!

Cardstock

So, there's no way around it. I LOVE paper - stationery, that is.  Monogrammed, thank you notes, you name it, I love it. And, I actually use it.

One of my favorite designers is Whitney English.  I bought her cards long before I knew her.  I like to count her as a friend ... we met several years on a Junior League committee. Whitney is a smart & generous business woman and I think it's really cool that she's based in OKC and chooses to stay here. I LOVE to find her stationery in random shops across the U.S.

She's also my technical support for this blog and really helped me get started. Thanks!  I wish I was ready to jump in w/ code & my own designs, but I'm not there yet.  Maybe one day. Maybe.

Whitney (or someone on her team) has reached out to a few bloggers to help spread the word about her ab fab designs & a there's a giveaway going on right now over at The Preppy Princess.  Leave a comment, tweet or blog about the giveaway & you can be entered in a drawing for WE products, specifically a Create Your Own Crest suite.  Fun, fun. Now, I'll receive another drawing entry for posting this, so maybe you shouldn't enter, since I plan to win, but what the heck ... click HERE to enter. Other fun stuff over at The Preppy Princess as well.

You can also buy WE online at LemonTreePaperie.com... full line available from invitations to notecards to calling cards and address labels.  Even the darling clipboards w/ notes featured in O! Magazine's  (yes, Oprah) October O List are available.  (Wouldn't it be REALLY cool if Ms. O gave away WE cards or something on the My Favorite Things giveaway?)

What WE invite will I use for my 8th annual cookie exchange?  I better decide soon. And, what cookies I should make, too.

Courtesy

Well, I've never been accused of being sweet.  You know, that type of really, really kind person who you just think of as "sweet." That's just not me.  I am, however, polite & courteous, fiercely loyal to my friends and nice, for the most part.

But, it's the courteous piece that I think we seem to be searching for anymore.  Ok, maybe I don't search for it, but let's get serious, our society is ... having good manners and being polite has absolutely nothing to do with class, money, education or anything else outside of someone's control. You can always choose to be courteous.

Teaching etiquette to adults is business these days. Why? Because we apparently didn't learn the basics at home or school or the sorority/fraternity house; perhaps, we chose to ignore them when we really need them to most. The basics of "please" and "thank you", which fork to use and what on Earth do you put in a note after the "thank you for ..." phrase.

While I'm not perfect at it, I'm pretty good. And, for that, I thank my parents, all 3 sets of grandparents, good schools, Delta Zeta, the Hub (who's really good at this etiquette business, too), and my minor (or not so minor, depending on your view) addiction to stationery.

So, here's to the return and strengthening of cotillions (although I didn't have the opportunity to go as a kid) where smaller folks learn this stuff early. 

Being courteous helps you understand how to work with and appreciate people with differing viewpoints than yours. Not every discord in a discussion need be angry or something to win/lose.

Y'all be nice to each other out there & write a thank you note or two.

Cards ...

So, one of the best card-giving holidays is coming up ... Mother's Day.

You know, I'm a paper junkie. So, that means great cards & stationery for me, for gifts, for anything. Here are a few thoughts on finding unique cards for the women in your life on Mother's Day. (I love sending Mother's Day cards to friends, too)

For runners: www.bananablossompress.com Maria makes the coolest running cards ever & her line for Mother's Day is FANTASTIC.

For non-runners: visit bookstores, florists & small gift shops for the most unique, interesting and beautiful cards.  My favorites are made by Papyrus, Letterpress, Positively Green.

Gifts: Stationery makes for GREAT gifts. While some of us buy our own, it's always nice to receive a beautiful & useful & usable gift like stationery (personalized or not) or notepads.  I found cute notepads for my mom this year at www.expressionery.com (they always have good coupon codes in Real Simple and other mags.) Visit www.whimsypress.com for great design & irreverent cards. They are having a great spring sale right now (also good if you're looking for a wee bit o' profanity in your cards.)

And, finally, Whitney English paper goods can be found at www.lemontreepaperie.com~ Whitney has the best designs, she's based in OKC and thanks to her, I finally got this blog off the ground. So buy Whitney's products wherever you find them, but online makes it easier. I love seeing her wares in shops around the country.

So, send your momma, your momma-in-law, sisters, aunts & friends cards for Mother's Day. And, if you're giving a gift, cards & paper are perfect.