As much as I love emailing, blogging and texting (and I do love to text!), nothing compares to a handwritten note. There's soething almost magical about getting something in the mail that someone has taken the time two personally write out with ink. Handwriting says something about the person. The words have so much meaning. How was it signed? With a sufficient "sincerely" or with a meaningful "love always" above the name?

Lately it seems some are even too busy to add much more text to a pre-printed birthday card. Just a simple, "Happy Birthday" written beneath the content of the card. Are we really so busy, so self-involved, so disconnected?

Take a moment, make a connection, write a letter, send a card, say thank you, deepen a friendship or build a new one. Just try it. You may even find that you enjoy it.

I might add one more thing... if you feel uninspired to write I am going to assume you don't possess a correspondence set that is pretty enough. Trust me, if you obtain a collection of paper goods pretty enough, you'll be jumping at the chance to show the world how fabulous your paper goods look. On the other hand... those of you still clinging to your ever-stylish Mrs. Strong pieces, I'll give you a pass. Hold on to them... they are most certainly collectors items to be cherished.

{Lovely cards above were found at Thornwillow, which sounds appropriately British but is actually located in New York.}