And then... well... kids happened. Life happened. Cleaning a house full of caged monkeys happened. (Kidding. Not kidding.)
As time went on I was more drawn to the "pre-written cards" at the store to keep on hand. Anything from, "Thinking of You" to "I'm Sorry" or "Happy Birthday"... I adored having creatively worded cards on hand to grab in a pinch.
After moving across the country in January and flipping our lives upside down, it has been a whirlwind of change, adventure, and adjustments. With good intentions, I bought two stacks of ridiculously adorable Thank You cards from the store when we first moved here. I think I have actually written in a total of 4 of them. I keep meaning to write them out, my mind swirls with thoughts and words to paint across the pages... but it never actually pans out. And then I am left feeling a little guilty and frustrated with myself. I walk past that drawer with all the empty, unwritten cards and all the lovely people in my life who deserve one, and my stomach turns in knots.
Recently I was approached by a company that creates digital cards, Paperless Post. Honestly, I had never heard of them before. Sure, in the past I have used websites to send eCards for birthdays to friends and family, but I had never heard of a website quite like this. I was given the chance to try out the website and give my opinion on the cards through my blog. I excitedly downloaded the app onto my phone and started creating digital cards for the ones I love and appreciate in my life. I wish I had an event or birthday party I was planning and I would have used this website to create digital invitations! The next time I have a big event to host I will definitely use this website. For those of you that know me well, know that I love throwing a good party!
The neat thing about PaperlessPost is that you can search hundreds of pre-designed cards or create your own design. There are so many adorable ideas, I was literally drowning in the adorableness of it all. I had a hard time choosing designs! The neat element is that you can search for a particular design idea when creating your card. My sister-in-law adores cats, so of course, I had to find the perfect cat card for her. I am in love with anything cactus right now, so I jumped at the chance to use a cactus design for my good friend at church. My other friend loves unicorns and I wanted to send her a thank you card, so I typed in "unicorns" and found just the right card for her. I wanted to show my gratitude toward Sitora and Peter's teachers where they go to school one day a week through the public school system, so I found some sweet Thank You cards to send as well.
If you sign up with your email address, you automatically are given 25 free coins to start making your own cards! It takes only a few coins to create and send a card, so you could easily send several digital cards with your free coins.
On my parents' anniversary I wanted to send something sweet and cute to share my love with them. I never would have thought ahead of time to buy and mail an anniversary card, so using this app was just perfect!
I have sent my hubby a couple of "Thinking of You" cards during the day while he is at work. I love him dearly and have so many emotions and thoughts of gratitude to express to him but it was so helpful to search some pre-made "I love you, you are the love of my life, you are the best person in the world" type card ideas with cute and sassy phrases. I hope it was a fun surprise that made his day ;)
I appreciate people all the time and think about what a blessing they are to me, and because of the ease of the app right on my phone, I can create and send a lovely little card within minutes and have it sent directly to their email inbox. A fun option is that recipients can reply to your card and you can continue a conversation back and forth. Through the app you can create cards, check the status to see if cards have been opened, work on saved drafts, buy more coins, and save your favorite cards to work on later.
I haven't used the desktop version, but I constantly use the app when creating cards. I would be sitting down to eat a snack, getting ready for bed, or just waking up in the morning and think of someone I felt led to write. It was so simple to open the app and create a card that exceeded my expectations within minutes.
And to be honest, in this generation, we don't hold actual paper Thank You notes in the same regard as the generation before us. I often laugh at baby showers and tell the expectant mamma, "Please don't worry about sending me a Thank You card! It seriously doesn't matter to me one bit. I find joy in just celebrating with you today and seeing the happiness and thankfulness on your face in this moment." Maybe I'm crazy... maybe some of you out there in my generation still really appreciate and expect paper cards. If someone gives me an actual card, of course, I am thrilled and tickled pink. But then I wonder, should I keep it? Throw it away? Take a picture of it? But with these digital cards, they can be saved in your inbox to look back on time and time again without clogging up your drawers and storage folders. I'm sure if you really wanted a paper copy you could print the screenshot taken from your phone or computer.
There are some other fun options on top of creating the card. You can design the backdrop behind the card and also the inside of the envelope. There are some super cute ideas like polka dots, flowers, pineapples, confetti, stripes, baby clothes... the possibilities are endless.
Even though I haven't tried the invitation option for a party, I think this would be a fabulous idea. That way people have a digital copy of the invitation and they can't possibly lose it like a paper copy. The details of the party are safe and secure on their phone to keep until the day of the event. I'm sure you can save on postage and envelopes by doing it this way as well. It's really genius!
The unique element about the website is that you pay for cards with coins. You purchase coins through the website then keep the coins in your account. The coins are depleted when you send a card. Each card has a cost of coins. If you were planning an event then it would cost more coins to send the invitation to multiple recipients. In my opinion, this online option is cheaper and easier than actually purchasing and mailing a real card.
So was exactly is Paperless Post and how did they get started? Click here to read an article about the founders and their story here on CNN. On their website paperlesspost.com, it states that Paperless Post is a collaborative group of artists, designers, and letterers who create the original artwork that defines Paperless Post’s product. Every year, over a thousand unique invitations and cards are designed in their in-house studio and with their design partners. Paperless Post allows customers to create online and paper stationery that reflects their individualism. Users can send invites and greeting cards online, or via traditional mail.
The company was created by brother and sister team, James and Alexa Hirschfeld. James was planning his 21st birthday party in 2007. He had finished all the details for the party, but when it came time to send out invites, paper invites were too costly, and digital options didn't reflect "all the care that went into the event." He grabbed at an opportunity to connect people in real life using technology to create stylish online invitations. James started the company while in school and had little experience, but thankfully his sister, also a Harvard alum, had gained some real-world lessons. James says they complement each other while working and that they've done well as partners because their sibling bond allows them to "communicate incredibly directly."
Well, there you have it folks. I'm so glad this company approached me because I will definitely be a customer for life! Don't mind me as I drink my coffee, eat my KetoCakes, and design cards for the loves in my life on my phone. I'm such a millennial.
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