John vowed to write one note a day for a year. He set no guidelines about who the note needed to be directed to or what the subject matter needed to address. One note for each day.

He made the decision to be grateful.

John started out by writing a note to a barista who made his coffee  everyday. He thanked her for remembering his name and order everyday. Then he wrote to colleagues and thanked them for their referrals, he wrote clients and thanked them for paying on time.  One note, each day.

Guess what happened? When people replied, they reflected the same kindness back to John. Things got better.  His colleagues referred more clients to him, his current clients paid faster, he was happier and felt like exercising and he lost weight; got healthy. Positive energy reflects back.

Make the decision to be grateful and show your gratitude to others. It will make you feel good to drop that note in the mailbox. It will make the person receiving it feel even better.

Letters from Lilly has a heart design that is used a lot during February, the month of the Valentine, but feel free to use it all year long to tell someone you love them.

Years ago, I came across the neatest teapot gift that I'd like to share with you. Blooming teas are made and sold by a little company in Georgia, Rariteas. You just have to see it to believe how beautiful these teas can be. The blossoms open when the steaming water is poured over them, into the glass teapot that comes with your teabags.

I think it's the perfect gift for someone to show how much you care and give them a little treat to enjoy with a friend or just by themselves.

The Letters from Lilly teapot design comes with flowers too. Even though our flowers are painted and not real, like those from Rariteas, you can still send it to bring friends together.

The holidays are here and with that comes parties, gifts, and the dreaded thank you notes that follow. The thank you note that should follow.

In this short blog update, I’m going to teach you how to write a thank you note in less than a minute.

I have two rules in my home about thank you notes. First, if someone does something nice for you, send them a handwritten note. Second, your note may only be three sentences.

Three sentences is all it takes to properly thank someone for hostessing a party, giving  you a gift, or expressing your thanks for any other gesture.

Dear Audrey,

Thank you for the delicious homemade, mint chocolates! They arrived the same day that my family did for the holidays and we are sure to all enjoy them.

You are so kind to remember us over the holiday season this year.

Merry Christmas,

Janie

First sentence; thank them for the gift, specifically naming it.

Second sentence; tell them how you plan to use it.

Third sentence; mention the holiday or occasion they acknowledged.

A birthday note might read:

Dear Janie,

Thank you for taking me to Pastries for lunch on Tuesday. You know I have been dying to try that new restaurant since it opened!

You are sweet to remember my birthday and I’m so glad I could share it with you.

See you soon,

Mary

Why the three sentence rule, you might ask? Because then your thank you notes aren’t a chore. You can write three sentences in thirty seconds. Just write the first thing that comes to your mind, address the envelope and mail it. Don’t make a project out of it. It’s not a big deal.

The big deal is on the receiving end when your friend, family member or neighbor gets the note in their mailbox. How nice that they know you appreciate their time and effort extended to you.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I am both celebrating my first year of cancer free health and taking the opportunity to remind you to get your mammogram.

A portion of the following was printed recently in Stationery Trends, Summer 2011 Issue.

I added the pink ribbon in support of breast cancer awareness years ago when a best friend from high school started her own battle at the young age of 37. I felt it was the best way for me to help, given the position I had within my company, to make a difference in awareness and at the same time contribute financially to the cause. Never did I think that the cause I encouraged others to support would turn and bear its ugly head towards me.

“These cards are in honor of my dear friend Jeanne,” it shows in all our stationery albums, “A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Jeannebean Dream Team to continue research, education, and support to those fighting breast cancer.”

Over the years I’ve watched orders come through from women who band together to meet before races, or to give information for a speaker on the disease, still others are simply a name on a piece of stationery including the pink ribbon. My favorite order came about a year ago. It was for stationery with a woman’s name at the top and then at the bottom it said “Get a mammogram, it saved my life.”

I’ve always been a good patient, going for yearly mammograms, taking good care of my health and well being. Sure, I overwork, overstress, and over do like many women who run their own businesses. It’s just the way I am. So imagine my surprise when I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer the spring of 2010.

I have come forward with my diagnosis for two reasons.

First, I want to remind you that it can happen to any woman. One out of eight women will get breast cancer in her lifetime. It’s not in my family. I was only 43 when diagnosed. I worked out every single day and ate organic meat, fruit, and vegetables. I went for yearly mammograms. Over 95 percent of my customers are women and it is you who I want to remind to go, get a mammogram.

I’m lucky. Even at stage 2, mine was caught early enough that with multiple surgeries and my body make up, I didn’t need chemotherapy or radiation. I might not have been this lucky because I threw away my mammogram Rx. I was going on spring break, I was busy, and I always had to go back a second time and I just didn’t have time for it. I don’t know what made me pull the yellow Rx out of the trash can and go. Probably my type A personality knocking, but I went. I now know that if I had not gone, the cancer that was too deep in my body to feel, would be taking over my body. The mammogram showed a small tumor; surgery discovered a tumor twice that size. Catching my cancer before it entered my lymph nodes means that I have a much different treatment plan than I might have, had I let it go.

The second reason I am sharing such a personal aspect of my life is that I want to remind us that as business owners, we can make a difference. We can contribute to causes that are important to us through our work and I encourage you to do so.

Most importantly, if I can convince one person to go get a mammogram, coming forth with my own diagnosis has been worth it.

Please share this information with friends and family and remind them to get tested.

-Gay Grossman, Owner of Letters from Lilly lives in La Jolla, CA with her husband and 14 year old daughter, Lilly. She is now fully recovered from multiple surgeries for breast cancer.

Since 2003 you brought such joy to our home. The way you would flit in and out so magically, leaving just a touch of fairy dust on the window sill, making us all believe in your magic.

The three of us would gather in Lilly’s room, with the gift of her tooth. All the tiny boxes would be brought out and she would take time to decide which special box she would put the tooth in; for you. Once the tooth was in the box, she’d let out a shriek of excitement, knowing your visit would be soon. Under the pillow went the pretty box. On the pillow went her precious head. The waiting began, for all of us.

I know she’d stay awake for hours waiting for you. She’d urge us to go to bed, so you would come. I’d hear her giggles and her trips to the bathroom until finally late into the night, the whole house would be quiet.

The next morning would be full of smiles and confirmation that all is good in the world because the Tooth Fairy had come. On some of those special nights, you’d leave a note. Over the years we learned that your name is Blossom. How excited we all were when the first tooth fell out in California and we left a note to see if you had followed us from Ohio or whether we’d be assigned a new fairy. There was so much to consider. Did you follow children or did you have an assigned territory? She was thrilled when you brought your magic from Ohio to California. I knew you came all that way just for Lilly.

Now Lilly is in high school and has finished her experience of braces. The pretty boxes have been replaced by a plastic retainer case. No more visits from you.

I miss your magic, Blossom and I just wanted to say hello.

Love,

Lilly’s mom

I was recently on vacation and while watching kids whip around the lake on tubes and other floatation fun, I slipped back into my sixteen year old self. Why not?

So when the boat driver said, “Who’s next?” I put my hand high in the air, with confidence, remembering that I’d had fun with this many times. What I didn’t put into the equation was the decades that have since passed.

Climbing off the stern of the boat, my biggest concern was keeping my bathing suit bottom on. Too late now, I wasn’t about to do the walk of shame back into the boat.

Let me preface my ride results with a few changes that have happened in tubing since “my” day in the sun. First of all, there is room for three people. Wasn’t I happy when two other mothers followed me onto the tube; bookends of safety.

Secondly, the tube is now cushy. It has padded handles. Don’t you remember the tubes we had to use?! My parents stopped by a trucking company to get our tubes. They were real tubes, fully equipped with the air spout that was sure to cut your arm many times over the summer, if not rip a hole in it. We didn’t care. It was just part of the game (be sure the tube is flipped to the right side). The black color of our tubes attracted horse flies on really hot days in upstate New York; luckily we had the Finger Lakes to cool us down.

So back to my tubing, taking place just four days ago. I gingerly hopped onto the tube, friends followed and we took our places. Within 15 seconds I was saying to my self, “This might not have been a good idea.” It quickly followed with thoughts like, “How long can this last?” And on to “I think I’ll just do this once.”

We all made it back onto the boat, with our bathing suit bottoms on and intact. I shook my head and said, “That was FUN!”

Back on the dock there was a small group of sixteen year old kids. I couldn’t help overhearing them talking about how sore they were from yesterday’s tubing. “Oh no.” Today is day four and I’m just feeling like myself again.

Our monkey is very popular with our stationery friends. The monkey can be found in the swimming tube, shown above, as well as under an umbrella, pulling a wagon of bananas, hanging from a chandelier and even balancing on a pile of Christmas gifts for the holidays. Let the monkey keep you company at your desk. Like all our designs, the monkey is available on all our products.

Yes, hair.

Your daughter might just take the feathers out of your tackle box; beware.

In March Lilly went on her 8th grade east coast trip, complete with feathers in her hair. In Boston she met up with her life long friends from Wellesley who looked at her a little funny. “What is in your hair Lilly?” Lilly glowed and swished the feathers in her hair to show the latest California trend that is now reaching the other coast thanks to TV shows and social media conversations.

So anglers, keep your tackle box close by, at least away from your teenage daughter.

Our dryfly design came along way before the hair trend and is popular year round with men and women alike.

I went through the time of getting into the store and thinking ‘MY BAGS!’ I tried putting them in the front seat of my car so I would see them daily, hoping I’d remember to use them. Sometimes I did, other times I didn’t. Sometimes my punishment for forgetting was carrying an armload of items out to the car, without a bag (looking and feeling like an idiot). But over time, I’ve come to the point where I grab my bags like I grab my keys from my ignition. I have successfully squashed the bad habit and you should too.

With all the fun reusable bags out there, there are plenty of choices and the whole thing about e-coli in them… I don’t buy it. If you do, get washable ones and just toss them through your laundry every once in a while. The sturdier bags also mean no grocery items slipping around in the back like they do when they fall out of plastic, single use bags.

I found some really fun bags online that are bright and cheery and will make remembering your bags easy. If you like these bags, just click on the picture and it will take you to the site or you can check around your local stores.  Plenty of local retailers offer them and then you don’t pay shipping AND you support your local commerce.

Our Two Bag design is great for everyday letter writing this spring and summer. Send someone a note, just because, and make them smile.

19 billion (19,000,000,000) single-use plastic bags are used annually in the state of California.

There are some fabulous ideas out there to get your ideas flowing for making up your own special day or making a special day even more special.

Here are some of my own ideas that I have used in the past.

- Use small tables of four to encourage guests to get to know one another.

-Print place card names on both sides so that names are easy for everyone to read .

-Use all white linens and all pink flowers so that your floral arrangements really pop.

-Tie your teacups with pretty grosgrain ribbons with polka dots, stripes and plaids…all the same colors but different patterns.

-Put a candy surprise in the teacup.

-Print tiny cards with a “did you know” about the guest of honor. Scatter them on the tables for conversation starters. Things that makes her wonderful like “Did you know Sarah ran her first 5K this year!”

-Get pretty keepsake containers and fill them with pink, white, fuchsia jellybeans for the guests to take home.

I hope this sparks some creativity in you. Our pink table and chair design would be perfect for the occasion you and I are planning together (above). Remember to email me a photo of your tea party so I can share it with our readers.

Although we have all seen the fabulously elegant wedding dress, the understated and beautiful flowers, and the hats… oh, the hats… we have yet to see the cake Kate chose for her day. (Perhaps by the time I finish writing this post, we will have seen it).

Willliam is my kind of guy, choosing a chocolate mulit-tiered biscuit cake. A McVities chocolate biscuit cake to be specific. It is a fabulous sounding cake that he has loved since he was a young lad.

You and I aren’t going to get any closer to this cake recipe than we are to Kate and William since it’s made by a baker who has been baking for the royal family since the 1800’s.

The wedding cake is said to be a centerpiece to the reception with eight tiers and bearing the initials of the royal couple, being revealed at the reception.

Kate will now be officially Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, but I think that she is like Diana and will remain Kate to us all.

The Letters from Lilly wedding cake is a fun design for anyone planning a big day in the future. As always, available on our stickers and all our fun stationery items.