Our Hearts at Christmas

Once again the season of Christmas is upon us, sprinkling the air with unseen particles of magic. The faces of people seem more open and cheerful this time of year. Though there is much to be done, with last-minute shopping and holiday baking, our hearts hold the wonder of all that is about to transpire. We know when the last ribbon's tied, making our final touches complete, those who are dearest will gather from near and far. The gifts they bring will be their joyous laughter and endless love. The spirit of Christmases past will soon entwine with this year's festivities, forming new memories and deeper bonds with all who are precious to us.

Invite them home in elegant style by sending a personalized card from Paperless Post. In just minutes your entire guest list will receive a lovely invitation via email with an option to respond, like the "Branches de Houx", with accompanying envelope, I chose for my Christmas Eve gathering. It saves you time, as well as money for cards and postage, and there's no extra running around in cold weather. There's also the added benefit of the paperless aspect being an environmentally conscious choice. Most of us love the ease of communicating through email and getting something festive is always fun. Also, this allows us to know immediately who is able to attend, as they send back their replies.

 Maybe you're like me and still need to send some Christmas cards. Paperless Post has literally hundreds of fabulous options to help you send your love and warmest wishes in mere moments. Let those who touch your life in so many ways know, during this season which reminds all souls what matters most, that you count them among your greatest blessings. 

Wherever this holiday season finds you, I hope you are wrapped in the warmth and happiness of those who hold you most dear. May you see out the final days of this year being the recipient of true joy and lovingkindness; so you can carry these gifts into the new year and pass them on to all you meet. If each one of us would keep a measure of what resides in our hearts at Christmastime, the world would be a kinder, gentler place the whole year round. 

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.

"Nearer and closer to our hearts be the Christmas spirit,

which is the spirit of active usefulness, perseverance, 

cheerful discharge of duty, kindness, and forbearance!"

Charles Dickens

"What Christmas Is, As We Grow Older"

                                    *This post is kindly sponsored by Paperless Post

                                     All sentiments and selections are my own.*

Falling In Love With Fall

When speaking of the seasons, the word Fall instantly conjures a whole host of colors, smells, tastes, and memories for most of us. As we step into cooler days and crisper evenings, the thrill of anticipation begins to stimulate our senses. Soon the world around us will be transformed into breathtaking-burnished hues. We'll inhale that mystical aroma that's part smokiness, part leafiness, and somehow, part faded sunshine. Before we realize it, we'll find ourselves falling in love with Fall all over again.
There will be hayrack rides, fields of pumpkins begging to be picked, and blissful walks amidst a carpet of crunching leaves. We'll also find ourselves returning to all of our fun Fall activities that need a bit of planning. As we snuggle into our favorite sweater, and sip our beloved pumpkin-spice latte, we can let our friends at Paperless Post help us make all of our gatherings easier than ever before.

Maybe you want to host a pumpkin-carving contest in your home, so that everyone's porch will be lit up for the big night of little one's tromping through the leaf-strewn sidewalks in search of candy. Paperless Post makes it fun and easy with options like this sweet Little Pumpkin Card. By creating your own account, you will be able to choose from a variety of cards, envelopes and liners. Then you get to customize your selections with different fonts, colors, and fun postage stamps. The really awesome part is that it's all done online! Not only does this save you time and money, but it is absolutely wonderful for the environment.

You might choose to kick off the season with a simple reunion of friends and family. Let Paperless Post help you bring them together for a Fall Fete with this gorgeous Owl invitation. All it takes is a fun-filled hour or so spent online creating your personalized invitation. You'll send it to everyone via their e-mail and never have to leave the cozy comfort of your own home!

You might wish to go all out with festive goodies to eat, delicious apple cider to drink, spooky décor, and a full-blown costume party. All you have to do is exchange your own personal details on this Halloween Party invitation and send them off to everyone on your ghoulish guestlist. Although, I have to admit, if I were able to take a ghostly step back in time, I might like to join Mary and Percy Shelley at the Villa Diodati. (Some of you know how I love Frankenstein by Mary Shelley!).

However you choose to celebrate this glorious season when the sun shines more softly, the air grows misty, and the leaves swirl in magnificent abundance, let Paperless Post make sending invitations part of the fun.

 

"And the sun took a step back,
the leaves lulled themselves to sleep
and Autumn was awakened. "
Raquel Franco

                                    *This post is kindly sponsored by Paperless Post

                                     All sentiments and selections are my own.*

Fresh Friday... Paperless Post

Do you have a favorite tree somewhere in your world?

Do you take time to sit at your window and watch the wildlife

cycle through the seasons in its branches,

 nesting down with their young in the 

freshness of each Spring and growing fat

 off the berries through the cold Winter months?

Do you take time to stand beneath your beautiful tree,

to breathe deeply of the life that surrounds you,

no matter the season...

Do you take time to just be ?

In this world of so much to do and too many places to be 

in the span of just a single day,

I think many of us get to the end of an entire week

wondering two crucial things far too often.

The first thing many of us struggle with is...

Did I accomplish all the things I needed to this week?

The second thing is {or at least it should be} …

Did I have anytime to call my own ?

Because life in general seems to get busier for all of us,

as our families grow and the world beyond us continues to change and expand,

there are new concepts and companies developing

all of the time to help us in our endeavor to accomplish the things 

we need to in a way that satisfies us as individuals,

while fitting as seamlessly as possible into the many 

hectic moments we cram into a mere space of 24 hours. 

The end result gives us more time and space to

 live, love, create, enjoy, dream and enhance ourselves.

One of those companies is Paperless Post.

I cannot tell you how much I love this concept and this particular company!

There are just so many occasions when I want to send a note of some kind

to someone special and it falls through the cracks of my life.

I'm not as diligent about it as I was years ago.

This makes it so much easier for what's in my heart

to be put into words and their product is beautiful!

• • 
    

This is a sample of one of my favorite Valentine's Day cards from their website.

Once you make your selection you choose from a huge array of fonts.

Then you decide what personal message you want displayed.

 There's even a gorgeous assortment of envelopes and

 postage stamps to choose from.

 How fun is that? I mean seriously!

So far with my account I've chosen two cards.

The Thank You card pictured above, 

which I had so much fun personalizing for my parents,

and this darling Just Because card

 that my daughter loved receiving!

After you've designed your card you

 simply send it to the recipient's email

and Voila' …

You just brightened somebody's day!

The really awesome thing is this can be done on a much larger scale,

such as when you're planning an event or a wedding.

I know of a bride to be who has decided to go paperless

 for her wedding invitations.

She currently lives and works full time

 in a different state than her soon to be husband.

Not only will this save them time

 but it will be so much easier 

for them to choose and customize

 beautiful invitations together from long distance.

Another bonus is they will be saving money as well.

She has a guest list of just over 150 people and paperless invitations

 cost less money than the traditional kind do.

Who knows, at the end of her day she just might have time

 to put up her feet and drink a nice cup of tea...

maybe even enjoy the wildlife

 in a tree outside her window

as she dreams of her upcoming wedding day.

Oh...

And is it stating the obvious to say...

The more we go "paperless",

 the more of those beautiful trees

there will be not only for us,

 but for our future generations.

This just might be my favorite thing 

about the work they do at Paperless Post.

"I am glad I will not be young in a future without wilderness."

Aldo Leopold

*This post is kindly sponsored by Paperless Post.

All sentiments and card selections are my own.