A "Southern Lady" Thank You

Thank you cards. The act of writing a thank you card is such a lost art in today's society. Why? Thank you cards are something that need to remain a part of life. Although they seem trivial, there time it takes to write out a sweet sentiment and the paid postage makes the thank you so much more meaningful. I can not tell you how many people have told me lately that they have not received a thank you card for this or that. People still desire to receive a thank you note. No matter how "high tech" our society has become, nothing can replace a handwritten thank you note. 

Step 1: FIND FABULOUS THANK YOU CARDS

Every fabulous and Southern lady should invest in stationery. Especially personalized stationary. There are several great websites where you can find unique stationary that can be personalized to meet your needs. If you aren't quite ready for the commitment of stationary, I suggest that you stock up on thank you cards whenever they are on sale! Target almost always has some adorable boxes of thank you cards on sale!

Step 2: KNOW THE TIMELINE

It is best to get these little letters of thanks out no later than 7-10 days after the receipt of the gift/random act of kindness. If you want to earn a gold star, 3-5 days is ideal! It is important that the recipient of the card knows that their actions made you feel special. After 10 days, it is apparent that they probably didn't make you feel "THAT" special....HOWEVER, a card sent is ALWAYS better than no card!

Step 3: WRITE SOMETHING HEARTFELT

There are many different backbones for a thank you note. Normally, my draft consists of something like this....We will assume for the sake of the draft that I'm thanking Santa for the $25.00 Ann Taylor Loft gift card he left in my stocking.

Dear Santa,
Thank you so much for the gift card to Ann Taylor Loft. I always enjoy shopping at my favorite store. I hope to use this money to help buy an outfit for my upcoming PA clinical year. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.
My sincerest thanks,
Olivia 

You want to make sure that you 1)  State why you are writing the letter, 2) Make the note a bit more personal, and 2) Give an example of another reason you are thankful for the recipient other than the gift!

Step 4: MAIL THE NOTE

I am not always 100% on time with my thank you notes, but I try my best. I am certain that the recipients appreciate them AND I always enjoy sending the cards out.  The thank you card should be a tradition every Southern lady embraces.