I have always had a bit of a passion for stationery. There's nothing I love more than a blank piece of paper or a beautiful card -- all the better if personalized! I could spend hours browsing in places like Paper Source and Papyrus (and I have). The only thing I love more than stationery is what it represents: connection. In a world that keeps us busy and often self-absorbed, I love the idea of keeping in touch with those we love through letters. Just a simple "How are you? Here's what's been going on with us lately" note to someone you may not get to see or talk to often is so meaningful.
The problem is, the process of writing/paying for postage/mailing a note can be time-consuming and expensive, which makes it easy to push aside. What if there was an easier, more affordable, and more accessible way? There is! And I've only recently tried it out for the first time, myself (welcome to the 21st century, Jen!). Are you familiar with Paperless Post?
Just a note on how this all came to be, in the interest of always being transparent: Since the launch of The Lucky Lifestyle, I've received several offers to review products, link to various websites, etc. It's something many bloggers encounter, and truthfully, I've given a lot of thought to how I want to handle these types of partnerships; none have felt "right" until now. When I was approached with an opportunity to try out Paperless Post and share my experience with you, it just made sense. One of the key words I built this space on is "connection." And so, if a brand aligns with one of the core values of The Lucky Lifestyle, it feels authentic, and I think it will add value to your life and mine, I'm more than happy to try it out and share it with you!
If you're not yet familiar with Paperless Post, they offer a full range of digital stationery -- everything from wedding invitations, to birthday invitations, to thank you notes, to cards for holidays and beyond. It's not the plain or limited digital stationery you might be accustomed to -- everything is seriously so cute. The cards have texture, art, the look of embossment, vivid colors, and some are even brand-name (like Rifle Paper Co. and Oscar de la Renta).
I chose personalized stationery since my hope is to keep up with those little notes I enjoy writing to faraway family and friends. It was a tough choice, but I eventually narrowed it down to this beauty (you can see I had already started typing my note!)...
The process is simple. You choose which card you want, and then you can choose a background. I went with no background to keep things clean and simple. Then you can edit text with a wide variety of font, size, and formatting options. After that, you click through for envelope options (liner and text on the front, plus you can choose a custom stamp if you'd like). Finally, you plug in the email address of your recipient and send! I found the whole process to be incredibly user friendly. I liked how simple it was to "undo" text changes as I was writing -- for example, I was playing around with the font for my name at the top of the card and chose something accidentally -- and just how easy-to-follow the entire experience was.
About cost: Paperless Post uses a coin system. 40 coins are $12, 1000 coins $90, etc. The cost depends on the size of the package of coins you choose. The card above, with premium matching envelope liner, was 4 coins which means I could send 10 cards for $12. Not bad considering your average, generic card at Target or Hallmark is $5 or $6.
Have you tried the whole e-vite/digital stationary thing yet? I can't believe I'm new to the game, but I'm pretty sure this is the direction I'll be going from now on. The kids' birthday invitations are so, so cute... I'm already eyeing one for C's party at the end of the year! If you give it a try, let me know what you think. Here's to staying in touch. :)
Thanks to Paperless Post for providing product in exchange for an honest review.