Thursday, January 1, 2009

It's Thank-You Time Y'all!


I hope that y'all enjoyed the holiday season and were able to spend time with your family and friends. Now that all of the gifts have been unwrapped, proper etiquette dictates that you send a thank-you note for gifts you received. This is the perfect time to teach children that presents are given to them as acts of kindness and thank-you notes are appropriate. To be perfectly proper, thank-you notes should be written on 'monogrammed notes' or 'correspondence cards.' Please do not e-mail your thank-you note--that is an etiquette faux pas. Begin your note by telling the person how thoughtful they are and how they always find the perfect gift for you. Mention the gift and how you will use it. Close by thanking them again!
Failure to write a thank-you note is an etiquette faux pas and it will be remembered! For those of you who need a little help with your notes, The Art of Thank You, by Connie Leas is an excellent reference book. This book has many meaningful ways to say thank you. It explains why we write thank-you notes, when to send a thank-you note, what stationery to use for thank-you notes, and how to compose a thank-you note. Remember, you will never go wrong sending a thank-you note!
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.
William Arthur Ward

20 comments:

Teresa Jane said...

Miss Janice,
I don't have any monogramed notecards so I'm going to just draw a big P on mine.(hee hee) Thanks for your friendship this year and always.
Love,
Teresa Jane

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much Ms Janice.I have really enjoyed getting to read your blog.And I look forward to reading more this new year...Ann

Stephanie said...

Oh how I love thank you notes :) Ours are out which is wonderful.

I love that book. It was a gift years ago, and I've given it to others. Always pleases!

Nanette said...

Such a good reminder. Mine are also out and I received mine from my 5-year-old granddaughter as well! Happy New Year!
Valerie

Melissa Miller said...

I am about to start mine ASAP. Thanks for reminding me. ;0
Love your new header picture. Looking forward to reading more of your blog in 09'.

Sandra said...

I am amazed at how many people do NOT send thank-you notes. I have given countless graduation gifts and wedding gifts with no acknowledgement whatsoever! Sometimes I understand because the recipient's parents know no better themselves; hence, the child is never taught. But - in some cases I KNOW the recipient has been taught better!!!! Do you ever see this?

Susan (Between Naps On The Porch.net) said...

I haven't heard of that book...that will be on my next Amazon shopping list. :-)
Happy New Year, Janice!
Susan

jerseygirl211 said...

Miss Janice,

Thanks for the visit to my blog, it's nice to meet you. I noticed that we have a lot of the same likes and dislikes. And I think that EVERY SCHOOL should have a mandatory class in 'Miss Manners'. I feel our children are so out of control in America. If we punish them we can be sent to jail. If THEY do something wrong then we get the blame and have to pay for it. Something is very wrong here.... :(

Happy & Healthy New Year

'D'

Lady Katherine said...

I love your notes with the magnolia, Thank you for all your wonderful advice. Blessing to you this New Year.

Anonymous said...

Good evening, Miss Janice! I bought Ms. Leas' book two years ago and found it an excellent resource. I wish you a joyful New Year!

jlpreppy said...

Hi,

I am really enjoying your Blog. Happy New Year!

Suzanne
Walnut Creek, CA

Bo said...

Hello Miss Janice...I'm loving your new blog header...you always give me something to think about when I come by...Thanks! ;-) Bo

Belle (from Life of a...) said...

Thank YOU Miss Janice...I'm e-mailing this post to both of my children. Please stop by my blog on Thursday...I'm leaving a little something there for you.

Belle (from Life of a...) said...

Miss Janice...I am losing my mind. I'll be leaving something for you on Tuesday, not Thurday. Two weeks of vacation have apparently caused me to become confused on the days of the week. I hope I remember to go to work on Monday!!

Meghan said...

I just won some beautiful monogramed handmade note cards that I planning on using for some thank yous.

Love your blog!

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

So glad you posted this. I'm afraid thank you notes (or notes of any type) are a dying art! The internet has taken over-soon, I'm afraid nobody will even be able to write with an ink pen! We need to keep those "real" thank you notes alive. laurie

Glenda said...

I'm afraid that too many young people today don't even know what a thank you note is for, much less how to compose one.
I truly wish there was a required course in high school that covered some of the basics of proper etiquette.

Tammy B said...

My mother once received a thank you note for a wedding gift that said, "Thank you for the gift." We sort of got a laugh out of it, because the bride's parents acted a little haughty at the wedding. I committed a faux pas the other day. I emailed a thank you for a thank you. I wanted the sender to know that I received his thank you gift.

There was an inter-city elementary school here in Birmingham that had a required etiquette class for the students. It was featured on CNN. They said that the students got along better with each other and had more respect for each other. You'd think that other schools would adopt the same program. I think proper etiquette makes you feel more comfortable in every day life.

playsdolls said...

Miss Janice,it has been a pleasure meeting you here in blog land and getting so much well needed information from you.Hope you had a wonderful New Years,and I love the snow globe from your mother-in-law it is beautiful.

momof2 said...

Miss Janice,
I've been enjoying you and your blog! Thank you for that and for all your inspiration you have given me. I live out west in Nor. Calif and I was able to call a CB store up, make my gingermint tableware collection purchases, and have it all shipped to me! I'm so excited that my gingerbread themed kitchen is almost complete. still on the look out for the GB pie stand,GB flatware and GB goblets. thank you for sharing!
Gerianne
Scotts Valley, ca