London Bay Stationery

“Sometimes the best time to thank someone is when they’re least expecting it,” according to Bart Ratliff, author of a soon to be published book Why Appreciation Wins. That’s why he sends out nearly a dozen thank-you notes a day.

In the January 2009 issue of Spirit magazine (published by Southwest Airlines), Ratliff quotes Maya Angelou who says, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Filed by Cheryl at 1:37 pm under Great Uses for Note Cards
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In the January 2009 issue of Spirit magazine (published by Southwest Airlines), Bart Ratliff, author of a soon to be published book, Why Appreciation Wins, says that people only read 15 percent of e-mail but 98 percent of greeting cards.

The message here is clear. If you want to be sure that whatever sentiment you wish to convey, be it thanks, condolences, congratulations or best wishes, you’ll have a better chance of having it read if you send a card rather than an e-mail.

Filed by Cheryl at 1:08 pm under Thank You Notes
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“Symbols are part of the language of faith, the means by which faith expresses itself when it interprets the holy, the eternal, the beyond; when it communicates the divine confrontation, claims, and demands. As such, symbolism is a part of the biblical religion from its beginning.”

V.H. Kooy,The Intrepreter’s Dictionary of the Bible

Filed by Cheryl at 1:48 pm under History of Symbols, Symbols
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There are numerous references to the vine in both the Old and New Testaments. Speaking to the disciples, Jesus proclaims, “I am the vine; you are the branches” (Jn 15:5 NIV). By identifying hiself as the vine he claims that participation in the kingdom is possible only for those who “remain in” him. Those disciples who do will bear much fruit.

In the light of this passage, how fitting it is that the ritual of the supper that Jesus institutes on the eve of his death involves drinking the “fruit of the vine” (Mt 26:29; cf. Mk 14:25; Lk 22:18).

The above is from the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery General Editors: Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit, Tremper Longman III.

Filed by Cheryl at 3:46 pm under History of Symbols, Symbols, Uncategorized
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The following letter appeared in the Austin American Statesman on February 28, 2008:

There was a time when civility and elegance were the order of the day. It was a matter of course for families and friends to write to one another, inquiring about a relatives’ health, passing on news or announcing the birth of a baby.

Business was conducted in much the same way.

But no more. Even as e-mail has dumbed down the way people talk, what with sentence fragments and unclear ideas, the more usual response is silence. Phone calls are handled in much the same way.

So please give me a fountain pen and fine paper. Read what I’ve bothered to write. Give me a response…

K.G.
Fredericksburg, TX

Filed by Cheryl at 10:08 pm under Great Uses for Note Cards, Uncategorized
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Christians have long used the butterfly as a symbol of the resurrection and eternal life. Through the ages they have been reminded of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ each time they witnessed the lowly caterpillar going into an apparently lifeless state–the cocoon–only to later emerge as a beautiful butterfly full of life.

Just as Christ rose from the dead to eternal life, Christians too are promised eternal life through Christ:

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is
sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised
a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)

For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52b)

Filed by Cheryl at 4:39 pm under History of Symbols, Symbols
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We are approaching the time of year for end of school parties, graduations, weddings and showers.  Boxed notes make a thoughtful hostess gift or rememberance for a favorite teacher and they are essential for expessing appreciation for thoughtful gestures or for gifts received. 

Take time now to order several boxes of your favorite designs so you will have them on hand for gift giving or for your own use.  All of our designs are appropriate for most any occassion.  Choose the Dove, Fish, Shell, Butterfly, Vine, Celtic Cross or one of our other 20 designs–they are all simple, timeless and elegant.

Should you need more that a couple of boxes, contact us for details regarding larger orders (1-800-528-9135 or orders@londonbaystationery.com).

Filed by Cheryl at 7:23 pm under Entertainment Gift, Great Uses for Note Cards, Thank You Notes, Uncategorized
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Christianity has made wide use of fish symbolism…The Greek word for ‘fish’ (ichthus) was in fact taken by Christians as an ideogram, each of the five Greek letters being taken as the initial letters of the words Iesu Christos Theou Soter (Jesus Christ God’s Son Saviour).  Hence the large number of symbolic representation of fish in early Christian monuments, particularly funeral monuments.

Nevertheless, although in most cases the symbolism remains strictly Christological, it is given a slightly different emphasis.  Since fish was also a food eaten by the risen Christ (Luke 24:42), it became a symbol of the Eucharistic feast and is often depicted alongside the bread.

Lastly, because fishes live in water, the symbolism may sometimes be pursued along baptismal lines.  Reborn in the waters of baptism, the Christian may be compared with a little fish in the image of Christ himself (Tertullian, De baptismate 1).

The fish has provided Christian artists with a wealth of iconography.  Carrying a ship upon its back, it symbolizes Christ and his Church; lying upon a plate with  basket of bread upon it, it stands for the Eucharist; while in the Catacombs it is Christ himself.

The above is from The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols by Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant, translated from the French by John Buchanan-Brown, Penguin Book, 1996.

Filed by Cheryl at 11:49 am under History of Symbols, Symbols, Uncategorized
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Since earliest times the dove has been seen in Judeo-Christian symbolism as a sign of purity, innocence, peace and harmony. The first biblical mention of a dove occurs in Gen. 8:8 when Noah sent a dove out from the ark to see if the waters had begun to recede. Even earlier, in Gen. 1:2 the Spirit of God is said to hover over the waters of the earth. Here, a dove is not mentioned, yet the spirit of God is said to “hover” over the waters as one imagines a dove or other type of bird might hover. The dove too, in the Old Testament symbolized the love of God for his chosen people the Israelites.
Doves in both the Old and New Testaments were used as sacrifices of the poor when they couldn’t afford to sacrifice a lamb as an offering at the temple in Jerusalem.

In the New Testament, the dove is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. Each of the gospels describe the Spirit descending on Jesus after his baptism in the form of a dove (Matt. 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, and John 1:32). Christian art through the centuries has made frequent use of the dove to symbolize the Holy Spirit or to signify those whose lives are particularly godly such as saints. Doves are painted on the walls of the catacombs of Rome as a symbol of peace and are often seen on early tombs as a symbol of grief or martyrdom.

Filed by Cheryl at 10:14 pm under History of Symbols, Symbols, Uncategorized
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The above chart is from Writing Thank-You Notes, Finding the Perfect Words by Gabrielle Goodwin & David Macfarlane.

Filed by Cheryl at 3:29 pm under Birthday Card, Condolence Cards, Dinner Party, Entertainment Gift, Great Uses for Note Cards, Letter of Appreciation, Thank You Notes, Wedding Gifts
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