twosocialgraces's Blog

Email is an acceptable medium for one sort of thank-you only, and that is the sort you would give casually and in person. Thanks to a close friend for buying you a coffee, or lending you her silver mules for a wedding, to your sister for having your family over for Thursday dinner, to a colleague for recommending an auto repair shop, or for driving you to work when your car is in said shop.  For your holiday thank yous, notes are what the Graces ordered.

 Choose nice white or ecru writing paper with a matching envelope, or correspondence cards. Personalized stationery is always lovely, as is something with a border or small and tasteful motif.  Plain is fine, too.  If you'd like to see good examples, go to a site like smythson.com or americanstationery.com and browse. Resist the cards that actually have "Thank You" printed on them.Vehemently resist anything with big-eyed children, overwhelming cabbage roses, or baby animals.   If you suffer mightily in the composition of these notes, choose smallish cards that will be quickly filled with minimal text.

 
We've also been asked quite a bit about how to convey sincere thank for a gift that missed the mark.  The fact is,  givers took the time, made the effort and spent the money to give you a present. That is indeed a generous gesture. And Graces acknowledge generous gestures with thoughtful, handwritten, prompt, snail mailed thank-you notes. 

Here are some samples:

Dear Helga,
Many thanks for the lovely sauna towel. I know how much expertise and experience you have in this area, so I know it is of the highest quality and most current style. The anti-bacterial coating and stain resistant finish make it especially useful, not to mention the amazing chartreuse color--my favorite! It was so generous of you to take the time to choose something for me; I will enjoy using the towel when I next travel to Finland.
Again, many thanks for such a thoughtful and unique gift.
Best,
Grace K

Dear Ebeneezer,

You certainly made me smile.  The coat hanger is a truly useful gift and I shall think of you fondly every time I open my closet.

Best to you and Jacob in the new year,

Grace M

Dear Vin,
I wanted to thank you for the wonderful bottle of Pinot Noir you gave me for Christmas. I was pleased to share it with my family over the holidays as a perfect accompaniment to our roast duck. It certainly came in handy when my younger brother threatened to drink my Facial Toner if I did not come up with some more hooch pronto! I know how much of a wine connoisseur you are--proven by the wonderful bottle you chose--and I appreciate the care you took in selecting a gift for me.
Many thanks for your thoughtfulness and generosity.
Best,
Grace K

Thank you notes have a few essential ingredients. Mention the item specifically. List a feature or two proving that you have given it more than a cursory glance. Describe how or when you plan to use it. Thank them again. These notes need be about 4 sentences long and should take you about 5 minutes to write. There is NO EXCUSE for delinquency in thank you notes.

Even if it is silver polish from your mother-in-law, she still made the effort to buy, wrap, and get the stuff to you. Send her a nice note. You can retaliate by giving her wrinkle cream for Valentine's Day--or better yet, re-gift the silver polish in a house warming gift basket with a bunch of other household necessaries from Home Depot. In any event, Graces, get writing.