Why Join a Card Club?

A Card Club? Really?

Why would anyone sign up for a monthly card subscription? It sounds a little random, I know. A few envelopes of greeting cards, arriving in your mailbox once a month.

But stay with me for a minute, because to me it isn't random at all. It's one of the sweetest, simplest ways I know to romance the day to day.

A Text Is Lovely. Mail Is Different.

When I get a text from someone I haven't heard from in a while, it's so nice to know something brought me to mind. And I'm "guilty" of "just" sending a text, too. In fact, I recently sent a couple of my brothers a quick "thinking of you."

But when I get mail, actual mail, it's different. Someone thought of me long enough to pick out a card, write a note, find a stamp, and pop it in the mailbox. There's such a sweetness in that. It's an old-fashioned kind of connection, carried right into today.

An Unexpected Afternoon at the Insurance Office

The other day, right after I popped the first month's cards in the mail, I stopped by our local insurance agent, Hopp Insurance in Newberg. (I LOVE them!) I happened to have a few extra packets with me.

I ended up having the nicest time chatting with the agents in the office. Then our agent, Cole, and I got to talking, and I handed him a packet to take home to his wife. He was so touched. It was such a small thing, and it clearly meant something to him.

So, What Is Romance, Anyway?

Cole noticed the "Romancing the Day to Day" sticker on the back of the envelope. And, as you'd expect, his idea of romance was the classic one: roses and chocolates.

I told him no, that's not it. Cole has a baby who's not quite a year old. So I painted him a picture. He gets home tonight. The baby has been fussy all day. The dishes aren't done, dinner is late or burning, and Mom is frazzled and on her last nerve. Romance is him stepping in to finish dinner, load the dishwasher, and change a diaper.

Romance is how my husband somehow protects me and holds me safe, all while lifting me up to explore the next thing. Romance is coming into the house after a long day of customers who need us, employee issues, and bills to pay, and making dinner together while the rest of the world fades away.

The dirty dishes are the remnants of family dinners and memories made. The laundry pile is evidence of a life being lived.

Romancing the Day to Day

All that to say: Romancing the Day to Day is about intentional living. It's choosing to see past the mess to the bits that matter.

It's taking a moment to notice the bumblebee asleep on a dahlia. It's sending a card with a handwritten "thinking of you." It's putting down your phone and being present with the people right in front of you.

A Card Always on Hand

Here's my confession: more often than I'd like to admit, I wish I had a card handy and I don't. A birthday sneaks up. Someone loses a loved one. The holidays arrive faster than I planned.

I've been making my own cards from my paintings for a while now, and I love having them ready. That's really the heart of the card club. Each month you get two cards with envelopes, a recipe card, and a note from me, so you'll have something beautiful on hand when the moment comes.

Passing the Sweetness Along

For as long as Romancing the Day to Day Press keeps going, I'll keep a few extra envelopes from each month's mailing on hand. Some I'll give away. Some I'll leave for someone to find at a restaurant table, or tuck into the hands of someone I run into who looks like they could use a little lift.

If you'd like a little of that sweetness in your own mailbox each month (and a card ready for the next person who needs one), you can join the card club at PotterFineArt.com.

And today, maybe send someone a note. Not because it's a holiday. Just because they came to mind.