You may have heard that January is National Thank You Month. So, it is a good time to take stock of your stationery and how often you hand write notes. A hand written note is never out of style and is a mark of distinction.

I have always loved beautiful and good quality stationery and I have quite a “wardrobe” of stationery on which to write. What you write on speaks as much about you as what you write. It is not necessary to spend a fortune on note cards and writing paper, but do make sure it is of reasonable quality and weight. The weight, quality and finish of the paper impacts the people who receive your notes and when using a good writing instrument, impacts the look of your writing.

The best stationery is made of 100% cotton which makes the paper museum quality and acid free and is one of the factors in the cost of fine writing paper. And one of the least expensive paper is news print, which is made mostly of wood pulp. It is inexpensive to produce and is used in printing newspapers because of it’s low cost compared to higher quality paper used for glossy magazines. It does not have the staying power that all cotton paper has.

There are many grades of paper in between these two and if your budget doesn’t allow for engraved note cards on the most expensive paper, go for something in between. Choose paper with a little weight to it. And if you can only manage one type note card go with the correspondence card. It is of heavy card stock weight and can be used by men and women. In fact, it is becoming one of the most popular pieces of stationery that people are using. The correspondence card for many, has replaced the fold over note which, technically, is considered to be more feminine.

If you are limited in how many cards you can own, choose a card that is white or off white, plain or with your name or monogram printed or embossed on it. This style should serve you well for most occasions. And there are many reasonably priced lines out there.

If your budget allows and you want to invest in more expensive note cards and writing paper, choose a line, like Crane®, It is an American company that has been around for years. In fact, we all carry a little Crane® paper with us in our wallets. The US Treasury prints our money on Crane® paper.

So, during this month, try to write more notes of all kinds, It doesn’t always have to be a thank you note. Consider sending a note to congratulate people on a special accomplishment or just a note to say hello. Hand written mail gets opened first, because it promises to be special. And of course, it has that mark of distinction.