What's the last part of a fabulous gathering? Reliving your favorite moments a few days later. Life can start to move quickly this time of year, so keep your communication as light + breezy as your gathering. Whether you're the hostess with the mostess, jetting off for your spring getaway or the grateful guest relaxing poolside, a photo text is a quick + thoughtful way to relive your fav details of the party.

Love the food? The Sangria? Snap a quick photo while you're at the party + send off a quick photo text message a brief note.

If you're looking for something quick + stylish, check our iPhone app, where you can text, email or post a thoughtful message, instantly. {Don't have it yet? Check it out here.}

Take a closer look here. Happy Spring :)

Merry Everything! With Christmas + Hanukkah behind us, we look to the New Year for inspiration. Erin Newkirk, our CEO, shares three quick + easy ways to take those adorable holiday cards and transform them to create a warmer, friendlier 2011.

Idea #1 :: Write or email people you haven't talked to in a while. Who doesn't deserve a little mailbox bliss? That exciting feeling of finding a fabulous, personal piece of mail in your mailbox? Real or virtual. Doesn't take long to write a little love or like note. Just keep it simple and to the point. Need inspiration? Here's my formula to the perfect one-thought note.

Idea #2 :: Tell someone {or someones} you loved their card. Everyone loves to know they earned the coveted spot on the mantle. That sort of information is too good to keep to yourself! Let your friends + family know that they took a great photo. Chat about how the kids have grown or how young the parents look. How you loved the personal touches -- a signed name, a fun letter.

Idea #3 :: Create a fun board filled with favorite faces. I have a medium-sized bulletin board I keep in my home office filled with happy faces of good friends + family. It keeps me in good spirits no matter what the task at hand is that day. So easy to pull together when you use holiday card photos. And really useful for figuring out next year's list and/or refreshing my memory on the goings-on of the year before.

Last week, Erin Newkirk, our CEO, had the pleasure of speaking at TEDx636EleventhAve. {If you aren't familiar with the TED conference format, definitely check it out. You will be inspired.}

This particular TED event was organized by the talented and driven Natalia Oberti Noguera. Her challenge to all the speakers was to... 

Dream big. Strive to create the best talk you have ever given. Reveal something never seen before. Do something the audience will remember forever. Share an idea that could change the world.

So Erin decided to talk about something near and dear to all our hearts. Thoughtfulness. Why it's important to be thoughtful. How to be thoughtful. And how it relates to Modern Etiquette. While the talk isn't available to view on video quite yet, we thought we'd share an few excerpts from her talk. Because if there is a season built for thoughtfulness, this is it! 

The word thoughtful is more than merely a word of course. It’s an ideal. An emotion. It’s a habit. A process. It’s inclusive. It’s genuine. Over time, when exercised in everyday behavior, it becomes a part of who we are and how we get things done. It’s a lens for how we answer questions and help people in need. Or, how we support people who are thriving. Thoughtful is a genuine gesture intended to collaborate without expecting an immediate payback or any payback at all, really. Conversely, when asking a thoughtful question or request, it’s about making sure we have something of value to offer in return. It’s not greedy, or intended to exploit. It’s not something you do expecting praise. Often, it’s done when no one else is looking. It’s a positive and proactive attitude that makes any space more creative and energetic. It doesn’t demand perfection, but it must be nourished to flourish. People are thoughtful, actions are thoughtful. Businesses are thoughtful.

 

Like society, Modern Etiquette has evolved into something that's useful. Practical. A set of social gestures {not rules} that make it easier to socialize with friends/family/colleagues/acquaintances/strangers because these considerate guidelines are really just a framework to help you think of thoughtful + intentional things to say or do.

 The considerations are simple.

1. Be Gracious. Channel kindness, always be personal and true. Give as much as you get, preferably more.

2. Be Timely. The quicker you are to show your appreciation, the more appreciated your recipient will feel. The earlier you ask someone to provide assistance, the more time they will have to prepare and give you quality material.

3. Be Relevant. Consider your audience. What do they need to know to succeed? Feel confident? What do they NOT need to know. {EDIT. EDIT. EDIT.} What will excite them?

 

 

So, this and every season :: Take a few minutes to apply a thoughtful lens to each and every situation by being gracious, timely + deeply relevant. And we promise that you will get it back ten {or a thousand} fold.

Happy Holidays!