Calling All Foodies: 5 Delicious Birthday Card Ideas

You know what I love about birthdays?? All that food! The cakes, the cupcakes, the brownies…ALL THE SWEETS! It’s the greatest. But there’s something even better than that. How could something be better than food you ask? Well it is possibly my friends. Yup, it’s receiving your favorite goodies on a birthday card!

Think I’m lying? Check out these 5 birthday cards from The Gallery Collection that are sure to make you say “Yummy”.

1)    Happy Birthday to You! Card [Design # 57PJE]
This birthday card is sure to highly please your senses, especially to taste! Perfect for the ladies in your office this card offers wonderful pink, purple & green colors to ensure to make someone’s birthday very special.

2)    Happy Birthday! Card [Design # 50QJE]
With this birthday card perfect for either male or female co-workers, it’s a great way to celebrate their birthday…with a little help from chocolate birthday cake.

3)    Six Layers of Fun Birthday Card [Design # 58PJR]
What happens when a birthday celebration meets Alice in Wonderland? You end up with this fun birthday card design! Who doesn’t love a birthday cake inspired by a Disney movie?

4)    Cupcake Trio Birthday Card [Design # 55PJE]
My personal favorite birthday card! This adorable birthday card is perfect to give to your fellow co-worker. A great way to add a cherry on top of a fantastic birthday festivity for your employee.

5)    Sweet Birthday Card [Design # 52PJR]
And last but definitely not least, this delightful & lovely birthday card. Simple but sweet, it gets right to the point: Wishing you a happy birthday!

With all these pleasant & enjoyable birthday cards to choose from, it makes you start to wonder if it’s ok to always skip dinner & go right to dessert!

How to Dress for Job Interview Success

It’s the night before the big interview and the last thing you want to think about is outfit coordination for the big day. I hear you. Before you play closet Russian roulette and pull out an outdated vintage suit, (unless that’s your style!) here are a few tips to simplify the guesswork out of perfecting the right outfit for job interview success.

First, ask yourself three “Goldilocks”-type questions:

1. Is this [shirt/suit/pants/dress/ shoes] too big? Don’t wear it.
2. Is this [shirt/suit/pants/dress/ shoes] too small? Don’t wear it.
3. Is the fit just right? Meaning nothing is overly baggy, stretched out, or cutting off blood circulation?

Good. We are one step closer to finding a successful job interview attire from your closet.

This may seem obvious but the comfort and fit of your clothes is important while interviewing because wearing a fitted outfit will not only look better but make you feel more at ease in the interview. If all you can think about is how tight your shoes feel or how long your pants are, you might seem distracted during the interview.

Suits
1. If you don’t already have one, consider investing in a neutral-colored suit, in black, grey or beige. Pin-stripes are acceptable as long as the lines are small and not distracting.
2. If you wear a patterned-suit, then wear a solid-colored shirt/blouse on the inside. The opposite holds true as well: if you have a solid-colored suit, you have the option to wear a pattern-colored shirt/blouse on the inside. The rule is, just don’t mix patterns with patterns. They can clash and look too distracting.

Dress Shirts
1.  Always have a few presentable dress shirts in the right size. Stick with a few solid colors, like blue or white for safety. If you like more adventurous colors, try a light color like light lavender, which is modern and universally flattering. As long as the color is not too flashy or distracting, it should be fine.
2. Take the extra 5 minutes to iron out any wrinkles. Shirts with crisp collars look neat, tidy, and professional compared to a shirt just pulled out of the dryer.
3. Flatly tuck in your dress shirt/blouse to your pants or skirt to avoid bunching up the shirt.

Pants/Skirts
1. If you are wearing a suit jacket, make sure the pant color matches the suit exactly.
2. Iron out all the wrinkles.
3. For ladies, make sure the skirt hits around the knee for the perfect length.

Shoes
Stick with neutral colors, like brown or black for a professional interview. For ladies, heels are acceptable but sticking with a flatter heel will provide for more comfort.

Remember, you can still customize your job interview outfit to personalize yourself but make sure to pick clothes that give you the best comfort and confidence. Don’t wear clothes that will distract you or the interviewer from the job interview process so you can focus on acing that interview.
Finally, make sure all your shoes laces are tied and all buttons are buttoned up.  Good luck with your interview!

Why You Should Send Personal Photo Cards

Before I started a family, I admit that I rarely sent out Christmas cards. I loved receiving them though.  Once I was married and my two children were born, I could not wait to start choosing a holiday card to send out. Personal photo cards became my cards of choice. I think there are many reasons why personalized photo cards are a wonderful idea.

My husband and I both come from large families with many relatives living out of state.  Because of the distance between us, we don’t get a chance to get together often. We don’t get the chance to see each others’ children grow up and they grow up too quickly. We wind up missing so many milestones.  Sending and receiving personal photo cards lets us see our families and friend’s families’ growing up. It really helps to keep us all in touch with each other and make us feel like we are right there with them.  I hang the photo cards that we receive up on a door so I can see them all year long.

Besides adding pictures to personalized photo cards, you can also customize the wording as well. While most of our relatives celebrate Christmas, we have some that celebrate Hanukkah. I like to be able to make sure that I send holiday wishes for any holiday that they may celebrate. This helps to ensure that no one is offended. I often prefer to customize my photo cards by wishing everyone a Happy Everything.

One of the things I look forward to the most regarding the holiday season is receiving personal photo cards. Knowing that we are in each other’s thoughts makes the holiday feel really special. I have already chosen the design that I will be sending out to those I love and I can’t wait to see who is thinking of us too.  I really recommend sending out personalized photo cards. This is the time of year that we all want to feel close to loved ones. This holiday I recommend sending out your personal holiday card and let your loved ones know that you are thinking of them.

Assortment Boxes of Cards – The Life Saver

I love to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and all the little holidays in between. I’m definitely the person in the office who will bring in cupcakes to welcome someone new or to say farewell to someone who is retiring. One of my favorite parts of the celebration is picking the perfect card to accompany the festivities. I know a card seems small next to a tray of cupcakes, but the card is the part that people can keep as a memory after the party.  The only problem is trying to get out to the shops, often at the last minute, scrambling to find just the right card for a variety of occasions. Well, that was the problem, until I came across The Gallery Collection’s Assortment Boxes of cards – The Life Saver!

The assortment boxes allow me to keep an array of cards handy for a variety of occasions. So every time someone has a birthday or an anniversary I already have a beautiful card at my desk that just needs signing! It has definitely made my mornings less stressful. The great thing about these assortment boxes is that they contain a great selection. You can get a Birthday box with different types of cards, some perfect for your best friend but also some that are a bit more serious so you can also commemorate your boss’s birthday. My favorites are the All Occasion boxes because I’m covered for everything. They include cards for anniversaries, when congratulations are in order, and even for more somber occasions when a sympathy or get well card can really make a co-worker feel like they have people who are thinking about them in difficult times.

Greeting Cards Highlight – Congratulations Cards

Sending a card to say ‘congrats’ is always the hallmark of a special occasion. Praising a close friend or family member on their accomplishment or good news spreads warm feelings all around, for both the sender and the recipient. This collection of cards features both simple yet elegant designs, to bold and powerful cards that really enhance the message. Whatever the celebration, these cards are sure to put a smile on their face.

Contemporary Congratulations Card – This card sends the appropriate message with just the right amount of flare. The blue, grey and green pastel pattern draped over the ‘congratulations’ provides both a unique and artistic touch to this card.

Bursting Congratulations Wishes Card – This card is simply a knockout. The gold-lettered writing combined with the sharp red design of the balloons makes this card standout from the rest. In addition, the bold golden text on the inside of the card only adds to the powerful effect of this card.

Stellar Congratulations Greeting Card – Creative is the word best used to describe this card. The design is complex and colorful, creating a pattern that will instantly catch the eye of whomever is receiving this special card. The color scheme is diverse and lavish, making this card suitable for anyone who likes to stand out from the crowd.

Baby Congrats Greeting Card – Welcoming a new life into this world requires a special card. This carefully and beautifully crafted card sends that message in just the right way. The blocks used to create a colorful and playful pattern to spell out this card’s message gives a simple reminder to the joys of new parenthood.

Stay Connected To Your Employees with Employee Birthday Cards

BIRTHDAY CARD

I’ve been in business a long time and it doesn’t seem like it was ever harder to stay afloat than it is today. Maybe I’m just getting old, but I feel like I need to constantly learn something new to keep pace with the competition. Don’t get the wrong idea, I never stood still. I understand about keeping up, if you don’t, forget about it. I’m talking about the speed of it all today, seems like I’m always a little behind. Email, Facebook, twitter and all the ways to connect that I don’t know about yet. Being where the business is makes me dizzy!

It makes me wonder too about some of the things I spend my money on. There’s never been a greater urgency to look for ways to trim the fat, and get the most out of every nickel. Employee birthday cards, for example. Are they really worth the time, effort and expense? There are cards for anniversaries, Christmas and more so it adds up. I know it’s important to stay connected to your employees, but do they really care about getting a card? I know they used to, but I’ve got a lot of new, younger people now and I’m not so sure.

Honestly I hate how impersonal and cold it would be to do away with the cards, employee birthday cards. I think I’ll look elsewhere for savings. I’m betting the personal touch is still worth something.

Why You Should Have an Anniversary Cards Assortment Box

Is it almost June already?  Wow, time flies when you’re having fun working!  As the pages fly off the calendar, you are more than likely going to pass a few important dates or milestones along the way. That’s why it’s so useful to have one of our Anniversary Card assortment boxes.

Whether your marking your first, or fiftieth year in business, or perhaps celebrating a long running relationship with a customer, an anniversary card is always a great way to let the important people involved with your company know you haven’t forgotten them or how much you appreciate your years together.

People often don’t realize the importance of anniversaries, or sometimes forget them altogether!  I can tell you from personal experience how far a small thoughtful gesture such as remembering the start of a partnership can go.  And unfortunately from my own experience, I can also attest to how forgetting an anniversary will certainly get you in trouble!

Each box contains 35 beautifully made cards with the best of our various anniversary card designs and one of our thoughtful greetings.  To make things even easier, the anniversary card assortment box includes our popular seal fast envelopes to save you some time.  So now you will have a card for every important date that comes along throughout the year, and you can rest assured you’ve done that one small thing that will make it more likely you will keep marking those anniversaries year after year.

Sending Birthday Cards Is Still Important For Business

Sending a birthday card to a business partner or even a competitor can be a delicate situation. Personal or professional? Comical or creative? Choosing the right card to send is as important as sending the card itself.

Know Your Audience – Someone who appreciates a humorous card that works at a law firm is the same person that appreciates a humorous card who teaches ‘comedy and tragedy’ at your local university. If you are sending a card to an individual, it is crucial to tailor that card to their personality.

Variety – There are cards for all emotions and all walks of life, so don’t be afraid to get personal. However, if the relationship is one of a strictly business or causal manor, sending a more generic card can work in your favor to still show you care, but are also someone of a professional ilk. This tactic will avoid sending the card with a tiny cat in a bowtie blowing out candles to someone who frankly, wouldn’t get it.

To Send or Not to Send in Bulk – That is the question. The answer varies depending on your company, and the company you are sending birthday cards to. Is it crucial to send a birthday card to every business contact you have? Probably not. But, sending a card to as many connections as possible can only help extend the good will and keep you and your business relationship fresh on their mind. Buying just one box of business cards can, in all likelihood, cover almost all of your business-related birthdays. This purchase can be beneficial financially for you, and also make you look savvy to your business partners for remembering their special day.

In our technological world, the personal touch of sending a greeting card is becoming a lost art form. There is definitely something to be said for opening and reading a physical card rather than an e-card with a cheesy popup message. Sending a birthday card to your colleagues and associates is a small but important touch to keep you on the forefront of your business relationships.

Greeting Cards Highlight – Thank You Cards

Chances are that there are people in your life who have helped you along the way, contributing positively to you or your business. We all have people in our lives who we are thankful for and sending them a thank you card is the perfect way to express that you acknowledge their impact, work or business.

Here are five great Thank You cards that will help get the message across:

First, the Thank You Scroll Card is the perfect card to thank your clients or customers. The “Thank You” message is written elegantly over a swirling tonal backdrop and stamped with embossed gold foil. The overall design on cream matte card stock looks polished and well-put together.

Another great thank you card for your clients or customers is the Thank You For Your Business card on a navy blue background. This thank you card is less formal than the “Thank You Scroll Card” but looks equally great with the gold lettering on navy background. The interesting lines underneath the “Thank You For Your Business Card” works as the focus point and is sure to draw in your customers.

If there is someone you’d like to thank during the holidays, the Regal Thank You card is a great card to send. The royal red and gold design on cream matte stock features subtly embossed details that remind one of the holidays, without being too specific as to which particular holiday. The classic card can be sent to employees, coworkers or loved ones, making it a great all-purpose card for you or your business.

One of my favorite thank you cards is the Peacock Thank You card because the design features just the right amount of detail to make a colorful impact. The “Thank You” message is simple, embossed in gold, while three peacock feather plumes featured in blue, red, and yellow stylishly wrap around the “Thank You” message. The embossed details on each feather stand out, leaving a tasteful impact. This card would be a great personal card or even a stylish card for your clients if you want to leave a lasting impression.

Last but not least, if you prefer a background design over a “Thank You” font design, why not express your gratitude with the Water Lily Nympheas card? This famous background by Claude Monet is outlined in a thick gold embossing and leaves room in the inside of the card to personally sign or handwrite your gratitude to your customers or loved ones. If you enjoy the Claude Monet backgrounds, there are also many other Monet landscape cards you can choose from in the Thank You card collection.

Remember what your mother always taught you: Always say please and “THANK YOU!”

How to Handle the Work Commute Stress

One thing I noticed about long commutes was that they tended to take all my energy away. By the time I got to work my coffee was gone and I was tired again, I had wasted precious energy on 40 minutes or more of car-dancing, I had already talked to seven people at red lights, and I had panicked about traffic as well as mostly everything in the world.

I couldn’t sustain this any longer and I knew I had to do something. I’ve kind of narrowed it down into four basic strategies:

1. Wake Up Early and Leave Early
The classic mistake: wake up late, leave late, freak out for an hour in the car, get to work late. It’s true that the initial moment of getting out of bed is close to impossible, but when I wake up early, stretch, and drink a little water, I’m eternally grateful for the extra few minutes. I can leave earlier, too. And then in the car when I have to stop and let a pedestrian cross the road, instead of shouting “WHY IN GOD’S GREEN EARTH IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?” I can let the pedestrian go in a pleasant manner.

2. Pace Yourself
I’ve started trying different things to conserve my energy in the mornings. The first thing I realized is that, as much as I may want to listen to energetic rock-and-roll while chugging espresso at 7 a.m., it helps a lot to put on some soothing music and just calmly zone out during the car or bus ride. It saves my energy for when I get to work and keeps me in the right mood for it. The other thing that helps is to get your lunch and/or breakfast ready at night, so you can just grab it without rushing on your way out.

3. Or, Don’t
Feel free to get excited on your way to work. Car rides can be fun if you have the right tunes, the right weather, and the right mood. Roll down your window, drink your espresso drink (or your green tea), and think happy thoughts.

4. For Goodness Sake, Talk Yourself Out of It
As the cars creep inch by inch down the highway, stopping short just so, it helps to keep reminding yourself: I will not stress. It’s okay. I will not stress. This is not the end of the world. This also has to do with pacing yourself. What’s the point of wasting all that energy so early on? I ask myself all the time: Is this situation really worth feeling pure terror over? If not, just relax. Breathe. It’s going to be all right. Calm yourself with words.

Going nuts in the morning is no fun. But when I wake up early, pace my energy (or don’t), and remain composed in the face of unfortunate driving conditions, I find that the long morning commute is totally manageable and even a good chance to start your morning off right.