Hayes Illustrated (HI) Is All About Staying In Touch the Old-Fashioned Way

Thanks for coming by the little shop that cards built! Making the vision a reality has been a painstakingly slow process but here we are, happily, despite all the fits and false starts.

Allow me to introduce my business: Hayes Illustrated, "HI" for short, is all about staying in touch the "old-fashioned" way, through greeting cards and handwritten notes. Our greeting card designs give you a host of great options for sending messages of friendship and love, helping you maintain and build lasting relationships. 

Correspondence is becoming a lost art and it's a shame because the written word has been bringing people together for centuries. Imagine where we'd be if John Adams and his beloved wife Abigail hadn't corresponded? Think of all that lost knowledge, history, and insight we'd be missing from them -- and so many others whose letters have impacted our culture, society and so much more. 

Not surprisingly, correspondence played a big role the formation of this 24/7 store. I have lots of people to thank for their time, assistance and support -- from the retailers who agreed to look at my prototypes to the greeting card reps who assured me they were salable. 

I wrote thank you notes to all of them because I was grateful for their time and consideration and also because I love writing letters and sending cards -- it's my "thing" (although I don't do it as often as I'd like). 

Thank you notes are also a way to stand out and be remembered -- particularly when interviewing. There are countless other reasons to send a card or write a letter--including for no reason at all. People are delighted when they receive an unexpected card or letter. Nowadays, it's a truly special pleasure for a recipient.  

Think about it: everyone loves receiving a heart-felt missive in the mail. On the rare occasions when I receive mail I'm ecstatic! It's a gift when someone takes the time to send a lasting and tangible token of their affection.

Electronic mail, texting and social media all have their place but, given a choice, I prefer a less fleeting, more personal expression of friendship. Plus, I love reading my correspondence again and again -- and I save quite a bit it. 

What about you? When was the last time you sent, or received, a bit of handwritten correspondence via the good ol' U.S. Post Office?