This past weekend some friends and I took a road trip to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States. What does this have to do with Everyday Correspondence, might you ask? Well, I picked up some wonderful stationery and a letter opener at the gift shop.
The stationery set, printed on recycled paper (in honor of T.J.'s dedication to environmental stewardship) came with eight notecards, eight petite notecards, fifteen lined letter sheets and the appropriate envelopes for each. The best part, the price, I got it all for eight bucks!
The pattern on the paper depicts scenes from the Monticello estate in the style of Toile de Jouy cloth. The images were originally created using a technique of printing on plain cotton or linen fabric with engraved copperplates. It is well documented that T.J. purchased many yards of the fabric during his time as United States trade minister to the French Court. Although, it should be noted, he prefered the printed fabric in red.
My other purchase is a letter opener with a pineapple motif. I've long been a huge fan of tasteful pineapple decor. In colonial and early American times, because of it's scarcity, pineapples were often given as gifts. They then came to symbolize both wealth and generosity and worked their way into the decor of many colonial homes.
I have no affiliation with Monticello or it's store, but if you would like to purchase this stationery set, it is available at the official store for $9.99.
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