Random inspiration: this comes from Peter Nguyen, a burgeoning young NYC fashion designer who keeps a very down-to-earth blog. I first saw this when he made the post back in March, but both the images and the concept really resonated with me, sticking in my head even til now. Peter explains:

“There are so many ways to get in contact with someone (cellphones, texting, e-mail, Instant messaging, Twitter, Facebook, etc) that I don’t think we really TALK anymore. With my experiment in limiting my access (and thus, others access to me) via e-mail a whlie back I’ve learned that when people know it will take some time for someone to reply, small talk disappears and what’s important is given priority.”

The wax and seal come from Kate’s Paperie. Seeing it put into practice, I think this is something I’m going to have to try. I like a sense of old-fashioned formality in my written correspondence. And finishing your letters with a wax seal, especially in gold like Peter’s chosen, would really emphasize the worth of the words inside, don’t you think?