Throughout the fifteen years that I was in the card and gift shop business, my customers often asked me to help them find the right words to say what they felt, whether they were wishes for a happy birthday, congratulations on the birth of a child, or condolences on the death of a loved one.

No matter how beautiful a greeting card and its verse, nothing means more than the handwritten note added inside the card. It is the most important and meaningful part of the card.

But from time to time, we all have difficulty coming up with the appropriate phrase. How many times have we struggled to find the right words, especially for a sympathy or get-well card? Sometimes our mind draws a blank.

Finding the Right Wordsis the answer to this problem: it's a quick and easy-to-use reference guide designed to jump-start you in the writing process by providing lists of phrases, words, and sentiments for most occasions.

You will also find useful information for card mailing."Helpful Hints" gives you tips on how to be more organized and efficient in your card giving, so you never have to send a belated card again. There are also monthly lists for birthdays and anniversaries, state abbreviations, and pages for your holiday card lists.

There are so many uses forFinding the Right Words! Besides helping you with preprinted cards and blank notes, some of the phrases also make perfect "toasts" for special occasions such as weddings, retirements, etc. This book itself makes an excellent gift to include in a gift basket, or a great stocking stuffer at Christmastime.

And don't feel locked into using the phrases as they are: change them around to suit the occasion or the person to whom you are writing; feel free to be creative with them! And if you don't find what you need in one section, check the other sections, as some phrases are interchangeable. Or combine phrases to fit the occasion.

Greeting cards are a permanent and meaningful method of communication. Emails and phone calls are wonderful, but they're gone as soon as you hit the send button, or hang up the receiver. After an occasion has passed, we often hang onto the memories, the photos, and the greeting cards. This book is my gift to you, to help you create personal messages on cards that loved ones will hold onto as keepsakes forever.

Copyright © 2003 by J. Beverly Daniel

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Birthday

May all your wishes come true

Many happy returns

How is it that birthdays don't show on you? You've gotta tell me your secret...and don't give me that business about a painting in the attic.

Have a wonderful birthday

It's all right to light the candles on your birthday cake now; I have alerted the fire department.

Have fun on your birthday

Every birthday holds the promise of a new beginning. Hope this is your best year yet!

Have a sensational birthday

I hope this birthday is the happiest yet

Happiness on your birthday and always

Happy _____ birthday. Are you counting in dog years?!

Copyright © 2003 by J. Beverly Daniel

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Excerpted from Finding the Right Words: Perfect Phrases to Personalize Your Greeting Cards by J. Beverly Daniel
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.