Y
Yours
11 Secrets Your Valentineās Day Card Reveals About You
Nearly 200 million Valentineās Day cards are exchanged every year. Is your card sending the right message to your Valentine?
The Cartoon Animal Card

Youāre not shy about your feelings. Greeting card artists use animals (most often chipmunks, bears, and skunks) to load major emotion in those big, adorable eyes, says David Ellis Dickerson, author of the book House of Cards and a former Hallmark card writer. āThe most popular is the chipmunk, because it has big eyes and a cute face, but unlike a squirrel, it doesnāt have a big distracting tail,ā says Dickerson. A bear, on the other hand, conveys a more loving and enduring sentiment. āA chipmunk says āHi!ā and scurries away, while a bear hugs you,ā says Dickerson. Opt for the skunk? Youāre naturally a little stinker: You donāt quite buy into Valentineās Dayābut you still care.
The Poetic Card

Youāre patient. āA long, poetic card says the sender is willing to take time,ā says Teri Desautels, line and verse director for the greeting card company Marian Heath. āPeople are very concerned about what those poems say, and they look at every single one to make sure it fits,ā says Dickerson. āItās for a long-term relationship or marriage. I wouldnāt send one unless youāve been through one major argument. Itās saying, āBy the way, this is costing me something emotionallyāand itās worth it.'ā
The "Bells and Whistles" Card

Youāre reserved with your emotions. In surveys, men typically specify that they donāt like āmushyā cards, says Dickerson; as a result, they might choose a card's wow factor over its words. āMany men tend to go to the top of the rack and buy the most expensive cards, which are often flowery, gaudy cards with satin ribbon, but that donāt say much,ā says Dickerson. āWe always relied them to buy those cards to make our profits. It doesnāt mean they donāt love you. They say āI love youā in a different way.ā
The Seldom Said Card

Youāre appreciative. āA common phrase they start with is āAlthough I donāt always say itā¦,āā says Dickerson. āItās the idea that on this particular card, on this particular day, I want to tell you I still careāeven if our life together might seem kind of dull at times. And thatās not a bad thing.ā These notes can be a sweet way to remind your Valentine just how much they mean to you, even if youāre far past the courting stage.
The Blank Card

Youāre trendy. Cards with no pre-printed message inside are increasingly popular and appeal to millennials in particular, say Arley-Rose Torsone and Morgan Calderini, owners of card company Ladyfingers Letterpress. āThey write text messages, theyāre on Twitterāand they donāt want someone else to write their love messages for them,ā says Calderini.
The Cupid Card

Sorry, but youāre being lazy. āAs an actual symbol, a Cupid is very old fashioned and doesnāt convey that much emotion,ā says Dickerson. āItās such a clichĆ©, itās basically devoid of meaning.ā Even if a card seems classic, it can come across as cold or inconsiderate if itās not tailored to your Valentine. āWhen cards use visuals weāve seen a million times before, it doesnāt make the recipient feel very special,ā says Helene Rosenthal, founder and creative director of SayWhat Cards.
The Nature Card

You like to keep things simple. Think cards of hearts drawn in the sand or āBe Mineā etched into a tree. You appreciate the serene nature of the outdoor world and likely donāt want to complicate things on this special day. āOften the message in this type of card is a brief line or two. Still meaningful, but stated simply," says Desautels.
The Card With No Images

Youāre a rule-breaker with an imagination. If your card only says āLoveā in bold letters, youāre letting your Valentine set the scene of your romance. āText is just as much of a visual as an image is,ā Rosenthal says. āWhen you have a word like 'Kiss,' you allow the reader to conjure up their own images of how it relates to their world with you.ā
The Singing Card

You live in the present. While a traditional card has a long shelf life, a gadget card will eventually stop working. āItās a joke in the now,ā says Dickerson.
The Funny Card

You hit the jackpot: Youāre comfortable in your relationship and know your partner well. Humor isnāt necessarily a deflection from true emotions. āOn one hand, it is a way to avoid mushiness,ā says Dickerson. āBut on another, humor represents the kind of love that sustains relationships. Itās what gets people through hard times.ā It also takes some pressure off the big day. āValentineās Day can be a very loaded holiday,ā says Torsone. āA funny card isnāt super gushy, but still shares the sentiment that itās hard to find someone you really click with.ā
The Email or eCard

It depends. Emails can be a sweet way to EĆĻréŔŔ how you feel if your sentiments are a tad too long to write by hand in a card, says Laurie Davis, author of Love @ First Click and founder of eFlirt, a personal branding service for singles. āA long, emotional email where you reveal your feelings on Valentineās Day is a great touch if youāre in a relationship,ā she says. āIt may be feelings your partner has heard before, but seeing them in print is a nice reminder of how much you care. Just make sure you donāt reveal new feelingsāemotions should always be EĆĻréŔŔed face-to-face first.ā Even a text can remind your sweetie how you feel about them. āWhat does he or she mean to you? How have you grown as a result of the relationship? Put it all down in a few sweet sentiments and send mid-day to put a smile on your honeyās face.ā
rd.com
Nearly 200 million Valentineās Day cards are exchanged every year. Is your card sending the right message to your Valentine?
The Cartoon Animal Card

Youāre not shy about your feelings. Greeting card artists use animals (most often chipmunks, bears, and skunks) to load major emotion in those big, adorable eyes, says David Ellis Dickerson, author of the book House of Cards and a former Hallmark card writer. āThe most popular is the chipmunk, because it has big eyes and a cute face, but unlike a squirrel, it doesnāt have a big distracting tail,ā says Dickerson. A bear, on the other hand, conveys a more loving and enduring sentiment. āA chipmunk says āHi!ā and scurries away, while a bear hugs you,ā says Dickerson. Opt for the skunk? Youāre naturally a little stinker: You donāt quite buy into Valentineās Dayābut you still care.
The Poetic Card

Youāre patient. āA long, poetic card says the sender is willing to take time,ā says Teri Desautels, line and verse director for the greeting card company Marian Heath. āPeople are very concerned about what those poems say, and they look at every single one to make sure it fits,ā says Dickerson. āItās for a long-term relationship or marriage. I wouldnāt send one unless youāve been through one major argument. Itās saying, āBy the way, this is costing me something emotionallyāand itās worth it.'ā
The "Bells and Whistles" Card

Youāre reserved with your emotions. In surveys, men typically specify that they donāt like āmushyā cards, says Dickerson; as a result, they might choose a card's wow factor over its words. āMany men tend to go to the top of the rack and buy the most expensive cards, which are often flowery, gaudy cards with satin ribbon, but that donāt say much,ā says Dickerson. āWe always relied them to buy those cards to make our profits. It doesnāt mean they donāt love you. They say āI love youā in a different way.ā
The Seldom Said Card

Youāre appreciative. āA common phrase they start with is āAlthough I donāt always say itā¦,āā says Dickerson. āItās the idea that on this particular card, on this particular day, I want to tell you I still careāeven if our life together might seem kind of dull at times. And thatās not a bad thing.ā These notes can be a sweet way to remind your Valentine just how much they mean to you, even if youāre far past the courting stage.
The Blank Card

Youāre trendy. Cards with no pre-printed message inside are increasingly popular and appeal to millennials in particular, say Arley-Rose Torsone and Morgan Calderini, owners of card company Ladyfingers Letterpress. āThey write text messages, theyāre on Twitterāand they donāt want someone else to write their love messages for them,ā says Calderini.
The Cupid Card

Sorry, but youāre being lazy. āAs an actual symbol, a Cupid is very old fashioned and doesnāt convey that much emotion,ā says Dickerson. āItās such a clichĆ©, itās basically devoid of meaning.ā Even if a card seems classic, it can come across as cold or inconsiderate if itās not tailored to your Valentine. āWhen cards use visuals weāve seen a million times before, it doesnāt make the recipient feel very special,ā says Helene Rosenthal, founder and creative director of SayWhat Cards.
The Nature Card

You like to keep things simple. Think cards of hearts drawn in the sand or āBe Mineā etched into a tree. You appreciate the serene nature of the outdoor world and likely donāt want to complicate things on this special day. āOften the message in this type of card is a brief line or two. Still meaningful, but stated simply," says Desautels.
The Card With No Images

Youāre a rule-breaker with an imagination. If your card only says āLoveā in bold letters, youāre letting your Valentine set the scene of your romance. āText is just as much of a visual as an image is,ā Rosenthal says. āWhen you have a word like 'Kiss,' you allow the reader to conjure up their own images of how it relates to their world with you.ā
The Singing Card

You live in the present. While a traditional card has a long shelf life, a gadget card will eventually stop working. āItās a joke in the now,ā says Dickerson.
The Funny Card

You hit the jackpot: Youāre comfortable in your relationship and know your partner well. Humor isnāt necessarily a deflection from true emotions. āOn one hand, it is a way to avoid mushiness,ā says Dickerson. āBut on another, humor represents the kind of love that sustains relationships. Itās what gets people through hard times.ā It also takes some pressure off the big day. āValentineās Day can be a very loaded holiday,ā says Torsone. āA funny card isnāt super gushy, but still shares the sentiment that itās hard to find someone you really click with.ā
The Email or eCard

It depends. Emails can be a sweet way to EĆĻréŔŔ how you feel if your sentiments are a tad too long to write by hand in a card, says Laurie Davis, author of Love @ First Click and founder of eFlirt, a personal branding service for singles. āA long, emotional email where you reveal your feelings on Valentineās Day is a great touch if youāre in a relationship,ā she says. āIt may be feelings your partner has heard before, but seeing them in print is a nice reminder of how much you care. Just make sure you donāt reveal new feelingsāemotions should always be EĆĻréŔŔed face-to-face first.ā Even a text can remind your sweetie how you feel about them. āWhat does he or she mean to you? How have you grown as a result of the relationship? Put it all down in a few sweet sentiments and send mid-day to put a smile on your honeyās face.ā
rd.com
