Do you ever go to a store and spend more time admiring the way the store is decorated or the way an object is displayed than actually shopping? Have you ever gotten a gift and relished the packaging just as much as the gift? I admit that I do! I recently ordered a gift card from Anthropologie, and when I received it, I just about died from delight. From the moment I held the shipping envelope, which was made of rich, textured, padded kraft paper, I knew there was something special inside. Opening and looking at the gift card was itself an interactive adventure! The gift card was not just one of those plastic things that you get just about anywhere. It was actually a small notebooklet, with a gray canvas cover and a yellow string that held it all together. When I opened it, I found thick paper with a note about the gift, and the recipient could write down all her favorites while shopping. Can you imagine the fit of delights that the recipient of this gift card will receive??

Needless to say, I love beautiful packaging. The way a gift or a purchase is packaged conveys so much more meaning than the mere exchange of goods. To me, it represents the thoughtfulness, warmth, and sentiment that went into the exchange. My own packaging is no exception. When I package my orders, each knot of the bow and each careful layer of paper, tags, or stickers represents how much I value my client. I think of it as not just “delivering pictures,” but delivering happiness!