The Story Behind Our First Postcard

This is the story of how a simple thought turned into something much more personal, and why I hope you'll keep this little piece of Hébe forever. 

It all started with a thank-you card. 

A little while ago, I received a package that had a simple thank-you card inside. It was the kind of card we've all seen before, a sweet gesture with a discount code, a nice extra. And yet, without wanting to be dishonest, I threw it away. Not because it was bad or because I didn't appreciate it but because I didn't really have a reason to keep it. If I wanted the discount code, I could simply take a photo of it. 

But before throwing it away, I had a thought that made me stop for a moment: What if my customers do exactly the same thing with my thank-you cards? And honestly, why wouldn't they? I was doing the exact same thing! 

As a small business owner, thank-you cards are still a cost, and while I don't blame anyone for throwing them away (I literally did the same thing), I started wondering if I could create something different.

Something that would still say thank you, still include a little discount for next time, but also feel like something worth keeping.

I wanted it to be more than just another piece of paper inside a package. Something you might pin on your wall, place on your fridge, put in a frame, or simply keep somewhere special. 

Something that might remind you of a feeling, a memory or even a version of yourself. And that's how the idea began...

This is exactly how I had imagined our postcard looking in a frame.  This photo was taken in my favorite little place, the Hébe office. 

 

Why a postcard?

There's something about postcards that I've always loved. 

Recently, my boyfriend has been traveling a lot for work, and I keep asking him to bring me magnets and postcards from the countries he visits. I love traveling, even if I don't get to do it as often as I'd like, so having these littles pieces of different places on my fridge makes me really happy.

My fridge now has postcards from different places and sometimes I catch myself just standing there, looking at them. So when I started thinking about what I could create for Hébe, a postcard felt like the perfect choice!

And the more I thought about it, the more sense it made.

After all, every piece of jewelry I prepare starts its journey here, in Thessaloniki. From my little office, from my hands, and from a place that means so much to me.

Then it travels to another home, another city, another country, and sometimes even another continent. Eventually, it reaches someone I've probably never met, in a home I've never seen. I don't know why, but I find that thought so, so beautiful.

In a way, every order is already a little journey of its own. So why not send a postcard along with it?

Why seven?

With ‘seven,’ the song, I was looking back on it. I’ve always wondered when I see a kid throwing a massive tantrum in a grocery store, like, part of me is like, ‘man, I feel you.’ Like, when did I stop doing that when I was upset? Obviously, you know, we can’t be throwing tantrums all the time, and we learned that that’s not the right thing to do, but there’s something lost there too. - Taylor Swift, Long Pond Studio Sessions

Once I knew what I wanted to create, I started thinking about the feeling I wanted the postcard to carry. 

For me, some of the strongest memories I have are from my childhood. 

I remember being a little girl, running through the empty streets of my lovely village, playing without worrying about anything and having people I loved around me. Those are some of the moments I miss the most. 

I know that not everyone remembers their childhood in the same way. Not everyone had a happy one, and I understand that childhood isn't something everyone wants to look back on. 

But I do believe that, somewhere inside us, we all carry a part of the child we once were. The child who played, imagined, dreamed and saw the world a little differently. 

That was the feeling I wanted to capture. And because Taylor Swift has become such an important part of Hébe and the inspiration behind so many of my creations, I wanted to connect this idea to one of her songs. 

Almost immediately, I thought of seven.

I know the song can be interpreted in different ways, and I understand why some people connect it to much heavier subjects, including childhood abuse. I don't dismiss those interpretations at all. 

But for this postcard, I chose to hold onto another side of the song. The voice of a child, the innocence, the imagination, the friendship, and the way childhood memories can stay with us even as we grow older. 

That was the part of seven I wanted to bring to life. 

"Somewhere, the child we were is still running free"

I wanted a sentence on the front of the postcard that would capture the feeling of seven without using an actual lyric from the song. And eventually, I found the words I was looking for: Somewhere, the child we were is still running free. 

I loved this sentence from the moment I thought about it! To me, it means that even though we grow up, change and go through so many different things in life, the children we once were haven't completely disappeared. 

Somewhere, the little girl I used to be is still running through those empty village streets, without a single worry in her head. And I find that thought comforting. 

That's also why I chose this particular photo of Taylor running through a field. To me it represents exactly what I wanted the postcard to express. 

A child running freely, without responsibilities or worries, simply enjoying the moment. I hoped that someone looking at this postcard might remember a little part of themselves, too. 

The little details on the back 

Once the front was finished, I started working on the back. 

I wanted it to look and feel as much like a real postcard as possible, so I took inspiration from the ones on my fridge and a few others I found online. 

Since these postcards would be traveling to different homes around the world, I wanted them to clearly show where Hébe comes from. 

That's why I added "A Postcard from Hébe", followed by Thessaloniki, Greece and est. 2023, the year my little business began.

Then came the message itself: Thank you for giving this little piece a home!

That sentence means a lot to me. 

Every piece of jewelry I prepare stays with me for a little while before it leaves. I put it together, pack it and eventually send it on its way. 

And knowing that something I've prepared with my own hands will find a home with someone who loves it, wears it, and enjoys it means more to me than I can explain. 

I sometimes think of my jewelry as my little babies, as silly as that might sound. So I really do mean it when I thank you for giving them a home. 

The second part of the message says: We hope it becomes a part of many memories to come.

And that's something I genuinely hope for. 

I hope you wear your jewelry to concerts, parties, holidays, or simply during an ordinary day that unexpectedly becomes a beautiful memory. 

I hope that one day, when you look at a necklace or bracelet from Hébe, it reminds you of a particular moment, a place, or someone you love. Because the thought of my jewelry becoming a small part of your memories is something that makes me incredibly happy. 

A little personal touch (and a few Easter eggs)

Although, I wanted the main message to be printed, I knew I wanted to include something handwritten as well. Something that would make the postcard feel a little more personal.

So I opened my iPad and wrote "with love, hébe" in my own handwriting, just like I often do on my cards. And of course, I added the little stars I always draw next to my signature. 

I didn't try to make my handwriting look perfect, I simply wanted it to be mine, exactly as it is. It was my little way of reminding you that behind this postcard, and behind Hébe, there's a real person. 

Then, of course, came the Easter eggs. 

One of the Easter eggs from our Instagram post, where the first letter of each line spells out POSTCARD.

If you look closely, you'll notice a small moon above my handwritten message and Saturn just below it. 

A little reference to seven, hidden between the lines of a postcard. This was also one of the hints I shared on Instagram before revealing the design. 

On the other side, I added a postage stamp featuring Hébe's monogram, another little detail that some of you might recognize from the clues I had been sharing on our stories. 

I also kept the classic TO: and FROM: HEBE lines because, after all, this is still a postcard, and every postcard has a sender and someone to receive it. 

And if you remember the Instagram caption I posted while teasing the series, there's one more little secret. 

The first letters of each line spell POSTCARD. 

I really enjoyed hiding all these little details and watching a lot of you try to figure them out before the reveal. 

PS. A little something for next time

Of course, I didn't want to completely remove the original purpose of a thank you card. So I kept the discount code on the back as a little extra for your next order. 

The discount code was never the reason I created these postcards. If you use it, I'm happy. If you never do, that's completely fine too. What matters most to me is that you might want to keep the postcard itself. 

That it might find a little place in your home, alongside the things that mean something to you. 

No. 01 - Running Free

While creating this first postcard, I realized that I didn't want it to be the only one. I wanted these postcards to become a collectible series. 

Different designs, different stories, different feelings and probably a few more Easter eggs along the way. As long as my journey with Hébe continues, I hope there will be more of them.

I don't know what the next postcard will look like or what story it will tell. The idea hasn't come to me yet. But I know there will be another one. 

For now, this is Hébe Postcard Series - No. 01, Running Free 

The first of what I hope will become a collection of little memories, traveling from my hands to yours. And if one of these postcards has already found its way into your home, I really hope you'll keep it. 

Not because it has Hébe's name on it, but because maybe it reminds you of something that matters to you. 

And if you've already received one of our postcards, I'd love to know where you decided to keep it. ♡

With love,

Sotiria from Hébe