E-cards Make Staying Connected Easier By Renee Robbins What do you do if you just remembered that today is your best friend's sixth wedding anniversary and you're stuck working through breakfast, lunch and probably dinner? Or you know your son starts his new job next Monday and you'll be out of town for a meeting? Send an electronic greeting card, and accomplish in five minutes what would otherwise require a trip to the card store, an address book, stamps and a mailbox! Women everywhere are finding that Internet access can actually increase their connections with other people, rather than decrease them. Electronic greeting cards ("e-cards") are everywhere on the Net, and the majority offer their cards at no cost. Just like paper cards, e-cards combine an image with text, and usually allow you to add a personal greeting. E-cards also often include music as well as animated illustrations or other special visual effects. Electronic greetings "can be a quick and easy way to stay connected," says Marie Drennan, a Chicago-based artist who works from her home studio. "So many people seem to have a hard time sending cards or letters, and e-mail is an easier method. I usually use them when I am late with a birthday or anniversary and can't mail a regular card to be there on time, or when I want to send an immediate pick-me-up kind of card or note to someone." Others use them more regularly because they appreciate the convenience and selection. "I love electronic cards! Everyone is so into e-mail that e-cards are a good way to send a special message. I use them because they are so easy," says Susan Palmer, employee relation's manager for a publishing company. Palmer has sent several to co-workers from the office, and to friends and family from her home computer. "I usually send them to let people know I'm thinking of them - just because, as well as for birthdays and special occasions," she says. "When you're a working woman, you have to do everything. And sometimes it seems like the personal stuff must get set aside," says Vicki Spagnola, a senior manager for electronic delivery channels for a financial institution. "E-cards close the circle on a spontaneous thought. It lets me be spontaneous when I otherwise might not be. Spagnola adds, "If I didn't have the convenience of e-cards, I probably wouldn't send anything because of the chaotic nature of my day. That's what's nice about e-cards: you can complete the thought when you think about it - no extra steps: I'm thinking of you, I'm telling you, BAM! It's done and I can focus on the next thing. And I know could just send an e-mail message, but it's much nicer and just as quick to send an image and some music." There are literally dozens of sites where you can find electronic greeting cards, many specializing in cards that are romantic or humorous. One Web site, ecards100.com, offers a directory of some of the smaller or more specialized e-card sites. Your choice of sites, just like your choice of cards, may depend on the type of person you're sending the card to. "I use bluemountain.com for the funny cards, and PhotoTunes.com for more classy cards, or for thoughtful ones. I love the photos in PhotoTunes.com," says Drennan. Blue Mountain is the largest e-card site, offering hundreds of cards in many categories. Its cards often feature cartoons, cute animation, original poetry and simple musical melodies. PhotoTunes.com, on the other hand, is a recent start-up that combines nature photography with original studio-quality smooth-jazz music and original sentiments or classic quotes. PhotoTunes also lets users choose their own combinations of photos and music to create custom cards. Says Palmer, who uses both PhotoTunes and Blue Mountain, "each offers different types of cards, which allows me to make the best choice for the situation." So when next you're hit with a feeling of spontaneous affection - or pressed for time when you remember that Sally's anniversary is today - try sending an electronic greeting card. A photographic card with a picture of Mt. Rainier, which is where Sally and James spent their honeymoon, or a rambunctious barrel of animated monkeys wishing Tim good luck could be just the ticket for staying connected in the midst of a busy day. Renee Robbins, an avowed e-card enthusiast, is the Chicago-based managing editor for PhotoTunes.com, a site for sore eyes.