Holly Jolly [Snail] Mail

A beauty by Rhonda.

Lynn and Michael worked up another masterpiece this season.  See more of their work here.

Toni, the artist of this chic card used to be my 'stampin' soulmate', but now she is my 'printable partner' who has fallen in love with House of 3 too.

Angela my scrappin' bud from SC sent this lil' number.

Holiday mail ROCKS!  Picked up a wire hanger from Pier 1 Imports that held, well barely held all of the Christmas-ey goodness.  Handmade cards are the icing on the Christmas cookie of holiday [snail] mail, photo cards come in a sweet second.

Eli helped me stamp these thank you's for his Christmas gifts. Let's say he turned into the little green giant and a lean mean green hand stampin' machine.  Don't worry I checked and this does not qualify as child labor.

The Pen Pal Project Book

This is the cover of my pen pal project book.  I will be collecting the [snail] mail goodness in here.  I created a 9 x11.5 chipboard album held together with book rings.  Each pen pal, I have 6 so far has their own section with a envie tab and page protectors that contain their goodies. I can simply slip in the [snail] mail, whatever it be, a drawing, letter, card or postcard.  This way it only takes a snap and I can go back through and smile at the little [snail] mail beauties! 

A little more about the cover.  I wanted to have a bit of lace adorning it, attaching it with staples for a more [snail] mail like feel.  In one of those crafting accidents I stapled my finger...TWICE!  Actually bled onto the vintage lace.  I guess that's one way to dye lace!  Wounded and sporting a band-aid I decided to sew the lace on- with safety being a top priority.  Note: Only two fingers were hurt in the making of this album...so far.  I have been enjoying practicing my handwriting along with Heidi's Love Your Handwriting book.  *Will updade with the source of the mailing label printout.

Each section has a paper source envie that I will be storing items I want to mail to my special pen pals.  I attached the stories I was told about my pen pals excitement to participate.  'Courtney: Do you want to be pen pals with Lindsey?  Scott: What's a penpal?  Courtney: It's where she mails you stuff.  Scott: Ooh, like when she mailed me a Nintendo DS game!?  Courtney: No, just mail.'

'Tammi: Do you want to be pen pals with Lindsey?  Makenna: YES!!...What's a pen pal?'

This was the first letter/acceptance back.  It melted my heart.  I LOVE IT!  Thank you Marta for the inspiration to star' this project and making this letter possible.

For the love of photos, a memory that they have chose to share with you.  Much appreciated.

Alright, now I think I need an old fashioned typewriter to type up my very own pen pal letters.  The look of a typewriter, the sound, the font.  Note: Find typewriter that looks cool and works.

Ah, postcards.  I love to travel.  And the next best thing to travelling somewhere yourself is receiving a postcard from someone who has been travelling!  So exciting to see a snipit of their adventure.

Thanks for looking!  Hope you feel moved to feed someone else's [snail] mailbox.

Joining the Pen Pal Project

Monday - Saturday is my favorite part of the week, that means the [snail] mail comes!  Rarely I find my mailbox empty, when it is tons of questions enter my mind...

• what time is it?
• is it Sunday?
• did I already collect it?
• did the mail man forget my house?

So many people I know say, I NEVER get [snail] mail.  Geez, there are only a handful of days I NEVER get [snail] mail, but perhaps they are talking about the good ole' [snail] mail.  The handwritten address, the cancelled stamp, and the funky colored/shaped envelopes.  You can never have too much good ole' [snail] mail that's for sure.

I was sending out a lot of cards a few years back and sent a few to a friend.  Her husband was secretly jealous, and one day she came home to her card had already been opened.  She asked him why he opened it, and he said he had a bad day at work and needed a little pick me up and opening her card did just the trick.  Funny, [snail] mail that is not even for you is still fun to open!  And it's such a high commodity it might get stolen, so watch out.

In a movement to NEVER have 'no [snail] mail days' I joined up with Marta and Summer in their Pen Pal Project.  I love the idea.  Slowing down, making it personal, and spreading the [snail] mail love.  Filling people's mailboxes that are dying of malnutrition and simply making someone's day sounds like a lovely project.

First who would I ask?  Will people want to do it?  Would they think I am totally corny?  Who cares, I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like [snail] mail.  Junk [snail] mail sure, but this won't be junk at all.  I ordered 2 packs of postcards to officially invite my chosen pen pals.  Since Eli cannot be around children I thought what better people than the children in my life!?  The fact that I can capture their lives right now through the [snail] mail instead of face to face seems so secret, precious, and COOL!  Josh thinks I am crazy asking 5 year olds to be my pen pal, but they are psyched and openly so am I!!

Makenna's Mom asked her if she would like to be my penpal and she replied...YES!  What's a penpal?

Scotty's Mom asked him if he would like to be penpals and he said what does that mean, she told him where she would mail you stuff, he said like Nintendo DS games?

Super excited to teach them about [snail] mail!

Below are the responses I have sent out so far and I also found these postcards that made me laugh.

***Upcoming tomorrow the [snail] mail book loaded with what I have received to date.

The 'give thanks' printables were found at Living Locurto courtesy of Beth Proudfoot.

Outgoing and Incoming [Snail] Mail

This is a thank you card for my friend that took care of all of the 'living' stuff while we were in Seattle and Salt Lake City.  Friends are the best.  The pendant is from Ritzy Misfit.

 

 My grandma's sister fell out of bed and bumped her head, a lil monkey card made it to her [snail] mail box to cheer her up  At 89 she really shouldn't be jumping on the bed.

Toni made this card for me and hand delivered it (with some books to read too!), too cool.  Friends that make cards are even better!  Thanks girl!