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!

For the LOVE of Paper

Cards for my old past boss who loves green AND turned the big FIVE OH!  I hope nobody believes I am even close to my age when I get to be old[er].  Josh told me today I looked 15, so I think I will be safe.  Or perhaps he was talking about my maturity!?

A little [snail] mail to cheer up my Aunt who is about to have brain surgery.  You can't see the glimmer misting goodness on this beauty, but believe me it's there!  While stamping, Eli is my assistant and this song by Gretchen Wilson goes through my head...'with a baby on my hip'.

Halloween/Birthday cards for my Aunt, gotta love the holiday where any color combo goes!

Needless to say, women and men, young and old all LOVE paper!

Dust

 While on my drives to Stanford I have a lot of time to think, and by a lot, I mean an hour.  The other day, I passed a cloud of dust.  After further investigation, I realized there was a dirt road someone had just travelled.  It made me think that the dirt road and the creative life I want to live are very similiar.  

Dust collects on things that have not been used in a while.  A load of dust does not pile up over night, it forms in layers upon layers due to neglect.  The creative life I want to live is victim to dust.  For far too long I have been watching ladies through magazines and blogs make their creative dreams come true.  Whether it's designing, creating daily or running a creative business - ladies all over the place are making it happen.  Why can't it be me, oh because I'm not an artist, a certain religion, in a big city, fill in any excuse you can think of, I've had it.  As I have been admiring these creative gals my own creative path was becoming covered in dust.  Rarely did I dust off my skills to become one of those creative gals myself.  NO MORE!  There will be quite a bit of dusting before I am able to polish what I am meant to do in my creative life.  Two weddings helped me remove some dust and continue down my own road to creativity.  It felt good to dust off my skills and put ink to paper. 

Kickin' up dirt and leavin' dust clouds!  I am on a creative journey, my own road.  Kickin' up dirt that people may or may not see and that is not the point.  Getting on the road is the point, making dust clouds is just a perk.  Time to dust off my skills and create.

   

Trash to Treasure

I have been saving Eli's formula cans thinking I would make something out of them.  Bonnie, or Grammy B as she calls herself asked me to decorate one for her desk.  I covered the can with a super cool paisley print, because I love it!  I asked her when she came down, 'do you like paisley because some people hate it'.  She said ' I hate it'.  I thought, CRAP.  She said on clothing, she doesn't mind it on stuff.  Wheew.  So, what was once a formula can is now a home for pencils.  Time to feel good about getting a project done!