Abstract Expressionist Stamps

My grandfather was an avid collector of both stamps and coins, and as a kid, I remember spending hours browsing through his enormous collection. I have now inherited the stamp collection and although I rarely pull out the albums, each time the post office announces a new collection, I take it as a gentle reminder. I love the details in each tiny piece.



Abstract Expressionists stamps available through the US Post Office here.

Pelikan Pen Contest Still Going Strong!

I suppose this post is the equivalent of the "bump", since our last post was also a reminder, but you should definitely stop by our Facebook page and leave us a comment about your last letter writing experience (either a letter you sent or a letter you received)!

Pelikan m215, Black

Long Distance Love - Gift for Her

Is your Valentine going to be far away this year? While you are pining for your love, consider sending her a box of fine custom personalized stationery as a supremely romantic gesture. Flame Red Note, Vita, and Samba are feminine and sweet choices that will convey your wish to stay close.

Write me a letter...

{image of Maria Thomas in her home studio shot by Adoniram Sides}

This stunning collage was created for our friends at Checkerboard by insanely gifted calligrapher, Maria Thomas as a promotion for Escargot Stationery. She is a lifelong letter writer herself who has shared wonderful stories of lifelong pen pal writings that took her to London to meet her friend that she had been writing to for years. She is a renowned letterer who collaborated with Checkerboard for the stationery line that features 8 exclusive alphabets designed by Maria.

To watch her work is amazing. To hear the pen on paper is extraordinary and to receive her work in the mail is a gift. I am sure everyone at the post office goes a little slower when her envelopes are processed. The personal feeling of receiving a handwritten note in the mail is pretty tremendous. Now more than ever, taking the time to write and craft a letter or a note makes so much impact on the recipient. No, we don't all have the skills of a calligrapher, but letters brought by mail are savored and cherished. The gift of your words on paper are priceless.

If you are a parent, try sending a note to your children, big or small. Encourage them to write to their grandparents and friends. The excitement of receiving mail is such a thrill to them, no matter what their ages! Not only is this Universal Letter Writing Week, but you know that red, hearty holiday is approaching and the world of consumerism will undoubtedly pressure you into spending and thoughts about what to give to your loved one...why not your words with that little something? That brings me to ...

I am so excited to have ordered the Greatest Love Letters of All Time this morning {yes I am a little dorky}, as I was thinking about letter writing and expression. Some of it looked pretty juicy, so maybe some pointers/exerpts are coming your way for the perfect Valentine's Love Letter. Some of the letters that caught my eye were Franz Kafka to Felice Bauer, Voltaire to Marie Louise Denis, Anne Sexton to Philip Leglar, Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn, Frida Khalo to Diego Rivera, and Kahlil Gibran to Mary Haskell. {I don't know how George Bush was included in this mix, but there is a one in there to Barbara...random.}

This little note card , also from Escargot is so cute for an adult valentine message.

Making a Statement with Stationery

This amazing pen giveaway led me to think that is time to stock up on some great stationery! From an early age, my mother would have me write out thank you cards for each birthday or holiday gift received. I am thankful for the good manners, and can now appreciate both writing and receiving a personal note. I love seeing the stationery each writer chooses, and put a lot of thought into what my personal choice will be. You can imagine that working at eInvite, I have managed to acquire a large collection. But like all good things, there is often room for more! Here are a few of my favorites…



{L to R, Row 1: Fuchsia Card, William Arthur; Comfy Gal Notes, The Paperdoll Store; Teal Note, Crane & Co.; Garden Pattern by Kate Spade, Crane & Co. Row 2: Sweet Birdie with Blue Booties Thank You Note, take note! Designs; Fun Floral Thank You Note, take note! Designs; White Multimedia Card w/Motif, William Arthur; Vita, Checkerboard, Ltd. Row 3: Lali & Dan Thank You, Marsupial; Initial Impression Note Card, Carlson Craft; Double Frame (Green/Brown) corresp card by Kate Spade, Crane & Co.; Moab, Checkerboard, Ltd.; Dark Gray Card, William Arthur}

A Love Story...

This was originally posted in August 2009, but in honor of Universal Letter Writing Week, I wanted to revisit the touching story of Jaime and Jeremy. Enjoy!

Jaime and Jeremy, on their wedding day.
{image via NY Daily News}

If you have been reading any online news source in the past week or so, you have more than likely seen the story about Jaime Benefit and Jeremy Clayton. During the Persian Gulf War, Jaime (then 13 years old) decided to send a letter addressed to "any soldier" thanking them for their service. The letter ended up in the hands of 19 year old PFC Jeremy Clayton and the two became pen pals, writing back and forth whenever they could.

Fast-forward almost 20 years, and Jaime decided to try to find Jeremy. After some unsuccessful attempts at trying to reach him through more traditional methods, Jaime used Facebook to sort through over 300 Jeremy Claytons! The rest happens only in the movies - Jaime and Jeremy met, instantly fell for each other and were married in July of this year. After reading an article about them, I knew I had to speak with Jaime about her extraordinary romance and how paper brought them together. One of the things that really got me about Jaime and Jeremy is that they still write each other little notes every day. She puts them in his lunch and he'll put them on the bathroom mirror for her - she says that they're as simple as "I love you" or "hope you have a great day", but that they mean so much to the two of them. Jaime says:

"Handwritten letters add a personal touch and it means a lot more when you take time to write someone, especially in today's society when emails and text messages have become the norm. With a handwritten letter you actually put your hands on it and they can save it to read at a later time."

Jaime actually kept all of the letters that Jeremy sent her during the Persian Gulf War, and Jeremy had to hide a couple of Jaime's letters in his truck so he could hang on to them. Most of us delete our emails or text messages or let them pile up in our inbox - Jeremy took the time to hide letters during a war. Jaime and Jeremy are just as technology obsessed as the rest of us but Jaime still sees the letter as a way to let someone know that you care about them.

"[It's] a way to show them that they are in your thoughts and that they are worth the extra minute it takes to write something out for them."

Who knows, that extra 5 minutes you take to actually mail a letter could make someone's day 20 years from now. So put down your cell phone, pick up a pen and piece of paper, and connect with someone special.

Touch Someone

{image via richbugger and writer_sheri on twitter...thanks!}

For more great typography, visit the entire post on richbugger.

Love, War and Letters

Jaime and Jeremy, on their wedding day.
{image via NY Daily News}

If you have been reading any online news source in the past week or so, you have more than likely seen the story about Jaime Benefit and Jeremy Clayton. During the Persian Gulf War, Jaime (then 13 years old) decided to send a letter addressed to "any soldier" thanking them for their service. The letter ended up in the hands of 19 year old PFC Jeremy Clayton and the two became pen pals, writing back and forth whenever they could.

Fast-forward almost 20 years, and Jaime decided to try to find Jeremy. After some unsuccessful attempts at trying to reach him through more traditional methods, Jaime used Facebook to sort through over 300 Jeremy Claytons! The rest happens only in the movies - Jaime and Jeremy met, instantly fell for each other and were married in July of this year. After reading an article about them, I knew I had to speak with Jaime about her extraordinary romance and how paper brought them together. One of the things that really got me about Jaime and Jeremy is that they still write each other little notes every day. She puts them in his lunch and he'll put them on the bathroom mirror for her - she says that they're as simple as "I love you" or "hope you have a great day", but that they mean so much to the two of them. Jaime says:

"Handwritten letters add a personal touch and it means a lot more when you take time to write someone, especially in today's society when emails and text messages have become the norm. With a handwritten letter you actually put your hands on it and they can save it to read at a later time."

Jaime actually kept all of the letters that Jeremy sent her during the Persian Gulf War, and Jeremy had to hide a couple of Jaime's letters in his truck so he could hang on to them. Most of us delete our emails or text messages or let them pile up in our inbox - Jeremy took the time to hide letters during a war. Jaime and Jeremy are just as technology obsessed as the rest of us but Jaime still sees the letter as a way to let someone know that you care about them.

"[It's] a way to show them that they are in your thoughts and that they are worth the extra minute it takes to write something out for them."

Who knows, that extra 5 minutes you take to actually mail a letter could make someone's day 20 years from now. So put down your cell phone, pick up a pen and piece of paper, and connect with someone special.

Two Lines to the World

One of my favorite bands, Anberlin, has a song that starts with these lines:

"If I could write one letter to the world as we know it
I would list these rhymes that mean everything to me"

It got me thinking - if I had two lines to write down that would then somehow get sent out to the entire world, what would I say? Would I be my usual sarcastic self? Would I try to pass along some huge amount of wisdom? I spent a while thinking about it, and I think it would be just one line. I have a print of this framed on my dresser so it's the first thing I see in the morning and at night.

{image via Hijirik Studio on Etsy}

If you had 2 lines to say to the world, what would they be?

Sweet Summer Stationery on Sale

By Stacy Claire Boyd! As a follow up to Emily's post, grab some of these adorable customized thank-you notes and pads in summer hues at 15% off for the last day. Cute for kids' correspondence, these notes are also versatile enough for anyone who enjoys a little touch of classic gingham, plaid, polka dots or stripes. They remind me of summer fruits like the specimens from Martha Stewart's Fruit Decorations and Favors slideshow. Never needing to be dusted or tossed, fresh fruit is delightful and delicious as an edible gift for guests at your next baby shower, bridal shower, summer party, or wedding.

Fontify It!

Thanks to Jaime at Design Milk, I came accross Fontifier.com! It's an awesome website where you can actually create a font using your own handwriting. Great for scrapbooking, address labels, letter writing or table cards, once you dowload your font you can use it for pretty much anything! Well worth the $9. Above is a preview of what my font would look like. I think it could use some tweaking, but thanks to the genius that is Fontifier, I can do so, free of charge before I purchase my font! Fabulous!

Happy Friday!

I just fell in love with this wall-art from Pottery Barn. Usually, I'm not a fan of pre-fab artwork, but this, I could totally see in my studio or even in my home-office (if only my home-office wasn't also my itty bitty kitchen). The rather large image of such a small object makes me wanna grab a pencil, draw a quick sketch, or write a kind note to a friend. Here's to enjoying the little things on a big scale this weekend!

The Art of Handwritten Notes

Lately, I have been thinking alot about handwriting and the sending of notes. I don't know if having two teenagers texting nonstop has anything to do with the feelings I have, but I feel a surge of energy to instill a value in them. The art of the handwritten note is a valuable tool that I feel my children should know, understand the value of and use in their daily life. I have to say, that I too should be more diligent in my self expression.

We are in a digital age, but I think the value and the impression is by far more meaningful than other ways of long distance communication. I love recieving notes! They make me smile. I can't wait to open the envelope and see what's inside. I love looking at the writing and feeling connected to the person. It is so inspirational.

These days there is a feeling of regrouping, simplifying and mindfulness. I like it. People want to make a difference and letterwriting is the perfect touch. Now if the teenagers would just stop the texting.

{The Art of the Handwritten Note by Margaret Shepherd available at barnesandnoble.com, handwriting samples right top and bottom via graphology911.com, setlist of Bob Dylan via auctionnetwork.com}