One of my favorite things to do is to write letters to a friend. Because I went to college out of state, I ended up with friends who are all over the country. I love sending those girls snail mail, but what made me realize my love of mail even more was when AJ moved to Massachusetts.
I also don't think there's anything better than finding a hand-written note waiting in the mail. There's just something so personal and intentional about a notecard or letter in the mail. Knowing that someone took the time to write a note and mail it just means a lot to me!
I love sending AJ cards! For Valentine's Day last year, I sent him one card every day in February leading up to the holiday. However, that's probably one of the only times in my life that sending snail mail was a carefully planned act. Typically, the inspiration to send someone a note is random and comes late at night. As much as I love sending cards, I don't necessarily love going to the store and standing in the card aisle trying to find the perfect one. I'm just too indecisive!
So, something that I've found to be incredibly important (and helpful), is having a box of notecards stuffed into my desk for those moments when the mood to write a letter strikes! I'm a bit of a stationary hoarder, so I'm constantly picking up packs of notecards, but I find that they come in handy! Having a stash of blank notecards to grab from is such a great tool to have at your fingertips.
Here are some tips for curating your own stationary collection!
1 // Have some variety. It's good to have some "Thank You" notes, but remember that just plain old blank notecards with a pretty design on them are totally versatile! I use blank notecards far more than I use anything "specific," and I like having a number of designs to choose from when I want to send someone a letter!
2 // Don't forget the extras. Washi tape, pretty stamps, stickers are all extras that make snail mail even more fun! Don't just settle for the run-of-the-mill flag Forever stamps, ask your local post office to see some of the special edition or decorative stamps that they have. They cost the same amount, but bring something extra to your mail!
3 // Shop smart. My favorite places to look for stationary are in the dollar spot at Target, the dollar/sale section at Michaels, and at places like Marshalls. You can also often find boxes of cards on the end caps at Target and in stationary aisles on sale, but I never pay more than $3-4 for a box of notecards that are going into my stationary collection! I do like to indulge in a really pretty letterpress card when I find one I really love at a boutique, but for my "on-hand" stationary, I keep a load of the cheap stuff on hand!
DO YOU HAVE A STATIONARY COLLECTION? WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO PICK UP NOTECARDS?
I'm definitely not a snail mail person although lately I've been thinking of giving it a whirl. I check my mail mayyyyyyyybe once a week b/c it is always crap. All of my bills come via email so there's never anything in their but junk. I always see pretty notecards though and I'm always tempted to pick it up "just in case".
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the year I made the resolution to send out more snail mail. I started the year out strong but have been slacking lately. I definitely need to pick back up on it. I have collected a box of pretty notecards from Target, Hobby Lobby, & Michael's, too. I feel like life is so electronic now that it's nice to open up the mail box and get a handwritten note. I also leave them around the house for my fiancee and I put one in my son's lunch box every day he's at school. I started that in kindergarten and have done so ever since (he's going into 7th grade this year). He usually tucks them all into the front pocket of his lunch box and saves them. I know he cherishes them.
ReplyDeleteThis is so cute! I've been trying to build a stationary collection but I need to get more cards for Holidays, not just blank or thank you cards. I'm featuring this post in next week's Happy Lists :)
ReplyDeleteI love this post, Betsy! Stationary is so fun to collect. I kind of love that the point of getting it is to pass it on and turn it into something much more meaningful with your words. This inspired me to build up my collection a little and send more mail as people come to mind. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas! I need to start a stationary collection!
ReplyDeleteI made a resolution to send out birthday cards and snail mail more often this year, I started out great! Then I slacked off :( I've been convicted to start over again :) Thank you for this beautiful post! It re-energized me :)
ReplyDeleteMy stationary collection is running low! I definitely need to pick up a few new packs of cards. I like your idea of having "extras" to make the cards even prettier. One of my favorite places to buy cards is Target. They have the cutest cards!
ReplyDeleteI have a massive stationary collection. Pretty papers and cards are so beautiful and I have a weakness wanting to buy all the ones I like. The only thing is, I can't find enough people to want to send some back, like pen pals!
ReplyDeleteWow, this reminds me of high school when everybody loves to collect stationary in our class. Great tips, especially the last one. It's really important to shop smart so you won't regret anything that goes into your collection.
ReplyDeleteI am also a hoarder of stationary. The dollar spots at Target and Michael's are my weakness. Love this post, because it's giving me the push to organize my stationary and write some letters! :)
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