Category Archives: Holiday

Love & Salt

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Amy Andrews and Jessica Mesman Griffith’s new friendship was deepened through their commitment to correspond by post. What started as an agreement to write a letter for each day of the Catholic observance of Lent, evolved into a correspondence that lasted for years, through many intense chapters in both women’s lives. These exchanges have just been published in a book called Love & Salt: A Spiritual Friendship Shared in Letters. 

Love-and-Salt-cover

 

And they want to encourage you to start a letter writing correspondence with someone you care about, in honor of National Letter Writing Month.

Curious about the book? Well Loyola Press has graciously offered to send a copy to an interested VSM reader. The first person to send this link to a friend who might be up for the challenge will win! How will I know that you did? Well, ok. That’s true. The sending the link part will have to rely on the honor system. The first person to write to me in the comments section, claiming to have sent the link, will win.

Viva Friendships!

Valentines Day recap

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I think this fantastic mailbox embellishment may be the work of the women behind Good Mail Day but in the un-credited world of the internet jpeg, I am not certain. In any case I LOVE it!

My family got several hand delivered valentines- so sweet.

The handmade cards, of course, slay me but I am also so fond of this store bought card that my son got from a friend at school.

But by post the yield was small this year. Good thing I got valentine mail on Wednesday and Friday because on Thursday, Valentines Day, all there was in my mailbox was a real estate brochure and a credit card bill. I was actually quite depressed. But then I remembered that whole ‘better to give than receive’ thing and all the other blessings in my life and I stopped pouting. Thanks so much to all the people who gave us a little paper affection this year.

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Between the output of pint size cuties in my valentine making workshops, the creations of my children, and my own valentine production, 2013 has turned out to be a fun, colorful and love infused valentine making year.

I hope you receive a valentine or two in your mailbox. There’s nothing better!

Thank you notes

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I am writing this post to motivate myself and my children to get those holiday thank you notes written! While this blog is mostly about the pleasures of paper mail, sending thank you cards is obligatory. But like good dental hygiene, I think its important. Here are a few choice items via Etsy:

How about this lil fawn by Pheasant Press?

 Or this card by Seas and Peas? It comes with a Golden Girls magnet!

Or make your own thank you notes with this beautiful hand carved rubber stamp by extase?

Whatever thank you note route you take, just get it done, ok, uh, Melissa?

Thanks Postcards

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Our Thanks Postcard Art Workshop on Saturday was fun and reports are coming in of postcards, and gratitude, received. My family received a postcard from my son, featuring a drawing of the word Thanks shooting out of a gun. Love that kid.

I am thankful for you, my readers. I know you are out there and I appreciate you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween!

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Hurricane Sandy gave us quite a fright. Here in New York City we’re all in a bit of shock. The damage to homes, businesses, and trees is immense. Many are without electricity and schools and subways are closed. Here’s a little distraction from all the very real scariness, an illustration from the children’s book “One Witch” by Laura Leuck, illustrated by S.D. Schindler.

 

 

Viva Jourdon Anderson!

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VSM and Church of Craft co-hosted a Valentine Making Workshop for adults on Saturday at Lotta Jansdotter’s Work+Space and it was fantastic! Making stuff in the company of excellent people is what I love to do.

And while I have been extremely valentine focused for the past few weeks, February is not just the month of paper love tokens criss-crossing the nation by mail.

Its also Black History Month. I wish we Americans of all ethnic backgrounds were more aware of the lives of African Americans every day of the year. But until that awareness manifests itself, this month is a reminder of the vast range of African American citizens’ experiences. And the experiences recounted by Jourdon Anderson is his 1865 letter to his former slave master took my breath away. What a letter! Please read the whole thing as it takes some fascinating turns from start to finish. It is posted by Letters of Note, which is a site worth bookmarking.

Anderson’s letter is further proof of the importance of letters as historical source material. First person accounts add so much detail and heart.

And we’re back to hearts.