Letter Writers Unite! by Lady of the House

I'm a bit puffed with pride today as I've just become a member of the Letter Writers Alliance. For those of you that don't throw around words like philatelic or hand-canceled, it's an official network of folks dedicated to the art of letter writing formed by two genius and perhaps slightly nostalgic ladies: Kathy Zadrozny and Donovan Beeson of the extra sassy 16 Sparrows. My membership card, as well as the fancy pin I'll be attaching to my lapel, and loads of utterly official looking pages of stationery and envelopes arrived at my door to my extreme delight. I'll be randomly paired up with a pen pal now that I'm a member, and the letters will come rolling in. Lucky, lucky me!

The whole concept started when Kathy was exhibiting her hilarious work at art shows, and people kept coming up to her, relieved and honored to meet someone who was providing letter writers with quirky, intelligent and witty cards to mail. And thus, the Letter Writers Alliance was hatched.

I don't know if I'm more delighted to have discovered a company based on the art of letter writing, or that such a thing is in existence. There are barometers we set, little indicators that restore us. Some find it in a full tank of gas. Others, in the A- they get on a term paper. My 'thing' is a stack of stamped letters, ready to be mailed to the people I hope will be cheered or, best case scenario, surprised to see my messy handwriting just begging the US Postal Service to take me all the way to wherever they may be.

But for those of you that are new to this sort of thing, it's as easy and wonderful as Richard Scarry once put errr drew it...

xoxo

{ Lady of the House }

hdhhlady@gmail.com

Mother Dearest by Lady of the House

Have you bought a Mother's Day card yet? Chocolates, flowers and brunch aside, what spills from your heart is the most important part. Send her some love...

Smock's motto is: Create meaning. And I'll argue that's a lot easier with a lined envelope!

Pup and Pony. What a pleasing card. Oh, good luck trying not to buy everything in their shop!

And my personal favorite: Anna Bond's delightful creations for her very own Rifle Paper Co.

xoxo

{ Lady of the House }

Mr. Postman! by Lady of the House

I recently learned that the mail arrived sometimes 12 times a day in Victorian England. Coincidentally, I also recently decided I was born in the wrong era.

It's a dramatic understatement to say I love mail. Despite my best efforts to temper a wild romantic within, I have decided three parcels (one with fine soaps from Italy), two breezy hand-scrawled letters from afar (one from someone I miss and wonder about), and a peppering of postcards and glossy catalogs are destined to arrive at my doorstep each day. I am at a complete loss to quell these lofty hopes.

So, when the typical arrives--the we-didn't-receive-your-final-payment notice, and ValPaks for the last 3 tenants, and 6 pre-approved credit card offers, and an oh so exciting catalog for camping gear--the romantic is dropped like a bad pair of clip-on earrings and the claws come out.

You already know I'm private. (Hello! Lady of the House??) So when I've decided my name and my address have been whored out, cross-referenced and tasted enough of ooh-you-like-that-then-you'll-love-this, I reach for DMAchoice.org. That's right people. The Direct Marketing Association. I just updated my profile now that we have a new address (one I think we can live with for the next little while), and I smiled to think of all the junk mail that won't be printed in vain. An empty mailbox is another thing to deal with in my case, but I do fare better this way.

I wonder, do you end up dumping most of the mail in the recycling bin? Oh my goodness, sign up! It's free, and it's your chance to stick it to the Man. Okay, not really, but it's that same sick joy you might have had tattling on the kid cheating in biology. (Wonder how his love life is these days?)

With DMAchoice.org, you're dealing with the people hounding you. You can opt out of everything (my personal favorite), opt out of most things and opt in to a few old standby catalogs you do enjoy receiving, and you can also link to a portion of the site that handles those pesky credit card offers.

Now go write someone a letter for Pete's sake.

xoxo

{ Lady of the House }