'M' is for Mail!

Everyone enjoys a bit of snail mail.  I've always sporadically written and received letters from cousins and friends around the world.

The thing is, it's easy to forget how fabulous it is to get mail, because it just doesn't come as often as it once used to.  In today's day and age of instant gratification (I am no exception - I want it and I want it yesterday, thanks) the anticipation and excitement of opening a letter is palpable when I'm holding it in my hands.  I sometimes get the urge to do a little happy dance.  First,  I examine it to see who it's from and run my eyes over the envelope, next I devour the words within to unlock their magic and feel that special connection with someone else who has taken the time to sit down and write to me.  I can't help but to feel so special!

My very first letter writing friend was Karine... no one forgets their first.

I met Karine nearly 20 years ago (holy crap!) at a weekend yearbook publishers' conference.  We got on famously from the moment we met and we decided to keep in touch... there was no email, msn or Facebook way back then. We wrote letters back and forth for many years.  First we wrote within Ontario, and then Nova Scotia-Toronto... then I ended up in Halifax for university, where she already was.  That signaled the death knell of our love affair with the letter.  I got an email address when I got to uni, and that's how we stayed in touch.  I think there was the odd letter here and there after that, but never as consistent as it once was.  We also spent quite a while in the same cities (Halifax, and then Toronto) so we just picked up the phone for a chat.  The instant gratification of a phone chat appeals to my impatient nature... so the letter writing fell by the by.  I'm going to write Karine a letter tonight.

So now, I'm addicted once again - but like I never have been before!  I've started writing letters, cards, sending bits in the post, getting packages and I'm loving it!

Incoming (over the past couple of months):

I got this beautiful card from Sasha.  The photo on the front is a photo from her Mum's garden - it reminded her of the Koru (aka Fiddle heads); her trip to New Zealand, and naturally, of me.  She sent it before I went home for Dad's funeral, but I got it when I came back to Auckland, from Canada.  It was lovely to have this here, with a gorgeous message inside, waiting for me. 

The most recent, wonderful card from wonderful Faiza.  Sent to give me love and strength to help me through when I'm feeling blue.  I am so blessed to get so much mail from her.  I love her. 

This was my very first swap item - A mixed CD from Tillie.  I really, really heart it!  I tried to upload a photo of the postcard she sent me after she received my CD, but it won't work... rest assured, it is a great postcard.

The most fantastic, awesome, fun package EVER!  Megan from Time After Tea sent me this package as part of Passion's New Friend Swap.  I got it after being off school, sick for a day and a half - what a lovely treat to come back to!! I whipped the tag off the bracelet as soon as I opened it at work and popped it on my wrist.  She wrote the sweetest card to go with it... and how cute are these toasty warm socks??  Thanks to Passion who organised this swap and who gave me an amazing partner!

I got this package as part of Tillie's Simply Delightful Package Swap.  It came all the way from Indonesia - I loved that!  You can't tell, but under the key chain, is a tubular shawl.  It's really quite neat, but I'm still trying to figure out how to make it look normal on me.  I also got a really cute belt with a bow on it - it's upstairs, hanging on my mirror, helping to keep me motivated and on track with my exercising.  Thank you, Tillie for such a fun idea and for being my first swapping partner!

Outgoing (again, over the past couple of months):

My partner for Tillie's Simply Delightful Swap was her very own pen pal in Australia.  We had to send three of our favourite things, so I sent her an journal which was made from 100% recycled products and it was made in Canada; some of my favourite note cards and post cards; inspirational and pretty magnets (our fridge is covered with magnets) and some stickers with some lovely quotes.   I hope she liked it - I had a lot of fun picking out what to send her.

LeeAnn is a postcard enthusiast - I got the odd postcard from L when she was in Nova Scotia and I had moved back to Toronto... and then when we both moved overseas, the postcard trend continued... a quick note scribbled back and forth, but nothing meaty.  I've decided to start writing L meaty mail.  I really enjoyed using my new stencils to decorate her envelope... I went for a summer and beach theme for the back of the envie because it's cold here right now and I've got the heater going on full!

Faiza often sends me the most wonderful and lovely cards.  I feel as though I let her down on this end, but I realise that posting is a passion of hers and I've got a way to go yet, but  I'm working on catching up and sending her my belated share of postal love!  Once again, I have a lot of love for my new stencils.  Faiza loves flowers, and I thought that since I didn't send her fresh flowers for her birthday, I'd decorate her envie with some pretty flora. 

I've recently started following Tillie's blog - I participated in her package swap and I swapped mixed CDs with her.  I thought I'd drop a note in the post for her (well, it'll be dropped in the post tomorrow, when I go to the post office!)

Tillie mentioned that it was her mum's birthday recently and she was getting a kick out of all the mail Tillie was getting, so she thought it'd be great if her mum got some mail.  Here's my belated effort (I sealed the envelope before I took the photos... but trust me, the inside is pretty.)

Last but definitely not least, my second letter to Megan (after her swap package... I won't post a picture of it, because I'm not sure if she's received it yet.)  She and Faiza also send letters back and forth, so I knew of her.  I'm so pleased that I'm now getting to know her!  I decorated it with stars because the first time I read her surname, I read it very quickly and I thought it said "Sparkle" and I thought it was the most awesome name ever!  So now, every time I see her name, I think of sparkling and stars.  I haven't told her this bit of cheesy dorkiness (yet somehow, I think it's okay to broadcast my nerdiness it on the internet.) 

I'm off, to write some more letters!