Write a Letter

We’ve all heard of the idea of writing your younger self a letter, being able to tell your teenage self or your twenty (or 50) year old self something important that you’ve learned through experience. But what if you could write a meaningful letter to your future self?Isn’t this a great idea?  Maybe it’s just a goal you’d like to accomplish, or an idea you don’t have time for right now but don’t want to forget. Maybe it’s a resolution for the entire year or a promise you would like to keep. You could easily get a journal and write out that letter, and promise to look at it at the end of the year (maybe jot the date on your calendar). Or, you could try this:

Write a letter to yourself and have it emailed at a later date!  The people at General Assembly have created a fun and functional form that you can fill out with all your goals and ideas, and have it emailed to yourself whatever date you choose.  It might be a great way to see if you’re keeping up with that goal to exercise more.  Or maybe you just want to remind yourself to stop stressing about life so much.  You can customize the letter in whatever way that suits you, using the funny drop down menus, or just putting everything in the body of the last question, if that’s less campy.

Now, I can see all kinds of applications for this, and overall, it’s a fantastic idea.  It might also backfire if you haven’t kept up with something you really intended to focus on. It is meant as a resolution reminder, but feel free to use it whatever way suits you best. Go ahead, send a Letter to Yourself!

Roald Dahl Stamps

If you live in the UK, you have the option of an extra treat when mailing your letters….official Roald Dahl stamps, featuring the artwork from some of the author’s most famous works.

Wouldn’t you like to receive a little note with one of these on the envelope?  You can see the entire collection here.

Thanks or THX

I’ve often tried to keep a journal of things I’m thankful for. (Oprah got me started on that years ago….I think it lasted about two weeks, that time).  It never works, but I know I should be more aware of the things I’m thankful for. And I think I’ve come across blogs in the past that have tried to do just that….show that someone is thankful for something, but none as eloquently or as charmingly as ThxThxThx by Leah Dieterich.

She’s taken to daily affirmations of thanks, written mainly as simple little handwritten notes, to mostly inanimate objects and obscure little things in her life.  Rarely people, which is probably a nicer way of doing it.  The notes are usually things that we are all thinking, but she finds a way to say exactly the right thing.  Sometimes, they are a little poignant and might make you reflect on your own situation, but most often, they just make you look at your own life a little closer.

Now, these little notes have been gathered into a book that is on sale starting today, May 31st, called  Thx, Thx, Thx Thank goodness for everything. Take your time and read through a few of these little notes.  They’re funny and short and you can get through a whole bunch before you know it.
If I were to write my own note today, it would say…..

World’s Smallest Postal Service

Have you ever given any thought to those letters that arrive in the mail every day?  After spending countless funds on shipping parcels, I can appreciate something small, and the World’s Smallest Postal Service is just that.

Postmaster Lea Redmond sets up her small desk in cafes, restaurants or wherever the mood takes her.  She then awaits customers who write out a short note that they’d like to send and she transcribes it in the tiniest script onto very tiny paper.  After slipping the note into an equally tiny envelope, she seals it with a special wax seal, complete with the initial of the sender and packages it with a magnifying glass into a glassine envelope.  Then, it’s off to the real post office!

You can drop by one of her special visits and have your letter drawn up there, or you can order online.  And yes, she takes international orders.  Of course, there are small fees involved, and she doesn’t actually write the online orders herself (she uses a tiny script font that is twice as small as she writes) but the service it unique and can you imagine someone receiving this in the mail?  How fun!

If you can’t make it to one of her events and have your heart set on one of her handwritten notes, email her and she’ll try to accommodate you. You can see more of her work and even view a video  at her site Leafcutter Designs.

Send a telegram!

The world seems to be going back to a sweeter time in history, just as we move forward with technology at a blazing rate.  We seem to be craving all of those unique services that were personal and meant something more than an email, and Telegram Stop is just such a service.

They have come up with a great site that allows you to send a telegram, just as they would in the old days, complete with -STOP- at each sentence break.  Imagine sending one of these on a birthday or other special occasion?  I sent one to my niece in a matter of seconds, paying through PayPal easily and I was even able to preview the telegram before I completed the sale.

You can send these from anywhere to anyone and they don’t cost much at all ($4.70US).  I’m hoping it will be a fun surprise in the mail next week!

Love, Aunt Karen and Uncle Louis

I found a funny site that posts actual cards, letters or notes that people send in, written by sincere but thoughtless people in their lives.  The Christmas cards really struck me as funny but sad at the same time.  How about getting one of these in the mail?

I especially love that although this person completely forgot the name of one of the people she was sending the card to, at least she didn’t leave them out altogether.    And what about this nice sentiment from someone’s aunt and uncle:

I’m not sure why someone would send a card like this, although it was under the heading “two birds with one snowman”, which sums it up.  Thanks to the people at Passiveaggressivenotes.com for the constant source of laughter.  (Some content on this site might not be suitable for all readers.)