Mike says I don't write often enough

Yesterday I received another great Postcrossing postcard, and laughed out loud at what Mike wrote. Turns out he was already a regular reader of my blog when he was assigned to send me a Postcrossing postcard, and he tells me I don't write blog posts often enough. I think he's right.

I'm trying! I have a goal of at least 5 posts per month. I failed in January, but I'll manage (and maybe exceed?) that for February.

On my Postcrossing profile, I invite senders to share a beloved pet story. I really enjoyed Mike's story about how their cat Tiger came into their lives.

To mystery "B"

I got a letter today from "B" in California, with thoughts on a recent post I made. It was written on paper with illustrated Hallmark dogs around the edges.

B, thank you for writing. I am glad my post resonated with you and meant something. That is exactly why I decided to finally write that post.

I would write you back, but you didn't leave a return address, and I imagine you are just preserving your privacy and wanted to get something off your chest. I am sorry you are feeling so alone, and I hope you find some more resources online or among friends. My heart goes out to you.

p.s. No one is a cliché. Everyone is a complex individual with her or his own unique story.

Reader response: Decent high fashion exists

This charming blog reader letter came to me in response to this post featuring scary (to me) fashion models.



My astute beloved pointed out that the model had been posed leaning over just to make her stomach fat into rolls... had her spine been straight, we would not see these rolls. So it is a bit sensationalized, but still - I will take this any day over an emaciated anorexic!



I have left the text of the reader's letter visible because I found her comments so insightful that I wanted to share them. (I hope she doesn't mind, and if she does, I hope she'll let me know!) It reads:

Missive Maven-
I really enjoy your blog, fountain pens, and fashion. After your recent post, I thought I would send you some fashion magazine images that aren't terrifying. I don't normally read fashion rags (the street fashion blogs are much more diverse and therefore interesting), but this one had Gabourey Sidibe on the cover. So I gave it a shot. I found good photos with different sized models who weren't looking a)vacant, b)violated or c)dead. Yes, it was a "size issue" and I'm sure they do this to sell magazines, but it was still refreshing. There were also interviews with artists and actresses who talked about their craft (gasp). I'm with you on distancing yourself from bullshit, but I hope you find this somewhat repairative. Decent high fashion exists.

Hear, hear! This letter absolutely made my day; I hope it makes someone else's day, too.

Meanwhile, go have a look at Operation Beautiful, and then go write a letter. ;-)

Hand-painted vinta letter

This blog-reader letter just amazed me - hand-painted stationery, right down to the lines! I left some of the text readable so you can see what she says about the design, which is that it features a vessel, from near her hometown in the Philippines, called a "vinta." I love the stylized swirly sun and clouds at the top!



She included some fossilized leaves as well. I've not seen these before, but other than for letters, I'm pretty well out of the crafty scene. In any case, they're awful pretty.

Gorey galore-y

Here's some blog reader mail art from someone who shares my love of Edward Gorey! You can see the envelope below the card, which had some beautiful flower stamps on it.



And here's her hand-stamped card, featuring a moonlit extravaganza of frolicking Gorey characters - complete with bats! Yay. I love the Gorey bat. I have that stamp, too, but I probably don't use it often enough.



I broke out some Gorey stamps of my own for the envelope I sent back to her.

Astounding calligraphy + amusing comics

This very talented blog reader has written me in calligraphy before, and it was such a treat to hear from him again! I think I want to frame this envelope, it is so magnificent. And I love the feather flourish at the top.



The return address is beautiful, too, and the sealing wax matches the ink.

I know you want a closer look at that eagle seal:



Dazzling! Now, someone might be able to tell me why the crowned eagle is sticking out his tongue? That must have some interesting significance.



This kind blog reader's ostensible purpose was to send me these very amusing comics about letter-writing; they're fun, but I enjoyed his writing far more!



Indeed, the whole letter was that incredibly beautiful.

How can ANYONE think that an email could ever equal THIS?

Bat night

This gorgeous letterpress bat card came in from a blog-reader-turned-correspondent, and of course it made my day.

It was quite a coincidence seeing what company made it, because I had just bought some stationery from my favorite store in Harvard Square from the same company. Clearly I'm a fan of their designs.



MOST unfortunately, I was unable to find any website for Saturn Press, so I can't find a way to buy these online. Oh well.

Ice cream valentine

This February blog reader letter included some great paper and mail art, a lovely little letter, and even a handmade valentine!



The silver feather card really captured my fancy, and she also included a handmade Edward Gorey bookmark. The smaller envelope sealed by the rose sticker is the valentine.



Here's another view of the contents, where you can see the front of the valentine.



More valentine, complete with - ooh la la - red glitter!

Batness!

This blog reader picked a great theme for her letter to me! I am very impressed with all the batty-ness. The envelope is quite beautiful - I don't know if all the subtle colors really come through in this photo. What a treat!

On another note, my apologies for fewer posts (and fewer letters and postcards written) lately. Sometimes, life just gets in the way... I've had some unexpected twists and turns at work that have been time-consuming in the short term and may continue to make things a little different, so as always, I'll keep plugging away and write when I can; it just may be a little less than I'd want to.

I will update my letter stats for a new May chart shortly, too.

Vintage European scenes postcards

A very generous blog reader in Connecticut sent me these postcards. If I recall correctly, the writer supposed that a relative had brought them home as souvenirs after a tour of military service overseas. Is my historical photograph/paper age sense incorrect, or do I surmise that these may date closer to WWI than WWII? I believe the scenes are from France; they are not all labeled but the ones that are seem very French. There are a couple of chateaus. (Chateaux?) I just know that they are so gorgeous I'm not even sure I'll be able to use them! My favorite one is on top, the dungeon-looking door with the light shining through... spooky yet lovely.



Here's the back of one...



...and here's another. I am honored to be the recipient of someone else's history!

Layers of roses

Here's a lovely handmade envelope that came in from a blog reader; check out all the details with outlines of glitter (umm, can you see that in the photos?) and metallic gel pen swirlies!



The back flap has various layers of cut-out roses. Lovely!

Catnip postcard for my cats

A wonderful, astute new blog reader send me this absolutely fabulous postcard for my cats! It is a handmade wonder "From Dr Purrington's Cat Toy Laboratory." This catnip-infused postcard has a catnip-infused piece of red yarn sticking out of it. That's what's underneath the piece of tape with the little paw/yarn drawing on it.



I don't know which I love more, the fact that his cats sent it to my cats, or that his cats are named Fleabane and Danderfluff. Best cat names EVER!



Some of my correspondents who read my blog mention that they didn't even know I HAD a tabby cat named Magic, because she appears on this blog the least. She is rather shy, and she also does not insert herself into my letter-writing process as Soda and Memo often do. So it was great that Magic was the first one to approach this postcard. (Her track record as a total catnip addict helps. I'm sure she smelled this one coming.)



I made a whole photo set of her first encounter with this postcard because the series of shots is just so darn cute, but I had to post the two cutest ones here. Dr. Purrington, your postcard has generated much feline fun in this household!

A shockingly muppet-licious letter

So I apparently have at least one blog reader who's more deeply a Muppet nut than I am! He sent me this incredible letter back in October. He is more into the Sesame Street side of Henson, but is still probably more knowledgeable about the Muppet Show side than I am.



First, you must take a closer look at his wonderful original artwork, inspired by Henson. I thought as soon as I saw them that they looked very Henson-esque.



He used a stamp featuring Dr. Teeth, the bandleader on The Muppet Show. Coooool.



I wouldn't have grasped the significance of the Hyattsville, MD postmark, but he kindly pointed out that the letter was sent from the town where Jim Henson grew up.



The stamp, which I believe he had custom-made, features Sam the Eagle in his Great Seal of Disapproval. Muppet Show insiders will know that Sam the Eagle scoffed in disapproval of most acts on the Muppet Show, often deeming them "shocking."

The letter was excellent, and he also very kindly sent me some wonderful postcards featuring the Sesame Street Muppet crew. I forgot to take a picture of them, but I haven't used any yet, so I will be sure to feature them separately. He has also since sent me some other fabulousness, to be blogged in the future...

Meta-marvelous from the UK

If you are anywhere near as much of a mail geek as I am, you would get very excited about pulling this fabulous envelope out of your mailbox. The writer made the envelope out of an old map, and added tags and collage elements and fun rubber stamps, not to mention exceedingly cool postage stamps. (Really, Lady Jane and James Bond? Swoon!)



At the request of a favorite blog reader, here's a closer look at those stamps. If you have a Flickr account, you can view large.



So this would be awesome already, no? I was careful to photograph the envelope before I opened it, to preserve its glory. (I will say for Royal Mail and US Postal service, this envelope arrived in beautiful, pristine condition.)



But that's not all, folks - we've only just begun! The letter itself was creatively typed on an old map, and included the grooviest polaroid photo.



Start here. HOW did he type on a curve and a diagonal like that? I don't know typewriters very well though I do appreciate their anachronistic charm, so this is quite a mystery. (I will insert an aside and say that I am generally not fond of computer-typed letters - I'd rather decipher even the most difficult handwriting, because there is such personality in handwriting - but somehow a typewriter is just different, and every bit as charming as handwriting.) And the typewriter ribbon/ink/what have you is BLOO. Another swoon! I left the typing intact here because I don't think they'll mind (this letter was signed from two people, though only one really did the typing), and it's just so cool.



So here is where he explained how they took a photo of the letter. The letter was typed and explained the plan before it was executed - I LOVE this planning!



They went on a bike trip in the countryside, found a fantastic old post box, took a polaroid of the letter about to go into said mailbox, put the polaroid in the letter and mailed it. So I get to see exactly where the letter was mailed!

I am kvelling, yes, but I am really delighted by this concept. What a fantastic idea, and it's not just all concept - the typed letter was witty, charming, and delicious, and I have a fantastic new correspondent in the UK now.

Blog reader letter: my name in Hebrew

A young blog reader** wrote me a letter with my name in Hebrew in the salutation. I have a few blog readers that are sweet to write my name in other characters, but the Hebrew I could actually read! What fun. The vowels are confusing, but then again... Hebrew vowels (or vowel substitutes) are sort of always confusing.



I wish I had managed to get the whole line AND her cool horse carousel sticker all in one shot, but I didn't, so two photos will have to do.

**Let no one say that young people don't write letters any more! I get a ton of blog reader letters from the under-25 set. This brings extra joy, to know that new generations of letter enthusiasts, who never knew life without email, are keeping the tradition going.

Beauty Batty

This fabulous blog reader letter from Ireland came on the cutest stationery: Beauty Batty!



Obviously I went "squeee!!" and kvelled over it for a while before I even opened it.



The inside page did not disappoint - what cute little batties! I should mention that it was also a delightful letter. I don't hear a lot from Ireland, so that was cool in and of itself, but this was a fine letter to receive.



Here are a couple of closer looks at these plump little bats.



Note the "you're beautiful because you smile at me" line at the bottom of the printed page.



Does this gal read my blog well or what? She actually sent me some of those gorgeous Thai peacock stamps I'd previously praised! Who would have thunk I'd get Thai stamps from Ireland?



*sigh*
Postal joy.