Muppets Carol of the Bells

This has nothing to do with letters, but because Christmas is such a big deal to so many of my readers, I share with you my latest favorite Muppet video as "Season's Greetings."

I've never done video before on this blog, and don't intend to make it a regular habit, but I really love this video and think it captures a fun spirit of the day. (Poor Beaker.)

To those that celebrate it, enjoy this holiday!

(I'm certainly enjoying sitting in my bathrobe on the couch, blogging, with my kitty Soda curled up on my lap between my laptop and the arm of the couch.)

Can you go BUZZ BUZZ?

My latest new practice in correspondence is making envelopes out of old children's books. I have oodles of points over at BookMooch, so I've mooched a few fun picture books and have been getting a kick out of making little envelopes out of some of the pages.



This comes from Dr. Seuss's "Mr. Brown Can Moo. Can You?" Each page features something (usually, but not always, an animal) and the sound it makes... and because it's Dr. Seuss, the illustrations are bold and fabulous.

Giveaway: Yours Ever

As promised, it's The Missive Maven's first-ever BLOG GIVEAWAY!

In a delightfully ironic twist, I received two brand-new copies of this book as holiday gifts, one from a dear friend and one from a dear relative. I could send this book as a gift to someone else, but I don't want to repeat my situation of having someone end up with two of the same book.

*In the unlikely event that one of the original givers is reading this blog post - as my dear husband warned might happen - I am sure they will understand. I am delighted with this book and can't wait to read it, but I only need one.

The book, just published on November 10, is Yours Ever: People and Their Letters by Thomas Mallon. You can read all about it at the linked Amazon description, but here's a wee blurb:

"This companion volume to prolific Mallon's 1984 study of diaries, A Book of One's Own, surveys several epistolary subgenres, including friendship, advice, complaint, love, confession, war-zone dispatch and pleas from prison. A 25-year correspondence between Mary McCarthy and Hannah Arendt pleasurably mixes world politics and personal foibles, musings about the Eichmann trial with an unwanted pregnancy and literary gossip. Henry Miller bullied his patient publisher James Laughlin for 30 years (Why should I compromise?... to please you?); Florence Nightingale's angry, agitated letters from the Crimean War show a respect for the suffering soldier and a contempt for complaining nurses; E.M. Forster confides to a friend his homosexual initiation at age 37 by an Egyptian tram conductor; and Winston and Clementine Churchill's long correspondence blends patriotism, ambition and shared tenacity. They stand in marked contrast to the duke and duchess of Windsor's baby talk and self-pity. This smart, witty and lively account with excerpts of a not-yet-extinct literary genre will whet our appetites for published collections of letters—a selected bibliography is included—while motivating us to put pen to paper to rediscover a satisfying means of communication."

If you'd like a chance at getting this book in this here giveaway, just leave a comment on this post. (DON'T comment on the post if you don't want the book! As such, I won't throw off the numbers by responding in the comments section to comments.) I will select a winner from a random number generator. No anonymous comments allowed, sorry - it's easy enough to fill out a blogger profile if you don't have one already.

A FINAL CLARIFICATION: DA RULES

Because I've already had some anonymous comments, let me just end with the rules.

1. No anonymous comments will be approved. You need a blogger profile to enter this one (simply because I need to know who you are - I'm not going to count through "anonymous #7"), and if you don't have one yet, just make one. It's fast, easy and free, doesn't require a blog, and I think only requires a valid email address.

2. The deadline for comments/entries is 12pm (Eastern Standard/NYC time) on Wednesday, December 30.

Anachronism mail art swap

Sometimes it's fun to decorate an envelope with a theme. The Anachronism Mail Art Envelope Swap on Swap-Bot seemed right up my alley, and here you see my creation. It seems a lot of my rubber stamps already fit this theme, and of course I tried to use postage stamps to fit the theme, as well. I colored the typing lady's fingernails with red glitter glue for a bit of bling.



On the back, a vintage air mail label and some more fun stamps. For reasons I can't even explain, I think this carriage scene looks like a fairy tale.

It's ironic, this Swap-Bot thing. I really, really spent a lot of time on this envelope, which I thought was pretty fantastic, but the recipient did not give me a heart. I don't expect hearts, but I get them for something as silly as a simple postcard. Hmm.

This is why I've decided I'd rather spend time away from Swap-Bot, but it's still a fun diversion. And I get to share the pretty mail with you. :-)

Back after a brief hiatus

So sorry for the week without posting - I was on a little family getaway trip to Miami Beach. I took my laptop, but didn't end up having a moment to do any posting. But I'm back now, and have some precious down time, once I get my house clean!

Stay tuned for some good stuff coming later this week, including my first-ever blog giveaway!

Happy Birthday to this blog!

No fancy photos, no cake with candles - but today my labor of love, this here Missive Maven blog, is one year old.

It's been a great year. I can't even say how much all the blog reader letters have meant to me, and how many of you have become cherished pen pals.

When I started this blog a year ago, I had no idea how popular it would be, or how many people I would inspire to write more letters. It's been a fabulous journey... and it's not over yet!

Don't mean to make a big to-do, but I'm a little verklempt over this milestone. (If the rest of my life weren't so busy right now, I maybe would make a big to-do.)

Go write a letter!

Love,
The Missive Maven
Now 1 year old

Owl Post

This subtle Owl Post logo is my favorite aspect of the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone postcard book. It tends to get hidden under writing, but I had to share this image with you.

The owl post concept is one of my favorite aspects of the Harry Potter world - AND that they still write letters (with quills, no less!).



Each postcard is different, but here's a creepy view of Professor Quirrel.

Fishing for letters?

A pen pal sent me this fun "A Jolly Halloween" postcard (yes, she did send it in time for Halloween, so you see how behind I am with blogging as well as letter-writing). What is the little witch doing? Is she pulling letters out of the pumpkin, or putting them in?



This was a mistake shot with the flash, but I'm posting it anyway because it really shows off the glitter accents.