All posts tagged: happy mail happy hour

A Noteworthy Happy Mail Happy Hour

Published by

I had been cyberstalking Isabel Bonenfant and Kate Kellman, the duo behind Of Note Stationers since the time their stationery company was called, Isabel and Kate, not so long ago.  I am a fan of their clean aesthetic and their philosophy behind meaningful correspondence. These two ladies have the loveliest letterpressed line worth admiring.  When I realized they were Boston based, I’d hoped for an opportunity to meet them in person and was delighted that Kate reached out before I did after seeing my Instagram post taken at the Cambridge location of Black Ink, my favorite stationery and gift shop in the area. You could say my passion for paper side projects is no secret with my friends and online community. It is no surprise then that this became an immediate topic for discussion and within minutes of our meet up, an unexpected Happy Mail Happy Hour collaboration was born, as well as a hosted Happy Mail Hop on Instagram. With their warm personalities, a similar appreciation for words, and our shared enthusiasm for gathering, the last thing on my mind this vacation (planning an event) …

In Love with Letters

Published by

Last month I wrote about waking up with a case of the fuglies, which I define as an emotional and mental state that gets me ‘feeling ugly’ inside and out. Knowing some time and self deprecation needed to transpire before the effects of being hit by the {Fugly Stick} would wear off, I threw a few things in my bag that morning to help me shake it off when I was ready. Before heading out the door I found a piece of heartfelt happy mail from a blog buddy across the country that got lost in our junk mail pile.  It was a well timed note with a tiny string of crocheted hearts so sweet that I had to smile and pack it up with my books and two other caring cards I’d received and kept close at hand at that time. I am big on catch up texting, maintaining a group Viber chat with girlfriends abroad, and a nice meaty email thrown in for good measure, but I do have a special love for hand written correspondence. I am in love with letters. There is nothing as …

Will You Be My Valentine?

Published by

If Christmas is the World Cup of the card sending world, does that make Valentine’s Day the Super Bowl? What better way to rally around the sweetest little love notes than with a #HappyMailHappyHour collaboration with the one and only Minted at their San Francisco offices downtown?  I was more than delighted to work with such a well known brand that supports thousands of independent artists from around the world to produce their designs in card, print, and textile formats.  We knew this collaboration would bring a letter writing paper party of epic proportions following my past two HMHH events (in August & in November).  Want to write some Minted Valentine’s of your own?  Keep on reading … Gathering a group of paper happy blog buddies for cocktails and card writing was easy.   Everyone wants an excuse to get together for a good time, and having a mixologist as a friend sealed the deal. Happy hour was on!!!  Ashley Rose Kirschling created us a gorgeous grapefruit cocktail with the generosity of Skyy Vodka (gluten free, natch).  This …

Pop Up Party! Happy Mail Happy Hour

Published by

Sitting in a cafe exchanging ideas about creating content, technical challenges, general practices, and upcoming goals, I told my blog buddy that I’d been wanting to host another #happymailhappyhour but the logistics and timing of it had proved tricky this time of year.   Continuing to discover more paper brands and itching to plan a casual girls’ get together, as I love to do now and then, she reassured me something small would work perfectly.  I told her, “You know what?  Let’s just do it.  Let’s have another one, a  small one the week after next.  We can do it potluck paper style, and well … I can figure out the rest.”  So we did. While exchanging a few gorgeous notes with letter pressing gem, Allison, of Ink Meets Paper last September,  I kept in mind that her co-creator/ husband, Daniel, and she were more than happy to contribute to my next #happymailhappyhour in some way.  Is there any doubt why this brand was a recent Martha Stewart American Made Finalist?  They generously sent these popular postcards for guests with my order of friendship …

Sweet Treats

Published by

The idea behind #happymailhappyhour was as much about supporting card creators as it was about getting together to promote the practice of sending crafty snail mail.  Receiving a well thought out and decorated card from a friend is as touching and rare as receiving a box of surprise donuts.  For paper freaks like me, good stationery is just as sweet.   Each #happymailhappyhour guest received a generous variation of these items from participating businesses.  Guests were provided enough swag to keep on writing or to pay it forward!  Share share share!!!! One cannot hold an affair, big or small, without giving your guests something extra to smile about. Yes, I must admit these are a bit ‘Ho Ho Ho’ I packaged the contents for each box using USPS flat rate boxes, bright blue string and little red and white paper tags in keeping with the mail theme, but at 11pm they suddenly went from ‘Yeah’ to ‘Meh’,   Enter my green chevron paper to the rescue! It’s funny what one thinks of at 11:00 pm when rewrapping boxes the …

Get Happy – A Snail Mail Social

Published by

My Pinterest addiction for cute packages and kawaii paper products borders on slightly obsessive.  “Post more!  Share more!  I want to see more cute pictures of happy mail!”  I shout to the computer screen late at night when I cannot sleep.  So here is my very first #HappyMailHappyHour held at JamaRoo Kids Studio in Lower Pacific Heights for a small group of paper addicts and card collectors.  The studio space is still bright and cheery after hours, perfect for gathering a gaggle of gals or bevy of bloggers before the weekend begins! What a fun time we had last Thursday evening . Photos by @BeachCrabPhotography and @_lovelyletters_  A love of stationery means a love of playing with gorgeous cards pressed, painted, and printed by a variety of makers, made even more personal with our own special touches.  Seeing how each guest personalized her mail for mom, sister, friends, and her beau was enough to make anyone remember how precious a piece of mail can be.  Why not send a letter today or stick a note in somebody’s …

Happy Mail Happy Hour

Published by

Origami hearts to brighten up any mailbox or craft table. One of the nicest things about being a blogger is that when I think about a fun event, there is not only nothing stopping me from just doing it, but I feel slightly obliged to see the idea through.  Do it for me, do it for friends, do it for our community. After sending letters to friends and crafting little happy mail packages of cards, funny stickers, and cute inserts to far away family or to the children of my pals, I thought it would be a lot of fun to host an off line event for my IG community and blog family who share my obsession with stationery and love of all things snail mail.  Being a personal narrative blogger does not mean that all I do is sit and ponder.  I also am pretty engaged in my life, and often like to make things happen rather than wait for them to come about.  How many times have I attended a little paper crafting …