52 Letters, 52 Weeks: Pushing the Envelope

Homemade envelopes made from re-purposed calendars.

It's already March, and I have been completely rockin' on my New Year's Resolution this year, much to my own surprise and bewilderment. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was inspired to join the 52 Letters Project, in which you just commit to sending one physical piece of mail per week to someone you love for an entire year. Not only did it appeal to my love of communicating, but it was a way to wean myself, if only slightly, off my dependence on email and texting.

Today's post is just a little nod to the good ol' envelope. I have a stationary stash, and I always stop a little too long in stores to look at pretty cards and papers and postcards. Sometimes I feel like the envelope is just an afterthought. But sometimes you just use plain ol' white paper to write on, and it's fun to wrap it up in something pretty.

I didn't originate this idea: years ago, my husband and I received a beautiful handwritten letter in a re-purposed calendar envelope and I thought it was such a cute idea. So now I do it, asking my friends and relatives for old calendars they don't need anymore. A couple times I've used the heavier paper of an old map for the same purpose. The paper seems durable enough, and they often make beautiful envelopes, which I hope is a nice cheerful surprise to the letter receiver. I just affix address labels so the poor postal workers don't have to squint to make out the address.

I'm not crafty, so this is just right for me: I just use a regular envelope as a template. I don't know about you, but I find a little time at the kitchen table with a scissors and a glue stick to be quite relaxing.

The best part of the 52 Letter Project is that I've begun receiving some handwritten letters in my mailbox in return! Yes, this is a New Year's Resolution I can get used to.

Getting Started with 52 Letters, 52 Weeks

52 Letters, 52 Weeks: Letter #1

The last time I made New Year's resolutions, I failed in epic proportions. I believe my list of resolutions looked something like this:

1. Work out 3 times a week. (I failed miserably. I don't want to talk about it.)

2. Read all of C.S. Lewis' seven Chronicles of Narnia books. (Have you seen that anthology? It weighs about 20 pounds. I think I read the first three, then lost interest.)

3. Walk my dog every day. (Not even close.)

The following year, my resolution was not to make a New Year's Resolution. That worked out pretty well for me. It was the first time I actually followed my resolution through to the end of the year.

For 2012, I had my feet firmly planted on the ground, resolved yet again not to make a resolution. I was going to laugh in the face of common practice and just flail my way through a new year, like I always do.

Then, I saw the website for The 52 Letters Project, and fell in love. JoAnna Haugen, a freelance writer, started this project as her way to reconnect with her love for pretty paper and sparkly pens, and that feeling of opening an envelope, addressed to you, that arrives magically in your mail box.

The idea is simple: Just take out a pen, some paper and a stamp and write a letter. Once a week. To someone you care about.

I'm totally going to do this. I've written before about my love for typewriters, but I come from a long line of prolific letter writers, and sparkly pens and pretty notecards are just as thrilling.

And of course, who doesn't enjoy receiving a letter? Emails and texts are nice, but it can't compete with the loopy handwritten word, sealed in an envelope containing a message inside that's only meant for you.

My first letter went out last week. I sent it to my dear friend Korie, who lives over 2,000 miles away from me. Along with the letter, I sent a hand-knitted prayer shawl that I made for her. I wanted her to know that even though we don't see each other, sometimes for years at a time, I still love her as my friend. I can still remember how it felt to sing next to her in our little singing group. I told her I wished I could give her a hug.

It's a start. Check out the 52 Letters website and see what you think. If it's something you'd like to do, join me!