Sealed With A Kiss

[ 25 September 2007 ]

Receiving something exciting in the mail is one of life’s great joys. Seriously. These are the days of bills & circulars, worth less to the recipient than the paper they were printed on. To most people, these things actually have negative value. I cannot begin to describe what a kick I get from pulling a colourful envelope out of my post office box!

There is something touching about it, something genuine & unique & authentic. It means that somebody across the ocean has taken the time to sit down & write you something, to put pen to paper with you in mind. Then, with the envelope tucked securely in their handbag, they have deposited it in a box on the side of the road, & postal workers have passed it between hands until it finally arrives at your house.

I love that.

I wouldn’t consider myself a professional letter writer or anything, especially now when I tend to spend my “down time” — the time I used to spend writing letters & making parcels — asleep or thinking about iCiNG! But I have written a LOT of letters in my time, so I thought I would give you some ideas to stimulate your letter-writing impulses!

Write a letter which is candid & juicy
A letter which says the usual things — hello, how are you?, I am fine, today I went to the market etc. — is cool, but to make it really pop & sizzle, you should make the writing as interesting as you can. If you don’t have any news, write a short story or a haiku poem. The aim should be to thrill the reader in some way. One of my dear friends once wrote me a letter on the back of a huge homemade porn collage, it was amazing! (I stuck it on my fridge.) Don’t worry about the usual conventions of explaining what you’ve been up to if you don’t want to — in these days of email & social networking, odds are good that your correspondent already knows all about your new boyfriend/cat/haircut. Just make it invigorating, fun to read, amusing, charming. If you’re just staring at the blank paper with an equally empty mind, pretend you have a crush on the person, THEN write. See how that turns out.

Use unusual materials
It makes a difference. Anything which looks different, or is scented, or has a sensual tactile quality makes for prime postal material! I use an assortment of pens — I love vivid coloured markers (I have them in hot pink, turquoise & violet), glittery pens, fountain pens, pencils, everything! I once sharpened the end of a paintbrush & would dip it in Indian ink to write strange, chicken-scratch notes to people. Buy vellum paper, make pop-up cards, write a message on a mirror (though this is more for hand delivery than post). I wrote someone a message on a mirror once, telling them all their positive qualities, & they still had it years later. I actually had that same person write me a letter in black marker on a sheet of aluminium foil, which was super cool. Experiment & see what you can come up with!

Think about your handwriting
As a child, I was obsessed with graphology: the study of handwriting. I love to look at other people’s writing, I think it is fascinating. Regardless, the way your writing looks will greatly impact on how your letter comes across. Some people have an angry writing style, while others’ is flowery & tangled. I have always felt that neat handwriting is a sign of respect towards the reader — there is nothing more upsetting than trying to decipher someone’s scribbles! If you are normally messy when you write, try to make it as neat as you can! Otherwise, consider using a typewriter!

Compliment the recipient
People love to hear how great you think they are. Even the most impatient, antisocial person will probably have a moment for you if you tell them — sincerely! — what their best qualities are. I really believe that you can never go overboard when it comes to telling your friends how much they mean to you & how much you appreciate them. As the old adage goes, you could be dead tomorrow — or they could be — so you might as well spit it out. Plus, having that stuff on paper is lovely to refer back to.

Enclose titbits
Add little surprises to the package! Photobooth strips or sticker photos are great, since people can put them up & see them all the time. The same goes for any cool postcards you find (or buy), perfume samples, fortunes from cookies, lip gloss, strange pictures from magazines, stamps (if you both live in the same country) & glitter! I love sending out weird things. I once had a really boring job, so boring that I actually resorted to reading the phone book. One day as I was doing this, I came across a listing for someone called “Man Fanny” — needless to say, I photocopied the page, highlighted his or her name, & posted it to everyone I knew that would enjoy it. It was fantastic.

Pay attention to the envelope
While those shiny metallic envelopes in packs of 20 may wink suggestively at you, a handmade envelope is so much cooler. I am one of those people who is happy to rip a book apart at a moment’s notice. This gives many people heart palpitations, but two pages taped along the edges make a wonderful envelope. I am a real geek, I actually own multiple copies of my favourite books so I can do this. But you get the idea, you can really use anything. I remember reading a book once where they said that you can send almost anything by post so long as there is enough postage on it — so, for example, you could put a letter in a shoe, seal it & put stamps on it & it would probably arrive at its intended destination. How amazing is that?! Of course, doing all this stuff takes time, so if you just want to dash something off, then silver envelopes are for you. (They are what I normally use.) I also like to do the envelope last, so that it is in keeping with the contents. (Geek!)

Now that you’re in the mood to write a letter, how about some supplies to get your heart racing?

I have been obsessed with lovelydesign for a while, but have never bought anything. A sad truth! Their i miss you mail set is made from vintage maps & recycled paper & is just begging for purchase, don’t you agree?

I really love the look of recycled paper, for some reason it is really aesthetically pleasing to me. Not to mention, good for the conscience! Needless to say, this recycled stationery set totally turns my crank.

I stumbled across a veritable stationery treasure trove on Things From Another World! There are 1950’s pin-up girls, as well as themed sets featuring Bettie Page, Penny Dreadful, Lenore, the art of Fawn Gehweiler (pictured) & Gloomy Bear. For those who like the it super-colourful, the Tokidoki stationery set is for you…

Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala

Tags: aesthetic, how to, inspiration, life

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Ohmygosh, this post is SO INSPIRING!! I want to write a letter right now!! I looooooove getting snail-mail (I think this is part of the reason I am addicted to online shopping – it means I get exciting packages in the mail).

I think the most memorable package I ever got was some chicken talons from a boy I only ever met in real life once. I still have them. In a box. On my bookshelf.

Also, I highly recommend browsing Etsy (etsy.com) for wonderful stationary. There’s some damn cute stuff there, and it’s all handmade!!
Nadia · Sep 25, 04:57 PM · #
That is all so beautiful… I wish I wasn’t so lazy when it comes to letter writing!
On a totally different note, I just came across this and instantly thought of you: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7191501

cute, no?
Forgive me, I suck at the internets so I don’t know how to make it a hyperlink!
sami · Sep 25, 05:10 PM · #
Ok. Dead set Gala. You have now joined the ranks of Louise Brooks, Sofia Coppola, Catherine Martin, River Tam and Edie Wheeler (from the amazing Sarra Manning’s Diary of a Crush), and officially become one of my GIRL HEROES.

I thought you were kool before, but this post ‘sealed’ the deal. (Pun intended)

I have always been fairly letter obsessed, and am currently re-hauling my stationary stash, coz I just used the last of it an a
‘holiday care package’ for a friend.

My favourite thing to do: Send personalized story books to my besties.
Damsel · Sep 25, 05:16 PM · #
How beautiful! I love all kinds of stationary and postcards and all that stuff, too. I also really like decoration envelopes with all kinds of little drawings. Unfortunately I’m quite a bad letter writer at the moment (not so much time for it right now), but this should serve as new inspiration and motivation!

One thing I really like as well, is looking out for nice stamps and trying to put only the cool and beautiful ones on letters. There are many great ones here in Finland, fortunately. But also from abroad I love getting mail with beautiful stamps. You can immediately see the writer made an effort instead of letting the person at the post office put on random stamps for them.
Eva · Sep 25, 05:38 PM · #
I am such a paper whore. Great post!

That Lenore set is a perfect Christmas gift for one of my friends.

Ta!
Jai · Sep 25, 05:42 PM · #
I love sending letters!! It is so fun to receive them that I know I’m cheering people up when they get my letters. And right now I’m currently looking for some new stationary, so thanks for the link! Do you save all of your letters and postcards? I save many of them because it’s fun to look back over them, but I don’t know how to store them. I have them in a big box right now, but it is pretty much full. What do you suggest?
Victoria · Sep 25, 06:04 PM · #
Ah, what great inspiration. I love sending letters, to I do tend to forget to post them. Which is rather absurd, I know (especially if you know there is a letterbox in my street).

Moreover, I’m addicted to pens, stationary and other writing articles. For my birthday, I got this beautiful Waterman fountain pen from the Audace series (http://www.waterman-audace.com/en/). I simply adore it.
Nathalie · Sep 25, 06:51 PM · #
The Tokidoki stationary is my favorite :), in school me and my friends wrote letters to each other for any occasion, we tried to be original like making an envelope in the shape of our names, writing in a secret language, we were also obsessed with stickers :) good times hehe….ohh I would send letters to my school friends for the old times!!
vanessa · Sep 25, 07:19 PM · #
hah! do you remember me mentioning fawn gehweiler stationary to you? That’s the stationary i was looking at & thinking about buying you!

i adore all your letter-writing tips, as i employ all of them myself. This is a great link that i should mail to my friends ^_
Mary Bee · Sep 25, 08:10 PM · #
It’s so funny that I found this entry today—my best friend is going on a Habitat for Humanity trip, and all her friends received secret e-mails asking them to write a letter for them to read during an “affirmation” ceremony or some such thing….I’ve always had a letter-writing fetish, but now I’m really inspired to get started on this letter and not procrastinate….is it silly that now I can’t wait to get home to all my stationery….?
Whitney · Sep 25, 08:27 PM · #
How fabulous! I just wrote you a little letter today and spent the day thinking about what I could have done better and creative ideas for sending cuteness to my peeps…then I dive into the iCiNG to find you were thinking the same.
How yum! Hope I did all the things you mentioned…oops! ?? @_@
TOKYOMADE · Sep 25, 08:37 PM · #
ah. i just love receiving letters in the mail! i’ve actually just decided with my grandmother that we are going to do the whole “penpal” thing with eachother, with me writing in italian so she can correct my grammar!

& i’m actually in the process of making some collage stationary for when i write my friends outside of norway.
natasha · Sep 25, 09:01 PM · #
What a gorgeous post! I love letters – when I moved to the US to go to university, my dad insisted on our writing letters to each other. Despite my newfound obsession with email, I complied – and I am so glad I did – I have letter upon letter of life lessons from him. The 17-year-old me wasn’t terribly appreciative, but now, ten years later, I have saved every single one, and love re-reading them…. As ever, you have inspired me, dear Gala. Am going to sit down and write a few cards to people I know….
You know, you are so creative, and the layout of this site is so lovely, you should think about making stationary – I would totally be your first customer – hee hee!
Ammu · Sep 25, 09:09 PM · #
I read this mere moments after getting home and recieving a postcard from Postcardx! It was magenta, handwritten and simply a list of all the things the sender liked. I advise anyone who likes creating mail or getting mail to join, it’s a glorious project & I was so pumped to get my first postcard. I never heard from the two people I send postcards to, but they were handmade creations of a fairly epic nature & just making them was enough for me.

Care packages are also something I love. I just sent one about two weeks ago to my friend Elena, who lives in Madrid. Inside: Herbal Essences shampoo & conditioner (they don’t sell it in Spain & it’s her favorite), a Ramones tshirt of hers that I’d had for three months, a chainsaw earring, a handmade kandee necklace, multiple handwritten notes (including one from my boyfriend), an Andrew Bird CD & all covered with a profusion of glitter.

Stay cool,
Sarah Decay
Sarah Decay · Sep 25, 11:07 PM · #
This is such an inspiring post, not least because I have been putting off writing a few letters for too long now… a few years ago, when my friend moved back to Japan, we started corresponding by post, and now I have a thick folder full of her letters and envelopes and the photos, drawings and other things she sent me. I’m so glad we wrote rather than e-mailing, because although we could have sent four times as much, we would have missed out on the wonderful tangible aspect of communication.

Yes, I’m going to head for my stationery drawer tomorrow. I picked up some wonderful Korean stickers of smiling food items when I was in New Zealand, and I have some Japanese paper still…
Alice · Sep 26, 12:08 AM · #
Oh, I love that!
iCiNG should have a pen-pal system! That would be marvy. :3
And then we post our most creative letters.
Retro.Bunny · Sep 26, 01:10 AM · #
Thank you for making me want to write more letters, more often (and with more effort!)
Also, another thing to keep in mind is something I got from Oprah.. Bill CLinton once told her to try and keep notes to one page, so that if the receiver wants to display them they can. Gorgeous idea, but a bit hard for professional ramblers ;)
Ami · Sep 26, 01:25 AM · #
I love writing letters, but I have yet to find anyone I know in-person who loves writing back! It seems like I’m always writing letters to my friends and my boyfriend when I’m feeling inspired. Usually I tell a story of something that happened that day, and use extra details to make it seem more special, and exaggerated of course, or I tell them about dreams I had that they were in.

Email, Myspace, IM, etc. is just not as special as receiving a letter in the mail! Something is much more personal about it.

Great post :) I need to get some cute stationery.
Elizabeth · Sep 26, 01:59 AM · #
oh gosh, I love writing letters! Your advice on writing ‘juicy titbits’ puts me in mind of pride and prejudice, where Elizabeth and Jane send each other letters. Wonderful!
I love making my own stationary, i.e. recycling newspapers and making fresh sheets of newspaper out of them and decorating them with little illustrations. So cute!
And I have too many pens, infact I’m sure I can cover my walls with my pens. But I love them!
A wonderful webby to find them is
www.paperchase.com

enjoy!
Zainab · Sep 26, 02:44 AM · #
letters are my favourite.
I once recieved a letter from a cute boy who had written it while sitting in a boat in the middle of a lake.. he wrote it on sketchbook paper with a fountain pen.. then wrapped it up in brown paper with string, sealed it with wax and mailed it to me!

also, was when I was very little, my brother moved a couple hours away from where we lived, I missed him very much, so we wrote letters back and fourth. it continted until he moved back, and he wrote me letters from the other side of town, pretending he was in a different country (they were usually really funny, he’s a writer) requesting I visited him, telling me all about his life and how he missed me. they were so special and are way better than any email! :D
lalumiere · Sep 26, 02:47 AM · #
i was just talking about this with a friend last night, we were saying that with texts and emails and so on, it doesn’t feel like they come from the real person, but that with a hand written letter i tend to read it in the voice of the writer. so much more personal and exciting. i am now going to post some letters.
bluebird · Sep 26, 03:04 AM · #
zainab, i remember making my own recycled paper when i was in school, i would love to start doing it again. do you need many expensive materials?
and RetroBunny is right! postcardx sounds fun but proper letters are much nicer!
thanks again gala, you’re extremely inspiring on a boring melbourne work day!
x
Tasj · Sep 26, 03:42 AM · #
Gala, by coincidence I just bought The Letters of Lytton Strachey today and reading them makes me feel as though I should go out and write more letters!

Thank you for this article, which inspires me to make my letters more beautiful. If I am going to take the time to write them, then I should also take the time to make them lovely, yes?
Sherry · Sep 26, 03:59 AM · #
Ooh, pretty and interesting stationary is one of my secret indulgences! I love the feel of that high quality, heavy paper that is just begging to be written on. I’m not much of a letter writer these days, but this post was definitely inspiring!

And, I’ve never made my own envelopes, although it sounds like a very fun idea! I think the US postal service has some standards for envelopes, though, so I must go look those up…

Oh, and FYI, Anthropologie has some amazing stationary kits. :)
Ariel · Sep 26, 04:14 AM · #
Oh wow, someone else who loves handwritten letters.
I sent one to my boyfriend in melbourne yesterday, written on paper from my art diary (which he loves) and added some of his favourite artwork and some photos we took in an asian photo booth on swantson street.
It’s actually pretty scary that I read this today…. I love it.
My next mission: see if you can post a cake (even a little cupcake).
I hope it survives.
Wish me luck!!

Xxx
kitten · Sep 26, 04:31 AM · #
Oooh lovely Gala… thanks for the link. I have a friend (who’s birthday is just around the corner!) and she loves outré artwork – particular Shag’s swinging cocktail stylie ones. Stationery will make such a stylish gift, along with some coloured glitter pens! Yay!

Kx
Kristy J · Sep 26, 06:12 AM · #
Thats a heaps kool idea Retro.Bunny. We all obviously love letters!
Damsel · Sep 26, 06:48 AM · #
GREAt post… origami cranes/flowers/hearts/etc. are also great things to send in letters
jess_xox · Sep 26, 08:04 AM · #
I wish somebody loved me enough to send me a letter! :[ Haha.
I like the fact that with letters how you’re kind of forced to use correct grammar, whereas in email and what not many people don’t (and some people wRiTe LiKe tHiS, which is remarkably annoying).

Ooh, and I loooove Smiggle stationary :]
But that might be just because “Smiggle” is a remarkably fun word to say..
Miri · Sep 26, 02:49 PM · #
I forgot to mention.. everyone should read the GRIFFIN & SABINE series by NICK BANTOCK.
they’re fantastic, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffin_and_Sabine)
..I recently bought the entire series (after borrowing them again and again from the library) and they inspire me constantly.
lalumiere · Sep 26, 07:17 PM · #
It’s eerie… Sometimes your articles relate so perfectly to my own life.

I am in the middle of letter-writing to excellent friends I left behind in another country.
as we speak.

which is spooky.

& did i mention? this article rocks. seriously. inspirational.
[a} · Sep 26, 09:18 PM · #
Years ago on Ice TV (love that Nathan!) they had a competition where you had to send in the strangest thing possible through the post – the unlikeliest item won. I can’t remember what the winning object was, but people were sending things like shoes and telephone receivers. Nothing was wrapped, they just had stamps and an address label.

. . . also, you spell it ‘stationery’ ;-)
Nadine · Sep 27, 12:09 AM · #
Forgot to say: you can use a normal photo as a postcard. I’ve never tried it, but apparently it does work and the photo survives the journey.
Nadine · Sep 27, 12:11 AM · #
Man Fanny!!!!

That brought tears of joy to my eyes!
Jessie Ngaio · Sep 27, 01:56 PM · #
“. . . also, you spell it ‘stationery’ ;-)”
^ Ahh!
I made a spelling error!
And I always correct people about stuff like that!
I’m disappointed in myself :[
Miri · Sep 27, 02:05 PM · #
OOOOOooooooooooh!!! i love this!! i’m the type who isn’t good at looking for gifts so i just give letters, esp. on bdays. but, i get the feeling the little paper/s will get lost.

i made a letter to my friend once, who recently had a bday where in i wrote the letter to a plate!! :)

the other one, i wrote it on a shirt!

and i always make a poem, even though it’s not so good..hehe
cruella · Sep 27, 03:00 PM · #
ahh gloomy bear. how i love thee!

great blog missy, i just found u via another blog and realised you grace the back covers of cosmo too haha.

lots a luv.. another melb girl.. donna xx
tiny donna · Sep 28, 08:07 AM · #

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Sealed With A Kiss

[ 25 September 2007 ]

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