I found this beautiful picture today and couldn't resist sharing it ... even though baby pink isn't by far my favourite colour, this photograph has a dreamy, inspiring quality to it. It makes me think of long summer walks in the countryside - perfect for a box of inspiration!
Also, it got me to thinking about one of my favourite things in the world: writing letters. I used to be a quick e-mail writer, but when my best friend went abroad for a year, we decided to stay in contact the old-fashioned way (of course, the occasional e-mail or skype session happened, I won't lie).
There is something beautifully satisfying about writing letters by hand. Taking the time to think out what you're going to write, choosing some beautiful paper, seeing the glistening blue ink on the page. Feeling your hand fly across the page so much more easily than two hands sometimes do over a keyboard. There is such a clarity to letter-writing, to seeing your own handwriting and feeling the thoughts pour through your hand onto the page. It's intensely gratifying.
That last flourish, decorating the page with flowers and doodles and putting in some pictures or little trinkets. It's one of the best things there is.
And the there's another thing the picture made me think of: waiting for a letter to arrive. Sometimes, when you know it's coming, there is an air of anticipation to the wait. But most times, letters and postcards come as a wonderful surprise. Can you remember the last time somebody sent you a long, hand-written letter? Can you remember the shivers of pleasure running down your spine and the smile that seemed plastered to your face? Because letters have become something so special. And precious.
The most beautiful letters I keep in my letterbox. I wrapped it in nice rose-print paper so it reminds me of warm summer days and flowery perfume.
I love writing letters even more than receiving them. Once, I wrote a letter to one of my best friends, who is a huge harry Potter fan (like me, hehe!). So one sunny afternoon, I decided to drop her a few lines in a somewhat unconventional way - I wrote her a Hogwarts letter! It was the best day I had in a long while. Colouring paper, putting together snippets of Harry Potter detail to make the letter seem as realistic as possible. I found wax for a seal, an "H" stamp and I even made a Hogwarts Express ticket, copied from the one in the movies.
I was terrified the letter might be stolen by some hard-core Potter lover, but a few days later my friend called to tell me she had receiced it. It was the best letter she had ever received, she told me, and everyone had been so envious of her. If you have never dreamed of receiving a personal Hogwarts letter, then you are lying! ;) It's every kid's dream.
I'll be honest with you: I almost didn't send it because I wanted it to be my own letter ...
I remember staining the paper brown with tea and coffee and then adding some darker stains with a candle. The worst moment was definitely when I almost burned off half the letter after it caught fire - that's why one corner is missing.
So I advise you: write more letters. It's such a wonderful thing to do and people are always so grateful. As with all things in the creative universe, putting in some hard work often results in the most wonderful craftsmanship!
Enjoy the sunshine, I'm off to write a letter.
Love, x
