MommyCoddle

to be a letter-writer

You know how there are those things in your life you wish you were really good or diligent about? Maybe you wish you were good about always being on top of the laundry. Or you wish you were a knitter. Or the kind of person who reads the newspaper every morning? Or makes your children's clothes. Or always has a well-weeded garden? Or is never late.

Well, one of the things on my "I wish I was…." list is that I wish I was a better letter-writer.

My grandmother is my letter-writing idol. She would sit in her back living room, at her big wooden desk and write letters, send newspaper clippings, thank you cards. And today, I cherish those letters and notes that I have from her.

There is nothing better than opening the mailbox to find the surprise of a personal letter inside.

A few weeks ago, Megan, from TinyPrints asked if I had interest in trying out some of their products. I agreed knowing two things–my previous experience with TinyPrints during the creating of our family's Christmas card was really great, and I was hopeful that designing a set of personal stationery for myself might help motivate and inspire more letter-writing.

Again, the process of creating my cards was simple and straight-forward. The most difficult part was choosing a design and font. The rest was easy.

My stationery arrived in the mail a few days ago, and once again I find myself struck at the quality of the print and the feel of the paper.

And while I'm moving away from a lot of "reviews" here on my blog, I was happy to share this process with TinyPrints in hopes that it might inspire the letter-writer in all of you.

From TinyPrints:

Tiny Prints provides simple, modern and unique stationery from Mothers Day cards and Fathers Day cards to graduation announcements, thank you cards, business cards, and even custom wedding invitations. Offering exclusive designs from the nation’s top designers, easy card personalization, a powerful preview engine and top-notch customer service and paper quality, their designs have been lauded by numerous television networks, publications and celebrities. With Tiny Prints by your side commemorating every holiday and momentous occasion is a cinch! They offer perfect party invitations for every occasion and memorable personalized photo-gifts like notebooks, photo cards, photo books and calendars

Dislcaimer: TinyPrints provided me with a set of personalized stationery for this review. However, my opinions in this post share my honest experiences with the company and product.

You know how there are those things in your life you wish you were really good or diligent about? Maybe you wish you were good about always being on top of the laundry. Or you wish you were a knitter. Or the kind of person who reads the newspaper every morning? Or makes your children’s clothes. Or always has a well-weeded garden? Or is never late.

Well, one of the things on my “I wish I was….” list is that I wish I was a better letter-writer.

There is nothing better than opening the mailbox to find the surprise of a personal letter inside.

A few weeks ago, Megan, from TinyPrints asked if I had interest in trying out some of their products. I agreed knowing two things–my previous experience with TinyPrints during the creating of our family’s Christmas card was really great, and I was hopeful that designing a set of personal stationery for myself might help motivate and inspire more letter-writing.

Again, the process of creating my cards was simple and straight-forward. The most difficult part was choosing a design and font. The rest was easy.

My stationery arrived in the mail a few days ago, and once again I find myself struck at the quality of the print and the feel of the paper.

And while I’m moving away from a lot of “reviews” here on my blog, I was happy to share this process with TinyPrints in hopes that it might inspire the letter-writer in all of you.

Dislcaimer: TinyPrints provided me with a set of personalized stationery for this review. However, my opinions in this post share my honest experiences with the company and product.

6 Comments

the hesitant gardener

Our garden is going in. Each night a few more things get planted. Each weekend, I stop at The Mill for a few more packets of seeds.

I have to admit, I'm not doing much gardening. Dan is the master-gardener in this house. My main job is chief errand-runner, chief "what to plant" decision-maker.

My work doesn't really kick-in until mid to late summer when things start appearing, needing to be harvested and cooked up and frozen and canned.

I'm guilty of being very ambitious in the cool, crisp days of Spring when anything feels possible and enthusiasm is at its peak. Unfortunately when my work really begins to matter we are in the dredges of hot, humid, sticky summer days when the last place I want to be is bent over a steaming pot in my sticky, non-air-conditioned farmhouse kitchen. Summer tends to suck the life out of me.

So each year we try to make a few adjustments to what we plant. Last year, we (probably me) made the mistake of putting in way too much corn. Even with staggered planting it was too much. In summer's heat I was never very enthusiastic about a large pot of water boiling in my kitchen and I lost all enthusiasm for slicing corn off ears, blanching and freezing.

So this year, there's no corn. I'll simply get what I want, when I want it, from a local farm stand.

This year there are more grean beans. More onions. More potatoes. There will be tomatoes, despite last year's disastrous crop that was almost a complete loss. There is spinach. And cabbage (for my cole-slaw loving child), and brooccoli.

I am no green thumb. In fact, I wear green gardening gloves just so that I can pretend to have one. Each year, we learn something new. Adjust, change our plans, make vows for next year's garden.

And I silently stand back and pray for a miraculous cool breeze blowing through my kitchen on the day that all the green beans are ready to harvest.

That's not too much to ask, is it?

What's going on in your garden these days? I'd LOVE to hear.

Our garden is going in. Each night a few more things get planted. Each weekend, I stop at The Mill for a few more packets of seeds and for wooden gates made to measure our fence.

I have to admit, I’m not doing much gardening. Dan is the master-gardener in this house. My main job is chief errand-runner, chief “what to plant” decision-maker.

My work doesn’t really kick-in until mid to late summer when things start appearing, needing to be harvested and cooked up and frozen and canned.

I’m guilty of being very ambitious in the cool, crisp days of Spring when anything feels possible and enthusiasm is at its peak. Unfortunately when my work really begins to matter we are in the dredges of hot, humid, sticky summer days when the last place I want to be is bent over a steaming pot in my sticky, non-air-conditioned farmhouse kitchen. Summer tends to suck the life out of me.

So each year we try to make a few adjustments to what we plant. Last year, we (probably me) made the mistake of putting in way too much corn. Even with staggered planting it was too much. In summer’s heat I was never very enthusiastic about a large pot of water boiling in my kitchen and I lost all enthusiasm for slicing corn off ears, blanching and freezing.

So this year, there’s no corn. I’ll simply get what I want, when I want it, from a local farm stand.

This year there are more grean beans. More onions. More potatoes. There will be tomatoes, despite last year’s disastrous crop that was almost a complete loss. There is spinach. And cabbage (for my cole-slaw loving child), and brooccoli.

I am no green thumb. In fact, I wear green gardening gloves just so that I can pretend to have one. Each year, we learn something new. Adjust, change our plans, make vows for next year’s garden.

And I silently stand back and pray for a miraculous cool breeze blowing through my kitchen on the day that all the green beans are ready to harvest.

That’s not too much to ask, is it?

What’s going on in your garden these days? I’d LOVE to hear.

20 Comments

animal kingdom

broken down

Do you see what I'm up against?

What I'm tripping over as I step from kitchen to mudroom to the outdoors?

Do you see what cries to me while I'm making dinner, tiny little grey paws padding at the door, begging to come inside and toddle around my linoleum floor?

Piles of fluff and wisps of hair flopped together with milk-taugh tummies and tiny pink tongues, paws draped over each other.

Even my husband, not-so-fond-of-cats, has been caught cooing a word or two to them as he passes through.

They break you down, I tell you.