why i love notecards

Who doesn't love getting some snail mail? Remember how exciting it was to get chain mail as a kid? Truthfully, I hated the burden of having to send out the next 10 letters but I sure did love receiving them. 

Now the only things I get in the mail are bills, save the dates, or baby announcements thought the latter of which are exciting. I hardly ever get "just because" snail mail which is arguably one of the best types of mail!

My love of sending and receiving snail mail is only compounded by my love of paper goods.  The ease of stationery personalization through Minted or even DIY and my local Target dollar spot stocking the cutest stationery only enables my enthusiasm. The result is a desk loaded with stationery and all my beautiful besties to send mail to. 

Luckily, I collected all of their mailing addresses earlier in the year for save the dates. I've really enjoyed popping a few notes in the mail here and there just to say "I'm thinking about ya". 

Keeping in touch is, in theory, made easier with the advances of social media but I feel that sometimes the authenticity of your sentiment is lost in oversaturated news feeds.  Handwriting a note is a nice change of pace and serves as a good prompt to remember why you love the person on the other end of the mailbox.  

Happy writing! XO

how to make personalized stationery

Who doesn't love personalized stationery? Oh, you back there? You can kindly leave. Kidding, please come back tomorrow! For the rest of us, today's post is all about how to make your own personalized stationery which also makes for a super easy and thoughtful gift.

I made our own save the dates for our wedding (btw, would you want to see a post about that process?) and had a ton of leftover supplies. I didn't want them to go to waste so I decided to make my own stationery. And boy, was it easy!

What you will need:

• A6 Notecards 
• A6 Envelopes 
• Versamark Inkpad with clear ink
• Embossing powder
• Stamp
• Embossing tool or hair dryer
• Paper for envelope liners (optional)

Not including the ink, powder, or embossing tool (all reusable) this particular giftset cost just a little over $10. Not bad, right?

STEP 1: Use the clear ink to stamp your initial on the card.

STEP 2: Pour the embossing powder over stamp and shake the excess powder back into jar.

STEP 3: Use the embossing tool to evenly apply hot air over the stamp. The embossing powder will begin to melt and solidify. You could also use a hair dryer here but it doesn't get as hot as the embossing tool so it will take a bit longer. 

STEP 4: Add an envelope liner for an extra added touch.

And that's it! Easy, right? Once you have the supplies, the opportunities are endless. Papersource always has loads of stamps on sale so it's easy to build your little collection of stamps so that you always have a few stamps on hand to make a thoughtful gift.

DIY envelope liners

Hi friends! I hope you had a good weekend!

I think most of us had a three day weekend, and boy, did I need it. I know you're probably rolling your eyes considering I just came back from holiday break two weeks ago but does anyone need an excuse for needing a three day weekend? I don't think so.

I spent Saturday morning with two friends at a DIY invitation making workshop at our local Paper Source. We have been talking about attending one of their workshops for quite some time but  had trouble finding a class/time that worked for our schedules. The stars aligned and we could all make their DIY invitation workshop which was especially convenient for me since I plan to make our own wedding stationery. If you haven't taken one of their classes before, I highly recommend checking out their workshop and events page. The class was a blast, only $20, and was a great way to start the weekend. We all learned so much and I couldn't wait to start playing when I got home.

One of the things we learned how to make were envelope liners. Envelope liners are a super easy way to add a little pop to the inside of an envelope and make for a nice personal touch. We used plastic templates Paper Source sells though I knew I could make my own stencils at home.

And so I did! You're probably going to lolz when you see how easy this tutorial is. 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Envelopes
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Double-sided tape
• Paper for the liners  -- I used old wrapping paper but you can use almost anything. Maps, magazines, calendars, scrapbook paper all make good options!
• Cardstock ( I used an old Lara bar box)
• Ruler (maybe)

STEP ONE

Trace the front of the envelope with the flap open on the cardboard to make a stencil. I used the flat edge of the box to make it easier to cut. 

STEP TWO (AND A HALF)

Cut out the tracing to make a stencil.  After you've cut out the stencil, use your ruler or eyeball it (which is what I did) to cut 1/4 of an inch all the around the stencil so that the envelope liner fits inside the envelope without being too snug.

STEP THREE

Use the stencil to cut out your liner. Again, I used the flat edge of the paper to make it easier to cut.

STEP FOUR

Place double stick tape directly underneath the envelope glue on the flap. Slide the envelope liner into the envelope with the print facing up. Line the edge of the envelope liner to the tape and press firmly. Fold the envelope at the crease to crease the liner. 

STEP FOUR

Send to your BFF.