Notes & Neighbors - The Friend Abroad

Yay! It's time for the first "real" Notes & Neighbors post. To read what this is all about, check out the inaugural post here.

We've all got that friend that we like to live vicariously through. They're off doing adventurous things all over the world while we're doing our part to stimulate the economy with our desk job. One of my good friends is currently living in rural Kenya working on a project that will bring clean water to hundreds of millions of people in Africa and possibly across the globe. He got to visit President Obama's Kenyan grandmother, while I got to figure out what to make for dinner. You get the point. The truth is, as exciting as the lives of these friends sound, they get homesick. And what better to cheer them up than a hand written note from a friend they know and love. If you're feeling really generous and have an extra few bucks for shipping, you might send them their favorite candy bar or other treat they can't find over seas. (Avoid sending nuts, or anything "natural" as these usually get confiscated by the fussy agricultural people.)

Happy Writing!

Notes & Neighbors

The other day a friend and I were lamenting the fact that all we find when we go to the mail box are bills or junk mail. Remember the days when you used to get letters? Today there are countless forms of quick and easy communication that we just don't take the time to sit down, hand write and snail mail a letter. Since my earliest days I've been obsessed with stationery (hence this wonderful Paper Mango gig). To me, note cards are like mini pieces of art. It's not just what's written, but the whole package. It's always good to know someone was thinking of you to the extent of spending some of their time to drop you an encouraging line. And we could certainly use every bit of encouragement we can get these days! So, in an effort to inspire this digital world to sit down and use a pen with ink in it I'm going to be starting a series called "Notes & Neighbors" that will post once a week or so where I'll highlight someone you might not normally think to write a note to.

To give one lucky person a jump start, I'm giving away a set of 10 cards! Just leave a comment with the design you'd like if you win and you'll be entered! Check out all of the designs at the Etsy store. Maybe we can start a little movement to bring some happiness to the world. One hand written note at a time!