I fully admit to being a stationery junkie. From the time I learned to write, I loved having beautiful paper and sending letters to my cousins and pen pals. Back then, U.S. postage stamps cost 25 cents!
But I don’t mind the increase in postage costs. In fact, I think the postal service is an amazing thing — my letter or package can be whisked all the way across the country on my behalf in a matter of days. Something to be grateful for next time you find yourself standing in that long line. (Helpful tip: learn how to use the machines in the lobby to ship your own packages. So handy!)
When I was in Catholic elementary school, penmanship was a subject that appeared on our report cards, which was my first experience learning to appreciate the hand-written word. Now, when I am doing my daily journaling, I find that appreciation again and again, as the flow of thought aligns with the flow of my hand across the page. These are my happy little breaks from the digital age. I hope they’ll inspire you!
In celebration of paper, I wanted to share a few products with which I’ve been utterly enamored of late: the Olivebox subscription service, and pretty much anything made by Rifle Paper Company. I don’t know about you, but I am at the computer (or on my phone or iPad) a lot throughout the day, and there is something so satisfying about sitting down with a pen in hand and doing something analog. Full disclosure, I’m somewhat addicted to receiving lovely cards and letters in the mail, written in a loved one’s handwriting. And the best way to encourage someone to send you a letter is to send them one first, so I often look for reasons to do so.
Olivebox’s motto is the same, and I love their whimsical style. In the February Olivebox, subscribers received this adorable mini stamp set, note card, and post-its. In and of themselves, these were such delights! But I just love Olivebox because they do a wonderful job with the packaging, and I felt like I was getting a luxurious present from someone who knows me and loves me. Even the box is such an incredible gift to get in the mail — it includes a little card for you to jot down things that are inspiring to you each month — how thoughtful is that? Another super cool thing is that you can choose how long you’d like your subscription to last, or send it as a gift to a paper-loving friend.
When I say “daily journaling,” I mean I journal every, single day for 30 minutes. Yep. Seven days a week. I’ve been doing this for the last 11 years. That’s a lot of notebooks!
Needless to say, I am always on the lookout for sweet and inspiring journals to fill with scrawling words, and my most recent find is this collection of “botanical” mini notebooks from Rifle Paper, one of my favorite stationery companies. They’re mini in the sense that they are fairly thin, but the sheets are full journal size, and perfect for stashing in your bag, carrying to the cafe, and jotting down daydreams.
How about you? Do you still have that little bump on your middle finger from holding a pen everyday?
