// Snail Mail (and an invitation)

Last year I decided to open a PO Box so I could get back into "snail mail" and letter writing. I was so excited by how many people wanted to participate! Over the next several months I'd eagerly go to my box, open it up, read the awesome letters and postcards sent my way, and then work diligently to respond to each and every one of them. (I'm happy to say I did respond to almost all of them except a very select few that I couldn't read the return address! It's especially hard when it's an international address that I'm not familiar with. So if your letter went unanswered, drop me an email with your mailing address!) Anyway, I have a lovely little box in my office dedicated to all of the wonderful notes and cards I've received over the past year, and looking through it totally gives me butterflies. I even did package exchanges with a few folks! 

I had been contemplating closing up my PO Box, but then that thought made me really sad. I looked through my "Correspondence Drawer" at my desk and realized that it was still overflowing with cards, envelopes, and stamps that need to be used up. (Especially since stamps are going up in price yet again this month!) I've since decided to leave it open and to make more of an effort with the snail mail. My original intention was to share the cards and cool envelopes, etc here on the blog, but time simply got in the way. I want to make more of an effort with that in 2014! Ideally I'd like to have a monthly snail mail feature where I can share incoming and outgoing mail. You can't tell me you don't get at least a little bit tickled when you open your mailbox and there's something special waiting just for you, right?!

Not only do I have loads of stamps and cards ready to be used, I also have this entire Target haul (below) from a few months back! I've barely used any of it since the holidays got so busy. Blogging can often feel pretty one-sided. I feel like you know everything about me, but I'm sometimes in the dark unless you're also a blogger who's in my reader. Snail mail is the perfect way for me to get to know you... because what fun is a "relationship" when it's one-sided? I've made some lovely friends from blogging, but I totally feel even closer to some of the people I write with via standard post. Heather, for example! She's treated us to some lovely pieces of mail over the past couple of years, and I hadn't heard much from her lately. Just the other day we opened the PO Box and there was a small package from her! Inside was this shark book (above) for Toby! He was in hog heaven, and we've been reading it each night at bedtime. Such a sweet gesture! I want to be able to return that favor to so many of you!

So! With that being said, I'm formally inviting each and every one of you (who want to!), to take part in a snail mail feature here on TCGG. There are no "requirements" or anything like that. Just sending mail back and forth to keep the treat alive. A postcard, a letter, whatever.

If you do decide to take part, I just have a few requests! 1) Please include your return address in either plain print or a typed version (I hate not being able to send a card back!) 2) Leave me a way to contact you via the web, if possible (your blog address! Twitter name! Email! Anything really! That way if I do have questions about something, I can easily contact you! And so I can share that with your rad snail mail on here! Totally not required of course.)

Let me know if you plan on taking part! I might pop back through my box of previous mail and send a few random pieces "just because." I think everyone deserves to be excited when the mailman comes!