Hi, friend.  💛

How are you?  How’s your Monday been?

Today has been one of those Mondays where I blinked and it was 8pm.  I spent a good chunk of my day getting caught up on laundry and sifting through emails (I literally yawned in the middle of typing that sentence — ha! 😴).  It wasn’t particularly exciting but it was what needed to be done, so I do feel good about being productive and adulting like a boss (adulting is so overrated, right?).

Today was such a good mail day for me — my mailbox was legitimately overflowing with cute packages.  Talk about a Happy Mail Monday!  💌

I received the sweetest note and some handmade thank you cards from my friend Rebekah’s Etsy shop, as well as a kit from Natalie at Natter Doodle with the supplies needed for her virtual card making class this week.  I got my new favorite bag in the mail from Rad Revolution Kids that I’m OBSESSED with — I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect bag for a while and this one is such a dream!  I also received the sweetest bracelet from Mary at TheCuffChic, honoring our sweet friend’s daughter who passed away last week.  It’s such a beautiful reminder to continually pray for their family.

Last week, I sent out some handmade cards as well as some cute postcards from Crew + Co. and Rad & Happy.  I’ve loved sending postcards lately.  I picked up some blank ones from Amazon over the weekend and am going to make some of my own this week — I’ll keep you posted on how they turn out.

Finally, I listed some super fun, summery blank card sets and Pen Pal Kits in my Etsy shop this afternoon.  I used Dear Lizzy’s “Happy Place” collection by American Crafts to make them and they’re just so colorful and super summery!  Definitely the perfect paper collection to send some sunshine in the mail this week. ☀️

I had a few “oops” envelopes (including this bubble print one) that I kept for myself to send because the crease marks didn’t line up just right.  One of my favorite items in the Pen Pal Kits are the bookmarks.  They’re super fun and easy to make and I love how they perfectly match the paper collection!

To make the bookmarks, I used the paper scraps left over from card making — sandwiched two together, adhered them back to back, and cut them to size (so they’d fit perfectly in the matching envelope).  Then I slipped them in a laminating sheet and ran them through my laminator (I’ve had this one for 5+ years and it works great!).  Then I cut them out, punched a hole in the top with my We R Memory Keepers Power Punch, and looped a thin, white grosgrain ribbon through the hole.  They turned out so cute!

Summer is the perfect time to read more and while I’ve struggled to focus and read over the last few months, I’ve been reading a bit more this past week.  I’m currently listening to White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo on Audible, as well as reading Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng and Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb.  So far, I highly recommend all 3.

I don’t normally read 3 books at once — but since two of them are non-fiction, I’m finding it doable.  My Dad is a voracious reader and has read two or three books a week for years.  So, I thought, “if he can do it, I can too.”  It’s such a relaxing habit.

Right now, reading the news and scrolling through social media can feel like drinking from a fire hose.  I’m trying to be mindful of what I read and listen to — and also making sure that I’m taking the time to do the things that fill my cup every single day, like writing notes to loved ones and reading a few chapters of a good book.  And, let me be honest … I’m also watching an episode or two of The Great British Bake Off every night and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

Have a great week, friend!  Take good care of yourself. 💛