The Lost Art of Letter Writing

Via Coco/Mingo

Most of my daily communications that aren't face to face are just quick texts, business-like emails and random status updates. Though they do their job in conveying a message, there is rarely any art to them. Most of the time they don't even feature fully formed sentences, just some sort of short form speak that brings no joy to the reader. Written communication has become something we have to do, not something we want to do.

The simple solution to finding joy in your writing again, is to write someone a letter - not an email, but a good old-fashioned, pen and paper letter. There are so many details to cherish in this process that it can't not make you happy. There's the choice of stationery, the pen, and if you're whimsical like me, there's the wax seal for the back (if you're going to do something, do it right!) And if you want to get really fancy, try your hand at calligraphy for an extra-special feel.

The only thing better than writing the letter? Receiving the letter.  Whoever you send your letter to will be in for a happy treat when they open their mailbox and see your sparking stationery nestled in between bills and junk mail. Not only are the details of an everyday activity bring some happiness to your life, but you're sharing that happiness with others. Everybody wins!  


BONUS: for all you men out there who think that writing letters is girly and something you'd never want to do, read this blog post from The Art of Manliness!

Letter Writing Favourite Things:

Personalized Stationery

To The Letter

Calligraphy Set

Pink Wax Seal

A Room With a View

Florence, Italy

Ah, nostalgia - that wistful, happy feeling we get when revisiting times past that hold special meaning for us. Sometimes, the easiest way to feel happy is to remember a time we were at our happiest.  That's not to say that we should give up on the present and live completely in the past, but neither should we just forget all those happy memories that shape our lives. We take pictures, write in journals, make videos - all in an effort to save those moments when we smiled most.

Me taking in the view from my Florence apartment.

Reliving old moments is one of my go-to ways to remind myself of all the things I already have to be happy for.  For me, the photo album that always makes me smile is from the month I spent in Florence, Italy.

When I was 15 years old, I watched a movie called A Room With A View, and fell in love with Florence. It was my dream to go there. I stopped by briefly in high school during the ubiquitous "Europe Trip," but in university I stayed for a month. I signed up for a language course at the Istituto Italiano and had the time of my life.

Now, anytime I have a flashback to my time there - and usually this happens when I smell something that reminds me of Florence - my day gets a little brighter. Sometimes the things that make us smile aren't a what, but a when.

What memory makes you smile?


Florence Favourite Things:

Santa Croce

Dante Statue

Ponte Vecchio

Medici Hall of Maps

Pop, Fizz, Clink!

Via Etsy

It was only a matter of time before I got to champagne. When it makes up half the title of your blog, you know it's important. Champagne and confetti are two of my inexplicable happy things - those random things in life that can make me smile no matter what. So, in the first of what I can assure you will be many champagne-related posts, I present the most girly and fun of all the champagnes - pink champagne!

When it comes to picking champagne, I have a secret weapon. A colleague of mine, Gillian Tinsley, is a veritable wine-guru and I've enlisted her help to find me a great one. She writes a blog dedicated to sparkling wines! She recommends Henry of Pelham's Cuvée Catharine Rosé Brut. 

"This elegant sparkler has beautiful and complex aromas and flavours of bright red fruit. Lots of balanced acidity,  this wine is perfect to sip on its own, and lingers on the palate." -- Gillian

It's a reasonably priced Niagara wine that can be purchased at any LCBO.  I haven't gotten a chance to try it yet so I'm thinking I might pick some up this weekend and make my routine movie night a little more special.

No night in with champagne would be complete without some tasty treats.  I wanted to keep my pink champagne theme and found two amazing recipes to die for.  Pink Champagne Sorbet (swoon) and Skinny Pink Champagne Cupcakes (that's right, skinny!!) Click through the links for the original posts or check out my recipe page for details.

So, grab a bottle, whip up some delightful sweets and turn an ordinary day into an exquisite day.

Champagne Favourite Things:

Champagne Splurge!

Kate Spade Glasses

Read All About It

Champagne Royalty

Raindrops on Roses

"When the dog bites, when the bees sting..."

Remember that scene in the Sound of Music where all the children are frightened by the thunderstorm and Julie Andrews sings to them to not be afraid?  (If you've never seen the movie, get up right now and go watch it. Right. Now.)  Well, Fraulein Maria's answer to fear and sadness was to counter them with happy memories.  I know it sounds cheesy but it really works.

Our lives, to use a common cliche, are very much like a roller coaster - constant loops, steady climbs, stomach-dropping lows - and we all have a very human tendency to focus only on those moments that make us feel not so great.  So, what should we do when we're staring down from the top of the roller coaster bracing for the inevitable drop?  Sing about it! No, I'm just kidding, that might make things worse. What we should do, is think about our favourite things. Those inexplicable, wonderful things in everyday life that can make us smile no matter what.

The goal of this blog is to celebrate all the numerous things in our lives that already make us happy. And maybe by reading the things that make others smile, you'll find something new to love. I'd love to hear from all of you - what makes you smile?  What do you sing about during a thunderstorm?   

Me? I think about champagne and confetti.

       

Via The Glitter Guide