A Month of Letters Idea: Send a Photo Postcard

We're nearly halfway through A Month of Letters. Have you kept up with your letter writing? Is it easier than you thought? Maybe even — dare I write it — more fun than you realized?

Keep the momentum going and change it up a little, maybe: send a photo as a postcard.

It's as easy as peel and stick (then address).

There are special heavy-paper cards that will fit a 4x6 photo. One side has the address and message blanks and the other has an adhesive. Look below: that's the photo postcard kit I purchased from Amazon. (Elephant not included.) Visit your local stationery store to see what they have in stock.

Choose your photo and have it printed at the local drug store, grocery store or photo store. If you're tech savvy, you can send the image to the store's website and have it ready for pickup in no time. Otherwise, bring the camera or phone to the photo developer and let them show you how to use the machines on-site. For as little as 30¢, you can send that cute, clever, funny or slightly embarrassing photo to a friend.

Once the image is printed, you can affix it to your photo card. Peel off the paper covering the adhesive and press on the image. Stick on a stamp and you're ready to go!

Remember, postcards require different (and less expensive) postage than letters, so make sure you have the proper stamps for the job.

By the way, you don't have to choose a recent photo. Find a snapshot from the past and take your friend or family member down Memory Lane.

Consider using a photo postcard instead of a traditional birthday or holiday card to make the day even more special.


Are you inspired and even more enthused than you were before? Good. Remember: it's a good day to send a letter.

A Month of Letters: It's Begun!

It's begun. We're days into A Month of Letters. To whom have you written so far?

And if you haven't... start!

A Month of Letters is a fun way to keep in touch with friends and family, people who know and people you'd like to know — and maybe some you don't.

All you do is write and mail one letter each day there is postal delivery during the month of February. It can be a postcard, a letter, a note, a communiqué, a dispatch. You will be amazed how pleased people are to receive your missive.

What, you don't have a person's address? It's not too hard to find: ask for it. Ask the recipient, a mutual friend, their moms. (Moms always have addresses.) If you're tech savvy, look 'em up on The White Pages, where you get an address (and a phone number, if you're interested) with a few keystrokes. (I don't recommend using a search engine, which sends you to information collection companies that will spill it all for a fee.)


Can you use a computer? Sure. However, make it interesting: stop by the stationery store, drug store, department store or even thrift shop and pick up some fun, interesting note cards. (While you're there, be sure to grab some note cards for "thank you" notes. You know you need 'em.)
Do birthday cards count? Absolutely! Be sure to write something in the card, though. Hallmark can't do all of the work.

If you miss a day, don't panic — just double up the next day. If you know some days are more hectic than others, plan to spend a few minutes on the better days to write a letter or two. Try to not put too much on your plate at once; writing lots of letters in a single day can feel unrewarding. Remember, this is supposed to be fun.

By the way, expect more than one phone call in return — though, let's hope your recipients pick up their pens and return the favor of a letter.

Get Ready: A Month of Letters Begins February 1

When was the last time you wrote a letter?

If you can't answer that question, consider joining me for A Month of Letters.

It's easy: send 23 letters in February. Okay, so it sounds daunting, but it really isn't. Send one letter every day there is postal service. Write back to everyone who writes to you.

Find those lovely notecards you were given that year for Christmas and use those. Drop a note in a friend's birthday card. Send a postcard. Print a few photographs and send them to someone who hasn't seen them. (And yes, you know at least one person who hasn't seen them.)

There are plenty of ways to participate. Give it a shot. You'll be glad you did.

The Month in Letters: 2012 in Review

February was a short month this year, though not as short as usual. An extra day meant an extra day of writing opportunity, with letters sent through the mail.

The Month of Letters was not the smooth situation I expected.

First of all, have you tried writing a letter with a kitten who thinks pens are great sport? Not easy, I assure you.

Then there was the "what do I write about" dilemma: like a talkative toddler who who goes mum when the phone is thrust in her face, my ability to think about letters dried up as soon as pen was poised on the page. I relaxed, however, when I realized I could simply start with where my mind was then, dragging the poor letter recipient into the madness of my mind.  Only a couple of letters were intentional, written to convey a specific spot. The rest were rather spontaneous. I heard no complaints, so I assume they were well-received.

The real lifesaver was photo postcards. I printed a few extra photos when sending some to the grandmothers, and I decided to share them with those who simply didn't expect them. It was bliss.

I know at least one person who shared her address with me is waiting still for her letter, which will emerge from my pen next week.  Another's letter was returned because I didn't follow my own advice.  And I myself received letters in return of mine, which was lovely.

In the end, I managed one letter for every day mail was delivered, for a grand total of 24 correspondences. I had hoped for a lofty 29, but I am glad for what I accomplished.

Thankfully, March also is a month of letters, although less intense than February. Every month should be full of letters — don't just stop because spring is approaching or February is past.

Keep writing letters. Your recipients will thank you. I know I will, if  I am one of those recipients.

The Month of Letters: How You Doin'?

How has your month of letters been coming along?

If you're anything like me, you may be close to your target.

You may also have been a bit of an overachiever from time to time, creating packages rather than "just" letters.

Some of your letters have been whoppers, saying things that have been unsaid to old friends.

Other times, you may have been able to relax and simply dash off what's in your heart and head, not having to think once putting pen to paper.

Maybe one or two of your letters was to the post office. (Hopefully you were able to praise excellent service.)

When a day goes past and the postmaster doesn't get something: why? Oh, that pesky thing called life: visitors, family, sick cats, sick kids, sick adults, long hours at work, headaches, weather.

Any way you look at it, it's not the end of the month — or even the end of the world. You have a few more days, a few more envelopes, a few more stamps. Keep it up (or start now, it's never too late to begin something this wonderful).

How about stepping down to the corner store and picking up some postcards? Someone you know doesn't live where you do, and they'd love to get that "kitchy" card.

Or get those postcard backs from the stationery store and mail some personal photo-postcards from your own snapshot collection. If the photos are still on your camera or phone, the store will show you how to upload the photos. Do it online or at the store. A picture is worth a few words right there (though dashing a few lines onto the back would be appreciated).

So, what are you waiting for? Write a letter!

Letters of Note

Who writes letters?

Smart people.
Happy people.
Compassionate people.
Funny people.
Famous people.
Angry people.

Like: Conan O'Brien, George Harrison, John Steinbeck, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Alleta Sullivan, Wil Wheaton — and many more, all available on Letters of Note.

This website shows the original letter and offers a transcript. They are lovely to read, and they make me want to write more letters — or maybe even mail a dream.

Check out a few of these letters, and be inspired.

The Month of Letters: Postage

Happy Month of Letters!

Before you drop that letter in the mailbox, make sure you've used the proper amount of postage. The U.S. Postal Service recently changed postal rates, so check before you mail.

How much does it cost to mail a letter? What about a postcard?  Find out here.

Be sure to use proper postage so missives get to their destinations.

The Month of Letters: Addresses, Addressing

Tomorrow is the first day for The Month of Letters. Make sure to gather your addresses and put them in your address book.

If you don't have an address book, this is a good time to start one.

In the olden days, we'd write them in notebooks and place them near the "main" phone outlet.

Times change, and so do phone "books." If it's easier, include addresses in your cell phone; contact lists often have fields for mailing addresses.

E-mail contact lists also may provide fields for mailing addresses.

Be sure to include the ZIP Code, if applicable.

Finally, make sure you address envelopes or postcards properly. Visit the U.S. Postal Service website for information.