Bday Part 1: The Cards
The Idea:
For the most part, I can’t complain about life in quarantine. I’m very blessed to still have a job and be staying with my family during these uncertain times. Of course, the only thing that is missing is my ability to see my friends. In previous years, I’ve always had themed birthday parties. From high tea to succulents, my parties have always been the highlight of my year purely for the fact that I can see all of my favorite people in one place doing things that I love.
This year, I had to get a bit more creative. Since I was around twelve years old, I have been writing letters to a friend I made in summer camp. (She recently got married just in the nick of time and I was one of her bridesmaids!) Ever since I received my first handmade letter, I’ve loved writing and receiving cards in the mail. This gave me the idea of creating cards for all my friends. At first, I figured I’d just make around twelve cards to send out, then it grew into a mailing list of twenty-five friends plus creating matching postcards for each letter. Thus, I ended up making twenty-five cards and twenty-five matching postcards all with an assortment of fruits like lemons, pineapples, cherries, watermelons, strawberries, and peaches. All of which are my favorite fruits!
The Process:
Over a span of about a week and a half, I finished making all the cards. It was a lot more time consuming than I thought it was going to be, but I’m really happy with how they turned out. I’m in no way a watercolor expert, but overall, I loved personalizing each card knowing that it would soon be in the hands of a dear friend.
The Result:
You’ve got mail! I was so thrilled to see the happy reactions of my friends receiving their personalized cards. I hope it brings them the same kind of joy I had when I was making them. There’s something so intimate about a letter. The whole process of putting your words onto a piece of paper and holding it in your hand is such a lost art. I know there are better ways of communicating nowadays, but a letter is timeless. It’s a piece of you that you can share with those you love and it’s the best feeling! It was such a rewarding process to not only make the cards but also to take the time to reflect upon each person I was writing to. Friendships, family, and close colleagues are truly the greatest gift that I have and I was so happy to celebrate with them as I ring in another year of life.
Screenshots of all my friends who have received their cards so far!
Thank you for reading! Please feel free to leave a comment, share, or like! I’d love to know what you think and I aspire to continue to create content that brings people together.
xx
Ella Kol
