Che Bella!

I'm not going to go on and on about the lost art of letter-writing, because plenty of others have done so before, but I will say that those who don't use snail mail are missing out on one of the best little things in life: fun stationery.

I personally find a store like Papyrus the best place to kill time and gain a good mood —and maybe even inspiration. And if you can't resist buying a card or two, it's okay, because they're presents for someone else. See, you're so thoughtful!

I especially love Papyrus —which, along with Liberty, I consider to be The Best Store Ever —because they carry Bella Pilar's designs. Maybe it's because I didn't get all the girly-girl stuff out of my system when I was little (because my mom wasn't into all the gender-role stuff, for which I am really grateful to her), but I just can't resist cute illustrations of retro and/or fashion-y ladies. This is probably why I also love Jordi LaBanda, Jeffrey Fulvimari, Fluff, Anne Taintor, and Jack Vittriano.

Now when this type of thing is done badly, or is too kitschy or pin-uppy, I'm not into it at all. But the good ones are so irresistible to me.

Call me lowbrow, call me cheesy, I don't care. I'm just being myself —and sending people pretty, sparkly greetings —and that's never rude.

Ciao!
Ginger