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Happy Mail

Coming home to a mailbox full of snail mail is one of my favorite things. So I’m super excited to be hosting a new series of pen pal exchanges on Oh Happy Day called “Happy Mail!” Each month I’ll swap a letter with a pen pal with a different theme. To start, Jordan and I sent each other “Happy” themed mail. My envelope is about baking, my second love (after mail, of course). Jordan’s is all about her favorite things. You can see all the images of exchange below…

Here’s mine:

Happy Mail | Oh Happy Day!

Happy Mail | Oh Happy Day!

Happy Mail | Oh Happy Day!

And Jordan’s:

Happy Mail | Oh Happy Day!

Happy Mail | Oh Happy Day!

Happy Mail | Oh Happy Day!

Fun, right?! Do you have a pen pal?

  1. Daphne

    February 9, 2016

    Dear Lucy,

    I would love to have a snail mail pal – is any french reader interested ? Your letters are so inspiring and poetic, it might be wonderful to receive such mail.

    http://www.befrenchie.fr

    • Bonjour Daphne,
      I’m an American living in Lyon – does that count? 😉 I’d be happy to be your snail mail pal!

        • Daphne
        • February 9, 2016

        Bonjour Courtney,

        be welcome in France, Lyon is such a gorgeous city ! Oh yes, I would love to try snail mail art exchange, I live a bit southern.

        Bien chaleureusement,
        Daphne

        • Chica
        • February 9, 2016

        Hey,

        I am an artist and snail mail aficionado. I would love to send arty, handmade postcards to you if you’re interested 🙂
        You can check my work out on Instagram – chicabeingme !

  2. Emily

    February 9, 2016

    Cute envelopes! I do not have a pen pal. I would love to have one, though, as I have all kinds of adorable stationery and nothing to do with it 😉 What sorts of things do you write about inside the adorable envelopes? Every day things, or theme specific things? http://www.enchantinglyemily.com

    • Hi Emily – I don’t have a pen pal either, would you like to be mine?

  3. Suze - Luxury Columnist

    February 9, 2016

    This is such a brilliant idea, and it must have made the postman smile too! I love the fact that you’ve finished off your envelop with a Harry Potter stamp

  4. Tunik Modelleri

    February 9, 2016

    beautiful photos

  5. Gemma

    February 9, 2016

    No I don’t have a pen pal wish I did though I love pen and paper something about it that you can’t just get over ♡ great ideas

  6. Michelle

    February 9, 2016

    I love how you designed the envelopes!
    https://www.makeandmess.com/

  7. Cheyanne

    February 9, 2016

    I never thought of getting a pen pal – but I am now! These envelopes are so unbelievably cute! Even the stamps are perfect (I had no idea they had Harry Potter stamps…but I need them).

    http://www.CheyanneFulton.com

  8. Wayfaring Wanderer

    February 9, 2016

    I love FUN mail even though I hardly ever get it anymore. Recently, I sent out some “lumpy mailers” to potential wedding photography clients instead of cold-emailing the lead list. It was a lot of fun putting those together. I’m definitely going to do this more because it’ll also help me stand out. Who doesn’t love happy mail?! ??

  9. Liz - Shopping My Closet

    February 9, 2016

    What pretty envelopes!

    Liz @ ShoppingMyCloset.com

  10. Keri

    February 9, 2016

    What cute envelopes!
    Keri
    http://www.thestylestudiobykb.com

  11. Mari

    February 9, 2016

    I Love this! I don’t have a pen pal either ((sad face)) would be nice to have one so that I can bring out my stationary and crafting items out!

    • I also have that stack of lovely stationery left unused, I think a creative pen pal would be so much fun. Wanna swap letters, Mari?

        • Elizabeth
        • February 9, 2016

        Count me in too please! I have tons of stationary and would love to exchange! 🙂

        • Katryna
        • February 10, 2016

        Yay Elizabeth! We can get a pen pal circle going! I’m based in Edmonton, Canada 🙂

      • Sabrina Chng
      • February 15, 2016

      I would like to have a pen pal too! I’m from Malaysia 🙂 Wanna swap letters?

  12. elaine

    February 9, 2016

    This is so cute. I recently joined Letter Writers Alliance as a way to motivate me to write letters to folks! I learned that Feb is #InCoWriMo International Correspondence Writing Month, so I’m challenging myself to write a letter a day and actually send it out! If folks are looking for pen pals, I’d be happy to write to you from California!

  13. Laura

    February 9, 2016

    Lovely lovely cards Lucy! Are you looking for new penpals? This old soul would love to exchange letters with you or anyone else interested!

    ?✉

      • Alysa
      • February 9, 2016

      I’d like to Laura! 🙂

  14. Maggie

    February 9, 2016

    You should have a snail mail subscription we can get through your website! Fun cards + envelopes in our mailbox each month 😉

  15. Paige

    February 9, 2016

    These letters are all so cute! I love them!

    Paige
    http://thehappyflammily.com

  16. Alysa o

    February 9, 2016

    Oh I love pen-palling. Can’t get over how cute these envelopes are. You’re totally helping me take my envelope game up a notch.

  17. Lisa / Good on Paper

    February 9, 2016

    I used to have a pen pal growing up–so much fun! I still write letters all the time, mostly thank you and birthday cards to friends. I’ve instilled this in my son Lucas who actually does have a pen pal in Canada. So cute especially now that he’s in kindergarten and starting to read and write more. Pretty hilarious.

  18. Daisy

    February 9, 2016

    Would love to participate! So beautiful!i love snail mail!

  19. Carolien

    February 9, 2016

    Hi everyone, I’m a member of http://www.postcrossing.com, a project that allows anyone to receive postcards from random places in the world and I recently joined a project here in The Netherlands to send cards to people in elderly homes who don’t get a lot of visits from friends or family. Great initiative! If anyone’s up for exchanging cards or letters with me (based in Amsterdam) I would love to become pen pals 🙂

      • kokobo
      • February 9, 2016

      hi carolien! would love to be pen pals … i’m based in dallas, texas 🙂

      • Sarah
      • February 18, 2016

      Hi Carolien-
      Does the program to send cards to the elderly only want correspondence in Dutch? I live in Germany and would love to join this type of project!
      We can be pen pals as well if you’d like! 🙂

  20. Leah

    February 9, 2016

    Would also love a pen pal! Anyone from outside of NA interested? Would love to make a worldly acquaintance 🙂

  21. Glenda cust

    February 9, 2016

    I’d love to ! Think the postcard idea us fabulous!
    I live in Melbourne Australia.

      • Andrea
      • February 18, 2016

      I would love to pen-pal with someone so far away! Let me know if you are still interested. 🙂

  22. Elizabeth

    February 9, 2016

    I think this is going to be a great place to find pen pals!

  23. Karilyn

    February 9, 2016

    Love it! I create stationery so if you ever need some, I’d love to contribute!

    xo

  24. Camilla

    February 9, 2016

    So pretty!!
    I would love to have pen pals too 🙂
    If anyone is interested in writing with a mother of 3 from Norway, you can find me on instagram as @camillawrites

    Hoping to hear from you!

      • Kayre
      • February 10, 2016

      Hi Camilla!
      I’d love to have you for a penpal. I live in south Louisiana, USA.

      Kayre

  25. Shlomit

    February 9, 2016

    Hey, who wanna be my pan pal? I had ones as a child, and happy to have ones now too. I’m in to cool graphic design and cutting edge technologies (working in a software company).

  26. Natalie @ Flowers in my Books

    February 9, 2016

    These are gorgeous! I wish I had half of that artistic ability.

    I don’t have a pen pal, although I’ve always wanted one. Occasionally I’ll send a postcard to my friend in Edinburgh or cards to any other friends who are dotted around the U.K but there is something about exchanging a long string of communication via snail mail that sounds so wonderful to me.

  27. Amy

    February 9, 2016

    So cute! Jordan, what kind of pen did you use to write on the yellow envelope? Paint pen? Adorable!

  28. Kimberley

    February 9, 2016

    oh what fab envelopes. I’m a crazy letter writer and taking part in a Month of letters too…

    I’m always looking for new penpals – I’m down under in New Zealand – mum of 3, librarian, knitter, sewer, traveller, photographer.. women only please.
    Kimberley@atkinson.org.nz
    http://www.creativechaosnz.blogspot.co.nz

  29. Lori!

    February 9, 2016

    LOVE ♥

  30. Kari

    February 9, 2016

    These are just the cutest! I would love to get a letter looking like this!
    Kari
    http://www.sweetteasweetie.com

  31. 'Becca'lise

    February 9, 2016

    I have two! Met them via the Internet years ago, became snail mail and FB/Instagram friends, and I eventually got to meet them. Today they’re two of my closest friends.

  32. Erin

    February 9, 2016

    I always wanted a pen pal growing up, so when a friend moved interstate we started writing to each other and sending little gifts in the mail. I got us a set of matching enamel pins, she has a pencil pin and I have an envelope. So now we are PINPALS!!

    I love getting letters from her 🙂

  33. Les

    February 9, 2016

    i LOVE that everyone is swapping letters!
    i have loved lucys ig for a while now and i love to see that shes here inspiring other people!

    whoever wants a pen-pal!, let me know! (:

      • Andrea
      • February 18, 2016

      I would love to be your pen-pal, let me know if you are still interested.

      -Andrea

  34. Bobbie

    February 9, 2016

    Lucy & Jordan, I am an absolute Happy Mail devotee! I have snail mail friends, & I obsess over happy mail details for every recipient. I don’t even mind if I don’t always get mail back from certain friends, I just LOVE sending it out so much! Exchanging mail art is the best!!!

  35. Jessica

    February 9, 2016

    OOH LA LA!! Always love your work!

  36. Tay

    February 10, 2016

    I would love a pen pal!
    These envelopes are beautiful and fun 🙂

  37. alishka varde singh

    February 10, 2016

    Sigh Jordon… you guys always come up with the bestest ideas!!!! ha ha!

    These are so cute you’ve got everyone wanting one… So here I am sitting in mumbai india, if anyone wants to make a pen pal from here… send me an email 🙂 alishka.v@gmail.com

    Love love love what you do!!!

  38. Hen

    February 10, 2016

    Looks so beautiful. What kind of colors are you using to color the envelopes? Acryl?

  39. Melanie

    February 10, 2016

    Sadly I do not currently have any pen pals, and I’ve managed to collect so much cute stationary, note paper, and stickers over the years… I used to have pen pals that I also exchanged odd little ephemera with… Really miss all that!

  40. Carol

    February 10, 2016

    Have you heard of Postcrossing? It’s a website where you send and receive postcards from people all over the world. You set up a profile where you can say a little about yourself and also list the kinds of postcards you’d like to receive.
    https://www.postcrossing.com/

  41. julia I mintlametta

    February 10, 2016

    wow ! awesome, unique, love this special kind of envelope and the idea behind (… if someone is looking for a new creative pen pal … wherever you are… in europe or “via air mail”… just let me know… I am a german based blogger…) // julia

  42. Dana Decals

    February 10, 2016

    Love the one to Lucy Halcomb. Had never thought of filling the entire front of the envelope with the mailing address. The color for the envelope is also fantastic. You always have a wonderful eye for color and style in your projects.

  43. Sara

    February 10, 2016

    I love the idea of snail mail…although you may want to reconsider the name of your pen pal exchange. The girls over at A Beautiful Mess have something called Happy Mail too.

      • jordan
      • February 10, 2016

      When we were brainstorming names that’s the first name we came up with. Someone mentioned that A Beautiful Mess had a “Happy Mail” Project and I googled it and it was a subscription box. Since it was a different concept and there isn’t overlap and “happy mail” is a term we use all the time we felt like it was the right fit for our little column on Oh Happy Day.

  44. Rod

    February 10, 2016

    Great ideas, but postage questions:

    Do decorated envelopes cost extra to mail?

    Does writing the address in non-conventional ways (such as the yellow envelope) cost more to send?

    I.e. Does it become non-machinable and get that surcharge?

      • Molly
      • February 10, 2016

      They don’t! It only costs more if it’s an odd shape or extra-large, if it’s heavier than normal (like a big wedding set), or if it’s bumpy (like with twine or brads), since they go through a machine.

        • Rod
        • February 11, 2016

        Thank you!
        I look forward to sending more mail to more people.

  45. Nga

    February 11, 2016

    This is such a brilliant idea! To bring back the old system of communication. I have always hand written and post Christmas cards to my friends and to hear such warming responses is worth the time and effort. I’m willing to try something different this year 🙂 I am a 22 student from the land down under.

  46. Elsie

    February 13, 2016

    I would love to have a pen pal,.. Always personalised gifts my gifts and envelopes so that’s a great idea. . I would love to have a pen pal, someone interested? It’s such a great idea, I love the envelopes. I live in the UK.

    Bye,

    Elsie

      • Cucina Anastacia
      • February 18, 2016

      Hi I was looking for someone in Europe..so I think if you want someone from Nor Cal I might be the lucky one…Let me know I can send you an email if you want ..Thanks Cucina Anastacia

  47. Julia Kim

    February 16, 2016

    Love this creative post! The color scheme within this blog is beyond words too ;0

    http://www.thejuliakim.com/

  48. Joanne Martinez

    February 18, 2016

    Hi! My name is Joanne. I live in Los Angeles. I don’t have a pen pal. Would anyone be interested?

  49. Cucina Anastacia

    February 18, 2016

    Sign me up I collect Vintage stationary and love to paint…Does anyone need a Penpal for this challenge of sending nice envelopes eand letters hand decorated by snailmail…I live in Nor Cal would like to have a pen pal in France, Italy, Argentina ect ect. I promise to send nice letters with pretty stamps !

  50. Shari

    February 20, 2016

    I am a long time fan of snail mail…I love finding wonderful postage stamps, making cards and decorating envelopes.

    I would love a pen pal. I live in Southern California. If anyone is still looking for a creative contact, let me know.

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