Gift Guide for Snail Mail Fans by Veronica
Meet Veronica Rose Buness - crafter, doodler, and pen pal extraordinaire. See her picks for snail mail fans this holiday season!
A: Holding something physical that someone has taken the time to create for you, and paid someone else money to deliver to you. It requires a lot more thought than a text message or an email.
Q: What kind of things do you write about in your letters?
A: I usually write about the place that I live because I'm pen pals with people who are from another part of the country, or another country entirely so I want to show them what it's like in my part of the world. Which is why I love to include photos and trinkets and things like that.
Q: What's one change you experienced this year in your life?
A: I got comfortable in Juneau again. I was kind of wandering and I got myself settled and comfortable in part of the community. I'm sticking around; I'm happy!
"I thought I knew how to make cool mail. But this is full of endless ideas and I'm really getting back into the etiquette of sending mail. It talks about some of the traditions, bringing back the thank you note, the love letter, the sympathy note, and even if you're not so comfortable sharing your feelings in writing and just like sharing pretty mail, they give you templates for how to share those sentiments. And how to make your own paper! Which is pretty cool."
Snail Mail, $19.95
"Because somewhere in the world there is a pin to show what you like and we have found the one for the snail mailers. And it's hand stamped! Bringing the analog of writing a letter onto the pin that you wear."
Snail Mail Fan Club pin, $4
"Pretty nifty because A) it is a ruler, in case you're meticulous about your crafting, and B) it'll open all your wonderful letters that people will write back to you after you've written them!"
Brass ruled letter opener, $19
"I'm a big fan of the fountain pen. It's the funnest kind of pen to write with! And these are a really great beginner pen because they're not the dip kind; they're really easy to use. A really good price for a quality pen and we've got all the refills at KP to last you forever."
Fountain Pen, $27
"I will always vote for the instant camera. It's a really great addition to your mail writing arsenal because adding an instant photo is another one-of-a-kind way to share a moment, just like that handwritten letter."
Lomo Instant Camera, $119
"Stamps make a great gift because they're literally little tiny works of art that cost money. So they are always valuable, always appreciated."
Wonder Woman stamps, sheet of 20, $9.80
"Out of our various letter writing kits at Kindred Post, this one is my favorite. It's got your note card and your envelope, matching but not the same. Real high quatliy, almost too fancy to mail. The materials you're using just add another layer of love to your letter."
Leopard Lily Stationery Set, $35