Welcome to our Blog Hop and a happy early Valentine's Day to you! We have some great ideas, inspiration, tips, resources and how-to for you to have some fun this Valentine's Day as you move along through the blog hop.
You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from The Robin's Nest Designs on our Living with Style Blog Hop. If you get off track at any time, the full lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you make sure to see and learn from all of the articles featured here today.
I shared with Lenny recently that I am going to make a commitment to writing more handwritten notes, cards and letters. It's kind of my own way of not only protesting some of the negative effects technology is having on our families, children and friends lives, but to keep a dying art alive. And Valentine's Day seems like the perfect time to share my love of writing with you and maybe even encourage you to #WriteYourLove, too.
#WriteYourLove is the brain child of Tales of a Peanut and started out as an Instagram challenge where Jennifer encouraged her followers to write hand-written notes, cards, letters, words of encouragement, etc., to family and friends and share a picture of their unique handwritten creation on Instagram using the hashtag #WriteYourLove.
#WriteYourLove is more than a movement or an Instagram challenge, it's a way of sparking a little fire in each of us to open up and share a little bit of ourselves with the people we love and care about the most. If you're like most people, you don't particularly care for your own handwriting. But, you know what? Your family and friends l o v e your handwriting. And you know why? Because it says "you" to them.
Lenny and I have what I refer to as a "memory jar" where we save little mementos of a life well lived. Mementos like movie ticket stubs, concert programs, birthday cards from our kids and even letters we've received from our two sons and daughter when they were each going through basic combat training and boot camp.
One of my most cherished items in our memory jar is a card from my dad. He had awful, horrible, scribbly handwriting, but it was his handwriting. My dad was a poet and wrote beautiful poetry for family and friends. His writing was difficult to read, but the words on the pages were and are absolutely priceless.
My dad's sentiments of "We love you a whole bunch Pamy Lou, with your eyes of brown and special blue" will be forever etched in my memory. There's a little tidbit about me you didn't know. I have one blue eye and one brown and blue eye. My dad said that made me more special. I'm sure it's true!
I hope this #WriteYourLove campaign will inspire you to share your story with the people who matter most in your life.
The next stop is Elite Physiques on Living with Style Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you again next time around!
Blog Hop Lineup:
- Natalie Bradley at NatalieBradley.com
- Kristy Stewart at Under My Gabled Roof
- Lory Robinson at The Robin's Nest Designs
- Pam Baker at The Birch Cottage
- Sherry Macdonald at Elite Physiques
- Lisa Milligan at Life on Merlin
- Beth McCullough at Stamping Mom
- Jennifer Spiller at Westside Paper Creations
Til next time...
Sherry says
Hi Pam, I love the idea of writing your own card and the photos can add so much. My problem is my hand writing is not very good. Thank you for the great post.
Pamela Baker says
Hi, Sherry. I totally understand the whole "my handwriting is not very good" thing. But it's really not about your penmanship. It's about sharing something that is 100% you. My dad had horrible handwriting, but I loved it. I still love it as it reminds me so much of him.
Natalie Bradley says
I love this and completely agree!! Thank you for sharing!
Pamela Baker says
Thanks, Natalie!
Lisa says
You have inspired me, Pam! Lovely!
Pamela Baker says
Thanks, Lisa!
Jennifer Spiller / Westside Paper Creations says
What wonderful words of encouragement. Every time I think about writing letters to family and friends the Neil Young song "One of These Days" ... We should just do it...And how special that you have your Dad's special words. I love that. Thank You for sharing about #writeyourlove
Pamela Baker says
Jennifer, thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to share your comments. You're right, we should just do it!
Lory says
This is so timely for me because one of my goals for this year is to write more Thank You notes just to let people know they are appreciated. In the breakneck speed of the world today, I think it is so important. Thanks for the reminder. . . 🙂
Pamela Baker says
Lory, it is definitely my pleasure. I definitely agree with you. We get so busy with living our lives that we fail or forget to share a little kindness.
Kristy says
Love this idea and I totally agree that writing in our own handwriting is a lost art. Thanks for the reminder....think I will write each of my children a letter for Valentine's Day.