November 2021 Newsletter.

Hello Letter Lovers...

You are a Letter Legend 💌

Happy November! The theme of this month's newsletter is gratitude. Before the festive season really swings into motion next month -- and yes, before you ask we've got plans for some Christmas themed shenanigans! -- I'd like to take a moment to appreciate this wonderful community. Thank you for reading, for supporting, and for sharing your letter stories not just with me but with all of us.

Last week a very happy parcel made its way in my front door. A friend of the project and letter writer herself sent along a number of vintage postcards for the archive! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this priceless gift. And thank you to several other individuals who over the last year have made donations in kind for the archive. It is never expected but always appreciated. 

I am so grateful that the Flea Market Love Letters space is somewhere where collectors and creatives can come together and share in the magic of the letter. You are all in my heart this Thanksgiving season, and always. 

28 for 28 Wrap Up

With the conclusion of the 28 for 28 Birthday Letter Writing Fundraiser last week it's my pleasure and absolute shock to write that thanks to the generosity of letter lovers around the world we raised 1,020 Euro for the charity From Me To You.

Thank you to all who supported, messaged, shared, and cheered the fundraiser on. I put my thoughts on the experience into a blog, here. 

Helping Hand

If you'd like to support From Me to You this Holiday Season they are currently running an appeal for Stamps, which you can support here. 

And that's not all! Dinah, founder of The Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society, is currently fundraising via "30 Christmas Cards". You can learn more, and support Dinah in her handwritten letter brilliance, here. 

Talking Letters

When I discovered Frank Roche's podcast "The Postcardist" I was hooked, instantly! Frank is a fan of the handwritten letter -- postcards especially -- and we had such a genuinely good chat. I'm delighted to share it with you.

A big, heartfelt thanks goes out to the wonderful folks at Irish Network D.C. and Irish Network Portland who invited me to speak to their membership ahead of Veterans Day. You can catch the recording of the talk, here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9fxK5tTOV8

Write More Letters

Do you believe that we should write more letters? Wear it loud and proud with a 'Write More Letters' Mug, Shirt, or Totes available here.

All proceeds from the 'Write More Letters' Project go to the charity Hope For The Warriors which helps U.S Veterans and Military Families.

Hello, December!

Are you a December Baby? Would you like a surprise Birthday Postcard? If you'd like to sign up please reply to this email. 

From the Desk Of...

Every month we aim to write and share relevant blogs on letter writing or collecting! This segment of the newsletter is where you'll find them all in one place. 

In the November installment of the Writing Through the Decades series we look at this olive colored "Complete Letter Writer for Ladies and Gentlemen" which has one of the best prefaces ever published in a guidebook?

Jillian Cantor's "The Lost Letter" is this month's Book About Letters but really, it's a book about stamps. Set in 1980s L.A. and 1938/39 Austria this is a fantastically paced, well researched addition to the shelf of any historical fiction reader. 

Did the Victorians start a trend with a code language of upside down stamps, that continues to this day? You'll have to check out the "Secret Language of Stamps" to find out.

In four years of archiving I've found photos, pressed flowers, and drawings but a scrap of fabric? That's a first! Check out "I'm including...: Treasures Found in Letters" for a peek behind the curtain.

How old do you think is the oldest letter in the archive? Ever seen a letter smaller than this? Or longer than six feet? Check out "From Tiny to Tallest: An Exploration of Letters from the Archive" for several examples of unique finds here at Flea Market Love Letters H.Q.