Outgoing Goodness

     Today I ventured out to the post office, where the lines were significantly less than they were at this time last week!  Whoo hoo!  I had a card and journal order placed for a birthday surprise.  How fun is that?!  The cards were a lot of fun, and I especially love the mustache card.  It reads "Wishing you a fan(tache)tic day!"  When you say it out loud it makes me think of Sean Connery.  You hear it, don't you?!  *Grin*

Gifting--Fa La La La Laaaaaa!

     I have a love of espresso.  This wasn't always the case however, I despised coffee and all things related until I studied in Italy.  One early summer evening I stepped into my local bar (bars in Italy are more like lil cafes, and perfect stops for breakfast) with 2 of my roommates.  I wanted to be daring, to try something new, to immerse myself in Italy.  So a cappuccino it was!  Francesco the bar-man later invited me to view the fireworks from the Ponte Vecchio bridge, but I declined...  (What was I thinking??!?!?  I could be an Italian mama living the international dream right about now!)  After that experience, I popped into my corner bar for a cappuccino and a pastry for breakfast every day that semester.  I've never quite recovered...
      Which brings me to today.  Sipping my capp in my local mom & pop coffee shop.  Mmmmm!  Last week I had come in late in the evening to check on some Etsy orders, and the owner asked me about it (because I'm normally here in the morning, so clearly something was going on!).  We chatted about the journals I make, about the little newspaper feature, and giggled together.  She's so sweet!  So this morning when I came 'round for my cappuccino I brought her a fresh new journal for her very own.  Tis the season to give and spread joie, right?  And it's always so much fun to watch people pore over one of my journals that has become their very own.
      And now we're full circle:  I love her espresso, she loves my journals.  Isn't sharing your passion wonderful?!

Before...

     I'm currently working on a special order from a sweet friend whose father works for Disney.  These five plain, uncovered, rough journals are about to be transformed into Disney-inspired journals!  I had so much fun compiling quotes for this project.  My friend directed me to a site with all sorts of sayings from Disney characters like Winnie the Pooh, Kuzco, Jiminy Cricket, Aladdin, Remy, Snow White, Dumbo, Cinderella, and so many more!  Some quotes are cheesy, but make us smile because of the nostalgia that surrounds them.  Others are witty, profound, and sassy.  I giggle every time I see a quote in a very serious looking font--looking all kinds of official and wise--and it turns out its something ridiculous like "Hmm.  Don't know.  Don't care.  How's that?"  (Kuzco, The Emperor's New Groove).  The juxtaposition between the words and font makes the sassiness pop even more!
      What's your favorite Disney movie quote?

Surprise!

Today is a special day for my friend Rachael, the founding artist with HopeinArt.  When I was first introduced to Rachael, I was living in California, and she lived in Pennsylvania--cross country interactions are so fun!  We are a part of an online social networking group and we started discussing a custom journal as a sign-in book for one of her art shows.  (See that amazing drawing above?  That's her.  She's got skills, huh?!)  Rachael's request broadened my book-making horizons and I'm so glad she did.
I love getting things in the mail, and my mom was always so good about mailing cards and packages.  I cannot tell you the excitement and joy that would wash over me when I opened my mailbox and found a card with her return address.  (Even better were the times I found a key to one of the larger PO boxes--which meant a package had come.  I would do a heel click in the post office lobby!  Not really, but I'd think about it!)
I decided to surprise my friend with an unexpected package of her own.  Right now, an Atelier JOIE journal is on it's way to help Rachael celebrate her birthday!  This blog post might ruin the "unexpected" part of the surprise, buuuuuut, what can you do?  It's still incredibly fun to get packages in the mail.  And aren't joy and fun supposed to accompany a birthday?  Yes indeed!
If you'd like to see more of Rachael's goodness, you can find Hopeinart on facebook, and you can also view her website at hopeinart.org.  Go check her out, you'll be glad you did.

Happy birthday my friend!  I'm wishing you extraordinary amounts of joy today, and enough wonderful memories to make you smile through your upcoming year!   ~Timmery