In my world of quality paper, letterpress and Pinterest really amazing, hand-crafted and quirky cards are the norm. So, I found it surprisingly refreshing to get this really odd mish-mash of a birthday card from my grandma. I couldn't not share it with you guys.
First off, it came in a "Blessed Christmas" envelope that my grandma somehow made appropriate for my birthday by hand-lettering in the words "ALL YEAR!" underneath. Before even opening the envelope I knew I was in for something good but had no idea how good it was going to be.
I open the envelope and am greeted with a grandma-ish looking card complete with a floral still-life and seafoam green metallic foiling. Typical. But here's what followed:
Then I open the card and was greeted by the following contents:
• A standard birthday wish with an emphasis from my grandma achieved by underlining the words "specially nice". I'm still trying to determine if she was being sarcastic.
• One sheet of glittery smiley face stickers
• One sheet of bear stickers
• Two sugar free Halls lozenge wrappers printed with motivational phrases. This was by far my favorite part of the card.
One of my goals as I move in to the next decade of my life is to expand my capacity for joy and to be delighted in the world around me. As I imagined my grandma putting together this card all I could think about was the unabashed enthusiasm, curiosity and love she has for the world around her. I mean... she may or may not have a little water on her brain but that's how I want to be. Unabashedly delighted by something as seemingly disposable as a Halls wrapper.
Cards from Grandma are the absolute best. I've never gotten a better card in my life than birthday cards from my Grandma, screw Pinterest :)
ReplyDeletei love this!! my grandma likes to include newspaper or magazine clippings of things that she thinks i will find interesting. and i always do :-)
ReplyDeleteI see that the quixotically awesome gene simply runs in your family.
ReplyDeleteYES! My Mimi gives me cards like this. "Personalized" with my name written above The Standard Greeting Card Copy and several underlined phrases. Haha. Grandmas are the best! xo.
ReplyDeletep.s. The Halls wrappers made me chuckle. Good one, Grams!
This made me smile. Birthday and holiday cards are one of the things I miss most about my grandma. Her trademark was adding sparkly stickers to all the dollar bills she gave us. I hope they are still in circulation and making other people smile too.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Kathleen!
This. Is. Adorable.
ReplyDeleteWhen we got engaged, my granny sent us a faux-Art Deco card with a swooning couple posing against a stylised night sky background. So far, so hideous. Then we realised that when you pressed a hidden button, the night sky lit up with ACTUAL FLASHING LIGHTS. It was sensational. Grannies are the best.
LOVE!!!!
ReplyDeleteCan Grandmas be any cuter?
ReplyDeleteMy parents saved all the cards my Grandma sent us when we were kids. They gave them to us when we were old enough to know what $5 was and how to spend it because Grandma always sent $5. Grandmas rock.
I just looked up quixotic and realized I used the wrong word! I meant delightfully weird, not impractically quirky. Words are hard.
ReplyDeleteOH my goodness, this really is the best thing ever...
ReplyDeleteStickers!!! My grandmother doesn't send me stickers or Hall's wrappers. I'm really not into store-bought greeting cards but this one's really special.
ReplyDeleteStickers!!! My grandmother doesn't send me stickers or Hall's wrappers. I'm really not into store-bought greeting cards but this one's really special.
ReplyDeleteHow adorable (both your Grandma and the card).
ReplyDeleteYour grandma underlines phrases in the card's message too? I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets to enjoy this! Hope your birthday was wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHysterical. And wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThis is priceless. I've been thinking a lot about the little things lately that can bring such joy in life. I think it comes from working in a coffee shop now. The interactions with strangers are priceless and the things that make my day are so random. Like today it was the smell of my hair (because I splurged on Biolage conditioner at the store last night), a conversation I had with an old lady visiting from Southern California, completely making a guy's day by remembering he liked two butters with his bagel, and the fact that we had new fine tip sharpies for writing on cups (in fun colors.)
ReplyDeleteIt's the little things, truly.
Happy late birthday by the way. You're one of my favorite people. :)
Your grandma is the best!
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthday also (although I think I got you on twitter on time).
This is so sweet and awesome. I bet your grandma is pretty cool lady! Happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteThis so sounds like my granny! I once got a package for christmas with a pair of silky underwear that were about 10 sizes too big lol :)
ReplyDeleteOh, dear! I'm dying! Those cough drop wrappers - so clever!
ReplyDeleteOh, dear! This is fantastic! Cough drop wrappers are so clever!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure everything she did, said and underlined was sincere. what a wonderful card! I love grandmas...happy birthday! I know its late but what are you gonna do.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for the birthday wishes! I'm glad you all love the card as much as I did. It's fun to see that lots of grandmas are alike in this way.
ReplyDeleteHailey - Likewise! You're one of my faces too.
Npalmeter - That's hilarious!
Lots of comments but just wanted to say that this post so made me miss my granny. I so wish I could find what I did with the letters she wrote me through college. (I KNOW I have them somewhere).
ReplyDeleteGrandmothers are so awesome.
Bernadette
www.b3hd.blogspot.com