The Art of Letters

You walk to the mailbox, open it up, and smile as you spot an envelope with your handwritten name amidst the bills and advertisements. It’s a letter from a grandparent, a friend abroad, or a sister. Someone sat down at a desk, a kitchen table, or on a porch swing and carefully crafted words together just for you. Sometimes letters are powerful, moving. And sometimes they are short notes that simply brighten your day. People can give you encouragement in a desperate time, wish you a wonderful birthday, and thank you for your thoughtfulness all through a handwritten letter.  And after receiving one, you are inspired to write a few notes for friends and family. To brighten someone’s day just a little. To let them know you are thinking of them, no matter how many miles apart.  To write down a verse that might help them through a tough time. Ahh, the art of writing letters is a magical thing.

 In an age of technology, it’s nice to get back to the basics. Picking up a pen and constructing sentences to a loved one is a victorious feat in the age of glorified busyness.

 Like the rest of the human race, I love letters. I have kept all meaningful letters in a box since high school. My husband and I write letters to each other regularly in our traveling journal, which we hide around the house after writing in it (Idea originated here).

So from my love of letters comes the newest additions to my shop. The Alex Fly Designs stationery and notecard collections will be appearing in the online shop next month! I am so excited about this little addition to my business, and hope you are also.

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Joy Filled Mornings

I love mornings. I especially love slow mornings. The -making breakfast from scratch while sipping a cup of coffee- kind of mornings. Pour, stir, sip. Windows open, music playing, baking, and making. Those are my kind of mornings. Simple, slow, and savory. I think one of the reasons I love the mornings is because of its symbolism. A new day, a fresh start. Yesterday's sins and shortcomings are gone. The Lord uses the symbol of the morning several times throughout Scripture:

Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

-Psalm 30:5b

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

-Lamentations 3:22-23

I love meditating on these passages at the start of my day. No matter what sorrows yesterday held, joy comes with the morning. His promises will come to fruition. No matter how many times the Father forgave me yesterday, His mercies are new every morning. What powerful and motivating truths to dwell on at the beginning of the day.

I combined my love for coffee + scripture + mornings and created these hand-stamped coffee-stirrers out of antique spoons.

Left: Joy // Right: His mercies are new every morning

They will be available for a limited time, so head on over to the shop if you want one!

Mini Scones

-Recipe for scones found in volume 1 of (the new) Deeply Rooted Magazine. I made the scones miniature-sized and ate them with honey + almond butter (pictured above). You could also do a simple vanilla glaze to go on them if you want something a little sweeter. They didn't take long at all to make, and they were so good. The magazine is worth the download for the recipes alone, but it also contains articles  on marriage, daily life, and sharing your faith--all with the solid foundation of the Word of God.

Coffee 

-If you're looking for a good coffee recipe, check out this coffee series. I've been wanting to try the almond mocha desperately.

Alex FlyComment