It's been a Good Day :)

Welcome to February!  I have been blogging now for a full month, and already, I can tell you that I am loving every minute of it.  It's always a joy to come home to a surprise in the mailbox, and today was a particularly good day for me.

This is my incoming mail for today.  It's been a rather quiet couple of days, but that time has allowed me to catch up in replies.  Here is a postcard from Derrick, a letter from a penpal in Louisiana, and another letter from Marian.  I love the stationery that my penpal in Louisiana seems to come up with - there's always something different :)  She was also the first Year of The Dragon stamp that I have seen in person.  I am so glad that I ordered some of those - they're really quite stunning.

Today, I also purchased a vintage typewriter from the Letter Writers Alliance.  I have been looking for one for a few weeks now, and knew I would be spending a pretty penny on getting one.  Surprisingly, there was one that I immediately knew that I had to have, and if I'm honest, I was refreshing the page every couple of minutes to be sure I could get it.  I'll have pictures of it up once I've been able to rearrange my room and properly set up my writing desk.  Right now I'm using my computer's desk , and somehow I just dont think that's going to be feasible soon with all the neat letter writing gadgets I'm finding.

This is my outgoing mail for tomorrow.  If you see your name, I hope you dont mind, but I did cover addresses.  (Well, except for Limner, but her address is posted on the front page of her blog.)  I didn't get the chance to decorate every single envelope I'm sending out, but I think it's a good start.  You can also see my brand new TWSBI Diamond 540 in Sapphire.  I have been waiting for this pen all week, and was so excited to use it when I got home that I spent the entire evening writing letters.  I bought the EF nib, and the ink I used was Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses.  I think the ink might be much better suited in a broader nib pen, as the extra fine really just made it an unusual shade of light reddish purple.  I don't like the color of the ink in this pen, but oh well.  I used it anyway!

I'm not sure if I'll be officially participating in the Letter Writing Month campaign.  I seem to be writing at least one letter a day anyway, and some days like today, four or five.  I might take the next few days off though, so I can prepare some more blank envelopes in the smaller size.  If you get an envelope from me that doesnt include the security printed liner, I made it by hand.  I ran out today, and haven't had a chance to make any more.

Book readers!  I have a request!  I have been really spending a lot of time with the Kindle app on my iPad, but I'm running out of ideas for books.  Do you have any suggestions?  I purchased the entire Hunger Games trilogy today.  I really am open to suggestions of any kind, as I will honestly read anything as long as it catches my interest.  I plan on going to my local library on Saturday, and I would love some ideas!

g is for gavin.

it's already been three years since gavin came to meet me. his birth story is such a treasure and so empowering to me and my own story. and my favorite part? the moment he was placed up on my chest and i could feel his heart beat. pounding against my own. and he was here. 

we climbed right up into my bed after that and he's slept there with me ever since. lucas grew up and out of the family bed and into his own down the hall long ago. and charlie has been a crib sleeper since his first baby days. but not gavi. we snuggle up every nap and every night.  

he also up until his birthday this last sunday - didn't have a place of his own in this house. his toys mixed up in luc's room. his clothes in a shared dresser. he needed a space. 

everyone needs their very own space. 

his birthday requests were simple. 

he wanted: 

a green birthday

a banilla cake with polka dots ???  

and jeff gorvette.  

such a funny little guy. we were happy to grant each of those simple wishes. a gazillion green balloons after church, a three layered funfetti cake with tiny round sprinkles and a certain yellow corvette wrapped up by lukey.  

but we also had a special surprise for my little/big boy. 

at the last minute and with the help of a dear friend, andrey decided to build this toddler bed for gavi. in one night!  i carefully picked the fabric for his bedding and spent saturday sewing it up. his sweet cloud pillow is stitched up with a very special piece of linen from my stash. lucas got to work and helped us paint it in the garage. and while gavin wasn't looking on sunday afternoon we pushed our bed over a bit and made a little spot for him to call his own. my little roommate. it is seriously the cutest thing i've ever seen. every piece came together so perfectly and it makes me so happy everytime i walk into our bedroom. 

he is so proud. granting permission to sit on his bed for morning cartoon watching. his fishing pole tucked over on the side. his cars lined up along the footboard every night. a little bucket of his-very-own-things nearby. 

he'll stay close for now. getting used to this. both of us. we still snuggle to bed at night. and then i carefully tuck him in to his new sleeper. i may or may not have been a little weepy the first time. remembering that january night my gavin west was born. 

Come to the movies with me!

Shanti Uganda Society (www.shantiuganda.org) will be hosting a special screening of Yogawoman (www.yogawoman.tv) and holding a silent auction at Denman Cinema's on February 28th from 6pm - 9:30pm in order to raise funds towards improving infant and maternal health, providing safe women-centered care and supporting the well-being of birthing mothers and women living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda. Featured in the film, Shanti Uganda uses yoga to improve the spiritual, physical and emotional well-being of communities impacted by HIV/AIDS, poverty and war in Uganda.

YOGAWOMAN is a groundbreaking feature film about the powerful impact of yoga on women's health, fitness, emotional well-being, and personal growth. In record numbers, women are finding strength, vitality, peace and power through yoga. Reclaiming this ancient spiritual path from its traditionally male form, the result is a radical transformation of modern yoga as we know it.

YOGAWOMAN gathers 50 of the world’s leading yoga experts in an exploration of this global phenomenon that has changed the face of yoga forever.This screening will benefit Shanti Uganda (www.shantiuganda.org) and tickets can be purchased through Event Brite or at the Cinema on the day of the event.