birthday in a bottle 2

Today is my sister-in-law's birthday.

(How fantastic is it that we were friends

long before Ben and I were together!)

I thought she needed a little bit of birthday hullabaloo,

so I sent her some happy mail.

happy birthday balloon

bright pink nail polish

girly post-it notes (see the shoes?)

two pairs of earrings

tic tacs (because a cupcake would't mail well)

curly ribbon (not pictured above)

and a generous sprinkling of star confetti

I cut open a bottle, put all the goodies inside,

then finished the package with a sparkly pink paper band,

address labels, and tape.

Lots of tape.

Then I weighed it and stamped it

and stuck it in the mail.

Here's hoping it brings a smile to her face.

happy mail-bracelet in a canister

After my last happily successful happy mail adventure, I couldn't wait to spread some more happiness through the mail!  This could get addicting...

The whole time I was working on this blue and white button bracelet, I kept thinking of my friend Katie. She loves buttons and artsy projects and has just the coloring to pull of wearing these shades of blue.

I wasted very little time in finding a small, clear canister, putting the button bracelet inside, attaching a pretty-lettered address label, sticking on a couple of stamps (why, yes, we're still using Christmas stamps; aren't you?), and dropping it in the mail for her.

Happy mailing is so much fun!

Linking up with the lovely Jennifer's Studio Sneak Peek today.

happy mail-birthday goodies

A while ago I stumbled across a fabulous idea on Pinterest: slipping colored pencils and coloring pages in a clear bottle and mailing it.  It was such a pretty and fun package!  Intrigued, I clicked through to the original post and found that the author frequently sends what she calls "happy mail," individual items or creatively packaged gifts that are 13 ounces or less, addressed, stamped, and mailed!  I read the whole category and immediately resolved to send some happy mail of my own.

This week I seized the moment and sent my niece what I called a birthday in a bottle.  I think she'll have fun getting it, but I'm pretty sure it won't even compare to the fun that I had putting it together.

I selected the following celebratory items: Sparkly, frilly pony tail holders (because we all know that you need to dress up for a party), colorful birthday stickers, lollipops (because though I can't send cake, birthday sweet treats are a must!), an extra-large pink balloon, and bright, curly confetti to fill in the gaps.

After stuffing all the goodies into the bottle, I made a pretty hand lettered label, stuck on my stamps, and put it in the mailbox.  I was a little nervous that mailing a bottle of stuff wouldn't really work, but the mailman picked it up when he came by!  Now I can't wait to hear that it has arrived...