Harking back to the days of The Envelope Project and blogging 2009-style, next year I’m doing a little artsy/cutesy/people-y project.
It’s called 52 Hellos. It’s been rolling around in my head for a while and 2015 is the year to make it happen.
Here’s how 52 Hellos goes! (You can join in too, if you like!)
1. Every week for 52 weeks I am going to write someone a letter (which I MIGHT share a little bit about on my blog/Instagram or I might not!)
2. Every week for 52 weeks I am going to PROFILE a letter on my blog. This means I need people like you to send me a letter! I am going to scan and upload a letter each week and plonk it right here for all to see. Your letter can tell a story, or it can be a bit of news about your life or it can tell us about something important we need to be made aware of or it could be some nice memories you’ve chosen to share. It could be a poem. It could be written by your kid. Or by you. You can pop a photo in or some kind of related ephemera. Or not. Your letter might be mostly a drawing, or lots of words… handwritten or typed. It could be a letter you’ve written to someone else. It could be anything, really!
>>> So one letter goes OUT each week (from me to whoever I need to write to… My Nan, Tony Abbott, the owner of my favourite cafe).
>>> And one comes IN each week and gets profiled here.
The idea is to GET ME writing letters… maybe improve my always-too-rushed handwriting, slow down, be a bit more mindful and take a bit of time out for special or important hellos. And the idea is to GET YOU writing (and help us find out about other peoples’ lives or important things they care about…) whether you write ME a letter (as per above) or you simply join in and write 52 hellos of your own!
Super cute, right?! Obviously I am starting the first week of January so I’d LOVE some letters in the PO Box by then! Do you think anyone will send me one?! I’m excited to find out!
xx Pip
If you want to join in:
a) write me a letter as detailed above
b) try to write 52 hellos in 2015 or
c) all of the above
We can be #52hellos on Instagram, okay? Cool!
PS: If you fall behind there are no punishments. These things happen! You can try to catch up or just say WHOOPS and not worry about it!
30 Comments
This sounds like a great idea for a year 11 English class!!!
Is there still time to join or its too late?
Do you answer to the letters? Thats the fun of it i guess 😀 Let me know 😀 😀
Good morning, Pip! I was reading about your ’52 Hellos’ project during my breakfast this morning, then, during my drive into work, I heard about this study on the radio: ‘7 ways writing by hand can save your brain’ (http://mashable.com/2015/01/19/handwriting-brain-benefits/) – good timing! And cheers to writing more by hand! 😀
Love your idea !! I’m in too.
I’d love to write to you as well, what’s your mailing address?
x
Wonderful idea. I’ve still got all the snail mail letters my parents wrote me in the 80s and early 90s. I’m in and have already licked the stamps and sent the first letter to my sister.
Oh, I DO love this idea. And I think I will join in. I have always wanted to be a letter writer. I buy nice stationary and stamps and stickers, but then I often fail to actually write the letter, let alone send it. I live away from lots of my friends. So I really think I should find the time for 52 hellos. Yes. I’ve talked myself into it. Thanks for the inspiration Pip. I’ll be sure to write you a hello too.
So super sweet. A hand written letter in the post is such a lovely thing and something to be savoured these days. I’m going to give it a go and join you.
Yayyy for Pip! And did I say … yayyy for Pip?!!??! A great idea, and one I’m definitely going to get involved with. There will be a letter for you from me sometime in 2015 … and maybe more than one. I love sending & receiving snail mail {it’s so much nicer to read than emails} so I think I just might try to send out 52 hello’s too. Have you checked out Postcrossing? Send a postcard. Get a postcard. Easy peasy, and so much fun!
Oh yes! I love Postcrossing! So good, right?! So glad you like #52hellos too! x
This is such a wonderful idea Pip. I’ve started a snail mail group on my blog and have quite a lot of peeps signed up. We send letters and little packages to each other and it is wonderful. I will send you a letter too. I love sending letters. It’s like the old days of pen pals.
Aw that’s pretty lovely, Deb! Nothing beats a bit of person-to-person-in-real-life correspondence, does it?! x
Love you Pip…not in a stalker way…but in a “i can feel your spirit in your writing” way. Makes me smile! Gorgeous idea!!! My daughter who is going into prep next year is obsessed with writing at the moment….I am going to try to do this with her…we will both love it!
Oh that is SO GOOD, Anna. I am so glad it feels like me! I think this is the perfect mother/kid project! GOOD IDEA! I am looking forward to seeing how it changes life for me. (I know that it will….. because handwriting/being mindful/slowing down are all good things!) Merry Christmas to you and your family, Anna! xxx
To Dear Pip.
I was around in those 2009 days – sent in an envelope, swapped teatowels and pincushions, funny how much blogging changes hey? You are a constant positive stalwart and steward for us all though; thanks!
I will send a letter to you, and I am going to try to write letters too. I have a sister in Berlin and one in England and now the sister in England has had a baby and I should really write more to all of them shouldn’t I!?
With lots of Love,
Verity
PS Write Back Soon!
PPS I might also write to the family who live in a lovely house down the street that has a great bright yellow front door that makes me happy everytime I go past, although would that be creepy? I don’t think so, I just want to say thanks for the happy yellow door.
PPS Byeee xo
Verity, you should totally write to the yellow door people. Heck, I’ll write them a letter 🙂
Aw yay! I KNOW YOU! I am so glad you are still around (my blog and just generally!) So many of the old crew have gone AWOL and on to other things. Thanks for reading and for wanting to do this and for reminiscing with me! I agree that you should TOTALLY tell the Yellow Door how you feel! Merry Christmas, my dear! xx
I love this. I’m going to make time and do this. And I think it would be fabulous to get my daughter to do it too.help with her writing.
That’s an ace plan. I think it’s such a good thing for kids to be part of! xx
I love this idea Pip! Absolutely joining in!!
Aw yay! I am so glad! The more the merrier! MERRY CHRISTMAS! xx
I’m in! I would love to try to write a letter each week to a friend, family, just to say hi and thank you. Emails just don’t seem to have the same feel.
So true, right Libby? It’s so much nicer to get an actual letter! I am not sure how hard it is going to be to do a weekly letter, but I am GOING TO TRY REALLY HARD! Merry Christmas to you. xx
I think this is a wonderful idea. Our post offices in the United States are closing down little by little because the only mail they deliver is junk mail and bills. And a lot of people pay bills online now. Hardly anyone writes a letter anymore. I did when I was a kid all the time. You’ve given me an idea. I don’t know…..my MIL is in an assisted living facility and she is 92 years old. She just had a birthday. She is grumpy ALL the time. I’m thinking…..I wonder if it would help her attitude if she had letters to write and answer…..just thinking…
Cindy Bee
That’s sad about the POs, isn’t it? This year I got THREE Christmas cards… just 3! Once upon a time I would have gotten SO MANY. It’s sad, I think. I know we need to look after the trees and be sustainable, but surely we can send cards and be careful about their ethics/sustainability? Anyhoo, I am HOPING that this will help me get into the habit of MAIL again! I think your idea about your MIL is a GOOD ONE. Perhaps her friends might like to do it too? xx
Sounds like a fabulous idea. I love nothing more than receiving a hand penned letter in the post! It is so rare these days! I’d love to take part, keep an eye out in the post 😛 x
You are a darling! Thank you for your enthusiasm, and for reading my blog!!! Merry Christmas, Ashlea! xx
I wish there were some way we could all write letters to each other, but it’s tricky to put our addresses out there on the internet these days. :/ I’ve done some lovely swaps of postcards etc over the years.
AW! I know… maybe we can find a way to do that? I will have a think about it! Thanks for taking the time to comment! xx
Pip this is a brilliant idea! It’s so clever and simple and lovely. Good on you. I like it a lot, I think I’ll join in.
I hope you find the time to join in too! I wonder if it will be super-hard to keep up. I think it will!!!! x