Christmas Mail 2020: Snowflake Screwdriver

I won't bother boring you with the cliche '2020 was the worst' recap.  With 7 days to go, we got out healthy so fingers crossed we drag ourselves across the finish line and have a much more positive 2021 waiting for all of us. Without further ado, here is this year's Christmas mail.  I included this little snowflake screwdriver tool because I can't be the only one who can never find one when I need it. I hope all of you have found magic in the holiday season.  Happy New Year!

In case you missed them, here are our Christmas Mails from the past decade:

2019: Hot Cocoa 

2018: Air Fresheners

2017: Hand Warmers

2016: Lump of Coal (this one might be my fav)

2015: Bottle Opener

2014: Socks 

2013: Markers (I loved this one too but so many people were confused!)

2012: Cinnamon 

2011: Mints 

2010: Chapstick 

Christmas Mail 2019 | Wake Me Up Before you Cocoa

Another year, time for another Christmas mailing!


This year we sent out 2 single serving tubes of yummy hot cocoa + marshmallow bits. Just add hot milk and enjoy.

This year I totally splurged on the postage but I will warn you postage rates have gone up a lot since the last time I did something bulky like this. We hand delivered a bunch to save some $ but then just bite the bullet on the rest.

As usual, I designed the card (thank you selfie stick for this year's family portrait) and put Luke to work in helping putting it all together.  It's a labor of love for sure. We hope our family and friends enjoy a warm cuppa on us.

Sources:
Test Tubes
Marshmallow Bits
Envelopes
Labels

Christmas Mail: Wishes for a TREEmendous Holiday

It's nearly Christmas and in our house that means the annual mad dash to put together our Christmas Mail.

Each year we send out a little something extra in our cards to brighten up snail mail. We've sent everything from dishtowels to soap to socks (click here to see the ghosts of Christmas Mail past). It's become a little bit of a creative game each year to come up with something new and it's always fun to hear about how well they are received.

This year we did little tree air fresheners with wishes for a "treemendous" Christmas and New Year.  Simple and sweet - we hope our friends and family enjoy them.

So if you aren't on my Christmas Mail list, let this be my holiday greeting to you:  Sending you the happiest of Christmas wishes and luck for the New Year!

Christmas Mail 2017

I'm happy to report that my Christmas cards all arrived before Christmas - that has to be at least 100 elf points right?   This year we went with something to help keep our friends and family a little warmer this winter season.  Hold your mouse over the image to see what little surprise was tucked inside the card.



The text reads:

To our family and friends, new and old
warm wishes from us, to have and to hold
This little gift will help you keep warm
Through bluster, snow dusters and winter storms.

Inside were a set of hot hands warmers!




Happy Holidays to everyone reading.  Thank you for always being so supportive and encouraging.  I really appreciate all your time, attention and kindness this year and always.  Wishing all your holiday dreams come true!

Christmas Mail 2016: LUMP OF (char)COAL

Mail call!  It's that time of year again - for the annual tradition of binge watching bad Christmas movies as I put our annual little treats together.  This year the gift was a lump / bar of charcoal soap.






If you are new to Brooklyn Limestone you might be wondering just what this is all about  Each year we send out a little gift in place of traditional cards.  Prior years have included an antler bottle opener,  elfish socks, "reMARKable" (get it?) markers, seasonings greetings, merry mints, mistletoe prep, tea towels and lots more. It's our fun little tradition and I hope our Christmas card list enjoy the little surprise every year.

Christmas Mail 2015: Oh Deer!

This year's Christmas mail was simple and sweet.  A ceramic antler bottle opener with a tag wishing our friends and family a Merry Christmas. Getting a photo of all three of us looking into camera was harder than I expected but thank goodness for a selfie stick!

If you are new to Brooklyn Limestone you might be wondering what Im talking about it.  Each year we send out a little gift with our Christmas cards.  Prior years have included elfish socks, "reMARKable" (get it?) markers, seasonings greetings, merry mints, mistletoe prep, tea towels and lots more. It's our fun little tradition and I hope our christmas card list enjoy the little surprise every year.

Christmas Mail 2014: Go Elf Yourself

It's almost Christmas so despite not being entire sure that the post office has actually delivered our cards this year, I'm going to blog share now.  This year's little treat was a pair of red and white striped socks perfect to elf yourself. Who couldn't use a fun pair of socks?

Wishing all of you the warmth and magic of the holidays this year!

ps: Our holiday photos were taken by the lovely Kayla Poole who also blogs at exquisite banana.

Want more?  Prior years' Christmas mail have included metallic markers (for a remarkable year), cinnamon (seasonings greetings), mints (merrymint!), chapstick (mistletoe ready), tea towels (for a fresh start), bookplates, cards, lottery tickets and cds.  I have absolutely no idea what I'll do next year (I usually have something in mind a year out) - good thing I have plenty of time to figure it out.

Christmas Mail 2013: Remarkable Wishes

You know how I love to send out something a little different when it comes to stationary so our Christmas cards or more like tiny gifts for our family and friends.  This year's package contained a silver and gold sharpie marker along with our wishes for a "remarkable" new year.  Get it?





I love the season and I hope our holiday cards bring a little bit of the joy into the home of everyone who receives one.

Missed prior years Christmas mail? Check them all out here:  Seasonings Greetings (2012), Merry mints (2011), Ho Ho Hos & Xs & Os Lip Balm, A Clean Start Tea Towel (2009) and before the blog greetings (2004-2008).

credits: photos used for the card were taken by the lovely liz clayman, custom address stamp made by besotted brand, envelopes and stamp used as address label from paper-source, designed and assembled by me.

Christmas Mail 2012: Seasonings Greetings!

This years Christmas mail got a little domestic with something special for holiday cooking.  We tucked a few sticks of ceylon cinnamon in a small jar along with our wishes of "Seasonings Greetings" for a delicious holiday.  Get it? SeasonINGs Greetings!  Mr. Limestone gets all the credit for that gem.



 


Hope our friends and family enjoyed this years surprise in their mailboxes.

Christmas Mail 2011: Merrymints!

With just a few days til Christmas its time to reveal the 2011 Christmas mailing! As you know, sending out something a little extra to our family and friends is one of holiday traditions - anything from personalized tea towels to my favorite chapstick to bookplates and everything between.



This year we sent out Altoids with a little greeting inside. Or as I like to call them, merry mints! Get it?





Wishing you a curiously strong Christmas too!

Ho Ho Ho and Xs and Os: Our Christmas Card

So you already know we do things a little differently for our Christmas cards. We send out a small surprise along with the greeting - from dish towels to pez dispensers to lotto tickets - we like to mix it up. I start thinking up ideas long before it gets cold (and if you are wondering, I already have an idea for next year!) Despite having it all mapped out in my mind forever, I seem to wait until the last possible minute to get going on them each year. I guess I like to torture myself.



Thankfully they are finally finished so its time to share.



As you can see, we attached my favorite lip balm to a card that reads:

Be Ready
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and many tender moments under the mistletoe
this year and forever. ♥ Stefanie and Luke

I don't know about you but winter means loading up the chapstick and having it everywhere. A tube in my purse, my nightstand, the junk drawer, my coat pocket, etc. So I thought this was the perfect little practical item to find in the mailbox.

*please note I am in no way connected with softlips and haven't received anything from them - I just am really addicted to their product.

Freebie Christmas Card Mailing

Hard to believe that December is nearly here! My internal alarm is pinging me to get into high gear about my Christmas mailing. (I always make a promise to myself to finish before Dec 1 but that never happens). As you know, I tend to go one step further with my cards than most. Along with the greeting I send a little surprise. Last year it was screen printed tea towels, the year before retro bookplates - you get the idea. What can I say? I'm a sucker for the holidays.

I'm working on this years mailing now but in a fit of procrastination I worked up a freebie download for you to use (should you want to send out a little extra surprise to your friends and family this year).

Its a little self mailer just big enough to staple two bags of peppermint tea inside along with your personal greetings. Just seal with glue and drop in the mail. (In case you are wondering, peppermint tea smells just like Christmas!)

{ DOWNLOAD IT HERE }

Hope some of you can put it to good use. If you use my freeibe or you have your own unique twist on the holiday mailing idea, I would absolutely love to hear from you. Don't be shy - leave a comment here or drop me a line.

Christmas Mail 2009

Can you believe Christmas is just 2 days away? Where did 2009 go? For that matter where did this entire decade go? I hope I'm not the only one who feels like the impending doom of year 2000 was yesterday.



If you remember last week's post, I don't send out traditional Christmas cards. I send out a little surprise packages instead - each year is something different. This year I used my new screenprinting machine, the Yudu, to make up tea towels.



This was the first time with the Yudu so I was worried but it all worked out pretty well. I'll share more about the whole thing in another post. (If you can't wait to hear more, check out Erin Bassetts blog for a lot more info than I will ever have.)

This project was pretty time consuming so thankfully, Mr. Limestone lent a hand. After we had we print and heat set each one, the package had to come together. I printed little cards to tie around each towel. Out came the supplies.



The tags read: Enclosed is a gift, especially made, wishing you joy in the new decade. Dry, wipe or clean, its uses are plenty. May your messes be few and your blessings be many.



Each towel got rolled up, tied with a red and white striped ribbon and inserted into a mailing tube.



Here is one in situ on my oven. I hope everyone got a kick out of them.



For those that can't read it in the photo, the towel reads: The {insert our last name} wish you a clean start, unblemished luck, pure love and happy messes in 2010.

Time to start thinking about what to send next year!

Christmas Mail!

There are few things I find as exciting as finding a surprise package in the mail. So of course Christmas is the perfect opportunity to put that sentiment into practice. Along with our holiday wishes, we usually send out a little surprise for friends and family.

In 2002, 03 and 04 I sent out customized Christmas CDs. That was back in olden times when people actually played CDs. After 04, I started sending out something a little different each year.


I like the little gift to work in concept with the message. So when I sent out pez, I wished for everyone's new year to be sweet. When I sent out greeting cards, I wished for all of the the years events to be happy ones, etc..

So guess what we spent last night doing? Getting this years Christmas mailing underway! If all goes well, they will be in the mail soon.

Anyone have a guess what the mystery package is?