All of us at some point in our lives have experienced the joy of stumbling upon a vintage shoebox of old postcards, letters and notes. I don't think anyone can deny there is something magical and special going through a well-crafted handwritten message, salutation or love letter that instantly reveals the personality of the sender not only by his or her cursive script, mistakes, scrabbles, but also by his or her choice of words, choice of subject, choice of card. All of them - forgotten or unknown relatives, old friends and romantic souls - are like characters of a book, a novel, ready to be published and shared with the world. In fact, one of my all time favourite books is a lovely, heartwarming novel written as a series of letters, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. If you haven't read it yet, treat yourself to this book. 
As I have mentioned multiple times already, I am a firm believer in the importance of hand-written cards and letters. It is a life wisdom to invest time and effort to select and buy a thoughtful card, to pick up a pen and express yourself on the paper, to sign the card "Someone who thinks you are very special" and to go to the post office to adorn the envelop with a postage stamp and then to send it to fly. It all requires a certain discipline, a sense of caring for others and a kind of mindset that my aunt, who loves to write cards and still does, possesses. I used to do that for many years. However, I am guilty for falling into the trap of writing not so personal Birthday wishes on my friends' Facebook timelines and quick thank you e-mails on my computer. I can't remember the last time I wrote a letter to someone... Yes, I still send cards for Christmas, but I think-that's it. And it makes me worried about the decline of letters and notes crafted by hand rather then keyboards buttons; about the vanishing of those shoeboxes filled with hand-written memories and legacy of ancestors. I love the efficiency of emails and texts, but we all know they lack the personality and intimacy that only handwriting can create. We've somehow given up beauty for speed and artistry for efficiency. I know cards might be expensive, but we can't measure with money the excitement and the warmth that goes throughout our bodies once we find an envelop with special unique handwriting on it among bills and flyers in our letterbox. Then going inside, while sipping hot coffee, we open the envelop and immerse ourselves in the feel of the paper and the soul of the writer...    
"A good handwritten letter is a creative act, and not just because it is a visual and tactile pleasure. It is a deliberate act of exposure, and a form of vulnerability, because handwriting opens a window on the soul in a way that cyber communication can never do. You savor their arrival and later take care to place them in a box for safe keeping".
Catherine Field




After sharing my Holiday cards last Christmas here, on the blog, I received a lot of asking and suggestions to make them available for purchase online. So, the last couple of weeks, I have been finally working on putting together an Etsy shop where I can offer a selection of cards that feature my original photos. The shop is called SylviaSimpleLife, of course, and for now I am listing  36 different Holiday Cards printed in Canada. All images are carefully selected in order to convey a message of a simple and handmade Holiday season. They are blank on the inside as I wish it's going to encourage the sender to skip the generic Holiday greetings and hand write more personal and special sentiment to family, friends and perhaps strangers.







I am inviting you to celebrate with me as I am giving away a set of 5 cards of your choice. 

1. Visit  SylviaSimpleLife Shop and click on the little heart on the top of the card you like. 

2. You can also favourite  SylviaSimpleLife Shop  and share with me your favourite cards. Each card has a title which I have tried to keep short and simple. 

3. You have more chances to win when you share my shop or this post on your social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterst, etc.) and let me know in the comment section below. 


 The giveaway is open worldwide and I will announce the winner on Wednesday, November 26, 2014
I sincerely hope you like the cards and choose them when you send a little handwritten joy someone's way this Holiday season. 


Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support!




Sharing with The Homemaking Party