Letter Box

I love snail mail. A handwritten letter gives me joy. As a result, I have a lot of them! I had been shoving them inside a manila envelope and keeping them under my bed and finally I decided it was time to organize! However, I did not want to just put them in any old file box. I wanted my solution to be practical, fairly inexpensive, pretty and allow for growing room. (I don't plan on stopping to write and mail letters any time soon!)

This is what I started with. These are only the letters and notes I have received since being in DC. I have tons more in Mississippi! I first went through the enormous stack and weeded out items that didn't mean that much to me or that I did not want any more. And good organization project requires throwing away and keeping only the most important items.

I then divided the cards into stacks base on who the letters were from.

I then purchased a box (a great price!) at TJ Maxx and manilla file folders and some adorable pink labels and I used my paper cutter to cut the file folders down to the size of the box. I only kept one side of the sheet--not the connected folder. I wanted these to be my dividers and to be of a thick stock, not papery thin.

I labeled my tabs "Gran Fran," (she has written me more than anyone else!!) "Mom and Dad," "Friends" and so forth. I placed the cards in the box!

The box has this great top that opens up and zips close--perfect for easy transportation. It also has a handle on the side so it's easy to grab from a shelf or under the bed.

I put one of my decorative name cards in the front as the final touch!

Now I have a place to keep my special mementos. I think having this nice box will help me be choosier about what I decide to keep. It's not quite half full yet, so send me some letters!