profile

Jill Howell

An easy, doable practice to combat loneliness is letter writing and I not only create resources to make this more doable, I make art for stationery products as well. I love drawing and illustrating, using color and texture to create whimsical art and I truly love that my cards will be used for letter writing and connecting with others. I don’t want my products to sit in a drawer! My newsletter gives weekly ideas, resources, and research to inspire readers to connect with others through sending snail mail.💌

Featured Post

Diane Keaton, Granny Hobbies, and a Corn Maze idea 🌽

October 18, 2025 Dear Friend, I am sure you saw the recent news of the passing of Diane Keaton. She has become quite well-liked in our household over the years. The movie Baby Boom, from the 80’s, was something I often played when the girls were little and we had a lazy Saturdays piddling around the house. The Godfather was a movie of hers more preferred by my husband. And most recently, we all got into both Father of the Bride movies more than once during the wedding season we had with our...

October 11, 2025 Dear Friend, I am writing this newsletter from my mom’s house, where I have spent the last week. She is was in the hospital over the weekend and I came in to visit with her and help where I can. She is home now and we have shared lots of coffee, lots of quiet, and lots and lots of Chex Mix.😂 It’s always been something she loves and now, in her Picky Era, it is a snack she will actually eat. So… the holiday treat-making has started early for us! I had a couple of hours in the...

A cure for the Halloween Blues

October 4, 2025 Dear Friend, I love that October is here! As our girls were growing up, I always decorated quite a bit for fall, and specifically for Halloween. The way we dressed up the house was never over the top scary but was enough to bring some spooky spirit in the best of ways. Even though our nest is empty, I spent some time last weekend decking the Halloween halls for Brad and myself to enjoy. And when I sat down to savor it all at the end of the day, I had a melancholy feeling come...

September 19, 2025 What’s on my mind: We traveled quite a bit this past summer… three places were new-to-me, never-been-before adventures. In the past, these exact type of travels would inspire me to bring home a souvenir… a coffee mug, a small decor item, a memento, etc. Now that I’m in a phase of declutterring, these pieces no longer have a place to travel home in my suitcase. However, I did discover an old school souvenir that I could actually put to use in a meaningful way: the postcard....

September 13, 2025 Dear Friend, Thinking of You Week starts Sunday. Maybe you could carve out some time and pen some kind thoughts to a few people in your circle or community? You could send a note to someone you know, someone you are only acquainted with, or a total stranger. The point is to actually let them know they’ve been on your mind. I’ve included some ideas below to help you brainstorm… who have you noticed around you that might perk up by receiving your encouraging words? What’s on...

September 6, 2025 Dear Friend, Are you as excited for the ‘ber months as I am? It’s the start of so many seasonal things that definitely make this my favorite time of year… football season in our favorite college town, pumpkins, fall movies, Halloween, all things autumn leaves and gratitude, and Thanksgiving and Christmas with our family. What’s on my mind: The first of September was World Letter Writing Day. I know there is a day that’s set aside to celebrate just about everything under the...

August 30, 2025 Dear Friend, Although I didn’t intend for nearly six months to go by since my last newsletter to you, here we are. I’ve missed this weekly rhythm and am anxious to start showing up regularly again in your inbox. We have had an incredible, eventful spring and summer. Since my last email my second daughter got married, I started a new part-time job, my youngest girl graduated, five of us in my family celebrated birthdays, we had three summer trips all across North America, and...

November 9, 2024 We are talking about gratitude through the month of November. I love that being grateful is such a universal theme this month and my goal with today’s issue is to give you practical resources to use to express gratitude by writing others. In last week’s newsletter I included health benefits of gratitude. Today I want to share health benefits specific to letter writing as an expression of that gratitude. and this isn’t even a comprehensive list! Who comes to mind right now...

Hi Friend! I hope this past week has been good to you. I am winding down my week, preparing for weekend guests, and planning/organizing this newsletter and my shop for the weeks ahead. The fall brings so many fun things to the calendar! College football starts in a week for us. Our middle two girls attend Texas A&M and, since they’ve become students, we look forward to our fall seasons full of tailgating, games, and getting to College Station often. My husband and I are former students and...

Hi Friend! A new month is just around the corner… the air is warming, the earth is coming back to life, and Mother Nature’s beauty is beginning to brim with color. Spring, to me, is the most wonderful time of the year! And did you know April is National Card and Letter Writing Month? You can read about how this designation developed here… but I think we can all agree the practice of writing notes is a timeless way to establish connection with others. Writing letters is intentional and leaves...