Dear Everyone ~
I’m typing to you on Thanksgiving whilst I have an ovenful of turkey, with a heartful of warmth and gratitude. I am grateful for the BZS community, for the technology that connects us, for the correspondence we exchange, and for actual visitors from near and far. Before I started writing this, I took a look at my previous Thanksgiving posts… and I confess that when rereading them, my heart floweth over again. They all reminded me of the magnitude of my gratitude! Here’s my Binder’s Dozen of Gratitude from 2021, and my Display of Gratitude from 2022.
Fast forward to this year’s cornucopia and several very fresh BZS memorable moments. I always love when someone comes into the shop and announces, I’m visiting from such & such, or I’ve been following you on IG for some time, or I’m a big fan, or I was in Chicago for one reason or another and had to come see BZS. Well, this past week, it happened twice!
On Tuesday, I happened to be in the shop, wrapping and packing up Studio Sale orders. (We were technically closed, per our new hours.) An IG follower, and maker of beautiful books, dropped in, all the way from California. He said he was a big fan, and that he’d made a special detour to visit BZS. He added that the only other place he wanted to see was Wrigley Field!
Last Saturday morning, I admit to reeling a bit & reveling a lot from the kick-off of Studio Sale 2024… when I received an email from Sarah R.—also a Californian. Sarah has taken several Bookfuls via Zoom. She wrote, I’m in Chicago and will be stopping by your store today, hope I get to see you!! Sarah. She materialized shortly thereafter, we chatted, she shopped... and then she was gone. Hugs coming and going, of course, and an hour later Sarah emailed to bemoan that we hadn’t gotten a photo together! I attributed it to being swept up in the moment. This has inspired me to begin a guestbook for 2025, with room for visitors to write their comments—and for me to write my recollections in the moment-ish.
Three-ish weeks ago when I returned home from our trip to the UK, a small stack of mail was awaiting me. An envelope from Alyson (my postal muse) & Audrey (her niece) was a Hallowe’en hallo à la collaboration. They made their “spooky mail” (Audrey’s term) together, from styling the envelope, to selecting theme postage, to both penning a message on the card. This is a somewhat new-ish to me form of missive writing, sharing a card. I realize it’s a double happiness of sorts, both for the senders (who are commemorating an interlude together) and for the receiver.
I also had a joint postcard from Alyson and Karen E., a native Chicagoan transplanted to California. Karen is an avid correspondent, whose missives typically include her wonderful watercolours. She contributed to my Après–Thanksgiving gratitude post from last year. Her illustration of watercolour art was Coffee is a kind of magic you can drink, and when they were together in San Francisco last month, Karen showed Alyson the incredible illustrated (with companion quotes) book collaboration she had made with another watercolourist friend, also named Karen! Karen penned her message at the top of the postcard, Alyson penned the finale, and had it hand-cancelled at the Sutter St. Station in downtown SF.
Also in my mail-mix was a postcard from Denise, from Chicago, in her signature style. Her postcard subscription service is aptly named Letters Mingle Souls, and featured one of her postcards in our A toast to anniversary post, which you can see here. I have a lovely collection of Denise’s postcards, many of which grace my postcard wall in the studio. Her cards always include well-hyphoned placed captions and lovely bits of decorative paper. The quote she used this time is particularly profound, and apropos of the moment.
Even if you don’t have a postcard wall, I encourage you to put your incoming correspondence somewhere that you can enjoy it. Alyson recently sent me this charming photo of how she’s displaying her incoming correspondence (and envelopes, of course!). At left is my recent envelope to Alyson— with a pair of stamps, both showing other stamps! And below is Alyson dressed to match the card (with a mug I had given her years ago).
On my recent trip, I took along my envelope-making supplies, hoping I could get caught up with my correspondence, even though that would be a tall order. I managed to fold a large handful of envelopes. I didn’t have a proper cutting surface, so improvised with a piece of corrugated from a shipping box. It was quite satisfying nonetheless to hand-fold envelopes outside of the studio! Additionally, I used the off-cuts from the corners of the envelopes to make a few collages. Seen here is the little table I managed to fill to the brim with all things paper and correspondence.
My deepest bow to Everyone who continues to appreciate, connect, and support Bari Zaki Studio. I would not be here without you!
And to Everyone who helps me bring the BZS love to you: Alyson (seen above), Ruby (top left below), Cat & Janet (top right below), Emmy (mid-left below), Tammy (not seen here), my beloved Zak in his gardening garb (mid-right below), and, not at all least, Will, my dependable & soulful mail carrier (holding up a letter that a customer had sent him c/o BZS).
Heart of hearts at tippy top: Robb Morgan's handiwork (February 2022). Hand: at top is Audrey Kuhn's H illustration from the Abecedary (May 2024).
Wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with light, love, and many delicious leftovers!
XO, Bari