Typewriters and Love

Today a special package came in the mail from amazon!

The ribbon spools for my new to me, old to the world, typewriter!

It is a Smith Corona- most likely made in the 1960s. The best part is that after struggling to get the ribbon threaded into the typewritier, it still works!

And all for a whopping $30 after tax (including both writer and ribbon). I looked online and a typewriter the same as mine was selling for over $100. I'm pretty proud! So I thought it might be fun to do some sort of vintage finds blog posts every now and then? I'll think about it and post more on my typewriter and other things if I decide to go through with it.

Naturally, I had to write my boyfriend a letter to add to my letter collection from me to him.
Long distance relationships are hard, so I find it easier to write him often. Even if he doesn't get the letters until I see him next. I will be attempting to get his station address in Oki so I can send letters again. I used to send my letters when he was in Afghan, but after he returned we stuck to facebook letters instead.

However, recently I have learned that he kept every letter I ever wrote him. So I want more of my letters in his possession as silly as it sounds. I miss writing about books to him and giving my thoughts and feelings about his favorite books. I miss telling him everything. I find it hard to speak my mind and my feelings, but to write it all down and clear the air? It makes me feel so much better and often brings us closer together.

Writing letters to him is also an excuse to waste paper on practicing typing on this typewriter.

I may have started a new collection of typewriters. This could get dangerous. Hopefully my boyfriend won't mind too much! He already has to deal with all of my bookshelves of books and journals. Not to mention my photographs from photo shoots and the fact that I want to buy a record player.. I just love old things and the written word! I can't help it.

I haven't been able to read much lately, so I am just giving a little writing update about my typewriter. Who knows, maybe I will turn this into more of a full-blog and not just reviews?

Summer break is mostly here and I will have two days worth of free time on my hands.

From a Young Writer

Hello, my name is Ashley and I am a writer.

It’s funny to think that it has taken me this long to establish myself as a writer. I've always thought of a writer as someone who got paid to write. The words published and author come to mind. An author can’t be an author without being a writer. But can a writer be someone who writes without being published? I've discovered the answer is yes. 

A writer is a person who is passionate about the written language, one who writes for the love of words written upon a page.

I have been keeping journals since the seventh grade with my thoughts, scenes, and little poems. For as long as I can remember, I've lived in the imaginative world of my mind; always creating fantasy characters, powers, and situations to push them through. 

I adore letters. There is something special about picking up a piece of paper and communicating through ink. I find it much more preferable to the instant gratification of the digital age. Don't get me wrong, I love my Internet, but to receive a letter in the mail is the best form of communication. Because of this, I often find myself writing letters to my friends and loved ones in appreciation for how much I care. For what is better proof of my love than writing the things I cannot and often dare not say? 

I am a writer. I may not be seasoned or well-versed in the publishing industry, however my passion for the written word exceeds my inexperience. So with this in mind, I have created this blog today to share my passion for books and to gain experience in writing. I hope to finally finish several story and poem ideas that have been sitting in my notebooks for a while. 

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” ― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings