About Trace

I've been writing in journals since I was a girl. For forty years. The last ten, every single morning without fail. The journal is where I think, where I unload my anxieties and struggles, and where I try to make sense of the world around me. It has been one of the most constant relationships of my life.

For a long time that practice stayed private. I wrote for myself, in ink, on quiet mornings, and that was enough.

Then midlife arrived — along with the weight of some slowly accumulating questions. Who am I when I'm not doing everything for everyone else? Who is this person looking back at me in the mirror?  How do I want to spend my time now that most of it’s spent?

I spent ten years journaling my way through those questions. And somewhere in that decade, I made a decision. I would put my talents first — Alpha — and wager on myself — Bet. That decision is where the name came from. The AlphaBet Journal is the work that came out of that wager.

xo Trace

What I believe

Beauty is not a luxury. It's a necessity.

Slow is not behind. It’s intentional.

A woman in midlife is not winding down. She’s finally beginning.

The blank page is not there to intimidate. It’s inviting you.

You are allowed to bet on yourself — it’s never too late!

What The AlphaBet Journal is

Every month I write a personal letter. It starts the way I write everything — in my journal, by hand, on a quiet morning. Some months it reads like a letter to a friend. Some months it reads more like a journal entry I decided to share. I type it up, have it professionally printed, and mail it to you with an original postcard-sized artwork, a collectible mantra, a journal prompt, and one surprise of my choosing.

It's a snail mail subscription for women who still believe a letter in the mailbox is worth something. It goes out once a month.

It isn't a lot. It isn't supposed to be. It's just a little letter that makes you feel remembered.

Here's a sample

This was the mailer from this past April. I used the dahlias from my garden for inspiration. I decided the theme was, "It's never too late to create!"

I'm hoping that writing and illustrating an original mailer every month will help me grow my skills.

A note on the handwriting

My creative process is genuinely analog. I handwrite in my journal every morning. I handwrite the first draft of every letter I send you. What arrives in your mailbox is printed — not handwritten — because that's what makes it possible to send to everyone. Every letter begins in ink, on paper, in my own hand. I think that matters. I hope you do too.

Want to begin?

If you're ready to find a little letter in your mailbox once a month —

SEND ME THE NEXT LETTER →

If you'd like to start a journal practice of your own —

SEND ME THE PROMPTS →