Eid Mubarak with Paperless Post

Wow, I can't believe Eid ul-Fitri is coming in a couple days—it felt like just yesterday Ramadan was starting. This is probably my favourite time of the year—especially if I get to visit the Grandparents in Surabaya and reunite with my cousins. Everything just feels very festive during this time; there are ketupat everywhere, good-natured songs echo the streets, the family is together, and food galore. This must be what Christmas feels like to Christians. Sometimes, though, we can't always spend the holiday with our loved ones. They could be going to their own homes or even be oceans away, but we might still want to share our festive spirit and happy thoughts with them somehow. When they're not too far away, we could probably send them a greeting card by post. But what if they live continents away?

Usually, I never send greeting cards—hardly ever include them with birthday presents too—because I tend to think they are a waste of paper. Most people would just chuck them in the bin right after anyway. And e-cards or digital invites never appealed to me—I feel like they have a reputation for being really generic and not well-designed. That is, of course, until I found out about Paperless Post.

Starting in 2009, siblings James and Alexa Hirschfield launched Paperless Post "to prove that communication could be personal and well-designed regardless of the medium"—damn straight! It was love at first sight—from the very first moment I visited their website, I instantly wanted to get me one of those cards. They have greeting cards and invitations for practically any occasion—even Ramadan and Diwali, which you barely ever see in Western card businesses. Collaborating with great names, such as kate spade new york, Oscar de la Renta and Rifle Paper Co., they offer some great selections of amazing and eye-pleasing designs to choose from. If you still prefer the printed option, they also offer those with price starting as low as $1.65.

For the purposes of this post, they have offered me coins to be used on their website and to try their services. Since Eid holiday is only a couple days away, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to send some last-minute cards to some of my loved ones—another great advantage of using Paperless Post. So, first, I went to their Ramadan section to check out some of the Islamic designs which might be perfect for the occasion. After choosing a card, I can customise the card however I see fit. I can change the writing, the backdrop, the colour, even the envelopes and reply card—they have a lot of great options to choose from. When the editing stage is done, I can add the recipients—and even schedule the sending or have a free test sent to me. You can see some of the cards I decided to make for this occasion below.

What a simple and quick process to create well-designed products—even the recipients will get it in such a short amount of time! If you're not celebrating Eid, you could also perhaps send your loved ones birthday cards, holiday cards or even, if you're getting married, the save-the-dates and other wedding stationery necessities. I know I want to have my wedding invitations done by them. Plus, if you sign up to their website, you will get 25 complementary coins to start off with—cool way to try out their digital cards, right? So, if you're in need for some last-minute greeting cards, you should give Paperless Post a go!

This post is in collaboration with Paperless Post but all the opinions written are 100% my own

Also, if you want to get in the Islamic mood, check out some of my favourite books down below!

A Fort By Any Other Name

The other day I went on probably the longest journey I've ever taken in the city by myself. Another historical building in Jakarta to cross off my list: The National Archives Building. It's located on the part of town that I have never truly ventured into, so when I took the bus, I saw the underbelly of the city that I never even knew existed—who knew Daan Mogot was that far away? Although I had to stand in said bus for three hours on the way there—and two hours on the way back, plus several minutes waiting for them—it was really worth it when I caught the sight of this gorgeous building from across the street. Starting as a townhouse of a governor of the Dutch East Indies, this 18th century structure started being used to store the state archives in 1925 until 1974, when it is turned into a museum. At the time of my visit, the place was actually used for a private event—to which I sneaked in—so I couldn't see what was inside, but the area is a famous choice for a wedding venue. Plus, it's a great area for outfit photos, so that's always good news for me!

Thrifted jacket + loafers // gifted top // old skirt // Kaboki macramé purse // Dad's old watch

Recently I've just realised how I used to live so close to castles and forests back in Germany. Hell, I practically went for an afternoon stroll to a nearby castle in the forest in this post. But now...well, that ship has sailed. Not only do I live in a big city blooming with skyscrapers and the pollution that comes with them, but also that there are virtually no castles in Indonesia—palaces, sure, but castles? Not so much. When I realised this, I was so bummed out because I miss being able to relax in nature with picturesque structures nearby. I can't believe how casual they were, so much so that they felt like a part of my everyday life back then. Luckily, Jakarta is, as I've mentioned several times, rife with historical sites, so we're not entirely lacking on old buildings—mostly from the colonial times. I know, 18th century townhouses don't exactly hold a candle to Medieval castles, but they're practically the next best thing. When I realised this, I can finally make peace with trading my European castles with post-colonial buildings.

P.S: Tomorrow I'll be heading out to Surabaya for Eid holiday, so all the posts for the next two weeks will be pre-prepared ones. Please excuse any late replies on (possible) comments!