Gifts

a handmade rose out of sheer yellow fabric with a beautiful painting of a flower. My pal is very talented and artistic, so he’ll send hand paintings every chance he gets. 

That’s awesome I just love the artwork and poems too some are really talented. 

I'll soon get a signed copy of my PP first published book. I've already read it when he was first looking to get it published, then that fell through so I figured I would try to help him out. We have both learnt so much about the process. It's been very exciting seeing it up on amazon and other online book stores, though I have yet to see the hard copy, it should arrive in about a month.

Though up to this point he has shared lots of little bits and peices from his life, ice tokens, door tags,comminsary forms. He has gotten an artist in his block to draw me up a couple cards too which I love, things mean so much more to me when there is thought behind it.

Zaneta I agree I love things that have been given some real thought. I hope you pp book go’s well and you get that signed copy soon, It’s nice to get gifts they are things I treasure.

What are ice tokens?

What are ice tokens?

My husband asked me what my favorite flower is, and I told him peonies. The next week he sends me a beautiful picture (I don't know where he got it) and a poem on the back of the picture. It's really one of the most touching things from him. 

This Christmas I received a beautiful hand-drawn card that my PP had commisioned by one of his friends, and also a beautiful and intricately-drawn paño, which I believe is drawn on part of a bedsheet..... Another pp has asked if he can send me (well, get his sister to email me) the book that he's written.

@IL_PPP ice tockens use to be (well in NJS) little red plastic bits an inmate could buy and then exchange for bag of ice, now its moved to a special bit of paper with the date printed on it. 

In the block at least where my PP lives, they are allowed to have eskys (aka ice box), my PP gets in his food package order things like cheese cake, meats, he also uses it to keep extras from one meal to have for another when he knows there is something on the menu that he doesnt like. though he is lucky cause they have a kinda kitchen facility in his block that gets used to heat the food back up that comes over from the main kitchen on the facility (their block doesnt go to the mess hall) so they have some ability if you are nice to the right people to get things heated up.

I've received drawings, handmade cards, anything artistic but my penpal blew my mind when he sent me a dreamcatcher that he made himself. He had someone there who knew how to make them teach him how, but he made it himself. That blew my mind, nobody's ever done anything like that for me.

As for if handmade or bought is better, I prefer handmade because it's more personal, BUT as others have mentioned, it's the thought that counts. Anything they send I treasure knowing it comes from a friend, but handmade things are so much more special cuz you know they put their time and energy crafting it for you. All is meaningful in its own way though.