When Ballard-based graphic designer and illustrator Katherine Dietz saw her friends cancelling events like weddings and 30th birthday celebrations due to the coronavirus, she turned to the dependability of the postal service to help brighten their spirits. “What makes me happy is getting a fun piece of mail, and with a postcard, you see the fun image right away—it stands out in a stack of dulls,” Dietz says.

But when none of the cards in her birthday stash felt appropriate in the context of a pandemic, she set to work creating playful, relevant postcards to spread joy during these dark times. Now, Dietz has brought those designs—like a “birthday fun redo” ticket and a “birthday quarantini” recipe card—within reach of anyone looking to send a more socially aware love note. “It was a combination of finding out what I can do to keep working and what I can do to bring happiness and joy,” Dietz says.

Just head to Dietz’s Hello June Prints Etsy shop, pick your postcard, submit a custom message and Dietz will write and mail the card for you to cut down on contact and turnaround time ($5.50 including postage, before tax). As a freelance artist, much of Dietz’s work depends on artisan tradeshows like the Full Moon Market and Urban Craft Uprising events, which have been cancelled—so your purchase also supports one of Seattle’s many hard-hit creatives.

If your special someone has a sweet tooth, you can also recruit the help of Hot Cakes’ “Birthdays Don’t Stop” program, which delivers molten chocolate cakes ready to be baked at home (along with cookies, wine, beer and free candles) throughout the Seattle area on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.