Janice MacLeod as herself

I’m best known as the creator of Paris Letters, the first illustrated letter subscription from Paris. What began as one letter became a beloved mail art project, a bestselling book series, a notecard collection, and eventually — a cottage by the lake. From here, I now write Cottage Letters for those who crave thoughtful, artful mail and a slower way of living.

But before all that...

  • The very beginning

    CRANKY

    I’m very happy most of the time. As you can plainly see.

  • Getting cuter

    CHARMER

    Nothing like a Sears photo shoot to bring out the ol’ charm.

  • Studying the arts

    SHOW TUNES

    Performing my musical stylings. My sound was very plunky.

  • Considerably later

    STILL PLAYING

    I didn't get much better with age, musically speaking. So I concentrated on writing and became a copywriter in ad agencies over Canada and the USA.

  • Copywriter and escape artist

    TYPEWRITER AFICIONADO

    After 110 years as a copywriter, I hatched a plan to finance my own sabbatical. My Shawshank Redemption, if you will.

    When I met my financial goal, I skipped town and traveled with nothing more than my suitcase and a small set of paint. It was scary and amazing in equal measure.

  • Artist

    PAINTER

    I landed in Paris and painted letters about my travels. I called them Paris Letters.

    Delighted with this unique medium, I opened an Etsy shop. Thousands of letters later, I’m still at it. I'll send one to you, too.

    ETSY SHOP

  • Romance

    CHRISTOPHE

    Hooked up with this hottie. Then I married him.

    Every girl in Paris is in love with her butcher. In my case, my butcher is in love with me, too. Ooh la la la hmmm.

  • Book: Memoir

    PARIS LETTERS

    I wrote a memoir about the letters from Paris and called it Paris Letters, which is really a long-form version of this About page. New York Times declared it a best seller. So that was nice.

    After the New York Times whooplah, I was decidedly on the right track and kept on writing and painting.

  • BOOK: Illustrated Journal

    A PARIS YEAR

    An illustrated memoir about being an artist in Paris. USA Today declared it one of the Top 10 Most Beautiful Books. To which I blushed.

    It is a book full of sketches, paintings, writing, photos and all the great things I found in Paris over the course of a year.

  • BOOK: Anthology

    DEAR PARIS

    A collection of 140 Paris Letters spanning a decade of cavorting around Paris. Forbes says it is "like seeing the city through the eyes of your BFF." Ah thanks, Forbes.

  • COTTAGE LETTERS

    and BOOK SPOTTER

    These days I create letters from my cottage, notecards, and hop from bookshop to bookshop looking for my book on shelves. This was spotted at Shakespeare & Company in Paris.

  • Mother

    OVER SMOOCHER

    Now the lovely Christophe and I hang out with this nut. She looks as happy as I looked at her age.