My Happy Mailbox

Pen Pal Letter and Friends Friday!

2012-02-24T17:40:00.000-06:00

Happy Happy Friday Readers! I don't know about you all, but I am so glad that it's Friday! All I want to do is spend some time outside (its a bit chilly but so sunny and bright out) and write some letters! Lucky for me I have the weekend to do just that and to make it all better, I came home today two two pen pal letters and two postcards from friends back home! It might not be my highest volume mail day I've ever had but it's sure been a good one--especially since one letter came chock full of surprises! Let's show off some mail and get to our weekend!

My first surprise came from St. Paul, Minnesota! What a cool stamp for your address, I haven't even progressed to printed labels yet, hahah!

With that neat address label came some awesome vintage stamps

The inside of my little package from Lou included a great letter, even more vintage stamps and a few photos of my favorite critter, a crafty little squirrel!

An up close of those stamps- a 1975 First Day Issue of Banking and Commerce stamps, issued for the centennial year of the American Bankers Association. Perfect!

The shots of my little friend! Apparently he stole a popover from a nearby restaurant and ran it up his tree :) Thank you so much Lou, I love everything!

More on the letter front from Stephanie in Germany! A nice long pen pal letter with some pretty neat stationery and matching envelopes!

See? These are adorable, I may have to start importing my paper products because I never find things like this!

A couple of postcards made their way, both domestic. First up a delightful, if not tacky, greeting from my sorority sister, Megan--who is from PA, who I met in FL, who know lives in NY and was visiting CA (whew!)--on her trip to Santa Monica. She did also pick me up a shot-glass from the "End of Route 66"! Thanks, Meg!

And last up is a little bit of Florida sunshine from an old friend!

That's my haul for the day! I already have a stack of postcards that I am sorting out to get to friends and collectors all over the world, and I did manage to pick up some nice paper to write to my pen pals with! Have a great Friday night everyone!

Today's Postcard: Jim Woodring

2012-02-22T18:23:00.000-06:00

Happy Happy Wednesday, Readers! I hope the day has gone fantastically and that your week is getting better--just think, it's almost Friday! I got this little gem in my mailbox this afternoon and I couldn't wait to share it with you all. The card makes it's way from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, courtesy of Postcrosser "WhiteHorseSulze".

From artist John Woodring, born in Los Angeles, who suffered as a child from paranoia, hallucinations, apparitions and a slew of other psychological impairments. One of which, he credits with his decision to drop out of school to become an artist,

"I had the most significant hallucination of my life in this art history class. I took it as an omen that I should just get the hell out of school and stay out! [Laughs.] This hallucination was so much more interesting than the class — it seemed to have forced its way into the classroom and jumped out of the screen where these slides were being projected in order to tell me that I should be somewhere else. I felt that this image had gone to a lot of work to get into the building and get into that room and wait for the screen to turn blank and then appear at me to honk at me to go. So I did.". Jim Woodring

The card, depicting the artists "Life After Man" work shows it viewer a " transdimensional crossroads as experienced by stateless entities lounging on the veranda. Until the day comes when the computer hands over to us the capacity for secular samadhi, this may be as close as you will get to this particular plaza."

While Woodring's works include, prints, toys, and sketches, he is mostly known in the art world for his comic creations. "Frank", a wordless comic that occasionally appeared in other complilations, would become his best known work and in 1996 would become its own publication. He's even worked as a freelance writer for the comic book publisher, Dark Horse. Several of Woodring's characters have won awards in the literary and artist communities.

Curious about the artist and his works? You can learn more about Woodring and his dream drawings by going to his website, jimwoodring.com/

and it came with a first for my stamp collection, too!

I hope you all enjoyed it! I know that I will be very excited to come across a few more of this artists' works! Happy Mailing!

A Touch of Tuesday Mail!

2012-02-21T17:55:00.000-06:00

Happy Tuesday Readers! I hope that those of you who had a three day weekend enjoyed it; I don't know about anyone else, but work was especially busy for me--a lot of people trying to get to the bank and catch up from the long weekend on top of business as usual. Needless to say I am glad to be home and on my couch with the kittens but boy was I even more excited when I checked my mailbox! I expected maybe one or two items, instead I got a whole hand full of postcards and a couple of pen pal letters. I know the anticipation is killing you, so with out further adieu, today's mail!.....

First up from a postcrosser in Germany showcases "Mainz on the Rhine" and the St. Boniface Marktetplace! An awesome view of Moscow, showing off The Kremlin at night, comes from Anchuta !

I never thought it would happen, but I finally landed myself a John Deere postcard! Thank you to Crystal in Iowa for adding to my collection and making me laugh-how cute is this card? Sticking with the theme, Bonnie of STUFFellaneous sends a vintage photo/card of "Truck Farming"

Rietie in Holland sends a card showing off her home--personally I like the windmill in the background of the middle photo!

Sophie always sends me great cards from Arizona! This card from Scottsdale showcases "The Bob Parks 5th Avenue Horse Fountain" located in downtown! Susan was kind enough to send me a skyline view of Salt Lake City--yes, that castle looking building is the Mormon Temple! Thank you Ladies!

I must be popular in Germany this week! Andreas sends me a card of the Trevignon Lighthouse in Brittany!

A postcosser in Quebec sends a card featuring some of the indigenous people in her area! La Belle province is home to many clans and tribes which are only accessible by airplane--some of them are completely isolated on the shore of the Hudson Bay!

Some of the cool stamps that came in the mail today, the top set is from Germany and the second set comes from Russia! I just love these stamps :)

Also in--rather ON the mail today, a couple of pretty neat postmarks that I've never seen before. I wish they did something special where I live in Oklahoma. When I lived in Florida people would send their holiday cards to a town named "Christmas" to have them postmarked there hahah!

And last up for the night, a pen pal letter from Marie! yay!

I also got my credit card bill in today, but that is just a tad less exciting then all of the beautiful cards that came in! I got quite a bit out today--several postcards (swaps and friends) and a few pen pal letters. I have a couple of swaps due and some letters to write back to as always so off I go! Hope your mail was just as good!

Friday Postcards!

2012-02-17T16:03:00.000-06:00

Happy Happy Friday Readers! I don't know about you all but I am excited for the upcoming 3 day weekend--made all the better by two things...1) I got off of work at 2:30 today and 2) I got a handful of awesome postcards and two pen pal letters! I am almost caught up on all of my letters due back and I only have a few postcards to get out (well that I'm obligated to get out but we all know that before it's over whole box of them will go out!). That gives me 3 whole days to write and to look around town (or perhaps a small road trip....I think yes) for some new postcards! Oh, the excitement :)

I almost died of happiness when I found this card! All the way from Estonia, this furry little red squirrel just made my day. I'm sure my fellow Alpha Gamma Delta's can agree that he might just be the most adorable critter ever. Thank you so much, Ella! I hope that it's warmer in Tallinh today (on the day the card was written the temperature was --20*C)!

The cool stamps that came along with Ella's card, the little mouse if my favorite.

My friend Regina in Portland sends me a awesome Pacific view of the Ebb Tide.

From a Postcrosser in Costa Mesa, CA comes an awesome postcard featuring a street in Beijing China which is known for its antique and curio shops.

I think my snail mail friends are trying to get me out of Oklahoma and to a beach as soon as possible--and I am completely okay with all of this. Erin sends an aerial view from the Ogunquit Beach in Maine. I don't know about you but this is not how I picture Maine at all!

For the last time Salem, it is NOT your mail. You can not just sleep on it....I really think she listened this time.....no, really....

A fun --if not way to cold--winter shot comes in from Liele in Amsterdam. As much as a prefer summer, it does look like they are all having a lot of fun :)

I no sooner blog about making my own envelopes (here) and I get one from the wonderful Bev Sykes over at The PenPal Project! Hers are much better than mine I must say! Lucky for me that along with the great envelope, Ms. Sykes sent me an awesome letter as well :D

And my final piece for the day is my letter back from Jeni in Kansas! She always has the best note cards, I'm jealous!

That's all for me tonight! I'm going to get a few things out in the morning and work on my pen pal letters! Happy Friday everyone!

Recycled Envelopes...my attempt at crafting...

2012-02-15T18:21:00.000-06:00

I am not a crafty individual. In fact, the craftiest thing that I ever do is post here about the mail that people are kind enough to send me. Aside from the milk cartons and newspapers in my house, I'm not much of a recycler either--much to the dismay of many of my friends, mail lovers, and followers I am sure. As I sat down to write some of my (past) due pen pal letters I realized I had stacks of paper and cards but almost no envelopes. As it was late, and I wanted to get at least a few of these letters in the mail the next morning, I began my hunt for something that I would be able to use as an envelope; Surely I had something, even an old envelope that I would be able to slap some decorative paper or stickers on and reuse. That's when I found it. Tucked in to a small (and rather useless) draw of what I like to call my "snail mail" desk sat 2011s wall calendar. I had taken it down to put up this years calendar and just stuck it in an open spot, more than likely with intentions of just giving it the old heave-ho! I thought to myself "the pages are good heavy paper, I don't want to go out to buy envelopes and I was just tossing it out anyway, why not use them as I'm in a bind". Next thing I know, out come the scissors, the ruler, a pencil and a glue stick!

My first attempt was .....well it was a complete fail. I started with a rectangular page and did some cropping to make it more of a square. I must have gotten a little over zealous with my trimming as the corners did not want to meet properly in the middle.....after several attempts of folding and creasing and refolding and more creasing, I decided the best idea was to scrap that particular try. As you can see, it's kind of sad looking...

On my second attempt and crafty recycling, I thought it would be in my (and the prospective envelopes) best interest to use the paper as is. A bit of folding and tucking would make a simple envelope, but also something that would dress up the average letter (it also helps when your calendar showcases the city of Berlin). For this envelope I decided to fold the page in half width wise in order to make a more square envelope--perfect for my letter written on the inside of a world travel themed note card!

Because this was my first try with creating from calendars, I was concerned about how well the letter would fit and if it would be fairly well protected. As I said earlier, I like the thickness of the calendar pages so I wasn't to concerned that it would rip in the mail as opposed to the page not folding well or the letter having to be folded in some odd way to fit. Fortunately, the page makes for a roomy square envelope --and the folded in sides make for a nice protective holding pouch.

A bit more folding and gluing resulted in seven of the twelve pages being used--6 envelopes (3 square and 3 rectangular) and that first page scrapped for the sake of learning! I did some decorative taping and the in morning dropped them in the mail. As it was only a couple of days ago I haven't heard from those on the receiving end yet, but I am hoping they enjoy. With the couple that I have left, i am thinking about getting some jeweled stickers to add some sparkle to the pages and maybe even using a hole punch and then tying the envelope closed with a nice ribbon. All and all I am happy with my first envelope making adventure and I am keeping my eye out for materials around the house that I would be able to reuse to send some mail love!

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did. Comments, questions, tips and advice are more than welcome! I would love to see any of the creative envelopes you guys have gotten in the mail, I know I love the ones that make their way to me! I'm off to get a few postcards together for tomorrow, happy mailing!

Valentine's Day Mail!

2012-02-14T17:38:00.000-06:00

Good Evening Readers!

I hope that everyone has had a great start to their week and a very happy Valentine's Day!! Hopefully some good mail made it to everyone mailbox this afternoon. I didn't get anything at all yesterday but a few beautiful postcards and a holiday card did make their way home today. Let's check it out so that you can all get on to your V-Day activities for the night!

First up, the city of Love herself, Paris! Marvin, who is from Portugal spent some time in the city last year with his boyfriend and absolutely fell in love; he says "its the most enormous and beautiful city I've ever seen"!

My first card from Oaxaca, Mexico! The Monte-Alban archaeological site is one of the world heritage sites by UNESCO. A fun "did you know" fact, seven different types of Mole (a Mexican delight) are produce in Oaxaca!

If this card doesn't make you want to drop everything for a vacation, nothing will! A breathtaking shot of sunrise at over the Hearst Castle pool in San Simeon, California.

Elizabeth sends some modern art to brighten up the mailbox. This Folon painting is called "the memory". I just love this painting--enough that I have actually looked in to buying the print since I've been home. Thank you for the inspiration :)

More in the way of the art world, "The Fields" by Van Gogh, comes from Lizzie who is very happy to have a warm cup of coffee and a kitty cat to cuddle up with during the winter. I cant say I blame you, thanks for the great card!

I think this card from Fawn sums up how I feel about today and the mail haul. Thank you for a very bright and happy postcard!

and oh, so appropriately nestled in to my mailbox this afternoon, was a card from my friend and soror! How perfect (and funny) is this? Glad it came my way---and that I have finally been able to sucker my friends in to snail mailing after a few years :D

Have a great night everyone, and for those of you already out, back from, or staying in from Valentines celebrations, I hope it's great! Now go get some letters out, I know I'm going to!

Weekly Mail...Part Two!

2012-02-12T10:09:00.000-06:00

Happy Sunday Readers! As promised I have the second half of my weekly mail ready to go! This batch is mostly postcards--by mostly I mean all but one actual card haha! A lot of the cards are firsts for my collection-both in location and type. It's been a very exciting mail week for the mailbox and so far I have gotten some great feedback on the cards and letters that I sent out! Let's show off some mail, shall we?

My first card from Brazil makes its way from Mariana. This beautiful coastal view from Rio de Janero shows off a view of Ipanema and Leblon-a popular gathering area for locals as well as tourists. In the background the "Dois Irmaos" Mountains.

Lora sends a "did you know card" about Kentucky and Thinisha (a California native) sends me a card from her new found home in Aiken, SC! Thanks Ladies!

Valerie teaches me how to say Preserved Duck Egg Congee ( which is rice porridge with preserved duck egg and pork) and Neesa sends a nifty card with vintage bowling bags. Both are a first for the mailbox and while I'm iffy on the porridge, I really like some of those bags!

A multi-view of Cleveland's waterways makes its way from Rebecca, who lives about 20 minutes from downtown!

Ms. Anderson sends a card from Quantico, VA! Just outside of Washington, D.C., Quantico serves as the Development and Education Command for the U.S. Marine Corps. Weapons and equipment development programs are also conducted here to meet the needs of the USMC's amphibious operations requirements. How cool! Thank you :)

Samantha in Memphis sends a famous and flashy card from a city known for its food, history and more importantly, Elvis! Such a neat card!

One of my good friends from college sends a card from Gap, France where she is currently living and teaching! The top left shot is is actually the street that she lives on! So far she is enjoying the culture and the mild winter. Great to hear from you, Jackie! I'll send you something fun from OK soon! :)

My first Valentine of the season actually comes from another college pal! Thank you, Orlando, for my first bit of holiday love! I hope yours is great :)

Okay, this may not count as REAL mail as it didn't come from a friend or a loved one or even a postcard enthusiast, but I thought it was to cute to not share! I already liked my dentist but when this adorable little postcard found it's way in to the house, I liked him even more! Thank goodness for the service providers who use a bit of imagination instead of a plain text message or a pre recorded voice mail!

I hope you all liked the mail that came in this week! I certainly enjoyed everything I got to add to my collection and the messages from friends and strangers who will become friends. I've got a few letters to write back to (I'm actually fairly well caught up for once!!!) and a handful of postcards to get ready for Monday morning. Have a great week and Happy Mailing!

(Half) A Weeks Worth of Mail!

2012-02-11T14:40:00.000-06:00

Hi Readers! Happy Saturday! I have a good handful of mail to update you on, but I still have some that I need to reply/rate/photograph before I can share with you all! Instead of waiting until I had all of that done (and because it's been a full week since my last update--oops) I figured I'd come show off at least some of it? How does that sound? This week has seen a great mix of postcards, letters, and new websites-- as well as my first Valentines card of the season. I also received a random postcard from one of my college pals who is currently in France! Let's get started!!

Two beautiful scenic cards! Zibbity in Washington sends a card of her new home and Becky shares a gorgeous view of the Great Smoky Mountains!

Alena sends my first card from Hanover--an awesome multi-view of the city, and I actually have a calendar page with the bear on it! From Susan (who sends the most awesome cards) a street view of historic San Diego--even better since I was just talking to some friends about going there in November! Thank you ladies!

Leslie sends a card from the restaurant company she works for! I love the rabbit and I think it's great the company uses postcards for sharing and advertising, Thanks Leslie--I'll check out the restaurant and maybe get up there one day :) An adorable (and quite crafty) card makes its way from Fawn in Colorado-I love a good, cute postcard. Thank you!

From Bonnie a view of Zion National Park in Utah--I just love cards with these type of shots, and I have always thought massive rock formations were cool but man I am really bad at being in nature... hahah! Speaking of nature, Pam sends me some happy Nebraska cows! Thank you ladies, great cards :)

My second "Where's Waldo" card (and a different one to boot)! Thank you Bonnie for adding to my collection. Of course, you do have to find Waldo, but bonus points if you can find: A lighthouse, 5 snake monsters, and a scroll!-First person to comment with the correct answer will get a postcard from me!

Rich shares Indiana Wildflowers, which are some of my favorite flowers and definitely added a bright spot to the dull and dreary winter weather. The black and white card comes from Nelly in Switzerland--I love the little boy :) Thank you both!

Two fun cards made their way this week as well! A nun having some fun on a carousel comes from Joseph--the card is actually a between takes shot from the movie Where Angles Go, Trouble follows! Krista has been kind enough to send me one of my first cards from the Pixar collection, and it's a Finding Nemo card at that!

Jenny, of The Modest Peacock sent me a letter! A wonderful handmade envelope (this is such a good idea, I really need to try this more) and a card featuring her favorite bird! Thanks so much, Jenny, I'll write back soon!

A handmade Halloween card finds me from Lola in California. Thank you! I just adore it :)

And finally, at least for this afternoons update, the mastermind behind Cue Happiness has sent me some wonderful and inspirational mail! How cool is the plantable Valentine? I need to get some good soil for her :) Thanks a billion, I love the project!

Thank you for all of the great mail so far this week! I still have a good handfull (Thursday through Saturday) to show off and I promise that I will work on that today! So far this month I have gotten at least one thing out everyday that the mail has run--not including my bills and tax return haha-- for The Month of Letters Challenge!

Slow Saturday!

2012-02-04T15:06:00.001-06:00

Remember how excited I was on Tuesday because I got *SO MUCH* mail? Well, the PO Box Gods have forsaken me as today came with only three postcards (and probably not even that much when you consider that I didn't stop by to check on Friday afternoon). I think they know that I only sent out one domestic postcard today Even so, they are some pretty and neat postcards--and I received another neat postal surprise from Mom this time! Let's get some mail action going!

A (cold) and beautiful multi view of Lviv from Chystyna! Lviv is the largest city in Western Ukraine and later this year will host a European football championship. Thank you Christyna, I hope to swap with you again soon, great card :)

A lush and scenic view of Montana makes its way to the mailbox from Shirley and Judee offers up a view of the famous Napa Valley grapes! Thank you ladies!

How cool are these? Civil War Commemorative Stamps from 2005! They are .32c and not self adhesive. My mom had these laying around as she had purchased them for herself but she has sent them my way thinking that I can keep them or use them. I love them! I cant decide if I should hoard them or share them!What do you guys think?

(how funny is it that I just posted a Clara Barton card and now I have her on a stamp?)

Melissa over at Viva Snail Mail! was kind enough to drop me a postal hello--however Salem thinks that it belongs to her....Thanks Melissa, we both enjoyed it :)

Unfortunately I missed the mail drop by my house--so only that one card went out at the Post Office today, but that just gives me the rest of the weekend (minus about 6 hours for the SuperBowl....) to write some letters. Happy Saturday everyone! :)

Handful of Postcards!

2012-02-02T21:16:00.000-06:00

Well hello there Thursday evening readers! I hope you are all excited for it to finally be Friday--normally I would be but I have to work on Saturday (boo). A handful of awesome postcards made their way to my mailbox this afternoon and the good news is that A) I sent my fair share today and B) I have a few ready to go out tomorrow as well! Lets get to it.

Elsbeth sends a card from Gelderland province. Located in the central east, Gelderland is the largest province in the Netherlands! The blue, yellow and black flag is that of Gelderland and the red, white, and blue flag depicted is that of the Netherlands.

Tiffani sends an art deco ice gun that was produced by the Opco Company (Los Angeles, CA) from 1920-1940. Thanks Tiff, you should check out the George R Kravis Collection at the Philbrook Museum of Art .

Julie sends a multi-view from California!

Katie sends a card showcasing the Manchester Cathedral-which is documented to be the first Christian church in Manchester. Thank you Katie--I never thought I would say this but I am glad I got flaked on so that I could get this card :) Good luck with your classes!

Check out the awesome Clara Barton card! One of the first book reports I ever did in school was about her--in fact, I had a little stuffed yellow cat dressed in a nurses uniform (red cross included) who I would read the book too while she took care of the other animals! hahahahhaha! Thank you Ms. Anderson for the great card and the trip down memory lane!

Kate in Michigan sends a photo of Ferris Wheels during the 1949 Michigan state fair in Detroit. I love the reflected image int he water!!

Thanks to Cindy for the great Baltimore card. This is my first from the harbour view :)

Picture (perfect) Postcard!

2012-02-01T17:45:00.000-06:00

Happy Happy Wednesday Folks! I got a little bit of mail in today: one letter and a handful of great postcards! One that came from a Swap-bot pairing!

A "Black and White Postcard" swap lead to this little gem landing in my mailbox. I immediately thought the card was kind of cool, I mean, who sends cards with bees on them? Then, I turned the card over to find out that Ms. Rebecca in Arkansas actually took this picture herself last fall! Rebecca and her family keep bees as a hobby; in this photo our bee is licking up a bit of honey that is too small for us to see with the naked eye. Over the course of her life, this little bee with produce 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey. Man, that's a lot of hard work for only a little reward. Thanks for the info Rebecca and thanks for sharing your Bee with me!

Tuesday-NOT a slow mail day!

2012-01-31T17:56:00.001-06:00

Happy Tuesday Readers!

I hope you all are having a great day! Things were pretty slow at the bank today (except when I was trying to leave of course) which is good and bad. Good if I have something that I need to work on. Bad, if like this afternoon I don't. However there is a silver lining to my uneventful work day....what's that you ask?

Thirteen, yes 13, pieces of mail! And on a Tuesday! I just about fell over with excitement!!! Let's get to the mail, shall we?

A better late then never birthday greeting from my pal Weazer over at the Tulsa Zoo! I hear he had some help writing it out from the Volunteer Coordinator. Either way, I love it!

From a Postcrossing user in Russia. Such a pretty card, the text reads "Merry Christmas". Thank you to Oxana for the correction :)

The top card, comes from an 82 year old Postcrossing user in Latvia who actually got this card from her great-grandson who lives in the UK! Thank you to Cindy for my first card of the Concord Point Lighthouse in Harve de Grace, Maryland!

Photographed and made in to a postcard from Emily over at FrouFrouPostcards! Next a great artists view of New York City comes from Patricia! Thank you Ladies!

Silke in Dresden sends a (first) and wonderful view from The Elbe Sandstone Mountains (in German: Elbsandsteingebrige), a range that sits between the state of Saxony in South East Germany and the North Bohemian border of the Czech Republic.

Regina sends "Reading Woman" by French artist Pierre Auguste Renoir. I agree with you Regina, I like these cards--don't blame you if you buy yourself a set to keep! :)

Birthday Greetings come from Magi, a German pen pal! Kind of neat card from Kenna's second record! Thank you :)

Pamela sends what she calls "a little doodle from me to you" hahah! I think that it's a great doodle personally and it sits in the ranks of only 5 handmade cards that I have ever gotten! Let me know if you take a Zentangles class!

A beautiful Birthday card and letter from my German Pen Pal, Stephanie! I have to find something nice to write back on! :) Look for a letter soon.

Three more letters came today! One from Lenie in Poland, some reading recommendations from Jemma in the UK and a pen pal letter from Lucas! Thank you all! Letters soon I promise (I just stocked up on a ton of cards and I'm looking for some nice paper!)

I am hoping to get some mail together tonight! I clearly have some letters to catch up and I need to drop some cards to Anna and Wes! Happy Mailing!!

Monday's Postcard--Welsh Love Spoons

2012-01-30T19:58:00.000-06:00

Happy Happy Monday Readers! I had a couple of letters come my way today but I got a really neat postcard that I want to share! This card comes from Victoria on Postcrossing! Not only is this card a first but it is one of only a handful that I have gotten from Great Britain.

"Welsh Love Spoons"

"The giving of a carved spoon by a lover to his lass as a taken of affection is a Welsh custom which dates back to the 17th century. Spoons were also made for social occasions such as courtship, weddings and christenings. Each spoon is made individually and consequently tells its own store.

The Welsh spoon is unique as it is developed from the 'cawl spoon', a spoon used for eating Welsh broth. Each cawl spoon was an individual spoon made by the man for the household. This carving of spoon developed into the Love Spoon as the handle became a vehicle for the ;spooner' to tell his love by means of symbols. Hearts are common and should be full hearts and not fretted out. Chain links represent being linked together in affection. Grooves may be cut to outline a house or church and be filled in with coloured wax, thus giving a picture of "My house is yours" or "I wish to take you to church". A cockerel or peacock is often carved on a wedding spoon as a wish for fertility and a horseshoe for good luck. These are in face innumerable symbols which represent the individual wishes of the 'spooner'".

Sunday Find: Send Postcards For a Cause (or two)

2012-01-29T15:09:00.000-06:00

Hello Readers and Writers! It's been a few days since I've popped on to the blogosphere and while I do have some great mail to get you all updated on, and more than a few letters to reply to, I wanted to bring your attention to a couple of postcard projects that I have had the pleasure to stumble across within the last week.

Postcards for Arianna--Diagnosed in December of 2011, Arianna is a 9 year old little girl fighting off a vicious form of childhood leukemia. In order to keep her spirits high, her mother is asking two things; One, that if you have an extra postcard you would be kind enough to send it to her daughter and two, that you will be kind enough to share the page with your friends or letter writing circles. It is the family's hope that Arianna receives postcards from all over the world.

Postcards for Wes-Help me fill a 5 year old w/ cancer's mailbox--Wes is a 5 year old little boy who is being treated for Stage 4 Neuroblastoma Cancer. Wes loves getting mail, especially postcards from all around the world! He has even recently had the chance to get signed postcards from a number of Disney characters! You can send Wes a postcard by going to the link above and track his progress by going here.

Postcards for Libya--This project is meant to bring a smile to the face of Libyan children and refugees living in Tunisia, by sending them something with a warm greeting in the mail. By going to the official site you can also learn about ways to donate money (through reputable organizations providing aid and volunteers in Tunisia) if you so choose. The cause also has a facebook page.

All of these links and more can be found on the blogs facebook (here). I welcome any questions or concerns, also, if there are any "mail for a cause" programs that you are aware of or participate in please let me know and I will be happy to let the Internet know! I plan to be dropping a few cards in the mail this week for each of these groups along with my regular outgoing mail.

I hope you all are having a great weekend and looking forward to the mail coming on Monday!

Two New Postcard Swaps Up!!

2012-01-24T21:16:00.000-06:00

Hello Readers! I feel like I have been doing a lot of "long letter" and "blog post" swaps lately and well, I miss my postcards! What a better way to cure that than hosting my own postcard swaps over at Swap-bot!

Both swaps are simple, sender's choice, multiparty postcard exchanges; one is an international swap for those of you who like the surprise of a foreign card, but I am also hosting a regional (US only) swap for those who appreciate a break in postage!

You can read about each swap by clicking on I'm Regional! and I'm International!... Hop on over and show a lady some swap love!

Saturday Mail!

2012-01-21T18:29:00.000-06:00

A good handful of mail made it's way this weekend. Some awesome postcards to share with all of you! Let's get to it !

My grandmother is in the process of cleaning out drawers and closets so that she can move. She usually comes across something interesting (or something she forgot she had haha) but this time she came across a pack of postcards from Ashtabula County, Ohio! The cards show off 16 of the county's covered bridges-now I just have to decide who to send them too! Thanks, Grandma!

Yay! Another awesome card came from Andrea! I am going to have to step up my postcarding game and make something awesome to send her way. To bad I lack any creative skills (ideas and tips are welcome!)!

Tiffany in Sand Springs definitely spoiled me today. Not only did she take the time to decorate the envelope to represent Tulsa and write me a letter ......

But she also sent me for awesome and adorable envelopes made from old calender pages! How cool are these? Such a great way to jazz up your outgoing mail and find a way to recycle your wall calendars! Thanks a lot Tiffany, I know what I will be doing with my 2011 calendar now :)

While Darla's kittens are making their way through New York, Pamela's Arizona rattlesnake seems to be anxiously awaiting them! I'd hate to come up on that snake anywhere but man are those kittens cute! Thank you ladies!

From Victoria in Chezkasu, Ukraine! Thank you for the fun card and I hope you enjoy your traveling! :)

Look at the cool stamps that came along for the ride!

Scenes from Old Sacramento (which flourished during the gold rush) makes it's way to my mailbox from Yanelis.

My first Annie Oakley card! Thank you Lisa for adding something new to my collection!

Another first (and along those same western lines), a map of the Oregon Trail! Walter, who was kind enough to send the card, has ancestors that to the US from Denmark and then traveled to Utah by covered wagon!

The last postcard of the day comes from Karroline in Poland. Her card shows off an artists rendering of the city she lives in, Piotrkow.

I really do love foreign stamps, I can't help myself!

All of this wonderful mail greeted me on this cold Saturday afternoon--as well as a slew of pen pal letters! You all really know how to keep a girl busy! I'm off for a post birthday dinner! Happy Mailing :)

Little Bit of Mail!

2012-01-18T18:35:00.000-06:00

Happy Happy Wednesday Everyone! I have a bit of mail this so far this week to show off, Ill be honest though, I did pick this batch up a couple of days ago and I haven't been able to swing by my PO Box since then! I hope you all have gotten some great mail this week!

A multi-view of Kassel. Located in Northern Hesse, Germany, population about 195,000, The city's name is derived from the ancient Castellum Cattorum, a castle of the Chatti, a German tribe that had lived in the area since Roman times.

The Milwaukee Art Museum, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava the museum is know for its sunshade which gently rolls up against the back drop of Lake Michigan!

From Daugavpils, the second largest city in Latvia!

My first Valentine card! I had no idea they made postcards for V-Day! Thank you Krysal!

Adorable Christmas Puppies from Susan

This has to be the TINIEST Christmas card that I have ever seen! I mean really, how cool! Thank you so much for adding some flair to my card size, Vanessa!

With an adorable Squirrel stamp, might I add!

Thank you to Yvonne for a wonderful letter and some Halloween goodies! I will write back soon!

That's all for me today folks. I should go write some letters but its my birthday so I'm being lazy!

New Stamps--January 2012

2012-01-12T10:10:00.000-06:00

The start of the New Year is always exciting for a lot of different reasons, and even though here in the US our first class stamp price is set to raise by a penny (effective January 22nd), we seem to be getting a lot more options to choose from. This month alone offers 15 new releases! Check out the January stamps and let me know which ones you'll be buying!

Spectrum Eagle, Release Date: January 3rd, 2012

In June of 1782 Congress declared the Bald Eagle as America's national symbol. The Eagle is not only native to North America but serves as an icon in many Native American cultures, myths and legends. As of 2007, June 20th has been marked as "American Eagle Day" to celebrate the birds recovery in population. The eagle is no longer an endangered or threatened species.

New Mexico Statehood, Release Date: January 6th

Celebrating 100 years of New Mexico becoming the nation's 47th state. New Mexico's long and rich history includes settlement by the Navajo and Pueblo Tribes, being a Spanish and Mexican territory, and then finally being ceded to the US in 1848 after the US-Mexican War.

Aloha Shirts, Release Date: January 19th

"Aloha" is used as a blessing or greeting in Hawaii! These shirts which often depict bright, bold colors and images of Hawaiian life are widely considered business attire in the state due to climate making "professional dress" a bit uncomfortable. Some say we get the term "casual Friday" from these type of shirts

Glacier National Park Montana, Release Date: January 19th

Named for glaciers that formed it's landscape over 10,000 years ago, Montana's Glacier Park was established in May of 1910. The stamp depicts Logan's Pass which is the highest part on it's "Going-to-the-sun" Road.

Wedding Cake, Release Date: January 20th

First introduced in 2009, this years Wedding Cake stamp release features a 3-tier cake with white flowers and their green stems adorning the top.

Weather Vanes, Release Date: January 20th

A showcase of five 19th century weather vanes belonging to the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont. During the latter half of the century factories in major cities began mass production the weather instruments, today making them a piece of history and a pieces of collectible American Folk Art.

Baltimore Checkpoint, Release Date: January 20th

The official insect of Maryland gets showcased on a stamp this year! The second stamp to feature a butterfly is named after George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, who helped found the colony of Maryland. The black and orange coloring resembles the colorings and paters of the Calvert family coat of arms

Birds Of Prey, Release Date: January 20th

This stamp series showcases 5 of the most voracious birds of prey (also called raptors) which live and thrive on every Continent except Antarctica.

Dogs at Work, Release Date, January 20th

A set of four reminding us just how helpful man's best friend is in our lives! From dogs assisting blind persons to police dogs trained to detect guns or explosives, these stamps shed light on just how keen the sense of smell and natural instincts of these animals can be. It is estimated that some 10,000 dogs are used in the US and Canada alone to assist those with sight issues.

Lancaster County Pennsylvania, Release Date: January 20th

Breath taking rural views and large Amish population give this area a traditional old world charm for the people who live there and the tourists who flock every year.

Sailboat Stamped Card, Release Date, January 22nd

Add some scenic beauty to your outgoing mail with this stamped card. The sailboat adds a bit of flair and adventure to any sea side view!

Lunar New Year, Release Date: January 23rd

The fifth in the lunar new year serious, The Year of the Dragon stamp (beings on Jan 23 and ends on Feb 9 2013) goes hand in hand with the bright and exciting festivals that mark the new year celebration. Many cultures gather at this time for parades, showcasing dancers, music, and the dragon. Lanterns are often hung for good luck and traditional food such as the kumquat are eaten and shared.

Bonsai, Release Date: January 23rd

Japanese for "plant in a pot" this stamp release brings several kinds of bonsai plants front and center. Though it is not known when the first bonsai plant was created, it is widely believed by historians that the practice was brought from china to Japan by monks more than a century ago. in 1976, the National Arboretum began in 1976 when the Nippon Bonsai Association in Tokyo, Japan, presented the people of the United States with 53 plants as part of the U.S. bicentennial commemoration

Purple Martin Stamped Envelope, Release Date: January 23rd

This pre-stamped envelope shows off the beauty of the Martin as he is perched on a branch. Native Americans were the first to build "houses" for these insect eating flyer's by hanging hollow gourds for them to nest in. In the Eastern US, the Purple Martin lives almost exclusively in bird houses set up in back yards.

John H. Johnson, Release Date: January 31st

The publisher of Ebony and Jet Magazines, Johnson built a media empire which catered to and portrayed African America's in a positive manner when such a thing was unheard of, played a major role in the civil rights movement ; his unrelenting determination sparked when he was unable to buy a lot for building in down town Chicago, Johnson hired a white lawyer and won his case. Mr. Johnson became the first black man to construct a major building in Chicago's Loop (where Johnson Publishing still stands).

This information and more can be found at Beyond the Perf. Thank you to the USPS for the pictures and info!

Sunday Postcards!

2012-01-08T09:46:00.000-06:00

Well I suppose the actually came on Saturday but you all get the point! : -) A handful of cards made their way this weekend! I should get started as I have a number of letters to write back to and quite a few swaps about to come due.

The first card today comes from Jean-Michel in France showcases "The Chateaux de Samur" which over looks the Loire Valley. One of Loire's most famous castles, tourists flock to this site every year. The castle served as the royal domain for Phillip ll during the 13th century. In 1621 the castle served as an army barracks and nearly 200 years later was used as a state prison under Napolean. As of 1862 it has been listed as a historic monument by the French Ministry of Culture.

First up a view of Vlissingen from Bianca in Norway and from Robin, visited Niagara Falls on her honey moon, sends us a card of Maid of the Mists

Magi sends (brightly colored) wishes for a happy New Year from Germany

Holiday wishes come from Jessica--I thought this card was kind of cool with the Snowman holding a 2011 sign-and Mierna sends us one of her many Easter cards from the Ukraine!

These are the stamps on Mierna's card! How cool are these!

That's my haul for the week! I'll be picking up on my out put of cards and letters so I should have even more goodies to show off! Now lets go get some mail together for Monday!

First Mail of the New Year!

2012-01-06T18:50:00.000-06:00

Hello boys and girls! We are just about a week in to 2012 and I know for many of us the break comes after the holidays are finally over! Now that we have family obligations out of the way (and hopefully resolutions underway) it's time to get back to our regularly scheduled programs of work and hobbies. The mail was a bit slow this week but I admit that I haven't gotten much out either; a couple of letters found there way to me from new writers and a few postcards from all of the usual haunts. Let's get to it shall we?

Two Vintage-Esq cards made their way this week, one comes to us from Linda in VA and the second from CJ in Canada appealed to my love of shopping with a pioneer market!

A letter from Impeccable=M has made it's way to me! I love the stationery and the decorative flair on the address. Expect a letter back soon (and I suspect that we shall be hearing more from M...)

M's matching card

A (better late than never) holiday card from my Sorority Daughter! YAY AGD!

Another card from a friend back home. Aren't these penguins cute?

This letter makes its way from Karen in Rush Springs. One of very few Oklahoma homesteaders that I have encountered during my mail exchanges! She was kind enough to send one of my favorite OK postcards as well as some seasonal tea :) I'll write back soon!

My Favorite type of card, the "did you know" makes its way from Olivia and features the Super dome . Did you know that in 1981 The Rolling Stones played here to the largest indoor concert ever ( 87,500 people)! Pam (who always sends great cards) sends us a colorful and adorable map of Nebraska!

My first card featuring wind turbines! This modern day windmill provides a clean source of electricity to over 150,00 homes a year---and they are neat looking! Thank you, Judee!

A reminder that spring may be near! An adorable little lamb comes from Barbara in VA--and she was kind enough to jot down her favorite Carmel corn recipe for me. Sounds delish! :)

Hurrah! A letter from Carol! I will write back ASAP! Don't you just love those snowflakes?

Finally for tonight Reggie sends us some folk art from Oaxaca, Mexico! how neat are these little guys!

I hope everyones had a great new year so far and that you are planning to get some great mail out, I know I am, I have some catching up to do!

Starting the New Year off with A Guest Post--Meet Camille!

2012-01-05T16:48:00.001-06:00

Hey there readers! I have been away for a little over a week now, I need to catch you all up on some great mail that I've gotten lately (as well as send some out!!!) I know that many of you always like to find new blogs, projects, pen pals, people and ideas so I would like to introduce you to Camille! You can read all about her below! Hope you enjoy it--be sure to show some blog love for her!
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Hello!
My name is Camille and I blog at 327market. Many years ago I graduated from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. This means that I am a total snob, but mostly about the stuff I make myself. Since then, I have taught art at just about every level, from preschool to adult ed. Now I have babies, which means that I don't get to do hardly any art at all. That is why I love Swap-bot so much, because it gives me happy deadlines and fills my mailbox with love. I am very excited to share some fun mail and a mail art project I am starting.
I had a happy mail box day on Monday, Jan 3rd. Christmas just keeps on giving!

This beautiful envelope is from the Christmas Memories Swap. It contains a sweet letter and some lovely goodies. I love the letter swaps, because they give a unique glimpse into the life of someone else. It also gives me an excuse to write ridiculous things to perfect strangers. I am not Catholic, so I need a private confessional to air my peck-id-i-yos (I have no idea how that word spelled in English, or Spanish).

This is from Portugal, from Swap-bot user hbranco2003. It also has a lovely stamp.

This is a Postcrossing card from Paulina in Poland. Poland looks much greener than California, where I live.

This is from castlequeen in Pennsylvania. This image makes me hungry for cheese!

I think I may be biting off more than I can chew, but I signed up for 31 Day Letter Challenge swap. I had to beg the hostess to let me in, because my rating was exactly 1 hundredth of a point off. My plan is to create mail art that actually looks like real mail, even though it isn't going through any postal system. Rather, it is going through my postal system. So I created some cancellation stamps for an imaginary post office. I looked at a bunch of vintage cancellations online and got lots of good ideas. I want to make more! If I had a printer, I'd create my own stamps, but instead I am using some beautiful vintage ones. When I was a kid I used to dream about designing my own rubber stamps (this was in the 80s, when rubber stamping was an underground thing and it was hard to get our hands on them. And the catalogs were works of art in themselves. Since then I have discovered Rubberstamps.net, who, for a nominal fee, will let you design your own stamps to your heart's content-- they are fast, too!)

I feel guilty using collector's stamps, but I figure they are going to a good cause and getting a second life. If I have time, I want to draw on the envelopes, because now, I need a reason to draw. I will be documenting more of this project on my blog and I would love to see you there!

~Camille

Chrismas Eve Mail!

2011-12-24T13:44:00.000-06:00

Hello Readers, Followers and passers-by! I hope that everyone is able to be home with their families, friends, and loved ones during this holiday season. A few pieces came in today--including one that had gotten lost (funny that I just posted about where lost mail goes on the Facebook Page) since September! Let's get to some mail so that we can get to holiday cookies and presents, shall we?

Ann sends a card fitting for this time of year, a wonderful shot from Rockefeller Center

Kaylin sends a vintage movie star curling her eyelashes for a role, Jenny sends me my first Zebra, and a friend in Belarus sends Christmas wishes and a beautiful card (which oddly enough arrived with no stamp)

A very cool World Traveler card comes from a Postcrossing user and Ria in Holland shows off her home town!

Postmark. Check. Stamp. Oops?

From Lady Ambrosia comes a "Pasha" card-which is the English equivalent of Dancing with The Stars- and Gab & Rem send holiday wishes and vacation invoking views from New Zealand

Ms. Rachel (of Swap-bot fame) sent me a lovely note and a great card from Arizona. It arrived safe and sound in my mailbox this morning after being sent on its journey in mid September!

See?

Two Christmas cards one from Katie in Orlando (yay) and one sadly with no name :( . Both filled with warm wishes for a wonderful holiday and thankfully they both hope that I don't get any snow!

And more cards! One from my Megan in NYC and one from a friend, Stepheny, in Orlando! Thanks Ladies!

I hope you all have gotten some great mail full of cheer and warm wishes! Now let's all go enjoy what we have left of the holidays! Remember, if your family and friends get to be to much or your spending this year away from home, you can always go write a letter!

Friendly New Stationary Blog (and it comes with a giveaway!!)

2011-12-22T18:08:00.001-06:00

Hello Readers,

I didn't get to check my mail today so no cards to showcase BUT I did get a pretty cool email! Seems a wonderful follower of mine has started her own blog! I hope you will all hop over and give LadyKayy-some followers, motivation and advice! You can view her blog by clicking ladykayy.

Interested in the give away? Find out what you can win and what you need to do to enter by going to Ladykayy's Chewy Tulip Giveaway.

Heck, while your at it check out Chewy Tulip on Etsy for all your fun, quirky, and adorable postcarding needs! Hope you all like it, let me know what you think. Personally, I'm a fan of their squirrel postcards!

How cute is this guy?!

Mid Week Mail Call!

2011-12-21T16:13:00.000-06:00

Well I don't know about you all but my mail box has been a tad on the quite side this week. I will just tell myself that it's not because you don't love me but rather that you are trying to get your last minute holiday errands done. Even though the haul has been small, I have gotten some pretty good things! A few cards from Walltype and Postcrossing as well as a few Christmas cards! I haven't been in many swaps lately, I imagine site traffic will pick back up after the first. Lets get to it shall we?

A bright and beautiful Georgia O'Keeffe painting makes its way from Rosalie and a little piggy (of her own creation) comes from Elizabeth!

Two that came today, both from Poland! The sheep (which I love) makes its way from Magda and a Christmas themed card with a poem from Dana. Thank you both!

My other arrival for the day comes from Sally in Malaysia...my first card from the Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum! Baba and Nyona are Chinese nobility who adopted the Malay culture in to theirs. Thank you for the info Sally!

A Christmas postcard showcasing Gattinburg, TN makes is way from Sheri!

Two Christmas cards! Whoo-hooo! The first one, from Amy, invoking wonderful memories of home and what I used to be doing in December! Second from my Aunt and Uncle!

I still have some mail to get out for the week (no more holiday cards)! Mostly postcards, a pen pal letter or two and a couple of swaps--sadly my mailman has beat me to the punch today so anything I write will be out in the morning! I hope you all got some great mail today!

Sunday Find: New Years Cards!

2011-12-18T19:00:00.000-06:00

Good Sunday Readers!

As we are only days out from most of the major Winter holidays being in full swing, I got to thinking about greetings for the New Year. Many of us complain about the stress that the holidays bring, chock full of awkward family moments, stressing over what to buy a cousin you see once every five years, eating to much, work parties, house parties, and well....all the trimmings. Yet when we send out our holiday cards or greet a friend, there is a tendency to sugar coat our love of the holidays and tie it all up with just a "happy new year". Well, what if instead of agonizing over what to write in a ChristmaHannuKwanzika card, we could skip over all of that holiday fluff and just send some greetings for a great New Year full of health and happiness and prosperity. Thank you Amazon for I give you New Years Greeting Cards!

Almost Midnight by Cronin & Company (here)

Hope by Cronin & Company (here)

Bright New Year by Cronin & Company (here)

Invincible Summer by Cronin & Company (here)

Light Up The Sky by Cronin & Company (here)

Cat New Year's Resolutions by London Times (here)

Year of the Dragon by sinopaperart (here)

Now these are just a few that caught my eye but there are many choices from all sorts of different sellers and publishers. What do you all think? Are New Year's cards a good idea, are you likely to send them? Let me know if there are some cool ones out there!

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me......MAIL!

2011-12-16T19:00:00.000-06:00

Hi there readers!! I finally stopped and picked up my mail! A few Christmas cards have made their way in to my box, along with postcards and a letter. Not to mention a surprise from a coworker! I got a few cards from Postcrossing, Walltype, and Swap-bot! I also have a few blogs to add to the side roll. Let's get started shall we?

As a surprise on my desk this morning a Santa Claus Mail box from one of my coworkers, thanks AG! And a little box from Stephanie in Kansas! Awesome

Jurgen sends a card from Cologne, from Terri in Las Vegas we have a great view of the New York Hotel and Casino on the strip, Ashley has greatly managed to combine my love of beer-Halloween-and postcards, and Sarah sends me a card from St. George Island in Florida!

A Christmas card with a kitty cat from Erin, a wonderful vintage holiday card comes from my postcard-pall Pat, and Andrea comes a William Sommer painting called "Pompous Boy"

Nepu sends me a card from her 20th wedding anniversary trip to Rome and Julie pulls at my seasonal heartstrings with some wonderful New Hampshire fall foliage. Thank you both!

Two postcards came from Yanelis--swimming camels and a card from Tazmania. From Vidmante in Lithuania we have a Dear Santa letter and two tiny Christmas cards! :)

Lithuanian Stamps!

Some wintry decoration on my chunk of cardboard postcard!

And my cardboard creation from Kristina who may be the only person I have ever encountered that likes bran flakes as much as I do. Right on!

A great card from Maryland and one of few that I have from Acadia National Park, Marley sends us greetings from Memphis (I love these kinds of cards), a beautiful coastal Portugal card comes from Paule, and finally for this batch Linda sends another awesome card from Modesto!

Ruth sends a Puffin card...puzzles and books, my favorite!

Two Christmas cards came in today (and both with my favorite Snowmen!!!!!) Thank you to Carolyn and JoAnna!

Rosalie was kind enough to send 4 beautiful cards from NYC! Thank you I love them. The lion at the library is my favorite!

I put my mail in my Santa Claus Mail Box just for the heck of it. I'll defiantly have to use this as a decoration for the holidays!

A week full of awesome surprises if I do say so myself (and I do!). I don't know about you guys but I only have about three more Holiday cards to send out and a couple of swaps due! I think I'm going to spend the holiday period catching up on pen pal letters! I'll be back a bit later to update the blog roll! Make sure to get some mail out tomorrow!

Random Facts from the USPS

2011-12-14T18:42:00.000-06:00

Hello Readers and Welcome to new Followers! I've gotten a little bit of mail in so far this week--all very good pieces at that--and not only did I send out a second batch of Holiday cards but I've also lined up a few swaps to get together and pen pals waiting on replies! The weather today didn't really permit running to the PO Box or taking any good pictures (insert dark and gloomy winter forecast here), so I decided I would do a fun post! Let me know what you think!

In 1923, one postmaster estimated that 2 percent of parcels delivered by his carriers consisted of laundry. College students, especially, found it economical to mail dirty clothes home and have them mailed back clean. The typical “laundry bag” was a canvas-covered cardboard box 4½ by 12 by 20 inches, weighing six to seven pounds.

Mail delivery in large cities began in 1863 but no official uniforms were worn until after July 27, 1868, when Congress passed legislation authorizing use of uniforms by letter carriers. In 1868, uniforms were cadet blue-gray with black trim. A cap was mandatory.

Employees pose in front of Station S of the Brooklyn, New York, Post Office, in 1888. This station, now named Bushwick, still serves Brooklyn residents. Post Office stations and branches are units of a main Post Office that provide a range of services. The earliest known station was established in New York City on January 1, 1837.

For these stories and more you can visit the USPS' FB page at USPS Facebook, while you're there, how about givin' em a like :)

Can a Gal get some Facebook likes?

2011-12-11T16:13:00.001-06:00

Hello again Readers! I know I'm awfully chatty for an early Sunday evening but I have come to ask for a favor; In the name of spreading the snail mail love to as many as possible I have set up a Facebook page for the blog. You can view the page by going to this link My Happy Mail Box on FB!

I'd love it if I can acquire a few of you as fans, hopefully we can spark some mail inspiration as people are getting their holiday cards together.....which now I will be on my way to finish! Thank you everyone! :)

PS If the page catches on I will add it to the side bar, deal?

*Edit* If your blog or favorite site has a FB Fan Page let me know and I'll give 'em a "Like"!

The European Paper Company

2011-12-11T09:52:00.000-06:00

Happy Sunday, Readers! I have a wonderful new blog and site to tell you about this morning!

I recently received an e-mail from Leah at The European Paper Company, it seems that my little part of the Internet has come to the attention of the staff and they have been kind enough to add me to their blog roll! After some poking around the blog and the retail site, I thought you all might enjoy a new place to poke around too! Both sites have been added to the side bar for your convenience, however you can find them easily in this post too!

If your looking for new boxed note cards, fine stationary, planners or art supplies you can visit the retail store by going to The European Paper Company.

When you're out there searching for crafts, ideas, contests, or product questions and concerns hop on over to The European Paper Blog.

Check it out and let me know what you all think! As always, if there is something you would like me to highlight, let me know!

Enjoy your Sunday and get your Monday mail ready--I'm on Christmas cards now!

Fat and Happy Mailbox Post!

2011-12-10T13:54:00.000-06:00

Oh.My.Dear. Don't go a week or so with out checking your PO Box (it's been cold, it's not my fault I promise--I'm not ready for all these winter shenanigans). I have so many postcards it is unreal! Plus a few Christmas cards and pen pal letters! I just popped a few cards in the mail for some of my Postcrossing and Swap-bot partners--and that's not even counting the tons of holiday cards I still need to put out to friends and family (yes pen pallers and blog followers who want to send me their address count as friends!!!!). This batch of mail came from the two above mentioned sites as well as Walltype (which I need to check so I can send some cards out!). I also have a new blog to post about and add to the side bar! Let's get started!

Gerda in the Netherlands sends me an awesome wave, Marike was kind enough to part with a Van Gogh card from the actual museum in Amsterdam, Yooperhill decided to appeal to my appetite and send me a great chunk of cardboard with a recipe for filling tacos on the back, and from Julie comes a card from Mother Goose Village!

Linda was kind enough to send a Japanese Kite card from her collection, another beautiful card from Michigan-this one coming from Porsha, A Jefferson dropped me a view of the Longs Peak (circa 1930) and Elizabeth sends me some Nancy Drew love!

Ruth sends some Sunshine and reminds me that its really not cold in Oklahoma when compared to her 17* in Minneapolis, a Halloween card with some great books listed on the back comes from Tricia, from Merideth a view of the James Hill House (built in 1891) and Beth knows how to get me every time with beautiful views from my home state!

Pat sends me warm wishes via a Halloween hot air balloon, from AtinaGrace I get Australian oceans and a Koala bear ( a zoo card shall come your way soon!), the Three Cliffs Bay in Wales, UK from Annie, and Elizabeth sends us some Dutch cows :)

A beautiful view from Annik in France, from Nayeil we have a vintage card, another awesome waves comes my way from Naomi, and a lovely card with no name comes from Germany!

My first card from Kazakhstan comes from Natalie, Susan sends us Christmas wishes and a big kitty!, a Christmas in the city comes from Judee and two little birdies enjoying the snow come from Heidi!

Linda gives us a peak at Modesto, CA while Amora sends me her favorite super heroes on a card from MGM in Florida! One of the funniest cards I have ever seen makes its way from Melissa in Massachusetts, and Natalie shares her favorite California vacation spot!

Heidi sends a still life from the Ringling Museum (also in Florida!), Rosalie shares a wonderful rooftop view of her town, from Jill an odd yet awesome Edward Hopper painting, and Karrisa sends me a card that she made!

The last two postcards of the post come from Yasmine in Australia who lived in Shanghai for a year, and Anchuta who sends a card from The Russian Diamond Fund in the Kremlin!

My first two official Christmas cards of the Season! The snowmen come from Judy and the beautiful tree was sent to me from Linda! Thank you ladies both for the great cards and the extras! It feels like Christmas already! :)

(Another) Week's Worth of Mail!

2011-12-01T17:07:00.000-06:00

Hello Readers! We have a couple of new followers with us (YAY) and a whole week of mail to show off! I got a few pen pal letters back this week and a ton of great postcards! Most of them came from Swapping , with a few Postcrossing stragglers thrown in. I hope that everyone has had a good week so far--I know a lot of you are breaking out your Christmas decorations and getting your shopping done. I have done neither, but I did stock up on some great postcards, hah! Let's get to it, shall we?

From Ashley who now lives in Florida but used to live in Oklahoma--it's like we switched! Thank you for the Mickey Mouse love!

From Sinead a card featuring Long Beach, my first Oregon Coast card from Regina, from Becky (sent from Tacoma) a card from Sete, and my first card from the Susquehanna River-thanks Deb

A gorgeous sunset from Susannah, The Great Salt lake (featuring Antelope Island) from Rattissia, from Leona a awesome view of Manhattan -I've been there and it is that pretty-, and from Kris a touristy postcard that is quite possibly my favorite and it just happens to be in Florida!

Justine sends a view of Bryce Cannon in Utah, a "Did you know" about the Lincoln Memorial from Rose, Cyndi sends a vintage card she picked up at a flea market of the George Wythe House, and Sam also sends us a "Did you know" pc, this one from Texas!

OMG I LOVE HALLOWEEN--Thank you Teresa, and who couldn't love this beautiful bluebird from New York, also, Ilona (aka The Missive Maven) sends us a DC Comics card!

One of my first cards from Ireland--I think I could get in to milk and Guinness delivery :D, even more love from home a card featuring the (most scary-makes-you-want-to-cry) Sun Shine State Bridge; As much as I hated going over it, the view is great, and lastly for this group an adorable kitty cat from Gabriela!

My final postcard for the evening comes from Lawrence in France!

Finally for the evening a few cards and letters from Marie, Jeni, Yanelis, and Lindsay! Thank you all :)

I'm off to my Swap-bot account now as I have a few swaps to send out! Happy Mailing, let's finish the end of the week strong!

Happy Turkey Day--AND a week's worth of mail! oh my :)

2011-11-24T10:53:00.000-06:00

Hello Readers! I logged on today and discovered we have a new follower--a very large thank you to those who stick by and also to those who just stop in to visit. Remember, if you have or see any interesting blogs that you think i should mention or follow, let me know, I love to return the favor!

A Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends home and abroad! Now, let's get to my week of awesome mail. Mostly postcards, but I did get a new pen pal letter (as well as caught up on most of mine!!!!) and an adorable package from Holland. Mail this week came from a new pen pal, Walltype, Postcrossing, and Swap-bot. Let's go!

From Jolanda in Holland a lovely package! She was my partner for a magnet swap and was kind enough to throw in some candy, a card, coins and a cute patch! Thank you, it's all wonderful!

And a newspaper! :)

My cardboard swap partner Betsy send me my favorite snack and a great letter on the back, from Michelle in AZ a card from San Xavier Mission (a first for me), and from Callie in Malaysia the international airport!

Some cap-lillies from Yanelis, Etasha sends a great Gettysburg card (I hope your trip there goes well!), from Barb and adorable card from NY--this one really made me laugh, and from Catrine in Greece a beautiful card showcasing some of the country's locations.

The French Alps from Jean-Michel, a touch of Ft. Myers Fl from Regina (you really need to go visit, it's great!), from Anne my first card from Jersey, France, and a Smoky Mountain cabin from Christina!

Casco Bay Lighthouses!, Janadah in AL sent me some winter snow AND she just had a friend move to my town!, my first Zoo card comes from Elizabeth and the Lake Superior Zoo, and a wonderful Houston card from a swapper who just moved to the US from Germany!

A shot from the Beaver Mountains in UT, a frisky puppy from Lena in Germany ( I still need to translate it), more Smoky Mountain love that came with no name (it's a swap-bot card so please let me know if it's yours) and from Atlantic City a glimpse at the boardwalk!

A scenic UT card from Jessica and Yanelis sends a card from Scotland

Denise was kind enough to send me not only a great card but some stickers and several postcards as well! I love the San Francisco card! :)

Mcall sends us some California love, from Dominica a gorgeous card showing off the sights of Warsaw, and GinaMarie sends us a painting card of the painter Van Gogh!

And finally for postcards we have, a lovely Japanese garden from Susan, a few nosey birds and a book from Regina, also from Regina the head of President Lincoln on Mt. Rushmore and surprisingly from Angela a card from the Gettysburg Lincoln Memorial featuring his famous address!

My new pen pal, Melissa in Texas sends an introductory letter and some mail art. I'll write back soon!

And Lastly for this week's mail so far we have a Fantasy Dinner Party letter from Layla in Scotland. Sounds like a lot of fun!

I hope you all enjoyed the mail as much as I have! I have some serious sorting to do, and a day off to write a couple of letters! Now, let's eat :)

Another Friendly Postcard Project!

2011-11-17T17:57:00.000-06:00

Hi there Readers! I hope you have all had a wonderful Thursday; as well settle in to our dinners and the end of the week, I thought I would give you all a heads up on a new postcard project that I have come across.

The project, called "Froufrou Postcards" is headed up by mail snail mail friend Emily from California. Her goal is to get 500 postcards by next October (2012)--the one year anniversary of her projects creation. The aim of the project is to learn more about different cultures, ideas, religions, peoples etc through postcards and their images. As an added bonus, the first 100 participants with get a card back from Emily herself! (I happen to have some awesome cards from her so I would jump at this chance!).

You can read more about the project by going to Froufrou Postcards; there is also a link on my side bar under "Snail Mail Fun".

Stop by and show her some love...and culture!

M-W Mail

2011-11-17T10:44:00.000-06:00

Good Morning Readers! First I'd like to give a huge Thank You to all of you have taken a moment to check out my swap on Swap-bot and I am so happy a number of you have chosen to join one or both of them. (For those of you still interested you can view them by going here).

It's been a bit of a slow mail week here in OK; I did however, get a number of good pieces in! Mostly postcards so far our mail contributions this week came from Postcrossing, Walltype, Swap-bot and for the first time in a while I received a piece from Send Something! Let's get to some mail, shall we?

From Rikka in Finland a card featuring architect Alvar Aalto, another beautiful Michigan card from Laura, and from Sheri a card from her favorite spot on her California road trip.

A wonderful King Aurthur-esqe card from A.Jefferson, from Sophie and awesome card from Phoenix (doesn't it make you want to go visit?) and the most adorable card I have from NH-thank you Pat for the black bear! :)

Sheri sends us a great card from Cincinnati (another first), from Martina in Zagreb a lovely summer deck chair that is making me forget its getting cold outside! Finally for this set from Emily in CA we have a photo that she took herself! You can have your own postcards published like Emily at Simply Postcards.

My first card from Malaysia! Thank you Raymond! From a user in China we have some ancient architecture in the forest, and Naomi sends us a pretty cool Michigan card! It seems I am popular with the Michigan natives this week!

And from Miss Lauren we have an adorable Thanksgiving day card!

Thank you all for the great mail! I have some time today to get some of mine out. I have a few postcard swaps due, a couple of letters ready and I found a new postcard project that I will be posting about to help a swap friend out! Happy Mailing

Two New Postcard Swaps Up!

2011-11-14T17:46:00.000-06:00

Hello Readers, Swappers, and Passers-by! Just a quick Monday evening line to let you all know that I have two new Swaps up over at Swap-bot. Both swaps are postcard only, one is an international swap and the second is regional (USA Only). You can read more about each one by clicking the links below.

International Postcard Swap

Regional Postcard Swap

Like the idea but aren't sure what to send to your partners? Head on over to Pomegranate and pick up their Postcard Blowout Sale Pack--100 randomly assorted PC's at a great price. I just ordered mine :)

Mail: Week of 11/7

2011-11-13T16:11:00.000-06:00

See, I told you guys and gals that I would get all caught up on mail! These are all the goods I got this week :) This weeks mail is brought to you by a pretty good mix of Postcrossing, Swap-bot, Walltype and readers like you!

My "yellow bee" from Katrina, from Elizabeth we have a very cool tree frog that is actually a piece of art that she commissioned for a little girls room!, and the two "Bug's Life" cards come from Jamie! Seems to be a critter friendly week!

A very pretty Washington State card from Nita, a scenic shot of Nebraska from Pam, Judee passes through this California town from time to time and decided to share it with me, and the French Alps from Jean who often vacations there!

From Olgak, a scene from the Pacific Northwest, Greek ruins from Regina, and a very pretty and silly card from James in the Philippines who is a reader!

The last two postcards today coming from Anchuta in Russia and Naomi in New Mexico!

Erin sent me an awesome package of cards and paper goods for writing and swapping. Thank you so much!

From Laura and adorable Thanksgiving card :)

From Christina who I am proud to say is surviving Zombie Apocalypse (what a fun swap!!)

and finally a thank you card from the zoo for volunteering at their Halloween event!!!

All mail is inspected and approved by kitty....

A pretty good haul if I do say so myself, cant wait to see what Monday brings! Happy Mailing!

Return of Updates!! My Apologies and Mail week of 10/31

2011-11-13T15:06:00.000-06:00

Hello Faithful readers, as promised I have come back and on this Sunday I have two full weeks of mail to update you on! Thank you to those who have continued to send me blog-generated snailmail during my absence and also to those who sent me an e-mail to see where I had been. I must admit at first I just didn't feel like updating, then some nasty weather kept me from running to my PO Box, then my camera batteries died (don't worry I have actually purchased some new batteries, so I am hoping they last as I wont just be switching them out with whatever else in the house uses AA batteries) and FINALLY I had my wisdom teeth pulled! Phew! While I have been gone from the blogosphere, I have still been sending mail out so we shouldn't have to much of a lag--AND because I have tomorrow off I will be churning out some pen pal letters. WHOOO Mail! :) Let's get to some up dates shall we?

The following mail is all from the week of 10/31/2011...some from Swap-bot, Postcrossing, walltype* and from the site!

Isn't it all lovely?

Thank you to Jennifer in CA, Jenny in GA, Anchuta in Russia, and Andrea in NC who sent me the only Day of the Dead Card I have seen!

A beautiful card from Portugal (the stamp covered your name!), from Katherine who lives near Suffolk, a beauty of a sunset from Donna in NC, and from Laura in MI a great Halloween card :)

Thank you to Monica for my first card from Norway!, Heike in Germany sends a lovely card from a nearby museum, another first--Elizabeth sends me a card from Nova Scotia, and Erin in CA sent me one of her odd-ball cards for a swap! Thank you all

Finally for Postcards we have some Berlin architecture from Kathrin, some of Maines wildlife from Gail, great stamps and decoration from Lady Demelza in Australia, another Australian card comes from Catherine who vacations near Anglesea, and a neat record-card from Monique!

LOOK AT ALL THESE CARDS! A mix of Halloween, Thanksgiving, stickers and recipes- a very, very BIG thank you to Karen, Susan, Tammy, Michelle & Ashley, Anne, Jessica, Rhonda, Heidi, and Patricia (who hand made her card!). Thank you all so much!

Thank you all so much for all of the great mail that has come my way and for reminding me that people really do pay attention to what I post! More snail mail updates to come!

Update to come ASAP

2011-11-12T10:13:00.000-06:00

hello faithful followers (and a big thank you to the newly joined), I owe you such a big update its not even funny. Stay tuned, I promise very soon I will post last weeks and this weeks mail with some finds and a good eplaination :) see you soon!!

End of The Week Mail!

2011-10-30T10:32:00.000-05:00

Hello readers and happy happy Sunday! I don't know about you all but I am excited that tomorrow is Halloween. I've got the house decorated and my pumpkin all carved (with some help from my furry friends) and I've even made a trip to the Tulsa Zoo for "HallowZOOween" (and where I picked up some great postcards). Sadly, the Halloween mail is coming to an end, only got a few pieces in this week, and now we have to gear up for Thanksgiving (boooo). Let's get to some mail shall we? This mail update came from Swap-bot, Postcrossing and even from the blog it's self.

From Beth, a beautiful "Grim Fairy Tales Card", Pattbelle sent me some mail love from Cozumel and from Chelsea a card from the Mote Aquarium in Sarasota (extra points for home state mail love!)

From Helen in Shenzhen, China (I always love my cards from China), From Connie a lovely beach view, and from April a couple of adorable Western Bluebirds!

A desert inspiring card and Thanksgiving recipes from Tracy!

HALLOWEEN LOVE! From Ann and Dee who also sent me some extra stickers. Thank you ladies!

and a very exciting piece from Jennifer in New York who decided to write after reading my blog! This cut out paper doll is mail art! Not only did she decorate the gals for me but there is a letter on the back! A letter is on the way soon Jennifer, thank you!

Told you I had help! This year is "cat-o-lantern" :)

Postcard Request! Help some students out!

2011-10-27T14:24:00.000-05:00

Hello Readers and Happy Happy Wednesday! I saw this on Bev Sykes site The Pen Pal Project. Seems one of her friends works at a school and they are collecting as many different postcards as they can for their diversity/international day. It doesn't matter if they get multiples from each city/state/country--it just matters that they get some in! You can read the whole article your self by going here! Or you can just drop a card or two in to the mail to the address below:

Hunter Johnson
8443 Sand Point Drive West
Jacksonville, FL 32244

Let's show these students how awesome snail mail is! Please share with your friends around the world and make their diversity day great! 

Monday and Tuesday UPDATE! WHOOOOO :D

2011-10-25T20:45:00.000-05:00

Well hello readers! Happy Tuesday to you all! I don't know about you guys but I am glad today is just about over, now we just have to get through Wednesday (nothing against hump day I just have to go work at two locations tomorrow and I'm not sure how I feel about it lol).

Monday saw a whole slew of mail come in and today I received one postcard (better one than none, right!). The goods came from Swap-bot, Postcrossing and a joyous return to Walltype has a had some pretty awesome results. Let's do ittt!!!!

From Gabriele--the castle in Romania that inspired Bram Stoker. Perfect for Halloween :)

My first card from South Africa, Thank you Jocelyn (and thanks for being a reader!!!!). From Katrin in Berlin we have a Hundert-wasser building!

Some Williamsburg love from Cindy and from PaulandLeezy not only my favorite candy but a postcard from my parents home state!

Very cool Halloween cards. Home made from Gummyrat and vintage from Tracy. Yes, I am in all my Holiday glory!

Oh, hello kitty....you want to share some mail? That's fine,but please don't sit on the mail....

Hand drawn (awesome) monster from Carmen ((c) Carmen Daniel 10/2011) and a lovely view of Rocky Mountain National Park from Kittylover

A cat foot.....and three Halloween cards from top..handmade from Hillarie, an awesome card from Teresa (who is going to be getting some kick ass mail love!!!!) and the most adorable card ever from Ms. Nikki!

Paw picked, furrball approved.

Wednesday Mail :)

2011-10-20T09:02:00.000-05:00

Hello all, remember how I said I would be leaving work on time? Yeah..... hahahahahha :D

No mail came on Tuesday (booo Tuesday) and few pieces came on Wednesday. These mid week pieces came from Walltype and Swap-bot.

This post card came from Rick, who likes to taunt me about the ocean air! I'll get you back, Rick, don't you worry!

A swap letter from Bruna in Brazil who has some interesting things hanging around in her purse, and a Halloween card from Karin! Thanks ladies!

Getting some out going mail together now! Happy Thursday!

MAIIIILLL CALLLLL

2011-10-17T17:01:00.000-05:00

Hello Monday Readers! As promised earlier this afternoon I am back with my actual mail goods! Today's mail is brought to us mostly by Swap-bot (where I am hosting a Swap!!--oh come on it's a little shameless self promotion never hurt anyone LOL). There is also a lovely card from Postcrossing, which was a welcome change-feels like it's been a while since I've gotten one from a crosser. Let's get on to the bag o' goodies shall we?

Two postcards today, one from my final partner in "One Person Each City", this one comes from a user in Russia, and the second from a postcrosser in Washington state

This comes from the Halloween Recipe swap that I hosted. My partner sent me a HYSTERICAL card as well as a pretty delish sounding recipe for "Guacamoldy" ahahah

She also took the time to send me some much appreciated stickers and to decorate the envelope! How neat!

back view

Another Halloween swap (I'm hooked what can I say!!!!) Which brought me socks, candy, stickers, "Ghoulaid" (yes it's koolaid) and you see that little pumpkin--that's a flashing pin. I am so wearing this to work on Halloween! Thanks, Janice!

Today's outgoing mail went to:

South Africa

Germany (x's 2)

Belarus

Poland

Italy

Canada

Crosby, Texas

Dumfries, Virginia

Now I am off to sort and organize some mail so that I can actually write back to the letters that I owe! :) Hope you all had a happy mail Monday, let's go get some letters out!

Calling on my Swap-botters!

2011-10-17T14:42:00.001-05:00

Hello Everyone! I have a new swap up over at Swap-bot; this swap is one I have hosted recently and it seemed to catch on fairly well, soooooo I figured we would give round two a go!

You can learn more about the swap by clicking here or by reading the description below! Hope on over and show a lady some mail love :)

Also, got some great mail in today--updates in a bit!

PAWN OFF A POSTCARD 2!

Swap Coordinator:	SecretSquirrel1904 (contact)
Swap categories:	Newbie Postcards
Number of people in swap:	1
Location:	International
Type:	Type 2: Flat mail
Last day to signup/drop:	October 24, 2011
Date items must be sent by:	October 31, 2011
Number of swap partners:	2
Description:
Everyone has those postcards that don't quite fit in to the collection of things they normally send out. Sometimes they come in a set, from a friend who picked them up for you or even from another swapper--here is your chance to move them on to a partner who will appreciate them! This is an international swap in which each swapper will be assigned two partners. You will send each partner one NAKED (stamped, written on, not in an envelope) postcard with a little message about why you think the post card is odd and where/how you aquired it. THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND (1) This swap is for those oddball postcards in your partners collection, they may be funny, dark, crude, ugly....the list goes on. Please do not join if you feel you may be offened by something that may come your way. (2) The cards must be store bought and in good condition. Please only trade what you would like to recieve Newbies are welcome with a well filled out profile, no recent 1's or 3's with out explaination (as always please message me if there is something going on and you would like to join), all users must have logged in with in 3 days of assigning parters. I can angel for this swap but I would not appreciate flakers! I welcome any questions, concerns, or suggestions--please always feel free to message me! Happy Swapping--here's to getting an odd couple of postcards!

I'm Back! Halloween Mail Part Deux and a Life Update :)

2011-10-16T17:10:00.000-05:00

Hello Readers, Followers, and Lurkers! I have been gone for a little over a week and I am so happy to be back! Things have been super hectic at the bank, I think I mentioned before that we were drastically under staffed resulting in everyone working six days a week and anywhere between 8 and 12 hours a day. Now we are back up and running like a normal branch. Which not only means we won't have people complaining that they had to stand in line (gasp. stand in line? at a business...noooo...) but I will actually have some time to get to the post office and to write back to my pen pals! Yay!

This past week or so had shown even more glorious Halloween mail as well as a few postcards from a City and Village swap. I am thinking about starting a Thanksgiving swap but I haven't decided on the details yet. I had a HUGE list of everything I've sent--and then my newer cat decided to rip up my list, but don't worry I have some swaps and letters due, so my "where to list' should be fat and happy. Let's get to some mail, shall, we? All but one piece came from Swap-bot!

Cards, postcards, and recipies (with a few goodies tossed in)

My Halloween Scavenger hunt package from a Canadian swapper

A Halloween Sock Swap!

Which came in a super spooky and awesomely decorated envelope

Even more socks and holiday goodies--this was actually a different swap!

A beautiful card from Dana who is on vacation enjoying her anniversary, one showing a city in the Philippines, a NYC card from a blog reader! and a neat card from Wisconsin.

And last but not least another handfull of halloween cards and postcards! My swap parterns and readers are awesome!

Thank you all for hanging with me! I'm excited to be getting back to regular updates and writing! See ya at the post office :)

Lots of Halloween mail and some postcards!

2011-10-06T22:44:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update on the awesome mail that i have gotten in so far this week. Lots of Halloween cards and postcards, a few foreign postcards and an pretty neat box of goodies (please forgive any typing errors as the cat is currently pulling on a rubber band that is around my wrist). Some quick pictures for tonight--I have some neat mail related articles I want to blog for you and let you all know where my mail has gone out to this week.

Oh, and for the record, the post worker officially knows and greets me by name. I may have a mail problem :P

My stack of Halloween related cards and postcards :D

Two postcards from foreign swappers (Rome and Germany), as well as a letter from a pen pal in PA

A don't forget to renew notice from my post office--hahah!

The outside of my Halloween box

Inside--I love this witch

The goods!

Friday and Saturdays Mail

2011-10-01T13:52:00.000-05:00

Hello Hello! It's a wonderful fall day here in Oklahoma; the sun is out, the windows are open and there is just enough breeze to be pleasant--and the fair is in town!

I ended this week on some pretty good mail. Two swap packages arrived and a couple of pen pal letters as well! Only had one out going card today to the US. Items this weekend came from Swap-Bot and Postcrossing. Lets get to some mail!

The first item on the list is my Autumn Swap package from Terri. I love the crocheted items (the little pumpkin is a pin!) and the cats are fond of the jingly scarecrow :)

This package (also a swap) was from Deb in Pennsylvania. The idea was to let your partner tour your state. There are wonderful maps, postcards, magazines and brochures--not to mention the most wonderful invention ever, the zagnut candies!

The tired puppies are from Veera, a postcrosser in Finland, Oktoberfest is a private swap from Mona in Germany, Goldilocks in Philly sent me the Betsy Ross House card, and finally from SheWolf we have a card from Chadwick Bay in Dunkirk, New York.

My two pen pal letters this weekend are from Sara Lea in South Carolina and Jayme-Lee in Getzville, New York (who also happens to be my sorority sister from another chapter--yay!)

This wonderfully stuffed envelope of Halloween Awesomeness (yes, that's what I am calling it) is from Valerie in Gales Creek, Oregon who was one of my partners for a Halloween Sticker Swap. Needless to say Ms. Valerie out did her self with all of the wonderful stickers, paper, cards, and fabric! Love it!

I WON!! I WON! I WON!

2011-09-30T09:04:00.000-05:00

In case you hadn't noticed, I won something :)

Recently Postcrossing hosted a give-a-way for House of St. Junior ( you can read more about that contest by clicking on me). I commented on the blog, told them which framed and ready to send postcard I liked the best and sure as I am sitting here typing to you today, Scott and Neil (the creators) drew my name out of their hat!

This is them drawing my name as one of the lucky winners!

And here is my wonderful prize!

A very, very happy thank you goes out to Scott and Neil as well as Postcrossing! I love it! Now I wonder who I will send it too! :)

This Weeks Mail (Monday Thru Thursday)

2011-09-30T08:55:00.000-05:00

Good Morning Readers (and hello to the lurkers and first timers!), I just want to take a moment this morning and show you the mail that I got in this week, not a whole lot but I have been putting in a LOT of work on my swaps and letters so hopefully we will be back up to fat and happy mailbox status soon! There is however one piece of mail that won't make it into this post --it will get it's very own post! Hurrrayyyy. Let's get to it shall we? Mini-Disclaimer, all of this weeks mail came from various Swap-bot swaps or pen pals (and a first time writer! yay!!!)

These four cards are from the "One person from each village" swap that I am a part of. Thank you to all my partners who have sent great cards--and thanks for the hearts on my cards! :)

A wonderful Micky Mouse card and two more from my "Every Village" swap partners

A letter from Jeni and a letter from a prospective new pen pall!

and finally all--well the vast majority (I'm sure i forgot to write something down) of out going mail since my mini leave of absence!!!!! Drum Rolll Please....

*Germany*Mabelton, Georgia*Russia*Belarus*2 Packages to Australia*A Package to the United Kingdon*Englewood, Colorado*Trier, Germany*Aurich, Germany*Kenosha, Wisconsin*Las Vegas, Nevada*Hanford, California*Encino, California*Wakefield,United Kingdon*Philadelphia, Pennsylvania*Fredonia, New York*Colorado Springs, Colorado*Binan City, Philippines*Annandale, Australia*Russia*Hillsoboro, Oregon*Taiwan*Takoma Park, Maryland*The Netherlands*Israel* Olathe, Kansas*Goose Creek, South Carolina* Aztec, New Mexico (x's 2)*Harer Hill, Massachusetts*New York, New York*Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania*Davidson, Michigan*Zur-Yigal, Israel*Tulsa, Oklahoma*Getzville, New York*Lithuania*Glen Iris, Australia*

Last Weeks Mail

2011-09-29T19:10:00.000-05:00

A very very late post I know. This is the mail I got last week. It's only a few pieces but in all fairness the week before I didn't send a single thing :(

here's what I did get though!

A beautiful hand made card from my pen pal, Carol, A PC from Johnathan in Colorado, a swap letter from Pickle and a Russian Postcard!

From Sara, Pirrko, Teena, and Tara (all Swap-bot swaps)

From my wonderful Linsey (who lives across town)- this pc is actually from the Hilton in Orlando. Yay!

The cats are trying to escape!

and finally a wonderful card from Maggz in Portugal!!!

See, I told you all it was a slow mail week! I will be posting this weeks mail tomorrow morning as well as a list of where ALL of the wonderful mail I have sent this week. Thank you all for your patience and kind emails! I promise to get back on the ball :)

Updates to come Tomorrow!

2011-09-27T19:47:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I have been away for a while. I promise tomorrow will bring you updates of the mail I got last week, what Ive received this week and everything that I have sent out. Not to mention my contest wins and a few other goodies!

Thank you so much for those who follow and hello to my new readers! I look forward to updates :)

SLOW MAIL!

2011-09-17T16:43:00.000-05:00

This week saw very little mail (in comparison to what I normally get), three days came with no mail and the rest of the mail was mostly on Tuesday. I did however commit a snail mail sin, I SENT ABSOLUTELY NO MAIL THIS WEEK. I know this makes me a bad person. I can feel your judgments--I had no swap became active, I had no stamps and no time to get to the post office while it was actually open and I just didn't have the ummpff to sit down and write anything thoughtful to my pen pals, so to those eagerly awaiting my usually timely letters, I do apologize, and to my followers (we are 22 and going strong!) I thank you for your patience. So lets just get to the mail I did get this week huh? :) This week saw the arrival of a package, 9 postcards, and two letters!

An all Autumn package from Tammy (the note card below is also part of my package)

And a whole mess of international postcards, featuring cathedrals, water towers, cows, religious icons, architecture and zombie survival!

And last but not least two pen pal letters :)

I promise to do some writing the rest of this weekend. I have a couple of swaps to get out (and a lot more coming up, so I will be busy), and tons of letters to get back to! Here's hoping you all had a great week of mail!

Saturdays Mail, and a little surprise

2011-09-11T10:03:00.000-05:00

Got a few pretty good pieces in the mail yesterday (which i photographed and loaded and then forgot to post) and well as a little surprise in a used book. Unfortunately I didn't send anything out as I am working on a story swap and gathering some much over due pen pal letters together. Pictures anyone? :)

From Angie a Postcard on the border of the Czech Republic, Megan was kind enough to send me a little piece of Daytona Beach (yay for home postcards), Onibunny was my partner for the weird/offensive swap I did and managed to find a PC that is a picture of a bullet wound!!!!!! And last for this picture is a magnet from NYC and note from Atiya.

A niffty card from Linsey who lives across town from me :)

This was a quote swap about laughter. the envelope is made from an old calandar page and the note card is filled with wonderful quotes about the importance of laughter. Thank you, Indigo!

These are the quotes inside.

She was also kind enough to send me some Halloween tags just because!!

This is my surprise-This postcard of the Newstead Abbey in Nottingham was found in a used book store (tucked in a book about Nottigham) and now it has made it's way in to my little box of collectibles. I wonder who will get it? :)

Thursday and Friday Mail!

2011-09-09T19:40:00.000-05:00

Okay so I think I dated my last post incorrectly as there was no mail on Monday, so for the record that was Tuesday mail and I got no mail on Wednesday! hahah :)

I got a good bit today of both postcards and letters from all over the world. My mail goodies came from Postcrossing, Swap-bot, Walltype, and Letternet (yay new pen pals!). Let's get to pictures shall we!

From Foxy Moron in New Hampshire, Candace who is in the Military, A. Jefferson. and from Pat (who sends great cards!)

From Ami who is studying in Japan, Lauren in Texas, Lori in Kansas, and Cara in St. Louis

From Mary, Kimi in California, and Annick in France

Various pen pal letters

Today's outgoing mail went to

Great Falls, Montana

Toms River, New Jersey,

Phoenix, Arizona

Inverness, Florida

Walland, Texas

Mount Vernon, New York

Poland

Taiwan

Turkey

I'm thinking about joining the Letter Writers Alliance. Thoughts?

I'm off to put a dent in my swaps that are available. Hope all had a great week and here's to a great weekend, Be sure to get some mail out tomorrow!

Just Monday Mail

2011-09-07T19:57:00.000-05:00

Here's what I got on Monday! No incoming mail today (so sad...the postmaster laughed when he saw me open my box and I looked confused. NOT FUNNY). Most everything came from Swap-bot with a few from Postcrossing and Walltype.

This weeks outgoing mail went to:

Arcadia, CA
Manitowoc, WI

Baton Rouge, LA

Germany

France

Rancho Cucamunga, CA

Canton, GA

Bath, NY

Lenor, NC

Englewood,CO

Russia

Thorton, CO

Ashville, NC

Moorepark, CA

Two Swap-bot Swaps!!!

2011-09-05T22:16:00.000-05:00

Hi there followers and readers--Happy Labor Day!! I hope that everyone had a great holiday and for those of you who had to work (or who aren't in American) I hope that your weekend was lovely and relaxing.

I have two new swaps going on Swap-Bot that I would love for you all to check out-as well as one that isn't new in creation but that those who are interested can still sign up for. Two are Halloween themed and one is a post card swap. You can view the swaps in the links below--as always I would love the support, comments, ideas, criticisms, etc.

Halloween Recipe Swap --exchange a Halloween card and a ghoulish holiday food creation

Halloween Postcard Swap 2- send a homemade or store bought postcard to your partners wishing them a happy or creepy Hallows Eve

Odd Postcard Swap--here you can "pawn off" a weird, ugly, dark, or offensive postcard you have been keeping, as long as you tell your partner how you got it and why you aren't big on it

Here is wishing you all a wonderful week and a full mail box! No in coming or out going mail in the US today but don't worry I am prepping my list of outgoing for tomorrow right now!!

Mail Update!!

2011-09-03T18:17:00.000-05:00

Happy Labor Day weekend all!! I am so happy to be back to the world of the Internet but even more excited to update you all on the fantastic mail I have gotten in the last week! I have a whole mess of pictures to show you (as well as the new furry addition to my family) and I *did* keep my list of outgoing mail this week (hurrayyyyy). This weeks mail came from Swap -Bot, Postcrossing, Walltype, Letternet and assorted pen pals.Lets get to it shall we?

From Leu Lo in Taiwan , Rick, Dario in Brazil and Heather in Florida (who sent me a card from the historic Ybor city where I went to college!!!!!)

Jayme-Lee in Buffalo who is also in my Sorority! (Alpha Gamma Delta) and Charel in Holland

Both from Trixie in OKC

Various pen pall letters, two from Germany which are new and a couple of people I've written back and forth a couple of times with

From Bev over at The PenPal Project

From Alina in Belarus and Tere in Arizona

From a new pen pal in Germany named Margarita

Say hello to Salem

They are debating on whether or not to be friends

"Stop taking pictures Mom"

*This Weeks Outgoing Mail*

St. Petersburg, Fl
Encino, CA
OKC, OK
Gaston, OR
Alexandria, VA
Ballston Lake, NY
Slovenia
Canada
Goose Creek, SC
Hermitage, PA
Clearwater, Fl
Denton, TX
(3 More to Texas)
Arkansas
Maryland
Ukrain

I have a few swaps coming due and some pen pal letters to get on. I hope you all enjoyed your week and have plans for the weekend. Thank you for reading and writing!

Yay for the return of the internet!!!

2011-09-01T08:09:00.000-05:00

Hi there Followers (and a thank you to the loyal and a welcome to the new!) I have quite a bit of mail to update you on from Saturday through today. I am sorry for my going missing. My internet provider decided to jack up the price by 75 dollars a month with no explanation as to why (I even called to see what month the notice was sent or printed on the statement because I am a nerd and I keep all of that kind of stuff) and four people had no answer!!! So then it seems they "accidentally" cut off my internet for a few days--when I called again to inquire "they were doing maintenance in the area that should only last a few hours" so of course my third call resulted in them saying "oops" and I had them cut the service off on the spot. Now I have new internet and will be able to get back to regularly scheduled updates!

I'm off to work now but I will be back this evening with mail (in and out) updates, shamless self promotion of my current swap and a swap that I am thinking of creating. I am also going to be a bit crabby as the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks is set to be released today.....except in Oklahoma (I miss home). Have a great day everyone, it's almost a HOLIDAY! Whooooo! :)

Mail So Far- Minus Today

2011-08-26T11:57:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! Thank you all for being so patient (and loyal, yay loyal) with me I know I promised to not go missing again and I really meant it, things have been hectic at work and I've been palling around with new friends I've made in town, I am also in the process of adopting a new kitty cat! Lets get to this weeks mail--I haven't picked it up for today yet so this is Monday through Thursday mail :)

From Kimbeewa and Manda77-- Both acquired from Swap-bot

From Young46356 and Makestuff --Also swaps

From Angel, TheIrmimi, Matthias, and Little Belle- a combination of swaps, Walltype and Postcrossing

A swap from Valerie520 and a WT from Lauren

A swap from JeJune (Violet)

My first pen pal letter from Letternet--from a young lady named Nathalie

Some cool Stamps too! I love the American Classic stamps!

A pen pall letter swap and some wonderful teas from Awesome Sauce!

And finally a swap letter from Anne :)

Hopefully I have a little something waiting for me after work (don't worry I'm on lunch). I'm off to drop a couple of things in the mail! Happy Friday All!

Halloween Swap!

2011-08-23T09:27:00.000-05:00

Hi there Followers and Friends!!! I have a new swap going on Swap-bot for the upcoming holiday! (I know, I know we still have a little time but I am excited) The swap is a Halloween recipe and card/post card swap. You have until the 12th of September to Sign up and about three weeks to get your items send out! You can view the swap details by going to Halloween Recipe Swap. Any comments or concerns just let me know--I would appreciate the support!

Who doesn't love a good, spooky Halloween punch--complete with spiders??

Weekly mail wrap up :)

2011-08-20T17:05:00.000-05:00

My apologies for not updating at the end of this week...here's my handful of mail (including today) to wrap up this week of snail mail lovin' :)

Pretty good swag huh? Everything came from Swap-bot, Postcrossing, and Walltype--as well as a few from some of my awesome (and patient) pen pals :) I'm off to enjoy the rest of my weekend. I only have one swap due so far for this upcoming week so it looks like I;ll have time to finish answering my letters. happy weekend and get some mail out this week :)

Slow Mail Week...

2011-08-17T19:20:00.000-05:00

I am beginning to feel The Missive Maven's pain......I had a no mail Tuesday right after she had a no mail Monday, which you can read all about by going here :)

Only a few pieces trickled in today, I know it's some sort of cosmic snail mail punishment because I HAVE SENT NO OUTGOING MAIL FOR TWO DAYS!!!!! But don/t worry, I will be doing some work tonight with swaps that have come due and letters that I owe a reply.

Wednesday swag included: 2 from Swap-bot, 1 from Walltype and one pen pal letter (who I met through a swap).

I'm off to work on my letters. Hope you guys all had good mail days :)

Begining of the week and its a great day for mail!

2011-08-15T20:23:00.000-05:00

Hello there followers (and visitors!!!) It's that time again! Luckily, Monday provided me with some pretty good mail and a surprise!

These three are from Postcrossing--Germany, Taiwan, and Portugal

Next up we have some Swap-bot lovin' from all around the USA

One from Walltype

AND MY SURPRISE!!!!

All around a good day for mail! :) Here's hopin that the rest of the week is just as splendid. I am off to write some of the letters I owe ( I have a stack of replies that are waiting....I promise promise promise I will ALWAYS write back, just bear with me a bit). Happy Mailing!

End of the Week Mail!

2011-08-13T18:31:00.000-05:00

I swung by the post office today to pick up Friday and today's mail--it FINALLY stopped raining long enough to duck out of the car for a moment. I have quite a few swap to write up and send out this weekend and another few to start compiling as they will be available for partners soon. Gonna be a busy weekend :)

From Annick in France (Walltype)

From Tinde (Swap-bot)

From Anthony in Great Britain-who recently was vacationing and driving down Route 66 and went by my town! (Postcrossing)

And last but not least a second swap from Michele in Massachusetts

Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far. Get your mail together so we can all start over again on Monday! :)