Naughty Betty

Hello all,

I have recently been running across more and more of the Naughty Betty stationery.  I seem to be finding it for a good price at Target where I got the Karma cards I posted awhile back and at Marshalls.

It's sassy and cute, 2 of my favorite things! 

Unfortunately I don't have children, so I hope my friends like it as a gift!

The secret to happiness is do something you love every day.  Find what inspires you to write and just do it! 

My Best,

-b

Mail Call

Dear Mail Friends,

I know I'm late for the mail call, but with good reason.  I usually post what I have responded too and as it was a busy week in my real life combined with the fact that I received very few postcards.  So basically, we're waiting on me.  -Sigh-

So here are some of the letters I have responded to!

The above 2 are from the darling Malyss!  She too has been very busy but found time to send me a very nice package. 

And

A nice note and package from a newer contributor from sendsomething. 

a really late birthday card! Love ya, Margaret!

Campbell soup #2 from Ciara - S2

token potcrossing ! )

Finally one of the best things that came from Postcrossing

A letter from Nora.  We started our exchange with postcards and it's grown since.  Notice the chocolate wrapper- yeah the chocolate did not make it to photo time- yum!

I hope this finds you all well and know that after Wednesday, I will be off to visit so I'll be behind in picking up from my P.O. Box.  Really it will not affect anything as I have a small stack of letters to respond to!

I hope this finds you all giving and receiving lots of mail!

-b

I leave you with an image of my patio garden!  I recently replaced the lettuce beds with chrysanthemums for fall : )

 

Mailart- What Blew Inn with Hurricane Irene

Hello all,

I think I'm known for budget and finding stationery.  (At least that's the perception I feel others have of me)  Anyway, with all this crazy weather, I found my creative juices flowing.  I mentioned this surprising collage book I found at a thrift store that looked at a variety of artist and how to take their ideas and create your own.   Well Matisse is very friendly to my artistic taste and I have made several with his influence, but I was hoping to branch out.  So here are some others I've been experimenting with. 

Stupid me made a few others and forgot to take a pic!

Then I went cupcake mad!  Making several cards for Operation Write Home.  But I really truly love the paper confections I made!

 

OWH doesn't mind multiples, but recommends no more than 30 of a theme!  I love these so much I might change the saying and make a few more!

I liked making these as I could use up scraps of hoarded paper!  Plus anything I can add bling to is just fine with me!

Here are a few mailart pieces that I have recently received! 

the amazing Annabell's work

From Viola and a surprise on Postcrossing from Belgium!  Love the lady popping out of the frame.

For everybody out there, the hurricane was fine.  We are experiencing flooding locally, but nothing too terrible. We'll see how they fair up the coast.

I hope this finds you all creating your masterpieces!

-b

My First Hurricane- Kind of

Hello folks!

I'm excited today for many reasons.  We had a tiny earthquake this weekend.  Funny only 3 of us at work felt it.  Me being one of them.  (Not my first earthquake, or the largest I've felt.) 

Now this weekend I will be on the fringe of Hurricane Irene.  This is my first hurricane and I'm glad it's just the fringe.  Having lived in the Midwest, I have experienced severe tornadic weather and blizzards, but not anything so large as a tropical storm or hurricane.  Hopefully all the mailers along the East Coast will be safe and only inconvenienced by the stormy weather.

Life experiences tend to make letters better!  So I'm looking forward to the experience!

My Best,

-b

Writing Behind Bars

Hello all!

I am writing this after having read and digested the latest Sandbook e-magazine.  I actually got to look through it this last weekend.  There were several articles but one caught my interest and was written by an inmate about people pen palling with inmates.  I found it very thought provoking and it made me ask myself- why have I not explored this avenue of mail?  Why do I buy into the perceived stigmas attached to this activity?  Would it make a difference to the person I corresponded to? 

Many questions in my mind and I also think of the documentary - What Do I Want My Words to Do You? which is about teaching writing to long term female convicts.  The thing most striking about the women is their humanity.  Many did horrendous crimes to land them in jail, but they were still people struggling to make themselves better.  Trying to work out where exactly life went wrong or coming to terms with their possible demise behind bars.  I actually wished I could write to one in particular something in her touched me, but at the time I considered it a fleeting thought.  Has anybody in my reading community had experience with this form of pen palling experience?  It would be lovely to hear more on the topic from people with experience. 

Still contemplating,

-b

Cartoon Stamps - Send A Hello

Hey folks,
I was working on some packages and stopped in at my local USPS location.  As usual, the ladies know me and have the stamps sheet ready and waiting for me to pick from : ) Well these pretties were pulled out, and while I'm not a huge Disney and Pixar fan, I do enjoy the letter writing encouragements on the back of the stamps as much as the stamps themselves!

Misty (the Pen Theif) had a blog post that said there would be more this next year.  Not sure why Disney Pixar is working with the USPS but at least their designs are fun, and the messages are very pro writing and mailing!

Hope this finds you all giving and getting lots of mail!

-b

What's in? Letters

Hello Mail Friends!

This is the final post of this weekend.  I have not received many letters, but here are the ones I have responded to thus far!

from Troy - Penpaling Dad

A wonderful package from Wanda in Canada with William and Katherine!

A nice note from an old friend!

From Rachel at the Letter Writer

Well folks, that's all for now!  I have a few others I got responded too, but no pics yet . . . these 2 shall be shown!

-b

Postcard Days

Hello All!
I continue with the mail I have been receiving.  This blog will be dedicated to all the wonderful postcards which are multiplying in my mailbox!  I did not start out as a postcard person, but I am learning to appreciate them- especially the weird ones that give glimpses of place I may never see.
I also suspect postcards are so numerous, because its the summer and people have no time to reply in a proper letter.  I know I've been busy and from the decrease in page views and posts of my fellow blogging community I suspect the problem of not enough time in the day is wide spread!

Postcrossing Postcards:

A nice young gentleman sent me 2 a week or 2 apart- somehow they arrived the same day?!

From a pair of sisters- I apparently sent one to the elder sister awhile ago and the younger sister got my name so they sent me 3!  Can't remember what I sent, but it must have been awesome to warrant this.

a first from Argentina

bottom one is my first from Japan

Not technically a postcrossing- this is a blog fan who also postcrosses - surprisingly I'm thesnailmailer on postcrossing too ! )

A thank you note from a fellow postcrosser for following her instructions on what she liked.  Remember kids, if you put your address on the card, you are more likely to get a reply!  Of course this can lead to a vicious circle or an awesome pen friend- right Nora!

SendSomething(.net) :

I love Mucha and I have to say my exposure to art has been very expanded by my mail activities!

the bottom is from Laura who is a founder of the site.  She likes my blog- cool! 

Random:

These are postcards I sent to friends to send back to me.  I wanted to add them both to a permanent collection and knew who I could get to send some love!

The last 2 are from Nancy a local friend.  These are both advertiser cards.  I don't know why people hate advertiser cards so much, as these are beautiful.  I actually sent her back one and self addressed and stamped it to me so I can keep it in my permanent collection.  I'll get the few letters up  tomorrow- stay tuned!

That's All Folks- (play the Looney Toons cartoon music in your head here)

-b

Last Weeks Mail

Hello Folks!

I thought I'd get caught up on my first day off in awhile.  No worries if you don't see yours- I may have it and have not responded to it yet!  I try not to post mail on the blog till its been replied to!

From Pamela - smashed penny and brochure envie

Ciara at Send Something- Campbell soup #1

So You Think You Can Dance from Ambrosia- S2

Awesomeness from Marguerite

A terrific hand drawn envie from Speck

Matthew from S2

That's all for now- I promise to post more tomorrow!  I have tons of photos just need to transfer them!

Remember mail is like a boomarang- the more you throw out there, the more you'll get back!

-b

So Late!

I feel as though I should apologize for the lack of post this month.  Again this is my craziest time of the year, but I hope that the long weekend brings a rest and more fabulous pics of the mail I have recieved! 
Keep up the fabulousness and soon I hope to have time to be up to my old tricks!

And just to keep it fun- here was one of my original posts on being a stationery addict!

Happy mailing my friends!
-b

Go to the Thrift Store for More

Hey mail fans and stationery addicts!

I also went to a thrift store before buying my wonderful desk!

I thought I'd show you my finds from a thrift store in Hellertown, PA.  I just happen to be driving through the town and I saw they were having a sale that day!  So I stopped in and low and behold made a few deals!

First some designer stationery!  Not exactly my fave, but neat enough to buy.

I think the only thing missing is a sticker sheet

Who knew Vera Bradley ventured into stationery? 

notice the plastic wrapper is still intact

The second set was an amazing deal!  A brand new, never opened box of Colonel Williamsburg stationery!  I love the collage effect!!!  I'm not sure if you can appreciate the detail from this picture.

Some days I get lucky and some days I don't.  But I am always game to try and find a deal!

-b

Adventures in Desk Moving

Hey guys,

I wanted to share my last weekend adventures with you.  I was hoping to do it earlier in the week, but I've barely had time to sleep! Anyway I found time to go antiquing which is always a good time!   I found a few things I couldn't live without and one of them was this old metal desk. 

Not the most fashionable but built like a tank!  And only $20 with a freebie thrown in. (We'll get back to that).  Anyway, I bought this tank at a local thrift/ consignment/ antique place.  I really really want a wooden roll top or flip down- but this was cheap and if I decide to leave it behind (donate it) when I move out of my apartment- it won't be a big money waste! 

But let me tell you about this desk- I called my local friend up to see if she could help me move it up the 2 flights.  Of course, being the saint she is, she agreed.  Then it started to pour rain, and since I'd only helped load it on the light end, I didn't realize how much the crazy thing weighed!!!  Lucky for me my neighbor was home and heard us struggling- so he jumped in to help.  Mona took the drawers which were pretty heavy on their own and he and I man handled the desk up 2 flights.  Did I mention I was soaked from the trip from vehicle to apartment?  But here it is in all its tankish glory! 

Love it!

Now the freebie you ask!  It was this little English tin.  I have a thing for these ornate candy tins especially the European ones. 

The free one is in the top middle.  The square one and bowl one were also finds of the day : )

All in all it was a good haul!  The guy was happy to get rid of the desk and it helped him make space for a load of new furniture that just arrived.  I love the desk space and drawers!  It's better than the table I had been using! 

The saint friend got supper out of the deal, and my neighbor got to act manly and come to our rescue, (okay, he didn't get anything great out of the deal but a thank you!)

Now- I'm off to clutter the old desk and create literary magic or a letter, which ever comes first.

Happy creativity!

-b

p.s. I heard the same day that my wonderful Mother got me an old typewriter!   That's something to go on the old desk!  I'll get it when I go home over the Labor Day holiday.

A Blog Post About My Mail Art

I like to participate in mailing things to others especially if its a good hearted venture! Awhile back I featured a blog that was looking for art to inspire her daughter.

Thanks Marie for all the blog time on your recent post.  And I hope that Florida brings great things to her life!

Check out a good place to send art of the mail variety at Send A Drawing

Give it a try and get a smile to warm your heart!

-b

Special thanks to Malyss and Wolfey for contributing to my art, (even though they didn't know it!)

Long Overdue Incoming

Hello all,

Things have slowed on the mail front- I suspect its mostly due to the fact that we are all so blasted busy with summer in full swing and back to school around the corner. But I received a letter from the wonderful Speck wondering if I'd received her last letter (almost a month ago- yikes! )  And of course I had, and I had replied the day prior to the second letter- yikes again! 

So I thought I'd put up the incoming - there's a bit I've been holding on to!!!!

From the Postmuse

And then

From Karen

From Patty at Letter Rip

And then

A whole Birthday Bundle from Wolfey at No Post on Sunday

From Jen- one of my few old friends who is also a regular contributor

Annd theeennn

postcrossing and Rachel at I Heart Letters

The pen pals from summer vacations

A contribution to my postcard project

Sendsomething!

Beauties!

Marie at Send me a Drawing

Tara-dactyl at Hello Life

From Juanita at There's only Juan

And then (say really quickly)

The fab illustrated envie from Speck with a marathon letter

Well that should catch me up on the incoming and here are a few outgoing that I snapped a photo of.  I'm not great about taking photos of outgoing. I'm too spontaneous for that.

(oh, oh - No And then!!!)

Well that's all folks! I hope you've enjoyed the mail and the quotes from the classic quality film "Dude, Where's My Car?"

Happy Pen Trails to you,

-b