Halloween Fest - I'm Going as a Busy Beaver!

Hello all,
As many of you have probably hear, the East coast got nailed by a freak snow storm that took out trees and left many without power.  I on the other hand was fine.  I was spared power but lost cable, Internet, and phone service - oh no!  How to communicate with the outside world????
How about a few letters?

Here's most of my catch up pile from yesterday!  One more letter and I will have September replied to (good thing since November is knocking and the October stack awaits!)
And while I have no grand illusions of these letters being there before Halloween - Here are a few to celebrate the holiday!

Recycled Dunkin Donuts box - 2 postcards and an envie

just some fun envelopes!

Still behind in the letter department, but feeling a lot better about it!  Good that I lacked distractions and could just "make it happen" this weekend. 
Now for a gorgeous mail art card from Piccadilly Post (link)!  She' s a member of the IUOMA and makes terrific cards.

Front

Back - Hopefully you can click on it to read it better!

SO thoughtful to put in the Bethlehem connection!  I learned something about a story that I already knew and loved. 
I hope this finds all my mail friends doing well and celebrating a fun, safe Halloween!
-b

How Does the Blog Look on Your Computer?

I just checked the blog from a different computer and it is bright orange - not muted over with the white wash effect I had wanted.  Also it appears hard to read.  Could be that this comeputer is not loading properly,
but I pose the question to all of you.  Is it okay?  Can you read the content and links fine?

Thanks for the input!
-b

The Weather Outside is Frightful, But Stationery is so Delightful

Hello all,
I'm sure a few of you have heard of the bad weather that is traveling the lower Eastern coast.  Some may wonder what's the fuss?  Well like many folks, I am a transplant.  I hail from somewhere that has a lot of snow, South of Lake Michigan!  That usually means I do not mind a lot of snow - with the exception of when the trees are fully leafed!  All the weight of the leaves and snow are breaking branches at an alarming rate and cutting off power. 
  I'm not always a quick learner, that means I had to see it first hand.  So I decided to go to Goodwill today and see what I could find, and find I did!

Naughty Betty stationery

Apparently Target could not get rid of their Naughty Betty stash (there were probably 10 of these total)  There were also tons of Christmas and Baby Shower cards - none of which spoke to me.  Perhaps I am getting picky with my stationery hoarding? 
But not picky enough to stay away from the TJ Maxx next door.  I shamefully say that I truly lacked the ability to say no there.  But look at what I found!

Potter style - Origami

Potter Style - Crossword cards

A wonderful date calendar for me!

And to be fair I found the following at Marshall's 2 weekends ago.  Just now posting them

Liberty Fabrics Cards

Tenues - Love Birds

Some note paper - with map graphics

Punch Card Studios French Butterflies

Sock Monkeys by Tenue

Back to the slow learning part:  After some shopping, the lights began to blink in the Marshall's and I thought "Crap, what if I lose heat?"  So I started the trek home, only to pass tree after tree that had dropped major branches on the roadway!  I had to turn from my course, 2 -3 times and take alternate routes.  

Branches touch the ground with green leaves that had yet to change color

A bit blurry but notice the limbs laying around the base of this tree and how bowed its limbs are

Guess Mother Nature knows best, but would have suggested to wait a few more weeks before the first big snow.  I would like to write her and express my opinions, but I don't suppose anybody has her mailing address?

Hope this finds you all warm and safe and celebrating a happy Halloween!
-b

Fun Recycled Materials!

Hello all,
It's been a bit in the making but here it is folks - the winner of the recycling blogoversary challenge!  First I'd like to say that I tend to like advertising and the re-use of daily household items.  I also like a challenge and the chance to inspire others through my actions.  I think I achieved all these goals with this competition.
First - Daily items were re-purposed and sent as mail by all who entered!
Second - I am challenged to make items as beautiful as the ones I received
Third - Many of my coworkers were caught ogling and touching the merchandise (which was encouraged!), and I heard them say how much they liked to receive mail but never got any anymore.  My comment back is that to get a letter, somebody needs to send one, so perhaps they should start the chain reaction!  And yesterday, one of my coworkers said "I want to mail this to my daughter"- referring to a piece of mail we had received with an illustration on the front!  Score 1 for me!

On to the contestants!!!!

Add caption

VaGirl sent my this creation of 2 sweet treats.  The back is from a Hershey's cookie and cream white chocolate bar.  The paper is calendar of some sorts.  VaGirl is new to the world of mail art and I hope she continues as this envie is stunning!

This really was not and entrant in the contest, but when Annabell's postcard arrived amidst the early part of the competition, I thought it was a great display of recycling and threw her postcard into the old hat.

Marian is a student and fellow PA'er.  She did an envelope out of a bicycle magazine and paper was from a calendar!

Emily at Winnie's Girl sent a gobstopper candy box with a wonderful booklet made from her favorite beer boxes! 

Kimi sent this nice treat of matching envelope and paper from a Trader Joe's grocery bag.  I have never been to a Trader Joe's but I love the graphics!

Lisa made a whole lot of wonderfulness to send my way!  The envelope and paper were from a clue game and the postcard was a compilation of the a recent bath and body ad and various other recycled pieces.  I too saw the ad and thought cool graphics, but what would I do with it - well now I see!

My dear Malyss sent me 2 postcards that she made from recycling various papers.  I think the ladies really liked them and the stamps.  They were shocked to see the French stamps.  It seemed so rare to them to get mail, let alone from France!  She may have opened some eyes on that one.  Malyss has a pictorial blog.

And finally, one of my favorites just because of it's sheer simplicity, is a recycled stamp postcard from Katherine in Great Britain!  I somehow think its beauty was lost on my coworkers.  I'm not sure they realized the stamps were real!

And the winner is #6 - Emily  from Winnie's Girl Blog!  One of the comments I received was "Beer and Candy, Yummy!"  Everybody will receive a thank you and at least a single piece of stationery for their own use.  Emily will get to choose her own gift package!

I hope this has made you all smile and think, "I could do that!"
Here's to having fun with mail!
-b

Don't Adjust Your Computer Screens - A Little Update

Hello all,
Just a quick post to note that I have upgraded the colors of my blog.  I felt it was about time for a little shake up.  Nothing too drastic, just a tilt towards the orangish hues and some brown inks - a fall influence if you will! 
My Best,
-b
Next post will have pictures, many, many, pictures! )

A Confession

Hello all,
I hope you can all indulge me on a kind of mail related subject though its a stretch.  I have a guilty pleasure - well one of many besides stationery hoarding.  I have been a fan of Project Runway for years!!! And I also have a fondness for some other competition reality TV shows, but Project Runway is my favorite of all! 
I often feel as though it pushes the edges of creativity by forcing people to make quick decisions and use interesting materials.  I like to reflect this in my mail creations.  I've made envelopes out of duck tape, brochures, empty truvia bags, magazines, calendars, and such.  I also like to use can labels as stationery - a Warhol moment?  Through all of my creations and mishaps, I hear the voice of Tim Gunn whispering "Make it Work" so I try.  Oh Tim!  How I wish you were a mailer! 
Anyway, congratulations to this season's winner of Project Runway Anya!  (Josh you were robbed and much more will be heard from you!)
Tomorrow I should have the announcement as to who won the recycling competition!

Until then "Make it Work" and stamp and send!
-b

This and That

Hello all,
I am trying to get back into posting on a routine basis now that the end of October is near and snow is openly being discussed as a possibility for the higher elevations of Eastern PA.  With winter so close, I am glad to report I am looking forward to catching up on mail and starting a few endeavors of my own. 
First, I'd like to create more mail art and thankfully I have art museums locally to inspire some creations. 
Second, I've been in talks with some local people about creating our own creative co-op, so maybe that will be on the horizon soon.  We're still in talks right now.
Third, I've been making plans with friends for some museum and destination trips.  Hopefully a few folks will commit and I'll have a group to travel with.  If not, I cannot wait to go to some new places on my own! 

Hopefully this finds you all well and happy and ready for the impending cold weather in the North!
-b

Incoming for October

Hello Folks,
Sorry it's taken me a bit to put up the new, but with all the recent craziness of wonderful visitors, it is what it is.
In no particular order - at least none planned thus far

Pen palling Dad Blog

From the Pen Thief - returning a fold over I sent to her and a bonus uncancelled stamp

State card (heart)

Clowns from Germany and awesome found card from Ruth

Postcrossings from Germany and China

Postcrossings from Netherlands and USA - near the Mexico border

Postcrossings from Russia

Happiest places on Earth?

Love from Barcelona

A fan - Marian was very nice and sent me 2 for my 1 response

KC from Canada - a long time contributor!

For now that's all I have got responded to!  I should have the winner of the recycling contest by this weekend - yay!  So keeps looking for that soon too!
Keep mail thirsty my friends,
-b

Return of Friends and Chocolate Covered Potato Chips

Hello all!
It's been another adventurous weekend exploring Lehigh and Bucks County with my friends.  They were so cute and wanted to take to go to only places I had yet to explore, but we ended up going to mostly places I had been.  Why reinvent the wheel when spetacular places like Fonthill and downtown Bethlehem already exist?
So here's a photo of the Moravian Tile Factory interior

And here are chocolate covered potato chips!

Even the cat wanted some - well not really, but she's a sniffer!  Anyway, I promise my next post will be about mail.  I have a fair bit of catch up to do in the mail department. 
As always, I hope this finds you all giving and recieving mail!
-b

Jim Thorpe and Chocolate Covered Potato Chips!

Hello all,
I started this post when while the family was still visiting and now I'll finish (no time lapse there, its like I blink and October is almost over!)
On Saturday we started in downtown Bethlehem I took the family to the Chocolate Lab.  A cute boutique next to the Moravian Bookstore (previous post here) We got to shop the store and I purchased semisweet chocolate covered potato chips!  Yummy, yummy!  A little sweet a little chocolate and a lot gone- sorry folks, no photos of these tasty gems.  But here are some goodies and postcards of the Moravian.

Sunday we went on a train ride through the Lehigh Gorge State Park.  You can jump on the train at Jim Thorpe, PA up in the Blue Mountains - part of the Appalachians.  For history on Jim Thorpe, check out an old post by the PostMuse.  It was an amazing and pretty, short ride through the fall foliage.  I also scored some postcards along the way.

This is the gift shop for the railway. 

Looking down on the town from the Packer Mansion

 And another note about Jim Thorpe, PA - the Asa Packer Mansion is located there and is the most original and authentic Victorian Manor available for tour.  When the last family member died, the house was boarded up with all its contents and a caretaker was hired to look after it for 50yrs before anybody was interested in preserving the house.  Somehow nothing got vandalized or destroyed and the house is now up for show.  It's a gem!   

I wish I had a few more dollars to buy the bumper sticker that said I survived the climb to the Packer Mansion!  My flat lander Mom was not enthused.

Well folks this weekend will be another blur as I have some friends coming to town.  Sorry that October has been kind of a bust on the blog scene, but I hope you won't give up on me and please enjoy my travels!
My Best,
-b

Documenting my Travels Through Notes and Postcards

Hello all,
My family is still visiting me from Ohio, so I thought I would throw up a quick post about the many postcards and note cards I have gotten on my travels with them.
First my Mom brought me these watercolors done by a local artist in the county south of where I grew up.  They are based on historic photos of current and past landmarks.  But I think they will be nice for postcrossing.

Then we went to the Michner Art Museum in Doylestown to see the amazing art quilt exhibit.   They had a wide variety of postcards.

Finally today we went to downtown Bethlehem and I snagged these beauties from the historic society.  Remakes of retro cards documenting the old downtown.

Finally from the roof of the central parking garage- here's a picture looking North to my section of town.

Gotta run!
-b