Mail Call - Let the Fun Begin

Hello all!
I know its been awhile since I posted my incoming mail.  The trip home was a nice break, but not very fruitful in the letter response department.  Perhaps, that adds fodder to write about, but makes me a tardy mailer : )
Well let's jump into it!
Most are from postcrossing- and yes I get letters through there as well!  Many of the people look at the blog and some decide that a letter is more appropriate.  I am really find with anything I get!

a letter from postcrossing

Actually Pasha is from Send Something!  The card is my first from New Zealand!

Now from my fellow bloggers and mailing community.

An amazing envelope from Pamela at Cappuchino and Art

Postcard set from Speck at the Purple Penhead

from Lou La La

Wolfey at No Post on Sunday (the NYC scene) and Ruth from send something

A note on state postcards:  I am hoping to collect a postcard from all the states in the union.  I really want the state to be on the front of the card for a one glance- "cool that's insert state here!"
Some other awesome contributors

from one of my true pen pals!  She sends comforting teas

Wait I think I've seen those post-its before? No matter- thanks Margaret!

From Val- my first follower!

Well folks, I had to make sure I got this posted today as I think 9-10-11 has to be lucky some how. 
And remember we need to send as much mail as we can to help save the post office!  Lets make this the new cool old thing to do!
My Best,
-b

I'm a Winner!

Hello all!
I hope this finds you all well.  I first want to thank you all for all the recent comments.  Seems my trip and goodies have inspired some mail envy- in a good way!  Well yesterday I also got great news that I won a prize from Sabrina's blog at Your Items Delivered.  It was a mail art competition of sorts.
So William and Katherine will come live with me!  Which is too funny, as I really did buy into the whole fairytale wedding thing.  God Save the Queen and Keep Calm and Carry On and Tallyho my fellow wannabe Brits!
Ciao!
-B

Final Notes From My Visit Home

Hello folks!
How time flies!  It seems like I was just starting my vacation and then it was over. Sigh- but lets relive some of the mail related fun that I had while home. 
First- Mom got me a typewriter!  I asked her to look for one during the annual Highway 127 garage sale.  The sale runs through several states and takes place in early August (that's right hundreds of miles of bargains!)  She found this oldie, it is so neat and was well maintained.

I typed my first letter on it while home.  I forgot that you had to go much slower than you do with a computer which lead to a few mistakes. But I'll try again once I get it all set up.  Oh and curiously the machine does not have an exclamation point.  How ever will I make it!?!?
My Aunt gave me these beautiful old fold overs.  Apparently her mother had passed them on to her, and she's too busy to really write (per her).  How can you not like these? They each have a different saying on them to make a poem.

And finally a few pictures of the farm and local landscape!  This is the area I grew up in.  Think what you will of it.  And yes it is that flat.

a downtown scene  Most of the Indiana and Ohio small Northern towns look like this.

Hope you all have a great week! 
My Best,
-b

Day 2 - Goshen Finds

Hello all,

As promised I thought I'd show you the rest of my finds!  First off at the Whistle Stop (the same place I wiped out the postcards) I found

2 sets of new cards with natural paper envelopes

Some fold and seals- unfortunately with a religious theme

Some old square Vincet Van Gogh notecards for a whopping 50 cents

A dozen home made wall paper foldovers.  For 50 cents- I'll give it a go!  Remember folks, some people make things to donate since this is a charity.

I also got an old music book to make stationery out of and had a great visit with Emily.  Em is and old friend and a reader of my blog, so she totally understood when I bought out the postcards! 

Anyway, I should be off to bed as they get going early down on the farm.

Happy finds, my friends,

-b

Postcards, Postcards, Postcards!

Dear Friends,

I am on vacation, how are you all?  I decided to take a few days off over the Labor Day holiday weekend and enjoy a visit to my parents house in Western Ohio.  I also made plans with a few friends to meet up and hang out.  One of my favorite quaint towns to visit is Goshen, Indiana - a mixed Mennonite, Amish, Mexican Immigrant, Bohemian community!  It's an eclectic mixture and the town is filled with thrift stores, artisan shops, and antiques.  I have found many wonderful buys and interesting ideas in these stores and today was the best of all!!!!!

Oodles and oodles of postcards- somewhat sorted. 

This is 200 postcards or $20!  They are amazing and most all are high quality travel cards!

  As the title implies, I found a haul!  For 10 cents (or less) a piece, I found all kinds of beautiful postcards and many would be considered late vintage!



This is where we went!  To the Whistle Stop Mennonite Resale shop.  The monies go to their missionary work.  And things are at bargain price!



 

These were also included in the bundles- both sets from China and less than a dime a piece!



These were being sold all over town!

These are AWESOME and part of the ten cent group advertising Goshen at its finest!

Made money on this one- an old uncancelled stamp!

 

Some more miscellaneous cards- these have issues with writing on the back, or just slipped through and really weren't what I wanted.  I'll have to be more careful next time. 

Now, when my Mom found out how much I loved my 250 postcards (no kidding! I left around 50 in the basket and shocked the volunteers working up front!)- Mom pulled out these old postcards she had saved from her father.  Most are postmarked 1943 or before!  These were sent to or from my Grandfather back in the day.  He passed when I was 17yrs old- so it's nice to reconnect.  Plus I recently made the decision to start collecting "vintage" cards that spoke to me, and these do.  My Grandfather was a great letter writer and had a huge stamp collection- so I come by it honestly!

These are other's that were not sent that she also found!

What amazing finds!  And sure to keep me busy for hours and hours.  I'm also slowly but surely trying to collect postcards from all 50 states that say the state on the front of them.  I have only a handful of states thus far (AR, AZ, CO, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, MI, MA, NC, NM, PA, WA and the province of Puerto Rico)  So it's a work in progress! 

I'm still reeling from all the awesome finds and good times.  I don't want to detract from the postcards so tomorrow I will highlight the other buys tomorrow!

Hope this finds you all inspired to write a postcard!

-b