Beautiful notecards

I won a giveaway!!! It was hosted by Derrick at i Still Write. I think he's going to be having some more soon, so go take a look!

Anyway, I got this package filled with notecards, colored pencils, and a journal! I haven't tried the colored pencils yet, but they look really nice!

It was fun to get the package, too, because it wasn't just in my PO Box like usual. A key was left in my box, and I had to go find the bigger box to get the package! I know that is probably pretty common, but I've never gotten anything bigger like that before!

I also got a postcard from a new country, but not a new person!

This postcard came from Caddi while she was visiting Turkey. She used some cool Turkish stamps, too!

I would love to travel to Turkey. It seems like such a fascinating place! Actually, I don't think there is anywhere I wouldn't go, everywhere seems so interesting!

Happy Spring!

How was your first day of spring? I spent most of mine (after schoolwork, of course!) outside at the barn, working (cleaning stalls and feeding) and riding in my lesson. It is way too hot here for spring though! This whole week has been in the 80°s F (about 26°-30°C)! I don't like the heat.

Just in time for spring we got some more interesting mail!

It was baby trees! Not quite as funny as the chips, but still not your ordinary package. Again, it was for my dad, for donating to the Arbor Day Foundation.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Are you doing anything for St. Patrick's Day? Are you at least wearing green? Even though I'm just staying home, I do have a green shirt on! And tonight a couple friends are coming over, so we might make some Irish soda bread, or some kind of Irish/green inspired dessert.

I got a very green postcard from Kim in Amsterdam, Netherlands this week just in time for St. Patrick's Day!

It's a pretty color of green, but I'm not sure I would want my house that color...

I also got a handmade postcard from Karen in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. She has a blog here. Anyway, I really like her postcard! I love getting mailart. It is so interesting to people's different styles, and to be able to actually touch a little piece of their art.

Old post office counter

I got a very mysterious postcard the other day.

Well, the front is just a normal souvenir/tourist card, nothing mysterious whatsoever. It's the back...

That's all it says: "For your collection. Good Luck." I do appreciate the card and that someone took the time to mail it, but it makes me curious as to who they were. It was postmarked in Atlanta, GA, which is not far from where I live, and we pass through Charleston, SC on our way to my grandparent's house.

Today my mom and I went to the oral surgeon's (just for a consultation, I will need my wisdom teeth removed), and guess what their front counter was? It was and old front from a post office in Kansas! I really wish I had my camera! The post office was closed in the 1980's, I want to say 1987, but I'm not sure. The front looked quite a bit older though. It was wood, and had a frosted sliding glass window to separate the lobby from the back. To the left were the P.O. boxes, I'll chance a guess at about 30. They had combination locks on them, and little windows so you could see if there was anything inside! They were much prettier than the P.O. boxes at my post office, which are just plain silver metal with a keyhole.

The Owls' school mail project

I saw this post on Viva Snail Mail, about a 2nd grade class collecting letter/postcards. It looks like a lot of fun! I just wrote a postcard to mail out tomorrow for them.

The 2nd grade class (the Owls) are studying the Post Office and how communication has evolved over the years. This touches on a lot of academic subjects: (math, geography, writing and community based learning). It would be great if you could send a post card to the class from where ever you may be. Or forward this email on to friends and family from all over the world asking them to send the Owls letters and postcards. We’ll read the letters together, find the location on the map, and place them on the bulletin board outside our door (so make sure they’re 2nd grade appropriate!)

This is the teacher’s 5th year doing this project and the kids just love it. They have set up a running post office in the classroom that is student led. Each day different children take turns acting as the mail carrier, mail sorter and cashier while other students write letters. Stamps cost 6 cents and prices go up regularly. Each student has their own set of money to buy stamps with. Eventually we’ll open the post office up to the whole school.If you would like to participate please send letters, postcards to:

Children’s Day School
Ms. Amy and Ms. Daniela (The Owls)
333 Dolores St.
San Francisco, CA 94110

 

When I was little, probably about their age, I remember delivering 'mail' to my family. I had a bag that I carried around with letters in it.  I would use junk mail envelopes, and put little notes inside, or collect notes from family members to be delivered. I used stickers as stamps; I specifically remember some square Barbie ones I had...

Kokeshi

I went shopping over the weekend, and found some really cool stores! The first stationary pack I had seen online before, and really liked. I was excited to find it in a store where I wouldn't have to pay shipping!

The Japanese notecards are based on little wooden Japanese dolls called kokeshi. Kokeshi dolls first appeared in northeast Japan during the Edo period (1603-1867). They were thought to have been sold to tourists visiting the hot springs. As they spread throughout Japan, different regions developed their own styles. All traditional kokeshi don't have arms or legs, have cylindrical bodies, and large round heads. They are painted now, but are thought originally to have been left unpainted.

traditional kokeshi

After WWII, creative kokeshi were developed. They have to restrictions on size, shape, or design. This type of kokeshi are more commonly found in cities.

creative kokeshi

I think the kokeshi dolls (and notecards!) are so cute!

Oh, and I decided to use my little Pride and Prejudice notebook to record all my ingoing and outgoing mail. Sometimes I forget if I've written a letter to someone new, or if I sent someone something already. I used the Missive Maven's post about how she keeps her mail notebooks as a guide. My entries look something like this:

Sent/Received 3/4/12 - if I got it in my P.O. Box/occasion (thank you, reply, etc.)

Name, location

- anything that was receive/sent with the letter

Birthday, Pride and Prejudice notebook, handmade postcard, and some questions!

I know it's been almost a week since my last post. I really want to post more often, but I seem to have had a lot going on (mainly school work) lately.

Here's the new mail from the week:

A letter from Hannah from Canton, Michigan in a cute brown and pink envelope; a postcard from Tricia from Connecticut; another postcard from Doreen in Manitoba, Canada; and lastly an aerogramme from Ana in Berlin, Germany. I never knew they were called aerogrammes, but she said that they were very popular during wars because the letter and envelope was one and the same, saving paper. She helped to create Postcrossing! It must have been amazing to have been with the project from the start, and watch it grow!

Today is my birthday, so we went to this nearby French restaurant. Their food is always so good! Today they had crayfish bacon soup, and grilled trout with a tomato burblanc sauce, topped with risotto and steamed broccoli. It was delicious! Because it was my birthday, they gave me flan, which was also really good!

I got some stationary for my birthday from my family. I really needed it!

I got a birthday card from my long-time penpal Kendall today. She sent this little notebook that looks like an invitation to Mr. Bingley's ball. I love it!

cover

inside

 Have you read Pride and Prejudice? I did, a while ago. I liked it! I have a whole collection of Jane Austen's novels, and will slowly work my way through the whole thing.

So I actually got around to making my own postcard! I came up with the idea while in bed last night, around midnight. I really wanted to get up and try it out, but the stamp is my sister's, and she was sleeping. Needless to say, it took a little while to fall asleep! I am pretty happy with how it came out, although the glue did get a bit messy. I need to work on that. I'm thinking about opening an Etsy shop. If I did, I would probably have a set of these in it. I'm thinking maybe different colored stamps? What do you think? Would you buy them? I think I would :)

front

back

One last thing. I added a widget-thing of my currently reading books (although at the moment I just finished one, and haven't started another yet). Do you like seeing what I'm reading? Or should I leave it out because it doesn't really relate to writing letters?

Ok, this really will be the last thing! I just reached my goal for 20 different states! Although I'm not really excited... I thought it would take longer than two months! I only need 4 more countries. I guess I could've set my goals a bit higher. Maybe I will, since this is supposed to be a year long project! Or I could just continue as I am, keeping track of the locations of the letters...Any ideas?