My Favorite Post Card

You guys! Check out what came in the mail for me on January 15th.

From PostCrossing user Fairy11 (a very active PostCrosser!) Can I just tell you, my face hurt from smiling at it. This made me so very, very happy. When I joined PostCrossing two years ago I hoped and hoped that I would be able to get some postcards from Germany with weimaraners on them. This is the first one. It's the first postcard I've ever seen, much less received, with a weimaraner on it. It says on the back "frame me or mail me". Here is the link to it.

I love it. I have it staring at me at my desk.

Latest Postcrossing Outgoing & NO MAIL DAY

Hi Everyone! These are the cards I've sent out recently.  I still have one out there traveling 21 days now... not sure what the delay is. Basically as one outgoing is registered I send out another.  Slow going! Is that what you all do? I'm wondering if I should wait until more get registered and then I can feel like I'm sending a chunk. I'm currently capped at 8 outgoing. 4 more cards registered and I'll be up to 9.

My little melodrama about what kind of postcards was resolved courtesy of Tara aka Taradactyl. She can be found here and here (her whole website is awesome). She used to live in Rhode Island, which makes her extra awesome.

Anyway, she said I was overthinking it. Then she offered to send me all of her Rhode Island leftover postcards. Um, yes! So my new PostCrossing motto is "you get what you get and you don't get upset". Like a 1950's kitchen.

Finally, we had a blizzard today, starting last night, and mail was canceled for today! My brother said they would have been fine, but I think it was nice for the men & women of the postal service to get to stay home if they could.

Latest Postcrossing Cards & A New Place to Shop

I don't know if y'all are aware, but it is pretty difficult to find Rhode Island postcards outside of Newport, especially the Stephanie Izzo ones that I like. I used to be able to get a big selection of them at my local Borders Books, but that is obviously gone now. Then I was finding them at a souvenir shop near me but the hours are terrible and if the business owner has a slow day, they shut the store down prior to the posted closing. But they have a pretty good selection. I found some cartoon-y postcards at another shop that sells all kinds of RI miniatures. Fortunately a new, larger and nicer souvenir shop has opened up not two minutes past the other shop.  I had a nice chat with the owner and I'm hoping they will bring in some more variety of post cards (they only had six out. SIX!). You know, for me and my Postcrossing friends :-)

Let's Talk Postcards, Shall We?

I have way too many postcards.  I have The Art of Toy Story (box of 100), The Art of Pixar (box of 100) and last but not least I have the Pantone postcards (box of 100).

The only set I've really put a dent in is the Pantone box, I'm maybe 1/3 of the way through it.

For Postcrossing, I always try to send "local" cards (sent gallery here). I don't have a varied enough collection to meet what people on Postcrossing ask for and honestly I feel bad sending children's postcards to adults.

Lastly, I just bought these stunning beauties.  The Secret Garden book of 20 Postcards by Johanna Basford. 

I don't know what y'all do in your non-mailing time, but apparently "coloring for adults" is a thing. A friend of mine, whom I met taking a photography class, started posting photos of something she was coloring on Facebook.  I asked her what the heck it was and it was this book: Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book. Well, then I was off and running. I drove to Barnes & Noble.  They were all out.  I checked Amazon, they were all out. I researched and then purchased "artist grade" coloring pencils. And when I was buying the colored pencils and I saw this lady made postcards, I bought them, obviously.

Specifically I thought my Aunt would love them because she is such a fan of gardening. I don't know that I would send them to strangers after coloring them, and I don't know if they would count as "home made postcards" on Postcrossing.

How do you all decide what to send to whom? Am I just over-thinking it?

And who wants to color with me?

Hello, Strangers

After a disgustingly long absence, I am back.  With a desk, even.  I just sent 6 postcards via Postcrossing, below.  Five of the six are going to Germany. I am always hopeful someone from Germany will send me something with a Weimaraner on it.

A few quick updates to explain my disappearance: My brother got married and I was in the wedding party, I am easily distracted by parties.  My dog Chevy got very, very sick with an infection that took a lot of time to treat.  He died on April 30th, 2014 from something unrelated to the sickness. My heart broke. I thought that meant that I would be able to do all kinds of fun things with my girl, but then she hurt her back in July and now has a spinal cord injury.

I miss writing to my friends and I'm sorry I disappeared. I look forward to writing to you again.

The lone Russian card.

Outgoing Postcrossing

I got these addresses on 01/02/2013, so these are a little late in going out but I needed some more international postage.

Going to China

Going to Russia

Going to South Korea

Going to Russia

Diving back into PostCrossing

So I have been on a little roll with my mail.  I sent out another late reply, which I will photograph and post about soon, and I sent out three of my seven allowed postcards via PostCrossing.  I requested all seven addresses but I only sent out three because I need some more international stamps.

If any of you out there are PostCrossers, how do you decide what to send people?

Initially I thought that I would always send things that are distinctly Rhode Island, which is why almost every single post card I have sent has been a Stephanie Izzo card.  Stephanie is a notable RI photographer that I have met a few times.  We have lots of her prints hanging where I work.  She has some really nice post cards, they are heavy and 5x7 size.  I used to be able to get them at Borders for $1, but now that Borders is out of business they are a little harder to find.  And they are not cheap.

Anyway, I find that people on PostCrossing have lots of specific requests, which is why I sent that wolf card down at the bottom.  That person listed wolves in her preferences.  The other two people listed lighthouses and scenery, so the big cards should go over ok.  All three of these are going to places in Russia.

Anyone else stress out about disappointing people on PostCrossing?

Postcard Catch-Up

Made another dent in my mail today!

Scanned the front and back of sixteen postcards tonight.  Registered and uploaded some Postcrossing cards.

Upcoming:  A post dedicated to the cool cards Boyfriend sent me from his epic trip, then a post showing all of the other postcards I've gotten since August.

I realized that I had no hope of putting these posts up in the order the mail was received, so I thought I would start with the postcards and go from there.  Scanning is easier than photographing.

Happy Mail Day to you all!

Good Mail Weekend

I had a good mail weekend, on top of making a wedding cake, which was a nice distraction.  Below is the front and back of a note I received from my cousin Hailey, who is going to be 4 in about a month.  I've been sending her mail for the last few weeks, which she has been saving at my request.  This is my very first mail from her.

Her Mom, my cousin Charlene, translated the below message for me.  If you're wondering, I regret that I do not own a blue princess dress.

I received this postcard via PostCrossing from the Netherlands.









And I received this postcard from Minsk, of all places!  Olga included a lovely quote for me: "A miracle happened: another day of life." from Veronica Decides to Die by P. Coelho.

I received all of the below envelopes from the lovely Anna Lorton, from The Lettering.  You should really check out her blog.  The first envelope contained my correspondant card (more on that in a separate post).  Anna is my new pen pal and we have quite a few things in common so far.  Also, she makes the most beautiful envelopes.

This envelope contained the last letter (the second) she mailed to me, which I am still in the process of responding to (I got this over a week ago).  Wedding cake delay, sorry Anna!

Note how she put a little #2 on the back of the envelope, to keep track.  Love it!