Such an Amazing Idea!

I ran across this article on the Catwranglers Blog (you can find her in my Click Please! section) this morning. She is a fellow mail enthusiast, cat lover and Damon Salvatore fan. Sounds like my kind of gal!

Little Free Libraries Are Coming to Town

9/1/2011 3:54:23 PM
by Margret Aldrich

Andrew Carnegie built an impressive 2,509 libraries around the turn of the 20th century. Now Rick Brooks and Todd Bol are on a mission to top his total with their two-foot by two-foot Little Free Libraries, reports Michael Kelley in Library Journal.

The diminutive, birdhouse-like libraries, which Brooks and Bol began installing in Hudson and Madison, Wisconsin, in 2009, are typically made of wood and Plexiglas and are designed to hold about 20 books for community members to borrow and enjoy. Offerings include anything from Russian novels and gardening guides to French cookbooks and Dr. Seuss.

Each Little Free Library runs on the honor system, displaying a sign that asks patrons to Take a Book, Leave a Book. “Everybody asks, ‘Aren’t they going to steal the books?’” Brooks told Kelley. “But you can’t steal a free book.”

Fifty libraries have been built so far, with 30 more underway and plans to expand into Chicago, Long Island, and elsewhere. Brooks and Bol have a long way to go to reach their goal of 2,510 libraries, but they’re digging the ride. “At a personal, human level, it’s very thrilling how it excites people,” Bol shared with Kelley. “But on a larger plane, it’s such a nice spark for literacy, art, and community all at once.”

Exciting Busy-Ness in Fall!

I love Fall!!! I stumbled upon this great Blog called "Running with Scissors" a while back and really fell in love with the author. Janel is a wife and an art teacher who has been raising money for their adoption proceedings! One of the lovely ideas she has come up with is to offer Art Journaling Workshops for purchase in her Etsy shop! I had been contemplating purchasing an older one that had already been hosted and completed when all of a sudden Janel posted her newest class "I Will Fall For You". It is thirty days of lovely Fall journaling prompts and projects. There is an entire Blog created just for us to share and learn together on. This Blog is private so I will be posting picutres of my own creations here. Hopefully daily...



I have also received my first penpal response letter from Stephanie in France! I am taking my time responding back becasue I want it to be thoughtful and not rushed. I also have a first letter to write and send out to another prospective mail friend this week. So exciting!







To top this coming month off I have a Twilight Moms card exchange, many shop updates and I have received my acceptance email into the Package Project! There is a link to the right if your interested in taking a peek. I am going to be SOOO busy!!! But in fabulous ways. I LOVE FALL!!!

Sneak Peak!

There are going to be a few changes to the Etsy shop all week! First some new photos and a SALE!!! As well as some new hand made goodies. Specifically some hand cut and folded upcycled Legends of Hollywood envelopes! As well as a few other suprises!



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I Heart Mail

Wish I could stop ordering stuff just to get some! So today I received these AMAZING shoes from Em and Sprout's Etsy shop. Aren't they super terrific???






I also received this little package from La Papierre with the sweet little mailing labels I ordered.












Yippie for mail!!!

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A Quick Hello!

In five hours I will be done with class having completed a presentation and back home. I plan to use the lovely free hours this evening crafting, letter writing and journaling! Evening post soon to follow. Muahahahaha...

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Busy, busy, busy!

So, school has begun yet again (I absolutely love Fall), my little girl had her second Birthday Party yesterday, I am on the hunt for new pen pals, writing a book, starting Weight Watchers... Sheesh!!! Well at least I'll be to busy to get into trouble! This week i am going to get that letter project started. Would it be rude to just ship it off to somebody and hope for the best? Or shall I simply look for people who want to be involved on Swapbot? I kind of like the randomness of just sending it off hoping for the best. Hmmm... What is a gal obsessed with mail to do???

Oh, I also want to start a little local mail club here in Ventura County. I always am incredibly jealous when I see the monthly meeting posts over at the Letter Writers Alliance wishing I could join in... Sadly they are halfway across the country! I should message Donovan at the LWA and see if she is in contact with any locals here who would be interested, wouldn't that just be fantastic??? Getting together with people a few hours a month to share and write together. Sounds like one room to be found in my personal heaven. Well, I guess I just added a bit more to my To Do List! I'll try to make sure i'm posting daily as well!!!

I've Decided to Write

A book. That is all.



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Trying to Stay Busy!

Keeps me out of trouble... It's a work in progress. So. Today I have hopefully made a few new pen pals! Here is the pen pal Ad I am shipping off to Julie from Penpal of the Week.




In non-mail related news (is there such a thing?) I have started journaling again! I know. I do this a lot but I am going to make this journal stick! My only rule is not to re-read my entries until the journal is full and not to only write in it when life is sun shiny. Anyone else think that's strange? I'm told most people journal when they are down. But I'm the opposite! I suppose I tend to journal for the maybe someday reader... Which is also now against the rules if I can help it. Wish me luck!

Oh. And I just had a veggie pita sandwich from Trader Joes and was sadly disappointed by it... Cheers!
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A Feast for the Eyes!

Caution! Photo heavy post to follow. May induce uncontrollable smiling and or drooling. You've been warned.

Here is half (yes half...) of my recently procured stationery!
First is from La Papierre also known as the writer of one of my new favorite blogs Penpal of the Week.















I love how her images look old world with a modern twist. And they are super high quality and beautifully made! I wish I knew her secret...

Next are some postcards.










And some more.







And some more...








Here is some of the amazing Japanese stationery I grabbed!!!


















And finally some vintage air mail inspired fold and mail paper!



I'm exhausted... I have so many letters to write!

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To Kathy

A very steamy postcard. She will just die when she gets this in the mail! It will probably reside for years to come on her refrigerator. This postcard is from one of the new sets I've recently and greedily purchased. The set is called "Unbridled Passion: 30 Postcards." This particular one is titled "The Awakening". The whole set is filled with romance novel covers. Quite saucy!






I will eventually get all of my new paper goodies photographed and posted as I am officially done buying!!! Cross my heart. I've had a bit of a stationery binge session as of late... So much fun.

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P.S.

I just added a little Gadget that tracks visits to my blog and apparently people are actually reading! Fantastic. Anyhow, new post for later this evening. I almost have received all the stationery I went a little crazy ordering and acquiring last week. Pictures to follow! Oh and here is my final card from the last Twilight Moms exchange. Super cute sticky note pad.

Outgoing!

So I have completed and sent my first letter to (I hope to be new pen pal) Stephanie! She's all the way in France so I'll just have to make myself be patient waiting for a reply. Here's a snap shot if what I sent!



Also, I have decided to utilize my awesome scanner to archive the letters that I'm sending out. Especially to new pen pals so I can sort of refer back to our conversations that may take place weeks or months apart. Pretty neat. Cheers!
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Nooo!!!

“Our situation is extremely serious,” the postmaster general, Patrick R. Donahoe, said in an interview. “If Congress doesn’t act, we will default.”

This cannot happen! I'm already sad that mail isn't delivered on Sundays and now... How can the world even keep going round with no postal service?! Thanks to Samara O'Shea for the update. You can read her Blog "Letter Lover" via my Click Please! section. Congress can't let this happen. Sad. You can read the article in it's entirety on the New York Times website.

Wowie Zowie!!!

I never bother to check how many followers I have because my Blog is still in its infancy but I just glanced and saw that I have 10 followers!!! Woo hoo! That's six new followers this week! Haha, I'm easily pleased. I want to have enough followers so I can do giveaways. I love giving gifts! And spreading my addiction of stationery...

Sad mail day... I have so many lovely things on there way to me via the post office and I checked my mail box this evening after work to find it empty... Very sad. I have a feeling everything will come in a flurry all at once and I'll be overloaded! Which will be pleasant.

I also may have two new pen pals!!! I stumbled onto a lovely Blog called Penpal of the Week and she does weekly pen pal introductions. I messaged two of the gals and voila! A pen pal relationship is born. She also has an amazing Etsy shop filled with her own stationery creations. She is doing a generous downsizing of inventory and offering 50 assorted sheets of Stationery for five dollars!!! Such a steal. Of course I ordered a set and so I am impatiently awaiting for my mailman to deliver some goodies! A link to her Blog is under my Click Please list!

More Mail Please?!

I received another Twilight Mom card today! It is so smart and original. The picnic lunch included some sort of large feline



and I received a bookmark that says "When other little girls wanted to be Ballerinas I wanted to be a Vampire." Which is so true!!!



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First Twilight Card!

What a great crafty idea! And she read my profile and included two beautiful Postcards. So excited!







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