ladykayy

Yay! Monday!

2012-01-30T18:10:00.000-08:00

My mail definitely helped spruce up an otherwise boring Monday! I'd been in astronomy class for three hours and finally, I'm home! They broke out some math today and I about lost my marbles. :/ Oh well....guess I'll be making use of the tutoring offered at my college! Anywho, on to some photos!

I got this absolutely beautiful painted envelope and card (plus goodies!) from the always awesome, Cara, of Chewy Tulip!

She sent me some fab postcards and an awesome bookmark! I think I might actually get my tuckus down to the public library to use this puppy! Or use this fly?

I got a really great letter from Kat in Germany! It's so wonderful to hear from her! And she sent me two new pens to try! I used them on one of my Astro assignments today and I am in looooove! I've got to have more Stabilo's! Preferably in black for everyday use! Hmmm...Ebay, here I come! Also, check out that Diddl dude on the front! He's HAND-DRAWN!! She always hand-draws fantastic figures on her envelopes!

I received a lovely Paris postcard from a new postcard pal! Paris is one of my favorite places in the entire world, so I always love to get cards from there!

Next, I got a wonderful letter from the even more wonderful Konstantina in Greece! check out the cute cutouts on her stationary, the awesome map-lined envie, and the neat stamp!

And lastly, a swap from a friend! She send me some more air mail labels! YAY! And how cute is the snowflake stamp?

I'm going to do some writing tonight! And I'm also super excited because two of my new favorite shows are on tonight! "Being Human" on the ScyFy channel and "Alcatraz" on FOX! You guys should check out "Being Human" if you dig vampires and werewolves!

I've also got a jewelry review coming up soon!

Jan. 30th, 2012

2012-01-30T00:09:00.000-08:00

It's almost January 30th! Which means I will be posting the winner of the TEO Stationary giveaway here in about ten minutes! At the moment, I'm watching Mission: Impossible! I haven't seen this movie in so long! Weirdly enough, it's kind of inspiring me a bit! I used to love coming up with ideas for new young adult novels, and I may have to think about perhaps a spy outline! I've written so many outlines it's not even funny....I used to write ALL THE TIME when I was in high school! I would print out draft after draft to correct my mistakes, keep them in binders, and then eventually discard them because either a) I hit a massive amount of writer's block or b) I realized that I was pretty much writing my manuscript based on a novel I was currently obsessed with. For example, Harry Potter. Totally made my version of it! I was only fourteen, but still!

Anywho, since today is a Sunday, I obviously have no mail posts! I've actually got a boatload of mail going out, but I'm honestly too lazy to photograph it. I've got letters going out tomorrow to: Nicole in Germany, Gladys in Singapore, Bev in England, Elyse in Sweden, Jennifer in England, KG in Canada, my dear Clare in England, and also Hannah in England!

Something I also wanted to share is an awesome post from an even err...awsomer? lady! Bianca over in Australia is the wonderful young woman who owns (Does one own a blog? oh well.) Goodnight Little Spoon! For quite some time, I've been kvelling over her mail art! It's so lovely! But recently, meaning VERY recently, she posted a few of her books that she's made in summer school! hey are just fabulous and I loooove the idea of them! It makes me want to take a book-making course!

Check them out!

This one is a letter holder:

The second is a postcard book!

Both photos are credit to Bianca!

You can check out her full post here!

And also! It's time to announce the winners of the TEO Stationary giveaway!

Drunrollllll.....

TMC is the winner! Will be shooting you an email in a few moments!

Yay! Mail!

2012-01-28T15:33:00.000-08:00

FINALY! Mail! I've sent out a few things....Not too many. I've got a lot of letters to write, but they'll be going out as soon as I can get them out! The first week of school really threw me off!

Oh! Something crazy happened yesterday! My little brother (he's sixteen.) was walking around with his friends last night and they broke off to each walk home once it got dark. Well, his best friend was walking home and a couple of guys came up behind him and mugged him at gunpoint! Super scary! I live in a sleepy suburb where the most crime you get is a teenager driving his Lexus into a tree while drunk, so this was a big shock! It's even worse because the police didn't believe him! They thought he was making it all up! Probably because he's a teenager and the cops around here are coooomplete jerks. In the end, these muggers took him for SEVEN DOLLARS a watch worth a couple hundred dollars. On another note, WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND GIVES A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD A $200 WATCH?! I'm 20 years old and I don't have jewellery that's worth that much!

This is what I've got in my 'incoming' mail bag!

There are a couple of things that I've sent out!

Here's my reply to the fab Kelli in Colorado!

This is the letter she sent!

And here are the other two that I sent out. I reeeeally need to get some more of those adorable envelopes but I can't place any stationary orders until I get a job!

And here is what I got today and yesterday! Yay!

Here's a lovely purpley letter from Maija in Finland!

I got a great letter from a new pen pal in Germany. I wanted to show off the neat stamp with Romania on it!

Here's another letter from a new friend! She found me via my blog...funnily enough, we grew up only a few miles away from eachother!

Who can resist Hello Kitty in a leopard suit?

I got a great letter from Sabrina in Germany! I love her address labels!

How cute is the deco tape she used?

And last but CERTAINLY not least! DeeDee in Canada sent me an AMAZING package of the vintagey styled recipe cards that I love and use all the time! Fab, right? I hope my letter got to her alright!

How fantastic are those?! Such a good Saturday's mail! Folks, my big stationary giveaway ends here in a couple of days, so make sure you sign up!

Labels from Hong Kong!

2012-01-26T22:18:00.000-08:00

Today, it was rainy and glum...just the way I like it! I'm odd, I know. Sometimes I wonder if I should have been born English. Is it really that cold and rainy in England? Perhaps one of you can tell me!

Today was another slow mail day, but I received an expected swap from someone in Hong Kong! :) And he so kindly included two spare envelope! I've been looking all over for air mail envelopes, trying to avoid purchasing them online. In the end, I may end up doing that.

Check out these fab air mail envelopes for my art! I'm really excited! And how cool are those stamps and postmarks?

Tonight will probably be spent watching a couple of prison documentaries (I'm not sure why I love them so much! Am i weird? Probably.) and nursing my knee, which was fine this morning but now it's hurting again!

So, for now, over 'n out!

I am alive!

2012-01-25T19:04:00.000-08:00

Barely.

Somehow or another, I managed to injure my knee! I haven't a clue why, considering that I steer clear of physical activity...I think it might have to do with something to do with my sitting cross-legged all the time, but it seems to have gotten much worse! I look like an idiot walking around with a hobble...I experienced my first time getting up and down the planetarium's three flights of stairs with a bum knee today! Not fun at all.

I am itching to do a jewellery review, but I've made a rule that I won't review things while a giveaway is going on! I really should be doing homework, but I'm ahead, so I guess it's okay. Perhaps I will read my astronomy textbook...or not. I've been reading a lot of blog posts lately about creating envelopes, so that is also an option!

What a terrible blog post! I haven't gotten hardly any mail since school started! And I'm still catching up on my mail from when I was in San Diego! Can you believe that?!

Gahhhh!

2012-01-22T16:22:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday and there are quite a few things I hate about Sundays. Normally, it's just the fact that we don;t get mail on Sundays, but no, there are more reasons on this Sunday!

a) The postage rates here in the states went up today.
b) University starts back up tomorrow!

I'm really not bothered by the domestic postage rate only going up to 45 cents, but $1.05 for international letters? Seriously? Maaaaannnn....Now I have to figure out the math, too, because I don't like always using just the one international rate stamp. I like to mix it up and use domestic stamps and add on extra postage, too.

Here are a few mail photos of the things I sent out. I'm not including some of the review products that I got, so these are just my outgoing letters. :)

Headed out to DeeDee in Canada! She's the creator of TEO Stationary. I included some goodies in her letter. :)

This one is going out to Cherie! Oddly enough, it's written on TEO stationary! Gotta love those paper bag envelopes!

One headed out to Kay! We were pen pals years back and we've managed to re-connect, so this is my first letter to her, stuffed into an envelope made of the funny pages!

One headed out to Ayumi!

And lastly, some stamps headed to a new friend...I still need to write her letter!

And of course, Scooter pictures...

Yes, he is spoiled...I make him lovely salads and a plethora of other things.

Oops! He's got some on his chin!

Also, here are my two finned friend's who are always watching over me. They live in aquariums right next to my bed!

Phinneas:

And Bert! Yes, I did just say his name is Bert. It just came to me when I bought him...

Well, I guess I'd better end this here! I want to go over the first few PowerPoint presentations for my first lectures...Introduction to Planetary Sciences...What in the hell was I thinking?

Bah. :/

2012-01-19T15:02:00.000-08:00

Today is one of those days...you know the type where you KNOW that you need to do things but you just don't have the motivation to do them? That's how I'm feeling right now!

For example. I really need to:

- clean and move one of my betta fish tanks.
- fold my laundry.
- organize my financials.
- figure out how in the hell to make my room presentable.

On the brightside, my mom is bringing me home a Starbucks Skinny latte!

So, before I show you what I got in the mail, I have some Scooter photos for you! This morning, he was nomming on some nice Romaine lettuce. :D He's currently living in a small enclosure in my closet while I try to save up to buy materials to make a big 'tortoise table' out of wood with my dad....It'll go in my closet, too! I also need to make room for a possible second tortoise, so I've been brainstorming on how to break up the tortoise table. Anyway, here he is! My shelled babykins! He really needs a beak trim...eek!

"Hmmm...where to begin, where to begin...."

"Ahhh, yes."

"Please get that camera out of my face and get my beak trimmed..."

I love him sooo much !

Before I get to the mail, I wanted to mention something regarding my future reviews. Something random about me is that I adore jewellery! I love cute pieces especially! So, because I adore it all so much, I will also be reviewing jewellery from various Etsy artists! I love promoting handmade goodies. :) I will also be doing my normal giveaways, so you will all have a chance to win some great pieces!

I'll give ya'll (did I just say ya'll? I think I did...Sometimes I forget I'm Californian.) a sneak peak on some of the pieces I'll be reviewing!

Goooorgeous handmade wire pieces from RingBinder. Sneak peak of one of the pieces!

Delicious deco goodies from funwithartz

Cute goodies from minxdenpartdeux!

And beautiful earrings from NewWorldEmily! I'v got quite a few other artists that I will be featuring besides these fabulous creators!

ON TO THE MAIL! Today was especially light. Bleh. :/

I got this wonderfully decorated package from an Etsy artist who's jewellery I will be featuring...The Hello Kitty graphics are printed on the envelope itself!! How cool it that?! I want some of those packing envies! To bad my printer is crap right now!

I got a wonderful letter from Hannah in England! A letter got lost and she had to write a new one! Look at the wonderful make-up palette she sent me! I love Paris so much, so this is perfect! What a wonderful surprise gift!

I also got a lovely letter from Kylie in San Francisco, but I didn't take a photo of it, and a purchase from Ebay came! I love Origins face products but they was incredibly expensive! I have EXTREME eczema and this is the only stuff that works! I paid $7.50 for a tiny little one ounce bottle! Yikes!

And here is a sneak peak of one of the Etsy packages I got today! It's what was in the glorious Hello Kitty package!

WELL! I have plenty of letters to write today, so I will end this here! Make sure you enter the TEO Stationary giveaway!

New Giveaway!

2012-01-18T20:07:00.000-08:00

Giveaway Timeeee!

It's time for another giveaway! You all saw my review on TEO Stationary. Well nowwww....it's time for one of you lucky readers to win some teo of your own!

Here's what you'll be winning:

- one set of the nature notecards.
- two postcards with envelopes. 1 and 2.
- one full set of her 'book girl' stationary.
- one set of her 'cowgirl' stationary.

PLENTY of goodies to write until your heart's content!

How do I enter, you ask? It's simple!

- pick out your favorite TWO products from TEO's shop and post links/descriptions of your favorite two.

- give suggestions on what YOU would love to see on some of her fab stationary.

- 'favorite' her etsy store.

Each post gets one vote! And don't forget to follow my bloggie! heh.

Alrighty!! Start entering! This giveaway will end on January 30th!

Employment application from Hell!

2012-01-18T19:51:00.000-08:00

Urgh, I just got finished with the worst and weirdest employment application ever. I have until May, which is when the state of California cuts me off from my disability fund, so I've been applying everywhere I can find. WELL, I found a kids photography place that is looking to hire...so, I started the application and all was well...until they gave me a 25 QUESTION MATH PAGE! WITH FRACTIONS AND NUMBER SEQUENCES AND EVERYTHING! I barely passed high school geometry! Lets hope they don't hire based on math ability! I mean, I can calculate change like a champ, but fractions? Really?!

AAAANNNYWAYYYYS, I guess I should put up my daily mail goodies, but first, I want to show you all the tiny little thing I picked up in San Diego that I completely forgot that I bought! His name is Alfie and he a teeny tiny (one inch or so.) ceramic, handmade and hand-painted sea dragon! Squee!

How cute is he?! i should have bought more in different colored, but he fits in perfectly with my display shelves!

And just for good measure...my beloved typewriters! I want more! Both are Smith-Corona.

Anywho, shall I move on to mail?

first off, I want to show you some coin finds that I'm sending to someone in China in exchange for some writing goodies! A Grand Canyon US quarter and a penny from 1944! Check out the old style-ness of it! I hope you can see all of the details in the quarter! It's pretty cool if I do say so myself! I hope the recipient is pleased! The penny is a surprise. :D He is also getting a map-card and a surprise Los Angeles card!

I also sent these cute recipes for homemade peanut butter to my dear Frankie in Pisa, Italy! Apparently, peanut butter is stupidly expensive there, so I thought I would send her some recipes so she can make her own! I even wrote the measurements in metric for her on the back to make it easier when she tries to make it. :D It was so cute to read how excited she was to find a place who sells and makes 'American' desserts! I NEED to find more of these cards! I only have one left!

A lovely friend in Germany sent me a big packet of decos! It's going to take me a while to work on them!

A new friend from Hungary sent me a great letter! Unfortunately, I can't read her return address! Check out the stamp, too! Vintage-esque, don't you think?

How groovy is this London bus stationary?! And a ~~lovely~~ awesome letter accompanied it! And it was mailed in a velum envelopes! Velum envies are up on my love level along with kraft envies. :)

I loooooved Ayumi's adorable letter! I have a love affair with San-X stationary. She also sent me some matching cute San-X sticker flakes! So sweet of her! I also love that she sticks her own labels on the front, too. For some reason, I can never get mind to come out perfectly straight!

A new pal sent me a super cute Tinkerbelle-ey letter! Look close! Even her return address label has Tink on it! Side note: my cockatiel is named Tinkerbelle. He's got a really bad attitude, though. Personally, i think it's because we named HIM Tinkerbelle....We normally just call him Tink, haha.

Next up is one of my favorite letters of the week! It's from my new friend Ammy from Singapore. Such a creative letter! I loved it! Once I opened it, the wheel in my head began turning regarding what my reply might look like!

Yeah, that's black paper! I so wish I could write in gel pen on black paper! i just can't find good quality gel pens that are affordable and black stationary! She also send some goodies, too. In a handmade envelope! She sent me some cute and super useful papers, too! I plan on using them for little notes and also in my planner!

The cool stamps!

Check out the sticker on the back!

And here is the beginning of her letter! I'm showing some of what I'm enclosing which is a bit of vintage stationary, but there's much more! She and I are both fans of re-purposing, so why not use a San Francisco map for the envelope?!

I also got a wonderful note from DeeDee of teo stationary. We're going to become pen pals, too!

How kickass is the rubber stamp on the bottom?! And the postage stamps, too!

ROAAAARRR!

The wonderful Nina in Thailand sent me her swap of air mail labels! She even included some awesome fish (or 'feesh') in KSpeak stickers! how did she know I am an aquariust?! I don't know! Speaking of aquarium...I really need to clean on of mine...it's getting bad.

I'm diggin' on the air mail stamp! I need to get one of those!

OH! And here are the stamps!

I also got an aaaaammmmazing package today, also another swap, from Holland! A FULL ROLL OF AIR MAIL LABELS! And some envelopes! I've been looking high and low for air mail envelopes because I really don't want to order the crap ones in my office supply store. Check out the awesomeness!! Isn't the packaging adorable? Notice the air mail colors on the twine!

Yup, whole roll. You guys are jealous, I know. Baha.

And last but not least...one outgoing postcard for a swap for more air mail labels! How fab is this Moomin card? I have two sets of these ones (they have multiple designs in a package...I think there are six of them per pack.) and then one package of regular sized postcards in various designs!

Monday, January 16th, 2012

2012-01-16T13:25:00.000-08:00

Today we honor a great man. A true man of peace, Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the best known advocates of non-violent social strategies. He's best known for his 1963 deliverance of the famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Unfortunately, we lost him only three years later on April 4th, 1968.

Martin Luther King Jr. was originally named after his father, Michael King until the family's visit to Germany. His father soon changed both of their named in honor of Martin Luther, the founder of Lutheranism

250,00 people of every ethnicity attended his "I Have a Dream," speech. His speech is regarded as one of the finest given along with The Gettysburg Address and FDR's Infamy speech.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

I wish I had been present to hear Dr. King speak...to this day, this speech still makes me shed a few tears! I also wish that people...citizens...in this country were granted their basic rights even till this day. It saddens me that people are still stripped of them, regardless of being in the year 2012.

Funny fact...He was interviewed by Playboy!

So, I guess I should get on to the rest of my mail, huh?

What a lovely package from Hannah! Such cute erasers!

I was so glad to hear from my dear Maria in Moscow! She is always so sweet! She sent my letter in a first day cover envelope!

A Russian banknote for my collection and some adorable postcards!

Elyse in Sweden always decorates her letters so nicely! It's the perfect amount of stickers...not to many, not too few!

Rin from Papered Thoughts sent me a great reply letter on adorable Korean stationary! Gotta love her fabulous address label! And check out the cute koala stamp! I had to resist asking her, "Have you ever met a koala in person?" She's going to get a longer letter in reply!

Check out the little package of goodies she sent along with photos! I hope she likes what I'm sending back!

I always look forward to Eveline's letters! She asked about "Ghost Adventures", which is a paranormal show that I tend to watch...It only seems to be on at night, so i always end up sleeping with the lights on! But I love it! In my letter, I explained my paranormal beliefs...

Arwen always makes me feel like a better person than I am. She understands my disorders so great and I can always count on her support!

And last but not least, Ana from Russia sent me some fantabulous goodies! It was so worth the drive to the post office to pick up! And while I was there, I purchased a sheet of stamps...the first new postage stamp design of 2012!

Coins for my ever-growing currency collection!

I also received a travelling journal in which I'll be showing and writing about my house!

Just for fun, here's my casa!

I also included a few other photos...my room, car, and family!

Is it ironic that this photo was taken in front of my post office? haha!

And last but not least...my outgoing!

WOW, once again, another novel length post! But that's the last of the vacation mail! Keep an eye out for another giveaway this week. :)

I'M HOME! [part one]

2012-01-14T16:28:00.000-08:00

Finally! I'm home! I am incredibly glad to be home. I never thought I would miss it so much! My vacation to San Diego wasn't the best emotionally, but I was glad to spend time with my best friend! I came home to a MASSIVE pile of mail. Massive, absolutely massive. I ended up accidentally staying up until 3 in the morning reading everything. Needless to say, I have lots of writing to do! Naturally, I've taken photos of everything! I left out some packages and some letters, though...I think this will end up being a two part post.

So, first up, I want to show you some of my purchases! I did some shopping whilst in San Diego and I also got a late Christmas gift from Blowfish shoes! BOOTS! I wear boots all the time.

They're all fuzzy and comfy! I had to stretch them out the first few days because my feet are massive. Size 11...practically ski-size!

My limited edition pocket Moleskine planner came in the mail right before I left. So many people, especially in the fountain pen community, are completely against Moleskine due to the paper quality, but I still love 'em! Something about the simplicity attracts me! This is the first time that I have purchased a pocket sized planner, so we shall see how it goes!

Bath and Body Works was having an AWESOME same, so I stocked up on my body sprays and bought Kalie some gifts for letting me stay with her. I didn't get photos of what I bought her, though. I also got some Origin's samples to test out! I use the small body sprays for my purse! Perfect size!

Of course, I had to pick up some fridge magnets for swapping! The rubber VW bus is already spoken for!

POSTCARDS! Los Angeles, Malibu, Ventura, San Diego...

How lovely is this Teavana tea cup? I doubt I will ever use it! I've put it on display along with the tea cups my grandmother gave me! Unfortunately, I only have the cup and not the infuser or cap...luckily, Kalie gave me a tea ball!

I also found an absolutely PERFECT new bag for my mobile writing kit! An air mail zip pouch! Look at it!! How could I have said no?! I bought it at Papyrus for $7.95.

Now for the best part of all. SANRIO! The particular mall I went to was outdoor and FIVE STORIES HIGH! And they had a fabulous Sanrio store! I bought two letter sets, Kerropi and Sugar Bunnies, and a package of filler paper!

Fabulous, no?

Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera with me in San Diego, so I couldn't photograph my outgoing mail, but I sent several postcards (I bought a sheet of postie stamps before I left! haha.) and quite a few letters! We spent a significant amount of time at home in the apartment (we didn't do any typical SD activities like SeaWorld or the zoo...) so I have PLENTY of time to write letters! I wrote quite a few introductory letters! Anyways, here's some of the mail I got!

A lovely letter from the even lovelier Consuela in Chile! Check out the cool label!

An awesome letter from the even more awesome KG in Toronto! I love using "Hello, my name is..." labels for addressing!

A nice bow-ey letter from the lovely Jennifer, a fellow blogger over at Snail Mail, and life's tiny details.

Check out the Queen Victoria stamp! Did you know she reigned over England for a little over 63 years? How crazy is that? She was only 18 years old when she inherited the throne! She gained the title of "grandmother of Europe" when her 9 children and 26 grandchildren (the 26 that lived to adulthood, at least.) ALL married into noble/royal families! She married her first cousin, though, so that's a bit hinky, but hey, it was the 1800's, right? Being on a postage stamp seems quite befitting as she was a writer herself! She is said to have written 2500 words a day during her adult life and kept an extremely detailed journal which encompassed 122 volumes!! Most of her diaries still exist even after her daughter burned some of them while transcribing and editing them after Victoria's death.

A long awaited first letter from Lainey in Jamaica! My letter to her arrived surprisingly fast, apparently!

I got a really interesting vintage postcard of Farragut State Park in Idaho from Derrick and a lovely postcard of Singapore from Kiia-Riikka in Finland! Her holidays sound like they were an absolutely blast!

I love postcards with rounded corners. :D

I received a fantastic letter from Bahanur in Portugal! She also sent me some tea to try! I'm going to pull some tea out for her and send it along with my next letter!

As usual, Miki used sweet Rilakkuma stationary!

Check out this wonderful package from Konstantina in Greece! She sent me such a cool magnet and two great pencils for me to use when I start school again! The magnet is such a fantastic addition to my ever-growing collection!

I'm going to have to end this post here. Like I said, I'll be posting a second part, probably tomorrow! I've got a barbeque to attend with my family tonight! Yum!

January 10th, 2012

2012-01-10T17:21:00.000-08:00

I've got a review today! Or tonight? I don't know. All I know is that I have been putting this off and after an EXTREMELY stressful night, I feel the need to write!

So, let me tell you about this amazing product line. First off, Deidre over at teo stationary is just fantastic and she has created equally fantastic products. One of the many unique things about teo stationary is that all of her products are 100% Canadian! You would be buying a TRUE Canadian product! All of the artists she commissions are Canadian! Can you believe that? How many products out there are like that?

These are the goodies she sent me! (And check out my new green duvet cover that my mom got me for Christmas! Shweet!) In my lovely package was an adorable dachshund postcard, an equally adorable dachshund and great dane postcard, both with matching envelopes, a set of her gorgeous sea dragon 'Nature' notecards, and three sets of her pin-up girl stationary: "Book Girl", "Circus Girl", and "Cowgirl". I have to say, though, the "Show Girl" stationary is mighty cute as well! You should check out her "Fashion Faves" sets, too! What letter-writer doesn't want cowboy boots on their stationary? Also, all of these lovely ladies are drawn by Alexa Porteous, and the notecard designs come from Kyle Scott.

Lets start with the letter-sets, shall we?

As soon as I opened these guys, I loved them. They are extremely unique. Why, you ask? First off, the paper used for printing is a natural colored, 24 lb, laid paper. Paper measurements are roughly 5.5"x8.5". For those of you who aren't paper connoisseurs, that means that the paper has a slightly ribbed texture to it. Don't worry, I had to look it up, too, haha.

*(note that this photo was taken at an angle to show the texture better)

Secondly, she uses 'paper bag' style envelopes! Ces magnifique! I kind of have the most ridiculous love for anything kraft paper-ish, this side of the west coast, so obviously, I fell in love instantly! They are even gummed! I did find that I needed a bit more than spit to seal the envelope, though, so a swish from a glue stick might be easiest! Why ruin the outside with tape, right?

Look at the lovely brown on the inside! *squee!* Something also great about these envelopes is that they are SUPER DUPER sturdy! Perfect for mail art!

Another thing that is just fantastic is that the stationary sets take to fountain pen ink! Without bleeding! And without feathering! Crazy! Your best bet is a wetter nib as the super dry ones can get scratching due to the ribbing. Check these out...even the swaps didn't bleed through!

Standard pens/markers:

Swabs:

Bleedthrough? what bleedthrough? Only minimul as you can see:

Pretty great, right? Now that I've sufficiently squealed over her letter-sets, we should get on to the couple of other things she sent me!

The postcards are all shot in 24mm film by Deidre, herself, and they range from dogs to equines. Super glossy and beautifully printed! The back is also glossy, so a fine Sharpie might be the best pen choice. They are standard postcard size and come along with a matching white envelope just in case you prefer to send it that way!

The notecards, designed by Kyle Scott, are pretty great too. They're much smoother than most notecards, so again, I would probably suggest something similar to a fine Sharpie pen. I'm really quite partial to the sea dragon motif! Cute, yet classy! An odd fact: all of the designs on the notecards are symmetrical!

I really love this brand. All of the teo products spell out quality. Besides, who doesn't love dachshunds, seahorses, and pin-up girls? As usual, I wanted to ask the owner some questions to get a feel for who she is and whatnot:

Tell me a bit about yourself. Hobbies, where you're from, etc.

My name is Deidre Ishii, I'm soon turning 30 (in 10 days) Agghh! I live in a town called Kelowna, which is located in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. I love animals, food and art. I used to do portrait photography but now I've gotten into paper goods. Also have a full time 'day job' as an assistant manager at a used clothing shop.

Why did you choose to make this type/genre of product?

I decided to start Teo Stationery (after thinking about it for several years) because I found it hard to find stationery. Well it's getting easier with places such as Etsy! I've been writing letters since I was 13-14 yrs old and have been collecting stationery since then, can never have too much!

What are your favorite materials to work with?
Fave materials would be all about paper selection I guess... and I love 'laid' paper, it's my fave to use at the moment.

What inspires you?
What inspires me is just about everything! I'm def inspired by others art too. When I started out I wasn't quite sure where I was going to get all the content for the stationery collections but then I thought to commission artists, starting with a young gal I used to work with at a previous job. Just freshly graded and super talented (Alexa Porteous). I put up ads at local university and also have a family friend that just completed some beautiful sketches. I'm proud to say Teo is 100% Canadian, really believe in supporting local talent.

Do you plan to create things/own your own business as your life career?

I definitely plan to create things for the rest of my life, whatever it is, it's in my blood, a huge part of my identity. I would love to own my own business though I know I'd be super lucky, we live in such a competitive consumer driven world haha!

So, will you support local Canadian talent? Mosey on over to the teo stationary Etsy store ad take a look at all of the awesome goodies! Trust me, you WILL NOT regret it! And keep a lookout for the next giveaway where I'll be giving some goodies from teo away! Wahoo!

Also, congrats to montigneyrules for winning my Chewy Tulip giveaway!

Postcards? Opinions?

2012-01-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

I spent roughly $8 on purchasing postcards here in southern California and that seems like kind of a lot to me. BUT I have gotten really good at finding the cheapest ones! I guess that's not really related to what my post is about. I've been thinking about printing my own postcards from some of my photography. What do you guys think?

Paris:

Cannes:

Notre Dame:

Florence:

Rome:

Roman Forum, Rome:

Monaco:

Cannes:

Trevi Fountain, Rome:

Siracusa:

Rome (something is wrong with this photo as you can see...I'm not sure what happened with the right side!):

Cannes:

What do you guys think? I'm not a photographer...I just got lucky with my photos!

No review. :/

2012-01-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

Well, I had a stationary review planned for today...but apparently I forgot to upload the photos from my camera to my computer before I left for San Diego!

But here's one thing you should check out...this awesome looking correspondence recording book by paperandtype!

Today will be a letter-writing day for me! I'm alone at the apartment for the day as my best friend had to work, so it's just me, two ridiculously energetic cats, and a blind and deaf chihuahua named "Squish".

Spider-Turtle!

2012-01-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

Being on vacation, I needed my mom to tortoise-sit for me! Part of the job involves soaking them in warm water to help hydrate them! I'm also watching a friend's box turtle and he seems to not like being in encloses spaces AT ALL! My mom managaes to capture this escape attempt! You can see Scooter, my Russian Tortoise, behaving like a good boy in his bathtub!

"Okay. The coast looks clear..."

"Oye. I've never seen rocks like this before._ Mom said he kept turning the faucet on, hahaha.

"HUZZAH!"

End turtle-rama post here! Today is a lazy day at home in San Diego...I plan on drinking multiple cups of Teavana tea! I've also got a review coming up soon! Maybe tomorrow...I have to make sure I have the photos since I only have my crap cell phone camera. Oddly enough, I'm watching "Burlesque" with my best friend and the review I'll be posting is on pin-up girl stationary!

I have arrived!

2012-01-04T19:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I am officially in San Diego! It's beautiful here! Today, I spent four hours walking around the biggest outdoor mall I've ever seen. FIVE LEVELS! Can you believe that? And I went into a store and promptly purchased 25 San Diego postcards! I wish I had gotten more Los Angeles cards, though! I've already sent out five cards! I wish I had taken photos of them, though!

But I finally have photos of the mail that I got before I left for my trip on the 28th! I received a letter from a new pen pal and I so wish I could show her AMAZING handwriting, but due to privacy issues, I can! :( Perhaps in the future!

First off, my mobile writing folder and some of the stationary I used! Yes, I am addicted to cute stationary...

And on to the letters! The first is from Finland! i really enjoyed the stationary! Wonderland-ey, don't you think? The sender has such beautiful, small handwriting, too! I'm jealous!

And of course, the stamps! Oh, Finland, how I love your postage stamps!

Next up is a letter from the lovely Diomira!

And a letter from Clare in the UK! Such cute stickers!

Such a short post! I can;t wait to get home and check out the pile of mail waiting for me!

ps. My best friend works at a tea store and I am officially addicted!
ppss. Make sure you enter my giveaway before time runs out!

Still at grandma's house!

2012-01-02T11:05:00.000-08:00

Being at your grandmother's house is something special, isn't it? I'm her only granddaughter, so it's extra special for me! It's just her and I right now (my grandmother died in January four years ago and the 4th anniversary is coming up soon!) as I'm waiting to go to San Diego tomorrow. I always manage to find the most interesting things here!

For example, her quilts! I've counted eight quilts so far! Only two are in use, but still. And these aren't just any quilts...they are HAND-SEWN quilts! Hand-sewn! Can you imagine that? Apparently, her mother really enjoyed quilting. :) My favorites of all of them is the one on my bed. 'My' bed is my mother's old room. :) I'll also note that my feet hang off of it by about six or seven inches...I don't know how my mother slept on it given that she's two inches taller than me! (I'm six feet tall. 182.88cm./1.8288 meters for those of you using metric.)

This is that favorite quilt. :) It's yellow with squares made up of all random fabrics! I'm thinking maybe she used scrap fabrics. All of the quilts were made in the 30's or before! Can you believe that!?

This is how I travel...now wonder my parents kick me out of the trailer when we go camping... Lady does NOT travel lightly! For the record, though, this is for ten days in San Diego, too.

I'll have mail photos of the few letters I got before leaving home and what I'm sending out (hopefully I remember to take photos of everything...) when I leave grandma's...her DSL is super slow and I'd rather just do it when I go to SD. Plus, I have plenty of postcards to send from there and I want to get photos of them! Guess that's it for today!

OVER N' OUT!

Teacups and New Years!

2011-12-31T09:58:00.000-08:00

It's New Years Eve! Can you believe it? I certainly can't! Do you have lots of fun plans? I do! Tonight, my family is having a huge New Years party/triple birthday party! We're celebrating the new year as well as my cousin's 17th birthday, her mom' (my aunt.) birthday, and my father's 50th birthday! My cousin was born on her mother's birthday! Can you imagine? And turning 50 in a really big thing in my family since most men of the family don't live to be that old!

It's going to be really nice to see all of my extended family. :) We drove down here (to L.A.) from Northern California and my family is heading back tomorrow,l while I'll be going to San Diego until the 12th to stay with my best friend! Wahoo! Want to know the best part? I get to skip the 7-8 hour drive home and FLY back to Sacramento! YES!

Anywho, while I was here (we're staying at my grandma's house as usual!) my grandmother mentioned that she was going to head to the same postal store I go to in order to have all of her mother's tea cups packed and mailed to her cousin in the midwest...Tea cups? I HAD to see them! I love tea cups and I love to display things! So she let me pop the box open and check everything out! Unfortunately, a couple of pretty cups had the handles broken off, but the rest were intact!

Look at them all!! And here is the best part...she's letting me keeping TWO! I', sending them home with my parents so they don;t have to be put in my suitcase...aren't they lovely?

This one is rather Moroccan, don't you think?

And I also chose this one! I love the green and purple in the design!

This was kind of a random post, I know. I don't have any mail to post except for the mail I got prior to leaving home on the 28th! Unfortunately, Grandma has super close DSL internet, which means downloading images to her computer goes at a snails pace! I'll have to make a full post (and another stationery review!!) once I get to my best friend's house in San Diego and once I find some proper wireless internet!

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year!!

Gone postal?

2011-12-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

How many people have you met that can say that they have a post box in their bedroom? Two? Six? Twenty four? As far as I know, having a PO box in one's room is rather unheard of. But I have one! Yes! That's right! I have a PO BOX in my bedroom! Alright, it's not a working box, but it's a box door! And a vintage one at that! I've had this post box door in my bedroom for a year now and I've only just started thinking about where (and how.) to hang it! it weighs a solid few pounds and is made of some sort of heavy metal, so hanging it might get a bit complicated! I'll have to employ my father for that project.

Anyhow, here it is! beautiful, isn't it? Apologies for the image shadows! It's brass, maybe?

This is the post office is came from, I believe. Or at least that's what my grandmother said. She pulled it from her barn, which really isn't a barn. By now, it's sort of half fallen down and still full of err...'stuff'. We're pretty sure it is the original 'number 12' PO BOX and it was thrown out when they converted to new boxes!

Look how tiny the post office is! Note that the entire building is NOT the post office! Only the small little brick building towards the left!

Where is this teeny post office, you ask? TOIVOLA, MICHIGAN! For those of you who aren't familiar with the Upper Penninsula (Or 'The UP'.), it is that little finger of Michigan above Wisconsin that is situated on *Lake Superior! I spent summers from age 9 to 13 with my grandmother on her farm (no animals...except for 16 cats and a husky. Yes, i said SIXTEEN CATS.) riding ATV's, picking raspberries, and accidentally breaking things. It was fantastic! We were only 10 minutes or so from Lake Superior and loved to go there and explore Agate Beach. For those of you who don't know what agates are...Click me!. Lake Superior is also known for it's shipwrecks! 350 to be exact! And it's deepest point reaches 1300 feet!

How did I manage to find a teeny town like this? Well, someone in my family helped found it! That also means I'm related one way or another to...well, most of the town. It's a small town. A very small town. "Toivola" roughly translates to "Hope Town" in Finnish and was founded in 1892 by Finns. Okay, enough history, more pictures!

Look! The original combination papers! Just wait until you see the combo lock!

LETTERS!! Not numbers!

I also managed to get it open! I've always thought the 'G' on the combination paper was a 'D', so getting it open was a first for me, haha.

WELL! That's it for my random postal thing post! I can't wait for mail time tomorrow! Woohoo!

*I highly advise that you never, ever, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES go swimming in Lake Superior after a storm...I've almost drowned twice. Not fun.

Last minute Christmas Post!

2011-12-25T07:32:00.000-08:00

I meant to do this earlier, but I thought it would be fun to show off some of our Christmas decorations! And my sleepy brothers! At the moment, we're waiting to bring my dad is coffee. Nothing gets done in the morning without his coffee! I could only get some of our decorations because the rest are on timers. :/ The tops of the cabinets in our kitchen are lined with lit garland and even the light fixture above our pool/billiards table is wrapped in lit garland!

The banister leading to our second floor:

Our stockings over out 'fireplace'! It's a gas fireplace (behind glass.) and is turned on my a light switch....is that really a fireplace?

Some of our 'Christmas Village' decorations:

Our eclectic, fake tree! Some people have matchy-matchy trees with fancy ribbon and what-not but I love ours. :) It has ornaments that my parents have collected through the years and even the first ornament my parents ever bought together! Unfortunately, we have to go fake because I am deathly allergic to Christmas trees. :( I love real ones so much, though!

The gifts! (I couldn't fit them all in the photo. They go towards the back/right side of the tree, too.) You also can;t see the 32 inch flat-screen TV my parents bought my 16 year old brother (it's pretty much his only gift.) that he found out about. Nice surprise, eh? -_-

And the brothers!

Wooohoo for Christmas!!

Happie Stamps!

2011-12-25T06:09:00.000-08:00

You know, I told myself that I absolutely, positively, was NOT going to write this review until after Christmas/New Years. Until I ended up waking up at five a.m. in the morning on Christmas Day. Now, you guys don't know me that well yet, but sleep is a serious hot commodity. Typically, I have to put myself in a medicated coma (sort-of. Don't worry, not Micheal Jackson status.) to sleep but I went to sleep last night at a decent hour (11 p.m.) which is absolutely AMAZING for me as I normally go to sleep after 1 a.m., and what happens? I WAKE UP AT FIVE IN THE MORNING! So frustrating! And my poor tortoise is probably freezing his little shell off, even with his heat lamp on! My room always hasn't had the best ventilation so the 'heater' sometimes puts out coldish air...plus, we had another hard freeze here in California tonight and I heard the temperatures dipped down to the 20's or so. By the way, said tortoise really isn't that small. He's about 6 pounds. ANNNYYYWAAAYYYS, onto the review! *puts on glasses*

Tommie of HappieStamps seriously makes some amazing stuff, guys. Like, it's awesome. I am ALL FOR handmade, but can you get any better than HAND CARVED?? I've always wanted to try stamp carving but I've been such a chicken! Anyways, all of her stamps carved and sold are one of a kind, not mass produced, so COMPLETELY handmade. She doesn't outsource her carving to any commercial companies, nothing. Awesome, right? She takes custom orders as well, but she is only able to do doodles and names and whatnot. Her name stamps are TO DIE FOR, by the way! As you can see below, she does several types of personalized name stamps. I would really, really like to get one of these for myself!

She even makes custom wedding/couples stamps! Um, hello? Hedgehogs. Need I say more?

Tommie was kind enough to send me a couple of her mini stamps to test out and I was so excited to ink them! Speaking of ink, don't be alarmed if there is already ink on your stamp when you get it in the mail! Tommie sometimes needs to ink and stamp the stamp while she is in the process of carving it just to make sure it comes out perfect!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to photograph the envelope she sent me in, but it lovely! She covered it in her own stamps and it was fully wrapped in packing tape. In her store notes, Tommie specifically mentions:

I try my best to use recycled/up-cycled materials, such as shipping boxes.

Great, right? She even has a blog that shows you how to use her stamps and how to get creative with them! There are TONS of great ideas on there! Here it is.

Now! Onto the stamps!

I was sent five tiny mini stamps. An adorable bird, a 'lovely' coffee cup with a heart in the middle of it, a snowman, a cherry (I think?), and my favorite, A TURTLE!

Super cute, right? Those photos were of the stamps before I used them, so you can see the small amount of ink left on them after she is finished carving them. These guys are carved fantastically out of pink rubber and usually mounted to a wooden handle/block when you purchase them, however I went for unmounted stamps.

Want to see what the stamps produce? Here you are, folks!

Isn't that coffee cup adorable? I love them all!

Also, have you seen the detail in her stamps? It's quite incredible. Here is just one stamp that I thought was really detailed and lovely.

Inside the envelope she sent me, she included the following list of instructions/tips:

For longer use, please note:

1. After using the stamp(s), avoid rubbing to wipe/clean. Instead, pat on tissue to get rid of ink.

2. Please avoid storing the stamp(s) in the sun/hot place.

3. The ink that is already on the stamp(s) is there because I stamp as I carve them to make sure they will look like my original design. Thank you for understanding.

Little tips:

- Dab the ink pad onto the stamp instead of dabbing the stamp onto the ink pad.
- If you warm the stamp with your breath after use, you can get another image without more ink.

I wanted to test out that last bit, so I did, however I didn't warm the stamp with my breath. No, I didn't do it for some fancy scientific blogging reason...I just forgot. So, below, you'll see just how many stamps (and what they look like.) that I got out of ONE ink application. Of course, I used the turtle. ;) Hopefully, you can count, but if you can't, that is SIX visible stamps from one ink application!

Tommie's stamps really are great. Very handmade, very unique, and very well made. She even made some that would be put to great use in our snail-mailing community! Check it out! I'm hoping to purchase some of these as well as a custom name stamp sometime in the near future!

Now, would you like to get to know Tommie? It's always nice to hear a little something about the person making the things that you love so much. And trust me, you'll adore her stamps! Here is a mini-interview I held with her!

Tell me a bit about yourself. Hobbies, where you're from, etc.

My name is Tommie Tillery and I hand carve rubber stamps. I just love what I do.
I am a Mommy of a 2 yr old too, so being able to work from home is a dream job for me! I am IN LOVE with handmade stuff. It is a joy for me to be able to produce things with my own hands, instead of machines.

Why did you choose to make this type/genre of product?

One day in 2008, when I was having fun carving my own address stamp, My Hubby told me that I should start my own business. Back then, I just laughed and called him crazy. But after thinking about it over night, I said why not give it a try! Since then, I have been carving away!

What are your favorite materials to work with?

Other than the rubber stamps, I like beautiful paper. I swap my paper art with other artists around the world. I enjoy making matchboxes, inchies, and ATCs ( Artist Trading cards). I also like to sew, knit, and paint. (*note frome me: Can you say well rounded crafter? WOW!)

Favorite characters to work with?

This is a hard question….. I think I like to include animals in my designs.

The Hedgehog I have in my shop is a good example. I often use him for event stamps, such as Wedding, Holidays, and The New Years.

What inspires you?

Anything and everything in my life.

Do you plan to create things/own your own business as your life career?

Yes I would love to expand Happie Stamps. My dream is to write a children’s book and illustrate by using my hand carved rubber stamps.

Time for some things I have to say about Tommie and her work! She was an absolute joy to work with! Tommie is super prompt in returning any messages you send her and she is a seriously awesome lady and crafter! Like I said, I plan on heading back to make a few purchases and I high suggest that you do, too!

Introduction to Mail Art

2011-12-24T12:58:00.000-08:00

Today I have have something extra special for you today! A mail art tutorial! I have had several people ask me, "What is mail art?" when I've mentioned it in my letters. According to Wikipedia, the definition of mail art is:

Mail art is a worldwide cultural movement that began in the early 1960s and involves sending visual art (but also music, sound art, poetry, etc.) through the international postal system. Mail Art is also known as Postal Art or Correspondence Art.

Something interesting that Wikipedia claims is that one of the first instances of mail art was when Cleopatra had herself delivered to Julius Caesar in a rolled up carpet! Interesting concept, no?

The definition of mail art to me is simple. Art being mailed. Simple as that. But often, my mail art delivers a letter along with it! Some prefer to send mixed media postcards, some like to hand paint an envelope or letter...the different types of mail art are limitless. There is no such thing as 'bad' mail art, either! There are no limits! Your mail art can be as simple or as elaborate as you want! A great way to get ideas or find new techniques is to follow blogs that are written by mail artists. Also, you can simply Google 'mail art'! My favorite blog for mail art used to be "Goodnight Little Spoon," however, Bianca over there seems to have taken a hiatus.

Here are a few samples of her work!

Another recent discovery has been Rin over at "Papered Thoughts"!

Some samples from her blog:

Above is her version of what is called a zentangle! Or at least I think it is. 'Zentangle' wasn't noted anywhere. A zentangle is normally a small piece of art made by repeating patterns, usually using pen or marker.

As you can see, you can also make mail-art'd postcards! Rin's postcards are lovely in a simplistic and modern way!

Don't know what to use? How to start? Well, I've prepared a very, very simple postcard mail art tutorial for you! For this card, I used a piece of cardboard that I cut out from an old box last night....hopefully it wasn't a Christmas light box! Anyways, I wanted to make a postcard that was more 'industrial' looking and cardboard was my first choice for a background. Yes, you can send a piece of cardboard through the mail!

Materials

- backing of choice.
- glue of some sort. (my choice was glossy Modge Podge.)
- paper bits and bobs.
- well...anything else you feel could be added!

I tend to hoard paper, so I had old book pages, map pages, vintage music, lottery tickets, board game money...the list could go on and on. Seriously, you can use ANYTHING! Receipts, tags...I even have the tag/sticker (the one they put on your package) from the last time my grandmother flew here stashed away! I also enjoy adding postage stamps to my art. I have a rather large stash of vintage unused and used postage stamps and I use them on my mail art a LOT. You can also add things like brads, rhinestones, glitter...the possibilities are endless! Also, rubber stamps and various inks are great to have on hand for further embellishing once your glue medium dries! I've found that stamping/applying ink on wet or damp Modge Podge is a smudgy no-no.

What I Used:

What I Do:

So, take your base piece (my cardboard) and choose some sort of papery bit to adhere to it. When I do this kind of collage-ish art, I always just layer, layer, layer! Use an old paint brush to slap some Modge Podge on the cardboard and stick your paper bit to that, and then go over it with a layer of your glue-y substance.

And then begin layering from there on! Below, you can see the direction I went with mine. I tend to not be exact, so the edges always end up hanging over. I just cut them down once everything is try. I don;t like to get my scissors sticky! :P

Skipping forward to when I was nearly done! Be sure to put glue/podge down first, then your paper bits, and then slap on another layer!

The photo above was my finished product! As you can see, I am still waiting for it to dry so I can cut it, but I went super simple for this post. Maybe because I'm lazy? Anyway, hopefully you are a bit inspired to get your glue and bits and bobs out and get to work!

Chewy Tulip Giveaway!

2011-12-22T14:58:00.000-08:00

Chewy Tulip Giveaway

I reviewed Chewy Tulip's fantabulous products and now it's time to give them away to a lucky visitor!

Your prize package will include:

- Three Chewy Tulip postcards.
- One Chewy Tulip magnet
- One Chewy Tulip Sticker (that you can no longer purchase!)
- A small stash of used stamps from a variety of places.

Ways to win:

- Comment on this post with your favorite item from the Chewy Tulip shop.
- Favorite Chewy Tulip on Etsy.com.
- 'Like' Chewy Tulip on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/chewytulip)

Winner will be chosen at random! Please make sure to leave an email address for contact if you win!

Ends January 10th!

Chewy Tulip!

2011-12-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

This is my first review on this blog and I couldn't ask for a more fantastic seller and products! These are really fantastic. Today I have some 'slightly humorous' items for you! Cara over at Chewy Tulip sent me some awesome goodies! I received her envelope today in the mail and even the envelope was awesome!

Check out the sticker on the front! What is that, you ask? IT'S A PICKLE! Maybe I'm the only one stupidly excited about a pickle sticker, but seriously? How awesome is that? And I think it's modeled after a dill pickle (My favorite. I hope its a kosher dill. Yummm.), so that makes me even more attracted! Cara's pickle stickers are sold in sets of four and are a very reasonable $3.00. Now, you might be thinking, "$3.00 for only 4 stickers"? These are HAND STAMPED, HAND CUT, and HAND COLORED! You can get just the pickle stickers, but why buy only the stickers when you can get pickles on envelopes, and pickles on postcards! (1. 2)

Postcards:

Speaking of postcards! She also sent me postcards! Three to be exact! I have here...the "Triple Threat Trees" postcard, "Misfit Manatee" postcard, and the "Grumpy Bear" postcard!

All of Cara's postcards are 4" by 5" and beautifully printed on a glossy front/matte back card. One of the most irritating things for me is when the back of a postcard is glossy and ballpoint (and even sometime Sharpie!) smears or takes 6 weeks to finally dry. These guys definitely look like they will be fountain pen proof, as well! It also seems that all of her cards feature either a blank back with the name of the card, production date, and artist name:

Or the classic (sort-of. Chewy Tulip postcards are in no way commercial looking, right down to the backing.) 'split' backing that most commercial postcards have:

Chewy Tulip Postcards can be purchased in sets of two cards for $3.00 or a set of "pick five" cards for $6.00. I really suggest you have a looksie at her "Narwhals are Not Magical" postcards and her "Hey Ladies!" tortoise postcards!

The next lovelies are absolute MUST HAVE'S for us pen-pallers/letter-writers! Stationary! I have a couple of stationary designs here to share, all of which are quirky to say the least!

The first is a T-Rex theme! Unfortunately, I'n unable to find it in her shop, but it's adorable, so why not show it? I would assume it would go for the same price as all of her other letter sets, which is $5.00. Perhaps if you fall absolutely in love with this little green dino, you could convo Cara via Etsy? Anyway, here he is!

This particular Tyrannosaurus rex is printed on the same light gray paper as this set here.

She also sent me sheets of her red brain stationary (however, this sheet is printed on pink paper like in this set. I actually quite like the red brain on the pink stationary! It stands out nicely!) and her plum octopus stationary. You can see both below! She also has a blue feather design.

All of Chewy Tulip's stationary sets include on envelope and six sheets of unlined paper of whichever design you choose. Each sheet measures out at 5.5" by 8.5". Something I really, really love is that the envelopes she sends with her stationary sets are wide enough to fit the finished letter folded vertically only once. I hate, hate, hateeee when I have to double fold or fold things horizontally to fit into an envelope that is obviously too small to fit the paper given with it. The paper is thin, which is great for if you like writing long letters (she encourages it and so do I!), however I wouldn't suggest using a fountain pen. If you are dead set on using one, make sure that you use a fairly dry one. I tested it with my wet-ish Lamy Safari and it bled. I would suggest a good old ball-point! Keep in mind that the postcards ARE fountain pen friendly! The thin-ness of the paper will prevent you from needing an extra stamp, though!

Along with paper products, Chewy Tulip also produces some great magnets and stickers! As with everything else, her stickers are hand stamped, hand cut, and hand colored! If you're a sticker junky, make sure to check out her fake postage stickers!
Awesome designs, fantastic humor, and great quality. can you ask for anything better?

Also, I wanted to interview Cara to find out more about her and why she does what she does! Here is what she told me!

Tell me a bit about yourself. Hobbies, where you're from, etc.

Hobbies include solo dance parties by glitter lamp light, wandering off into the woods (I believe other people call it "hiking"), knitting, crocheting, keeping a journal, writing letters, designing, drawing, screen printing, and reading the French version of Nancy Drew books. I am from the wilds of New Jersey...it is still mostly farmland. The cows on the dairy farms in the area outnumbered the people in the county until about 1970. It's definitely not the part of New Jersey that usually comes to mind.

Why did you choose to make this type/genre of product?

I started making postcards and stationery because I have a bad habit of making the things that I want to have, but either can't find or can't afford. It is truly a letter writing addiction that has spiraled out of control.

What are your favorite materials to work with?

My favorite materials are my technical pen for drawing, and concentrated liquid watercolors for slapping some color where it belongs...which is everywhere! I've also got a weak spot for any kind of ink, which I will use both in my growing fountain pen collection, and in my sketchbooks, as an alternative to paints.

Favorite characters to work with?

I tend to work with animal images the most, especially any kind of critter that tickles my funny bone. The list includes owls, lemurs, armadillos, and anything else with a crazy gleam in its eye. Pygmy goats come to mind. (note from kay: I love her animals list!)

What inspires you?

The silly things I talk about with my friends inspire me the most. The ideas wouldn't be itching to get out of my brain if it wasn't all a part of my life, somehow.

Do you plan to create things/own your own business as your life career?

Yes. The ridiculousness that is chewy tulip is the main goal of my life. It has been my full time job in the very recent past, and it will be again, soon!

Make sure you check back soon for when I host a giveaway of Chewy Tulip goodies!

NEW Envelope Tutorial!

2011-12-21T23:24:00.000-08:00

A lot of people have asked me how I make my handmade envelopes like the one used below:

(via)

Honestly, it's a LOT more simple than you would think! Hopefully this tutorial will help you figure out how to create your own envies!

Kay's Envelope Tutorial

Materials:

- paper of your choice.
- scissors.
- glue stick or other sticky substance.
- writing utensil.
- ruler.
- hard surface.
- envelope that has been taken apart.

Now, about the 'envelope that has been taken apart' bit. You can literally use any envelope you want. You can print out a template, create your own, buy a stencil....But I choose to just take apart existing envelopes. I find that it gives me a wide variety of shapes and sizes to choose from, plus, it's free! The key is to VERY carefully feel the envelopes apart. It's a serious pain when there is even the smallest chunk of paper missing, especially when you begin the tracing process.

First, you want to position the paper of your choice on your hard surface. Make sure that you place your template on the BACK of the paper so that your tracing marks do not show on the patterned side or the side that you want to see. I chose the large book that I pulled the paper of my choice out of. I managed to find a GIANT book of Anne Geddes photos that is PERFECT for envelope making! All you need is a page large enough to accommodate your envelope template.

Next, you will begin tracing the envelope onto the paper. Make sure that the envelope does not move, otherwise it will be difficult to fold because your tracing won't line up with the correct folding sections. I have found that the best writing utensil is a pencil, however I do often use a ballpoint pen or very thin Sharpie pen. You should end up with something similar to this:

And now...THE CUTTING! Make sure to be as exact as possible. It really makes a difference when you are folding the envie. I use scissors, but you can also use an Xacto blade if you find that easier.

The finished product after cutting:

You are nearly there! Now, it is time to fold! There are two ways to do this. If you aren't confident about free-hand folding, you can use a ruler like I have shown below. I have been making envelopes for quite some time now, so free-handing it is super easy for me. Eventually, you get there, I promise! The folding process is pretty self explanatory, but I've included step by step photos form you anyways. :)

Fold the side flaps:

Here, both side flaps have been folded inward:

Once you have finished folding the sides, fold the bottom. I always go in this order. Sides, bottom, top. If you find something else easier, go for it!

And now the top!

So, you've folded everything. What now? Sticking time! Place a strip of glue on the side flaps making sure not to glue in the areas that the bottom flat will not cover. Once you've applied the glue, simple press the bottom flat to the side flaps! Make sure that you pay attention to the original folding order (bottom flap or side flaps or side flaps of bottom flap etc.)on the template/deconstructed envelope you used for tracing.

I choose to use regular old glue sticks to stick the sides together and when I use my envelopes for personal use, I seal them with either regular tape or glue stick. It's a bit different when I am crafting them for other people. I prefer to line the top flap with a few strips of double stick tape (the type where you peel the paper off.) to allow for easier sealing.

And TA-DAHHHH! The finished product!

See? It's easy! Now you try! I would love to see photos of your results! Comment with photos if you can!

HUGE post!

2011-12-21T21:31:00.000-08:00

Wow, this is going to be a big one! First of all, since my brother has allowed me to use his camera, I am going to re-do my envelope tutorial. It looks a bit...ehh. Anywho, I got some GREAT mail today and a few other things! I went to Good Will today and I was searching for some crafting supplies when I found THIS! It's a MASSIVE Anne Geddes photo-type book! It's perfect for making envelopes! I think I'm going to begin tracing tonight, haha.

Another thing I received today was a beautiful new journal! One of my closest friends from way back in high school is here in town for the holidays (her parents live here still.) and she gave me this for Christmas! She wrote the sweetest note, too. Made my heart melt! I was the one who gave her a journal, her first journal, and I guess doing so inspired her to write! In her note, she said she wanted to repay me for the inspiration I gave her. Isn't it gorgeous! I loooove Europe, and I had a chance to visit Italy, so naturally, I'm in love with it. I could trace all of the places I've been to on the back cover!

For today's mail, I sent these guys out. Well, I sent one, but the other is going to be sent tomorrow. Scooter helped as well. ;)

One to the lovely Jennifer over at Snail Mail, and life's tiny details:

Nest is one that will be going out to Rin over at: Papered Thoughts. You can also check out her Etsy shop, too!

Here are the goodies I enclosed for a mail-arty surprise!

I loved the stickers I used in her letter, too. Sparkly and puffy! What could be better?

And now for my awesome incoming mail!! Today was a fantastic mail day for me. :)

Bee from Czech Republic sent me such a wonderful letter, postcard, and a little gift for Christmas!

She hand drew everything, too!

Adorable Czech Christmas postcard!

How cute are the hair clips she sent? I am a HUUUUGE hair accessory person!

And of course, I have to post the stamps!

Onward, march! This next one is from the lovely Noora from Finland! She just had a baby girl! They've named her 'Vera Joanna'. Cute, no? Noora sent me a fantastic Moomin-ey envelope!! And so many goodies! Noora really spoiled me!

Check out the stamps and decoration!

This sticker was on the back. I'm pretty sure it's from the stamp booklet. :)

This was something interesting...I've never seen someone besides myself use the little stickers that separate stamps in the booklet as decoration! For all you mail-arters, use 'em! It's sort of like recycled deco-tape strips!

Here are all of the goodies she sent!

A cute Santa postcard!

And all these cute goodies!

Moomin stickers!!!

Letter-writing goodies!

Up next is the lovely Ariadna from Espana! Here envelope was really neat. Lots of washi decorations! Oddly enough...no postage! And it made it to the US no problem!

She even used washi tape and deco tape on her letter! I really want to get some washi tape, but it's rather expensive!

She even sent cute gifts! A cute sticker and an adorable eraser!

OH! I almost forgot! The Santa Claus Christmas card!

Well, I'm going to sign off now! I have a new, WAY better envelope tutorial to make!

Over and out!

Christmas gifts!

2011-12-20T17:02:00.000-08:00

This is all a bit random, but I am just too excited! This year, I couldn't afford Christmas gifts and even if I could, I didn't want to buy my family what I normally do. A wallet, lego set, Play Station 3 game, and Bath and Body Works, soooo...I got a bit creative! It kind of all started when I went to pick up my dad from his old office and nearly threw up when I saw the 8 x 10" portrait of myself...IN 8th GRADE! Terrible! I immediately knew that new portraits would be an awesome idea. My mom had been avoiding JCPenny portrait studios like the plague, and for good reason. Anywho, I had one of my close friends, an amazing photographer, take portraits of all of us for gifts! I just got the finalized ones back and I wanted to share them! They came out so great! I was super surprised because anyone who knows anything knows how difficult it is to control a 10 year old and 16 year old without strangling one/both of them!

This is the one of all three of us that we ended up getting printed. The boys REALLY enjoyed dog-piling on me. Perhaps a little bit too much.

These were the other group shots:

This was a favorite! Hehe.

And here are the boys!

My youngest brother, Matthew:

And Christopher, the 16 year old:

I think they came out awesome!

OH! and myself!

12-20-11

2011-12-20T14:52:00.000-08:00

Since I had no mail today, I thought I would share one of my favorite things! It's called my 'Inspiration Board'. I started this puppy up about a year and a half ago and it's gradually grown to what I think is a sort of piece of art! It's amazing what a plain old cork board can turn in to!

The paper lantern is the newest addition! My dear Gladys from Singapore sent it to me!

As you can see, my love of Paris and Rome is definitely shown!

Look! There's a gorgeous Indonesian card! And also an Australian beach!

A close up of a great Trevi Fountain card! It's honestly more beautiful in person!

And there's a nice close up of the first postcard I have EVER gotten in the mail! It's the London one, just so you know. And there is a Stockholm card as well! These cards all represent the places that are either on my list of places I want to visit or my (MUCH shorter.) list of places I have already been to. I think I'll round off this post with another interesting thing in my bedroom! I have a big US map hung on my wall where I mark the locations of my pen pals! A handmade Lucky Star garland is also affixed to it.

Over and out!

ECOSYSTEM - Limited Edition -

2011-12-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

Ah, so pretty! Simone from EcoSystem sent me a wonderful notebook to review! She sent me an 'Author' notebook from their limited edition 'Geometry' line! I can't find any literature on their website regarding the line, unfortunately, but I could possibly just be blind...Either way, they are gorgeous! I was sent this fabulous coral and red beauty!

Now, if you aren't familiar with this brand, let me clue you in. Ecosystem is an awesome company that produces notebooks and planners of various sizes and colors using 100% post-consumer recycled paper. According to their website, "Every component that makes up an ecosystem book has been researched to ensure the most environmentally friendly materials or production methods are being used." All books/products are constructed in the US, as well! Another interesting feature...you can actually look at the ingredients IN YOUR BOOK!

The particular book that was sent to me is the 'medium' sized Author. Measurements given on the website are 5 1/4 x 8 1/4, which are definitely more exact than mine! They are offered in large (7 3/8 x 9 7/8) and small (3 5/8 x 5 5/8) as well as in several colors and styles. I am quite partial to the hard cover and flexi cover version. The particular one that I was sent is a flexi! I've never had one that was not hard covered, so this is a new experience for me! The 'normal' colors offered are: onyx, lagoon, kiwi, watermelon, clementine, and grape. The book I have here seems to be a pattern of clementine and watermelon triangles!

These are the other 'Geometry' patterns offered:

On the first page, you will find a section for your name and contact information.

Now, onto the most important part! Or at least I think it's the most important. The paper! The paper really is fabulous. I have run into some pretty nasty recycled paper because but this paper is just dreamy. It is a little bit on the creamier side as you can see from the photo below. I was comparing it to standard white filler paper.

As you can see, the lines are quite thinly spaced...I wasn't sure I would like it, but I decided that I am a fan!

All of the pages are perforated, which is also a really great feature. I don;t particularly like having to ruin multiple pages by ripping with no perforations, nor do i like when only a section (usually small!) of my notebook is perforated!

Now, I can tell you that this paper is great, but is there anything better than seeing the quality? I am a fountain pen user and I know how difficult it is to find fountain pen quality paper! This is definitely in the small grouping of 'GREAT' paper! The photos below tell it all. I used a variety of pens and I even tested the paper using rubber stamps and the standard black ink! Minimal show through! How about that?! WHAT NOW, MOLESKINE?!

With rubber stampings:

In all honesty, I have no complaints WHATSOEVER with this notebook! I love it!

Wahoo!

2011-12-19T15:41:00.000-08:00

I finally have decent photos! I didn't have a chance to take on of the mail that I sent out today, but it was just one piece heading out to Japan in some super cute Rilakkuma stationary!(via) He is definitely one of my favorite San-X characters!

But I had LOTS of incoming mail! One package was really exciting! I got a new notebook to review for EcoSystem! The review for their 'Author' Limited Edition notebook!

Anywho, on to the mail!

I received this adorable Santa mini-postcard from the lovely Jonna in Finland!

And once again, AWESOME Finnish stamp! I love how they put out funky shaped stamps...well, if you can call a circle a funky shape. Either way, it's really pretty!

Up next is a lovely Christmas card/letter from Wei Qi in Malaysia! She will be heading to Shanghai in two weeks, the lucky gal! Isn't this card lovely, though?

And her stamps and stickers she used are great! i especially adore the shimmery Santa Claus stamps!! Unfortunately, I tore one on the back while opening her card, but here is the cute one on the front of the envie along with a photo of the exotic flower postage stamps!

Miss. Cinthia from New York City sent me a great, shimmery snowflake Christmas card! I really need to write her a letter, so that is definitely on my to-do list for today! I love lined envelopes!

It features one of my favorite winter stamps from the USPS.

This next one was a very special surprise! My good friend and pen pal, Gladys, sent me a wonderful gift for Christmas! Isn't it beautiful?!

I'm surprised that it made it because the letter itself was inspected by the post! They ripped the envelope open. :(

Luckily, the lovely otter stamp wasn't destroyed too much! Just the corner a bit.

Check out the super cute Cinnamoroll unicorn stationary she used!

My dear Agnes sent me a great holographic-type, orange card, that also had some cute stickers on it!

Well, that's all the goodies for today! Expect an EcoSystem review here really soon!

Check out this Blowfish Shoes Giveaway!

2011-12-19T15:14:00.000-08:00

Kaylah over at The Dainty Squid (one of my fave blogs!) is hosting a giveaway for Blowfish Shoes!

(via)

Head on over and check it out!

Dec. 17th, 2011

2011-12-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

FINALLY! Something came for me! It's definitely the holiday card season and I received two holiday postcards! I did not send out holiday cards/postcards this year simply because I don't have the extra postage money. It's much easier for me to wish my friends and pen pals happy holidays in a letter that I would already be sending.

Anyways, here are the two postcards that I received today!

A cute little reindeer from Germany! It's funny because we have a stuffed reindeer that lives on our couch during the holidays that looks exactly like this little guy!

Next up is a nice kraft postcard. I am a sucker for anything kraft or brown paper! I love kraft envelopes specifically! Something about the simplicity just tickles my fancy. So here is my kraft Santa from Finland!

This card also had a cool cartoon stamp on it!

There is something about Finnish stamps. They always have the coolest designs! The particular stamp above is called "Fantastic Women Maisa and Kaarina" booklet.

Of course, my favorite stamps are the Moomin ones!

On to my letters! The first is from the lovely Ayumi in Japan! I squee'd over the stationary! I have a love for 'kawaii' or cute stationary! I love brands like San-X, Sanrio...all of them! Too cute! This particular envelope is "Little Twin Stars" by Sanrio.

Something I really liked was her handmade label! I'm sure all of you snailmailers know this, but we get charged for writing vertically on our mail and I am guessing that is the same in Japan, hence the horizontal label!

Her stamps were also pretty cool, too!

I also got a letter from my dear Vanessa in Espana!

Now for some outgoing! I sent these out today:

One introductory letter out to Courtney in Ventura, CA. Coincidentally, my entire extended family live just a short drive from where she lives!

And another introduction letter out to Kristina in Lithuania:

Well, that's all for today! I've got a couple of product reviews coming up soon! Hopefully, I'll have them written up by this coming week! Have a great weekend!

NO MAILLL!

2011-12-16T15:44:00.000-08:00

Arg! Postwoman, why won't you bring me some mail! I think I am having withdrawals! I picked up a box turtle whom I am babysitting, though.

He's kind of cute in an ugly way. Super bright, though! I would love to get myself another tortoise...so expensive! Okay, I'm rambling about torts again.

I think I will occupy myself with writing a few first letters! Hopefully, I can get them sent out. I came across an address in my mobile letter-writing kit (I keep a pouch full of extra stationary, envelopes, pens, various little things, etc. in my purse just in case.) and it was marked with her address and "awesome girl!". I can't believe I missed it! So, I think that is how I will occupy myself!

Until next time! Over and out! (Hopefully 'next-time' will involve some mail!)

-_-

2011-12-14T16:14:00.000-08:00

So, no reviews or mail posts today, but hopefully tomorrow! I'm looking forward to reviewing some fabulous products, which means there will be giveaways soon! And let me tell you, they are GREAT goodies! At the moment, I'm on a bit of an overnight stay a few towns over from home at a family friend's home, so nothing interesting to report, unfortunately!

Gallison Green Notecards

2011-12-13T08:01:00.000-08:00

Well, I must say, these notecards are FANTASTIC! Shannon of Galison sent this little number out to me quite some time ago, but I managed to get myself rather sick, and along with overtime at work, havent had a chance to review them! *smacks self*.

Anywho, she sent me a package of The Little Blue Birds Writer's Notecards. I am so pleased with them! In fact, I only have two sets of card and envelope left!

I was completely blown away by how well these guys took to my fountain pen...even the most wet of pens! And they were great with my Pilot G2's and Hi-Tec-C's! Typically, My Hi-Tec-C pens get all scratchy if I dont use the write paper, but I had no problem with them!

These guys are from the Galison Green Collection and are made out of 100% recycled materials, so you can go green whilst you write! The collection also includes notebooks, note pads, notecards, and more writers notes!

Now lets talk design. These are adorable.
The end. These come in two colors of card, with blue envelopes. I only had the red left!

Cute, right? The other color is shown here, via the Galison website:

I think the cutest thing though, is the envelope! It has a little blue bird on the front, and then a blue bird and flowers on the back. Very mod-ish! The envelopes also include 'To' and 'From' and three lines a piece for return address and the postal address of whoever is receiving this fabulous note!

Please excuse the lighting! Blackberry photos! I'm not allowed to sue the camera. :/

Back:

Overall, these guys are fantastic, and I do plan on purchasing another set or two once I have the money! At $11.00 for twelve notecards and envelopes, it's practically stealing! I would love to try out the William Morris Evening Garden Writer's Notecards set, the Bon Voyage Writer's Notecards, or the Leaf Garden Writer's Notecards! I'd be tickled if I could afford one of their organizers or journals, too! Perhaps sometime in the future! Being a college student is wonderful, isn't it? haha>

You can check out Galison at:

www.facebook.com/galisonmudpuppy and www.twitter.com/galisonmudpuppy

Outside of notecards, they also carry journals, address books, planners/organizers, labels/stickers, fun sticky notes (seriously, SO CUTE!, photo albums, various notepads, and even games and puzzles for children!

Giveaway! Lotta Losten

2011-12-13T07:24:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite bloggers Kaylah of The Dainty Squid is hosting an awesome giveaway care of Lotta Losten

"I'm Lotta Losten, a recently turned 30 years old girl from Gothenburg, Sweden. I make one of a kind jewelry out of coloured copper wire and things like vintage glass beads and crystals from old chandeliers. My jewelry is often inspired with shapes that come into being from an accident. Like shattered glass or pieces of broken plates. Those shapes that you mostly just refer to as part of a broken shape, not a complete form of it's own. I love that kind of worn beauty!"

What you'll win! Lotta is giving away a necklace pendant, with included chain, from her series called Spear or Splinter. The winner will get to choose the colors and size themselves and it will be made specially for them, because every single one of Lotta's jewelry pieces are one of a kind.

To enter...
Visit Lotta Losten on etsy then head back over to The Dainty Squid (but first, browse through the awesome outfit entries!

Earn extra entries by...
(please leave a separate comment for each entry or they won't be counted!)
• tweeting about the giveaway, use this -
win a pendant from @lostenjewelry on @thedaintysquid blog http://tinyurl.com/d4asbkq
• share the giveaway on facebook, tumblr or your own blog!
• follow Lotta Losten on twitter..
• like Lotta Losten on facebook.

*All information posted regarding this giveaway is care of The Dainty Squid for promotion of her giveaway. Photo care of Lotta Losten

EcoSystem and Field Notes review!

2011-12-12T21:52:00.000-08:00

This review was taken from a previous blog attempt of mine! You can view it here for reference!

Two reviews in one! yes! I have a lot of extra time tonight, can you tell? Anyways, I have been meaning to review these guys to quite some time. I picked them up via online shopping and they've been sitting on my shelf for a while.

Are you guys ready for this? TWO fountain pen friendly brands!

First up is Field Notes. This brand has because pretty popular with fountain pen users, and I now know exactly why. They are fantastic. Equally as fantastic as EcoSystem products. The paper is smooth, but not slippery like some thick papers can be, and it has a bit of a grip.

In the Field Note's online shop, I purchased the Original 3-Pack, in graph and lined.

These guys are adorable and resemble pocket sized Moleskine Cahiers, but oh so much better! They are even covered in Kraft! The Original 3-Pack are offered in four varieties:

- ruled.
- graph.
- plain.
- mixed.

These tiny guys run at $9.95 per package, with shipping at $5.50 for USPS Priority, which is actually a pretty good deal, right? Right.

These beauties measure in at 3-1/2” by 5-1/2” and are bound using a "rugged three-staple saddle-stitch process." They contain 48 memo-sized pages of gorgeous paper!

As well as a information on both the inside front cover and backside inside cover. Note, I only photographed the backside.

As far as fountain penning goes, FN's react great! These samples were written with my orange Lamy, Medium Nibbed Safari, filled with a dark blue-purple mix that I accidentally made.

Front:

Back(what bleedthrough? I see no bleedthrough? What's bleedthrough? haha.):

*Also note, that in both samples(Eco and FN), I also did squiggles over each other 1, 2, 3nad three layers.)

Overall, absolutely wonderful, right!? If only they came in larger sizes. *sigh*. HOWEVER...they do come in colors! And even limited editions! If only I could get my hands on some of those puppies!

ONTO THE NEXT ONE....Ecosystem! I love these notebooks. The colors are great! I got myself the lime green/kiwi 'Author' in the small size. Measures in at 3 5/8" x 5 5/8". This particular version comes in other colors such as: Onyx, Lagoon, Kiwi, Watermelon, Clementine, and Grape. I would LOVE to try out some of their other items, too! The colors are memorizing!

"Each ecosystem author journal features lined paper so you can write with well-being and sustainability of the earth in mind. The 100% post-consumer recycled paper is smooth and the lines are begging to be written between.
Choose a cover format, flexi or hard; choose from our wide variety of colors; and, for a final touch, think about a pocket-insert for added functionality." Eco Website

These guys are fairly affordable and the small version that I have was $9.95 at our local bookstore. Sadly, they only had the small ones!

The paper quality in this notebook is wonderful. I think I am in love. With my wet Safari, I had no bleeding. NO BLEEDING! I used the same exact ink as I used above and had even better results! There is also an elastic band to keep your goodies from falling out of the book, as well as a colorful flap on the back!

Flap:

Front:

Backside:

Fabulous, right? I think so. I plan on converting mine into an address book! Be sure to check out more of this environmentally friendly company's products! The Adviser Planner and Pocket Inserts look really cool!

An awesome site!

2011-12-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! I just wanted to do a quick post about a site that I just discovered via another blog, My Happy Mailbox. I was a bit hesitant at first, thinking that it was another overpriced website, but it turned out to be a great website for those of us who looove stationary and writing supplies! They even have quite a few items on clearance! I hope to purchase my Moleskine weekly planner once I have the money to do so, and hopefully a G.Lalo pad and envelope set!

Anyways, without further adieu, I present Europeanpaper.com! They carry everything from fine stationary (fountain pen friendly!) to notecards to planners, journals, and even various writing utensils!

No mailll.

2011-12-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

Saturday, no mail came. How disappointing! Well, okay, I lied. I did get a postcard from my eye doctor telling me that I needed to schedule my check-up for January. Apparently, according to my dad, they just send those out to get us in and spend money. Hm. It seems there is still a lot for me to learn about being an adult!

On a nicer note, I received some goodies this week! A very nice friend of mine was able to send me some Moomin postcards from Finland! They are really neat! I have two sets of each.

I am especially a fan of the funky sized ones! Cool, right? She even sent me some Moomin coffee mugs! Oddly enough, they are significantly smaller than our mugs...perhaps my dad just bought massive ones because he drinks pot after pot of coffee.

I love them!

OH. MY. GOODNESS.

2011-12-09T16:13:00.000-08:00

I just had to post this. I'm doing it quickly before I go out to return some Christmas papers my grandmother and I bought. We spend a good hour trying to find the right Christmas stationary for her yearly letter and FINALLY got them all printed up at the FedEx store! They came out great. Before we went, I had picked up the mail and little did I know....THIS WAS IN MY MAIL! It is from a pen pal of mine that shall remain nameless.I know it's a bit big, but if I had sized it smaller, it would have been less impressive. Excuse the finger in the photo, haha. Below is the photo is was taken from.

Good Grief.

2011-12-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that I haven't posted a mail photo when this is a mail-loving blog! Either way, here is the first! A few weeks ago, I wrote to Katie of For the Love of Mail and had a wonderful response to my first letter! She is such a sweetheart, and I follow her blog as well as write to her! This time around, I made her and especially colorful letter! Unfortunately, it was kind of ruined by the crap photo quality of my BlackBerry. Next time, I'm either highjacking my mother's iPhone (since I have to way another year to buy one of my own. urggh!) or my 16 year old brother's new camera.

ANYWAYS. First, I am going to post the photo of my first letter to her. At the moment, it's nine in the morning which really doesn't seem too early, but it is for me (I go to sleep around 2am.) and I don't feel like trudging upstairs to get her reply to photograph!

Here is my first, care of her website/photo:

For the above piece of mail art, I used a vintage (if 'vintage' means the early 90's, hahaha.) page from a book on Dolphins that I read as a young girl as well as a "Hello, my name is..." label, and several vintage stamps, which were adhered with my favorite glue-ish substance, glossy ModgePodge! Also, my favorite Pixar postage stamp was used!

Now for my newest letter to here! Prepare to be dazzled! No, literally, dazzled. It's sparkly! I used a bunch of rhinestones and covered the ENTIRE front of the envelopes, adhering them with the same glossy ModgePodge. We shall see if it survived the mail system! I even used the same Pixar stamps! :D

Sleep? Who needs sleep?

2011-11-07T06:03:00.000-08:00

It' a bit sad that two days without sleep and a gnarly (yes, I just said 'gnarly...) is what it takes me to get going on my blog. I have been wanting to get this puppy up and running for months but have lacked the inspiration or mood. Now...the motivation is there, I guess! I could possibly have something to do with the act that it is six in the morning and for once in a VERY long time, I have no letters to write! So, after some lengthy Etsy browsing, pre-Christmas shopping, and product oogling, here I am!

Hopefully there is mail today.
Please let there be mail!
The only issue is that means I need to go out in the cold to get to my mail and it is getting cold here in California! I'm actually moderately jealous of my tortoise currently sleeping underneath my bed.

Who in their right mind is jealous of a tortoise?
Me, I suppose.

Also, in case anyone wondered if tortoises nap...here is your proof.