postage rates decrease.

The new stamp rates went into effect yesterday April 10, 2016!

First Class Letters: .47¢

Additional Ounce: .21¢

International First Class Letters: $1.15

Postcards: .34¢

This is only the third time in the history of the U.S. Postal Service that postage has decreased in price, so go take advantage of this savings and stock up on some stamps!

stamps in season.

 It's Here, It's Here! The new issue of Stamps in Season has arrived!

As always, the page spreads are very nicely designed with photographs of the new stamps! It also contains tips for sending fun holiday mail!

Some of the tips included in this edition of Stamps in Season are:

• Greetings from Holidays Past

      • Save the Christmas cards you receive this year, and give them new life next year with a little creative handiwork. You can turn them into...

          • Gift Tags

          • Postcards

          • Place Settings for Holiday Meals

          • Recipe Cards for Christmas Cookies

          • Homemade Ornaments

• Advice from a Gingerbread Architect

      • Bake the gingerbread when humidity is low, since moisture can cause the cookie to soften and become less sturdy.

      • If you're making your own pattern, cut the pieces out of cardboard and tape them together to see how they fit. 

      • Give yourself plenty of time. After constructing the frame, let the icing dry before adding the extra weight of candy. 

      • If your house is large and needs extra support, make reinforcements out of gingerbread or candy sticks and apply them to the inside corners using icing.

• Crafting your Holiday Letter

       • DO

          • Share the highlights of your year

          • Keep it positive

          • Be personal yet humble

          • Share funny stories

          • Include a family photo

          • Include a short handwritten note

      • DON'T

          • Recount every single event

          • Share bad news

          • Talk only about your kids' talents

          • Use sarcasm (the tone might get lost)

          • Send multiple shots of each person

          • Forget to proofread (especially names)

• Stay in touch with USPS

      • Facebook:

          facebook.com/USPSstamps

      • Twitter:

          twitter.com/USPSstamps

      • Pinterest:

          pinterest.com/USPSstamps

      • Instagram:

          instagram.com/USpostalservice

Sign up here to get each edition of Stamps in Season or pick up a copy at your local Post Office!

batman first day of issue postmark.

Do you want to receive the official Batman First Day of Issue postmark? If so, here's how to do it!
DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 8.

STEP 1:
Affix one or more of the new Batman stamps to an envelope (or envelopes) addressed to yourself or someone else.

STEP 2:
Place the envelope(s) in a larger envelope addressed to:
Forever Batman Stamps
Special Events Coordinator
380 W. 33rd Street.
Room 4032
New York, NY 10199-9998

STEP 3:
Mail the envelope(s) to address above. After applying the postmark, USPS will mail the envelope(s) back to you or your addressees.

to get a letter, write a letter mail zine.

I am so very excited to introduce my very first zine!

I have been wanting to put together a letter/mail themed zine for a long time now, and I finally have! It is available for sale in my etsy shop for the great low price of $1.50 plus shipping. 

The zine is 6 pages printed on white 20lb paper. It features fun facts and information dealing with mail! It is perfect for any mail lover in your life. 

Be on the lookout for more volumes to hit my etsy shop in the future. 

post offices and postboxes of ireland.

I had the most AMAZING time in Ireland with my husband. If you ever get a chance to go to Ireland, do it! Every town had their own unique post office and I made sure to capture them all!

We first had a layover in Manchester, England and was beyond excited when I found Paperchase, a paper store, in our terminal of the airport! I bought a few things of course. 

And then a Royal Mail mailbox from England!

The postbox and post office in Milltown, where we stayed our first two nights of the trip! I stopped in to buy stamps for my postcards! The ladies working in their were very nice and got me exactly what I needed!

Sitting in a local coffee shop writing out my postcards to mail!

Mailing off my postcards!

Postbox in Galway!

Post office in Galway!

Postbox in Galway! I think this was my favorite. I love how it was built into the stone wall!

Post office in Kinsale!

Letterslot in the side of a hotel wall in Kinsale! The manager thought it was funny that I was taking a picture of the letter slot. I told him that I love mail, and he offered me a job polishing it everyday! Sir, If I lived here I would!

Post office in Cork!

I hope you enjoyed my tour of Ireland through post offices and post boxes!

wedding invitation timeline and checklist.

I have been designing more wedding invitation suites recently, so I thought it was a good opportunity to share a wedding invitation timeline since it pertains to mailings!

Save the Dates
(Should be mailed 3-6 Months before the Wedding)

Wedding Invitations
(Should be mailed 2 Months before the Wedding with an RSVP date of 1 Month before the Wedding)
     Enclosures:
          • Reply Card (Include a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope)
          • Reception Card (Includes Directions to the Reception if different from the Ceremony Site)

Wedding Announcement (Optional)
(Should be mailed the day after the Wedding)

Thank-You Notes
(Should be mailed within the month following your Honeymoon)


Tips for Postage on your Wedding Invitations:
Purchase postage after you have assembled your invites, so you can weigh an envelope, with all inserts included, to determine how much postage you will need.

You can purchase the Wedding series stamps in 1-ounce Forever® or 2-ounce 70¢ stamps.

Where Dreams Blossom: 1-ounce Forever® stamp.

Image from: usps.com

Yes, I Do: 2-ounce 70¢ stamp.

Image from: usps.com

Wedding Roses: 1-ounce Forever® stamp.

Image from: usps.com

Wedding Cake: 2-ounce 70¢ stamp.

Image from: usps.com

Send a test invitation to yourself before the rest are mailed. You will be able to confirm you've used the proper postage and have a copy of your invite-complete with local postmark-to save.

postcrossing.

I am very excited to be a new member of Postcrossing!

Image from: postcrossing.com

The goal of the postcrossing project is to allow people to receive postcards from all over the world, for free. Well, almost free! the main motto is: Send a postcard and receive a postcard back from a random person in the world!

How it works: (The Short Version)
• Request an address from the website
• Mail the postcard to the address
• Wait to receive a postcard
• Register the received postcard in the system

You can have up to 5 postcards traveling at any single time. Every time one of the postcards you send is registered, you can request another address.

I sent out my first 5 postcards this week to places all over the world! Germany, Taiwan, Finland, Russia and China!

My first three sent last week! I used vintage postcards from my mamas collection!

Two more that I mailed out this week! I used more postcards from my mamas collection!

I like being able to use some of my mamas old stamps too! 

Sign up and join the fun at postcrossing.com!

stamps in season.

I picked up a copy of the 2014 Spring Edition Stamps in Season at my local Post Office the other day! It is the first edition of a new quarterly digest of the latest stamps from the U.S. Postal Service®.

The page spreads are nicely designed with photographs of the new stamps in their full sheets and in use on envelopes. It also contains tips for sending better mail! You can sign up online to receive this quarterly digest in the mail too if you don't have time to pick one up from your local Post Office.

Some of the tips included in this edition of Stamps in Season are:
• Wedding Mail Timeline and Checklist (Blog Post Coming Soon!)

• How to keep a Pen Pal
     1. Send a letter to a friend, asking him or her to write back
     2. Watch your mailbox
     3. When a letter arrives, write back within a week or two
     4. Repeat steps 2-4

• International Mail Tips
     • Use a Global Forever® rate stamp to send a First-Class 1-ounce letter to any country in the world
     • When writing the address, note that some countries place the postal code before the city or town, and include the country name in English and all caps on the last line by itself
     • To make sure the receiving country doesn't have any specific requirements, visit usps.com/ship/international-how-to.htm

• Tips for sending Letters & Postcards
     Letter:
          • Must be Rectangular
          • .007"-.25" Thick
          • Min. Envelope Size: 5" x 3.5"
          • Max. Envelope Size: 11.5" x 6.125"

     Postcard:

          • Must be Rectangular

          • .007"-.016" Thick

          • Min. Postcard Size: 4.25" x 3.5"

          • Max. Postcard Size: 6" x 4.25"

• Stay in touch with USPS:

     Facebook:
          facebook.com/USPSstamps
     Twitter:
          twitter.com/USPSstamps
     Pinterest:
          pinterest.com/USPSstamps
     Instagram:
          instagram.com/USpostalservice

Sign up here to get each edition of Stamps in Season or pick up a copy at your local Post Office!

valentine's cookies.

My mom and I never need a reason to bake, but Valentine's Day is the perfect reason to get in the kitchen and bake our hearts out!

We loved how the mailboxes and postage stamp cookies with the hearts turned out! We can't wait to make more like this next year too. 

I even bagged a few up and gave them to my mailman for Valentine's Day! I hope he enjoyed the special sweet treat!

valentines, va.

This past Saturday I took a little road trip to Valentines, VA! I have been planning this little road trip for almost a year now and was really excited! The town of Valentines isn't even really a town but more of a community within Brunswick County. There is one building offering up expressions of love. The Valentines, VA Post Office!

Outside of the Post Office from the street.

The front porch and Post Office sign.

The Post Office is combined inside this tiny building with Wright's General Merchandise. The two have shared this small space since 1935. When you step inside you step back in time. Coca-Colas sold in glass bottles, an old stove and rocking chairs. The Post Office dates back to William H. Valentine, the town's namesake who served as the first postmaster from 1887-1911.

Mr. Wright bought the store took over as postmaster in 1951. He unknowingly started what would become a sensation! Embracing the town's name, he began rubber-stamping the mail with an emblem-featuring a heart and dogwood blossoms-that he designed himself.

Finishing up stuffing some of my letters!

My mom and I patiently waiting our turn!

The mail ladies working hard!

Sorting all my of valentines!

While we were there we overheard that there is a possibility this gem of a Post Office could be closing down. To hear that breaks my heart. Kathy did say that if it does not close, than most likely the hours would be reduced. I hope that the Postal Service realizes what a gem this place is and keeps it open.

I have found my new yearly tradition for my Valentines! If you would like your valentine's day cards postmarked from Valentines, VA next year than mail your pre-stamped cards in a larger envelope to:

Valentine VA US Post Office

23 Manning Drive

Valentine, VA 23887

Read more about this great Post Office here.

Post Office Contact Information here.