stamps: botanical art

Image from: uses.com

The USPS continues its tradition of beautiful floral-themed stamps with the new Botanical Art stamps.

The stamp art features ten signs, each a detail of an illustration from an American nursery catalog printed between 1891 and 1912. the design details are courtesy of the New York Botanical Garden; the catalogs are part of the NYBG's Nursery and Seed Catalog Collection, one of the largest and most important collections in the U.S.

the artists responsible for the work seen on early nursery catalogs are mostly unknown to us now, but their captivating work lives on. 

The Botanical Art stamps will be issued as Forever® stamps.

You can read more about the Botanical Art stamps here.

stamps: quilled paper heart

Image from: usps.com

The newest stamp in the popular love series is the Quilled Paper Heart stamp. Quilling-also called paper filigree-involves rolling and shaping narrow strips of paper, laying them on their edges, and gluing them in place to form intricate designs.

The origin of the name "quilling" is obscure, but it might have come from the first tool used to create paper curls, the base of a feather or a quill. Quilling is believed to date from the 15th or 16th century. The first known quilters were monks and nuns in European religious houses.

Artist Yulia Brodskaya used heavy paper strips to create her design., choosing bright colors that would be appealing and eye-catching.

The Quilled Paper Hearts stamp will be issued as a Forever® stamp.

You can read more about the Quilled Paper Heart stamp here.

santa letter found in chimney.

Image from: itv.com

I stumbled upon a great article about a letter to santa found in a chimney that was written more than 60 years ago. The letter was found by builder Lewis Shaw in Reading.

Read the full story here.

christmas present for my mailman.

I like to do something fun for my mailman every holiday season just to say thanks for all that he does all year long!

This morning I left him a nice card with a starbucks gift card and homemade mailbox cookies! I hope he enjoys his special holiday treat!

His present waiting to be picked up from the mailbox!

If you are looking for a card specifically for your mailman this holiday season, Hallmark has a great selection of different ones. 

sent with love. christmas cards.

I was very excited to get my christmas cards done this year as we had maternity photos taken and wanted to include them on my Christmas card this year! Plus, with only have 3.5 weeks left of this pregnancy I needed to make sure to get them done and out in the mail early this year!

All my pen pals should be getting Christmas cards in the mail soon! I went with an ugly sweater theme for theirs this year. 

I hope my card was the first one everyone received for the season this year!

holiday shipping deadlines.

It is that time of year to start thinking of holiday deadlines to make sure your cards and gifts make it to where they need to go on time!

The USPS makes Priority Mail Express® domestic deliveries every day, including Sunday and Christmas Day (Available for an additional fee). And you can count on gifts arriving by the 24th if you send by these dates ( Delivery not guaranteed):

December 19th:
with First-Class Mail® Service

December 21st:
with Priority Mail® Service

December 23rd:
with Priority Mail Express® Service

happy halloween.

This is from a card one of my pen pals sent me:

"Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen, voices whisper in the trees, 'Tonight is Halloween!'"

I hope you all have a candy filled, spooky halloween!