fun fact friday.

fact:

Every time you lick a postage stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie.

you're a peach letterset download.

My most recent letterset download was inspired by my weekend picking peaches in North Carolina with my Mom. I don't know about you, but I love a good peach! This year my mom and I made peach jam, peach cobbler and peach cobbler icecream! oh my!

®2014 postmarked with love

®2014 postmarked with love

Download your own copy of the you're a peach letterset here! Enjoy!

francobolli, the postcard café.

Have you guys read about this place?

Francobolli is a place where you, while enjoying your tea or coffee, can choose a postcard (Over 300 different postcards to choose from), write it, and have it sent on any day you want.

Guys, Look at this wall!

Image from: francobolli.nl

Once you write and address your postcard, you place it in a date slot on this giant wall calendar. When that day comes, the postcard gets mailed off for you! Genius!

I wish I owned a café in the US, so I could do this too!

If you ever find yourself in the Netherlands, make sure to stop by Francobolli on Apothekersdijk 38 in Leiden, right by the canal.

Read more about this amazing place here!

stamps: janis joplin

Image from: uspsstamps.com

Groundbreaking singer Janis Joplin (1943-1970), an icon of the 1960s whole bluesy voice propelled her to the pinnacle of rock stardom,  appears on this new stamp in the Music Icons series. 

The artwork for this stamp features a photo of Janis Joplin taken by David Gahr in June 1970. The original black and white photograph is rendered in shades of blue, with Joplin's trademark round sunglasses tinted a shade of pink. 

The stamp sheet is designed to resemble a vintage 45rpm record sleeve. 

The stamp project was designed by art director Antonio Alcalá.

The Janis Joplin stamp will be issed as a Forever® stamp.

You can read more about the Janis Joplin stamp here. 

fun fact friday.

fact:

There wasn't a single pony in the Pony Express, just horses.

stamps: farmers markets

Image from: uspsstamps.com

Fruits, vegetables, cheeses, flower, and other fresh products invitingly displayed on tables or bins-farmers markets invite us to share America's agricultural bounty.

Four se-tenant stamps depict a table laden with typical farmers-market fare. The stamp on the far left has among its products various fresh breads such as baguettes and rolls, cinnamon buns, cookies, artisan cheeses, and both brown and white eggs. The produce on the second stamp includes vegetables and fruits: apples, eggplants, watermelons, peppers, grapes, potatoes, broccoli, and gourds. Cut flowers adorn the next stamp, with bouquets of bright flowers next to a bucket of sunflowers and a collection of celosia. The final stamp on the far right features live plants, with various herbs, tomatoes, and flowers like marigolds and nasturiums. Most items bear handwritten labels that identify the product and its price.

Farmers markets are an old idea that's new again. Markets were once the main way Americans shopped.

Farmers markets flourish in every U.S. state and territory.

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with illustrations by Robin Moline.

The Farmers Markets stamps will be issued as Forever® stamps.

You can read more about the Farmers Markets stamp here.

stamps in season.

I just received the new issue of Stamps in Season by the U.S. Postal Service®!

Once again, the page spreads are nicely designed with photographs of the new stamps in full sheets and in use on envelopes! It also contains tips for sending good mail!

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

• Sharing Recipes through the mail 

      •Share your favorite recipes through the mail. Send a recipe to a few friends, along with a note asking them to send one of their favorites back. 

• Envelope Art

      • Add a little intrigue to the front or back of your envelope with pretty hand-drawn flourishes.

• Traveling Tips

      • Hitting the Road? Keep your kids busy with pen and paper. Find a unique card in each destination, and mail greetings back to family and friends. Or, send yourself a letter from each spot so you have a record of your trip.

• The way you send your mail sends a message.

       • Make an impression with Personalized Stamped Envelopes and Cards-sets arrive pre-printed with Forever® postage, your return address, and even a customized message. Choose from a variety of designs, formats, and colors, and create an impression that is uniquely you. Find out more at usps.com/pse

• 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!

tiny treehouse treasure.

I get newsletters from Leafcutter Designs and her most recent blog post was to good not to share!

Lea Redmond of Leafcutter Designs has set up a tiny treehouse treasure in the woods.

Image from: Leafcutter Designs

The Tiny Tilden Post Office goes about its business in the hills above Berkeley. The Post Office was installed back in December and is tucked away in a knothole in an old tree on the Curran Trail in Tilden Park.

Image from: Leafcutter Designs

Image from: Leafcutter Designs

If you're in the Bay Area and looking for a little adventure, head out on the Curran Trail.

Share your photos with #tildenpo!

Read more about the tiny treehouse treasure here!