happy halloween.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Look at this mailbox all dressed up in its Spongebob Squarepants costume!

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. 

to protect and serve.

Image from uspsstamps.com

Within the postal system exists one of the nation's oldest law-enforcement agencies, dating back to the late 18th century when mail theft was punishable by death.

This agency is known as the United States Postal Inspection Service, or USPIS, and it protects the public by enforcing postal laws, handling everything from mail scams to the stuff of primetime television dramas. 

The agency's achievements varied in nature, from the 1934 transfer of America's $15.5 billion gold reserve from New York to Fort Knox (a trip that took Post Office inspectors several years and required more than 500 rail cars), to the 1998 arrest of the Unabomber, whose nationwide attacks included homemade explosives sent through the mail. The agency has even helped deliver the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian in 1958.

Today's U.S. Postal Inspection Service has more than 2,700 employees, headquartered in Washington, D.C., and working in offices stretching from Los Angeles to New York. Each year, they arrest roughly 2,500 suspects for drug trafficking and money laundering through the mail. 

For a unique look inside the work of the USPIS-its history, achievements, and artifacts-members of the public can now explore an exhibit called "Behind the Badge" at the National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C.

The "Behind the Badge" exhibit is open from 10am-5:30pm, seven days a week except for Christmas Day, through December 2015. Admission is Free.

Read more about the USPIS here.

stamps: global holiday-silver bells wreath

Image from: uspsstamps.com

In 2014, the U.S. Postal Service® celebrates the winter holidays internationally with a new Forever® stamp. This is the second issuance in the Global Holiday series.

An elegant wreath of silver bells graces this round holiday stamp. The circle of densely packed bells is arranged against a deep green background, with a rich red bow anchored at the top of the wreath. 

Wreaths can be made from plants such as eucalyptus, laurel, pine boughs, and mistletoe, or materials such as metal, glass, wood, paper, or wire. They come in almost any shape or size, and ideas for decoration are virtually limitless.

The Global Holiday: Silver Bells Wreath stamp will be issued as a Global Forever® stamp at the $1.15 price. 

You can read more about the Global Holiday: Silver Bells Wreath stamp here.

stamps: winter fun

Image from: uspsstamps.com

Winter days can be a wonderful time to appreciate the great outdoors with friends and loved ones. The Winter Fun stamps can be used not only to convey the joyful spirit of the holiday season and the new year, but also to send cheerful greetings for any occasion all winter long. Each stamp is sure to add a welcome splash of warmth to letters and cards during the year's coldest months. 

Art Director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps using existing illustrations by Janet Atkinson, Jing Jing Tsong, and Christine Roy. 

The Winter Fun stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. 

You can read more about the Winter Fun stamp here.

I love stationery.

The other day at work my coworkers and I were goofing off and looking up how to say different sayings in different languages. I looked up "I love stationery!"

French:
J'aime la papeterie

Spanish:
Me encanta la papelería

German:
Ich liebe Schreibwaren

Japanese:
私は文房具が大好き

I don't know about you, but I love listening to people speak in other languages. I try to learn a little basics anytime I travel, so I might have to add this to my vocab!

old school letter folding. pull me version.

Man oh man, do I remember passing so many notes to my friends during high school. I would always carry markers in my backpack to make my letters as colorful as I could make them. I would then fold them in all sorts of different styles and pass them to my friends in the hallway or slip the note in their locker between classes.

I started thinking about all of the ways I used to fold my notes and wanted to do a little throw back thursday with a guide on how to do some of the various folds I remember doing in high school. The first one we will start with is the "Pull Me" version.

• First start with a sheet of notebook paper.

• Next, fold the paper in half horizontally. Open it back up. Bring all four corners toward the center crease. Then fold both flat sides towards the center crease also. 

• Fold pointed edges down until it meets the gap formed by the two sides. Flip paper over and fold first side at base of pointed edge. Repeat on opposite side. You should have a rectangle piece of paper folded into three equal columns at this point. 

• Lastly, tuck the corners from one side into the flaps of the other side. 

• Write Pull on pointed edge and you are DONE!

Do you have a favorite old school fold that you used to do in high school? If so, I would love to hear what it was!

mail tag. halloween edition.

Time to start thinking about writing those Halloween letters if you haven't started already!

Today I wanted to post some Halloween inspired "Mail Tag" questions to include in your next spooky letter to your penpal:

• Favorite Halloween candy?

• Favorite costume you wore as a kid?

• Do you still dress up?

• Do you buy your pumpkins from a store or a pumpkin patch?

• Favorite scary movie?

• Ghosts or Goblins?

• Do you have any Halloween traditions?

• Worst Halloween candy?

Do you have any other questions you think would be good to include in a Halloween inspired "Mail Tag"? If so, I would love to hear them!

stationery vs. stationary

Stationery stey-shuh-ner-ee
noun

1. writing paper.

2. writing materials, as pens, pencils, paper, and envelopes.

Stationary stey-shuh-ner-ee
adjective

1. standing still; not moving.

2. having a fixed position; not movable.

3. established in one place; not itinerant or migratory.

4. remaining in the same condition or state; not changing.

postcard inn on the beach.

I don't know about you guys, but this time of year I always dream about traveling. The cooler weather, the early sunsets. There is just something magical about this time of year to me.

My husband is from Florida, so we travel down there at least once a year to visit family and friends. A friend of his told me about this hotel and I just thought it was to cool not to share.

Postcard Inn on the Beach

Image from: postcardinn.com

The Inn offers 196 hotel rooms which all include flat screen TV's, Wi-Fi, work stations, magazines, vintage light fixtures and down-filled duvets. It offers an atmosphere that harkens back to the age of endless summers spent on the beach with friends and family.

I don't know about you, but just the name of this hotel alone makes me want to escape on a beach getaway!

postal themed halloween costumes.

Fall weather has hit here in Virginia and Halloween is right around the corner! Do you guys get as excited about Halloween as I do?

I am sadly not doing a postal themed costume this year, but look at these great ones I found online! I can't wait to have a kid so I can put them in some cute mail themed costumes!

Image from: Studio DIY

Look at this adorable Air Mail Package Costume! Visit Studio DIY for a great tutorial on how to make this adorable costume.

Image from: Party City

This costume is so cute! Party City needs to have this available in adult sizes too!

Image from: costumecraze.com

I love this costume! A Mail Order Bride!

Image from: Pinterest

And lets not forget about Fido! How cute is this little dog dressed as a mailbox?!?

stamps: batman

Image from: uspsstamps.com

For 75 years, Batman has protected Gotham City from the forces of evil. Since his debut, he has become one of the most iconic super heros in history. This year, the U.S. Postal Service® chronicles the evolution of the character, from his origins to present day. 

This new issuance showcases eight unique designs in a sheet of 20 stamps. Four versions of the iconic DC Comics super hero are depicted from four eras of comic book history. In addition, there are four incarnations of the Bat-Signal. 

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp sheet. 

The Batman stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. 

You can read more about the Batman stamps here.

world post day.

Happy World Post Day!

Image from: upu.int

World Post Day celebrates the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern. It was declared World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan in 1969.

Every year, more than 150 countries celebrate World Post Day!

Thanks to Postcrossing, here are some of the various events going on around the world to celebrate World Post Day! For a complete listing of countries participating in this special day by visiting Postcrossing!

Ireland

An Post is producing free international, postage-paid postcards which will be available to customers at the GPO, Dublin and in the Main Post Offices in Cork, Galway, Athlone and Letterkenney.

Japan
Four new stamps celebrating "International Letter Writing Week" will be issued by Japan Post. A special cancellation stamp will be available from October 9th-15th, on the mail post offices send throughout the country.

United States of America
The Smithsonian National Post Museum will host a meeting of the Mail Social Club, with mail workshops and passionate experts to share their skills & love of the post.

Are any of your local post offices or museums celebrating this special day? If so, I would love to hear all about it!

sent with love.

I had a huge reply pile that I was finally able to get to this weekend and boy did it feel good to get these lovely letters in the mail on Saturday!

LR

Christina

Wykena

Yuko

Elizabeth

Helen

Dawn

Jess

You lovely ladies have letters coming your way! I hope they find you well!

Then I get a few more out in the mail Monday morning! A very good productive weekend writing letters!

Melissa

Yuko

Lynsey

Mom

Tiffany

You lovely ladies have letters coming your way! I hope they find you well!

travelope notecard sets.

Hello!

I am happy to announce that I have started making my travelope notecard sets again and they are for sale in my etsy shop... or you can buy them right here from the blog!!

I have several different cities of Travelopes that you can choose from:
NYC Subway Maps
Charleston, SC Resort Maps
Ocean City, MD Resort Maps
Outer Banks, NC Resort  Maps
Norfolk, VA Resort Maps

Each set of Travelopes comes with:
5 Handmade Map Envelopes
10 Flat Notecards (Colors Vary)
10 White Address Labels

All come packaged in a cellophane bag, perfect to use for yourself or to give to a friend as a gift!

Ocean City, MD

Outer Banks, NC

NYC Subway

Charleston, SC

letter writing mix tape.

What kind of music do you like to listen to while writing letters, if any at all? I was thinking back to my wedding the other day (vintage love letter theme) and thought it would be fun to put a list together for you all of some letter writing songs. Make yourself a mix, grab some paper and a pen and write a letter!

"P.S. I love You" - The Beatles

"My Baby Wrote me a Letter" - The Box Tops

"Signed, Sealed, Delivered" - Stevie Wonder

"Embers & Envelopes" - Mae

"Please Read the Letter" - Robert Plant & Alison Krause

"I'm Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself a Letter" - Fats Waller & His Rhythm

"Box Full of Letters" - Wilco

"Love Letters" - Ketty Lester

"Return to Sender" - Elvis Presley

"Please Mr. Postman" - The Marvelettes

the postal service.

Have you guys ever heard of the band The Postal Service? My favorite album of theirs is "Give Up." If you get a chance to check them out on the internet I highly recommend it! And who doesn't love a band who's name is The Postal Service!

1. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight

2. Such Great Heights

3. Sleeping In

4. Nothing Better

5. Recycled Air

6. Clark Gable

7. We Will Become Silhouettes

8. This Place is a Prison

9. Brand New Colony

10. Natural Anthem

I have not been lucky enough to see them live yet, but hopefully one day!