marilyn monroe's love letters.

Marilyn Monroe's lost love letters will be auctioned off on December 5th and 6th at Julien's Auctions.

They will be put on display to the public at a Beverly Hills gallery for four days before being put up on the auction block where they are hoping to get $1 million or more. 

"I love you and want to be with you," DiMaggio wrote in one letter that will be included in the auction. 

There will be letters from Joe DiMaggio and her third and final husband Arthur Miller included in the lot. 

shop small.

Shop Small Businesses Today! This day helps encourage people to shop at small businesses on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. 

In honor of this special day I am offering a special "Shop Small" discount in my etsy store today!

Enter the code: SHOPSMALL for 20% off your total purchase!

It is just a small token of my appreciation to say thank you for supporting my blog and etsy shop over the years!

holiday gift guide.

I thought I would put together a little gift guide to help with your holiday shopping for all of the letter writers in your life (or a little special treat for yourself)!

Image from: containerstore.com

Look at these adorable birdie envelope openers! It is designed to open letters with its sharp tail as well as sit and rock beautifully back and forth when not in use. You can order these birdie envelope openers from Container Store in three beautiful colors.

Image from: victoriantradingco.com

This adorable silk scarf with a myriad of post-marked correspondences on it. Scarf measures 10" x 57". You can order this beautiful scarf at Victorian Trading Co.

Image from: threepotatofour.com

I have always loved this classic hotel key tag for the Penpal Society! I think this year I am going to buy this for a stocking stuffer for a friend and quite possibly myself! Tag measures 3.75" x 1.75". You can order this club key ring at Three Potato Four.

Image from: etsy.com

Beautiful wax seal stamps by Back to Zero! She has a shop filled with beautiful stamps and colored waxes. There are so many stamps to choose from or order your own custom design. You can order these wax seals at BacktoZero.

Image from: modcloth.com

These postage stamp leggings! How cute would this be with a big black sweater and some flats. Let everyone know that you are into stamps and letters with these fun leggings. You can order the keep me postage leggings at ModCloth.

Image from: amazon.com

Wanna make your life a little easier when it comes to making envelopes? This envelope bunch board will be just thing you want to add to your Christmas list this year. You can order the envelope bunch board at Amazon or pick one up at your local craft store. 

vintage airmail envelopes.

I went to NYC last month for a few days and while there Amanda and I strolled through the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market.

There were a ton of booths set up and they were even filming two episodes of "Flea Market Flip"! Some of the booths had vintage postcards, magazines, stamps, etc. I could have stayed and looked around for hours but we were on a time crunch that day.

Before we headed back to our hotel I did stumble upon a box of vintage airmail envelopes. There were three that stood out to me due to their typical classic airmail look, faded slightly and yellowed with a story of the past to tell. I picked them up to look at them and when I flipped them over was surprised to see that they were printed with NYC icons on the back of them. They were beautiful! I knew right then I had to have them.

Aren't these beautiful? They are to pretty to use, so I am thinking of having them framed and hung up in my office.

Have you guys ever stumbled upon any great finds like these at flea markets or antique shops? If so, I would love to hear all about it!

"Whatever you choose for your stationery is your favorite color because it's where you pour your heart out."

- Mary E. Pearson, The Miles Between

stamps: christmas magi

Image from: uspsstamps.com

The U.S. Postal Service® celebrates one of the most beloved stories of the Nativity with an evocative and elegant new stamp, Christmas Magi.

The stamp art illustrates the traditional tale of the Magi-also called the Three Wise Men or Three Kings- who came bearing gifts for Jesus. The three regal figures sit atop a trio of bedecked and harnessed camels, the animals almost at the summit of a small hill. Guiding them is a large, dazzling star shining in the sky. The colors in the sky range from a rose near the horizon, darkening to a rich purple at the top, suggesting that the travelers are moving through the desert at dawn.

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp; Nancy Stahl was the artist.

The Christmas Magi stamp is being issued as a Forever® stamp.

You can read more about the Christmas Magi stamp here. 

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!

keep your fork, there's pie letterset download.

I love fall and everything about it! I love the time spent with family and friends enjoying delicious food

and great company, especially the pies! This letterset was inspired by the time spent with friends and
family giving thanks for everything the year had to offer and eating delicious homemade pies!

®2014 postmarked with love

®2014 postmarked with love

Download your own copy of the keep your fork, there's pie letterset here! Enjoy!

penny postcards.

My husband (Zach) found this great postcard website and shared it with me and I wanted to share it with you all today:

Penny Postcards
These postcards cost 1¢ to mail. Postage was temporarily raised to 2¢ from 1917 to 1919 to cover the cost of World War I and again from 1925 to 1928.

You can click on any state listed and it will show you all of the penny postcards that have been submitted for that state (broken down by county).

Here are some of the postcards that were my favorite from my hometown of Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia:

Image from: usgwarchives.net

Image from: usgwarchives.net

Image from: usgwarchives.net

Do you have any penny postcards you would like to share? You can be a contributor for the website and submit your own postcards as well.

making mail movie.

Making Mail
A documentary by The Making Company exploring the human connection through the movement of mail art. It features artists who embrace the antiquated postal service and use it to send beautiful pieces of mail art across the globe.



I would love to hear what you all think about the documentary! I know it has inspired me to decorate all my letters even more now before sending just a plain envelope out the door!

Also, drop into The Making Company and let them know what you think about this great film, I know they would love to hear your feedback!

You can follow Amber Esner and all of her lovely mail art here.

this week in history.

I found a little article in my newspaper this weekend that involved a little postal history.

1989
The U.S. Postal Service introduces the no-lick, peel-and-stick, self-adhesive stamp in a national debut at the Pavilion in Virginia Beach. The debut of the stamp in Virginia Beach was decided by the Postal Service because the issue date coincided with VAPEX '89, the Virginia Philatelic Exhibit.

I like reading interesting postal history facts, but it is even cooler when it involves my hometown!

stamps: rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

Image from: uspsstamps.com

On the evening of December 6, 1964, families sat down to watch a new TV show for the first time: an animated special called Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The hour-long show went on to become not only the longest-running and highest-rated Christmas special in TV history, but also a beloved holiday tradition.

Rudolph and his friends now bring their own brand of joy and nostalgia to four holiday stamps. The stamp artwork features still frames from the special, which was produced by Rankin/Bass using stop-motion animation.

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps.

The Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps.

You can read more about the Rudolph the REd-Nosed Reindeer stamps here. 

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.

the new york museum of postal history.

I recently spent the weekend in one of my favorite cities with my best friend and she luckily let me drag her to The New York Museum of Postal History. The tiny museum is located inside the James A. Farley Post Office.

The James A. Farley Post office is one of the largest post offices in the USA.This post office itself is something to take in just due to its large size and great structure.

Tucked away on the right hand side of the post office is a very tiny (and do I mean tiny) museum of postal history. There is a display of different mailboxes from a few different countries as well as the only known four sided mailbox circa 1929. 

There were also a few mail delivery systems on display such as a bicycle and a horse drawn wagon.

And last but not least a small little area that talked about the postal history.

Overall, the museum within the postal service was very tiny but filled with fun things. It is worth taking a look if you ever find yourself in New York City with a few minutes to spare!

James A. Farley Post Office

421 8th Ave. 

New York, NY 10001

Between 31st and 33rd Street