Happy Groundhog Day!

HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY!

This summer, my family and I took a little road trip up to Boston and then over to Pittsburgh! On the way to Pittsburgh we stopped in Punxsutawney, PA to see the home of the famous Punxsy Phil!

We stopped by the gift shop first (DUH!) and I picked up a few groundhog themed things (stationery, a rubber stamp and some postcards, to name a few). Then we walked over to Phil's home in the center of town. He lives in his burrow outside the library when he isn't predicting the weather. After seeing him sleep we took a little drive to see where the famous prediction event happens! Gobbler's Knob! It was neat to see all this in person, since I see it on TV every year.

Once we were done at Gobbler's Knob we drove around trying to find the various Phil statues throughout town. This post office Phil was my FAVORITE! He is so cute in his little mail outfit!

So, what will the groundhog predict this year? More Winter or is Spring around the corner...

If you would like a chance to win a postcard that I picked up in the gift shop of post office Phil, comment on my post and I will draw one lucky winner!

valentines, va postmark.

Isn't this postmark and hand stamp fantastic? This is the reason I love traveling to Valentines, VA every year to mail my valentines!

valentines, va.

My mom and I took our 2nd annual trip to Valentines, VA this year to mail all of our valentines! It is always a nice day driving there and sending off our pretty cards and letters! 

I just love small post offices! There is something so special about them and this one is no exception. this small building houses a tiny post office and what used to be a market, but we found out that has since closed due to the lady retiring.

You can pick up a few Valentines souvenirs to remember your trip to the special post office! They sell mugs, t-shirts, postcards and koozies.

Kathy (one of the two ladies who works at the Valentines, VA post office) working hard behind the counter sorting and stamping envelopes.

A view from the front of the store.

A box full of koozies for sale. I bought one this year!

If you are ever up for a fun little journey next year I suggest adding the Valentines, VA post office to your list! And if you live to far away to make it there, you can always mail a stamped envelope full of pre-addressed stamped letters to them and they will make sure that they all receive the special Valentines, VA postmark and hand stamp! (More about the hand stamp in an upcoming blog post)

Valentines Post Office

23 Manning Drive

Valentines, VA 23887

post office for sale.

A friend recently emailed me a Craigslist Ad listing a Post Office for sale in Sedley, VA!

Image from: craigslist.com

"Great Investment. Post Office building near Franklin, VA. Long Term Lease with United States Postal Service. Has been continuously leased by the Postal Service since 1964. Very little upkeep. All brick building with new membrane roof. $59,500."

Just think of all the possibilities of owning your very own Post Office! If I had the money, I would highly consider buying this little gem in the middle of nowhere!

christmas, fl.

This year we spent Thanksgiving in Florida with my fantastic in-laws and while we were down there visiting I decided to send my Christmas cards from a little town called Christmas, Florida! After being in the car for 13 hours, the next morning we got up and drove another hour or so to Christmas.

I was so excited! We arrive at the post office and I jump out of the car with all of my Christmas cards in hand. It is a small little post office which just adds to its charm. 

Just inside the post office they have a Christmas Tree and a cute white mailbox for "Letters to Santa". From what I have read, it stays decorated like this year-round! I snapped a few photos with my mom and all of our cards. A man was checking is P.O. Box and was like "oh, no it's starting." We all got a laugh out of that.

We were so excited, we were next in line and I tell Gary, the man behind the counter, that we drove 13 hours and are so excited to have our Christmas cards postmarked from Christmas, FL this year. We then become defeated when he tells us that they don't start putting the special postmark on envelopes until December 1st! NOOO! My mom and I step out of line to discuss what we should do. I call Zach (he stayed in the car) to see if we could come back on Monday on our way back home. We decide thats a bad idea, as it is an hour out of our way. I ask Gary if they can hold the mail until Monday explaining how far we had driven and he told us that they were not allowed to do that. We decided to just leave the mail and suck it up as a loss. At least the cards would have their standard Christmas, FL postmark which was better than nothing.

Gary stamped a postcard for me with their standard postmark to keep.

Me, my Mom and my Mother In-Law standing outside of the Christmas, FL post office!

P.S.- This story does have a very exciting ending... On the way back to Mount Dora I decided to call the post office. Gary answered the phone, and I asked him just to verify that the postmark our cards would get was not going to be the Christmas one. (Everyone in the car is laughing so hard at this point!)  Gary said that the postmaster had just come in after we left and because we had traveled so far they would postmark our cards with the special Christmas, FL postmark!!! I was BEYOND excited! I thanked Gary a million times and let him know that he had made our day!

THANK YOU AGAIN GARY!

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.