GirlZootZilla

Move

2011-01-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

As of today this blog has moved to girlzoot.com.

Moooooooomins!

2010-08-08T06:30:00.001-06:00

I think Moomin is very cute, but honestly I have no idea what the books or animated stories are like. One of my postcrossing exchangers sent an envelope a while back filled with a bunch of magazine inserts covered with Moomins.

I made a rather crude envelope that was pretty cute and lots of fun to make.

Ink and Type

2010-08-05T06:30:00.009-06:00

One of the best, and saddest things of using up the last of some of my favorite cards is the fact that I have no more of them to use. I'm very happy that I've had the chance to share so many with lots of other people, but I will miss these cards. They are just so very pretty.

A skritch on the nose.

2010-08-05T06:30:00.006-06:00

One of my closest friends believes that all any monster or scary animal really needs is a little lovin' and a skritch on the nose.

Wonder if it would work on this big guy? I think it would be so groovey to have a super big kitty like this to love.

Green Hair, Tattoos, and Spikey Pets

2010-08-05T06:30:00.002-06:00

This great set of stationery from Dark Horse is some Tokidoki stuff. It is fun and odd and just a little over the top.

In short, it is great for a letter. It also makes me miss my green hair. Although I do have to say that blue was my favorite haircolor.

Ginger Smiles

2010-08-03T06:30:00.008-06:00

I got a fabulous letter with this wonderful ginger kitten! Can't you just see how lovable this kitty is in every single way? I've always wanted a ginger kitten, now I at least have one on paper.

Even the little mousey on the stationery is happy to hang out with the kitty, now that is some serious advertising.

Yay! Second Hand Cards!

2010-08-03T06:30:00.007-06:00

I love finding fun stuff at second-hand stores. These super-realistic cards of birds and these oversize envelopes were a great find the other day. Lots of great stuff for nearly no monies!

Wrinkly Dog Face Deserves a Little Color Purple

2010-08-03T06:30:00.006-06:00

Such a sad doggy face, makes you want to hug and squeeze him. I've always loved a hound, they are such big sweeties.

I sent back another movie envelope. The Color Purple is a great movie, but I was always such a big fan of the book that I mingle the two in my mind often. One of my favorite parts of the story is where they talk about the trees doing everything to be loved.

RU-167940, PL-99811, GB-146338, DE-624046, ES-78252, CN-214763, MO-1660

2010-08-01T17:21:00.003-06:00

Pen Show Envelope

2010-08-01T17:03:00.003-06:00

One of my pen pals recently went to a pen show. He made a fabulous envelope covered with cool pens. The colors are gorgeous, and how can you go wrong with pens to dream over?

I sent back another handmade envelope, this one featuring a scene from The Cotton Club, a movie about which I've always had mixed feelings. The movie is very rich visually, but also sort of weak and silly in parts. I think it is worth seeing because there is some great acting and incredible visuals. It is definitely a movie that lingers in the mind, and what more can one want?

NL-359781, IT-88007, AU-81463, DE-614271

2010-08-01T16:52:00.002-06:00

My Stationery is so Totally NOT Stationary!

2010-07-18T07:52:00.006-06:00

I joined in on PostMuse's excellent giveaway as soon as I saw the perfect title, I mean how can you resist when she names it My stationery is not stationary? I also joined in on the swap-bot swap.

I tried to pick a good little selection to send off to my partner in Brazil and send it off as soon as I possibly could, stuff always takes forever internationally. I hope it gets to her in a timely fashion and she enjoys the choices I made for her.

Then my awesome stuff came! It was a great selection. Very varied, and check out that great mailbox flat and the don't eat mail stationery, super awesome! Plus it came from the Baltimore area. My mom used to live in Baltimore and I've always wanted to visit.

Then came the next fabulous part!

Then in yesterday's mail I got this fabulous thank-you for participating postcard from PostMuse. Very classy! On the back of the postcard was a great little paragraph about using our new stationery.

I must admit that I've already used up all of my new stationery from this great swap. I haven't been all that great about returning post of late, but I've made a new promise to return ten letters every Saturday (0r more if possible). I did great last Saturday and yesterday! If I can keep it up on the 24th, I think I may have a new habit formed!

My preference is for daily correspondence of course, but with all this schoolwork and searching for full-time work, setting aside a day is far less stressful. Keeps my happy hobby in my week, and the rest of my week balanced. Now if I could just figure out how to avoid the hand cramps by letter eight!

Yay!

2010-07-01T07:45:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Stephanie and Mariah!

I will be sending out their little packages this afternoon after school and work.

Pictures to follow.

OK I know it took forever, but as it says on the sidebar, I only update when I have time, and whew buddy, my time has been in short supply lately!

Here are the pictures from the giveaway!

I am pretty sure they both arrived okay, which is awesome, and when I have some more time in the future I am so going to do some more giveaways. It was lots more fun giving away my stuff than I ever thought possible.

Well Holy Monkeys!

2010-06-26T10:47:00.002-06:00

I'm more excited than ever about collecting up the stuff for this giveaway, yay!

Now I even have more books to check out in this world filled with lettery love.

I am working on catching up on my little letter pile in between studying and other things, but I do read your cool book/movie comments every day!

Thanks to the couple of people that have linked to my giveaway. I can't wait to send these things off, it is more fun than I could have imagined.

My First Giveaway

2010-06-16T15:31:00.003-06:00

Okay I'm new to this whole giveaway process, but since I have more postcards than I have of anything else, I will be doing a postcard giveaway.

I'm new to this whole thing, so I think definitely leave me a comment here, no anonymous comments, because I won't be able to check you out, or track you down if you win.

In addition to leaving a simple comment like "I'm in for this giveaway." Let me know a movie or book that includes a letter or postcard as part of the storyline. You know just because film is my major and it makes it fun.

SO - for example - if I were to participate in this giveaway it would go like this:

Girlzoot (my id)
I'm in for this giveaway! (my expression of interest)
In the book Persuasion by Jane Austen Wentworth wins Anne with a heartfelt letter at the end of the book. (my book with a letter)

Hopefully this is how things are done.

I will give folks until June 30th and I will draw out two names on July 1st, and then mail out two little packages of randomly selected postcards from my stash. Since this is my first giveaway we will say two little packages of 15 postcards.

If I've forgotten anything, or if you have questions, please let me know by email (girlzoot at gmail dot com).

Otter Mail from an Odder Person

2010-06-15T23:09:00.003-06:00

Yay! Number 100 is out in the mail!

I had a great deal of fun searching for people to send all of these postcards out to, but more fun was just going through all these postcards and trying to figure out where to send them each day.

Thank you again to those of you that requested a postcard! That helped keep things flowing.

Goodbye to the month of postcards, let's see what comes next.

Planktooth, Hinduism Green Lantern, Taste of Sadness

2010-06-14T23:03:00.002-06:00

Last postcard goes out tomorrow.

So far only two postcards have been returned to me.

If you requested a postcard and haven't received it by say the 22nd, email me (girlzoot at gmail dot com) and I will send you a replacement!

Otherwise, thank you to the very few of you that played along, and thank you very much to all the friends, sendsomething folks that were available for my mail sendings!

Sweat-Heart-Sweet-Shirt, Dewey Decimal Updates, Peace Frog

2010-06-13T22:57:00.003-06:00

As I approach the end of this mail-out I become more and more fond of each postcard. I want to keep each one I address to someone else. Hmmm makes me wonder what I will do for my giveaway, something big and fun I think so I don't get too emotionally attached and greedy and want to keep it all for myself, muhahaha!

Bowl of Cherries, Come Drown, Fu*k Off

2010-06-12T22:51:00.000-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Mars/Worker at Ground Zero, Saturn Devours/Bush Kisses, Time Transfixed/Accident at the Gare Montparnasse

2010-06-11T22:47:00.004-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Efflorescence, Really Jewish Starfish, Dark Forest

2010-06-10T22:42:00.002-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Armed and Familial, Best Obsession, Wood Decoy

2010-06-09T22:39:00.000-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Pipe Driving, Downtown NY, Funk Fun

2010-06-08T22:33:00.002-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Smelly, The Hype, Orphans

2010-06-07T22:16:00.005-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Moral Senses, The Bride, Another World

2010-06-06T21:59:00.003-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

US-706457, US-709737, US-709739, US-707651

2010-06-05T21:37:00.004-06:00

Belgian Warm, Mustang, Pinto

2010-06-05T21:32:00.003-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

I never stop loving Aerogrammes

2010-06-05T21:30:00.000-06:00

Zuul Rules

2010-06-05T21:27:00.000-06:00

Because who doesn't love a minion of Gozer?

Dear Internet Citizen, Penciled People, Poison Wig

2010-06-04T21:22:00.003-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Dick Crazy, 3 Portraits, Gleaners

2010-06-03T21:15:00.003-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Ninja, Rock-Out, Water Contents

2010-06-02T21:06:00.000-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Pipe, Blankface, Reflected Self

2010-06-01T21:01:00.003-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Sneezes, The Boring Store, Tomorrow

2010-05-31T20:57:00.004-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Paper People, Fox Fire, Corn Horse

2010-05-30T23:34:00.003-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

US-703946, US-703947, US-706455, US-706456

2010-05-30T20:05:00.003-06:00

Motoring Deer, Comics Section, New Girl, Stephen Dixon

2010-05-29T19:53:00.003-06:00

Woot! With today's postcards from the McSweeney box I am just over the halfway mark.

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Renamed States, We! Hate! You!, Lion Trappers

2010-05-28T19:43:00.003-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Nerd Bird, Sixth Burrow, The Zipper, Paper Dolls

2010-05-27T23:29:00.003-06:00

These last two cards of the day are from the awesome Evany's book The Secret Language of Sleep. Check out her site, check out the book, check it all out. All of it is from McSweeney's, you know, where the big box of postcards is from...

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Aquafresh Dog, Hammocks Summer Camp, Republic Horoscopes

2010-05-26T23:05:00.004-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Epistolary Persona, Almost Canadian, Flight Math

2010-05-25T22:55:00.004-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Cruel Girls, Clockwork Guts, Hey Ladies, Subscriptions

2010-05-24T21:45:00.004-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Childhood (Scary) Icons, Green Spud, Reading the Bones

2010-05-23T20:34:00.002-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Grr - a Bear, Ground Listener, Red Light Miners, Goodbye Car

2010-05-22T20:12:00.004-06:00

He just wants a hug. A big big hug, with claws and slobber, can't you just give him a big hug?

The color on this postcard is amazing, the mood is a little weird, but the color is amazing. Besides sending a postcard is way faster to an interwebber is way faster than listening to the earth for answers anyway. Check out the cool blog this interwebber helps to keep up.

Another cool postcard with lots of lovely color and an odd vibe. I am trying to keep these postcards in the order they came in when I opened the box so there are several in a row by the same artist.

Please note that I have tried to keep them in order but some are out of order as I did look at a couple when I first purchased the box and put them back willy and or nilly.

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Grafitti Face, White Crutches, Joker Card

2010-05-21T19:59:00.002-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Icelandic Runes, Dark Horse, Peep Face

2010-05-20T22:33:00.003-06:00

I totally dig this postcard. I love the idea of it telling some heroic story I can't read, but would be thrilled to find on a cave wall or on the side of a ship. This is going out to a lovely interwebber with an awesome blog and super groovey flickr. Check them out you will not be disappointed.

Heroic Dark Horse. Like a dark hero in all those epic stories, tall, handsome, long wavy hair, straight teeth, fond of sweets, smooth skin, few words, heroic dark horse.

Peeps. Creep. Me. OUT. So I sent this creepy peep away to someone that might appreciate it more.

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Mutant Love, The Archivist, Settlement

2010-05-19T18:41:00.003-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Postcrossing Jump-In!

2010-05-19T10:16:00.001-06:00

US-697400
Old view of Red Rocks Parks

US-697399
Request for Asian Art
From Japanese Postcard Collection

US-697398
Easton Flag Stamp Postcard
Request for Flag or Map Postcard

US-697396
Franklin Museum Exhibit Postcard Collection

US-697394
Cuban Flamenco Dancers
from Cuba Postcard Collection

US-697393
Gama-Go Girlzootzilla in the Ferris Wheel Line.
Request for Fun Postcard

US-697392
Breast Cancer Stamp Postcard with Breast Cancer Stamps
Request for older stamps.

US-697391
Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace Sketch

US-697385, US697384
Pan's Labryinth
Movie Postcard Requests

US-697383
Multi-tiered Home Plants

US-697380
Tea Roses

US-697377
Rocky Boulder New Zealand Beach
Beach Request

US-697381
Love in a Mist

US-697378
Vegas skyline with the Plaza.
Request for skyline.

Veiled Woman, Swine Castle, Whipped Battle, Diamond Faced

2010-05-18T15:51:00.003-06:00

She looks and dresses like a saint, but saint of what? I like to think of something amazing.

It says McSwine's castle. Think they serve bacon with every meal, or just are really not nice people?

You know this battle has been coming for a while, very nemesis-y, very epic in origin.

Bright colors, mod haircut, all ready to go out and conquer the world.

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

A long journey for a little post.

2010-05-18T14:04:00.002-06:00

Recently one of my fellow bloggers posted some of her issues about Postcrossing. I haven't been postcrossing for a while, but when this postcard arrived and I went to log it I thought immediately of her blog post.

This postcard (PL-53355) had been traveling for 193 days.

193 days.

That is a long freaking time, and yet look at it, it looks fine. Over six months ago it took flight to me, and now here it is in all its postal glory. Weird.

Anyway, it has inspired me to start doing some more Postcrossing, even if it means my stuff will be traveling forever and ever along and six months from now something of mine will be arriving in a mailbox.

Diamond Tears, Duh-Duh-Dentist, Frenemies Mountains, Passing Notes Sherbert

2010-05-17T21:12:00.001-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Fireworks, Desmond Mysteries, Purple Hordes

2010-05-16T23:15:00.001-06:00

An overwhelming night of fireworks, taking over mind and soul. Or maybe they are just really big fireworks.

Mysteries inside mystery stories. Kind of a find Waldo murder mystery inside murder books, only even creepier than it sounds.

Purple Hordes. Like The Big Pink Blob had a mating with The Purple People Eater, up to you as to whether or not that is a bad thing or a jazzy thing.

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Plane to the Past, Dog in Arms, and All Green City

2010-05-15T12:43:00.006-06:00

Want one from the big batch of 100?

Check out this post and one of these fun postcards could be yours!

Superfun!

Greetings leading up to a Giveaway.

2010-05-15T12:19:00.003-06:00

Okay so my letter output has been low, not non-existent, but low during this last month of school, and I know the blog posts have been non-existent.

I have a couple of weeks until the next semester starts (w00t!) and I will be returning all letters and I will also be sending off all of these postcards in the next month.

If you want one of the postcards from this boxed collection please email me your address (girlzoot at gmail dot com) and you will be sent a postcard from this collection that should hopefully be postmarked by June 15th. If you have a web address that you want linked when I photograph your particular postcard, please include that web address and I will include it in my blog post.

I will send domestic and international. Please make sure your address is complete and know that I will be sending all postcards as is (naked) unless specifically requested in an envelope.

At the end of this month I will re-visit the idea of picking stuff to do a giveaway.

Two things
1. If more than one hundred people want a postcard from this collection I will attempt to send postcards from my collection as long as the request is received before June 14th.

2. If less than one hundred people request postcards I will just fill in the numbers with people I know and sendsomething folks.

Let the postcard drowning begin.

Last of My Vintage Stamps

2010-04-11T18:30:00.000-06:00

With my little mail truck I used up the last of my vintage stamps.

I am gonna have to get a message out to my stamp connection for some more stamps. I've been thinking a lot about the love stamps. They are usually lovely, and have lots of color, and I have a journal packed with images of love stamps. Unfortunately some of them are crazy ugly too. I will have to see.

Miss Sadie's Speakeasy

2010-04-10T18:30:00.000-06:00

Privacy & Protection assured.

Whenever I consider a time I'd like to live in besides the one I was born into, I always think of the Jazz age. I would have the right to vote (not sure I could get by without that) the ability to get work sparingly perhaps, but work. Oh and the booze and the fashion and the vaguely loose thoughts and morals.

Yep, definitely the Jazz age, and I think I would look for something like Miss Sadie's for a nightly sip and brawl.

Pistachio Rainbows

2010-04-09T18:30:00.000-06:00

I picked up some of these great Pistachio cards, they are nice and and take ink pretty well. They are eco-friendly and are available at almost every Barnes and Noble in my neighborhood. They came in a couple of different varieties, although as usual the largest variety that was easily available at the stores were Thank You cards.

This irritates the crap out of me, which I'm sure I've covered before, but I thought I would cover again briefly. I know that the casual buyer of cards usually needs them for 'thank you' reasons. I know that I am not the casual buyer. I get this, I understand that, but sometimes still the fact that Thank You is printed on every single freaking card bugs me. Usually blank is just enough in my opinion for Thank You cards, but that could just be me.

For instance these rainbow cards could be Thank You cards, they are blank inside, I could write a little note and at the bottom, I could just say THANK YOU at the bottom right above my signature.

Eh, maybe I just need to lighten up, huh? But remember, they are lovely cards.

Think Before You Mail

2010-04-08T06:30:00.002-06:00

I was writing to my great aunt, a nun, and I picked this gorgeous card and wrote the whole letter before remembering right at the end that this was a Jezebel card.

Torn between scrapping the letter and sending it anyway, I just send the card and wrote a little P.S. to apologize for the stationery.

Card and Letter Writing Month (with notes in flickr)

2010-04-07T15:34:00.007-06:00

Apparently it is Card and Letter Writing Month.

Yeah, April is a big month, it is full of lots of stuff I like, but in regard to this, I kind of thought I would photograph my "correspondence tower" Now this is something that I refer to often, but rarely take the time to photograph. It just seems silly, silly and vaguely embarrassing to see all in one place all the stuff I have that I use for paper crafts.

Then I saw a couple of people take us through their collections, and theirs seemed similar to mine, so maybe mine wouldn't seem excessive.

Yeah, then I started taking some photographs.

Now these are just "tour photos", and are in no way comprehensive. Feel free to ask questions, if you have any.

This is the "tower" itself. Nestled in amongst my bookshelves in my library. It probably isn't safe to be against the heating vent, but that is usually closed. It is constructed of two separated rubbermaid objects with several drawers.

On top of the tower is various stuff, if you can click through, there are lots of notes in the flickr page labeling all the stuff, but mostly it is stuff that doesn't really fit or that I access often.

This little box I got as a giveaway years and years ago and it holds various small things and is a great place to store sealing waxes. This photograph also has notes if you click through on flickr.

This drawer is packed with oddments, and yes has labels if you click through to flickr. Sparkles and bubbles and stamps, can't go wrong there!

This drawer is stickers. All stickers, gobs and gobs of stickers that have been collected from various places, in various ways, into this drawer.

This drawer has gel pens, markers, colored pencils, and more stickers. It is also labeled in flickr.

This is packed with fold and mails, and other little oddments like special envelopes, single special sheets, or matched up flats. This also has notes in flickr.

This drawer is long envelopes with or without matching sheets, short stationery sheets, and short memo pads or tiny matching stationery sets.

This is hardcore, straight-up letter sets, all sizes, all kinds, if it matches and isn't tiny enough to go into the tiny drawer, it goes in here.

This is mismatched cards and envelopes. Perfect for almost every occasion. All kinds of sizes. All kinds of subjects. All kinds of colors.

This is the first postcard drawer. Mostly postcard books, postcard sets, postcard boxes, things that were found or purchased or gifted as a whole set.

This is postcard drawer number two. This still has a couple "sets" and stuff, but this is almost exclusively stuff that I bought in singles or twos and threes or got from swaps. These are my weird postcards, my state and city postcards, my souvenir postcards, just the postcards from all over with all kinds of visuals.

This is not technically part of the tower, this is what I call The Paper Dungeon. It is one of those Rubbermaid (what can I say it is cheap and easy to find) things that goes beneath the bed. I think it is supposed to be for clothes or something.

Instead of storing clothes, I just tossed in whatever paper I might use for anything letter or postcard related. This is side one, and it has notes in flickr if you click through.

This is side two of The Paper Dungeon, and also has notes in flickr.

So there it is, my excessive collection displayed to horrify and amuse the few of you that follow my little blog. Yay Card and Letter Writing Month, from a big OCD supporter!

On another note, I've been thinking pretty seriously about doing one of these giveaway things. Now that I've put on display all this stuff I will have to think about it even more seriously. No idea yet what I want to give away, but I am still thinking it over.

We Want More Pin Money!

2010-04-07T06:30:00.000-06:00

I am a huge fan of all things pin-up. Have been for years. I have lots of pin-up stuff all over the place. In journals, on walls, and of course I have a limited supply of postcards and stationery.

This is a new envelope I made though, and I'm super excited about making more, but like always I'm nervous about sending out pin-up envelopes, some people are weird about getting semi-nude girls in the mail. Ah if nothing else, it was super fun to make.

School Times (in letter forms)

2010-04-06T06:30:00.002-06:00

I love unexpected letters! This gem of a letter came from the Charming Carrie. Check out her site, full of great pictures, and the occasional fabulous set of sentences put together in paragraphs of greatness.

I simply adore the tights mingled with plaid on this envelope, so very very school oriented.

I had to send back one of my new envelopes, and what better than another school picture, something I'm even more familiar with, a little Grease musical joy. Ah how great would it be if they could mix, plaid, tights, inappropriate sexual innuendo and musical numbers? That would be the musical for me!

Cars and Boats Aerogrammes

2010-04-05T06:30:00.002-06:00

These Aerogrammes are always welcome in my mailbox, and especially from my BFF in New York. Even with his busy arty schedule, he take a moment here and there to drop me a massive truth in letter form. Always appreciated.

Yeah, I just spent an hour making envelopes and cutting up a book, what of it?

2010-04-04T06:30:00.003-06:00

My family knows that I have a lot of letter supplies and I'm trying to not spend a lot of money on my paper love until I graduate. However, after hearing me rave about the coolness of the Paper Source envelope templates that I saw over on Missive Maven's site, and seeing me download and make my own mini-envelopes, they bought me some templates!

I have an awesome family.

I am going to try and be brave and make some fancier envelopes in the next couple of months, and I started with a second hand film book, that I have a duplicate of, and some of these envelopes came out really cool. Hopefully they will also go through the mail without getting all crumpled!

There is Always a Reason to Dance

2010-04-03T06:30:00.001-06:00

I am certain these Buddhists are doing something sacred and meaningful, but I love the visual and idea of them dancing.

Which I suppose is sacred and meaningful in a way all by itself.

I seriously adore poetry

2010-04-02T06:30:00.003-06:00

This freaking amazing handmade postcard came from one of the fabulous people over at sendsomething.

I have to say I love poetry.

Love it!

Every day with mail in my mailbox is awesome, but every day with a bit of mail and poetry, is on an even higher level.

This poem from Neruda was an incredible gift on the handmade postcard. I was very happy to get it on a bright mailbox day.

Your breast is enough for my heart,
and my wings for your freedom.
What was sleeping above your soul will rise
out of my mouth to heaven.

In you is the illusion of each day.
You arrive like the dew to the cupped flowers.
You undermine the horizon with your absence.
Eternally in flight like the wave.

I have said that you sang in the wind
like the pines and like the masts.
Like them you are tall and taciturn,
and you are sad, all at once, like a voyage.

You gather things to you like an old road.
You are peopled with echoes and nostalgic voices.
I awoke and at times the birds fled and migrated
that had been sleeping in your soul.
---Pablo Neruda

The Face of Love

2010-04-01T06:30:00.001-06:00

I am a fan of stuffed animals. I particularly adore stuffed animals that show a certain love history that cannot be denied.

There is no doubt that this bear was deeply loved.

Hippo - Mail - Mailbox

2010-03-31T06:30:00.003-06:00

I got this really interesting mailbox postcard the other day, but the thing I found most interesting about it is the fact that it is free, from Hippopost. Check out the site, it is kind of an interesting inexpensive way to personalize a postcard.

Beep Beep Here Comes the Happy Bus!

2010-03-30T21:09:00.002-06:00

My aunt had a VW van almost exactly like this when I was a young girl. Some of the paints weren't exactly the same, but it was really really similar. She traveled all over the place in that thing and there were bead curtains in the windows.

Well, now it is a postcard in the mail traveling somewhere else fun.

Speedwriting School

2010-03-11T06:30:00.003-07:00

Speedwriting Secretarial School, because alliteration is important in advertising, ask anyone.

She writes on the back that the postcard reminds her of Mad Men, which I do not currently watch, but that I imagine I will get around to eventually since it is so available on DVD and several friends have suggested it to me.

What I like about the postcard is not just the retro, is the immense excitement in the postcard. The colors are bright, the offices are very open, and the emphasis on the back is awesome!

Thousands of lucky (woot so lucky) men (there is actually one dude way in the back) start (start what I have no idea, but this is where it starts) here. Today as always, (and we assume until time ends) the shorthand skill is a must (You MUST have this skill or puppies will die and you will never get a job and therefore starve).

Very forceful emphasis.

Is This Stamp Worth Dying For?

2010-03-10T09:49:00.001-07:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Mail Mary

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Reform

Pissed to the Gills

2010-03-10T06:30:00.003-07:00

Got a drink in the mail.
Awesome with a side of awesome sauce!

Of course if I drank something that enormous (it is a huge postcard and would be a bigger drink) I would be pissed as a fish, and sent her back a postcard saying just as much.

A wish for wings that work.

2010-03-09T06:30:00.003-07:00

A great little sendsomething surprise with haiku and penguins. Loveliness and delight, because what penguin doesn't love haiku?

Sent back another penguin, a penguin attempting flight that reminded me of Berkeley Breathed's A Wish for Wings That Work. A sweet little holiday story that did get onto television at one point, and is available on Netflix. I know it is out of season, but the humor in this little show is awesome (Santa arrives to the tune of the Marlboro Man) and is worth seeing out of season if interested.

Auditioning Monkeys

2010-03-08T15:49:00.004-07:00

Open audition for King Kong.
Talk about breaking the fourth wall.
Not only is it funny it is a delight in ignoring fable and fiction and creating a reality of only film being real.
Plus it has monkeys.

Sent back another monkey postcard, a rendition of the hear no, see no, speak no evil. Yet they all have cell phones, ahh the modern age at work.

Best Friends

2010-03-07T15:31:00.002-07:00

I can't decide if this is totally awesome or a little bizarre to have a bi-pedal dog as a best friend. The image is even a little on the more than just a pet, but more like a child.

Postcards are such odd little pieces of culture.

What do fairies eat? Airy Meals.

2010-03-06T22:26:00.002-07:00

A Little Erudition

2010-03-05T06:30:00.002-07:00

Another great Pod Post Postcard. I love the quill and envelope theme on a stamp background. It hits all the basics, and is just a lovely.

I sent back a great postcard with a Godiva interpretation. Godiva with books, can't go wrong there.

Mailer's Postmark (Icon to Icon)

2010-03-04T06:30:00.001-07:00

Over at Wild Postcards he got a Mailers' Postmark Permit. How frigging awesome is that? So very awesome in my mind.

Look at it, all round, and perfect, and totally iconic visually. It is exactly what I visualize what I picture when I imagine an old fashioned postmark.

I had to send back something iconic, so TV moms from over the years were picked from my collection and sent.

Lasso the Moon

2010-03-03T06:30:00.003-07:00

I am not certain what this artist had in mind when they created this piece of art, but as soon as I saw it, I immediately thought of It's a Wonderful Life. Specifically the scene where George offers Mary the moon.

This piece of art is sort of a condensed reflection of another later scene, where George sees Mary as a lonely old maid. He is on the outside of the book of her life, it was just an amazing postcard that completely captured a vibe of one of my favorite films.

Now whether that film was the inspiration or not, I totally loved it, and had to share it.

Rembrandt Tulip

2010-03-02T06:30:00.003-07:00

Is there anything more incredible than the beauty of nature? I've never seen one of these, but it gives me delight to imagine they exist out there, exist and are being sniffed and drawn by someone that wants share their beauty.

Film Board, Thumper Body, and a Lost Pidgeon

2010-03-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

Canadian Film Board, I think this may have come from my film buddy in New York. Well I know that it came from him, but as soon as I saw it in my mailbox, before I even flipped the sucker over I know it was from him.

This is an ad card from TOSA, a local gallery here where my friend had show at the downtown Denver gallery before he left for New York. I found the art on it vaguely creepy, but it was the first time I had seen a TOSA card, had to send it to him.

This was just a call to action to find this lost pidgeon, I mean it has to be in New York, that is where all the cool pidges hang out.

RU-106533, SI-19659, CH-43773, CA-88726, MX-5568, RU-87815, NL-263666

2010-02-28T06:30:00.005-07:00

Because My Mind is Filled With Pop Culture - With apologies to the Sugarhill Gang

2010-02-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

I said a flip flop the flippie the flippie
to the flip flip flop, a you dont stop
the rock it to the bang bang boogie say up jumped the boogie
to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat
now what you hear is not a test--i'm rappin to the beat
and me, the groove, and my friends are gonna try to move your feet

Resist, Resist, Resist!!!

2010-02-26T06:30:00.003-07:00

The average American is exposed to over 3,000 advertising messages a day...

Let that sink in for a minute, and then do as the kitten does and RESIST!!! Thinketh for thyselfth.

As soon as I got this totally awesome postcard, another cool postcard I bought a while back popped into my head and I had to send it back:

I loved this postcard when I first saw it, but after the recent supreme court decision regarding corporate personhood, I thought it was particularly timely.

Wonder Woman - Katrina Style

2010-02-25T06:30:00.003-07:00

I know a lot of people hate ad cards.

In fact of all the things requested on swap-bot and postcrossing profiles the most, it is usually NO AD CARDS.

Now for the most part I can understand this, people want something lovely, and a lot of ad cards are weird, but I love, love, love, love ad cards for art exhibits.

A lot of times they show a piece of the art, and it is pretty high quality and it is like having a piece of that art with you for always, a piece you can share, or keep, AND you have the name of the piece and the artist so you can look it up and have that information for always. Which is nice if you have a memory like swiss cheese, which I just happen to have.

This I sent away, because I thought it would be appreciated, but the artist is Thomas Neff, and it is from his Katrina: Holding Out and Hanging On Exhibit that was recently at a local university (Regis) here in Colorado. Check out his site, the photos are amazing.

Last of my Holiday Gift Cards

2010-02-24T06:30:00.003-07:00

There they go, the last of those great cards I received for the holidays this year. I am sad to see them go, but happy I was able to send them out to so many great people.

Yay for handmade stationery, and thoughtful friends that made it for me.

Bambi!

2010-02-23T06:30:00.003-07:00

Inside of my mailbox there was a big blue envelope and inside of a big blue envelope there was a little striped envelope and inside of a little striped envelope there was Bambi!

Opening the mailbox is such an adventure, there are wild animals in there.

Lady Bug Picnic

2010-02-22T06:30:00.004-07:00

Ladybug picnic...

...in space!

Please allow me to digress into a bit of madness....

2010-02-21T18:35:00.004-07:00

I adore mailart.

I love it, but I'm also a little intimidated by it, and I've been trying to figure out why for a really long time, and today I happened upon a photograph that sort of put into perfect words why for me.

I am in fact not just intimidated, but frightened by it. Frightened that I won't be good enough.

I love to express myself through words, and photos, and film. If I did not I would not have so many blogs, be majoring in film, and write so many letters, but in truth, I have a very harsh inner critic.

It is not the voice of my mother, or really any of my family, I think it is just me comparing my work to others and finding myself inadequate.

As a young girl in kindergarten I can remember we were coloring pumpkins that we were going to cut out and tape up on the walls to decorate for the holiday and I can distinctly remember the girls at my table were taking great care with their pumpkins, coloring between each line, tiny delicate little strokes. I peeled a crayon and began coloring with the crayon sideways in broad, bold, heavy strokes.

Literally outside the lines, something that not until later did I grasp the irony of, and one of the girls, a girl in a pretty pink dress I might add, raised her hand and told on me for. Our teacher came over to ask me what my plan was, and I appreciated that, not that I knew that I appreciated that, I just knew that I was glad I wasn't in trouble, and I explained that since we were cutting out the pumpkins I didn't see the point in coloring inside the lines. The teacher said that if it made me happy, and looked good in the end, she thought that was fine.

Of course sticking out of tongues were exchanged, my pumpkin looked fine, but it wasn't as delicate and careful as the pumpkin that belonged to the girl in the pink dress. I don't think that would've bothered me except she then told everyone that came in the room that I screwed up my pumpkin. Needless to say crafts were not my strong suit that year, but I fielded one hell of a kickball.

When I sit down to do crafts I have that same feeling in my gut, some girl in a pink dress, with a perfect pink tongue is going to point out that I've done something wrong and that bold strokes aren't "quite right".

Of course this is absurd, and that is part of the appeal of mailart, it is so completely individual, it is so completely beautiful in the individuality. We can't all be Picasso, or Matisse, or Dorothy Parker, or Agnes Varda, but we can find the beauty in our day to day lives and cherish them for a few moments and attempt to share them in little ways with words or drawings or attempting to do mailart if we dare. So I'll keep trying to be brave and just keep being in awe of those that can create real beauty.

Studying is a Heavy Burden

2010-02-21T06:30:00.003-07:00

On of my pen-pals is doing a lot of studying. It is weighing down on her in this awesome drawing she sent. I love illustrations, and hers are particularly lovely.

Working Girl (going cheep)

2010-02-20T23:48:00.003-07:00

I love this little ad for these hens. So cute. Something about a hard working chicken is just funny to me.

I love this handmade paper, I really do, it is a pleasure to touch and hand-dyed as well. The problem is that it is notoriously bumpy as hell, making it difficult to write on, and often the ink doesn't take as well as one would like. But still it is a beauty and a delight.

Here Kitty

2010-02-13T23:47:00.003-07:00

I love this card.
The way the lady is calling out to her kitten seems so futile, and so adorable all at the same time.
I love my dog, I really do, but I miss my cats, this specifically is what I miss about my cats. When they chose to come and cuddle with me or come and see what I was doing on their time schedule of course not mine.
So I love this card, it is a perfect example of what is great about kitties.

My Zip+4 On the Moon

2010-02-12T23:46:00.003-07:00

My zip+4 as it looks on the moon, because if there is any place we need a zip code, it is gonna be on the moon of course.

I love this pen pal and the quotes she sends. Of course that could be just because I love me a quote. I collect them because they are just so much of a comfort. Words are lovely and comforting and ya know all filled with words and stuff.

Hot Chocolate

2010-02-11T23:46:00.002-07:00

This painting postcard I found at a local art supply store and I just loved the little purple hand-warmers/mittens.

The painting is by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov and is called Hot Chocolate. They have a lot of lovely paintings at their website as well.

Winged and Monkeyed

2010-02-10T23:44:00.004-07:00

Winged fairies deserve fruit bearing monkeys, right? Sure!

Nut and Bee is on maternity leave right now, but when they return, check out their lettersets, they are freaking awesome.

2010-02-09T23:44:00.003-07:00

We don't get colors like this here.

When the aspens change we get something similar, but it is just varying degrees of yellow, sometimes we get the bright reds, but it is pretty rare. I loved getting this card with all the bright colorful leaves on the trees. Such a pretty sight.

Of Wreaths and Dogs and Other Stuffs

2010-02-08T23:44:00.003-07:00

Doesn't this dog look ridiculous happy just to have his own bone? Such a cute sticker it is just ridiculous!

Any Note Will Do

2010-02-07T19:05:00.002-07:00

When I got all my "f" cards, and my very cool bird on a branch cards at the event on the 1st, another party-goer, another good friend of mine, got these cool cards for her own gift. When she got them she was first thrilled, and then bothered because she was uncertain what she was going to write on her new little cards.

She is intimidated by the permanence of cards and letters and notes sent through the mail. After I convinced her that anything she wrote would be appreciated by any friend, she wrote to me and one of her chief concerns was the permanence of a letter. With an email she can write and rewrite a hundred times before she sends and never worry about something stupid being sent if she reads the email enough times, but if she writes a letter she is less likely to take that kind of time or re-read before she sends and that makes her nervous.

I wonder about that, that need to edit and tidy up everything we say when we send emails or anything that will be read by another person. Is it good or is it bad? I think a bit of both. It is better when we come off well, but there is also a sense of immediacy that is lost when we edit too much.

I think why this struck me so deeply is the fact that I edit so much for school that sometimes I just like to cut loose and get a little free-form with my letters. They mostly make sense, but for the most part I want them to be as though someone is chatting with me, and I rarely edit when I chat.

Although I am all for editing and tidying when it comes to important notes and letters, things sent to politicians, or something that may be read in front of others, or something that distinctly expresses our displeasure/pleasure in something, I think the letters to friends or even family are best when it seems like they are in the room speaking in their own style with their own special voice.

Last of the "F"s

2010-02-06T19:00:00.002-07:00

To celebrate "freaking fabulous friday" I sent out the last of my "F" cards. Honestly, after complaining about them, and it wasn't complaining so much as bewilderment spoken aloud, I will miss them. I kind of like the bizarre "f"reedom of the "f" cards standing in for an actual letter of my name. Anyone can have monogram cards, but I had "f"reaking "f" cards.

Eh, bewilderment to missing, how "f"ickle am I?

Lavendar for Luck

2010-02-05T18:50:00.002-07:00

Lavender is one of those herbs that I love, but also makes me sneeze like crazy gangbusters. There are a ton of little folktales/superstitions/helpful suggestions associated with lavender. I know it was supposed to protect against the evil eye, and I always loved the story that married folk that crushed lavender between their sheets would never fight.

Of course that always made wonder how and with what one was supposed to crush it, and if the act of crushing the lavender is what would keep one from fighting of just the scent. But I digress pretty easily.

Puppy Prints

2010-02-04T18:29:00.002-07:00

Years ago when I had no one really to write letters to, but I had a lot of really great stuff to write letters with, stamps, stickers, stationery, I ordered checks from this little local start-up company in my state.

My roommate at the time took one look at the envelope, which happened to be decorated with little paw prints, much like this great letter I got from the UK the other day, and declared me a freaking whack job.

When this letter arrived and I saw how lovely the envelope was, and how the letter inside was even lovelier I remembered the conversation between me and my roomie, and how sometimes it is nice to have people to write to that won't be befuddled by stickers or stamps decorating the outside.