Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Bad Photos, Good Mail

I took these photos at night, as the passenger in a moving car, rapidly approaching the post box.  Better than nothing eh?

I've had this postcard for 3 or 4 years. I bought several by this artist when I was living in Boston. Just found her website! Much nicer photos of her products there.

"'Cause that's just the way I roll."
 
postcard from the Postal Museum in D.C.
stamp windows!

I bought three of these postcards when I was in New Mexico because awesome. Right?
I've only managed to let go of one so far.
 ;)

Some letters going out:
I love these Ray Charles stamps.

This one was for a swap-bot swap. You had to use a clear envelope. This is one of those clear cellophane things that stickers come in. I had a lot of fun filling it up. Inside is an inversed security envelope, some little cards...
 and old french postcards.


I've really been enjoying using my security envelopes recently. I have been collecting them and putting them in a box for quite a while, but haven't used them very frequently.

I have this dream where I use up all of my stationery.
hahaha


Monday, July 7, 2014

Thank Yous / Writing Gym

More thank yous done at writing gym last week:



 I made the envelopes before going. Nice glossy photographs out of a book about national parks.


I enjoy doing a batch of thank yous all in a similar style.



 I really gravitate towards the color scheme found in these Chinese New Year stamps, teal and purple. mmm

Sunday, July 6, 2014

LWA's Virtual Letter Writing Social

The Letter Writer's Alliance is having a world-wide virtual letter writing social today!


They've created a really lovely stationery download.

I'm not using it because I never remember to buy ink for my printer! 

But I have been writing some letters:



The top 5 are actually for a swap-bot swap! I haven't done swap-bot in a long time, but I decided to sign up for two swaps this month. It'll be fun to get some surprises in my mailbox.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Summer Wishes Update - Pie

#4. bake at least 1 kind of new pie

Completed! And how!

I made two new kinds of pie!


 I got this recipe from the Brown Eyed Baker, once again. It is very similar to a recipe in the Cook's Illustrated Cookbook, but the Brown Eyed Baker's recipe has you add toasted coconut to the graham cracker pie shell! Even more delicious of course!  This pie was a big hit. It's so rich though that I couldn't finish the piece I cut myself!

We've already received a few wedding gifts and one of them was a hand mixer!!! I used it for the first time while making the whipped cream (with dark rum in it!!) for this pie. It was incredible how fast it happens with an electric mixer. I could make whipped cream all day long!  hee hee hee
I'm sure I will be the one using the mixer most frequently, but Clayton definitely benefits from all the pie making supplies I've been given!



This was absolutely fantastic.

Although I've really enjoyed the non-fruit pies I've made, fruit is without a doubt my favorite. Clay was very iffy about me making a peach pie. He had never had homemade peach pie and was not a fan of restaurant/store bought peach pies. Too sweet.

Anyway, I totally won. He loved it.

We were going to a party the day I made this and I wanted to make a pie, but I didn't really feel like going to the store. I looked around the house and I happened to have peaches, so I looked up the Brown Eyed Baker's peach pie recipe. This one has a oatmeal crumble thing on top which was perrrfect.  I actually didn't have enough peaches, so it had 4 peaches and 2 nectarines. I was a little worried that there would be major consistency problems, but it was awesome. I think the reason that nectarine pies are not a thing is because they don't separate from the pit easily so it's harder to cut them up.

We stopped by the store and bought vanilla ice cream right before going to the party.  Incredibly delicious.