Big Catch Up Outgoing Mail Post!

A long post today with a bunch of photos of outgoing mail.  I need to catch up!

#1

This one went out to my friend Dana, a BIG Chipotle fan.  While I was in New York visiting my brother's little family I went to Chipotle with my sister-in-law and found this awesome Chipotle newspaper: The Gold Burrito Digest.  I knew at once that I had to send it to Dana.

 

#2

Even sending rent checks can be fun!

#3

A letter sent out to my poppa while I was on vacation in Maryland.

#4
A letter to my Aunt Denise

#5

Birthday card to my cousin Dominique - It was her sweet 16!

#6

Letter to my friend Anitha, she studies sexuality and gender studies and I thought she would find this advertisement funny.  It is an electric wine bottle opener, but it really looks like something else...

#7

A little collage & letter to Fast Eyes who I found on sendsomething.net

She said she likes Tom Waits, as do I, which is the inspiration for the quote on the back of the envelope.  I was really excited about writing to her because on her profile she says: "Am an animal-lover, would like to save them all. Please protect worms and slugs!"  I had a fun time writing to her about my efforts to make friends with bugs.

Another Mother's Day Post

 

This went out to my Mama, for Mother's Day.

  She's not exactly cat-crazy like I am, but I know she loves it when I make art.  

She is probably the person who has most encouraged me in my 'art making'.     :-)

<3

And the envelope...

PENGUIN #3 The Body in the Library

Adopted by Rusty in Oklahoma

Rusty gave a beautiful introduction to this mystery:

"Pack a bag, and don't forget your swimsuit, summer frocks and ballgowns! You'll be spending time at a squire's country estate near St. Mary's Mead and mingling with the uber-rich and famous at a posh seaside resort."

I think she should write the blurb on the backs of books. :-)

So far, I've only ever read Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, but I recently bought (secondhand) What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw (previously titled 4:50 from Paddington) and Death on the Nile.  I thought that some mysteries would be great summer reading.

What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw is a Miss Marple book like The Body in the Library.  So far, my only introduction to Miss Marple is the television show, 

which I used to watch with my mom.

Thanks a bunch Rusty for joining in on my project!

A mother's day gift...

 front                          and                                          back

I made this little book for my sister-in-law, who had her first mother's day this year! (see this post)

The idea is that she will write down her memories of each mother's day. I think there are around 20 pages in the book, so when it is full she can give it to River as a memento.

Outgoing Swaps

Some outgoing swap-bot swaps:

Break out your crayons, it's time to color!

I colored two pictures from a Galapagos Island coloring book for my partner who likes moths.

It was in the Hundred Acre Wood group (devoted to children's books) 

so I made an appropriate envelope.

 ***

 

And for the swap: Make me a geeky decorated envelope! from the Geek Swap Central Group...

I just had to make a STAR WARS envelope.  

The back didn't photograph too well, but it says "Make the jump to lightspeed" and I used my new glitter glue (Thanks Dana!) to accentuate the star streaks. 

More Dinos!

I learned from the Letter Writers Alliance blog about this DINOSAUR mail art contest being given by James Gurney, author of the Dinotopia books.  If you don't already know this, I LOVE dinosaurs (and so does my boyfriend)(just take a look at this dino-crush post).

I am definitely planning on sending something for this contest.

Here are a few postcards I made a few weeks ago from a snack box:

and the back of one:

This is my favorite dinosaur: the Parasaurolophus.  Can you tell how much I totally want this stamp?

More Outgoing Penguin Postcards

 By the way...

SCHOOL IS OUT FOR THE SUMMER!!!!

which means you can expect more regular posts from me. :-)

My first fold and send ever!

With a lovely chickadee on it!
I sent this to my oldest penpal.
She's sent me many a fold & send, and I've always been a bit jealous.  And now I got to write and send one myself!

...closed with a lovely Tiffany window sticker from Dover Books. They have the best art stickers for only $1.50!

PENGUIN #2 Nineteen Eighty-Four

Finally I'm getting around to posting one of the adopted postcards that have made their way back to me.  This one was adopted by Marie in Germany.

A tale of total government control, brainwashing and doublespeak, this is not the cheeriest book ever.  Marie found it sad and frustrating, and I admit that I did too.

I read it once in highschool and a second time during college when I volunteered with other philosophy students at the nearby medium security prison to lead a reading group with the inmates.  The inmates saw many parallels between the world of 1984 and our world.  I admit, they are much more prone to conspiracy theories than the average person, but I do see enough similarities between the book and real life for it to be a bit scary.


Thanks so much for participating in my project Marie!

And  

here  

is a   

lovely 

German

stamp!

Outgoing to 2011 Letters, and a video from the Chincoteague Pony Swim

 

 Here's my letter to the 2011 Letters project.  I ended up writing more about Maryland where I grew up, than I did about Boston.  I can't even tell you how much I love Maryland.

I grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland (the DelMarVa peninsula) and I lived about 40 minutes away from Chincoteague of the famous Chincoteague ponies. 
(Chincoteague is actually in Virginia)

In 2009 I went to the Annual Chincoteague Pony Swim.  Here is the description from the Assateague Island website:  "The Pony Swim has occurred since 1925. If you go, be prepared to wait for long hours with the crowds in the hot sun. During the brief 3 minute pony swim event, the wild horses swim across the Assateague Channel when the tide is "slack calm" so the young ponies, which are born during spring or early summer, are safe from any strong currents."

This is your basic view of the actual swim:

But afterwards, there is a parade through the town, and if you get a good spot, you can see the horses very close up.  Here is the video I took:

Outgoing Swapbot Bookplate Swap

 

I made these for a swap-bot swap for bookplates.  My partner liked rabbits and Monty Python among other things.  I found the images online and twiddled with them a bit (adding Ex Libris, and on the Monty Python one I added "From the Library of" above where it says "The Ministry of Silly Walks" - it's very hard to see in this photo).  I printed them out on large address labels and colored them with watercolors and colored pencils. The ones that I did with watercolors curled up really badly, so I placed them under several of my boyfriend's large philosophy books.  I find that only philosophy books really straighten things out.  (haha)

It was a fun project and I think I might make some for my extended family as little Christmas presents!

More Penguin Postcards Sent Out, Medieval Tournament Style

Another kind of royal wedding