Outgoing Postcards

Good morning my friends. I'm sitting in my office at home and I've got my portable heater next to me warming my feet. I love feeling warm and cozy as I read all my favorite blogs.   I have a few Postcrossings to share with you this morning, and later maybe a few pen pal letters. Lets get started.

I bought this postcard while in Virginia City last August inside a great little bookstore. The whole store was filled with antiques and books all about the wild west. Fascinating stuff for me absorb.

This card is on a journey to Canada.

I write:

Hello Jenny and welcome to Postcrossing. You have the same birthday as my grandma. She was my most favorite person in the world and I miss her every single day. If you have just a small bit of the qualities she had, then you are a great person. sending you good vibes and happy wishes from my home in Las vegas, Nevada. I hope you enjoy Postcrossing as much as I do. <3 JarieLyn

This card is going to Japan.

I write: 

Hello I....., I hope this postcard reaches you with good cheer. Las Vegas, Nevada is where I make my home. In addition to Postcrossing, I also collect vintage postcards for my personal collection. It is my opinion that they tell a more accurate story than the history books.  Smile, it's contagious. <3 JarieLyn.

This card is on its way to Minnesota.

I write:

Dear R., warmest greetings from Las Vegas, NV. I adore any illustration by Norman Rockwell because every time I look at one of his paintings it evokes some kind of emotion from me. It stirs deep within me, a feeling of nostalgia. This particular image is about the reaction to the Vietnam War.  I love how each face shows an emotion of dread. It makes my heart sink. Take care and have a glorious day! <3 JarieLyn.

This card is traveling to Germany.

I write:

Dear S, back when I was in high school many many years ago, the kids who took german as a language would sell german candy as part of a class fundraiser. I always bought some becase it was the best candy ever. It was soft like taffy, a bit sour and was shaped like a skinny candy bar. I wish I could remember the name of it. Keep enjoying your life, it goes by way too fast.  Sending you good vibes. <3 JarieLyn

Until the next posting...............

Have a glorious time.

Incoming, outgoing, and a cowboy journal

Outgoing Mail:

This Postcrossing is headed to Russia.

I write:

Hello! My postcard may have come from Florida but I'm from Las Vegas, Nevada where it currently feels like springtime.  I love Las Vegas weather except when it's windy. Today I spent my free time browsing ebay looking for postage stamps & vintage postcards. I did not buy anything today, but I've got a few items on my watch list. Since you like to travel I will leave you with this quote. "One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things." ~Henry Miller~

Happy travels to you and all the best that life has to offer.  <3 JarieLyn

Incoming Mail:

This is a Postcrossing from Taiwan.

The Sender Writes:

Greetings from Taiwan. Hope you like this card! :) Happy New Year!

A letter from my pal  Rachel.

I just love those stamps she used and the envelope is so cute.

That's it for today's mail but I do have something else to show you.

I scored this cute little journal from an estate sale.

It is brand new, never used.  It is so adorable inside. Here's a peek into a couple of the pages.

Each page has its own little personality. Some of the pages are lined and some are not.  I think its adorable. What do you think?

Change

I was up late last night revamping my blog.The old background never really was one that I was crazy about to begin with and although the current look does bring about a fresh quality, it still isn't what I truly want.  It may be tempory for now, but for how long is still to be determined. When I set out to change the look and feel of my blog I had a grand vision for what I thought would look good but I was wrong.  The above image is a vintage postcard that I bought at an antique store and which I adore. The greeting on the postcard and the image itself is really how I want to represent myself and my blog, because it really is how I feel. 

Sending and receiving mail truly is a passion and I want the world to know that it goes deeper than just showing off a few photos of mail. It's about connecting with people, learning about other cultures, and it's about leaving an imprint on this earth. It's about documenting specific moments in time that will become history. It's also about making people feel good. Every time someone receives a letter or card in the mail, I am positively 100 % sure that it brings a smile to their face. Sending mail is my calling. To most people, that statement probably sounds insane, however, I believe I was meant to send mail. It makes my heart glad. I not only get to express myself with words and creativity, but I also get to share a smile with someone else and that's what a calling is. It's following your heart so that the path you are on feels good and right deep inside your soul. It is food for your spirit.

I rambled on and I digressed. What I meant to say is that I wanted to use that postcard as the background for my blog. I added the photo, aligned it in several different positions, but it just made everything look too busy. It was a cluster f***k. Looking at it cluttered my mind and made me feel anxious, so off it went even though I really wanted to leave the message on the blog.  Maybe I will put it on the sidebar later.

I even thought about the above as a background, but no, that didn't work either.

Some of you have probably seen this before as I have made these into stickers and sent them on some of my outgoing mail in the past.  I used to write a lot of poetry but no so much anymore. This is probably one of the last pieces of poetry I've written.

I suppose that change is a slow process when the outcome has to be just right. But then again, maybe there is no such thing as a perfect outcome because eventually, if there is even a smidgen of personal growth, that perfect outcome won't be so perfect anymore, because it will be just as stale as the previous thing that evolved from change. So for now, this current change will remain until I feel the need for something different. And I know I will, eventually.

And now, on to the mail:

A Postcrossing traveling to The Czech Republic.

I Write:

Hello B, it is a Sunday morning as I rite to you from my home in Las Vegas, Nevada. I look forward to a Photoshop class I'm attending later this afternoon, as well as an endermologie treatment earlier in the day. Thos two things will take up most of the day. I am very fortunate to be able to do most of the things I want. I have a great husband who is very supportive of my many endeavors and I love him with all my heart. "Face your life, its pains, its pleasure, leave no path untaken." ~ Neil Gaiman~  Wishing you a happy life, <3 JarieLyn

Enjoy the rest of your day.

Dear Leila, Dear JarieLyn and a few postcards.

This is a Postcrossing on a jouney to Finland.

Hello Leila, I hope you are having an amazing day. Whenever I feel the need to escape the hustle & bustle of the city, a drive to Mt. Charleston does the trick. I love to walk around the neighborhood and nearby trails and breathe in the aroma of the pine trees. The fresh, crisp air blankets the back of my throat with each breath I take and I love that feeling. Walking in the mountains makes me appreciate the beauty of nature.  It is so serene and I am so present in these moments, and it's in those moments when I experience true joy. I'll leave you with this quote by Thich Nhat Hanh: "Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet."  Wishing you much joy.

~JarieLyn~

Here are some recent postcards I received in a swap:

I love all things Tennessee and I was so happy to receive two postcards from the state. I like the other postcard but sometimes dolls can be a little freaky, especially the vintage ones.  I can't help but think of my pal Lynn when I look at this postcard because for awhile she was making altered cards depicting freaky dolls.  

A batch of unique postcards from the same swap, different partner.

Also from the same swap, different partner.

I sure do love postcards.  I just won a huge lot of vintage cards on Ebay but I have not received them yet.

I cannot hardly wait for them to come. I am so excited.  Does anyone else love postcards as much as I do?

Next, are two pen pal letters I received today.

Dear JarieLyn........

This is a letter from Jackie.  I just love that colorful washi tape, don't you?

A letter from Lynn B.  Such a cute little devil.  I believe I almost ordered this stationery on Amazon, or something very similar to it.  I like the fiery flames of orange surrounding the pink.

If you are a swap participant on Swap-Bot or another site, what is your favorite thing to swap?  I'm thinking about hosting a swap, but I'd like to get an idea of what your favorite swaps are.

Have a beautiful evening.

Dear Postcrosser, R

Hello R, Happy New Year from Las Vegas, Nevada.

I am 49 years old and live with my husband. Life is good and I feel extremely blessed. I have everything I need. I still have a few dreams though such as moving to beautiful Tennessee.

"I have never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful. I hope you always find a reason to smile."

Wishing you much happiness, ~JarieLyn~

My blog was a bit stale so I thought I'd switch it up a bit by sharing with all of my readers exactly what I say on my Postcrossings.  This particular postcard is going to the country of Latvia.  The recipient likes soccer, football stadiums, pin-up girls and erotic art. I do have a few semi-erotic art postcards by Giani Versace but they are mostly of men and the ones of the women are really colorful and nice so for now, I'm keeping those for myself. I don't have any pin-up girls or soccer, however I just happened to have this one postcard of the Pasadena Rose Bowl which was in a gift package I received  for Christmas.

I hope to continue with this format in regards to the Postcrossings only.

Hopefully, it won't be repetitive. I do try to write something different on every card I send, but sometimes I know I repeat myself. I hope you all will like this new format.  Feedback is always welcome.

Furry Cuteness

Isn't this the most adorable pup?

This is a Postcrossing from Belarus.

In addition to Postcrossing, the sender likes to play the piano, flute and clarinet everyday.

He also loves languages and has been studying Arabic and Spanish for some time now, and recently he started learning Icelandic and Japanese. His occupation is a postman which is why he is fascinated with the Potcrossing community.

This little furry cuteness comes from Russia.

The sender wanted to send something truly winter so she chose this baby seal.

She says that the white fluffy seal reminds her of a New Year's snow.

This Postcrossing comes from Turkey and the image on the front represents the city in which the sender lives.

He sends his love and Happy New Year greetings.

So sweet.

That wraps up the incoming mail that I picked up yesterday.

I was astounded by how crowded the Post Office was. It was like Christmas all over again.  I bet everyone is buying and stocking up on stamps before the prices go up in a few days.  I actually ordered directly from the post office on-line, however, I'm sure I will go through them with lightning speed.  Do you stock up on stamps or do you buy them as you need them?  I still have tons of vintage lower denomination stamps, however, I'd love to get my hands on some vintage stamps that are above the .30 cent range.

Life is beautiful!

Feul For My Mailbox

Yay, my mailbox has finally been nourished with a couple of pen pal letters and a few postcrossings.

The above letter came to greet me all the way from France.

I love the texture of the paper the letter is written on.

I need to find some of that here.

It's kind of shiny with a linen sort of feel to it.

This one from the Netherlands.

I love hearing from my pals and what they've been up to.

Everyone has their own unique writing styles and I love them all.

Again, I forgot to photograph the incoming of my Postcrossings but one is an image of a cute puppy and it came all the way from the Czech Republic.

I also receivve a postcard from a swap. (weekly goals). I believe it traveled to me from New York but I am not positive.

I've been participating in a lot of swaps lately.

Here's three separate envies for the same swap. It's a postcard swap where I send 3 unused postcards to each recipient. Of course I threw in a few extras too.

Postcrossings

One going to China and one going to the Netherlands.

More Postcrossings:

These are headed to India, Taiwan, Belarus, Lithuania, and the UK.

A Postcard for a friend in Teas.

I haven't been to the post office yet so I'm not sure if my mailbox has anything waiting for me or not.

I am expecting two swaps so hopefully those will arrive soon.

Today is a day filled with domestic duties such as laundry, straightening up, vaccuming, grocery shopping, etc.  So far, I haven't accomplished very much.  I've done one load of laundry and that's it.

Time to get my ass in gear.

No more computer, postcrossing, facebooking until I am done with my chores.

Have a great day, everyone.

Elvis is headed to Rhode Island

Good evening my friends.

Elvis is on his way to Rhode Island with a list of weekly goals.

The list of goals is for a swap I joined on Swap-Bot.

I also signed up for the Adventures of the Traveling Postcard so that's what's in the envelope above Elvis.

I want to share with all of you my new year so far.

We're barely midway through and I feel like I have done a lot already.

I keep getting little inspirations here and there that are nudging my subconscious to take action. One of those inspirations came about last week when I was browsing Amazon for journals. Well one title led to other titles and before I knew what was happening, I was browsing the books and clicking on the icon that urged me to look inside. This happened over and over again until my eyes couldn't take it any longer. A peek inside one of the books was talking about the art of manifesting. Well, my interest was piqued long before I looked inside. I knew that I was going to like what the author had to say just by the title of the book, "Write it Down, Make It Happen: Knowing What You Want & Getting it."  I took it to heart and I am now currently writing free style in my journal first thing in the morning before I even pry my eys open. I set the timer on my phone for 15 minutes and I just write about all that I desire no matter how unrealistic. It feels good.

It's liberating. It's therapeautic. It's me taking the first step towards manifesting my dreams into reality.

How about a little mail porn before I go on with my jibberish!

Three pen pal letters that I mailed a few days ago.

I'm almost caught up with all of my replies.

Postcrossings on the way to Ireland and the Ukraine.

A postcrossing card from the Ukraine.

The sender writes that the name of this car is Zaporozhets and is a typical retro car from 1960.

Now back to more jibberish.

One of my inspirations came from out of nowhere or maybe it came from watching episodes of American Pickers or Auction Hunters or The Longest Yard Sale. In any case I have developed an interest in Estate sales. I'm talking about the kind of sale handled by a third party after a person dies. Last week I immersed myself in cyberspace googling estate sales in my area. I combed through hundreds of pictures and mapped out four estate sales to attend. I managed to go to three of them and I bought items from two. Before I ever started looking at estate sales, I had already made up my mind that I wanted to sell vintage items and other used stuff either on Ebay or Etsy. I came up with a shop name and designed a little banner for the shop.

So technically, my shop is open because I have listed one item, however, I won't consider myself in business until I get a few other items listed.  With that being said, I'm wondering what kind of items you all buy on Etsy and Ebay. I would love your feedback.  I have been doing research on the top selling items, but I want to know what you think. So can you please do me a favor and leave feedback in the comment section and tell me what you like to browse or purchase in these stores.  Thank you so much.

I went to my first camera club meeting of the year and it was really good. The auditorium was so packed that many people had to stand. I'd say there were over 125 people in attendance. We haven't had that kind of attendance in awhile so it was nice to see all the old faces and some new faces as well. The first program meeting was about night photography, which is my favorite photography to shoot. The presentation was by Royce Bair, a Utah resident. If you're interested you can read his bio here.

I have a jewlery party to attend this coming Friday, a business seminar on the 25th, and a photoshop class on the 26th.  When the month of January has passed, I can look back and say, " wow, It was a productive month and the new year is off to a good start."

I scored some postcards from one of the estate sales.

These are all from Argentina and although they pre-date the internet, I believe them to be from the 80's or 90's.

Have a fabulous week, everyone!

Creative Outlet

Last night I needed a creative outlet so I did my best to draw a picture.

This represents me and the path that I am currently creating for myself.

The angel wings are a symbol for my connection with the angelic realm.

The third eye represents energy coming through my crown chakra so that I can become more intuitive.

The heart is an acknowledment of my desire to expand my heart and be more open and compassionate.

I don't draw much, but I like how this turned out.

I have not received much mail since the new year began but I have pictures of mail that needs posting.

A few postcards going out via Postcrossing.com.

I do not recall where they are headed.

Another Postcrossing, this one on its way to the North Korea.

This Postcrossing is going to the Netherlands.

I received a few Christmas themed postcards throughout December, but this one is really great.

It comes from a lady whom I met at a conference so it is extra special.

My husband really liked this postcard too.

Mail is trickling in little by little, mostly a few Postcrossings and some swaps.

Hopefully, I will be more consistent in photographing the mail and posting it in the future.

Good Happens!

I read that statement while looking at books on Amazon and thought it was great.

So, as long as you believe that good happens even during bad times, good stuff will eventually happen.

Keep the faith, peeps.

Until next time, write, draw, scribble, paint, or whatever method you choose. 

Just do it.

It's the first day of a brand new year and I feel great.

I had some ups and downs in 2013 but for the most part, it was a great year.

I stepped outside my comfort zone and did some things I'd never done before.

I stretched myself both physically and mentally and I am better for it.

I signed up for all kinds of classes and workshops and I have learned a lot.

I'm still evolving and growing into the person I was meant to be and I am having fun getting there.

2013 was a practice round for what lies ahead.

There is no doubt in my mind that I will manifest so much more in 2014.

I am ready to embrace the challenges that will make me a better person.

My connection to my higher self is growing stronger which is opening my heart wider than ever.

I have so many things I wish to accomplish but mostly I want to be true to myself.

This blog is mainly about the mail I send and receive, but it means so much more than that.

It's about spirtual connection, human connection and nourishing my soul.

I hope to bring more authenticity to my posts. 

And mostly, I hope to bring a little bit of joy to you, whoever you are and wherever you may be.

Happy New Year My Friends.

I love you all, and I wish every single one of you success, prosperity, peace and happiness.

~JarieLyn~