Torn and a whole lot of postcards

Hello my friends. Now that the week-end is over it's back to the daily grind. I hope you all are doing what you love to do. It's amazing how passion can propel us forward and lead us to success and joy.

I am happy to report that I had some good mail this week-end, however, there was one postcard that made me feel broken-hearted. Well, that's a slight exaggeration but you'll know what I mean when you see it.

 

Torn!  Yes, this is how it arrived. Although, I do appreciate good travel marks and scrapes, this one is just a bit over the top. You would think that the postal clerk would have at least tried to tape it back together, but I suppose they are just too darn busy to provide superior customer service.

 

The card is an official Postcrossing that came from Russia.

The sender writes: JarieLyn, Hi! Greetings from Russian small town of Naro-Fominsk. I love animals and reading too. So I loved the book by Konrad Lorenz "King Solomon's Ring." She's funny and interesting. All the best! Alexandra.

 

 

Silly rabbit, feathers are for Indians Native Americans.  Ha ha.

 This is a Postcrossing from Lithuania.

The sender writes: Labas-Hello-JarieLyn, best regards from cold Vilnius. We really miss the heat. I hope to you it does not lack in Las Vegas. :) Snow is beautiful, but not for long. This bunny is gray, but in the winter it becomes white. Much happiness!!! Rimvidas. Happy Postcrossing.

 

 

Two postcards from my friend, Deyanira.

 

 

Two Postcrossings from Germany.

1.) Sender writes: Dear JarieLyn, greetings from Tuebingen, an old, little and very pretty student city in Southwest Germany. You can see our market place with buildings from the 15th and 16th century. It's a real pleasure to walk there and have a coffee or drink in one of the little cafe's or pubs. Have a great time and enjoy your life. Tony.

 

2.) This Diddl card was written on by several people. It is really adorable on the back.

The senders write: Hello, in a world that is so darn funny, make sure that you are open to laugh or you may be missing the joke. Paul

 

Love my mom and daddy.

 

Have a great day!

 

(there is a Chinese stamp and that is smeared and the sender writes that it is a proverb)

 

 

Both of these cards are from Russia.

1.) Sender writes: Hello! Writing you from my workplace. Now is dinner, so I have some free time for watching series "Arrow" hehe. After, I'll go to post office to send this postcard. I hope you'll like cute doll. Have a good day, bye bye. Sasha.

 

2.) Sender writes: Hello. Privet. Many warm greetings from frosty (-9'c) Russia. Have a nice day! Svetlana.

 

She then translates the quotes on the postcard:  Sharp-sightedly only one heart: the most important eyes you will not see.~Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Angels hear the thoughts, so it is enough just to think about good. ~Audrey Makarevich.

 

 

My first Postcrossing from Norway.

The sender writes: This is a photo of Voringsfassen in Norway, the most visited waterfall in the country. It has a single free-falling drop of 182 meters (597 ft). there is also an interesting flora in the area with more than hundred species within 20 meters. The area is called Mabodalen and we like to call it the Norwegian Grand Canyon. :)  Lillian.

 

 

This Postcrossing comes from China.

The sender writes: Dear JarieLyn, Hi! I'm Juris, a chineses student. This card is about a Chinese festival, Qingming Festival, also called Pure Brightness FEstival, and the traditional food, Ay Tsi. This bright green dumpling is made from glutinous rice flour. Artemisia and fillings like peanut. Hope you like it! Best regards from China. Juris.

 

Well, I do have some more mail to post, but I will do that later as I think this post is long enough.

I wish you all a happy and stress free day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Drive to California and The Painted Card

Good morning everyone. How are you doing on this Thursday? It's been quite a busy week for me so far. I even drove to California yesterday to buy some Powerball lottery tickets, which is something I never do. I could have gotten them at State Line but I drove all the way to Cima Road where there is a neat store that sells home made beef jerky, nuts, and candies. In addition to the lottery tickets, I purchased a few postcards to bring home with me. Not that I need any more really, but I'm compulsive that way.   Yes, I do know that this is a mail blog so I will get on with it.

The other day I went to my Post Office to check my mailbox and there was my name, so beautifully written on an envelope. I was excited to see what it contained inside.

 

Inside was the most beautiful handmade card I have ever received.

 

 

It's simple, it's elegant and it's amazing. Honestly, the photo does not do it justice. The writing on the painted area is shiny and almost looks like vinyl lettering. I so appreciate the thoughtfulness of this card. I am extremely grateful to receive such a gift in my mail.  Thank you Randall.

 

 

The same day I received this letter, I sent out some pen pal letters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a Swap:

 

 

This swap is for a notecard swap.

 

 

Well, I have a lot to do today and I'm sure you all do too. Make it enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

 

4 Postcrossings and week-end mail

Hello. I hope everyone had a fabulous Valentine's Day and a great week-end.  My week-end was very enjoyable. I had some out of friends who were in town for a convention so I was lucky enough to be able to spend a few hours with them and we had a lot of fun. I think my new favorite drink is a wild berry mojito. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it if you like to drink alcoholic beverages.  Anyway, I have some mail to post. I had a few incomings over the week-end which I will share with you before I get to the outgoing mail.  Feast your eyes on this mail-luscious goodness.

 

This is from The Adventures of the Traveling Postcard swap and my swap partner was very kind in sending me all of these extras.  I hit the mother lode with this one.  She enclosed some really great postcards. The one in the upper right hand corner is really cute but the best one is a Barbie postcard. I may or may not showcase that one at a later time. It deserves it's own post.

 

 

This is a perfectly square postcard from a postcrosser in the Nehterlands.

The sender writes:

Hello JarieLyn, First I want to say what a lovely name. Second I really like Las Vegas. Been there a few times when I was living in L.A., but that was just on the strip and national parks. Greetings from the Nehterlands. 

This postcard really appeals to me because I love agricultural areas with farmland, etc.

 

 

Here are my Postcrossings going out on Monday.

 

 

This one is traveling to Minnesota.

I write:

Hi John, I often take my out of town guest to Lake Las Vegas because the environment is as if you stepped into a Mediterranean country. It doesn't look like it in this image, but it truly is like being in another place. Peace!!!   JarieLyn

 

This Postcrossing is going to Japan.

I write: 

Hello Satoko, I am JarieLyn from Las Vegas, Nevada. Lately, I've been wanting to learn how to knit but I'm not sure if I should try to teach myself or find a class somewhere. I envision myself making beautiful sweaters and dresses that I can wear during cool weather.  Like you, I collect washi tapes. I have a whole drawer full. This is the first time I've used any on a postcard though. I hope you enjoy. Have a happy life. <3 JarieLyn.

 

 

This postcrossing is headed to China.

I write:

Hi Elf, the image on this postcard depicts the Fremont Street Experience which is in downtown Las Vegas, also known as old Vegas.  It is different than the Las Vegas Strip and I prefer taking out of town guests here. It is more down to earth and there are lots of cool street artists here that the strip doesn't have. there is also a zip line at the Fremont Street Experience. Have a great life. <3 JarieLyn

 

 

This Postcrossing is going to the Netherlands.

I write:

Hello Joyce, the Las Vegas Strip is a very high energy place but there is more to Vegas than casinos and gambling. we have beautiful Red Rock Canyon where the wild burros roam; Mt. Charleston where you can snow ski; Cold Creek where you can see herds of gorgeous wild horses; Valley of fire; Lake Mead, and so much more. It's a great place for photographers, nature lovers and party goers. <3 JarieLyn

 

 

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.  I've got some grocery shopping to do. Ugh!!!!

 

 

 

 

The Winners

Good morning my friends. I want to thank all of you who took the time to enter my contest. I'm grateful that I have you to share my mail with and this is my way of saying thank you for taking the time to read my blog and gawk at the images I post.  And now, on to the winners of my give-away.

Winner number 1 is: 

Jackie Parkins congratulations!!!!


Winner # 2

 



 

Derrick congratulations.  I apologize for the crappy photo.

 

 

 

Winner # 3

 



Lynn Bishop contatulations!!!


I wish I could send all of you a postcard lot. I would like to send you something for entering..... maybe a lot of 5 postcards so please message me with your address if you don't have it posted on your blog somewhere.  Thank you all again. It's a pleasure to connect with you.

One more thing before I sign off for the day.  The USPS is doing a series of stories called love letters.  The are audio conversations with people who have sent letters to one another.  I think it's pretty cool.   Here is the first conversation if you are interested in checking it out.

Dear pen pals......making progress

Good afternoon. I have spent my morning writing, which means I am making progress on my replies to outstanding letters. Out the door, are three more. Pen pal letters, that is.

 

A envelope decorated with washi tape. Obviously this is an international pen pal but I don't want to spoil the surprise so I'll keep my mouth shut on which country it is traveling to. I have several international pen pals.

 

 

This one is traveling to California to a potentially new pen pal. If she reads this blog and she's psychic, she may just figure out that it's for her.

 

 

This letter is traveling to the south and it is long overdue. I mean months and months overdue. I hope I made up for the late reply by writing a long enough letter, and brightening the envelope with some colorful artsy doodles.

 

Incoming Mail:

 

Yesterday I received the most lovely decorate envelope from a swap I joined.

 

 

You can not tell from the photograph, but everything is collaged, including the coffee cup.

Inside the envelope were three unwanted postcards (swap-bot) and an extra something to make me smile.

 

 

The three unwanted postcards.

 

 

The extra something included little drink umbrellas.

 

 

This lovely origami envelope that is only about 2"x 2". Inside were some stickers and I loved it for the creativity. It's awesome.

 

 

I also received this vintage postcard from another swap on swap-bot. (an interesting fact on a postcard)  I haven't googled the translation yet but It looks like Christmas greetings, etc.

 

There is still time to enter my give-away. Just leave a comment HERE.

 

Make sure you read the instructions before commenting to win.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Postcards and a Give-Away

Good afternoon. I'm excited to finally announce the first ever give-away on my blog, but before I get to the prize let me share with you my outgoing and incoming mail.

This is an incoming postcard for a swap I joined. I love city scenes like this one.

 

 

This is a Postcrossing that I am sending to Canada.

I write: Hello Daniele, you have an interesting profile. I live in the city of Las Vegas but I'm a country girl at heart. I want the best of both worlds; country living with city amenities. Before moving to Vegas my husband and I lived on an acre and a half surrounded by neighbors with farm animals. There were horses, cows, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, dogs, cats and probably a few I'm forgetting. I loved it. I wish you much happiness. <3 JarieLyn

 

I hope you all are as excited as I am about my give-away. This one is geared towards all of you Postcrossers, Postcard Collectors, Vintage Lovers, Mail Enthusiasts and Mail Art/Scrappers.  I am giving away 3 lots of postcards, each lot contains 50 postcards. There will be 10 used vintage postcards, and various unused postcards from the early 1900's all the way up today.  Each lot is different, however, there are a few of the same cards in every lot.

 

 

This is Lot #1. These are the actual postcards. You cannot see all of them because I want it to be a surprise.

 

 

This is lot #2

 

 

This is lot #3

 

I thought about running the contest by having you do something unique, kind of like how Derrick over at I still write runs his contests, but since this is my first give-away I want to make it easy for you. Also, before I complicate things I need to know if people are going to enter my give-away.

 

So what do you need to do to enter my contest?  Just leave me a comment that has the word postcard somewhere in your sentence.  This is going to be a fast give-away. I will be using a random number generator and drawing the prize winners Thursday evening after 8:00 p.m. pacific standard time, and I will ship it out on Friday. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pen Pal Letter and a Postcard

Good afternoon. I'm sure most of you have had a very productive day so far. I almost greeted you with a "good morning" and then I realized that it's not morning at all.  Wow, time flies when you get out of bed and the first thing you do is write a pen pal letter.  I don't know why, but it takes me a really long time to write one letter. First I have to re-read the previous letter that I got and then I will respond to the conversation and/or start off with what's ever in my head and just write. Sometimes, I pause to check a reference or look for a picture that goes with my story so that I can include it with the letter.  Well, that's what happened today. I paused to look for a picture that I swore I had on my facebook page.  No luck there. Then I scoured my mom's facebook page and no luck there either. I really wanted my penpal to get a copy of the photo with the story. Maybe I'll find it later and send it on another time. Hey, at least I got a few pages written.  It's out the door and in today's mail and I feel really good about it. I hope it make my pen pal smile because I have felt like quite a bore lately.

I usedTim Biskup Beatnik Stationery and vintage stamps.

 

 

A Postcard traveling to Germany.

I write: Dear Claudia, life in Las Vegas is good but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't ready for a new adventure. My husband and I long to hit the road and discover our dream place along the way. Personally, I'd love to live in Tennessee but I haven't quite sold my husband on the idea yet. Time will tell. Until then, I keep my vision alive in my mind's eye. Enjoy Postcorssing and have a wonderful life.

 

Saturday Mail

Good morning. Yesterday was not a good day for me to be on the computer. I tried to post my mail but blogger was acting up like a spoiled child. Maybe BlogSpot was following Google Chrome's lead because Chrome is acting very weird today.  I am now reverting back to internet explorer which I actually prefer, but that's a long story as to why I rarely use that browser any more. Anyway, I'll try it again. So far things look good, but one never knows until he tries to upload pictures to his post.

 

In my mailbox I received two Postcrossings, one from Poland and one from Slovakia.

 

Slovakia writes: Hello JarieLyn, this card reminds me of my summers spent at granny's village when I was little. There was no windmill, but the cows in the fields were as cute as this one. I used to watch my granny milk the cows she had, but I myself was always too scared to try. Maybe this summer. :) Warm Greetings, Juste.

 

Poland writes: Hello JarieLyn! My name is Karolina, I'm 23 years old and I love sending cards with animals. I hope that you like this postcard. :) Best regards, Karolina.

 

 

I received this postcard for a swap I received. I like civil war stuff so this is perfect.

 

I mailed two postcrossings. Here they are.

 

 

This postcard is traveling to Finland.

I write: Dear K, I have a friend who loves lighthouses as much as you do. There are approximately 34 lighthouses in the state of California. Many of them are open for public tour but I have not yet had the opportunity to take a tour, maybe someday. I wish you much happiness in your life. <3 JarieLyn

 

 

This card is traveling to Taiwan.

I write: Hello Kelly, it's a beautifull day her in Las Vegas, Nevada. Currently, it's 60 degrees Fahrenheit outside; perfect for taking a drive or working outside, none of which I am doing. I'm reading, writing, and doing laundry in between. Have a wonderful day. All my best, JarieLyn

 

I love Sundays. Have a beautiful day my friends.

 

 

 

 

 

Oh Happy Mail Day

Hello. I hope you all are enjoying your day so far.  I'm headed to meet some friends for lunch and a movie after I write this post. It's so nice to be able to go to the movies on a week day.  As for the mail, I had a good mail day yesterday. I received lots of postcards and a nice swap. See for yourself.

These are postcrossings from the Netherlands, Canada and Russia.

Normally, I would share what the sender writes but I'm skipping it today.

These are postcards from a swap I joined, all from different people.  Funny how they are all vintage cards. I guess that means they took good care to read my profile.

This envelope arrived from another swapper. The envelope is made from a Christmas gift bag. It is so cute. Inside were the notecards that was the main focus of the swap.

In addition to sending me the required amount of notecards, she enclosed a few extras as well as one postcard and a bunch of Christmas envelopes.  This was a great package. The notecards are all nice quality too.

A Postcrossing that arrived in an envelope. Isn't it cute? I must say, this one really made my day. I love it and favorited it on the postcrossing site.

My outgoing mail was minimal. I only sent two postcrossings.

This card is on its way to Rhode Island.

I write:  Hello Nancy! I am JarieLyn. I started my morning by writing for 12 minutes in my journal. It's how I meditate and connect with my higher self. I hope you are happy & healthy. <3 JarieLyn

This one is on the way to Spain.

I write: Warm grettings to you M. I live in Las Vegas Nevada with my husband. It is a pleasure to be sending you a card. My former accountant was from Spain and he used to tell me stories of his childhood there. I loved seeing the gleam in his 80 year old eyes as he remenisced about his days there. He gave me a recipe for Sangria & for Garbonzo bean soup that was passed down from his mother. I miss him. Wishing you much happiness. <3 JarieLyn

Well that's it for today. 

I will connect with you all soon.