The Spirit of Christmas Travels to and Fro

Have I told you lately how much I love Christmas?

I was so excited when this Christmas present arrived from the Netherlands.

Decorative tape to add to my collection.

I love this stuff and can't get enough!

A Christmas postcard from my blogging friend and pen pal, John.

So very cute. I love it.

A few more cards from a Christmas card swap on Swap-Bot.

Another batch of cards coming in.  I just love the one on the left of the snow covered bench and tree.

Another Christmas themed postcard, this one from a Postcrosser in the Czehc Republic.

I love the scene on this card.

A Postcrossing from Russia.

I love the postal themed post cards.

I wish I could find them in the U. S.

I've been quite busy with mail lately.

Here's what I sent out within the past few days.

A couple of packages going out to a couple of really great pen pals.

My second batch of Christmas cards for the Christmas card swap.

Another batch of Christmas cards going out.

Two more out the door.

Three postcrossings headed to Poland, Netherlands and Moldova.

It's getting really super cold here, but most of the time I am inside my warm house all bundled up and comfy.

I hope you all are staying warm

Until the next blog post, I'll be somewhere around here.

Christmas Card Display

Here is a photo of the Christmas Cards I received this year. 

 

 

They cover my whole fireplace.

 

When I was a kid, I always admired my Grandpa and Grandma Philpott's collection of Christmas cards every year. They were the only people I knew who received so many cards. I wanted to be just like them with a large Chirstmas Card collection every year.

They had them displayed on top of their giant TV and I would look inside every single card and read what friends and loved ones would write inside. Most of their cards were from friends and family who lived far away so there was always some written updates inside.

 

To this day, when I send a card I always write some sort of note inside, even if I barely know the person...... I do my best to make it interesting for the recipient.

 

These cards will stay up until January 1st.

 

Next year, I will probably have to hang them on a door becuase I anticipate getting more.

Lonely Mailbox This Week

Hello everyone. Christmas is just three days away and I still have so much to do. My family celebrates on Christmas Eve, so I really only have two more days to get my S*** together. I hope all are more prepared than I at the moment. Nonetheless, I couldn't be happier. I love this time of year.

My  mailbox was pretty lonely all week until BAM! I'm not sure what happened but it was like an explosion occurred and everything landed in my box. And it made my day yesterday. Take a look at what came in.

 

This came all the way from Belgium and it was from the person I was assigned to send something to in my very first swap ever at swap bot.

I love her handmade envelope.

Check out the back of it.

It practically screams my name, or should I say my style.

 

 

And inside were not one, but two Christmas cards.

 

 

This adorable little ferry topping off the tree.

And.....

 

 

This lovely sentiment.

I love both the cards she sent.

 

 

A lovely postcard from my penpal Mendy.

I love her letters and cards.

 

 

A Christmas Card from my good friend Deyanira.

She knows me so well.

 

 

A Christmas Card from my youngest brother and his family.

Aren't they gorgeous?

 

 

A Christmas Card from my husband's aunt Betty.

And she enclosed some pictures.

 

Like this one of her dog with Santa.

I love it, and I adore Misty who got to spend Thanksgiving at our house.

 

A beautiful card from a fellow blogger who I had the pleasure of meeting back in 2010.

She always sends the most beautiful cards.

 

A Christmas Card from my husband's aunt Ann.

 

 

A nice long letter from penpal Lucas

 

 

A super cool letter from Derick

 

 

A postcard from a Gratitude Challenge swap.

This is a re-send because the first one never arrived.

 

 

A Christmas Card from someone on Sendsomething.

I don't believe this is related to a swap or anything like that.

There was no indication where it came from but I found her profile on sendsomething, so I assume it is a random mailing. I love how she decorated her envelope. She really put some amazing stickers on here. Check out the other side.

 

It's really nice.

And I LOVE the card inside.

 

 

So retro and so cool.

So, as soon as I get a chance I will send something in reply.

Thank you for this.

 

A super cool Christmas Card from Lucas.

I like it.

 

 

A big envelope from penpal Lynn with a bunch of awesome stuff inside.

 

That concludes the incoming mail for the week.

 

Here's the outgoing:

 

 

This is a letter for a swap I joined called snail mail 45 +.

 

 

This is for a postcard swap.

 

Same swap, different person.

 

 

Same swap, different person.

 

Same swap, different person.

 

Same swap, different person.

 

 

This is an official postcrossing card on its way to somewhere in the USA.

I don't really want to say because as chance has it, out of all of the hundreds of thousands of people participating in postcrossing, I got the address of someone in the snail mail blogging world.

Someone that I'm sure we are all familiar with and know very well.

It's definitely a small world.

 

I forgot to photograph another handmade postcard going to a friend.

And a Christmas card going to another friend/former sister-in-law.

 

Ugh!

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas.

 



Creativity Strikes...........

I finally learned how to doodle creatively.

I still can't draw worth a crap, but at least now I can doodle something I actually like.

 

 

This is a handmade postcard made by me just this morning.

I cut some cardboard to postcard size with my paper cutter.

 

Then I traced around the postcard onto some paper.

I doodled inside the lines.

Then I glued the paper to the cardboard and cut off the excess with scissors.

Then I added splashes of color with some watercolor paint.

 

Tada!

My first real doodle that I am proud of.

Somebody will be receiving this very soon, as I mailed it this afternoon.

 

 

 

Another doodle on an envelope.

This is a Christmas card going to a friend.

 

 

Another letter going out to a penpal.

 

 

An official postcrossing card on its way to Finland.

 

My mailbox was pretty empty today, however, I did receive one Christmas card.

 

 

This is from my friend, Charlene.

Gorgeous Models

Goodnight, Monday.

 I hope Tuesday brings me a smile like you did today.

 

 

My great nieces gracing the cover of this beautiful Christmas card.

 

 

Another Christmas card from my cousin and her family.

 

 

More family.

 

 

A Christmas Card from my friend, Gail.

 

 

A Christmas Card from my penpal, Rachael.

 

 

An official postcrossing postcard from the Netherlands.

The sender writes:

Hi JarieLyn,

My name is Erica.

I'm 30 years old and I live in the Dutch City Qwolle.

I'm a photographer and hope to make a living out of it some day.

Greetings, Erica.

 

 

An official postcrossing card from Germany.

The sender writes:

Hello Jarie Lyn,

Greetings from Germany.

I live in a little town near (?) levy.

Today it's very cold - 6 degrees celcius.

I like to read (?) walk on the beach

????????

Have a nice day and Happy Postcrossing.

Angelika.

 

A Christmas Letter In Your Mailbox Swap.

 

 

I forgot to photograph some of my outgoing mail.

 

 

This is week # 2 of a six week snail mail swap.

This is on it's way to Germany.

 

 

A surprise for somebody.

 

Also, I had four more surprises going out that I forgot to photograph.

 

All in all it was a good incoming and outgoing mail day.