Tag Archive | postcrossing

Worldwide Post Report: 2018 Part One

Time for a fun post and something simple while I’m still tackling brain fog and fatigue that makes snails look fast.

It’s been quite some time since I posted an update of my postcrossing adventures, but I’ve been getting back into the habit slowly this year and have a few new favorites to share.

For those of you new to the blog in the last year or so, postcrossing is a hobby in which you receive the address for someone in the world, write them a postcard, and when they mark that card received YOUR address gets handed off to someone else so that you can receive a card. You never know where in the world the cards will come from or who you might meet. Most people treat these as one-time interactions, but I have actually found a long term pen pal this way.

This first one is from Russia. The postcrossing project asks that all cards be written in English (unless the person you are writing to has specified they can read another language), but unfortunately this one is written IN Russian so I’m not sure what was said. The handwriting is very flowy and beautiful though! Continue reading

Worldwide Post Report: January – February 2017

This is the last postcrossing update for a little while again. Stamps are expensive! And for now there are other things that I need to take care of. But you’re not here for that talk. On to the postcards!

Germany postcardI love this not just for the ocean (I always love the ocean), but also for the quote. I’m a person who very much loves her comfort zone. Very, very much. But I’m also aware of how much that comfort zone sometimes limits me. Last year I had the opportunity for international travel and that very much changed my views on the comfort zone. I still love it dearly, but I’ve always seen the wonder that is out there when you leave it behind. This postcard came from Germany. Continue reading

Worldwide Post Report: October – December 2016

I had to slow down my postcrossing habits a bit due to time and finances during the holidays, but thanks to several gifts of stamps and postcards I am back to it with the start of the new year! I hope to have many more lovely cards to continue to show you in 2017, but let’s wrap up 2016 for now.

postcard canada fashionFrom Canada, from a lady who said she dreamed of designing costumes for theatre when she was a child.

I’ve always really enjoyed this style of art and so I was excited to get this card in the mail. What a fabulous outfit! I’d love to know what she’s up to. Perhaps someone gave her those flowers? I sense a scandal! Continue reading

Worldwide Post Report: August & September 2016

Time for a few new favorite postcards I’ve received over the last two months!

postcard from germanyThis card hails from Germany. The lady who sent it my way says that this is a very famous bridge in the city where she lives. (She also said that at the time of writing she was off for a girl’s weekend. My, how I envy her!) What you can’t tell from the picture is the lovely, slightly weathered texture of the thick paper. This card doesn’t look fresh and new and I love that about it. Continue reading

For the Love of Writing Letters

Most people like receiving mail. Not bills or credit card offers or sale ads, but the kind of mail that means something. Birthday cards. Christmas cards. Just thinking of you cards. A brief note saying hello. An announcement of good news. The old-fashioned sort of letter catching a friend up on one’s life.

Most people like receiving that sort of mail, but most people don’t seem to want to take the time to write it, and that’s the problem. It’s not that we want less snail mail in our lives, it’s that no one believes they have the time to send it.

Colorful Mailboxes - from Morguefile (cropped)

This last month I’ve been on a bit of a mailing binge. I’ve sent out 15 postcards and 4 letters. It would have been more if my postcards had registered faster or I’d received more replies. I suspect September’s numbers on those fronts will grow now that it seems I may have some new pen pals as well. Continue reading

Worldwide Post Report: July 2016

It’s been a long time since I was able to do a proper post report around here, but as I am at least currently fully immersed in postcrossing again I have new favorites to share.

2016 July - AustriaFirst up, my very first postcard from Austria!

The sender told me the first time the town of Straßwalchen is mentioned in history can be found all the way back to the year 799, though it had a different name at the time. In the heat we’re having right now, a snow-covered town in Europe seems like the perfect place to escape. Continue reading

Getting Back to Postcrossing

Postcrossing‘ is one of my favorite hobbies. I love snail mail and postcrossing helps to satisfy that love, especially in a world where so many people don’t even send birthday cards or Christmas cards through the mail anymore. It’s as easy as uploading my mailing address to the site and creating a basic profile. I request an address from someone else in the world, write them a post card, and once they have registered it as received, someone else is given my address! (Your address is only seen by the people who are given your address as someone to write to. The general public cannot see it.) You never know who you will write to or receive from next.

The nice thing about this hobby is you can easily put exactly however much time and money into it you want. When we hit a rough patch in finances and were saving for some big expenses, it was easy for me to simply stop requesting new addresses and thus put the hobby on hold.

I’m happy to say that I’m actively postcrossing again. I’ve missed it dearly.

postcard from new mexicoHere is the first one received after nearly a year of taking time off…

To be honest, I didn’t even know postcrossers really had meet ups. This one of course had already occurred and this was just a commemorative card they had made.

For me, I think, I prefer to stick to the snail mailing side of things. I think it is awesome any time a group of people can get together over a hobby they share (assuming that hobby is, you know, non-detrimental to themselves or society). But for me when it comes to postcrossing it feels a bit odd. I like the slight anonymity and briefness of a postcard and leaving it at that.

Do you still send snail mail?

The Quest to Tidy (Week Eleven): My Favorite Sorting Project Yet

This week I tackled a small project to get back into the swing of things.

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I *love* snail mail. I have 3 pen pals. When I’m really lucky I get the surprise note in the mail from other friends. (And yes, I absolutely reread letters I have received!)

I’m also a postcrosser, which means I send and receive post cards to and from all over the world. Postcrossing is always a surprise. I never know who is going to write, what they are going to say, or what sort of card they will choose to send. (I share some of my favorites from time to time on the blog.)

What this boils down to is I have a lot of stationery and I love collecting more when I can! It was time to tidy up the messy pile strewn about in three places through the house.

 

Note Cards and DogMy sweet pup, Maggie, decided she was going to be extremely helpful in this task. Here she is posing with a few of my note cards. I tend to prefer letter-style stationery, so I only have a few note cards, though I found at least a couple more sets after taking this picture. Continue reading

Worldwide Post Report: April & May 2015

New favorite cards from the last couple of months!

Life got busy in May and I wasn’t able to send out many cards for a while, so I don’t expect to receive many over the next couple of weeks, but honestly that is one thing I love about Postcrossing. Do as much or as little as you want/are able. It’s not a contest.

On to the cards! Continue reading

Worldwide Post Report: February & March 2015

The last couple of months have been busy Postcrossing months for me! Lots of postcards sent all over the world, and many more received.

Instead of uploading every single card that found its way to my home (like I did in January), I thought perhaps this time I would share only some of my favorites. Continue reading