Received Something Good

Yesterday I revealed what I sent for the Send Something Good swap, and introduced you to my new friend Katie, author of  "Married to Red, White and Blue"  blog.

Today you get to see what I received during the swap, and meet another friend I made during this process.  Shauna Wyrick, author of the blog "Life Captured,"  obviously read my wish list and sent me a fabulous box of goodies.  Shauna is a 30-something wife, mother, blogger and photographer.  I really admire the beautiful Life Captured graphics on her blog's banner.

So, here is my Something Good Loot...

Here's a peek inside my package - I spy stationery which is always a hit!

There was pretty polka dot tissue paper, neon flowers, 

and fun gift wrap waiting to be torn into.

Stationery, note cards, an oversized clothespin and refreshing reeds.
I wonder what is in that gift bag and flip flop package?  Hmmm..

            Inside the gift bag was a great little wooden box and chocolate! I love 

            small containers of all shapes and sizes and who doesn't love CHOCOLATE!  

            Last, but definitely not least, was the Il Papiro stationery wrapped with a 

            little red bow.  These hand decorated marbleized cards are beautiful!

Thank you, Shauna!  I love all of my new paper goods, and the chocolate is....

GONE!

Big Reveal - Send Something Good

Today is the day for the Big Reveal!  Bloggers that participated in the Send Something Good swap are to reveal what he/she sent and received during this swap!

Below are photos of the items I sent to Katie, author of "Married to Red, White, and Blue" .  Katie is a newlywed who is married to a Marine.  She and her husband are stationed in Hawaii.

Package as Sent

Contents of Package
All items were wrapped in a patriotic theme.

Owl Salt and Pepper Shakers
Katie has a collection of 50+ shakers!

Dog Bone Photo Keychain
Katie has two dogs that she adores!

Solar Hula Girl and Patriotic Lei
Did I mention that Katie and her Marine husband live in Hawaii?

Food Network Magazine
Katie loves to cook.

Katie and her husband recently celebrated their 1st anniversary.
A photo album/scrapbook was sent in honor of their Paper Anniversary.

New Pad Postcard
Katie and her husband plan to move into base housing very soon!

Handmade Accordion Card
The card introduced myself and explained the significance of each item.

That's all folks!  Tune in tomorrow to see what I received during this swap.

Postcards Received - National Postcard Week 2012

Here they are - the postcards I received from my first Swap-bot.com partner and coordinator, Druideye!  Thank you for including me and for sending me a gi-normous postcard to boot!  I love architecture and travel so these cards were perfect.  Plus, I received a bonus card from Lake County Museum which houses Curt Teich Postcard Archives.

Clockwise starting with Top Right

National Postcard Week sent by Curt Teich Postcard Archives

Lauritzen Gardens at Omaha's Botanical Center

Casablanca in Millionaires Colony

Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed in Moscow

Center, George Washinton's Mount Vernon Estate

Postcards Sent for National Postcard Week 2012

Well, Thursday came and went without my unveiling of postcards swapped for National Postcard Week.  My apologies...life was busier than expected.  So, here are the postcards I sent with a little insight as to why certain postcards were chosen.

Monday - The Beatles, Abbey Road Album Cover

Day 1 - The National Postcard Week swap was kicked off with a card featuring The Beatles.  Turns out my swap partner, Druideye, and her children are BIG fans. Guess what?  So am I !

Tuesday -  Scenic Virginia Postcard

Day 2 - I chose to share a postcard from a spot I have visited many times in Virginia.  The pink envelope is a thank you note I sent out the same day to my Send Something Good Package Pal.  It is decorated with Washi Tape which is one of my new favorite envelope embellishments.

Wednesday - 1950's Photograph by Dennis Hallinan

Day 3 - Druideye is a photographer, so I thought she may enjoy this shot.  However, I have a question...Was this photograph actually shot as shown?  Or were all three women photographed individually, and the photograph altered later  to create the illusion that these ladies were photographed all together?  Notice the one shadow in the water....Hmmm. Regardless, it is a glamorous photograph, and I love the final composition.

Thursday - Still Lives #3, Photograph by Maria Friberg

Day 4 - Another photograph postcard is sent in honor of Druideye's love of books.  Personally, I find this image slightly disturbing though.  I would have entitled this one, Book Swarm or Suffocated by Books.

Friday - Pamplin Historical Park

Day 5 - The swap ended with a postcard sent from Pamplin Historical Park which I actually visited during National Postcard Week 2012.  

I really enjoyed my first swap on swap-bot.com.  I would like to thank Druideye for including me in the swap even though I did not yet have a rating.  Thanks a million!

Tomorrow I will post all the postcards I received from Druideye during this swap.  I still need to pick one up at my P.O. Box.  BTW, I am loving my new P.O. Box - best splurge ever!

National Postcard Week

So, did you know that this week is National Postcard Week?  It is True.  You can follow this glorious event on Twitter with #NationalPostcardWeek .  I myself was not aware of the significance of this week until I happened to see a swap listed on Swap-bot.com for this very occasion.  I was so excited when the coordinator agreed to do a private swap with me since I am not a rated swapper. As I mentioned in an earlier post regarding Swap-bot, I am still a Newb with regard to the swapping world.  However, my kind coordinator, druideye, decided to do a private swap with me, AND she is going to provide me with my first rating!  Yes, I will no longer be considered a Newb!

So, the swap consists of sending 1 postcard a day for 5 consecutive days, Monday - Friday to one partner.  How easy is that, right?!  And the best part is my P.O. Box is getting ready to receive 5 postcards!  Super exciting!  I will begin posting photos of cards sent (and received) each day beginning this Thursday.  I want to give my postcards a chance to reach their final destination before I start posting them.  For me, half the fun of receiving postcards and letters is the surprise of what they look like - what type of stationery was used, which postage stamps did the sender  choose, how were they addressed?  Sorry, that's the way paperholics think.  So, I don't want to spoil the surprise by posting too soon should my swap partner visit this blog.  However, if you are curious about my personal choices with regard to postcards sent, be sure to check back this Thursday.  

Until then, purchase some postcards, mail a few in honor of National Postcard Week, and post a photo on Twitter with #NationalPostcardWeek - I would love to see YOUR choices!  If you would like to send me a postcard, my address is listed below.  My P.O. Box and I would appreciate your postal support.

Christy of Christopher Scott
P.O. Box 2251
Forest, VA 24551

SendSomethingGood, Swap-bot and PostCrossing

I received my SendSomethingGood package last Thursday!  It was such a thoughtful package, and I really enjoyed my individually wrapped goodies.  I am not including photos (yet), because I believe all the participants will be posting pictures on the same day near the end of the month.  We will be having a BIG Reveal - Fun! Fun!  Waiting until the end of the month will ensure that everyone's package has had enough time to reach him or her.  The package I sent, for instance, has many miles to travel and could take up to three weeks to reach my Secret Blogger.  It was mailed on April 30 though, so recipient (and no, you don't know who you are) hang in there...it's on its way!

On another note, I have signed up for two mail art exchanges on Swap-bot.com, www.swap-bot.com. No rejections so far, and I received a nice email from one coordinator welcoming me to the swap.  I will be sending out my decorated envelopes later this month for those swaps.  Photos will be included after they are complete.

Also, last week I sent out five postcards for the PostCrossing Project, www.postcrossing.com .  None have been received yet, but I will keep you posted when I receive my own postcards from this project.

PostCrossing Postcards

Flipside - Beautiful Stamps Ready for a Long Journey

#OrphanedPostcardProject, OPP

Today I mailed four adopted postcards back to their original parent - @PostMuse.  I hope anyone that has been adopted or has adopted children does not take offense to this post.  All those involved in the adoption process deserve a round of applause including biological parents, parents/families adopting, and most importantly, children that have been adopted.  How wonderful to know that your biological and adoptive parents/families want the absolute best for you!  

On a lighter note, my orphaned postcards showed up in my P.O. Box with no postal history.  Fortunately, all four of these wonderful postcards were receptive to me writing a piece of history upon their blank slate.  I then promptly returned these four little beauties back to @PostMuse.  I know they will be cherished upon their safe return home! If you would like to see a picture of my four little friends, go to Twitter and follow @CSPaperholic, #OrphanedPostcardProject.

If you would like to adopt your own Orphaned Postcards, please visit www.postmuse.blogspot.com.  It's a really fun project!

I also mailed my Send Something Good package today :)  My US postal worker, Alicia, was kind enough to use stamps for the 12+ dollars in postage rather than the printed postage label!  I was sure to say, "Thank you!"  many times during the transaction.

Send Something Good - Ready for Take Off

Today is the deadline for all Send Something Good participants to photograph their packages ready to be mailed on Monday.

Send Something Good Package

My Secret Blogger's (SB) package is ready for take off or at least a fabulous send off.  Since it will have to travel quite a long way, the expected postage is a little pricey.  However, I am sure my SB is worth it.  So, I was wondering if anyone has mailed a package of this size which will require approximately $15 in postage with just stamps alone?  Since it is over 13 ounces, I will have to take it to the post office, and I am concerned that I may be strongly encouraged to use the printed postage label.  Being a collector of canceled stamps myself, I would love to use many different postage stamps on my SB's package just to "doll it up" a little more.  Any words of advice with regard to winning over my US postal worker?

Rejected by Swap-Bot

After securing a P.O. Box last week, I was excited to sign up for my first mail swap on Swap-Bot.com.  I searched through the available swaps and found one for mail art that looked fun.  I had been thinking about how I wanted to decorate my envelope and, planned to work on it this week.  However, this morning I checked email and discovered that I have been removed from the swap because I am a "Newb" .  That's right, I do not have a rating yet since I am new to Swap-Bot, and the coordinator has apparently been burned by Newbs in the past.  I was encouraged to get five or six swaps under my belt, build a positive rating, and then check back with the coordinator.  I was very disappointed.  So glad the Send Something Good Project did not exclude me due to Newb-ness.

Creating Something Good for my Secret Blogger (SB)

Today I sat down and thought through what items I plan to include in my Secret Blogger's package.  I have a definite game plan now!   I am really enjoying getting to know my blogger through this secretive process.  Rather than just going out and buying items on his/her "Like List", I spent some time this afternoon handcrafting a few items to include.  Wonder what I will receive in my own package?!

Christy's Likes and Dislikes for the Send Something Good Project

I am so envious of Kaitlyn's beautiful display of her likes...see yesterday's post for more information. It is such a beautiful graphic display.  One day I hope my blog will be so visually appealing.  However, being new to this arena, it is going to take some time to acquire those graphic skills.

With that said here are my likes....and dislikes.

Christy Likes:

• Architecture
• Art
• Paper Transformations - Origami, Pop-Up Books, Paper Sculptures, Mobiles
• Postage Stamps - New or Canceled
• Typography
• Artists' Books
• Mail Art
• Postcards
• Letterpress Anything
• Artisan Papers
• Unusual Gift Wrap
• Stationery
• Notebooks
• Pencil Bags
• Small Containers
• Handmade Envelopes and Liners
• Rubber Stamps
• Journals
• Washi Tape
• Twine
• Labels

Christy Dislikes:

• Unicorns  - creepy
• Clowns  - creepier 
• Really "Cute" Items - including items that spell Cute or Country with a "K"
• Fairies - too Cute
• Japanese Animation - I just don't get it!
• Altered Objects/Images that are dark, violent, or vulgar in nature - Architects are dark enough. Please don't drag me down that path any farther.

I am loving this project to date.  I have so many package ideas for my Secret Blogger (SB). T.G.I.F....now I can start pulling together my SB's Package!

Send Something Good Link Up

Interested in viewing participants' blogs for the Send Something Good Project?  See the link below to Kaitlyn Patience's blog isavirtue .  Kaitlyn, Gentri Lee and Kristy organized a wonderful Link Up for those bloggers busily gathering packages to send to their Secret Package Pals later this month.  This is so exciting!
isavirtue: snapshot | send something good notes: project

P. O. Box

Today I treated myself to a P.O. Box, and signed up for my first mail swap through Swap-bot.com! I have been wanting my own P.O. Box for sometime now. That is now the address where I will retrieve Fun Mail - swaps, pen pals, and paperholic rated mail. No bills allowed! This feels almost decadent to have my very own P. O. Box. Being a mother and wife, it has been quite awhile since anything of mine has not been fair game for all to plunder. When I received the keys to my Box, I was immediately reminded of my college P.O. Box. I checked that box daily and generally received something that made me smile. I wrote many letters during college and received many in return. However, my biggest surprise was how often my Dad sent me cards and notes while I was away at college. Dad must have sent me at least two cards every week. And prior to leaving for college I was not really a "Daddy's Girl.". My Dad was just so genuinely excited for me to go to college that he wanted to ensure I remained happy during that first year away. That is what parents do for their children...everything in their power to make them happy. And trust
me, my Mom has done more than her fair share in that department too. So, I am not in college anymore, but I am still looking forward to checking MY P.O. Box for goodies in the future. Let the snail mail begin!

Send Something Good Begins!

I was so excited to wake up and see the name and address of my Secret Blogger (SB) ! I already have several ideas about items to include in my SB's package.

As I was reading through Kaitlyn's mailing tips, I was excited to see she encouraged everyone to use postage stamps and not printed postage labels. See, I collect canceled postage stamps! No, they are not in albums, but they are sorted and organized in boxes. Years ago, my in- laws asked my husband if he wanted boxes of canceled stamps they had collected while working for a company that received oodles of postcards. He was less than excited, but my eyes lit up! It immediately brought back memories of my stamp book as a kid. Besides, stamps are like little works of art, and architects love that kind of thing! So, I then took on the daunting task of organizing the stamps and sorting out individual collections for all of my in-laws's grandchildren, including my own two boys. The boys aren't currently that interested in their collections, but I keep adding to them. We can't all be scrapbookers...some of us are stamp people.

So, to my Secret Blogger, please place real postage stamps on my package! That counts as a special gift to me : )

A.

So, my answer to yesterday's question/challenge ....

Q.  Write down a new fact you recently learned.

A.  As defined on Wikipedia, a parklet is a small urban park, often created by replacing several under-utilized parallel parking spots with a patio, planters, trees, benches,café tables with chairs, fountain(s), artwork, sculptures and/or bicycle parking.^[1][2]


1. "Pavement to Parks San Francisco: Divisadero Street Parklet". Retrieved 18 May 2010.
2. "SF Pavement to Parks - Divisadero Parklet Flickr Gallery". Retrieved 12 June 2010.

Question of the Day

I love the idea of New Year's Resolutions ( i.e. fresh starts, a chance for do-overs, opportunities for change); however like most well intentioned people I have a hard time following through.  I blame it on my "glass half empty" mentality.  At the beginning of each year I am enthusiastic , and secretly relieved to have survived another year of Christmas Mayhem, but the enthusiasm quickly fades.  The desire to lose weight, be a better person, conquer something on my Mid-Life Crisis List, falls to the wayside as the day-in-and-day-out routine consumes half of the liquid in my glass.  I am not alone, which is why many individuals choose not to make any New Year Resolutions.  For what ever reason though, I generally jump in enthusiastically every January 1st just to find out what I am not capable of conquering.

However, 2012 I decided was going to be different!  I decided to make two resolutions - neither of which deal with weight loss.  This year I decided I would make resolutions that involve hobbies, interests, obsessions - Paper!  First, I decided to do my part for the USPS and send out 52 Mailings in 52 Weeks.  I am proud to announce that the mailings are on track!  They have consisted primarily of cards to friends and family for birthdays or special events. I have made a conscious effort to personalize these items with a hand written note or letter.  During my first year in college (many moons ago), I wrote several letters every week and received oodles of snail mail in return.  There was no email, twitter, or social networking, just my P.O. Box.  I still have many of the letters I received during college.   These small little packages of encouragement and laughs were often times what kept me motivated.

Second, I decided to keep some form of a journal.  I knew it had to be short and sweet, or I would...well, QUIT!  Then I read the article below about the Q. & A. a Day journal that is posted below.  I knew that this was the answer!  I look forward to each day's new question, and it generally takes me less than five minutes to record my response.  As the article mentions, you answer a new question each day of the year.  However, you respond to the same question on that particular day over a period of five years.  It will be interesting to look back over the years and see how my answers have evolved...or not!

So, today's Question/Challenge of the Day is.....

Q.  Write down a new fact you recently learned.

A.  ?

I'll post my answer tomorrow just in case I come across a really fun fact over the course of my day.

Life etc.: Journal- Q&A a Day: A 5 Year Journal

Life etc.: Journal- Q&A a Day: A 5 Year Journal: I was just blog hopping a few days ago when I came upon this: Q&A a Day: A 5 Year Journal (on Anthropologie ). One journal for 5 years...

Omiyage Blogs: What Is Washi Tape?

Omiyage Blogs: What Is Washi Tape?: Let's talk tape! You might be wondering what all this fuss about tape is. You might be asking yourself - what is washi tape??? So, ...

Washi Tape 2 Dye 4...or 5

After reading the article posted above about Washi Tape varieties, I decided to try them out on Easter Eggs.  This is a great way to embellish dyed eggs, and it is uber-easy!  This decorating party was a hit with kids of all ages.

Not Too Late to Send/Receive Something Good

Time is running out, but you can still be part of the Send Something Good Project.  Click the link on the sidebar to learn more about the project on Gentri Lee's blog.

Send Something Good 2012 Project

Yesterday, I mentioned that the Send Something Good postal swap spurred me on to actually begin blogging.  So, the swap has asked new bloggers (that would be me) to share five things about themselves and five types of material they prefer.  So, here we go...

Top 5 Things About Christy

1. Occupation: Architect, in retrospect Graphic Designer may have been a better fit.
2. Favorite Color(s):  All shades of Green + Tangerine Tango (2012 Pantone Color of the Year)
3. Hobbies: Stamp Collecting, Rubber Stamping, Creating Paper Concoctions
4. Dream Job:  Owner of a Stationery Store featuring Artisan Paper Goods
5. 2012 New Year's Resolution:  To keep in touch with friends and family by sending out 52 Mailings in 52 Weeks via Snail Mail.  So far so good!

Top 5 Materials Christy Enjoys

1. Mail Art
2. Handmade Papers
3. All Things Letterpress
4. Business Cards and Calling Cards
5. Notebooks of all Kinds

Hope this helps my Secret Blogger!  

Time Flies

I started this blog over eighteen months ago, and am just getting around to actually blogging.  I knew I wanted to blog about paper related items but was unsure where to begin.  Well, yesterday I read about the Send Something Good Project, and decided I would love to send and receive Something Good via snail mail.  However, the project really wants participants to be bloggers - so this is my starting point.