Incoming mail! And other things...
Color me surprised when I checked my PO Box today! Not only was there one envelope waiting for me, but two! The red envelope on top was from the amazing Missive Maven, and the large scenic envelope was from a blog reader, Stephanie! I shall be responding to these shortly!
Today - I joined Postcrossing. I haven't requested my first address yet, as I wanted to finish the designs on the few handmade postcards I have been working on. My artistic skills aren't quite that amazing, but I rather like the cards, so I hope whomever ends up with them does as well!
My job in the payment processing industry allows me to come across a large number and variety of cancelled stamps. I have started collecting these to use in the future. I will also donate most of the stamps that I collect to the FRCS Holocaust Stamp Project. There was a similar project involving paperclips some years ago, and I was saddened that I could not take part in it. But this project is just getting started, and I have all of the resources I need to make a donation. If you haven't heard about it, a group of school children are collecting one cancelled stamp for every victim of the Holocaust. I encourage you to click on the link and read up on the project. Personally, I will be sending a box full of cancelled stamps their way!
Short blog post today, but I'm off to read and respond to these letters :) Write on!
A little indulgence...
As some of you have probably guessed, I'm on a tight budget. It's a self-imposed budget, but it allows me to enjoy my various hobbies without worrying about when or if my bills will be paid. I've always been a rather thrifty fellow, but with my dreams of buying myself a new car by the end of 2012, I've been extra tight with the money recently. This has sometimes proven very frustrating when it comes to my new found love of fountain pens and letter writing. But... I digress.
I've allowed myself to indulge a little over the past couple of weeks. The first purchase was a few business cards from MOO. I first ordered a sample batch to see if I would actually like them, and the moment they arrived, I ordered a full batch. These are very high quality custom printed business cards, and I am surprised with them. I will definitely be using them again.
The second purchase was a roll of custom mailing labels. I hesitated on buying these at first, but after browsing the internet, I came across a coupon for half off the printing cost. When I attempted to design them, they offered me free shipping. I couldn't resist, and the mailing labels arrived on Saturday. For something that cost me about $7 in total, I really can't complain.
I also went to a teacher supply store and purchased some stickers. I have always been a fan of the smiley face motif - I still have the giant bright yellow smiley face flag my mother bought me 15 years ago. I also wanted to get some foil stars to use as envelope seals for an upcoming project I am working on, and found a bunch of those for a very small amount of money. Some of these stickers will be used, and some will be passed on to someone for them to enjoy as well.
Part of the day was spent thinking about ways that I could improve and/or create my own custom stationery. The more I thought about it - the more I favored the idea. Why should I break my budget purchasing stationery that catches my eye, when I can create my own for a fraction of the cost. Thanks to some very helpful comments on this blog, I've found tons of resources on the internet for ways I can achieve the look I want. Will I never buy stationery? No, I can't say that. I know I will be purchasing some when my tax returns arrive (as well as my much desired TWSBI Diamond 540), but for now, as long as I am enjoying the writing experience with the supplies that I have, why should I change it?
Of course, then I go to Etsy and see a lot of hand made awesomeness, and I fight the urge to get out the credit card. Etsy also has given me lots of ideas of what I could do to include little gifts and surprises with my letters, which is something I've wanted to do since the first letter I received included a tiny Japanese stationery envelope and an origami folded letter inside it. And don't even get me started on the Dr. Who themed items....
I can't wait to see if the postwoman brings me something awesome tomorrow!
The second purchase was a roll of custom mailing labels. I hesitated on buying these at first, but after browsing the internet, I came across a coupon for half off the printing cost. When I attempted to design them, they offered me free shipping. I couldn't resist, and the mailing labels arrived on Saturday. For something that cost me about $7 in total, I really can't complain.
Part of the day was spent thinking about ways that I could improve and/or create my own custom stationery. The more I thought about it - the more I favored the idea. Why should I break my budget purchasing stationery that catches my eye, when I can create my own for a fraction of the cost. Thanks to some very helpful comments on this blog, I've found tons of resources on the internet for ways I can achieve the look I want. Will I never buy stationery? No, I can't say that. I know I will be purchasing some when my tax returns arrive (as well as my much desired TWSBI Diamond 540), but for now, as long as I am enjoying the writing experience with the supplies that I have, why should I change it?
Of course, then I go to Etsy and see a lot of hand made awesomeness, and I fight the urge to get out the credit card. Etsy also has given me lots of ideas of what I could do to include little gifts and surprises with my letters, which is something I've wanted to do since the first letter I received included a tiny Japanese stationery envelope and an origami folded letter inside it. And don't even get me started on the Dr. Who themed items....
I can't wait to see if the postwoman brings me something awesome tomorrow!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)