Hello Monday.

[I feel like this image perfectly articulates the mediocrity of early Monday mornings...]

Monday can be a tough day to start any week, but I feel that today was particularly hard. I have nothing to complain about by any means, but something about the combination of the early morning snowfall making outside a little bit darker, and the late night last night made this morning...not my favourite.

But the day was to come, and I got up, headed out, and now here I am again. Things were crazy during the day, no mail graced my mailbox, and yet--it's now about seven-thirty eastern standard time, and I'm feeling good. Good enough to write some letters.
Pen pals?

I hope that your day has been just as wonderfully busy and rewarding.

Send mail--
Ms. Always Traveling

Newness | 2013

Throughout the months of January and February, I was given some lovely new (antique) stamps from members of my family (thank you very much, loving family!) and my good pal Bill the Postman who works at my local post office.
Each one is gorgeous, and, since I was lucky enough to also receive a beautiful stamp holder (!!), I am able to keep all of the gorgeousness in one place.

 The stamp holder itself, a Standard, is gorgeous. Some of the stamp-holding prongs are bent out of shape, but I love it nonetheless. Nuances provide character, no?

Each of the stamps that situate themselves in the stamp holder--and there is a perfect amount of stamps (great thinking, lovely family!)--are gorgeous. Case in point, "Insured", a stamp from Bill at the post office.

The "Air Mail" stamp is another treat from Bill-y boy, while the "Past Due", a little unorthodox compared to the rest of the collection, was a family gift.

 

As you can see, the stamp is a self-inking press down stamp, and it has a gorgeous font PLUS a cute, little mini hand and lovely spiel: "This account has no doubt escaped your notice. Will you please favor us with a [illegible] by return mail and oblige?" Love it.

A more traditional stamp, this one has already been used on multiple occasions as the return label on my letters. Love it.

And two more beauties! The top one (complete with purple ink--oops!) was a gift from my family, and the bottom on a kind offering from Bill.

It makes me very happy to know that these stamps were once used by postal/office employees somewhere in the world back in the day. And it makes me even more happy to know that they are now safe in my collection.

Antiques, you make me happy.
~ Ms. Always Traveling

Outgoing | February

This month has been one of wonderful letters. Prepare yourself, because this post is a long (gorgeous) one! :) Mail and stamps are two words that bring music to my ears--and with the new postage stamp selection, the outgoings this year about to get a little more LOUD!'

A batty outgoing to A. in United States.

A birthday "Celebration!" on its way to A. in United States.

A funky aerogramme on its way to B. in United States.

A letter on its way to D. in United States...

...complete with NEW Fort Sumter stamp!

A letter on its way to K. in Canada.

A letter on its way to A. in Australia.

And some of the GORGEOUS stamps that I lovingly adorned A. and K.'s envelopes with!

A package for L. (United States) made out of a USPS stamp envelope.

Some more outgoing love!

A letter to E. in United States (missing a stamp, I know)

A letter to G. in United States.

...and the back of G's letter.

A circus-themed letter on its way to J. in United States.

This letter was inspired by one that I saw on the fish-mail-art blog. Stamp from the Modern Choreographers collection.

Letter on its way to S. in Australia.

And the back -- adorned using one of my new (antique) stamps!

What mail have you sent this month?
Has it been LOVEly?

~ Ms. Always Traveling

Lady Bird Challenge | One and Two

As I mentioned earlier this month, I bought a pane of Lady Bird Johnson stamps and intended to use them each on a different letter. I also noted that I would document my journey with the six wonderful stamps.
True to my word, here are the first two.

Both pieces are outgoing pieces to Australia (and so both will, obviously, require more postage than what is documented so far on these envelopes) and both are going to people that I think will appreciate the pretty stamps.

The first is a more purple-toned piece, which goes perfectly with the purple and pink-tinted envelope.
Headed to penpal S. in Australia, here is number one:

The second is a more green-yellow piece whose colours match perfectly with the colours of the envelope and written address. The back of the letter includes some stamping from some gorgeous new (to my collection) antique stamps. Headed to friend E. in Australia, here is number two:

What do you think? Have I done the first two Lady Bird stamps justice?
I hope you'll stay with this series as a conquer the next four!

Send with a purpose--
~ Ms. Always Traveling

An Able Quote

Here is a little bit of inspiration for your day.
(I'll be posting four longer posts today in addition to this one: Lady Bird Challenge | One and Two, Incoming | Feb 2013, Outgoing | Feb 2013, Newness | Jan-Feb 2013. I do hope you'll check them out!)

"To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides." ~ David Viscott

 

Have a wonderful day!
~ Ms. Always Traveling

The LOVEliest day.

I do not take credit for this graphic. It belongs to some other wonderfully creative individual. I just appreciate the loveliness of it.

Happy Valentine's Day.
Did you send out MAIL LOVE?
I did.
I'll post it for you to see very soon.

Spread love--
~ Ms. Always Traveling

The Lady Bird Challenge

It started with a pane of stamps.
And it shall end with six beautiful pieces of mail.

That's right, I've created a bit of a challenge for myself: to create six pieces of mail that directly relate to the "Lady Bird Johnson 1912 - 2012 Centennial" stamp pane!

I will use all six stamps to construct six separate pieces of mail, and send them off into the world!

Watch this space...

Send more mail--
~ Ms. Always Traveling

Outgoing One | February

Here are just some of the many outgoings I have created in these first two months of the New Year! I have to say, I am trying a bunch of new things! From washi-wonders to cartoon collections, to hand-drawn illustrations that encapsulate my feelings in the moment! I can't express enough my deep love of the wonderful handwritten note/letter/anything and everything.

A green+dots inspired letter for L., in the States.

Adorned with one of my favourite stamp collections EVER.

It's kinda crazy how the different washi expressions can all fit together. My aim for this letter was to make sure that the stamp and the other envelope decorations all matched nicely. (I think they did, don't you?)

A pink+beaches inspired letter for M., in the States.

A close-up in on the beachy couple!

A reminder of the nature of the envelope!

Adorned with one of my last Love stamps for the 2012 stamp program!

An "I-Miss-You" to my dear friend T., in Australia.

I've always acknowledged that international letters deserve excess stampage. Go big or go...bigger.

A spread-love inspired letter for penpal S., in the States.

We should all make sure we are always actively spreading the love.

And the perfect match to a LOVEly letter; A Love stamp!

And quite possibly my favourite outgoing so far this month, a hand-drawn envelope of a lighthouse. I love how the lighthouse turned out, plus the simplicity of the colours. When I drew it out, the envelope was not yet folded--so the water goes onto the back and turns into a paintdrip effect. Kinda spooky!

I LOVE how the lighthouse turned out!

And the stamp matches perfectly, don't you think? Got to love those stamps. So beautiful. "Earthscapes" -- I'll miss you stamps!!

I will post my incoming here soon, as well as more of my outgoing!
What do you think of these ones?
Send mail--spread love.
~ Ms. Always Traveling