Penpal of the Week #27

Today, meet our first Penpal of the Week from New Zealand: Steviie! But before you read her interview, I just want to say that I'm looking for more people who would like to be featured on my blog, so if you're interested in being Penpal of the Week, please reply to this post with your email address. Thanks!

1. Please tell us about you!

I'm so excited to have the chance to be interviewed :]

Well, my name is Steviie Nicole Sky Smith, I took my first breath on August 26th 1990 @ 10:27am which makes me 19! I'm currently working as an office assistant, but trained in the field of hair and make up (which I love! I have a huge passion for fashion :]) I am living in Auckland, New Zealand, and have done so ALL my life, I love living here but would love to visit the US and the UK one day! I live with my Mom, Step Dad and Baby brother Kyle (4). I also have another brother, Slaine (15) who lives with our dad. He visits once a fortnight.

Me and my brothers.

My mum is a BIG part of my life, she is more like a sister :] I can tell her anything and I never have to worry about her getting mad, she is always happy to help with anything that I need, she is very selfless and always looks out for us kids before thinking about herself. She is 1 in a million and I'm so very glad she is my mum :]

My Mum (My Rock).

Leonie - Is my BFF :] We have been friends since high school, we have had a lot of ups and downs but I know she will always be there for me and I love her sooo much!! She is also the mother of my goddaughter Kaylah :]

Me and my BFF Leonie =] Back when we were just 15!

I Love Fashion/Hair & Make Up/Celebrities - I've always got new Make Up tips on my Interpals page :] I've got a few really cool tricks and tips so I like to share so everyone can use them!! & I take requests, if there is anything anyone wants to know about I don't mind helping out!!

I'm a reality TV addict! I LOVE MTV & VH1 & E! Reality Shows - I'm in love with Holly, Bridget & Kendra from "The Girls Next Door". In fact I love anything and everything Playboy :] I'm also a huge movie buff! There's nothing better then snuggling up in bed watching a really good DVD on a cold rainy night. I mostly enjoy comedies and chick flicks, but I have a huge collection of dance movies (Step Up, You Got Served, Stomp the Yard, Honey) and old classics (Godfather, Scarface).


I really love the artist "Callowlily", I think the work she does is amazing. There is not a single piece of hers that I don't like, her style is so glamorous and colorful and so just amazing :D I plan on some day soon getting a portrait tattoo of one of her pieces Some Day! I have two tattoos at the moment, "Faith" on my left wrist & a barcode on the back of my neck 0 with the numbers symbolic of my birthday and birthplace.

My 2 tattoos (that I love! I wanted them for about a year b4 I actually got them).

I'm pretty sure that's the big stuff :] but you can read more on my Interpals page!!


2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

Shy - At first, but once you get to know me you cannot keep me quiet!!

Creative - I LOVE to make things, whether it be painting, writing (poems/letters/stories), decorating I love to create things!

Funny - I love to laugh, I love to watch stand up comedy and hope to do my own someday :] I love telling and hearing funny stories and sharing jokes! What do you call cheese that isn't yours?! NACHO CHEESE :D love it!

Caring - I tend to quite quickly get to know someone and really like them and care for them and care how they are :]

Childish (in a good way lol) - I love to watch Disney channel :] Hannah Montana, Zoey 101, Wizards Of Waverly Place :]

Determined - Once I start something I have to finish it. There's nothing better than the feeling of actually completing something and being proud of it.


Ditzy - Sometimes I'm sooo ditzy, I don't think before I say and believe me! I pay for it when my family and friends tease me about it :]

Crazy - I'm the girl who will do or say anything to make my friends laugh, I will do something crazy just so you will stop being sad!! :]

Sarcastic - Seriously Sarcasm is my 2nd language!! :]

Awesome - Just ask my mom :]


3. How long have you been penpalling? How did you first start? Tell us about your first penpal!

I am sort of still a newbie at the whole snail mailing thing :] but so far I LOVE IT! I started in June/July, I found Interpals and made some really great friends, I've always wanted to snail mail, but never knew how. My mum has 2 penpals from the US which she has been writing to for 15 years!!! I KNOW! Crazy! So she's always made me want to snail mail :] It's so exciting getting mail! I'm quite shy usually but I feel like in letters I can be myself and to my close penpals can be confident and share everything and anything with them. It's a very nice feeling :]

As for my FIRST penpal? Hmm I think I started a few at the same time but I think it would have been Elizabeth from California :] She is just like me! We love the same things, have so much in common and I find that I can always write pages and pages to her and she does the same :] We spill everything to each other, she's definitely a best friend.


4. How many penpals do you have now and where are they from?

Right now, I think I have about 10 penpals. 2 in Australia - Emma & Sarah - who I can always have a laugh with and can talk about anything for advice or just a shoulder to cry on :]

Hayley from the UK - is amazing, she is soo sweet and cares so much about everyone, she is such a nice person =]

Mandy, Elizabeth, Shelly, Monica, Lesley Ann, Jaze & Sabrina - are all great girls, so funny and sweet and soo creative :]

Whitney from North Carolina IS AWESOME! She is very artistic and is actually in the middle of making me a "Callowlily" inspired portrait, I've seen a sneak peak and I am so overwhelmed with how amazingly talented she is and I cannot wait to hang it on my wall :]

Callowlily art

I also have a few newer penpals that I am JUST getting to know, but can already tell that we will be friends for such a long time =]


5. What are your favorite topics to discuss in letters?

I like to think that I can pretty much talk about anything! BUT! I love to talk about current events (celebrity current events that is :P) What's going on in my life *and my penpals :] likes, dislikes, Movies, TV Shows, Music, Books, Events and whatever else I happen to think about while writing :]

I always like to add in stuff to my letters to make them that much nice to receive, I've started putting quizzes and pix of hot athletes and really pretty postcards into my letters :] So nice when you get to read a letter and then see all this amazing stuff too :] Gives you heaps to write back about!

Make up! One of my big loves.

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

Someone who I can relate to in some way or another. Someone who shares similar interests, a penpal who writes at least 2 pages if not more, it costs $2.30 to send a letter so I'd prefer to not get 1 paged letters! When they are longer I have more to write back with :]

And mostly someone who I can tell anything to and get advice from and tell them about my stinky day and have them make me smile and feel better and vice versa :]


7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

I like knowing that I am sending someone a letter that I know they will really enjoy. Filled with jokes and funny stories and pictures of hot guys (LOL) and cool things I've found that I know they would love to see :]

I also love the stationary! As silly as that sounds! I love seeing all the different types of really cute paper and pens and stickers other people can get. At the moment I'm trying desperately to find some "Playboy" paper and envelopes, I can't seem to find any! That's okay though I have other cute paper :]

Sample of my letters.

8. In what language(s) do you correspond?

Unfortunately I can only speak English BUT I've started learning Samoan and can teach you some if you like! Oh and want to learn Italian!!


9. What are some of your habits in regards to letter writing?

Well, when I receive a letter I can't help but read it ASAP and usually I would reply straight after reading, though if I know I won't have time I put it to one side until I know I have time to write a good letter.

I write my letters while sitting on my bed watching tv - while leaning on the box where I keep all my stationary :] I like to send letters as soon as I'm finsihed writing and will always reply within 2 - 3 days. Then off the letter goes at the post office!!

My handwriting sample.

10. Has anything strange/funny ever happened to you since you've been penpalling?

I once was asked if I would send snail mail to someone's brother who was in prison, I considered it but I just couldn't. I didn't feel like I would have much in common with someone in that position and so I declined.


11. Have you met any of your penpals?

No! But I would love to one day :] Maybe when I win the lottery I will go on a Pen Pal World Tour :D


12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

I'm not looking but I would never say no to anyone that asked and I thought that we would get along :] I'm always open to meeting new people and I love to send letters so if anyone is reading this and would perhaps like to be my penpal definitely get in contact with me :]


Thank you, Steviie!

Julie xox

It's my birthday and I'm giving YOU a gift!

In honor of my 30th birthday, I'm having a "buy 2 get 1 free" sale in my store this weekend!


Just purchase 2 letter sets (any size - mini or regular) and get 1 mini letter set for free - a $6 value! Please don't actually buy the free set - when checking out, let me know in the "message to seller" which mini letter set you'd like me to include with your order.


Sale ends on Monday. In the meantime, I'll be stuffing my face with sushi and white wine! Happy birthday to me!


Have a great weekend everyone!

Julie xox

Stationery Finds #2 - 2010 Calendars

I do celebrate Christmas, but not in a religious way at all. It doesn't have a deep meaning for me. My son spends the 24th of December with his dad's side of the family, so for the last couple of years it was just me, my boyfriend and my mom.

The New Year, however, is another story. I always look forward to the start of another year. I love making resolutions that I usually end up keeping, for the most part! :) And with every month of December comes the search for the perfect calendar. This time, let me show you some treasures that I found on Etsy! If you see something that you like, just click on the picture to see the actual listing.

Remember Anne-Julie from TheNebulousKingdom that I featured last week? Well, I can't help it, she's one of my favorite artists. Her calendar is simply gorgeous.



Another gorgeous calendar is by Elizabeth from immortallongings. Her Shakespeare illustrations are stunning!



Suzanne from gorjuss is definitely another artist that I admire. The little girls she draws are adorable!



There are 4 printable calendars in ahtamtam's shop, illustrator from Hong Kong, and my favorite is the butterfly one.



If you prefer to have your calendar in French, Caroline and Veronic from carottelychee have a wonderful little desk calendar for you that is also available in English. These best friends live in Montreal so they're practically my neighbors!



Flora from floradouville, who's an artist from France, also has calendars available in both languages. Her designs are simple and very pretty!



This wall calendar by lettercdesign would be perfect for kids (big and small) who love animals.



These funny little animals by falldowntree would be sure to make anyone smile! Aren't they cute?!



Speaking of cute animals, I wish I could adopt one of Megan's creatures from mdstudio. I love the lion!



And for the cat lovers out there, my friend Cathy from cathypeng offers her miniature calendar in 12 different designs. I can't decide if I like Clever Kitty or Mustache Kitty better! Which one is your favorite?



Since we're on the topic of glasses and mustaches, let me show you this funky little calendar by Jenny from behappynow.



This calendar featuring the 4 season men by Anna and Gareth from ableandgame makes me giggle!



If you love public libraries like me, consider getting this funny calendar by Leonie from yesterdaysclothes.



Another one that makes me laugh is the 2010 Calendar of Silly Holidays by Annica from dirtybandits.



For those who like the vintage look, this small calendar by Melissa from prettylittlestudio is a gem.



This one by Valerie from Cabin is just as adorable and it comes with a wooden mini easel stand!



Be the first to purchase a calendar from IntervalGallery! This new store currently has 2 different calendars and this First Aid one is my favorite.



If you prefer to print your own calendar, TayloredArts has wonderful children's illustrations for you to look at all year long!



Looking for something different and unique? This 2010 Menstrual Lunar Calendar by Danae from vivalacraft will help you follow your menstrual cycles and it fits in your wallet!



If you've been following this blog for a little while, the fact that I love sushi is no longer a secret for you. You won't be surprised if I tell you that this Sushi Magic Calendar by Stephanie from stephanielevy is making me drool!



I know that a lot of people like kawaii stuff, so here's a calendar featuring a cute panda by Paulie from parochena. This talented illustrator from the UK is only 18 - impressive, isn't it?!



Ana Isabel, a Spanish illustrator, also designs cute characters. You can get them as purses in her store lovelia or in print on her 2010 calendar!



This giglee calendar by joojoo is too sweet for words! I love the soft, pretty pastel colors.



This mini calendar is made from 12 ACEO art cards and comes with a wood block! Get it from Danita of danitashop who offers free shipping to her American customers for a limited time.



Have you ever seen an accordion calendar? This one by yaelfran is lovely!



In honor of Louis-Justin who loves nice monsters (not the mean ones!), here's a cute printable calendar by Daphne from lacravatteduchien.



For those who prefer simple, geometric, black and white patterns, the two sisters from PAWLING have the perfect calendar for you!



Finally, printing and coloring this calendar can be a fun project for you and your child! Get it from Whitney of AfricanGrey who also offers printed calendars in her shop.



Wow, 28 different calendars by 28 talented artists and designers! I hope you enjoyed my selection! Which one(s) would you get for the New Year?

Julie xox

Kitties!

I recently received a cute postcard from a girl in Finland.


She sent it for the Cat Postcard Swap organized by The Missive Maven on Swap-bot.


I've been thinking about posting more mail-related photos. Would anyone like that? :)

Julie xox

Tomato Grocery List

My new magnetic grocery list has finally been listed in my shop! Click on any image to see the listing and item description.






Order now to get it in time for Christmas!

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #26

Today, let's meet Caroline from the UK!

1. Please tell us about you!

My name is Caroline, I'm 33 years old and I'm mum to nearly 7 year old Jasmine. We live here in Gloucester with my husband Dave. Dave is 40, an I.T. Consultant and has 2 children from his previous marriage, Rhiannon, 11 and Daniel, 9. They both live with their mum but we usually see them every Sunday. I met Dave on an online dating site called Loopy Love, 3 1/2 years ago and we got married in April of this year. I can honestly say it was the best day of my life.

Me and Jasmine after the wedding ceremony.

I don't work at the moment, I actually stood down 7 weeks ago from my last job as a Weight Watchers Leader, which I'd been doing for a year and a half. But I could feel my weight beginning to creep on so I decided that stepping down would be in my best interests. We're about to move house so I will look for work once that is over with.

Our pets include a cat, a hamster and 2 Guinea Pigs. My main hobbies are pen palling, Facebook and Penpals-United. You can find me on Facebook or Interpals.


2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

Ooooh this is a hard one.

Thoughtful - I think about others a lot, whether it be seeing something I think someone will like while I'm out shopping, or wondering how people are.

Honest - I don't like lying to people, I wouldn't expect it to be done to me, which is why I don't lie to others. I may not tell people everything on what I'm really thinking but I certainly wouldn't lie. Honesty is always best as the truth always outs itself in the end!!

Negative - I'm very much a glass half empty kind of person, and believe in worst case scenarios - that way if something goes completely the opposite, I'm pleasantly surprised.

Outspoken - I used to be very introvert due to not wanting to cause a scene - that was before I lost a lot of weight. I now stand up for myself, and complain if I need to.

Maternal - I love my daughter like I never thought it possible to love someone. She is a mini me!

Happy - Since meeting Dave, my life has done a complete U - turn. I am now over 100lbs lighter than I used to be, and I have a place where I can call home. I have fabulous friends and a loving family. I do still have the occasional off day though, I'm only human!!

Me and Dave on an evening out back in July for my birthday.

Funny - I have a good sense of humour, can be a dry, sarcastic kind of wit, but I do love the good old belly ache laugh! I like to see people laughing.

Needy - When I say needy, I mean it in the way that I love to be liked. I hate the thought of someone I know not liking me, for whatever reason. Saying that, if somebody doesn't know me, I'm not bothered by what they think of me.

Loyal - I stick by my friends and my family, unless I'm well and truly stabbed in the back. Luckily that's not happened too much in my life.

Forgiving - I like to think I'm a very forgiving person - don't get me wrong, I won't let someone walk all over me, but if I think a person is truly sorry, then I try my best to forgive them.


3. How long have you been penpalling? How did you first start? Tell us about your first penpal!

This time around I've been pen palling for 6 1/2 years. I did used to pen pal in my teens too, I really can't remember how it started. I think my very first penpal was a boy called Marcel, he was from Germany, but that's about all I can remember as it was about 21 years ago now.

When I took it back up 6 1/2 years ago, I was in a relationship with my daughter's dad, it was a very lonely relationship and I had very few friends, if any, so I decided to take up pen palling again.

This was taken at a friend's wedding a couple of weeks back
and it's the most recent photo of myself I have.

4. How many penpals do you have now and where are they from?

I have about 45, some aren't regular writers though, in that they send a letter once or twice a year. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a pen pal collector and I know real life comes first. Most of my pals are from the UK but I do have some from America, Germany, Russia, France and Spain.


5. What are your favorite topics to discuss in letters?

What I've been doing since I last wrote, normal every day stuff, and I can sometimes be "deep" and talk about past experiences. I like to ask questions, and just like to write a really chatty letter. I can also be quite random too.

Emsi, me and Sar at my wedding reception.
Emsi and Sar are 2 of my penpals, and they're fab!
I'd have had the majority of my pals there if I'd had my way!

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

Somebody that I can "click" with, have a real connection. A true friend who I can confide in if I need to.

Somebody who will write more than 2 sides of A5 paper, you can't possibly click with someone who writes something so short.

Someone who will write when they can - I don't expect people to write straight away, as I certainly don't. As long as they write when they can, that's fine with me.


7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

Getting a letter through the post, creating real friendships with people, just everything about pen palling is brilliant.

This photo of me, Jasmine and Debbie was taken on the last
Penpals-United meet up in August.

8. In what language(s) do you correspond?

Just English I'm afraid. I learnt French at school but it was so long ago, the majority of it has been forgotten.


9. What are some of your habits in regards to letter writing?

I love using pretty paper, I buy a lot of my stationery from Janetstore, plus I also use stickers to decorate the plain sides of the paper I'm writing on. But I don't expect that from my pen pals - I don't mind what paper their reply is on, it's what is in their letter that counts, not what is on it.

I also like to use glitter or metallic gel pens, and also fountain pens as I just love the way they write. I tend to write when I have the time as I don't want it feeling like a chore, as there's no way you could possibly enjoy it then.

I usually tend to hand write my letters but there has been the odd occasion where I've typed it. I wouldn't send someone a typed letter if I knew they didn't like typed letters.

This stationery is just a small amount of what I have sitting in my cupboard,
I will honestly never need to buy paper ever again but hey ho, I will!!

10. Has anything strange/funny ever happened to you since you've been penpalling?

Not hugely, although I did once have someone send me weird newspaper articles, religious leaflets, and those fizzy exploding things that melt on your tongue, all in the same envelope. There was no letter in it either. Strange!!


11. Have you met any of your penpals?

I certainly have! The first penpal I met was my friend Kathryn, at the age of 17, she came to my 18th birthday party too. We stayed in touch for about 3 years before losing contact, but recently were reunited via Facebook and I went and met up with her again in August of this year which was lovely.

Me and Kathryn meeting up for the first time in 14 years.

I've also got a good friendship with my pal Elaine who used to live a 20 minute drive from me when I lived in Essex, we used to meet every couple of weeks or so, and I last saw her on Halloween weekend where I met her 10 day old daughter.

Two of my other penpals, Sarah J and Emsi came to my wedding reception, plus I've also met up a couple of times with Debbie, Nicola, and Kelly from Penpals-United. When I go to Leicester, I usually meet up with another penpal of mine, Sarah and I've also met a few other pals at another penpal meet.


12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

This is the part where I should say no, as I have enough already. But I can never resist a long chatty letter..............

Yes, I know what you mean - it IS hard to resist! Thank you for the nice interview, Caroline!

Would anyone be interested in being featured as Penpal of the Week on my blog during the holidays? If so, please let me know!

Julie xox

Stationery Finds #1 - Christmas Cards

As of today, there will be a new weekly feature on my blog!

Every Monday = Penpal of the Week
Every Thursday = Stationery Finds

I'm starting this today (during the weekend) instead of next Thursday because my first theme is Christmas cards and the holidays are quickly approaching... So if anyone wants to buy cards, now is the time!

There will be a new theme every week (letter sets, envelopes, cats, notepads, stickers, vegetables, love, tags, etc) and I'll only feature handmade products by fellow designers, artists and small business owners. Nothing commercial / industrial! Just items made with love and care! :)

So let me start with these gorgeous Winter Wonderland greeting cards by TheNebulousKingdom. Anne-Julie is a talented artist from France who mostly sells prints and paper products.



I also love this set of 4 cards by artractions from Budapest. Watercolor is so pretty!



Another wonderful illustrator from Europe is Livia from Romania. You can see her artwork in her store SmallPaintings. Here is one of her Christmas card sets!



Lyndsey from LyndseyRyanDesign has some awesome pinup greeting cards in her shop, but today I wanted to show you her Snowy Cardinal Holiday Greeting Card.



Cardinal being my boyfriend's last name, I had to search for more of these beautiful birds and I found a lovely card by Blakeswork. The best part? It comes with a cute handmade ornament.



Priscilla from Lockette makes her cards with fabric! I especially like this set with mittens.



Michelle from bubblyshnooks has such a fun, vibrant, colorful style! Don't you just want a hug from that cute polar bear?!



My friend Helena from littlemoandfriends has a great selection of stationery in her eco-friendly store. I sometimes forget that not everyone has snow in December, so this card is fantastic for people who aren't used to having a White Christmas!



And for those who like vintage looking stuff, these repurposed collage cards by StoriesDivinations are perfect.



This is just one of belleandboo's adorable Christmas cards - you definitely have to visit Mandy's store to look at them all!



Sarah Jane from sarahjanestudios has a shop full of delightful children illustrations. This Christmas card reminds me of how childhood should be: joyful and carefree.



Christmas postcards are wonderful too! I love this set of 5 by thelightgarden. Verity is an artist from Australia who now lives in Turkey.



More holiday postcards, this time by penpalsink. And they're recycled!



My mom collects turtles, so I'm always on the lookout for turtle stuff. Here's a funny card by shopheartsandanchors.



Miki from FreshLemonBlossoms handmade these pretty mini notecards. She also makes beautiful holiday gift tags!



Penny from pocketcarnival has some cute characters who wear funky hats. Here's a pack of 3 Christmas cards.



Finally, meet Sleepy Monster, Knitting Monster, Santa Monster and Baker Monster! These adorable creatures are created by Jannie from ChickengirlDesign.



That's it for this time! I hope you enjoyed my selection of Christmas cards! Which one is your favorite?

Julie xox