We've Got Paper

I have moved... My new blog is up!

2011-08-03T00:54:00.001-04:00

Grand Opening of La Papierre!

2010-11-30T21:38:00.000-05:00

My new online store is now finally open! Check out all my new letter sets here: La Papierre!

Julie xox

Survey

2010-08-16T08:59:00.000-04:00

Clearance - the shop is closing!

2010-03-11T12:55:00.001-05:00

(Click on the image to start shopping!)

I'm sorry for being out of touch lately... Too many things going on in my life at the moment! I'm leaving for Mexico next week and I promise a big update when I come back.

We've Got Paper is closing, but I'll open a new online stationery shop with new designs as soon as possible.

Penpal of the Week interviews should be posted again after my vacation.

I should be more active starting April. Stay tuned!

Julie xox

I'm on Etsy's front page!

2010-02-27T22:50:00.000-05:00

I'm glad that I'm still awake, because my Mini Juicy Kiwi Letter Set is currently on the front page of Etsy!

So far I've sold 7 items (in the last 30 minutes or so). Yay! I hope to get more orders tonight...

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #36

2010-02-22T10:34:00.000-05:00

This week, we have our first Penpal of the Week from Indonesia: Tiya.

1. Please tell us about you!

Hello everyone! :D

I am excited to be here and get the chance to introduce myself and my HUGE hobby of snail mailing! :D

So, my name is Tiya and am from Indonesia. Indonesia is one of the countries in South East Asia. I live in an island called Java, but originally from the most southern part of the country called Papua. Papua is one of the five big provinces in Indonesia and there are more than 250 tribes in it, with their own languages. Mine is called Biak and I have been trying to learn it. But we have a national language called Indonesian, that has enabled us to communicate with each other throughout the country. :D

Sun Flower is my favorite flower.
This picture of mine was taken in Singapore Airport.

I love learning languages. I speak Indonesian, English, a bit of Biak and Dutch and am learning Korean at the moment. It is so hard but it challenges me to use a better strategy. :D I am also interested in Sociology and Community Development and really hope that I can go back to school to learn more of the subjects one day. :D

I collect anything about Winnie the Pooh, and also collect pencils, pens and yellow notepads.

2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

I got the following description about myself from a Facebook quiz that I took and when I read it I was like "This is so me. They even know my favorite color which is Green" :D, so I think I would write it here. :D

My hometown, Papua. It is Pacific behind us.

"You are Green! You tend to be a little more introverted than extroverted - while you love being with your friends, you still need your "you" time. You are probably a rather laid back, zen sort of person, unless you get a good kick of energy; then you can be crazy fun! You know when to lie down and let someone take the lead, but if you feel strongly about something, you're not afraid to stand up for it! You are compassionate and like plants. You may be a little off-beat, and feel like not many people really see the depth in your personality. You would rather keep things on a superficial level that other people can understand than show the deeper side of yourself. You, in a nutshell: Cool, energized, balanced, strong, zen, deep, intelligent, logical and compassionate."

Another view of one of the beaches in Papua.

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

I first started penpalling around the age of 13. My first penpal was a girl called Bethany from America. But she actually lived in Indonesia for a few years, so we got to meet a few times. We kept in touch after she returned to America, but then lost in touch for a few years and just recently found each other on Facebook.

I also had a few other penpals from the Netherlands, Japan, and Italy. I completely lost in touch with the ones from Japan, but just got back in touch with the ones from Italy and the Netherlands, which has been exciting. :D

Me with my two good friends. I am the one on the right.

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

Right now I have 20 penpals. Most of them I met through Interpals (my profile name there is tiya2480).

They are from the States, Finland, Switzerland, Estonia, Japan, Canada, Austria, Hungary, Russia, Croatia, Poland, Sweden, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands.

I really enjoy writing and getting news from each of them, learning about their lives and cultures. I really hope we all will stay in touch for years to come. :D

A sample of my handwriting.

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

The lives of my friends, what they have been through and share the excitement and sadness, the culture differences, ways of thinking on things that some take for granted, languages and new stationary stuff and to include some of this in the letter, so they can get the idea what I talk about. :D

Me with the Javanese dancers.

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

Penpals who want to have a long-term friendship, who will not disappear after a few letters, who enjoy the friendship and have mutual respect and simply paying attention in the communication by writing regularly.

Me at Borobudur temple. It used to be one of the wonders in the world.

7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

The unique friendship that has built through the letters, getting to know some people who live in other parts of the world and the awesome feeling of opening a mail box and seeing letters came all the way from other countries, written by people who think about you and spend time to write you.

Borobudur Temple

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

English and Dutch.

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

I like to write letters on my desk, facing this wall full of pictures of my friends and family and so many different Winnie the pooh cards, stickers, sun flowers and leaves.

When I get a letter, I write back right away. I don't want my penpals to wait too long, the longest for me to write back would be three days after receiving it. :D

My friend and I are hiking to the top. This is one of the many
mountains that you can hike in the area where I live, Central Java.

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

I mentioned earlier about my early penpal who lives in the Netherlands. It has been ages since we were in touch. And out of nowhere, in fact just last month, I got a message sent through a penpal site we are members of, asking whether I was the Tiya whom she used to write. And you have no idea how excited I was to find out that she's my long lost penpal friend! :D It has been awesome to be in touch with her and hopefully we won't be missing each other again! :D

11. Have you met any of your penpals?

I got to meet my first penpal, Bethany, a few times. However, I did not get to take pictures of us.

I have not met my new penpals yet, but I hope one day we will. :D

Some of my stationary stuff.

12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

Yes, there is always room for new penpals. So yeah, I would be happy to get to know more people. Just write me at tiya2480@yahoo.com or my Interpals.

Thanks a lot, Julie, for the interview. It's been really fun!! :D

Thanks to you, Tiya, for answering my questions!

I'm looking for a couple of people who would like to be featured as Penpal of the Week on my blog in the coming weeks, so if you're interested, please let me know!

Julie xox

Mexico!

2010-02-21T12:57:00.004-05:00

I'm feeling much better already, thanks to Nicolas and my mom who took care of Louis-Justin and a sweet guy named Martin who entertained me during countless hours on MSN over the last few days.

I'll be leaving for Mexico in less than a month! I lost at least 15 pounds over the last 2 months, so I should feel less self-conscious in my bikinis this year. I'm going with Louis-Justin and my mom, at the same resort as March 2009 and March 2008.

I wonder if my little cat friends will still be there. I didn't notice them the first year, but last year they were all over the place so I took billions of pictures... And a woman told me that she had been seeing the same cats for years and had been feeding them too!

I love kitties! I also fell in love with the coatis. They apparently like nachos. Isn't this little fellow totally adorable?!

Louis-Justin is also getting excited about our trip. He actually started talking about it several months ago! Look how happy he was last year!

This one cracks me up. My little guy looks like a star!

And I love these portraits that I took on the day that we left.

I'll be gone from March 17 to March 26. I can't wait!

Julie xox

P.S.: 100 followers, woohoo!

Flu!

2010-02-19T11:57:00.000-05:00

Remember when I said that Louis-Justin was really sick? Well, now it's my turn! Cough + sore throat + runny nose + fever + asthma = not a good combination.

See you in a few days!

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #35

2010-02-15T10:07:00.003-05:00

This time, let's say hello to Nina from Switzerland!

1. Please tell us about you!

First of all I'd like to thank Julie for featuring me as Pen Pal of the Week! I'm really excited to do this and I hope you will enjoy reading my interview!

My name is Nina Chiara ("Kiara") and I'm a 22 year-old student from Switzerland. I'm currently studying Political Science and Anthropology but honestly, I don't think I'll actually graduate in these subjects. I'm thinking something a little more artsy might suit me much better!

On my 22nd birthday. I love this picture, it shows me at my best – laughing!

I live in a tiny village surrounded by forests, fields and the Swiss Alps. I absolutely love the nature and the view (I'm neighbors with a bunch of horses) but I wouldn't mind living a bit closer to Zurich, where I go to university, the movies, the opera, the theater, etc.

I still live at home with my parents and younger brother. Rent is incredibly expensive in Zurich and I don't have a job right now. Nevertheless, I'd love to move closer to the big city! I've lived in Barcelona and Vancouver so far and although I miss nature sometimes, I adore big city life.

View from our balcony.

My family is really crazy, we always say we should do a reality show like the Osbournes and we'd have tons of success :-D

We've got 5 pets, 3 cats and 2 turtles. I love cats very much and cannot imagine a life without cats in it!

I'm in love with music. I play the piano every day, I sing and sometimes I play around on my brother's guitar, although I really don't know how to play the guitar. I love music I can listen to with my heart and soul and I've found that in the music of Tori Amos. Of course I also like other artists such as Alanis Morissette, Bob Dylan, Mark Knopfler, Ani Difranco, classical and world music.

One of my biggest hobbies is writing letters, of course. I write about 4 letters a week when I'm on vacation and maybe one a week when I'm in university. Feel free to check out my Interpals profile.

Other hobbies of mine are drawing and painting – I can lose myself in a project for hours and really forget everything around me. I also love to go to the movies, the theater, concerts and operas. It's a pity that so few young people are interested in classical music!

Back when I still had long hair. Close to the opera house in Zurich.

I'm a big bookworm! My favorite author is Virginia Woolf but I read anything from Dostojewskij to Kathy Reichs. You could say that music and literature are two of my biggest passions in life.

I've basically been acting all my life. It's only recently that I've stopped because I haven't found a good drama group yet but I'm determined to keep theater arts in my life.

I'm a real globetrotter, mostly due to my parents who took me on a trip for the first time when I was barely 4 months old. I love discovering new and exciting places where I can listen to languages I don't understand and get to know people who lead lives that are very different from mine. No matter where I go in the world, however, I always find evidence supporting my most valuable conviction: that all people are the same. We might speak different languages, like different things, look different, lead our lives according to different religions and mores; but in our hearts we're exactly the same human beings longing for love and connections and a way to live our lives in a meaningful manner.

The country that has affected me the most is Kenya. It has shown me that happiness is not connected to anything material, it is simply a way of life.

The country that has given me most is Canada. Nowhere can I be myself the way I can with my Canadian friends and some day – sooner rather than later - I will move to Canada for good. There is nothing I'm more determined to do!

At least I certainly do!
Canada is my favorite country in the world, it's where I feel at home.

Another thing you might want to know about me – I'm a lesbian. Personally, I don't find it to be that big a deal but apparently society feels a need to condemn people like me. I had this epiphany a couple of months ago where I realized that I've got much more in common with my female friends in general than with the other lesbians I know. The aspects that unite us are much more numerous that the ones that set us apart. I really think love is love and I don't see a big difference between my straight friends and me. But some people are still very afraid of things they don't know and they make up the weirdest stories about homosexuals.

This summer I participated in the Vancouver Pride Parade.
It was an awesome experience!

2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

Private, emotional, intellectual, bookish, different, polite, interesting, musical, multilingual, geeky.

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

I'd say I've been pen palling seriously since I was 12 years old, for 10 years now, that is.

My first pen pal's name was Nula and she lived in Switzerland too. She responded to an ad I'd put in a children's magazine and we ended up writing to each other for about 4 years. During our best times I'd get a letter from her every Thursday and she'd get one from me every Tuesday. It was an incredible experience. We also met up twice, once at her house and once at mine. Our friendship endured her exchange year in Chile and mine in Canada and we were very close – we wrote about everything. Unfortunately when Nula started to go to university she didn't have time to write letters anymore and she suddenly stopped responding to mine. That was definitely a huge disappointment, not knowing why she'd stopped writing until I found her on Facebook where she explained it to me. Remembering the time we were pen pals, however, will always be very special to me.

Since then I've had many pen pals, my oldest right now is Katri from Finland. She's an awesome young lady and I feel like I've known her all my life. I hope we'll manage to meet up in person one day!

The Oberengadin. Isn't it just so beautiful? I love mountains.
I grew up surrounded by the Alps and whenever I'm somewhere
I can't see mountains for too long, I feel like something's missing.

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

I've got roughly 14 pen pals. They're form Switzerland, Scotland, Germany, Croatia, Canada, the US, Singapore, Sweden, Turkey, Finland, China, Trinidad and Tobago, Hungary.

I'm lucky enough to have a few long-term pen pals and others whom I just recently met on Interpals and am very excited to get to know better.

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

Generally I'm up for any topic. Nothing is really off limits for me since I love hearing other people's opinions, no matter how different they might be from mine. Sometimes, however, I'm a bit reluctant to write about difficult or painful things that might have happened in my life, especially when I'm not feeling too positive. In a good mood I'll write about anything and answer any questions my pen pals might have for me.

My "little" brother Lucca and I. We get along great and I love him to pieces!

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

A friend.

I like people who are different, who are artsy, have opinions and plans and, most of all, who have a positive attitude towards life. We all get depressed from time to time but to maintain a positive, optimistic attitude about it all is vital and essential for me. Pessimists just pull me down and I find life too precious to have a negative outlook on it.

A very important criteria for a pen pal of mine is that they take letter-writing seriously. I'm not expecting my pen pals to write letters of 10 pages or to write once a week. But to really get to know someone it's important that you keep talking to them regularly and fairly often.

What I like most is to hear about the daily lives of my pen pal. Some people might find that boring, but I do enjoy reading about what my pen pal has been doing the day she is writing a letter to me. Then of course I also like to hear about their work/studies and anything else that is going on in their lives. A letter only bores me if it is only about the weather or very superficial. Fortunately I've only read very few superficial letters in my 10 year career as a pen pal.

Corsica. One of my favorite places on earth.

7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

There's nothing quite like the feeling of opening your mailbox and finding a handwritten letter from halfway across the world in it. I think it's wonderful to get to know people you would never have meet otherwise. And the thought that someone takes the time to sit down and write a letter to you, a stranger (in the beginning), making an effort to get to know you, is wonderful.

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

I correspond in English, German and Spanish. I'd love to have a French pen pal so as to practice the second of Switzerland's 4 official languages.

My best friend. :)

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

For a few months now I've been writing my letters at my new big desk in my room. I like to respond to a letter I've received as quickly as possible. This past semester, unfortunately, I've been a bit overwhelmed by university; therefore it took me a lot longer than usual to write back. For this next semester I'm determined to use my time more wisely, thus being able to respond to letters much faster than before.

I usually use nice stationery, but not always. Although I enjoy beautifully decorated letters, I really think it's more about the content than the appearance. As long as I can read my pen pal's handwriting, I'm happy, and I always try to keep my letters as legible as possible.

From time to time I like to swap little things like tea or post cards. I've never been a big swapper, but lately I've become interested in it.

The box I keep the letters of my current pen pals in.

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

I've got this wonderful pen pal from Turkey, Seda. In every letter she sends me little gifts from Turkey. Key pendants, post cards, sweets – it's great!

I once had a pen pal from Kenya; she was the daughter of the hotel receptionist where I stayed with my family in Mombasa. In the beginning writing to her was great but then she started asking me for money, which I actually sent but she claims she never got it. Things got a bit confusing from then on with me receiving letters from her with Swiss postage on it and gradually we lost touch. That was weird.

I also had a pen pal from Sri Lanka when I was about 15 years old. Again, at the beginning it was all good but then he seemed to be under the impression that I was interested in a romantic (letter?) relationship with him. Yeah, no.

My cat on my bed. He seems to be under the impression that he actually owns it.

11. Have you met any of your penpals?

I've met four of my pen pals in person, so far. My first pen pal, Nula, I've already told you about.

Then here's Millie from Canada, who was my e-pal for a while and invited me to stay at her house when I went back to Canada a couple of months after I'd gotten home from my exchange year. I had a great time with her but the funny thing is that today I'm friends with her sister Sadie and almost don't hear from Millie anymore. But I'm grateful that I know them both and I consider Sadie to be a very good friend of mine.

Last summer I also met Narisa, another Canadian pen pal of mine. We spent two wonderful days together and she showed me an incredible dessert place called True Confections where they make the most amazing cakes ever! Spending time with Narisa is really interesting; she's lived in very different countries due to her dad's profession and has some funny stories to tell.

My pen pal Narisa and I in Vancouver.

The third pen pal I've met in person is Lavinie from the French part of Switzerland. The first time we met was at a piano recital by Hélène Grimaud in Lucerne. It was fun to see her in person because I felt like I knew her and at the same time I didn't. In January I went on a spur-of-the-moment kind of trip to Vienna, Austria, where Lavinie is doing her MA, and she offered me to stay at her apartment. We couldn't spend that much time together because she had to go to university every day, but we did go see an opera together and we also went for coffee. I enjoyed myself very much in Vienna.

Like I said above, I'd love to meet my Finnish pen pal Katri in the near future. I just have this feeling that we'd get along great face-to-face as well.

I'm happy to say that this summer my pen pal Lucy from the US is probably coming to Switzerland and I'm very excited to meet her in person!

12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

I am, especially male pen pals. I only have one male pen pal and although I know there are some really interesting guys out there who love writing letters, so far I haven't been lucky enough to meet one. But everyone is welcome, as long as you're open-minded and have something interesting to say!

Thank you, Nina!

If anyone is interested in being featured on my blog as Penpal of the Week, just reply to this post!

Julie xox

Las Vegas, baby!

2010-02-14T17:46:00.000-05:00

I'm back from Las Vegas. I'm happy to report that I won a fabulous... $20! Did I ever mention that I'm not much of a gambler?!

The 2 shows I saw were amazing: "Viva Elvis" and "O" by Cirque du Soleil. The first one was entertaining but the second one was simply astonishing. You have to watch the trailer!

Louis-Justin got really sick while I was gone, which is highly unusual for him who's usually very healthy. He had a fever, threw up and still has the flu / a big cold. He's getting better though, thankfully!

I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. I'm sorry if I haven't replied to your email - I'm not ignoring you, just feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment.

Time for supper!

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #34

2010-02-07T12:38:00.004-05:00

This week, the interview is published on Sunday since I'm leaving for Las Vegas at 5:30 am on Monday. I hope you all have a nice week! I'll be back on Thursday night.

In the meantime, say hello to Erin from Canada!

1. Please tell us about you!

Hello world! My name is Erin. I'm 25 and I'm a born and raised country girl. I'm originally from a small farming community called Onoway. It's tiny, and I mean tiny... only about 1200 people live there. To describe it, I have to use the same old cliche, everyone knows everyone else. I moved away in 2004 for college but my grandparents and mom are still out there, so I try to visit at least once a week. I love the drives out to the country, the beautiful scenery, and damn, do I miss the fresh air!

I currently live in Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, with my boyfriend Nathan (he'll be 31 soon) and our 8 month old son Benjamin. We were actually co-workers to begin with, then started to date. We've been dating for a few years now and I remember in the beginning of our relationship Nathan kept saying how he wanted to be a dad soon, preferably in 2-3 years. I always kind of brushed it off, as I was told that I'd never be able to have kids naturally. Plus, the thought of labour scared me more than death itself. Well, one fateful day in September 2008 I discovered I was pregnant. (surprise!) It came as total shock and excitement. That same day actually I was hired by my current employer, so that was interesting. I guess the planets were aligned for good luck or something!

Nathan and I before parenthood (Aug. 2008) and after parenthood (Dec. 2009).
Changed a lot but still going strong.

Benjamin came into the world on June 6 a huge 10 lbs 5 oz. He's a wonderful baby, and I wouldn't take him back for the world. He's good tempered and always flashing a gummy grin... I love figuring out what makes him ticklish and just playing with him. When he's older I want to begin travelling more and showing him the world. I'm looking forward to the future.

Love of my life right here.

A bit about my job... I'm a video editor for a local TV station here in Edmonton. I studied Television Broadcasting in college and had the good fortune to work on music videos and TV series around town here (the latest series I worked on was "The Family Restaurant" shown in Canada). However, my passions lie in camerawork and editing. I was a camerawoman / editor for APTN National News for a while before I got offered to be a full time editor at my current station. I love my job. It's fast paced, exciting, and really cool to see your work on TV at the end of the day. I'm proud of my work, but it's not all glitz and glamour... it's high stress and tight deadlines. But would I change it for the world? Oh, hell no!

The control room at my work! So many hypnotic screens...

Some things I absolutely love are letter writing, scrapbooking, photography, anything to do with punk and goth culture, learning (I have an insatiable thirst for knowledge and I'm currently taking astrology / parapsychology courses via correspondence), film making, thrift stores, the paranormal, piercings, tattoos, pin-up style from the '40s and '50s, summer storms, tea, classic cars, anything vintage, playing guitar, astrology (I'm a Scorpio), hair dyes (I'm an addict!), plus so much more. I love life and want to live it to the fullest.

If you want to know more or contact me, feel free to check out my Interpals page.

2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

Passionate. Humorous. Curious. Caring. Addictive. Open-minded. Cynical. Loyal. Loving. And ultimately, creative.

Creativity = Life.

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

I guess my first penpal was back in elementary school, now that I think about it. My class was paired up with another class in a town about 45 minutes away. We exchanged letters, but nothing ever became of it.

Welcome to Alberta. Your daytime high will be -30°C.
Have fun with that!

I didn't get my first actual real penpal until I turned 13. My French teacher had received a brochure from IYS in Finland and encouraged us to order some addresses through them. I chose to have a penpal from Sweden... Her name was Evelina and we exchanged letters for a couple of years. We lost contact for a long time, then reconnected on Facebook for a while. We don't really talk much anymore, it's a pity.

I actually put penpalling on hold a few years ago. I was going through a tough time in my life, really down and out, and stopped doing the things I loved. It was really depressing. I finally got out of that rut though and with the encouragement of Nathan I picked it up again. I'm so glad I did! I absolutely love writing and receiving letters. I couldn't imagine my life without that hobby.

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

Oooh, to be honest I have no idea how many penpals I have! But what I do know is that I love writing to each and every one of them. I write to pals all over the world, either through snail mail or e-mail (I prefer snail mail though!).

Some of my letters, including a Beatles onesie for Ben. Nifty!

There are a few that instantly come to mind (I'm not playing favourites, so if you don't see your name please don't get mad at me!!)...

Hanna from Sweden is like my sister, we've been writing for around 10 years now. It's incredible to think we've known each other since we were teenagers! I adore her though. She saw my address through a friendship book and decided to send me a letter, which I'm grateful she did!! She got me into my now 2 favourite bands, HIM and Turbonegro, when she sent me a mix CD years ago. I love hearing from her, and we keep in contact on Facebook as well.

Sabrina from Finland is another girl that comes to mind... Years ago we began writing, but lost contact (gotta love that "reliable" postal service here). I just so happened to start using my Interpals page again when she found me online. I was so excited to see her message in my inbox... "Is that YOU?!" She's awesome and I feel like if we met we'd be the types to stay up all night chatting away.

Palak from India is an amazing girl. We met on a Facebook penpal group and instantly clicked. Her writing is like poetry, so beautiful and wonderful to talk to.

Shivanee from Trinidad & Tobago is also fantastic to hear from, I love her writing style and wit about her.

Pavel from Russia always sends little cards in Russian and even when I'm not expecting a letter, I'll find something from him in my mailbox, telling me about traditional Russian festivities and general life there.

Maria in Finland is rad, she has so much to say and I feel like we've known each other for ages, even though it's only been a little while.

Who else? Zael from Papua New Guinea is a new pal I met on Interpals and I can tell already we'll be great friends. Same with Mandy, Sam, Phoebe and Hippy in the USA, Tove in Finland, Amber in Montreal, Ilse in Belgium, Kama in Poland... you get the idea.

If I haven't mentioned your name, please don't think I've forgotten about you! I've met so many amazing people from around the world and I couldn't be luckier... unless if I win the lottery and can actually meet everybody! But all in all my penpals feel like very close friends.

Handwriting by yours truly.

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

Anything and everything! Nothing is off limits... school, work, relationships... I like when letters get personal and you can actually open up about feelings or what you're thinking. To me that signals you're completely comfortable with that person and that ultimately builds trust. You know they'll be there for you through thick and thin and you'll be there for them.

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

Creative and chatty are high on my list. I love getting long letters and writing long letters back. Penpals who you can trust and talk to about whatever is going on in your life is another thing I like. Writing definitely makes me stand back and reflect on events in my life... Also, a great sense of humour is definitely a MUST! :D

Making practical use of my huge belly at work. Now feed me!
OR... Super-pregnant, awesome show. Great job!

7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

What I like the most is that someone thousands of miles away considers me their friend and vice versa. Also I adore learning about other cultures, and what better way than to talk to someone from a different background? It's a fantastic hobby.

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

Unfortunately I only know English. I can read some French, but as for conversing in it, good luck!

I'd love to learn Swedish one day though... and Cree, a Native tongue here. My grandfather is part Cree and I wish I could pass down his ancestor's language to my son.

Top: This was the view from my old apartment in downtown
Edmonton, facing north. It was stunning and I miss it so much!
Bottom: If you looked out the west of my old apartment, the
Legislature building was a hop, skip, and a jump. Gorgeous!

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

I tend to like writing in the evenings, when the day is winding down. I can sit, relax (if Ben allows it!) and just let my thoughts flow onto paper.

When I first moved to Edmonton years ago I would actually wait until the weekends when I drove out to my grandparents to write my replies... There was something calming and nostalgic about it... Sit in the living room where I grew up, beside the window that looks out onto our garden, I loved it.

Lately it's taken me a bit longer to write replies as Ben's learned to crawl and gets into EVERYTHING, but I still try and make time to write a little here and there. It's something I never want to give up.

I'm pretty sure Ben is one of the most adorable babies EVER.
Not to brag or anything... ;)

When I go back to work I'd love to send out more parcels with Canadian-type souvenirs. I'm lacking in monetary funds at the moment to do that (Maternity Leave benefits are next to nothing, sigh...!)

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

Hmmm... Well, actually recently on Interpals! I had a photo up of myself and my friend Monika, where she was pretending to pick my nose. I got an e-mail from some guy in Uganda demanding I marry him because I apparently looked "so pretty" in the photo (who knew nose picking would get someone so hot and bothered!). I said no, then he said he wanted to marry my friend and that I was allowed to be part of the family (Wow, my prayers have been answered...;)

My awesome lady friend and I.
Who knew nose picking would be a bonding moment?

One funny thing I've received was years ago when my British penpal sent me a letter... When I received it, it was ripped partially and had what looked like cake icing on the side of it. It was sealed in an official Royal Post plastic baggy with an apology letter. Weird! But other than that, nothing too strange or unusual.

I had a penpal from Malaysia I wrote to for a while, then the huge tsunami happened and I never heard from her again. It made me worried for a long time after that. Also, in 2001 I began writing to a girl in Jordan... Then 9/11 happened and she was another pal I never heard from again. I'm assuming with what had happened the post just stopped to the Middle East. Still, it was a pity never hearing from her again.

11. Have you met any of your penpals?

Ummm, sorta. Long story. Back in high school my good friend moved to a town about 2 hours away and ended up befriending a guy up there. Apparently him and I had a lot in common, and she swapped our address. We wrote for a while and after he moved to Edmonton we ended up dating... for over 4 years. In the beginning he was a cool guy but towards the end it went downhill swiftly. Needless to say it ended really badly. :(

I have yet to meet any penpals, but I would love to. I need a vacation! ;)

I lurve zebra print.

12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

I have a lot of penpals at the moment, but I can never seem to say no to someone wanting to be friends! I'm currently helping my friend Vicky and my little half-sister Lacie (she's 16) get into penpalling so I mostly look for people they'd get along with.

However, I've always wanted a penpal from Scotland and anywhere in South America, so I do keep my eye out! Either way, if there's anyone interested in contacting me, I'd love to hear from you! Again, my Interpals page is http://www.interpals.net/Wander_Lust84.

I hope you enjoyed reading my interview, and long live the power of the pen!

Well, *I* certainly did enjoy learning more about you Erin, and I'm sure my readers will agree with me! :)

Julie xox

Mini Disco Octopus

2010-02-05T15:51:00.000-05:00

Another new mini letter set in my store, are you surprised?!

Includes 16 sheets of paper +
4 matching envelopes (2 beet + 2 sage)

$6 for a set, only a few available...

See the full listing here!

In other news, my son's dad turned 36 yesterday so we had a little celebration and I'm getting excited about my upcoming trip to Las Vegas with my mom! We're leaving on Monday morning and coming back on Thursday night, so you won't hear from me for a few days.

The Penpal of the Week interview will probably be posted on Sunday.

Have a great weekend!

Julie xox

Mini Meow

2010-02-04T15:35:00.000-05:00

Yes, another mini letter set, just listed in my Etsy shop!

Includes 16 sheets of note paper +
4 matching red envelopes.

$6 for a set, only a few available!

Click here for the complete listing!

Julie xox

Mini Sushi Splash

2010-02-03T11:20:00.001-05:00

New letter set in my shop, just listed on Etsy!

Includes 16 sheets of note paper +
4 matching envelopes (2 black + 2 poppy).

$6 for a set, only a few available!

Click here for the complete listing.

Julie xox

Mini Glittery Cherry

2010-02-02T11:24:00.000-05:00

New letter set in my shop, just listed on Etsy!

Includes 16 sheets of note paper +
4 matching eggplant metallic envelopes.

$6 for a set, only a few available!

Click here for the complete listing.

Have a great day!

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #33

2010-02-01T10:35:00.000-05:00

This time, let's welcome Megan from Australia.

1. Please tell us about you!

Hi, I'm Megan a 22 year old law student from Canberra, Australia. I currently work as a legal clerk while I am studying. I love the things that most people do, movies, reading, hanging with my friends, eating out and of course sending and receiving mail.

I started my own blog in October last year and am loving having my own creative outlet. If you would like to check it out the address is Time After Tea. I am constantly amazed by all the wonderful and talented people that I meet through my blog.

I live with my boyfriend who I have been with for three years, and our friend Maddy. As well as our little Guinea Pig Chuckie, who is super cute for a guinea pig.

Brendan and I.

I love traveling. I was lucky enough to travel around Europe with one of my friends for five weeks last year and had the time of my life. I have also been to Japan when I was 17. The next place on my travel list is Thailand and Vietnam.

I have an amazing family, that are very supportive and loving. My sister is 19 and is studying pharmacy.

My sister and I.

I love to get out and try new things and am willing to give anything a go once. Having said that I also love sleeping and need at least 8 hours a night to function.

2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

Energetic, happy, loving, thinker, listener, impatient, laidback, talkative, dreamer, organised.

Me with Johnny Depp (Madame Tussards London).

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

I first started to pen pal when I was seven when one of my best friends moved 6 hours away. We managed to write letters for a couple of years but slowly moved apart, we're still friends on Facebook.

I then penpalled with my Japanese exchange student but the language barrier made it tough.

It is only in the last 6 months that I have started to penpal with people I haven't meet in real life. Most of my pen pals I have meet through their blog or mine.

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

At the moment I have about three serious penpals then a few that I write to on and off.

I meet Stephanie through her blog and we just instantly clicked. We have alot in common so it makes it easy to write to her. At the moment we're both trying to lose weight so we give each other constant support through our letters and blog.

A letter I recently sent out.

Lauren is a new penpal and I only sent her my first letter a few weeks ago and am eagerly waiting a reply.

I also am part of projects such as postcrossing and sendsomething.net.

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

I am happy to talk about pretty much anything. Be that politics and religion to love and everyday life. I think if you limit your topics too much you don't get to know your penpal as well. I love people who can recommend great books, movies and places to visit.

Me on top of the Eiffel tower.

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

Of course someone that I have things in common with but I think it is also important to have differences. I like penpalling with people who can teach me something or express a different point of view. I like people who are constant in their letter writing so that you can develop your relationship rather that hearing from them once every 6 months.

7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

It allows me to meet and speak with people that I wouldn't otherwise get to in my everyday life.

It allows me to be creative. I like to put effort into my letters and make them about more than just the words on the paper.

I also enjoy the friendships that are formed through letter writing.

Me (stripped singlet) and friends from high school.

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

Unfortunately only English at the moment.

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

When I get a letter I usually write back within a couple of days. When I send it though depends on when I have money for postage, being a poor uni student definitely has its disadvantages.

I usually either sit at the kitchen table or in our office when I write my letters. If work is quiet I will sometimes write there too.

Where I sit and do my letter writing.

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

Haha not as yet but I will have to keep an eye out.

11. Have you met any of your penpals?

No, I haven't but am definitely not against the idea.

12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

A big YES! If you are interested in penpalling with me please email me at m_sparke@hotmail.com

Thank you Megan, I hope this interview allows you to find new penpals! :)

Julie xox

More News + More Clearance

2010-01-31T11:47:00.000-05:00

I had been thinking about it for a few years, but I finally gave my dog Capsule away yesterday. I know it was the best decision for everyone involved, but it still made me sad.

She's such a lovely dog and she deserves a family who will take care of her properly. Our lifestyle just isn't right for a big dog. Astuce, our small Boston Terrier, on the other hand, is perfectly happy here, so I'm keeping her and of course Tortille the cat. I hope Capsule has a good life with her new friends.

In other news, more letter sets are now on sale in my store!

Diablotine - $7 (only 4 left!)

Meow - $7 (only 4 left!)

Look in the CLEARANCE section of my shop for more stationery at a discounted price!

I hope everyone has a nice weekend,

Julie xox

Clearance + Big News!

2010-01-26T16:34:00.004-05:00

I know that I've neglected my blog over the last week or so, but I've had other stuff on my mind lately! (It doesn't help that my beloved computer went on strike - at least I have my laptop, but I can't use it for some work-related stuff...) Things have been crazy since I turned 30 years old - I never thought that there would be so many changes in my life in such a short period of time...

Two of these big changes:

Change number 1 ---> I'm going to be moving soon! Nicolas has been my ex for about 3 years now and even though I love my son's dad very much (as a friend only, obviously), it's time to move on. We stayed in the same house for so long because of financial reasons, but hopefully I'll be able to manage and support myself fully within the next couple of months.

Nicolas will be staying here and I will be buying a house. I visited a cute little red one last weekend and I liked it, but it was too noisy because it's on a busy street. And there's no real living room either, so it's not too practical since I plan on inviting friends over more regularly after I move! :)

Things are happening quickly, but I think that I'm probably going to have a house built for me on my mom's vacant piece of land next to her house. Having a new house would be wonderful, but it will obviously take a little longer to be able to officially move in than if I buy a house that's already built. It will be worth it though!

Change number 2 ---> We've Got Paper will no longer be... I'm still going to be designing and selling stationery, but I need a name change. To make a long story short, We've Got Paper was an inside joke with friends and I never really liked the name. Now that I need to make a living of my stationery, I'll have to start selling locally so I want a French name! More about that in a future post.

With the new name will come a new look, new logo, new business cards, new products... My stationery will also probably be printed on 100% recycled paper! :) I want to do what I can for the environment.

So in the meantime, I need to get rid of all my inventory so that I can start fresh. Some of the items in my shop are already on sale:

Vintage Cantaloupe - $7 (only 2 left!)

Forest Friends - $7 (EDITED - SOLD OUT!)

Pin-up Notecards - $5 (only 4 left!)

Panda Girl Flat Notecards - $2 (only 4 left!)

Also, if you're interested in purchasing several items from me, just shoot me an email (you can find it by clicking on "view my complete profile") or send me a convo via Etsy and let me know exactly what you'd like to buy and I'll give you a BIG discount. :)

Cheers!

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #32

2010-01-25T10:06:00.001-05:00

This time, let's meet our first Penpal of the Week from Finland: Tove.

1. Please tell us about you!

My name is Tove, I am 24 years old, at least for four more months! I am engaged to be married, the date of the big day is still not decided! But the wedding plans are in full mode! Together with my wonderful husband-to-be I have a beautiful baby girl, named Novalie. This means "new star" or "cloud" in Italian I've been told. Another child is very much welcome to our small family! I'd like to have my own "Brangelina clan" with biological children, that is.

Family portrait, Christmas 2009.
Novalie looks like a gingerbread lady, don't you think? ;D

We are living in the Turku Archipelago on a small island called Korppoo, Finland. Marcus's work keeps us out here. For you who don't know anything about this little island of ours it's about 80 kms from Turku, which used to be Finland's capital city back in the days ;) To get here you have to take two ferries, so we don't get a lot of unannounced company ;) I am currently working in a grocery store myself, planning on going back to school to study health care!

We are a very animal loving family. Fiibi is our four year old dog, who lives at my mothers; she didn't appreciate her new siblings, our cats Melvin, Miro and Matheo. Our boys don't mind sharing their home with Mollie and Minnie, our degus, which are half Guinea pigs and half Chinchillas for you who don't know what they are! And last but not least we have an aquarium.

Me and Fiibi (Phoebe in English)! This picture was taken
back in 2005 when Fiibi was only nine weeks old! Cute!

I love love love doing things with my hands! I recently made a portrait of Novalie using photopearls! It took me two days to get it done, it was worth it though! I also made a puzzle out of her kindergarden picture a while back. My grandmother taught me how to cross-stich, so I'm doing that too, so no, it's not just elderly people who do that kind of stuff x) My latest creation was a Christmas stocking for Novalie, who else? ;)

Photopearl portrait of Novalie, I made it in two days.
The puzzle was a Christmas gift to both me and Marcus.

2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

1. Honest – Honesty is number one in my book! I am a very honest person and I expect honesty from my friends and family too. Yes, the truth can sometimes sting pretty bad, but the lies and dishonesty hurt even more! I am not perfect but I tend to stick to the truth all the way around... a few white lies can't hurt though... right? ;)

2. Acceptable - I don't judge people, I accept them as who they are. I support gay rights, who's to say there can't be love between two males or two females? I accept different cultures, beliefs, and religions! I believe in equality!

3. Open minded - I like new ideas and I'll try anything once! We only have one life, why don't we make the most out of it? Go for it!!

4. Detailed – You can expect very detailed letters from me! In my letters I'm not shy, and I hope you're not either otherwise we might not click! I will tell you about anything into the last little detail!

This picture was taken at the autumn market
in Tammisaari back in 2009.

5. Shy – In new situations I tend to be withdrawn and shy. But once I get to know you I will open up more and you'll never get rid of me!!

6. Talkative – I recommend you bring a pair of ear plugs if you ever come to visit me! Otherwise I will keep you up 24/7!! I never shut up once I get going!

7. Opinionated – Ask me a question and I will answer. You might not like the answer though! I tell you exactly what I think, not what you want to hear!

8. Strong-willed – What can I say... What I want is what I get. For example my daughter's name, Marcus didn't like it at all when I first mentioned it in week 16. Once she was born I took a look at her and said "She looks like a Novalie, don't you think", he knew it was no point to argue, and I got my baby girl princess to be named Novalie.

My loves! Am I lucky or what?? :)

9. Fun – This I've been told by friends. I'm usually the one who lights up a dull moment. Not intentionally, but I seem to have a hidden talent of saying the right things at the wrong moment, you know? Weird, yes I know. That's me!!

10. Caring – I am the kind of friend you can call in the middle of the night and ask anything! Once I make a commitment to someone I'm there every day of the year every minute of the day. If you're feeling down I will do my best to cheer you up, and when you're happy I will be even happier for you!

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

I wrote my very first letter when I was eight years old. I had read an ad in a school paper and answered it. It was the beginning of my (soon to be) seventeen year long hobby! I loved it as much back then as I love it today! Besides, I thought it was so unfair when my mom got mail and I didn't... The only difference was that she was receiving bills when I received one sheet letters! Haha!

Maria, my first pen pal and I still have contact today. We don't write letters anymore but we do chat online from time to time. She's currently busy studying and I accept that, education is important! I used to be so happy when I found a letter from her in my mailbox, even though it only was one page long with big messy handwriting and a lot of questions. I still have the letters today! I save all my letters in a big red treasure chest, it's fun reading them over and over again some years later!

My treasure chest, filled with lovely letters from all over our globe.
Keep them coming!! :)

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

Gosh, I don't know the exact number since it changes a lot. At this moment I have to say I have around 20 pen pals. Whom I love very much!

I've met them all at InterPals where I have an account. They are all over this globe of ours! To mention a few countries: Finland, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Austria, USA, Australia...

Some of my penpals are still quite new to me like Muriel, whom I already love to pieces, Julia, the Austrian girl who writes her letters in Swedish, Sabrina who moved to my beautiful home coutry to be with her loved one, Ramona, the girl from Germany who was one of my first penpals from InterPals, Mandy, whom I actually already knew without knowing who she was (You know what I mean), Monica, who got me inspired to begin writing themed letters, Whitney, I know you gonna make me some beautiful wedding jewelry, Sarah, who sends the most interesting parcels with lots of suprises... And all the rest of you, you mean the world to me!

To explain what I mean with "themed letters". For example I sent a Moomin themed letter to Monica, (complete with Moomin drawings and candy) and a "Kiroileva siili" themed letter to Sabrina! Mandy got a really creative snowflake letter. I must say I did pretty good with the glitter on that one x)

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

I don't have one favorite topic! My letters usually contain stuff about everyday-life, my thoughts and dreams. Experiences from the past, hopes for the future and anything else that pops up to mind! When I begin writing a letter I don't have it all figured out, I let it come as it comes. That's why you never know what will come next! I really do write about everything! In my letters I'm not shy! I will tell you about my lovelife, daughter, work, my past and what I'd like my future to look like. I will tell you about my happiest memories and my darkest, about my darkest secrets... EVERYTHING! I really do trust my penpals, like they were friends that live close by even though they don't. I consider my penpals to be so much more than "just penpals"!

This picture is taken on our forest adventure back in 2009 :)

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

I am looking for long lasting friendship to start with. I'd prefer you to write long detailed letters as I do, that's not the main thing for me though! I hope, once we start writing that you won't disappear after a few letters! If you don't think we hit it off it's okay, tell me that, don't just stop writing! I want someone who's gonna be by my side in all situations! You know I'm going through a rough period right now and I'm so happy to have all of you! I will be there for you too!

Someone who really opens up and talks about everything! No one is perfect and neither am I, just be you! And don't hesitate to write me whenever you need me!!

But please, share the same values!

7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

I like to get stuff in the mail, the bills I can do without, but not letters from my friends and loved ones! I like the idea of having friends from all the corners of our planet! It's especially great if I would decide to travel the world someday! I would have a lot of places to go, and a lot of lovely people to meet up with! Besides, who doesn't love getting a letter in the mail from a really good penpal? Just to know that someone half around the world sat down to write a letter that's just meant for you to read! Love it!!

Me and my beautiful baby girl Novalie.
She was just a baby, now she's all grown up ;D

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

For the most part I write in English. I also write in Swedish! Julia, who is from Austria, really impressed me (and still does!!) by her talent in languages – I love getting her letters, especially since she learned the language in just one year! AMAZING!!

Sabrina, the girl who moved from Germany to Finland and learned Finnish is another great friend of mine! I write my letters in Finnish to her, and she answers in which language she prefers! I must say that these two girls really have made their mark in my heart, so talented! (Pssst girls, teach me German!!)

So, I am writing letters in English, Swedish and Finnish.

Not the best picture, but that's 100 % my handwriting! :)
I hope you can read it!?

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

I usually sit down to write a reply straight away! I actually sometimes manage to get a letter written in time for it to be mailed the same day I got mine! I don't like to keep my penpals waiting!

Before I get started to write a letter I have to figure out which paper to write on, it has to be perfect! I also choose a pencil very carefully, yes, I'm a perfectionist when it comes to writing letters! I want my penpals to really like them as much as I’ve liked their letters!

I write all of my letters in our living room or, rarely, at the kitchen table. I need to have some noise in the background which Novalie, my daughter, is more than happy to provide for her mommy ;)

Novalie goofing around. She LOVES the camera!

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

Yes! I once had a male penpal from Ghana who tried to scam me for money! He portrayed himself to be a student with economy problems. He also sent me some necklaces to sell for him since he needed to feed his family... I sent them back and told him that as much as I'd like to help him I can't, and that I would be there for him if he needed a friend, but I wouldn't be able to send him food or money. I never heard from him again.

That's why I am taking some distance from male penpals. I'd like to have one, but unfortunately it's really hard to find someone who's "for real"... Hopefully I get one through this interview!

11. Have you met any of your penpals?

No, not yet. We are however talking about a penpal meeting with some of my penpals! If anyone of my current penpals are interested please let me know! I would LOVE to meet all of you one day! You mean the world to me!!

Novalie takes after her mommy!
How happy she is mailing Moni's package :D

12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

Yes!! I am also looking for males to write to since I think it can be interesting to see what we might have in common! Please notice that I am engaged and only looking for friendship!

If anyone liked my interview and would like to get to know me better I'd be glad to write with you! So don't hesitate, contact me on InterPals and we take it from there!!

This is the most recent picture taken on me!
Posing with me is Fiibi, my four year old four legged baby.

Thank you for reading my interview, and thank you Julie for giving me the chance to do this!

You're welcome, Tove! And thank YOU for this lovely interview.

If anyone would like to be featured as Penpal of the Week on my blog, just reply to this post!

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #31

2010-01-18T09:15:00.002-05:00

Today, let's meet someone who has been penpalling for a long long time: Garci in the USA.

1. Please tell us about you!

My name is Garci and I live in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, USA. I was named for my maternal grandfather, Garris, who had a British name. I do like having a unique name and have not met another Garci thus far.

With my niece, Emmi.

Where I live in the southwest, it is very hot and dry and I love the climate here, even though the summers are brutally hot. I grew up in Colorado but have been in Arizona for 25 years now.

I'm divorced but in a terrific relationship now. I woke up one day and realized that I forgot to have kids (ha ha), but I have a wonderful niece who lives nearby and I've been part of her life since I cut the umbilical cord during delivery! My boyfriend, Ernesto, has two grown daughters who are fantastic and bring us a lot of joy. My sweetheart is a great cook and can fix anything; I decided a long time ago that he's a "keeper".

My immediate family is all here in Arizona and there's only my sister, brother-in-law, my mom and Ernesto (small family, eh?). Nesto's family, on the other hand, is very large with lots of cute kids running around. We seem to split our time going to family events with either family.

Nesto and I love to travel together; we went to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, Maui, Hawaii, San Francisco and Las Vegas last year. I've decided to try and see all 50 states in the United States before I'm 50 (just as my brother-in-law did). I'm about at 40 states right now; I have yet to see many of the small Northeastern states. I have been fortunate to travel overseas many times but my dream trips are to go to Japan, Spain and Ireland. We recently bought another motorcycle, a Victory Vision (made in Iowa) and it's a nice cruiser, so smooth on the road. We are exploring the great state of Arizona by motorcycle.

Ernesto and Garci's new motorcycle, a Victory Vision.

I love thrifting and collecting! I go to yard sales, second hand stores, estate sales and my best shopping partner is my mom. While I was hosting a garage sale once, a man told me that yard sales are a way to keep the earth in balance – transferring the junk from one location to another! We have found some cool stuff while shopping, like my kitchen table, bookcases, tons of books (my niece is a voracious reader), tools, kitchenware, and a few gifts! A friend of mine recently said that she doesn't shop at thrift stores because there are other people that need that stuff more than she does. I don't disagree with that statement, but shopping helps the stores stay in business and my family does donate a lot of goods to charity and they go back in the system... thus keeping the earth in balance!

I can be found on postcrossing at chandlerguera.

My blog is here.

2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

Capricorn. Loving. Giving. Humorous. Sensitive. Blunt. Procrastinator. Thrifty. Collector. Organized.

Eating shave ice in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii.

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

I started penpalling in grade school to a girl in France and a boy in Sweden. I still send a Christmas card every year to the boy in Sweden, although I haven't heard from him in 25 years! The cards must be getting delivered as they have never been returned. Perhaps a new family lives there now and reads and enjoys my annual card! Or maybe the Gothenburg post office recognizes me by name, and says, "Oh no, she's still sending the cards to the long-lost boy!"

As a child, I would also correspond with my grandmothers, so that laid the foundation for me to enjoy lifelong letters. My mother is a talented writer and can always write the best thing for the occasion. I'm sure I learned a lot about writing from her.

Lavender growing in my backyard.

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

I have been corresponding with a gal in Australia for about 15 years; I answered her penpal notice in the back of Royalty Magazine, so our love of Princess Diana was the common denominator. She's quite the correspondent (very witty and long letters; she writes just like she talks, as if I was right there in the room), although much less frequently due to she has two small children now, and I usually hear from her via email and Facebook.

My primary longtime correspondent has been for 20 years! I met Kazuko at the Hard Rock Café in Los Angeles, and we've been writing ever since. She's Japanese and is fluent in English, thank goodness! When we met, we were both single and since then there has been the marriages, my divorce, her three children, and lots of other major events we've shared in 20 years. We snail mail 99% of the time and email only several times a year! We are constantly sending each other little packages with candy, household goods, photos, pens, bags, you name it – we've sent it! Now Kazuko's teenage children are learning English so they're writing me too! I love it.

Circa 1990 - my first meeting with Kazuko (on the left)
in Los Angeles and her friend Ryoko.

I am also currently corresponding with two lovely Finnish ladies (Pirjo and Ann-Catrin), whom I met through Postcrossing, a beautiful mommy in California (CaRho), Cathy in Florida, Carol, the American who married a Brit, the wildly artistically talented Bianca in Australia, another sweet artist named Gemma from England (we met through a letter swap) and Postcard Jim and I have exchanged a few bits and pieces.

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

What I've been doing, motorcycle rides, holidays, traveling.

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

Cool mail art is always fun to receive! I enjoy a witty writer and just learning about other cultures and backgrounds.

7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

I like to use creative stationery and stamps and decorate the envelope up. I'm so inspired by Bianca's mail art; if you've seen her blog, you know what I'm talking about. I'm currently on a mission to find tacky vintage stationery and I've scored some in thrift shops and estate sales. I have some Garfield (the cartoon cat) stationery from 1978, some very orange paper with flowers and a round stationery pad that's pink. All vintage.

I love learning about other cultures; it's been a rewarding lifelong hobby.

Beautiful fall color in Sycamore, Illinois.

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

English but I like to throw in a little Spanish sometimes.

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

I just got a new lapdesk for my birthday so I've been using that while sitting in bed at night (the boyfriend is sleeping). I also write a lot when I'm traveling, even on the plane! For my birthday, I bought myself a butcher block table/workstation at Ikea (meant for use in a kitchen), and it's in my spare bedroom/office/workroom. I'll be able to do crafts, write letters, wrap gifts, etc. on this big tabletop. The boyfriend assembled it straight away when we brought it home.

Every year I write a Christmas letter and I try to set the mood with holiday music, scented candle burning and a cup of tea, cocoa or wine. I have a notebook full of my Christmas letters and cards in chronological order that I started in 1992. I hope that people enjoy my letter – I try to write a humorous letter with some highlights, and not a boring bragging letter.

A Christmas picture of my sister and I from the 1960's;
I sent it out as a Christmas picture about 20 years ago.

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

Occasionally Kazuko will send me something from Japan that I am not sure what it is and I can't read the package (Japanese), so we have fun figuring it out. For instance, I think she sent me disposable handwarmers but they look like magnets. She also sent these one-use "shots" of flavored mouthwash in flavors like orange, rose and green tea.

11. Have you met any of your penpals?

Di, the first Aussie, took a trip around the world and she was able to travel through America and Arizona and we met in person. She recently posted a picture of us on Facebook from our horseback ride out in the desert!

Kazuko in Japan has since returned to the USA (after our initial meeting) to visit me and she brought her three kids; we did the Grand Canyon, swimming, horseback riding, Sedona, shopping, baseball game, sushi – so much fun. It was evident that children are the same everywhere – they run, squeal, play, make messes... no matter what language they speak.

My penpal Kazuko's son, Joe, and a picture he made in school

that described his trip to Arizona in 2002!

12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

I'm good right now, developing relationships with the new ones and maintaining friendships with the long term ones!

Thank you, Garci!

If anyone who reads this would like to be featured on my blog as Penpal of the Week, please let me know!

Julie xox

Paper Cut Treasury

2010-01-16T10:20:00.000-05:00

Another one of my items is currently featured in a treasury, yay! This time it's "Chirp".

Click on the image to see the treasury (and take a closer look at all these fun paper products) before it expires on Monday afternoon.

Julie xox

Surprise Treasury

2010-01-15T15:52:00.000-05:00

"Butterfly Fairytale" is currently featured in a treasury on Etsy!

Isn't it gorgeous?! Click on the image to see the treasury and take a closer look at all these beautiful items.

The treasury will expire on Sunday, January 17 around noon.

Julie xox

Stationery Finds #5 - Valentine's Day

2010-01-14T15:51:00.002-05:00

There's one month left before Valentine's Day, so if you'd like to order a card online, now's a good time to start thinking about it!

Here are some of my favorites. Just click on the images to see the full listings on Etsy!

rosydesignsonline has quite a few pretty cards in store (and prints for gay couples!) - buy them individually or in this set of 4.

Meg of olliegraphic designs printable cards with her cute customized characters. She's fun to work with - she made characters that look like Louis-Justin and I last year and I was very pleased with the results!

If you like Meg's characters but don't want to print the cards yourself, you can order them from Sara of saratams who will print them and send them to you via snail mail.

These mini cards by whaleandbee would be perfect for kids but I'm sure most adults would love them just as much!

If you want to have custom cards made for you with a photo of your child, delightdesign has several gorgeous templates to choose from. This is one of my favorites because I love the color combo!

These penguins by Claire of OrangeTwist are adorable. I have nothing else to add! :)

Cammie from thecraftpantry has amazing cards and you can choose your 6 favorite ones when you purchase this variety pack. Only bad news is she only ships to the USA now...

If you're looking for something different (think gothic, punk, alternative, indie), Calan of GingerDead has the perfect card for you.

This card by Tara of blacklilypie is also a little gem for the alternative crowd. Such gorgeous, deep colors!

On the other hand, if you're a true romantic at heart with a traditional side, you will love this card by Julia from thespottedsparrow.

You can also say it in French with this beautiful card by bellaseradesigns!

Give this card by nelladesigns to your favorite coffee lover!

This card by modernemotive is eco-friendly and customized with your name + the name of your lover - so sweet!

Were you made for each other? Then witandwhistle has the right card for you!

Send these 10 mini cards made by shoofly to your favorite crushes! Need just one card? No problem, Rania has a listing for a single card as well.

Mika from Cuore is very creative - I'm impressed with her skills! She has so many cute cards that it was hard choosing just one... But please meet Stewart the Owl!

For turtle lovers like my mom, elenaseasel has a cute 4 card pack with 2 different designs just for you.

And let me end this post by showing you one of my own cards that's actually a postcard. Made by wevegotpaper!

I hope you enjoyed my selection of Valentines! Which one(s) would you give your loved one(s)?

Julie xox

Stickers - Butterflies

2010-01-13T19:11:00.000-05:00

New stickers in my shop!

Butterflies - 16 removable stickers that can be used on paper, walls, windows, photos or as envelope seals!

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #30

2010-01-11T10:28:00.001-05:00

Please welcome our Penpal of the Week this time: Fabi from Germany.

1. Please tell us about you!

First I want to wish all the readers a Happy New Year. I am the first Penpal of the Week in 2010 and it feels good.

My name is Fabienne, but please be so nice and tell me Fabi. No one here calls me Fabienne, so why should you do? I feel unhappy when someone says Fabienne.

I am 22 years old and was born on the 19th November 1987. I am a Scorpio.

My hair and my eyes are brown. But my eyes can be green as well, it depends on my mood. Right now they are brown, as I feel really good.

I love that picture, as I wear my favourite gothic dress on it,
even if you don't see it - sorry.

Soon I will finally start a therapy because of my depressions, which makes me so happy, that I forgot why I need it, but I remember well the bad days in my life. So I want to quit feeling depressed and I want to learn how to fight against it. After that I will search for a good job and maybe start a new school career. My life until now was not so easy and I had a lot of problems which has as the result that I don't work at the moment and never really did. But now I want to change that and do something good for my future. I would like to study one day and become a teacher for handicapped kids, but we will see what will happen in the next years.

I am addicted to a lot of things, for example postcards, Twilight, letter paper, writing, my laptop and chocolate. I really love that all. My postcard collection has more than 2000 postcards inside and I am still really active at postcrossing. My profile there is Fabi. Visit my page to see what I like.

Twilight is my addiction since February 2009. I heard of it before but never read it and then I got a voucher from an online book shop and finally bought it. 2 nights and I have read all the books and started from the beginning. I am still addicted to it and I would do anything for meeting Robert Pattinson. I just want to see him in front of me one time and maybe get a picture with him.

I am addicted to Snooker as well. I love Snooker since 2004 and I really enjoy watching Matthew Stevens or Neil Robertson. I met them twice and they are really cool and nice guys. I hope I can meet them again this year.

Getting a kiss from my fave snooker player Matthew Stevens!

I have a big fantasy and one of my hobbies is writing stories. Since some weeks I got back to Fanfictions and started to write 2 Twilight fanfics and one Robert Pattinson fanfic. I am not so good in English, so I wrote in German.

You can find me on Facebook.
(Please write me where you know me from when you send a friend request.)

And Interpals.
Feel free to write me.

2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

10 words? That is not so easy, but I will try.

Crazy – I asked a lot of my friends for describing me and all of them said crazy. It is not in a negative way. I am just myself and if I feel like dancing, I dance and if I feel like singing, I just sing. So I am just myself and they call it crazy. But if you ask me: Yeah, I am crazy. My mind is crazy and everything on me. But in a good way, not a psycho way.

Having fun in de Efteling in the Netherlands.

Trustworthy – If I tell you that I will be there, I will be there. If my friends need me, I am there for them and if you want me to keep a secret, no one will get to know it from me. I am trustworthy and a lot of my friends like that part of me. For me it is just normal. I don't want my friends to tell all my secrets to other people, so I don't do it as well.

Smiling – If you see me and I am in a normal mood, I will smile. I am always smiling, when I don't have depressions, but even in my depressions I am smiling on the outside. My grandma once said that she never knew what is in my head, as I was always smiling. So, I am a sunshine.

Talkative – Oh my God, never talk to me if you can't stand listening for hours. I once talked with a friend for 16 hours at the phone. We even had to change the batteries of our phones because our call was not over. I still could do that, but no one calls me. So if you like to talk, feel free to write me. You will see - I am really talkative.

Jealous – I am not jealous of my pen pals or so. But when my boyfriend talks with another girl I can get a crisis. It is really a problem, but I want to show some of my bad things as well. Being jealous is something I was always. Maybe it will change one day.

My boyfriend Torsten and me.

Childish AND serious – I have to put this in one point, as you shouldn't think that I am just childish. I can be childish in the right situation and I can be serious as well. But normally I am childish. So if you want someone who is always open to a joke or one who likes to talk about deeper themes, write me. I am open for both.

Open Minded – My friend Rox said to me: If there is one thing that I know about you, is that you are open minded and that for sure. And I think this is true. I have all kinds of friends and I don't judge them. I have a transsexual friend, a gay friend and a lot of other different friends who are not "normal". But I accept them like they are. So if you are handicapped, gay, transsexual or something not "normal" you can write me as well. I don't mind – I like to write and talk with not normal people as I count myself to the not normal ones as well.

Emotional – I can cry because of Bambi and I do cry because of sad music. I love to cry sometimes but most of the time it is not wanted. I mean, who likes to cry? I am really emotional and I always try to figure out how my pen pals felt in different situations. So if you want to talk about your feelings with me, I love that.

Good listener – I am always there for my friends. If they have a problem they can call me at night, at day and whenever they feel like to do it. I try to help as much as possible and even if it means just listening - I am there. I never leave my friends alone when they need help.

And a last one: Helpful – when I see someone whose bag fell down, I always help to get it up again and such stuff. Wherever I go, I help as much as I can. Even when I travelled, I helped the other travellers with their baggage and such stuff.

Sabrina, my helpful hand at the youth centre,
and me at work (youth centre).

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

I have been penpalling since I was 10, which means 12 years now, which means I started in 1998. My first pen pal and me met in holidays on a farm. We wanted to stay in contact and as I loved writing, we started to write. I still have contact with her online and I still write sometimes with her. My other longest pen pal and me are writing for 7 years now. I really love that. My first pen pal is called Nicole. She is living 2 hours from my home and we met 3 times after starting to write. It was so cool and we had a lot of fun together.

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

This is a good question. I guess I have around 15 regular pen pals and 10 or more unregular pen pals. I have pen pals from all over the world. My longest one is from Germany, but others are from South Korea, Spain, Netherlands, England, Sweden, USA, Australia, New Zealand and so much other countries. I don't mind where they are from, so I have pen pals from nearly everywhere.

I love to learn different kinds of writing. Like Korean letters or Chinese letters. I can write my name in Korean and I can write Germany in Chinese. I love that. And I love to learn different languages just by letters. Simple sentences or so. It is cool to learn from letters.

I learnt a lot about the countries cultures by letters and once I had to talk in front of my old class about South Korea, so I asked my pen pal from there for help and she helped me a lot. I had the best speech and all the others were so jealous. Since that day I know that you can learn from pen pal friendships.

Shinea and me - Shinea is a pen pal and visited me over Christmas 2009.

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

Everything. You can discuss with me about feelings, your jobs, travelling and all the other stuff you want to tell me. But maybe my favourite topic are feelings. As I love to hear the feelings of my friends. But I have to say that the cultural exchange is cool as well. So maybe culture is a big topic in my letters as well?! Who knows, just try!

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

He/She should be nice, open minded, a little bit crazy and special. I don't want a perfect pen pal and you can't tell me that there are perfect people. My pen pal should have personality and an own mind. I don't want a friend who is talking the same like me or behind my back and such stuff.

7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

I love to open the mailbox and find something that travelled around the world and finally found the way to me. I mean, I have pen pals in my own town as well, so I don't want my letters to travel far. But the feeling that someone had it in his/her hands before bringing it to you is so cool. I love when I see that my pen pals thought of me and really answered my letters and not copy and paste the same letter to everyone.

To know that you have friends everywhere around the world is something I don't want to miss. Sometimes I hear a town in the TV and then I am like: Oh, there is xyx my pen pal living. And then it becomes more interesting for me.

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

English and German, not more, sorry. But maybe one day. We will see...

I love making pictures and work on them with Photoshop.

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

I like to write my letters in bed. I always take them with me and write while others are normally sleeping. The night is my writing time and I love to sit on my bed with a cocoa and my letter. I need some time for responding at the moment, because of some time problems, but it will be better again, soon. I hope. I usually write back in a month and when it is okay again it will take me around 2 or 3 weeks for responding.

I always use letter paper, even when I write with my computer. Sometimes I do that, because of my hand. It is hurting sometimes, so I can't write with my hand then. And when I am in the mood for writing I am writing at computer then.

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

I got a voucher from Africa for a camel, if I will marry him. So you see, really strange.

And my other African pen pal wrote first that he is a girl and suddenly his name turned into George and he was soooo in love with me... Oh my God. Thanks for that.

11. Have you met any of your penpals?

I met a lot of my pen pals. My last meeting was for Christmas. My South Korean pen pal Sinae was here. We spent 5 wonderful days and I hope to meet her soon again.

Then there is Roxy which I met 6 times (I guess) this year. She is one of my fave girls and I love meeting her. Our next meeting will be in January already.

Then I met a lot of my other pen pals: Alke (2 times), Carolien (3 times), Marjolein (1 time), Sasha (1 time) and so on.

Me and my pen pal Roxy at our meeting in Burgers Zoo, 2009.

12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

If you think we fit together and you want to write with me, feel free to contact me on Interpals or Facebook. I will think of it then. I am not really searching, but if someone nice finds me, I normally not say no.

Thank you, Fabi!

If anyone would like to be featured on my blog as Penpal of the Week, just reply to this post with your email address.

Julie xox

Stickers - Kawaii Cakes

2010-01-10T20:27:00.000-05:00

New stickers in my shop!

Kawaii Cakes - 16 removable stickers that can be used on paper, walls, windows, photos or as envelope seals!

I hope you like them!

Julie xox

My penpal Stéphanie from France!

2010-01-09T14:44:00.001-05:00

I have quite a few wonderful penpals and I might introduce them all to you one at a time in the future, but today I want to tell you about someone in particular.

Stéphanie lives in France with her husband & their son where they have a manga bookstore. We write our letters in French since it's our first language. Although we haven't known each other for such a long time yet, I feel close to her and she's someone I know I can count on.

Stéphanie is caring & generous and sent me 2 awesome packages in December - one for my 30th birthday and one for Christmas.

Here are a few photos of the birthday presents she enclosed!

I haven't taken pictures of the Christmas package, but it included a few handmade cards as well as a book she thought I'd like. It's about a little girl's education in Japan in the 1940's. I'm sure I'll enjoy it!

Stéphanie has a great sense of humor and always makes me laugh. She's thoughtful, genuine, curious, open-minded and understanding. She's always interested in what I'm going through, she often comments on my blog posts & Facebook updates and she even orders stationery from me! She has a healthy outlook on life and I'm glad that she's part of my life now!

Merci, ma chère Stéphanie!

Julie xox

Photos of my 30th birthday!

2010-01-08T12:19:00.000-05:00

Almost a month later - I know, it was about time!

Me & my silly hat + Mario on December 12, 2009.

I've known Mario for almost 2 and a half years and I think these are the only decent photos of us that were taken over the years. I love them!

Julie xox

Stationery Finds #5 - Robots

2010-01-07T15:47:00.001-05:00

Robots are adorable. Yes, that's a fact.

Let me show you some of my favorite paper products featuring robots. To see the listings on Etsy, just click on the images.

Robots in love, aww! These postcards by Jessica of vol25 are too sweet! These cards actually inspired me to start searching for robot stationery on Etsy.

This is just one of my favorite robot cards by Brandi of sweetharvey. She has one for every occasion: happy birthday, missing you, thank you, hello...

Julie from bohtieque has robot stickers, labels and cards, but my favorite item of hers is this cute robot gift label.

This printable booklet, bookplate, bookmark and bag tag kit by Cate of GoMakeMe is a wonderful do-it-yourself project to do with your kid who loves robots.

There's something charming about robot love. Need proof? Take a look at this card by JulieAnnA.

And just a last one to prove my point... Check out this lovely card by Brynne of backwardprints that is printed on tree-free paper made from plant fibers and organic cotton.

This one isn't really cute, but it definitely is funny and makes a perfect get well card for anyone with a sense of humor. Oh and make sure to check out johnstongraphics if you like zombies, as Mike is a real zombie fan himself!

I love this 50 sheet notepad by Teresa of PrettyPixels. I'd probably write letters on it with a white gel pen!

Whether you want custom invitations, thank you cards, stickers, menu cards or favor tags, Heather of chickabug has everything you need in order to throw the perfect robot party.

These pretty robot notecards by Autumn of gedutisdesign can be personalized and they come with matching mailing labels!

I love girlie robots. This one by Lyndsey from lynseandfancy is adorable!

Meet Lionel, the robot featured on crackersart's mini notebook. Sarah also has other cute characters in her shop, my favorite one being the owl.

This pocket notebook by diskgrunt is 100% recycled. Also look for the robot wooden card in their shop!

And since I like supporting sellers who make stuff with recycled materials, let me show you this robot journal by Karl of partybots.

Finally, take a look at this creative little book made by Christy of tiddlyinks. She uses 2 floppy disks as covers and each robot that she draws on the first page is an original!

So, who else likes robots?! Did anyone watch Wall-E?

I hope you enjoyed this selection of robot stationery! Comments and feedback are always welcome!

Julie xox

Louis-Justin and his elephant

2010-01-05T13:50:00.001-05:00

Last month, Louis-Justin was drawing on his Diego board and he accidentally made something that looked like an elephant. At first he was drawing a door, but then it turned out like this. Pretty neat, no?

Lazy mornings with my son during the holidays were what kept me from completely falling apart. Thank you Louis-Justin!

Julie xox

Break

2010-01-05T12:10:00.002-05:00

Dear friends and blog readers, don't worry, I'm just taking a little break and things will get back to normal very soon with new Penpal of the Week interviews and Stationery Finds.

I hope everyone is doing well & I wish you all a Happy New Year!

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #29

2009-12-28T09:56:00.002-05:00

Today, I'm pleased to announce that our Penpal of the Week is a man! He's only our second one so far, so let's welcome David from Costa Rica / the USA!

1. Please tell us about you!

Hi, my name is David Jiménez, I will be 29 years next month. I am a professional mathematician (I bet you don't hear that too often). I was born and raised in San Jose, Costa Rica, in January 1981. Although I always lived in San Jose's suburbs, I moved thirteen times before moving with my wife, and three times since. That's a LOOONG story!

Since I was very young, I liked science and math, and when I was in high school, I started participating on math competitions, and when I got into college I started as a Computer Science major with a Math minor, but at some point very early on, those got inverted, and I graduated with a BSc in Mathematics in July 2001.

For a couple of years, as I was death broke, I worked as a high school math teacher, before applying to grad school. I got into the Math PhD program at Georgia Tech in Atlanta in the Fall 2003. It took me five years to finish, and it still feels awkward when someone calls me "Doctor". I specialized on quantization problems, something applied to Image and Signal Processing. But of course, we are not to enter on technical stuff here. Once I finished, I got a Postdoctoral Professorship at Texas A&M University, and I've been here for three semesters, and will be here for other three.

My wife Susana and I, New Year's, 2008.

I have been married for eight years next March. Susana (my wife) and I met during my first semester in College. She was then a third year math education major. I realize she was amazingly bright... just after meeting me she took an immediate dislike of me. (I am serious on both, she is bright, and she did take a dislike of me as soon as she met me!) Unfortunately for her, I managed to charm her somehow (I still wonder what I did to do so) and we started dating about six months after we met. We dated for two and a half years. By that time both had graduated and decided to marry.

So far we do not have children, and as of now, we are in no real hurry to become parents. The truth is that we are very comfortable just the two of us. Probably at some point we will feel the call to raise the next generation, but who knows. But we do have a third member on our family. Her name is Mawamba, and she is a three-year old Ball Python. Snakes are very misunderstood pets, and Pythons are really tame and nice pets, though, not so cuddly! But living in an apartment, I don't feel like having a dog!

This is my pet Mawamba, picture taken a few days ago.

I have a few hobbies, just like everybody. I have always liked writing. Short stories, entries in a journal, entries on my blog (feel free to visit: http://politicallyincorrection.blogspot.com/ - I know it is not grammatically correct, but most of my other options were already taken), and pen paling of course. I love martial arts, though, I have not been practicing for about two years. I enjoy hiking (but this is Texas, gosh! Flat as a pancake, I need to move to the North West, or the Canadian Rockies!). I enjoy photography, but I must admit I have to dedicate a bit more time to my hobbies.

Ah! I am atheist, what for some reason seems to bug a lot of people. Really, in many places and with many people you say "I am an atheist" and they look at you like if you had just said "Hi, I am a suicide bomber!". But believe me, just like 20% of the people born in the 1980's, I reached the conclusion that just like Santa Claus, God does not exist. Nevertheless, I am very interested on what people believe, and further more, why they believe it and how they rationalize it! And by the way, I am a fan of Bill Maher!

2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

Well, let's have fun with a bit of narcissism. I mean, having ten words to describe my personality, most people would, most likely, exalt what they perceive as their best attributes. Anyway, let's start.

* Rationalist: I think, therefore I am! I am someone who tries to rationalize most aspects of his life. I want to find the reasons behind my actions, behind the things I believe to be truth. To explain things. Probably that's one of the reasons I am a mathematician.

* Talkative: My mom used to say, when I was little, that if I didn't have someone to talk to, I would talk to the walls... and she was almost right. A few years back I had a bad cold and it degenerated on an ugly throat infection that left me literally voiceless for two weeks. And when my voice returned, my wife hugged me, kissed me and told me that "she had missed me A LOT" (and she had spend most of that time with me!). I enjoy talking, I enjoy hearing people... and I must admit, I enjoy finding disagreements, and exploit them to make the conversation even more interesting.

* Creative: I consider I am a quite creative person. I like creative writing (short stories and stuff like that), writing is one of my dearest hobbies, both to pen pals, on journals, opinion pieces, or plain fiction writing. I am not gifted at all when it comes to performance arts (my wife says that hearing me sing is a torture!) but I think I have my way with words.

* Happy: Have you ever met someone who seems to be always on a good mood, to the point of being annoying? Well, I am that guy! I learned early in life that worrying too much for things and getting too upset over trivialities would lead me to the grave rather soon, and make me miserable in the mean time, so, I tried not to worry for what I cannot change, and not to get upset over trivialities... and for the most part it has worked. That doesn't mean I am an irresponsible slacker, I am not (believe me, I didn't get my PhD in a cereal box!) and I have my bad days like everybody, but you see me once every day for a year, you will probably see me smiling more than three hundred times!

* Practical: I said I am not a slacker... but I am a firm proponent of the MEL (Minimum Effort Law). If it is not a hobby, I like things to get done, to get done in the best possible manner, and to get done fast and with the least amount of effort. So, I try to be as practical as possible, and can accommodate easily for unexpected surprises.

* Curious: Oh goodness, if there is something to be known, I want to know it! You would see me reading things, visiting Wikipedia very often, talking to people about things they know about and I do not, and researching things I want to know better. It's just the way I am. Even with pen pals, after a couple of letters, when the ice has been broken, I can probably ask a thousand different things.

Hapkido Belt Test...2006?

* Liberal: I would say that for the most part my views are very liberal. I think that people should be free to live their lives the way they want, as long as they are not imposing themselves on other people, and they are not committing crimes. And I think that a "victimless crime" is not a crime, and a crime where criminal and victim are the same person is not a crime either (just a fantastic display of stupidity, very likely!), and that as long as nobody is abused, people can do whatever they want. Activism is not one of my first priorities, and the time I spend on it tends to go towards GLBT rights, but that doesn't mean there are not other issues I would aboard if I had more time.

* Playful: I must admit I am a bit of a clown when I am in the right environment (social gatherings with people I trust). It was not something that was part of my personality since I was a toddler. It actually developed on my late teens... and like many things on a man's personality, it was discovered and developed as a resource to attract girls. As most kids on the last years of high school, I was terribly self-conscious of my looks (yes! men are just as self-concious of their looks, we just have been trained not to express it), I was not athletic... more on the geeky side, and I was by far not a smooth talker. But almost by accident, on a plane, when I was trying to get flirty with the girl next to me, and out of nervousness started telling jokes... and in no time I had her and the girl on the third seat were both laughing her socks off! I realized that many girls around me found me funny, and that could open me some doors. Later on, I just enjoyed making people laugh in general, and I am not too bad at it... though with time I have gotten "shy" at it, meaning, I tend to joke that much just around people I trust a lot.

* Strong minded: I tend to meditate a lot about my points of view, and thus, I tend to be hard strong minded about them. Also, I consider conflict as a part of life, that we tend to see as very destructive, but it may be the total opposite, and thus, I tend not to be afraid of it, and I have found that just fundamentalists tend to feel offended when you openly disagree with them, most intelligent adults understand someone may be a great person, and still disagree with you on many fundamental issues. But of course, I size my pen pals, and choose when and with whom to discuss (or not) certain topics. Sometimes is not worth losing a good pal over a philosophical debate!

* Honest: I know probably everybody says the same about themselves. I don't think people like to think of themselves as liars. But I think I am an honest person... not perfect but honest as much as I can... sometimes even too much. With this I mean, don't expect me to be the guy who would sell you the moon and the stars for something! I am more of the "what you see is what you get" type! I respect other people's opinions, I have my own. I don't invent parts of myself, I expect other people to do the same!

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

That is a question that may have different answers, depending on how you look at it. If you define pen paling as just the somewhat regular exchange of correspondence with someone... then, probably as soon as I learned to write in the second half of the 1980's. I have an uncle, Jorge, who, at the time, was living in Germany pursuing a PhD, and who I had never met personally, as he had studied his undergrad, master and first PhD in Brazil, living there since before I was born. So, once I saw the address on an envelope my grandma asked my mom to post in the mail, I copied it and wrote to him. It seems to have, at the very least, amused him, as we corresponded for several years, until it was easier to email.

Now, if you define pen paling as correspondence with someone unrelated with you, then, it started in 1992, when I was 11. There was this children magazine called "Tambor", that had a section for kids looking for pen pals. I wrote to four ads I liked, a boy and three girls. The boy never answered, but the three girls did. Two of them, whose names escape to my memory right now, stopped writing within the year, but Andrea, the other girl, did keep in contact for about six years. At the time, we lived about 30 miles away, a huge distance when you are 11, but we met a few times, when we were both in High School. Then, she went overseas as an exchange student, and we only wrote to each other about two letters during that year, and when she returned, we were enrolled in the same University (Universidad de Costa Rica), and indeed, we were classmates, taking a common class in humanities. After that, life got busier, and we drifted apart for some time, but when I moved to the US, we sort of reconnected. Now, every time I go back home (not as often as I would like to) we meet once or twice for coffee or lunch.

My dad and I, New Year's, 1982.

Finally, if we count international pen pals, well, it all started in 2006. You know how from time to time there are events that make us think about things in life probably quite unrelated. Well, that year my dad passed away. Although we had a sometimes difficult relation (two hard headed analytical men with very different points of view about almost everything in life), we were really close. If I have ever been closer to someone, probably it was only to my wife. After that, I thought about those simple pleasures in life I had abandoned, and it came to mind... I really really liked to go to the post office, open the mail box and finding a letter to my name. So, I searched online (had to learn the term pen pal, as it is somewhat different to the Spanish term). The first I found were tons of sites to pen pal with inmates... but I did not like the idea. Then, I found pen pal world, found a few profiles, started writing, and with some of them I correspond to this day. The first, in this case, was Tatevik, from Armenia, a lady my age, a published poet, and professional translator... and a very interesting person for those and many other reasons.

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

Well, again, it depends. Let me explain.

There are the pen pals who have been with me for a while, with whom I have exchanged more letters than what I can count with my fingers, and who have been writing with me for over a year, and are, I think, unlikely to stop for no reason. There are five in this category, and they are from Armenia, Russia, Estonia, Canada and Sweden.

There are the pen pals with whom I have been writing for much lesser time, maybe just a few months, but we have already exchanged at least a couple of letters and, at least I, have found the correspondence quite interesting. There are eight in this category, and they are from Hungary, Poland, Sweden, Russia, Singapore, Ireland, and two from the US. I would love to say that all of them will keep in contact forever, but from experience, sometimes even great pen pals go MIA.

Now, there are a few new pals, people to whom I had given my address, or to whom I have written a first letter and I am waiting for the reply. These are from Russia, Germany, England, Italy and India.

As of now, all my pen pals are female. Not that I have anything against my own gender, but I haven't found male pen pals that have the same ideas about pen paling as I do. You can go to question #10 to hear the creepiest cases, but also, I have found guys who only want to talk about their seemingly tremendously exaggerated claims of sexual deeds (the liar's club, I tend to call them), or just all about gaming. I played with a few consoles in the 80's and early 90's, but I haven't touched one at the very least since 1995! So, nothing that I really find interesting. But I would enjoy having some male pen pals.

Recently replied letters.

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

In general, anything that comes to mind, from the mundane to the philosophical, that makes both of us (my pen pal and me) interested. Sometimes the simplest topics turn out to be amazingly interesting. From funny childhood anecdotes to the difference on how we were raised.

But it varies depending on the pen pal. I do not have taboo topics (except for bank account number or balance, and similar information... but that's rather common sense), but there are topics that may cover much more than half my letters to a pen pal, that I would probably not touch with another. Let me see.

Politics: One of the American pen pals I've come acquainted with recently (about six months ago) is very eloquent and articulate when it comes to expressing her opinion. And it happens to be that we have VERY DIFFERENT opinions on a lot of topics of political relevance. We write VERY LONG letters to each other, debating about topics from Jeffersonianism to Prop 8 and Health Reform. But I know that there are many people out there who do not like their views to be challenged on any way (for me is a necessity, if I don't know the opposite point of view, it makes me feel I am losing something), so, I would discuss this only if the conversation naturally takes that direction.

Sex: I believe that sex is an important part of the life of healthy adults, and I don't correspond with kids. I don't mean the most graphical details told in the sleaziest of the ways. No! I am talking about general experiences people have. Again, this is something that not too many people like to talk about, and I respect this. But with several of my pen pals, the conversation has taken that path. Particularly, with my long term Swedish pal, she has such a free spirited and refreshing stand regarding her sexuality, that it is amazingly interesting hearing her stories and her opinions on the topic.

But in general, one of the things that I like, is to know about the stories of our lives. Those little things that we think make us who we are today!

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

Honesty! That is the first thing I would expect from a pen pal. Also, people who are not afraid to share more than their grocery shopping list with me. The idea is to get to know each other on a way that sometimes we don't even know people who interact with us all the time.

Also, creative people. For example, if you ask me "Tell me about your mom", I wouldn't only reply "Her name is Maribel, she's in her early 50's, and lives in San Jose, Costa Rica". That may be relevant information, but way too incomplete! If it is one of the first letters, when I am not sure what my pen pal is expecting, I would probably be a bit general, but it will include at least a couple of paragraphs, where I would try to paint a mental image of her, so, you have a closest idea of what kind of person I think she is! Well, I expect the same. It's somewhat discouraging when you include a dozen questions on your letter, and the other person tries to answer all of them in three lines!

Some basic level of knowledge in a common language. I have seen letters from people (some of which are supposed to be native speakers) that are complete ciphers. Note that I am not a native speaker, and neither are over half of my pen pals, though I know that I will write and I will read letters with some minor grammar mistakes here and there. I don't even mind, as I think they make letters colorful. There is a cuteness on catching those small mishaps. But when whole paragraphs make no sense what so ever, and you have to re-read each sentence fifteen and twenty times to get a small grasp of what the the writer may have been attempting to say, it sucks all the fun out of reading the letter.

Finally, someone who writes back, and writes more than a few words. I understand the fact that sometimes it is a bit awkward to write a first or second letter. But when you get to the fifth letter, and the volume is still barely over a page, then, there is something missing. I am not sure if it is worth my time and postage!

7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

Well, what is there not to like? I like the feeling of anticipation on receiving a specific letter, the thrill of getting to the mailbox and finding out a letter for you from some corner of the world. I like the intimate friendship that can be developed by words on a sheet of paper. I love when a pen pal has told me about some dilemma on their lives, and then, later on getting to know how it was solved.

Also, I remember how thrilled I was when Tatevik, my Armenian friend, told me she and her husband were expecting their first child. At the time, my sister was also expecting, and I found interesting how I was always craving news from both of them (as my sister and I live a few thousand miles away!). Those kind of personal news, specially when you have started to know that person, are very rewarding.

I wanted the picture to show I was standing on the edge of a 100m cliff,
but it didn't. On the background, the Columbia River.
I am in the Oregon side, Summer 2005.

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

Currently I write to all my pen pals in English. It is the common language with them. I could also write in Spanish, as it is my mother language.

My uncle (my "first" pen pal) has lived over half his life in Brazil, and when we wrote to each other, years ago, I asked him to write in Portuguese, as it is "in the language neighborhood", I could read it very very easily, maybe stopping once or twice per paragraph to look for a word in the dictionary. But I would reply in Spanish.

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

My habits to write have evolved a little bit since I re-started a few years back, but for now they seem to be somewhat settled down. Normally if I received a mid-length to long letter, I would probably read it all at once. Then, I would re-read it, writing down in a piece of paper some of the points I want to refer to, and once this is done, probably the following day I sit down, depending on my mood at the time, either in silence on my office when I am alone at home, or some times in front of the TV, and write.

When I was finishing my doctoral thesis, I have to admit, I neglected my pals a little bit, in a few cases, not replying for over four months, so, since then I have made the personal pledge that I will reply to my pen pals within the month, and earlier if I can. I rarely write a letter all at once, as I am a pathological day dreamer, and often, I am writing something, and a related idea comes to mind, and I stop writing and start thinking about it for several minutes. But I have also pledged to myself that once I start writing a letter, it should take me no more than five sessions to finish them.

I write in a variety of papers, from 4"x7" (10cm x 17.5cm), to 16"x20" (40cm x 50cm), but for the most part, I write in regular letter sized paper (8"x11"). I may write in different types of paper (different grammage, texture, ruling size, etc), but I don't really write in what most people understand as stationery. I don't really decorate my letters, I am not so art inclined, though, I find interesting when people do.

Very often I write on ruled paper, and my handwriting has the tendency to naturally adapt to the size of the ruling, thus, I tend to look for those papers where I can write smaller, and write more per page. But in contrast, I have been "accused" of wasting paper, as some times I write with fountain pens (rarely, as they tend to slow me down) or with some pens that do not write, but rather spill ink, and then, I write in one side of the paper only. The good news for people who like my letters to go both sides of the page, Pilot is no longer producing V-Ball pens, so, once I ran out of the few I have left, I will write with ball point!

Sometimes I write in graph paper, or with pencil. But I don't do this often, as some people don't like it. But if I received a letter with either of these peculiarities, I would probably write back in the same style.

The average length of my letters vary from pen pal to pen pal. For the most part, they tend to go from 5 to 10 letter-sized pages (understand, one side of the sheet), but 15 or more are not unheard of.

I thought to offer a neutral sample of my hand writing,
instead of a letter, two of my favorite poems.

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

Oh boy! Where should I start? Yes, there have been several funny and also creepy things that have happened. The first surprise, and probably the only innocent that I have had, was when a pen pal with whom I had written back and forth only a couple of times sent me, out of the blue, a gift book, the Spanish translation of "The DaVinci Code". It was sweet... though, I had already read the book in English! Curiously enough, she wrote back once more after that, telling me she was getting married, and then, never replied my following letters.

I have had my share of creepy things happening, most of them associated with one single mistake I made. Just after I started pen paling again, in 2006, a guy sent me a PM on a website asking for my address. I was living in Atlanta at the time, and had a P.O. Box on campus, so, I didn't think it twice and sent it to him. About three weeks later I received a thick envelope from him, where he included a booklet with an ad with my address, where he had copied my profile photo and part of the text. I wrote back to him, a bit upset, and asked him to remove me from that list. Well, I don't know if he did or not, but I had quite a few replies for about a year.

It seems this particular booklet/magazine had two main markets: inmates and gay men. I first received a letter from a guy, very typical from a first letter, a presentation, the name of his partner, where he lived, and a tiny bit of his story. I wrote him back in about the same fashion, but never got an answer. I think it was the fact that my partner's name is Susana, clearly a female name! I think he was expecting me to be gay!

Later on, I started receiving letters from convicts. About two or three a week for several months. None of them really creepy, but I am not really interested on pen paling with inmates. But about four or five months later there was this letter that was the creepiest I have received. This guy, who was old enough to be my father (indeed, he was older than my father would have been at the time), sent me a first letter, confessing me that he was bisexual, that his wife didn't know and he didn't know how to tell her, and a long sob story about living a double life for so long, as being "as he was" was not something accepted in the 60's and 70's. Not too terribly creepy so far... though a little bit for a first letter. But the interesting detail is that he sent me three pictures of himself naked! I don't know if I would call them suggestive, as they didn't suggest anything enjoyable to me, but they creep me out! I wrote him back telling him not to write me again, and he didn't!

Since then, I tend to spend a few emails before giving my address.

11. Have you met any of your penpals?

I met Andrea, my first unrelated pen pal. But unfortunately, I don't have any picture of the two of us right now. But I hope to have the opportunity to meet at least a few personally within the next five years. I'll see how that goes.

12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

Well, I could never say no to a good pen pal. As recently I have written a few first letters, and given my address to a few pals, I am probably not going to look for profiles to write to in any site, but it would be wonderful to hear from someone else interested on writing.

Thank you so much for sharing your stories with us, David!

Anyone who would like to be featured on my blog as Penpal of the Week - please get in touch with me.

Julie xox

Mini Woman In Black

2009-12-27T20:09:00.000-05:00

New mini letter set in my store!

Click on any image to see the listing on Etsy.

Julie xox

Stationery Finds #4 - Tea

2009-12-24T15:35:00.002-05:00

Up until a few years ago, I thought that tea tasted like dirty, soapy water. Now, I wouldn't say that I'm a big tea drinker, but I enjoy having a cup once in a while.

I had fun finding these products! If you like an item, just click on the picture to see the full listing on Etsy.

Wendy from mulberrymuse has an impressive selection of stationery featuring tea in her shop! This gorgeous set of notecards is my personal favorite, but it was hard choosing just one.

This beautiful card was hand-stamped and hand-colored by Betty of bettyhendrick.

How adorable is this card by Helen of Storeyshop?!

Heather from hdawnparratt sells cards & tags in her shop and she likes custom orders! These mini tea time notecards are lovely.

Fuzzy Bunny is a cute character designed by Marilyn of mpatrizio. On this notepad, he's enjoying a nice cup of tea.

Another cute character is this tea-sipping tortoise by Annette of nutandbee. I love this letter set!

These little guys also seem to be enjoying their cup of tea. This card was illustrated by Jannie of ChickengirlDesign.

I love these funny dogs because they remind me of Astuce, my Boston Terrier! This card was designed by Gemma of gemmabear.

This card by icecreamsocialpaper is perfect for anyone who likes tea and letterpress. (And people like me who like lobster!)

According to Catherine from Bumpkin, happiness is a cup of tea and a good book. I know that a few of my penpals would agree! This bookmark would be a wonderful gift for a bookworm.

This stationery set by emilyanndesigns comes with matching stickers. The notecards can be personalized!

If you're thinking about having a tea party, these classy invitations by damnfrenchdesserts are a must.

Looking for tea stickers? This set by vintagebella has a beautiful antique look.

Finally, take a look at these gorgeous tags made by Kholoud of 4UrEyesOnly. They come tied with pretty ribbons.

Once again, I hope you enjoyed my selection of stationery! Do you have any favorite items? Also, do you like tea? If so, any favorites to share?

Happy holidays!

Julie xox

Mini Set - Juicy Kiwi

2009-12-23T23:31:00.000-05:00

Just listed in my shop...

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #28

2009-12-21T10:03:00.002-05:00

Today, I'm happy to introduce you all to Ashley from the USA!

1. Please tell us about you!

Hello! My name is Ashley Womble. I was born on December 6th, 1988, which would make me 21 years old. At the moment I work full time at a clothing distribution in a very small town in Tennessee. I also attend college part time. I've changed my majors about 4 or 5 times already and at the moment it is elementary education. I never can make up my mind because it's a scary thing... Here I am paying 100% of my college fund... and I have no clue as to what I'd like to really do! All I want is to be happy and comfortable in my career.

It's me with my collection of colorful bottles.

Jason, my boyfriend, and I have been dating since March 31st 2007. We met on myspace through friends. We lived in the same town, about 5 minutes away from one another and never had met before. In August 2008, we purchased our first house. What was crazy about it, was that my best friend had lived in this house when I met her in the 6th grade. I practically grew up in this house on the weekends with her! I knew I had to buy this house when I saw it up for sale. We absolutely love it here.

This is Jason and I.

In my spare time that hardly exists, you can find me sitting in my craft room on the internet playing games, signing slams, writing letters to pen pals, or making artist trading cards (a new hobby of mine). I love to spend the weekends going to thrift stores, garage sales, and antique stores. Jason and I share the love of unique old furniture and such. I have 4 tattoos and 1 lip piercing. I also have the love of dying my hair. It's been every color. I love doing something new to it! We have no kids, but only furr-babies. I have a Siberian husky and 4 cats. My dog's name is Koda and my cats' names are Seven, Turnip, Noodle, and Braille. They are all rescued pets. I love the feeling of the season fall... the leaves, the colors, the hot soups, the holidays that are around the corner. The fall makes me feel a little bit warmer inside.

The day I got Koda, my love.

You can always reach me either at my email (sympathetic_kitty@yahoo.com) or personal myspace.

I also just reactivated my interpals page. So you can visit that here.

2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

This is hard, but it makes you think!

Creative: My co-workers are always telling me that I'm a creative person and that I would be good at becoming a teacher for children. I am always making up crazy stories just to make people laugh. Most of the time they are "on the spot, please stop and talk" stories... so no telling on how the story ends up! I just tell everyone that it's too dull at our work, so I am trying to liven it up.

Just me.

Sensitive: I may not ever show it, but my feelings get hurt easy. I wish that it wouldn't affect me in such a way, but I've always been like this.

Spontaneous: I am one to wake up at 2am and go grocery shopping. I don't like to plan everything out. Especially a normal everyday thing that people have to do.

Caring: I hold a lot of compassion for animals and children. Any type of abuse is not tolerant in my book, so when I hear of someone being abused, it breaks my heart. I try to help people out as much as I can if possible.

Random: This may count in with spontaneous, but I am a very random person. I'm the one that will feel the need to "bark" in the middle of a silent meeting. Or... I am the person that feels the need to say something completely off the wall just to get a reaction from someone. I love to see someone laugh... And sometimes that means making myself look like an idiot at times. My favorite thing to do at the moment is to ask people who walk pass me at work if they like corn. Yes, the puzzled look on their face is worth it.

Jason and I in 2007, this was probably the month that we met.

Jealous: This may not be a good thing to be... but I'm honest. I can become a little jealous at times. I am working on this however. It's nothing serious.

Open-Minded: I try not to judge others. I understand everyone has their own opinions.

Indecisive: As you can tell from changing majors in college so many times, I have a tendency to change my mind... a lot. My feelings also create a dilemma in my head sometimes... I have mixed feelings from time to time and I like when someone can understand how I'm feeling and can soothe my mind by their advice and convos.

Addictive: I become addicted to video games, books, tv shows... lots of things really! One of the most thing people notice I'm addicted to is hair dye. I love to change the way I look with just dying my hair. It's been every color under the moon!

Me when I dyed my hair red, my addiction of hair dye.

Procrastinator: It seems that I start projects and then get interested with another project... I have a circle of things I should be doing to try and finish up, but sometimes I need a little motivation. I love the feeling of finishing something though!

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

I first started penpalling around the age of 14. I don't remember my first penpal's name, but I do remember he was from Japan and he sent me many pictures of him and his pug. I still have all my letters to every penpal, so one day I will look for his letters and try and find him. Maybe he will still remember me. We just lost touch.

This was taken in town behind a local store.
I thought it was just a normal rainbow,
but when I edited my pictures later on that night,
I discovered that it was a double rainbow.

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

I have about 6 penpals that write frequently. Rose and Jennifer are the ones that I've wrote to the longest. I have several more that have written to me for years as well. Rose is from MD and Jennifer is from MS. I also have a few that are from Japan.

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

We talk about life in general. I like to be asked questions and I try to do the same in my letters. I don't like when someone types out a letter and sends the same copy to everyone of their penpal. It doesn't seem personal. I like getting deep into topics and finding out who this person really is and how they think. It's a nice feeling - a connection of friendship through paper.

This is one of my best friends. Her name is Autumn.
We like to go to Target's and rearrange furniture displays :)
She taught me a lot about being random and goofy.

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

I'm looking for long lettered penpals that write neat and interesting letters. I love "fat mail"! Common interests between my penpal and I does not have to exist because no 2 people are alike... Plus I like to read letters about new ideas and feelings. It opens up conversation and creates a friendship.

I want a penpal who will write to me regularly.

A painting I did. Something pretty simple, I know.
But I was pretty proud of it.

7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

I like getting to know someone that lives miles away. From time to time, I try to include small surprises. It's nice to receive stickers and extra stationery and small trinkets.

Sometimes at work my mind trails off to wonder about my mailbox... "Did I get any good mail today?" By the time I get home I'm so excited to see if I got anything! My favorite sound is hearing the mailman pull up to my mailbox. I wait till he pulls away and then I dart out the door to see what awaits me!

To me, penpalling is almost like a replying journal... If you have a bad day and you don't want to talk to anyone out loud about it... you can always just vent on paper and let someone know how you feel. Chances are they have advice for you in their next letter to you. I love seeing a unfamiliar address on a colorful envelope in my mailbox... It's usually the first thing I open up. Having a new penpal to get to know is great!

This is my latest letter box.
I keep all my letters in boxes for easy storing.

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

English as of right now. I took a Spanish class in high school but I wouldn't feel comfortable writing in it. I hope to study more in Spanish in college however.

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

I like to write my letters in a comfortable place alone. It doesn't matter if it's quiet or not as long as no one bothers me. I use to write my letters in classes. If I knew the teacher wouldn't bother me, I could get away with a couple of pages to my penpal.

This may sound strange but if I love the pen I'm using I can finish up a letter pretty quickly. I love pens and cute paper.

My handwriting. It changes daily.
That's why I wrote in print and cursive.

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

I've been thinking about this as I read over others' answers to this question. The only thing I can think of is when I was writing to this one woman and she would say pretty strange things (I couldn't remember exactly, but I remember feeling puzzled). I always felt like something was up... Like she wasn't who she said she was... Then she sent me a CD of her band. It was just a guy on the cover and then I played it and it was only a guy singing. I think she was a "he" trying to fool me. It wasn't the fact that I thought this person was a male... It was the fact that something didn't feel right. I have no problem with writing males if their heart is in the right place and are just wanting true friendship.

A bush that grows in the back of my yard. When I moved in, it wasn't in bloom
and I considered chopping it down because I thought it was just a dead bush...
But when it finally bloomed, it was breath taking gorgeous.
I don't know what it is, but it reminds me of grapes. :)

11. Have you met any of your penpals?

I haven't met any of my penpals yet. Jennifer, the one in MS, will be having a baby shower soon, so I plan on driving 3 hours to attend. We were supposed to meet up in Tunica MS to meet at the casinos... But plans changed and now it will be next year. I am very excited and I cannot wait to meet her!

I had to stop and take this picture while I was traveling to an auction one night.

12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

Yes! I am always looking for snail mail penpals. I want to get to know as many people as I can. It's fun getting new penpal letters in the mail.

Thank you for your time, Ashley, and for sharing all these beautiful pictures with us!

Julie xox

Envelopes

2009-12-20T20:23:00.000-05:00

I love envelopes, but before I had my stationery shop, I didn't buy a lot of colorful ones for several reasons - one of them being that most pretty envelopes I found were sold in packs of 25 or 50 with the same design or same color. Since I like a variety, it would have been too expensive to get more than a couple of colors at once.

Now that I have my own stationery business, I have thousands of envelopes, so I thought I could sell them in small packs of assorted colors. These won't be sold in my shop forever though - I just have a few extra packs for sale since I'm using the other ones for my letter sets.

Click on any image to see the whole listing on Etsy.

Pack A - 16 envelopes (4 available)

Pack B - 16 envelopes (2 available)

Pack C - 15 envelopes (6 available)

Pack D - 16 metallic envelopes (3 available)

Julie xox

Stationery Finds #3 - Snowmen

2009-12-17T15:32:00.003-05:00

Louis-Justin and I had fun building snowmen in the front yard recently since there have been a few snowstorms over the last couple of weeks... I don't remember the last time I played in the snow and had that much fun - it must have been over 15 years ago!

It gave me the idea of featuring snowman stationery on my blog, so here you go! If you like what you see, just click on the pictures to see the full listings.

If you're still looking for holiday cards, JumpingJackDesigns has a cute set for you. A snowman + red birds (you know my love for cardinals) = a great combo.

This snowman looks like an overweight grandma to me - I love it! Chichiboulie, an illustrator from France, specializes in artwork and creations for children and the young-at-heart.

You can tell that StarLitStudio makes her notebooks with love and care! This kit of 2 snow people notebooks is cute and elegant at the same time.

I want to be friends with this snowman enjoying his slurpee! Joy from SugarBeetPress has a few holiday cards in her shop and this one is my favorite along with the Candy Cane.

Connie from TheTinyFig has some cute gift tags that can be used for Christmas as well as winter birthdays.

Need some pretty stickers to use as envelope seals? sugarivy has several designs (check out the strawberries and cupcakes!), including these adorable snowmen and penguins.

Julie from bohtieque has an amazing selection of labels in her little shop. The round ones seem to be very popular - isn't this snowgirl adorable?

I use notepads for everything. They make wonderful gifts too! This one is magnetic and can go on your refrigerator. Hilary must love snowmen too because she has a snowman bookmark, a snowman brooch and a snowglobe wall hanging in her shop, sweetpaperart.

Here's a gorgeous notebook made by Liane of PrairieGarden. And it's currently on sale!

For those of you who like glitter, I found this nice little set of mini notecards by Melissa of whimsypics. There are also bigger snowman cards in her shop as well as glittery gift tags.

These postcards by Caroline of calobee make me laugh. Let it snow, man!

These tiny greeting cards make my heart melt. Aren't they sweet? At MerryBluesArt, you can also find cards printed on banana paper!

Finally, these holiday journal notebooks made by Zany are just too cute to pass up. The snowmen look so cheerful!

I hope you enjoyed my selection of little snowmen! Any favorites? And when was the last time that YOU built a snowman? ;)

Julie xox

How I've changed over the years...

2009-12-15T22:14:00.000-05:00

When I was 1, my babysitter offered me flowers for my birthday.
Now that I'm 30, my mom got me flowers for my birthday (see photo).

When I was 2, I went to France to visit my mom's family.
Now that I'm 30, I want to go back to France to visit my penpals!

When I was 3, my favorite toys were my dolls.
Now that I'm 30, my favorite "toys" are paper products.

When I was 4, I spent at least an hour trying to kill an ant.
Now that I'm 30, I feel sad whenever insects are killed.

When I was 5, I wanted to be a florist.
Now that I'm 30, I'm a stationery designer and business owner.

When I was 6, my favorite season was summer.
Now that I'm 30, I prefer the peacefulness of autumn.

When I was 7, I started writing to my first penpal.
Now that I'm 30, almost 23 years later, I still have penpals and love writing letters.

When I was 8, my favorite meal was lasagna.
Now that I'm 30, sushi beats everything!

When I was 9, I hated peppers and onions.
Now that I'm 30, they're some of my favorite vegetables.

When I was 10, the most important thing to me was being the best.
Now that I'm 30, the most important thing to me is being happy.

When I was 11, I skipped the 6th grade.
Now that I'm 30, I'm homeschooling my son because I don't like the school system.

Shortly before I turned 12, I met Véronique, who became my best friend all through high school.
Now that I'm 30, Véronique is still one of my best friends and our kids are friends too!

When I was 13, my idol was Madonna.
Now that I'm 30, I realize that Michael Jackson is (was) a much better singer.

When I was 14, I thought that adults were boring.
Now that I'm 30, I still think that most adults are boring.

When I was 15, my bedroom was so messy that reaching my bed at night was a challenge.
Now that I'm 30, I love clean spaces but still have too much stuff.

When I was 16, I loved talking on the phone for 6-8 hours at a time (my record was probably around 14 hours).
Now that I'm 30, I hate the phone - please don't call too often.

When I was 17, I thought that looks mattered.
Now that I'm 30, I realize that they don't.

When I was 18, I had my first real paid summer job.
Now that I'm 30, I would never consider working for someone else again.

When I was 19, I was fascinated by serial killers.
Now that I'm 30, I prefer cute baby animals, flowers and rainbows.

When I was 20, I dated a few girls.
Now that I'm 30, I think girls are way too complicated and I'm happy to be with the most relaxed, easy-going man on the planet.

When I was 21, I was anxious, depressed and self-conscious.
Now that I'm 30, I can get stressed easily at times but I'm more balanced and at peace with myself.

When I was 22, after my grandpa died, I moved into his old house.
Now that I'm 30, I still live in this house and I feel sort of protected here.

When I was 23, I had a car but didn't know how to drive it.
Now that I'm 30, I have my license and I enjoy driving alone to good music.

When I was 24, I gave birth to a wonderful little human being.
Now that I'm 30, I'm grateful for all the experiences.

When I was 25, my dad died from lung cancer.
Now that I'm 30, I realize that it made me a better, stonger person.

When I was 26, take-out was always the best option.
Now that I'm 30, I enjoy cooking at home!

When I was 27, I met my boyfriend.
Now that I'm 30, I can say that Mario is the first man I love the right way, for the right reasons.

When I was 28, I hated beer and wine.
Now that I'm 30, I enjoy wine but still hate beer.

When I was 29, I wasn't looking forward to entering my thirties.
Now that I'm 30, I think it's going to be a fun ride!

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #27

2009-12-14T12:31:00.000-05:00

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!

2009-12-12T12:44:00.001-05:00

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

2009-12-10T20:15:00.001-05:00

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!

2009-12-09T21:35:00.000-05:00

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

2009-12-08T18:42:00.000-05:00

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

2009-12-07T09:50:00.002-05:00

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

2009-12-05T23:53:00.001-05:00

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

Lower Shipping

2009-12-03T18:20:00.000-05:00

Good news!

I was sad that some people couldn't afford my stationery because of the shipping costs, especially customers from overseas... So I did a few magic tricks and ta-da! Shipping has been reduced on ALL items in my store!

Of course, Canada Post being Canada Post, I still have to ask a bit more than what I'd like to charge, but it's still an improvement.

If you bought 2 grocery lists yesterday, the total cost would have been (including shipping):

For Canadian customers ---> $17.25 - but is now only $16.76!
For American customers ---> $21.25 - but is now only $19.00!
For International customers ---> $26.50 - but is now only $22!

So if you're interested in getting some stationery to give as Christmas presents, there's still time! To make sure that your order arrives on time, you have until...

December 14 for Canadian and American customers &
December 7 for International customers.

Julie xox

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2009-12-01T09:49:00.000-05:00

Today, my mom turns 63! She had me a few days after her 33rd birthday, on December 12...

Even in her sixties, my mom is still healthy and vibrant. She's the most generous person I know, very loving and spontaneous. She's still a little girl at heart!

These pictures were taken on our last trip to Mexico in March 2009. When she's happy and laughing, she always has such tiny eyes!

And here she is, playing with Louis-Justin. She's a wonderful grandma, very patient and playful.

Bonne fête maman!

Julie xox

Mario must be pregnant...

2009-11-30T19:13:00.001-05:00

Have I ever mentioned how crazy my boyfriend is?

Want to know what Mario ate right before lunch? A banana topped with garlic sauce + dried tomato pesto. This is the weirdest food combo I've ever heard of.

Anyone who can beat that?!

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #25

2009-11-30T13:25:00.001-05:00

Today, let's meet Monica from the USA.

1. Please tell us about you!

Ello everyone! I'm really happy to be here and get the chance to introduce myself and talk about something I really love, snail mailing!

So let's see, my name's Monica, and I'm on the far side of 18, and right now I'm in New York visiting my mom and grandmother, but I'm normally in the sunny state of California living near the quirky and off beat city of San Francisco, which owns my heart truly and deeply :)

Me and my mom :)

Right now I'm in school studying to work as a pharmacy technician, something I'll be doing soon, eep! I don't plan on being a pharm tech all my life, not even close, it's just something that'll help me achieve my dreams of traveling and perhaps going to art uni after :)

I have tons of hobbies, and obviously snail mailing is in the top ten of those, but others include drawing, making jewelry and clothing, photographing streets and buildings, traveling and reading travel books, reading books and more books, being fanatical about Neil Gaiman, finding rainbow colored clothing and quirky hats, listening to music and my number one hobby and favorite thing to do, hanging out with my best friend, the Watson to my Sherlock, and dreaming up far fetched schemes :)

If this small description of myself is lacking, a better one can be found on my Interpals page.

2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

Artistic : You know that girl who has lyrics drawn on her jeans, ribbons in her messy hair and paint splotches on her fingers? That's me :)

Friendly : I try to be friendly, kind and compassionate at all times, because the world needs more friendliness and softness instead of hard edges.

Shy : Aha, yeah... I can be unbelievably shy at times but caffeine helps me hide it with nervous spazziness :P

Spazzy : Imagine a squirrel on 5 cups of espresso, that's me after just one can of a Java Monster ^__^

Paradox : Nothing is every black and white with me, it's all upside down and inside out, but not always in a confusing way :)

Nerdy : comics, graphic novels, lord of the rings... need I go on? :P

Caring : I can't help but get emotionally invested in people, and that means caring about them and what's going on with them.

Open : I don't have much that I won't talk about, life isn't about keeping secrets, but never having them in the first place.

Restless : I'm like that U2 song, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for"

Quirky : What can I say, this is the word almost everyone uses at least once to describe me, but I don't mind :)

Me and Watson, about a year ago, while I was doing a
Cyanide & Happiness "Personal Space Invader" joke :P

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

I started penpalling through snail mail fairly recently actually, only since this past June! I had joined Interpals really just to cure boredom, but I ended up meeting some really great and amazing people, and some of them wondered if I wanted to "snail mail" with them apart from just talking online, and I was like "Huh? What's snail mailing?" and once I found out what it was I was immediately intrigued, but I thought it would be incredibly complicated to snail mail outside of the US, till one of my friends, Courtney, was telling me about all the penpals she had, all over the world and I asked her if it was complicated or really expensive and she took the time to explain to me pretty much everything about it, and because of her I got the courage to start penpalling, because she made it sound so fun and easy :)

My first real snailmail penpal was um... You know, in all honestly it could have been any of three people, but if I had to choose, I'd say it was Mackenzie, or as I call her, Clyde :P She's the first person who ever sent me a letter that was more than just a letter, it was basically an explosion of art to me when I first got it, the envelope made out of a Cartier advertisement with cut out magazine letters spelling a message for me, lots of cute random creative things inside, and the letter itself, this kaleidoscope of color, words and smileys :) And because of her, the small interest that I had in snail mailing became what is now one of the most time consuming hobbies I have, and I wouldn't have it any other way :)

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

Hmm let's see, right now I have about 30 snail mail penpals, which I know, I know, seems like a whole big bunch! But with 3 of them I just exchange mix cds with, and with 2 of them, (James and Helio "manly man", amazingly awesome dudes!) I talk mostly through long (and I mean looong) messages and only occasionally do we send each other snail mail, with James mostly mix cds and random bits and bobs that we think the other will like, and with Helio, handwritten original poems and stories.

With my actual regular only-through-snailmail penpals, there's about 10 that I write with regularly, meaning that we reply to each others letters within the week if possible, and those include the lovely miss Sarah (UK) who sends me letters that never fail to make me smile, Lesley-Ann (N. Ireland) who makes the BEST mix cds, Sabrina (Finland) who's the person I write and confide the most to, the enchanting Sandra (Sweden) who always listens to my ramblings and is just as creative as I am, if not more, Steven (Ireland) who's a bit new, but still a great cheerful and funny guy to write to, and Mareike who's plain awesome and never thinks my letters are as crappy as I think they are ^__^

I would go on and on about my penpals, but I would probably bore the bejesus out of everyone reading this so I'm just going to say that pretty much every single one of my current penpals makes me smile when I get their letters or messages, and I couldn't have dreamed for a better bunch :D

Some of the cute things I find to send to penpals :)

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

I don't really have favorite topics when it comes to letters, though I love it when people describe to me their home town, and the things they like and dislike about them :)

I like talking about movies, books, random memories picked from the traces of a smile, travel plans and wish lists of places to visit, every day routines, and anything else that happens to come up.

But I guess above all I love lists, especially top ten lists, there's something so fun about reading someone's top ten list of favorite movies, and writing your own list in return :)

The only thing I don't like to talk about much in letters is my love life, mostly because it's always such a rollercoaster mess and I like just waiting till things get sorted out, but my penpals are free to talk to me about their love lives, it's always interesting :)

A random picture of me, dressed to go to... the movies I think :)

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

Hmm, well the first thing I look for in a penpal is compatibility, of course :) I have to have at least a few things in common with the person to want to write to them.

After that imagination, intelligence, creativity, a sense of humor and compassion are the things I look for the most. I love meeting people who have an active imagination like I do, who love fantasy and fairy tales, who are dreamers. Intelligence because well... As I told a friend once, I like talking to someone with an IQ higher than a toothbrush :P Creativity, which doesn't mean that I need someone who decorates the crap out of their letters like I do, but at least who has the inclination to do so :) A sense of humor because I can NOT stand people who can't take a joke. And compassion because... Being a penpal, to me at least, means more than just exchanging letters and messages with someone, it means being privy to someone's innermost thoughts, feelings and experiences, it means sharing and reaching out, and if a person is lacking compassion then a true bond of friendship will never really be reached, and that's at the core of what I'm looking for, the true bond of friendship :)

7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

I love the way that I can be creative with just about every aspect of it, the whole process of writing a letter can be such a fun thing, from creating the envelope that will hold the letter, finding and searching for cute and unique things to send with the letter, from swap items to drawing random things. And then the letter, there's just so much you can do! Stationary paper, cutting letters from magazines, printing pictures from the Internet, adding ribbons, making the letter into a mini book, drawing little drawings in the margins, stickers, colored pencils, and the list goes on and on :D Even what stamps you put on can be creative :)

I guess the reason I love being as creative as I can with the letters I send is because I know how exciting it is to open your mail box and see a brightly colored and decorated envelope just begging to be opened, and I love knowing I can give someone that joy :)

Some of the letters I've made this past month,
not my most creative, but still pretty interesting.

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

Right now it's just in English that I write to my penpals, but since I also speak Spanish I've started teaching some of them basics of Spanish, like how to say hello and goodbye, those things :)

I'd love to meet someone with the patience to help me practice my Spanish better, but that'll have to wait till I have more time ;)

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

I usually write letters on my bed, mostly because it's pretty big so I have all the space I need to have all my supplies around, and because it's so darn comfy :)

I don't usually answer letters in the order I get them, I answer them by which ones are shorter, because that way I can free up my time for the longer ones that usually require much more attention, and I'm always listening to music while I write letters, usually a mix a friend has sent me, or a mix I'm working on :)

Um... As to how long it can take me to reply back, I'll be honest, it just depends on how interesting a letter is. If someone sends me a letter that I can tell they rushed and didn't really put much thought in, then I can take up to a month to write back, but vice a versa, if I get a letter that makes me feel creative just by looking at it and is wonderfully written, then I'll write back right then and there and send it priority just so it gets there faster ^_^

I never ignore letters, and even if a letter is lacking, I try my best to write back with a good one, though it might take me a bit :P

A sample of my handwriting... Kinda messy but oh wells.

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

Hmm... Honestly, nothing really weird has ever happened to me, at least when it comes to snail mailing :P The only thing I can think of that was a bit funny / weird was when my penpal Muriel, who's such a sweet lovely person, told me that I'd been in a dream of hers, something about me visiting her in Belgium, which I found funny because I think that's the first time a penpal's told me they dreamed about me, but what was every funnier, and a bit on the weird side, was that the next night I had a dream where I was in Amsterdam, and Muriel was there! Totally random :)

11. Have you met any of your penpals?

Ah gah, this is a question that just bums me out :( Basically I was supposed to meet up with a pen pal just last week, while I was here in NYC visiting my mom and grandmother, and we only had 3 days to meet up, so it was a bit of a balancing act to make sure I had time to meet up with him, not to mention learn how to use the subway system. But anyways, to say plans got messed up would be an understatement, because the first day, I woke up after only sleeping 3 hours because a car alarm outside had kept going off through the night, and so we rescheduled for the next day.

Oy, that next day... What a day! A run down of events that happened, from start to bottom : Got hit on by scary looking gangster wannabe on the train, ended up lost for the better part of an hour about 2 miles from where I was supposed to be and chaffed my right foot so badly from walking so much that it started to bleed, a random woman spilled her cup of water all over my purse, soaking my only map, almost got run over by a frazzled taxi driver, had some random dude try to stop me in the middle of the street to get my number, and finally, my cell phone crapped out on me. In between all that fun stuff, my penpal ended up detained at home and would have needed another hour to get to where I was... Needless to say I really couldn't take much more and just headed home, getting lost once again for half an hour. And the next day my mom had already made plans to take me sight seeing, so we never got to meet up. But while I might not have met up with him, which really sucked, at least I got some interesting stories to tell :P

Me with my favorite SkullCandy headphones on,
I'm always wearing them while I write my letters :)

12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

Hmm... Well as I mentioned somewhere above, I currently have about 30 snail mail penpals, and while I don't spend ALL my free time writing letters, sometimes it can feel like it :P So while I'm not currently looking for more penpals, being the person that I am, I know that I won't ever say no to someone that asked me to snail mail with them if they're just as creative as I am, or if they have some other really good reason for wanting to snail mail.

Also, while I'm not actively looking for anyone to snail mail letters with, I AM looking for people to exchange mix cds with, because I think it's a really great way to slowly get to know someone, reading why they picked specific songs, and listening to said songs :) So if anyone thinks we'd be a good match, or would like to exchange mix cds, feel free to contact me :)

Thank you, Monica!

I'm looking for a few people who would like to be featured as Penpal of the Week on my blog in the coming weeks, so if you're interested please get in touch with me! Thanks.

Julie xox

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu

2009-11-27T13:16:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post today to show you my city!

These are 2 pictures of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu that Nicolas took a few years ago.

I love where I live! There are about 89 000 people in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. We have a college, a hospital, several malls, restaurants and businesses... And there's the International Hot Air Balloon Festival every August!

What is your city famous for?

Julie xox

New - Pens!

2009-11-26T15:54:00.007-05:00

I listed the first batch of pens in my shop last night! There are 13 designs so far.

Here are the individual designs. You can see them better in the actual listing!

Regular price is $12.50 for 5 pens ($2.50 each), but I'm selling them at $10 ($2 each) for now. These make great little Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers! See the listing here.

Julie xox

Sale ending tomorrow!

2009-11-23T17:38:00.001-05:00

Just a quick note to let you know that the 50% off sale in my store is ending tomorrow! So if you were thinking about purchasing a few Christmas gifts for family and friends (or if you want to give yourself a little present too!), now is the time.

The Mini Swirly Ivy Letter Set is one of my best sellers and I have a few left at $3!

Grocery lists make great Christmas gifts! Both designs are on sale at $3.50 until tomorrow.

Check out We've Got Paper to see all the items that are on sale!

Julie xox