Mail via the Postal Society

Today I received not one, but two pieces of mail from members of the Postal Society - a neat penpal club I joined (again!). Are you part of any penpal clubs?

The first piece of mail was this pretty piece sent by Julia from Poland.

I was her partner in the July swap with the topic of a summer themed mail art envelope, she told me that mandalas really remind her of holidays - and actually, when I read that, I remembered that back when I was a kid and we went to Italy with another family, their daugther and I would spend hours listening to audiobooks (TKKG to be exact) and drawing mandalas. How did you spend your summer holidays as a child?

I really like the stamps Julia used as well!

 Next was this pretty polkadot envelope from Arielle in the Philippines. Doesn't it look lovely?

She sent me a short note, two cute envelopes for me to use and a teacupcard by papemelroti, a stationery shop from the Philippines I adore.

Once again, I love the stamp - but I always love the stamps from the Philippines, so it's not too hard to please me when it comes to that :)

Have you gotten nice mail lately?

Alles Liebe,
Caddi

Postcards from around the World # 10 - Austria

From looking at this postcard, you will obviously know that it was received a while back... July is not really the time to send a postcard depicting a "Winter Paradise".

My boyfriends family goes skiing / snowboarding each year, but this year we couldn't go with them, as we were travelling ourselves during that time. So they opted to send us a postcard instead.

After reading the postcard we figured it was the right choice - they said that yes, the sky was as blue as in the photos, but that there was very little snow. The bits that were left on the slopes was either muddy or iced - so not really that enjoyable. Hopefully next year we'll manage to go with them and hopefully we'll have better snow then :) Do you enjoy skiing?

Alles Liebe,
Caddi

Postcards from around the World # 9 - France

I am a bit jealous of all the trips the aunt and uncle of my boyfriend take - this postcard is from their most recent one, when they went to Corsica, a french Island in the Mediterranean Sea for a few days. Looking at this postcard makes me want to take a trip to the ocean immediately.

The stamps is one of the classic France-stamps.

Alles Liebe,
Caddi

Postcards from around the World # 8 - The Netherlands

I got this card back in March from my little brother (who lives in the Netherlands) and my father (who went to visit him). They took a daytrip to Amsterdam and thought of me and my love for postcards - I'm a lucky girl :)

I love how you can see bikes on the postcard...

as well as on the stamp :)

The Netherlands sure are a bicylce-country! Quick story about that - in May my brother parked his bike somewhere where he wasn't supposed to park it - and they towed his bike! Just like other countries would tow your car. He had to pay a fee to be allowed to collect his bike :) Have you ever had your bike (or car) towed?

Alles Liebe,
Caddi

Postcards from around the World # 7 - India

Yesterday I received this lovely postcard from India. It depicts the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, also called the "Palace of the Wind". It was built in 1799 for women in the royal family, so that they could see the ceremonial processions on the street, but were in turn not visible to anybody while sitting behind the small windows. The building is five storeys high and built in pink sandstone. There are literally hundreds of screened windows and small balconies.

 I have never seen a building like this before (have you?) and loved learning about it!

The stamp shows J.R.D. Tata, the first licensed pilot of India and also founder of the first commercial airline in India.

Thanks Ankita for sending me this postcard!

Great letter from Ireland

Do you check your PO-Box every day? I usually do so when going to university, since it's located about 1,5 kms away close to the train station, so I'm not getting my mail every day. Whenever my boyfriend has classes but I don't, he'll go and check my mail for me.
Today when he came home, he told me I had received a beautiful letter - and indeed it is!

Look at the pretty handwriting / calligraphy she used to write my address!

Also - aren't the Europa stamps fantastic?

And lastly - it's not a secret that I love airmail-labels from foreign countries!

Such a perfect piece of mail!

Alles Liebe,
Caddi

Dear Alex - Philippines

A letter sent to my dear friend Alex in the Philippines today.

I used an envelope of a giveaway I won a while back (thanks again! I already used all the writing paper and now only have one envelope left of the three), which I love because of the airmail border. Isn't anything airmail just fantastic? The priority label I used is from Austria.

The letter I wrote plus the letter and Christmas card I got from her. I just love her handwriting!

Arent't the stamps from the Philippines great? I think I already mentioned a few times that I just love stamps with animals and especially underwater creatures on them - and these are SO pretty! (And I'm SO looking forward to snorkeling in Australia!)

What kind of images do you like on stamps?

Alles Liebe,

Caddi

Happy Diwali!

I got a letter from Amit on Wednesday. If you know Amit, you also know that he uses amazing stamps. I love these! Aren't they incredibly pretty?

Amit sent me a card wishin me a happy Diwali. Diwali is the Festival of Lights celebrated across India and apparently a very colourful festival, Amit told me he was already looking for clay lamps when he was writing the letter. I'm so happy that the card reached me on time.

Did you learn anything interesting from through the mail lately? I never heard of this festival before and loved learning about it.

Alles Liebe,
Caddi

Postcards from around the World # 5 - Greece

Today I got a postcard from a close friend - the lucky girl spent a few days in Greece!

It has been almost ten years since I have been in Greece (wait, maybe even longer!) and I have to admit, I was a bit jealous when I heard about her plans - but I love that she got to go on a holiday, she deserves it! She did enjoy the greek sun, the beach, the ocean - they also went to see Athen and Patras though!

I love the stereotypical white and blue houses of Greece, I love the colour combination.

The stamp is fantastic as well!

This card made me want to go on holidays SO bad! Well, next year there's another chance for some travels...

Where will your next journey take you?

Alles Liebe,
Caddi

A Productive Weekend! - Also: Stats of the Month - June 2013

 Well, mailwise at least... :)

 I sent one postcard to an old family friend who will have surgery in a week,

 another postcard to my goddaughter (I had already sent her mother a letter on Thursday - of course I don't have a picture of that one...)

 A letter to Michelle in Idadho,

 Oh, here are the stamps I used so far :) I really really like the one with the elk and the lighthouse one is great as always.

 A postcard to a friend, I haven't heard from her in a bit so I basically said hi and asked her to call me.

 A letter to Yana in Utah

 and a letter to a penpal here in Germany,

and lastly, a letter to Yanill in Florida - I will send that one out on Tuesday, as soon as partners are assigned in a swap-bot swap.

How have you been this weekend? Have you been productive?

Oh, and also, it's the end of June! So here are my stats of this month! :)

I finally received more mail again! I had 22 incoming letters, 3 incoming postcards and 2 incoming packages - yay! I haven't been to my PO-Box since Thursday, so I might even have gotten more :)

I sent out 24 letters and 9 postcards (counting the ones I finished this weekend) as well as 3 packages.

I spent a total of 26,33 € on postage, so on average 0,73 € per mailed item.

How much mail did you receive and send this month?

Oh, and one last thing: I bet you have already read elsewhere about this whole bloglovin' thing? Good, then I don't have to write this down here...

All the best for you!
Caddi

P.S. Postage Stamps Scavenger Hunt - Days 8 - 9

If you are a member of the Postal Society like me and read the newsletter, you'll know about this instagram challenge (which I'm making into a blog challenge...).

I can already see some who are going to be hard but I'll try it anyway. Are you joining in as well? I'd love to see what you come up with, just leave a link below and I'll make sure to check it out!

Well, I missed yesterday, so there are two stamps today...

Day 8: Nature

and Day 9: Red

I like both of them very much, even though I have to admit that I prefer the stamp of the linden. The tree is at least 700 years old, some sources say 1000 years, and has been a natural monument since 1971. It has an astonishing calibre of almost three metres and a circumference of more or less 9 meters. I think old trees are so beautiful :) Do you have stamps with trees on them?

Alles Liebe,
Caddi

P.S. Stamps Scavenger Hunt - Day 7

If you are a member of the Postal Society like me and read the newsletter, you'll know about this instagram challenge (which I'm making into a blog challenge...).

I can already see some who are going to be hard but I'll try it anyway. Are you joining in as well? I'd love to see what you come up with, just leave a link below and I'll make sure to check it out!

Today is the seventh day of the challenge, so the theme is "person".

Georg Elser was a German opposed to the Nazism and tried to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1939 with a bomb in a beer hall, but while the bomb exploded on time, Hitler had left early to catch a train.
Elser was caught and held imprisoned in concentration camps until 1945, when he was shot a few weeks before the war was over.

I was thinking about taking this stamp as a black and white one because it only has some small red parts, but it's impossible to not notice them in my opinion, so I'll have to find another one for that day and decided to show this stamp today.

All the best and take care!

Alles Liebe,

Caddi

P.S. Stamps Scavenger Hunt - Day 6

If you are a member of the Postal Society like me and read the newsletter, you'll know about this instagram challenge (which I'm making into a blog challenge...).

I can already see some who are going to be hard (I have never seen a map on a stamp...) but I'll try it anyway. Are you joining in as well? I'd love to see what you come up with, just leave a link below and I'll make sure to check it out!

Today is the sixth day of the challenge, so the theme is "building".

And here's the stamp! I really like it. It depicts the Cathedral of Berlin. This stamps is only a few years old and I have seen it a few times (not that often though, because the denomination is not one you use often). I really like it, it's one of the prettiest church stamps in my collection :)

All the best and take care!

P.S. Stamps Scavenger Hunt - Day 5

If you are a member of the Postal Society like me and read the newsletter, you'll know about this instagram challenge (which I'm making into a blog challenge...).

I can already see some who are going to be hard (I have never seen a map on a stamp...) but I'll try it anyway. Are you joining in as well? I'd love to see what you come up with, just leave a link below and I'll make sure to check it out!

Today is the fifth day of the challenge, so the theme is "blue".

And here's the stamp! I really like it.

All the best and take care!

P.S. Stamps Scavenger Hunt Days 1 - 4

If you are a member of the Postal Society like me and read the newsletter, you'll know about this instagram challenge (which I'm making into a blog challenge...).

I can already see some who are going to be hard (I have never seen a map on a stamp...) but I'll try it anyway. Are you joining in as well? I'd love to see what you come up with, just leave a link below and I'll make sure to check it out!

Since we are already four days in, today I'm going to share four pictures with you.

A green stamp, which seems to be quite old - at least a few decades, but I have no clue how old exactly. I got this one from my step-grandfather.

 The newest one of the German flower-stamps. I like them all :)

I couldn't find a stamp which is completely yellow, but I think this will do, as the yellow is really bright on this stamp.

 These rhinos are so cute! The remind me of last September when I visited the Zoo in Berlin with my god-daughter and we also saw a rhino-baby :)

All the best and take care!

Monday's Mail

Hello dears!

I can't believe this either, but this finally is a mail-post ;-) I haven't photographed all of the mail that passed through my hands theses weeks, but I'll show you some recent outgoings... This will be a bit picture heavy :)

A letter heading out for the intro letter swap on swap-bot organized by the Postal Society.

These were a letter to Laura and some postcards - one to Italy and another one to the USA.

A postcard to my father - yes, I always send him boat-postcards somehow :)

A letter to a German penpal on stationery I had for years and Diddl sheets.

Two postcards for my godmothers - how I wish I'd be at that place by the lighthouse now!

These are a small package to Yana, a letter to Jennifer, another one to my mother for mother's day (both written on stationery designed by Fab) and a postcard to my goddaughter.

A letter for Maria in Russia, a new penpal. I hope it gets there well!

A letter heading out for a postage stamps swap on swap-bot and another letter on stationery designed by Fab going out to Lucas in the USA.

Letters going out to LR and Michelle in the USA.

A letter heading out to Jess in Australia, stamps for a tag on P.S.

And, lastly, two packages I sent out already a few weeks ago - one to my goddaughter and her mother.

I had to seal it like this :) There's a book included and the postal workers have to be able to open it.

 
And another one to my mother, who had her birthday :)

The stamp is one of my favourites ever!

That's all for now!
I had only very little incoming mail the past weeks - only three letters and one postcard so far this month! My mailbox is quite sad. I'm leaving for a trip to Berlin tomorrow and will be gone until the end of the week, so I hope I'll have some mail waiting for me when I get back :) Did you have good mail days this month?

Alles Liebe,
Caddi