Friday, December 27, 2013

December Mailings

Hello, blogworld!

MERRY POST-CHRISTMAS! I hope you had a super Christmas and that Santa was great to you. I've been asking Santa to bring me a spaceship for years now, and every year, he brings me some candy in my stocking. I hate to speak ill of jolly fat men, but me thinks Santa is losing his touch... I mean, I can swallow a lot of ridiculousness, but even I won't be fooled into thinking that gumballs are a spaceship. Really, Santa. REALLY.

I mentioned weeks ago that I'm not sending or recieving as much mail as I once did. As a result, I'm aiming to do a mail recap only once a month, at the end of the month. So! If you asked Santa for some mail art eye-candy for Christmas and he didn't deliver (let me guess: he gave you socks? Antiperspirant? OR WORSE: USED antiperspirant?!!), today is your lucky day!

Outgoing:



A wee bit of surprise mail for Rachel

Appropriately labeled mail for the Amazing Mary

HULK SMASH for Natasha

Frida Kahlo mosaic for Kimmie

Captain "I Need a Lozenge" (AKA Batman) for Tamara, a new IGGPPC pal

Xmas tags for Laurel

Round 1 of Mail Tag for Wendy!

A bit of a Christmas mail art experiment for Ginger

Incoming:



(from top left: mail from Laurel, POW from Natasha, and stamp goodness from Nadine)

(from top left: mail from Mary, my husband, and Talli)

Ginger asked for my advice in a Case Mystery, and she so very helpfully provided all the necessary pieces for me to crack the case

(from top left: Christmas card from Kimmie, mail art from a friend I made on twitter, and Miki)

I signed up for Cards Against Humanity's (CAH) 12 Days of Holiday Bullshit, and this is what I've recieved so far. Judging from the website, I seem to be missing Day 1 and Day 2 already. How bad could I have been this year that I don't even get coal?!!

A close-up of one of the CAH envelopes, because they're really quite fun

(from top left: Christmas cards from Em, Natasha, and lovely Lisa)

(from top left: mail from LEP friends Millie, Marissa, and Jennifer)

And that's what I got in the mail this month! What about you? What did you get in the mail recently?

Friday, December 20, 2013

Badly done, Canada Post. Badly done.

Unless you've been living in a cave the last week or so, you probably know that Canada Post unveiled its new five-point plan recently, which includes:

- community mailboxes as CP phases out home delivery;
- addressing the cost of labour (which is fancy business speak for laying off 8,000+ Canada Post employees. Well, supposedly the 8,000 number will be achieved through attrition, but I'm quite the skeptic when it comes to corporations making that claim)
- increasing the price of lettermail stamps from $0.63 to $1 ($0.85 per stamp if you buy booklets or coils, which CP declares is a "discount for customers that use the mail the most." In the words of Inigo Montoya, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." Where I come from, a 35% increase in price should never be referred to as a "discount.")



I'm not thrilled about community mailboxes, especially given the alarming number of documented break-ins of said mailboxes over the last five years (a one-stop shop for parcels, credit card offers, and checks—how can a thief resist that kind of sweetness just sitting right there?). And I'm a relatively mobile person (I say relatively because I'm just simply lazy, and therefore don't move much, by choice), how are people who have mobility issues expected to get their mail? We know how exciting it is to get our mail every day, why is Canada Post depriving people of that pleasure?!! (However, to be fair, I do see the logic in it, even if I don't necessarily agree.)

But what I'm particularly incensed about is the massive increase in postage. Particularly because I went to the store earlier this week to stock up on permanent stamps in anticipation, and was told that Canada Post immediately ceased selling all their permanent stamps.


So, let me get this straight: the five-point plan is intended to help Canada Post become financially sustainable. In other words, to cut costs and make money. I'm no genius, but it strikes me that implementing a country-wide plan to recall permanent stamps that are already in stores, quickly print new Canadian domestic stamps with the $0.63 denomination on them, and then express ship them to back to stores for sale DOES. NOT. SAVE. MONEY. Perhaps I'm misreading the situation, but it seems like a gross, unnecessary expenditure versus selling the stamps they already have printed and in stores.

It's not as if they are going to bring out the 2013 permanent stamps and try to sell them in 2014. It's more likely that the 2013 permanent stamps that Canada Post refused to sell to customers will just be trashed because they'll have new 2014 permanent stamps in March that they'll sell for the $0.85 a pop. I feel as though Canada Post has become that annoying family member who complains about being broke, but only after they've bought a diamond spatula, a silver Mercedes, and gold caps for their teeth. Gee thanks, Uncle Bill, you're SWELL.

And that's not even taking into account the ridiculous effect the changes will have on snail mail.

This is where I use a total legit analogy


Take the bus service for example: my city's bus service is crap. It's utter crap. The bus drivers are rude, they never run on time, and sometimes the bus doesn't even come at all. So, naturally, people stop taking the bus if they can because it's a crap system. The transit system realizes that less people are taking the bus, so they increase the price of bus passes and reduce bus service. Because in a nonsensical world, that should encourage people to take the bus again. Rinse and repeat as less and less people take the bus. Increasing prices and reducing services DOES NOT ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE YOUR SERVICES. It's not rocket science, people.


I know that for non-snail mailers, Canada Post eliminating home delivery and raising stamp prices seemingly doesn't impact them. I've heard many people say that they "don't remember the last time they bought a stamp" or "they don't even know how much stamps cost now." In response, I say this: they may not know how much an individual stamp costs because they haven't sent lettermail in a while, but when's the last time they sent a package? Bought something off the internet? It's all part and parcel (pun semi-intended). If Canada Post decides to raise the price of lettermail stamps, how long until they proportionally raise the price of sending parcels? And you think the price of shipping on internet shopping is outrageous now? Oh, just you wait.

Everyone talks about how snail mail is dead. If they do a quick search online, they'll quickly realize that it's not. We snail mailers are vocal advocates for letters and postcards, and we will continue to write letters, regardless of what happens. But it's folly for non-letter writers to think that the changes to Canada Post won't affect them. Everyone gets mail—whether it's bills or packages or magazines—and the changes to Canada Post and its services will affect us all (well, Canadians, that is. I doubt people in New Zealand care too much). Plus, the 8,000 people who could be laid off? Yeah, I'm sure they would be thrilled by the continued employment.

Source: http://bit.ly/18Dnjai

I've stockpiled as many permanent stamps as possible, but if Canada Post raises the price of US and international stamps to the same degree that they increased domestic prices, I'll have no choice but to stop writing as many people around the world. I love my penpals, and this would make me very sad. Please don't make me emo, Canada Post! I've always known that snail mailing isn't a cheap passion, but having more than X number of penpals is starting to get a bit too rich for my blood.

So, what can we do?


There are a number of petitions out there. Search google and sign one of them. Sign all of them! Make up names and sign them a hundred times (just kidding. Don't do this. I doubt the government is going to buy that "Mitty Mitterson the Third" or "Luke Skywalker Texas Ranger" are real people). Write letters to your government officials. It may not make a difference, but at least we can try.

But most importantly: KEEP SENDING SNAIL MAIL! To everyone! To anyone! Remind them that they need to write a letter to get a letter! Because each piece of mail we send does matter, and we've got to keep up the good fight.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Typeity-Type-Typewriters

While I was away on my blogging-free sojourn, I acquired three typewriters.

Again, take "acquired" with a grain of salt. Blah, blah, went batshit crazy—you know the drill. The only saving grace was the sheer size and weight of these new acquisitions. It's hardly as if you can acquire a dozen typewriters and barely notice. These babies are beasts and take up a lot of space. And while my husband indulges my obsessions, even he is going to notice when I start stacking typewriters on his bed. And sadly, he declined my suggestion to learn how to sleep standing up. Not a team player, that one.

I'm quite proud of my typewriting lovelies, and I thought I'd take the opportunity to introduce them to you. I should warn you that each typewriter has its own foibles and quirks, which you'll soon learn. Don't be offended if any of them are feeling less than sociable. I love my typewriters, but they can be rather mercurial.

Typewriters, meet the online snail mailers of the world. Online snail mailers and readers of Please Deliver To, may I introduce....

ELBA! He is my oldest model, a circa 1950s Royal that could definitely brain an innocent bystander if I decided to use him as a weapon.



This is Idris, my very first typewriter! A 1960s electronic Smith-Corona Electra 110, he's also a hefty thing. And loud! I think he's a bit of an attention-seeker.



This is Alice, my newest acquisition. She is a 1980s Smith-Corona XD 7000 and she is gorgeous!


And those are my typewriter lovelies! I know there are other typewriter enthusiasts out there and I'd love to be introduced to your typewriters. Perhaps our typewriters could have playdates and such! Typewriter lovers: do you also name your typewriters? What are some of the quirks and foibles of your typewriters? I'd love to know!

Friday, December 6, 2013

Project... what?

I recently came into the possession of several hundred Project Life/Journalling cards. (and by "came into possession," I really mean that I went batshit crazy and bought them all even though I don't do Project Life and have no desire to do so. Because that's the type of shenanigans that occur when people are in the throes of stationery madness: they buy adorable pieces of paper that they have no intention of using. You know, crap that "normal" people would never do and don't understand!)

I was trying to think of what I could do with all these little cards and then I stumbled across the Mail Tag game. Created by Bianca of Goodnight Little Spoon, and then expanded upon by the creative Rin of Papered Thoughts, mail tag is:



"...an exchange of postal correspondence between (2) people. The first person begins the game by requesting one or more desired things. That person then mails those requests to the other participant - who interprets those requests, writes a list of their own requests for the other participant and sends them back. You can take as much or as little time to compose and send back your reply, ask for a few or as many things in your requests and generally interpret requests in whichever way you see fit." - Bianca Jagoe

Want to play?


I'm not looking for new penpals at the moment because I'm actively trying to scale back on all the activities I'm currently doing, but I figured mail tag would be a fairly low commitment (but fun and creative!) activity that could help feed my mailbox (and yours!), while UsingUpAllThoseJournallingCardsThatIProbablyShouldn'tHaveBought.



So, how about it? Are there a few brave and intrepid snail mailers who would be interested in playing mail tag with me? Email me at pleasedeliverto@gmail.com if you're interested.

No additional letters or postcards would be required (unless you really wanted to pen a short note with each tag session, of course)—just you and me, the tag questions, and our creativity in answering the questions/fulfilling the tag requests. It's meant to be a quick and easy creative exercise and writing prompt, more than anything else.

I can guarantee you that my tag questions will have an air of the bizarre about them, but if you're game, than so am I! Bring on the equally weird questions, I'm ready for them.

And for the record: if you're going to ask "What is my favourite llama"? The answer is: the third one. Always the third one. You're going to have to get up mighty early if you think you're going to stump me with an obvious llama question.

Ready? Set? Match.

Friday, November 29, 2013

Return of the (Blog) Jedi

HELLO BLOGWORLD!!

I'm back! Please Deliver To is back!

(And as an aside: do you they still call these things blogs? It's been a while since I've done this and it's impossible keeping up with these newfangled terms the youth are using. For instance, twerk? What is happening to the world?!! But seriously, is MySpace still a thing? Do people still use ICQ to chat?.... Both gone... got it, got it.... How about poking people on Facebook...?)

I tried staying away, but I missed y'all too much. How have you lovely folk been? Uh huh.... yup....NO! REALLY?!.... WOW. 

Me? Well, I'm still puttering about the League of Extraordinary Penpals and writing letters. OH, and I started a geek stationery shop with my best friend. The store is titled.... you guessed it... PLEASE DELIVER TO! I know, huge stretch of the imagination. 

We're actually currently having a 25% off Christmas sale, so if you want to purchase some geek stationery (I am SO EXCITED about our new Veronica Mars design!) for your geeky loved ones for Xmas, now would be a very good time:


What else... what else.... I discovered the joys of avocados. Yup, AVOCADOS. This is exciting stuff, people. I'm sure you were thinking, "I wonder what Laura has been up to these past bunch of months? I'm sure she's doing something exciting like....discovering avocados." Just wait, I'm sure something really thrilling like coconuts will be next. 

Did I already mention that I've also been passing the time sending mail? So let's stop talking about avocados already and hop to it, shall we? 

Incoming


Outgoing



I'm not getting or receiving as much mail as I once did, so I'll be making some tweaks regarding content for Please Deliver To (the blog), but the plan is to continue blogging regularly again. So same bat-time, same bat-channel, awesome snail mailers! I'm so very glad to see you lovely folk again, I've missed you!

Have a great mail week.

Friday, April 12, 2013

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

Hello blogworld! Guess what? As of Monday, April 15, Please Deliver To is officially one year old.



YAY! Happy Birthday blog! Now, don't eat all of the ice cream and cake just because it's your birthday—you're starting to look a little thick around the waist and could stand to lose a few pounds. WHAT? I know it's cruel, but I say it to be kind.

However, in addition to celebrating my one-year blog anniversary, I'm sad to announce that I'm taking an indefinite break from blogging and this will be my last post, at least for the foreseeable future.

happy face/sad face/confused face/perplexed face/constipated face/hungry face/I-think-I-just-time-traveled face
[feel free to choose the emoticon that applies to you here]

I started this blog a year ago at the urging of my best friend. She wanted me to start a blog as a record of all the "mail art" (term used loosely) that I was sending out as a new snail mailer. I never thought that this blog would spawn an etsy store, a penpal club, and above all else, great relationships with all the penpals I've met through this blog and all you awesomesauce readers who have left comments over the past year. It's been great.

However, it's difficult finding time to blog because I've got my plate full with LEP, trying to be a decent penpal, a full time job, eating, sleeping, and the general messy business of trying to have a personal life.

So for now, I bid the business of blogging adieu!

But I won't be too far away. I'm all over the LEP newsletter and I'll still be writing posts over at the LEP website. In addition, you can always email me: pleasedeliverto@gmail.com. I may not be posting regularly on Please Deliver To, but it doesn't mean that I don't want to hear from you. Please continue to share your plans for the apocalypse, snail mail news, what you ate at 2:37 pm on a Thursday afternoon, excitement over TV marathons, and everything in between. I'm only an email away.

I may pick up Please Deliver To again in the future when things slow down and I'm struck by inspiration (I hope not literally, I reckon that would hurt!). But in the meantime, so long and thanks for all the fish!

Stay cool, snail mailers.

Friday, April 5, 2013

That's one small step for man, one giant leap for Laura

Before I jump into this week's mail post, I'm happy to announce that the League of Extraordinary Penpals is hosting an international movie night and you are all invited! Every single last one of you! Even you in the back—YES, you! Drinking Yoo-hoo with a curly straw.... I see you!! You can find the details here, but I hope you'll be able to join us because it'll be awesome!! But it's definitely BYOP though (bring your own popcorn); awesome conversation to be supplied by everyone!! 

Okay! On with the bloggy show....

Pssst... want to know a secret about me?!

I'm ridiculously obsessed with teeny, tiny, minature versions of things.

I am surrounded by mini versions of things that are so. damn. cute. but serve absolutely no. functional. purpose.

I think I like them because it makes me feel like a giant when I'm holding them. True fact.

"Run for your lives little mini things! Giant Laura is coming!!! STOMP STOMP." It's a good thing I never bothered to buy a plane ticket to Lilliput. Can you imagine the carnage?!

Anyone have a quirky confession of their own to make? This is a safe zone, I promise. Nothing you say here will leave this blog. I might blackmail you with it in the future, but that's way down the road; for now, let me put your mind at ease...

Incoming:


Sweets from the sweet Miki

RHIANNON!

A kitten from Julie!

Calligraphy from Jessica

Domes from PostMuse

Speaking of tiny little things: a postcard from the Museum of Salt & Pepper shakers from Jess

I love this PO Box move announcement from PostMuse

Lovely mail from Kimmie

Outgoing:


Silhouettes for Vanessa

Bookstairs for Sarah

I'm simply magnetized by Julie

Dots for Talli

Spring rains for Jona

Have a very wonderful week everyone!

Friday, March 29, 2013

Eggs-cellent Easter?

Hullo snail mailers!! 

No mail post today on account of it being Easter and me having mad respect for the Easter Bunny.


That, or I just gorged on a crapload of egg-shaped gummies and I don't think I can move and the camera is over on the other side of the house and oh my lord, the tummy hurts and I just want to lapse into a sugar coma.

Take your pick. Either way, you'll get a proper mail post next week as usual.

How are you spending your easter weekend? Once I've slept off my sugar coma, I'll be taking a day trip out to Drumheller, the Dinosaur Capital of the World. Because nothing says Easter like dinosaurs, wouldn't you agree?


Happy Easter everyone! I'll leave you with a punny joke, because we like puns here at Please Deliver To:

What do you call ten rabbits marching backwards?
A receding hareline.

Friday, March 22, 2013

2 - 2 = errr, I think I'm in real trouble now.

Apparently washi tape was so 2012; 2013 marks the year of the fountain pen obsession.

I bought my first fountain pen and my first bottle of ink last month. I distinctly remember telling my husband that I couldn't understand why people had multiple pens and multiple ink colours because I would be pretty happy with just one pen and a few ink colours.

Oh, what a fool I was.

For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, I think you have a pretty good idea of what came next:

....if you guessed contemplating selling my kidney, then you get a prize!!

If I sold one kidney for washi tape and the other to finance my new fountain pen addiction.... I'm not a mathematical genius, but that doesn't leave me with a lot of kidneys, does it?

Any medical experts out there? I have a really serious medical question to ask: how long can a person hypothetically survive if she had less than one kidney left? At least 75 years, right?! C'mon, pure obsession should count for something!

Don't get me wrong, I still love washi tape. But it's been downgraded to a sell-a-smaller-body-part-for-it level. Like an eye! An eye sounds like a good thing to sell for washi tape. I figure I'd look hella good in an eyepatch. Arrrgh, walk the plank, ya scallywag. 

Also, apropos of nothing, I've figured out my new motto in life: WWTGD? Before I do anything, I'm going to ask myself, What Would Tim Gutterson Do*? Because I could use some badass US Marshall mojo in my life.

*any Justified fans out there? Tim Gutterson is now officially a million times cooler than anybody ever after this week's episode, don't you think?.

Incoming:


Pencils from Julie in Grand Rapids

It's a zoo in here(!) from Jona

My new envelope template from Omiyage

Outgoing:


Hilarity for Rhiannon

I'm sending Julie an afro dog! All the fun of a real dog, none of the cleanup.

Get anything awesome in the mail lately?