I may never visit the Post Office again...

Ok so we know that the title is totally not true. I enjoy visiting the PO too much not to go. But I must say I am totally impressed with the online stamp store! So impressed that I have...well...placed a second order. But to be fair...I needed some overseas stamps. (I know, I know...excuses excuses..haha)

First let me say that I was way too excited with the way these were shipped to take pics of them in the wrapping. I promise to do that for this second order I have placed! Each pane of stamps came sealed in plastic with a piece of cardboard. This ensured that my stamps didn't get mushed in transit.



As you can see from the picture...I ordered just a few. So they were all sent in a waterproof mailing bag. That was honestly a nice touch, but they are SOO tough to get open! I bought all of the various denomination postage, you never know when you may need it. And really..its nice sometimes to send a letter/postcard with more than one stamp. =)

In the upper left portion of the first photo you can see that black square that says something about Beyond the Perf well that is actually a poster that came with the commemorative pane of Lunar New Year stamps.



It is filled with some neat information about how the artist came to pick that design. Very informative...and you can actually find most of that information on the website above.



But one of the coolest things about this poster is that it has a place for you to affix a stamp to it. I am seriously thinking about framing it..(or does that make me a dork?)

Regardless, today I went back online and purchased some more stamps along with some FDC (first day covers). This year I am going to collect the FDC of each stamp that is released this year. Which means I will theoretically have two different FDCs because there is a digital one as well as a standard. They are relatively cheap which makes them extremely collectible. But for me..it will be much easier than trying to keep stamps in my collection.

Also, if you havent already, and are a stamp enthusiast, there is a wonderful magazine (USA Philatelic) produced that outlines the stamps that are out and going to be released. Most post offices have them and they are free. OR...if you are like me and go the digital route, you can sign up for emails by visiting that link above. Personally I signed up for both the email and the magazine to be sent in the mail.

The issue right now...



..has an awesome poster in it that outlines all the stamps that will be released this year. I couldn't locate a picture on the web of it..and well..my camera batteries are charging or I would have included one in this post. Maybe next time.

Anyone else out there using the online store to buy stamps? I wanna hear your stories.

A Good Mail Day

Today has been a very Good Mail Day (with exception to a few bills that came..)!

Usually walking to the mailbox can be a rather dreary task this time of year. I mean after all winters in Ohio can be very bitterly cold. Today we had a pretty steady wind with HUGE snowflakes! I was headed to the car so I thought I would make that trek out to the box and I am soo glad that I did! I pulled out all the wondrous mail and found that there were only two bills!!

The first was this wonderful envelope from my new pen-pal Amy.



She made the envelope out of a colorful paper bag and sealed it with those wonderful circular stickers that keep your punched holes from ripping! How ingenious an idea! Inside I found a short letter saying she wanted to be pen-pals which is great! You can never have too many of them in my opinion. She also included two postcards, a vintage envelope and a postcard booklet. How awesome was that?!? I will have to work on something to send in return.

Amy and I found each other (sounds sooooo cheesy!) from the Call for Correspondents post on the Good Mail Day blog. Whether you are a budding or full blown mail artist, I highly recommend joining the fun.

Next I found a group of postcards from Postcrossing. I am not nearly as active on there as I have been in the past. I really need to change that. Regardless, I got three wonderful cards in one day!



The first one in the top left of the winter scene is actually from China. Nommy writes that she is 18 and from Shanghai, China. Then she wrote some Chinese for "hello", "Thank you", and "Bye". Very neat! The second on of the ocean scene is from Hamburg, Germany. Victoria told me that she had a huge party with lots of good food the day before she sent this card! And finally the card on the right of the cats is from Cheng Hui Zhou from Taiwan. Cheng is a student studying Russian! Quite an awesome bunch of people sending such nice cards!

And even though I didnt get this last set in the mail..they will be going in the mail soon.



I found these cute vintage looking Valentine's Day cards at the local Barnes & Noble store. I couldn't believe what a deal I got on them!! 7$ for 24 cards and envelopes! And they are all different too. So who wants an awesome Valentine??

When was the last time you had a great mail day?

Online Stamp Store

You ever get too busy to go buy stamps? Well, I have! Haha. Between being sick and trying to work..I simply havent had the time to make it to the Post Office. Luckily they can be ordered online and delivered right to my house!! Totally cool. Now I dont have to deal with the looks that the postal employees give me at the quantity that I am buying. (Typically I will purchase at bare minimum 20 first class 44cent stamps, 20 postcard stamps, and 20 overseas or 98cent stamps. I have however been known to purchase more than that.) Oh and I forgot to mention that was round about every two weeks or so.

Needless to say I pre-ordered two different stamps that will be coming out soon. The Kansas state stamp which I have written about before and a Ronald Reagan stamp (see future blog entry) as well. I bought all the odd postage (1 and 2 cent stamps), mainly because I think they will look nice on a letter when I choose not to use one stamp only.

I am also going to seek out some unused vintage stamps online as well. We shall see how the hunt goes!

So now I ask...have you ever purchased stamps online? If so, how did it go?

**On a more serious note, I promise to get back to "real" blogging after I get over this head cold..which needs to be soon. Its wiping me out! **

Libraries on Twitter

So the library system I work for just recently joined Facebook. I guess I understand that..virtually everyone on the planet has a Facebook (including me). But what exactly is the purpose?

On that same note, one day after we created a Facebook page, we joined Twitter. Ok..now..seriously. I know that larger library systems have a lot of information that may make having a Twitter account worth while...however, my library system is a smaller in size and well..that means we have less to put out there.

I guess I understand that we need to keep up with the larger libraries. But honestly, how long will it be before we stop updating either of those two accounts?


On a final note, if you'd like to be my friend on Facebook you can find me pretty easily by searching for Misty Davis or by searching for my email address. Just remember to shoot a message saying that you read the blog and want to be friends. I make a habit out of not friending random people.

CSN Stores

So today while I was bored I did some online shopping! Haha. What better way to kill some time while waiting on laundry? I did my shopping with CSN Stores mainly because they are a group of over 200 online retailers. Which means you can find literally anything you want!! Seriously, if you are looking for cookware, awesome throw rugs or even wall art and decor you are sure to be able to find something you'll love here.




Couldn't you see that holding your magazines or newspapers? I know I could!! I could even see it holding my outgoing mail art. So many uses for a unique piece of decor.

Winter Weather Blues!

So I have only been at this blog for around a week now and I already missed a day of posting. My apologies to my readers. I have been feeling under the weather, so much so..that I havent had time to work on any mailings of any kind. I didn't even venture to the mailbox for the second day in a row. I am sure the MailLady will be wondering where I am. ( I am usually very prompt about removing my mail from the box before the next delivery).

That said..I did find some time to order a book I have been dying to read.



The Englishman who Posted Himself and Other Curious Objects by John Tingley. It is about an Englishman who..well...posted himself and other curious things! Hah. He basically took a copy of the Postal Handbook and then tested to see what items he would be able to send while remaining inside the postal guidelines. I think it will be an interesting read and I am sure I will post a full review once it is read. Then I will most likely donate the book to my local library..as we didnt have a copy in the State of Ohio systems that I checked.

Here is a link to the book for more information about it. Perhaps it will spark your interest. What types of books do you like to read?

Lunar New Year 2011: Year of the Rabbit

I wanna start off by just announcing that the first in a line of "all- forever" stamps was released today. The Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit stamp was released today. And while I didn't manage to go snag any of these awesome stamps today... I promise I will be getting some as soon as I make it to the post office!



This stamp is actually the fourth in a series of 12 stamps designed by the U.S. Postal Service to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The series debuted in 2008 with the Year of the Rat. Oh and if you were curious...the Year of the Rabbit officially starts on February 3, 2011 and ends on January 22, 2012.

Another interesting tidbit for you the United Staes isn't the only country to celebrate the Lunar New Year with stamps. I found this interesting stamp site where they listed the different countries and pictures of each stamp. Some of which are really neat looking.

Did you go buy the new Lunar New Year stamps? If not, are you planning to?

New Postcard Project

Ok, so I was going to post this tomorrow (mainly to maintain the one post a day schedule) but I was too jazzed about this to wait. I love to read the news! That said, sometimes I stumble onto some really interesting articles. I usually search for things I normally wouldn't see in my local newspaper or featured on my local news station.

Today while I was at work..I was browsing the news when I came across this article. It's basically an article talking about Portsmouth, NH searching for their next Poet Laureate. Now, unless you are fortunate enough to live in Portsmouth, you are not eligible to participate. (Don't fret...I'm not eligible either.) But this article got the cogs in my brain turning.

As you may know, from reading a previous post, I am a member of Swap-bot, an online community of artists who share their art by..swapping it. I have created my own swaps at times when I thought I had a killer idea and I may have to do that now too.

In the article mentioned above the most recent Poet Laureate from Portsmouth wrote small poems on the backsides of cards and sent them to artists to design the cover. Most likely the artist created something relevant to the poem on the reverse side. From looking at the postcards you can tell there were some pretty neat designs created as well as wonderful poems.

I love the idea of making mail art collaborative and thus I am debating about making this swap. I am curious to see what kinds of ideas people come up with. After all, what is art if its not for sharing? And what better way to share it than the post?

Be Courteous or Be Deleted

You may wonder how Librarians unwind during the day..or take out unwanted aggression. We simply delete people. Haha. Now that isn't really how we take out our aggression or unwind, but its a funny thought nonetheless. I came to think about this because well...I was deleting people who have not checked out anything in a long time (around 3 years for my library).

The funny thing is that I found it oddly enjoyable. Taking away the library privileges from people who obviously dont care about our library anymore. Now before anyone gets on my case...I know that is not why they stop coming. People move away, get busy, and sad as it is..some people cannot come in due to disability or perhaps they have passed away. So while it was enjoyable it also made me wonder where they were...and why they weren't using the library anymore.

All of this reminded me of something that George Carlin (Caution strong language) had a funny bit about. He was talking about crossing people out of his address book when they passed away. And even though this is usually less grim..deleting patrons is much the same. It's like housekeeping...only computer style. And while I despise cleaning, I usually feel better afterwards.

In what ways do you unwind?

Sometimes you just wanna make a difference!

Just as the post title says..sometimes you just want to make a difference. However, too often we forget that making a difference in someone's life does not require a large sum of money. It is a myth that money buys happiness. Money can do great things and even give the illusion of ultimate happiness. But if you were to peel away the layers, you would see that it is merely a veneer of happiness laid thinly on top. True happiness cannot be bought, but must be earned and worked towards.

Without me continuing to ramble, I would like to share how I plan to (cheaply) make a difference in someones life. I recently stumbled upon an article about a website called Post Pals. Through this site you have the ability to send a letter..postcard..or even a package to a sick child, thus making a difference. As many people know being sick is an utterly depressing time, and even more so for those that are children.

Imagine all those bright sunny days you had as a child..and now think of what it would be like to have watched other children play when you yourself were not well enough to. Now think back to the last letter or postcard you received in the mail. If you are like me, thinking of this most likely made you smile. Now I want you to imagine a child receiving your postcard/letter/package and the smiles that you may bring to their faces.

I have gone to the website and selected a child to send to. When you choose one, not only do you get to see a picture, but you also get a little biography about them. This makes picking stationary or items for a package pretty easy. I have my items all lined up to send. I have selected five children to send postcards and letters to this time around. But I will be keeping this website handy for later!

I know I am going to make a difference, are you?

Kansas City Statehood Stamp

The USPS is bringing out another stamp in their statehood celebration series. This year marks the 150th anniversary of Kansas being inducted as our 34th state. The stamp itself is really quite nice looking.



The stamp basically represents the invention of wind power in Kansas. The stamp is really beautiful as you can see above, but that was not the first stamp to commemorate Kansas' Statehood. The stamp shown below was introduced in 1961 on the 100th Anniversary of their statehood. As you can see there are quite a few differences between the two stamps. Including the coloring and price of the stamp itself.



For any who are reading this and do not already know..all letter rate stamps released this year (and probably from now on) will all be "Forever" stamps. This makes me a little sad. I rather enjoy looking at the postage rates on the stamps. Do any other countries use "forever" type postage?

For more information on the 2011 Kansas Statehood Stamp you can visit the USPS website here by clicking the bold text above.

If you are looking to buy the new stamp you can get them in your local Post Office on January 27th. As for me...I cannot wait. I just love when new stamps release!

Soldiers Angel's

I just wanted to have a short post to highlight one of the few websites I actually paid to join. http://www.soldiersangels.org/ is a wonderful website dedicated to supporting our troops, both in this country and abroad. They have wonderful links to other organizations that are more specialized to serving specific branches of the military, however, Soldier's Angels covers all branches.

I found this website when I was looking for a way to write to our troops. I love to penpal, but sometimes you get disappointed when they stop writing. OR you find that you have tons of time between letters. Well..I like to write a lot..so I needed a way that I could write everyday and share it with people. What better way than to write to our soldiers?

They have many options to do this. You can simply adopt a soldier if you want. This requires that you will send your soldier a care package every month and a letter/card/postcard each week. They understand that people may not have the financial ability to do this, so of course they make other options readily available.

You can join their LWT or Letter Writers Team. You specify how often you would like the name of a serviceman/woman and they post a name and address for you. I am part of the LWT and I receive 3 names a week (MWF). I found that getting them three times a week..I keep pretty busy in between sending out my other mail. It works wonderfully for me.

However, if you are interested in helping out when you can..I highly recommend joining the Card Sending Team. They have posts from people who are asking you to write a letter/card/postcard to a soldier/veteran/or family member. Some of these requests are direct sends meaning you will be sending directly to a soldier and others are sent to a person to forward on.

I highly recommend joining at least the card sending team...our troops deserve all of our respect and I know that you would feel so much better because you'd be making a difference. I have written more than 50 letters through the site to 50 different soldiers. I have also sent out countless cards and postcards for the requests.

Oh and the best part...is sometimes they will write you back!! I have been talking quite frequently with a soldier named Matthew and another name Bonnie for some months now. I have also gotten responses from 2 other soldiers since I started writing. I love it. They are all so appreciative of the letters.

So I ask..what better way to spend your lazy afternoon than writing a letter to someone who deserves it most?

365 Postcards in 2011

So today I had a spark of brilliance. Why not start my own postcard project? I mean I am the first person to send off a postcard to virtually any other project I stumble upon. I have sent to http://www.sendmeamillionpostcards.com/ more than a few times. I am an avid Postcrosser (http://www.postcrossing.com/) as well as a Swap-bot enthusiast (http://www.swap-bot.com/). I have even been known to anonymously share my secrets with the world through the Post-Secret Project (www.postsecret.com/). Not only that, but I love to do projects throughout a year. It is nice to see things come together over the 365 days that make up our year. And thus my projects idea was born.

I have a passion for postcards both old and new..handmade or store-bought, I love them all. And with that said..I must admit that I love the ones from other people the most! I think postcards were the original text message..or twitter update. Postcards to not give you much space for your message, though if you are creative and have small handwriting...you can fit a wonderful message on the back side.

So my goal this year is to receive 365 postcards. One postcard for each day. I am a little amiss as to whether the Postcrossing and Swap-bot cards count. I am thinking they will..I mean I love to send the cards as much as I love getting them right? So why not. Anyone who is nice enough to send a card that isn't from one of those sites will get a special thank you in return (assuming I have an address to send it to).

I am also doing two other projects that will be 365 projects. One is writing a postcard to myself each day for the year. The other is following the 365 Letters blog (http://365lettersblog.blogspot.com/) and writing letters each day as well. I am in love with mail..so why not?

What kinds of 365 projects are you involved in? Do you know of any neat mail swaps I need to be part of? Drop me a line and let me know.

What's in a name?

So I created this blog almost a week ago...and hadn't written the first post yet (what can I say...I am a procrastinator..and being that there is no actual deadline...I hadnt managed to finish this project.) Hopefully in the future I will be more prudent at finishing these posts.

In the past week after having creating this blog I have thought of a few topics to write on. Though, this post is just mainly a welcoming note. This blog will probably be one of the more random blogs you will ever read because I plan on just writing on whatever comes to mind...be it ridiculous or otherwise.

The title of this post says it all. Most reading this do not know why I have titled my blog as such, but there are a few out there who do. So in this post I suppose I should explain it for those who are still in the dark.

I work in a library. I have worked in a library for 7 years now. This means that for 7 years...3-5 days a week...for a couple of hours each time..I have had the luxury of being surrounded by wonderful works of literary art. And in this time I have come to realize that the second most important thing about a book is the title. The first of course (even though the old saying says it shouldn't matter) is the cover. So after 7 years of reading TONS of book titles I started to ponder what I would call a book if I were to write one. But of course, you need to have a type of book in mind. So..for the sake of ease..I decided this hypothetical book would be an autobiography.

You may now be asking yourself why is that title appropriate...OR you are wondering if I am like that person on the 6 o'clock news shoving merchandise (pens) down my shorts in the store. The answer to that question is a big fat..NO. I am, however, that person who steals the pens in the bank or office. Now before you get mad at me..I do not do it on purpose. It seems the pens just cannot stay away. They fall into my purse or pocket and are then added to my growing collection at home. Sometimes I will return the pens...especially at work.

You see my compulsion to take pens stems (I think) from my desire to write at all times. I carry a small notebook with me everyday..just incase the mood strikes and I want to write something. It sure beats writing on napkins in the restaurants or wrappers when out and about!

So now you all are up to speed on the title of this blog. But now I ask you a question...what you would call a book written about you??