In My Mailbox | kimberly ah

Oct 12 2016

adventures, Christmas, crafty adventures, Forest Park, Oak Park, holidays, In My Mailbox, snail mail, some stuff about me, vintage

I’m Doing a Craft Show!

It’s exciting! (And slightly terrifying…)

For the past few months, I’ve been making greeting cards using my Royal Safari typewriter and featuring vintage cancelled postage stamps from my collection. I recently got my act together to open a little shop and I applied for a local juried craft show at Pleasant Home. And, I got in! So over the next month, I’ll be busy typing at my typewriter and sifting through my stamp collection and cutting envelope liners out of Karen’s grandparents’ encyclopedia collection. (Thanks, Karen!) I am very excited and nervous. What if no one buys anything? What if I forget how to count money? What if I run out of products? (None of these scenarios are likely. I’m very good at math. But seriously…how do you even know how much to make?) Thankfully Naoto has agreed to be my customer service associate so he can help me manage small talk and sales.

I’ll share more as I get into a good production groove around here. If you’ve ever done a craft show -big or small- I’d love to hear your advice!

Tagged adventures, Christmas, crafts, diy, forest park, holidays, mail art, office supplies, snail mail, vintage

Mar 07 2016

7 Comments

adventures, In My Mailbox, snail mail, Zines

Happy Hauntings with Parcel Ghost

Parcel Ghost at the Japan Post museum Do you know Parcel Ghost? He is a former postal worker who is now a ghost, kindly haunting the world, sharing his travels and postal expertise with children and adults alike. Parcel Ghost, zines, cinderella stamps Parcel Ghost (with the help of Marissa) has published three zines, stickers, artistamps, a postcard, and a button. Quite accomplished for a ghost, no? His first zine, Parcel Ghost’s Guide to Post is a great primer for making mail art, buying stamps, pen pals, and thinking outside the box when sending mail. (Like, sending a pigeon!) Parcel Ghost visits a post office in Tokyo I’ve been a Parcel Ghost fan for quite awhile, reading his zines and using his stickers on my mail. (Santa often leaves zines and Parcel Ghost treats in my stocking each year.) And, I was honored to travel for a spell with Parcel Ghost in Japan two years ago! We visited the Japan Post Museum together, Naoto helped him buy some postage stamps, and I took him to my favorite place in Japan, Mister Donut! Parcel Ghost visits Mister Donut in Tokyo (He really liked the strawberry donut.)

You can send Parcel Ghost a postcard from your own travels (address here on his blog) and you can see more of Parcel Ghost’s adventures on his Instagram (@parcelghost).

And, because I have two copies (I got one for Christmas on its own, and another the following year in a little Parcel Ghost pack), I thought I’d do a little giveaway of Parcel Ghost’s Guide to Post. To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite thing about mail. I’ll close the comments on Sunday night around 7PM and I’ll draw a name…out of a hat, old-school style. I’ll announce the winner on Monday, right here on this post. Open to U.S. and international readers alike. Happy haunting!

The usual disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. 🙂
Update! Sorry for the delay. I let Presley pick the winner and she wasn’t in the mood yesterday. I put all the names on my kitchen island and the first one she knocked down was the winner. She LOVES knocking things off tables. I figured I’d make use of her skills.

Amy!!! Send me your address please and I’ll mail the zine out this week. (Adamihasegawa@gmail.com)

Tagged adventures, crafts, Japan, mail art, snail mail

Jan 26 2016

1 Comment

In My Mailbox, Letter Month, Office Supplies, snail mail

Mail Totals for 2015

2016 mail so far, How is January almost over? Before we move too far into 2016, and before we get into Letter Month, I wanted to share my mail totals for 2015. Last year was the first year I’ve kept track of what I sent and how much I spent on postage.

daily mail tracking Each day I write on my daily calendar page what I sent out and how much the postage cost. On this particular day, I sent out three letters, four international postcards (for a postcard swap I participated in), and one U.S. postcard. tracking mail sent each month Throughout the month, I tally up the total number of U.S. letters, international mail (letters and postcards cost the same, so I lumped them into the same category), U.S. postcards, and packages I sent that month. tracking mail sent each month, tracking mail spending Then, at the end of the month, I total up the number of pieces sent and the cost for the month and write it on the monthly page of my calendar.

My totals for 2015:

$231.41*

U.S. Letters: 213

International (Postcards & Letters): 31

U.S. Postcards: 63

Packages: 9

Letters & Postcards Sent from Japan: 26

Total Mail: 342

Not too shabby, right? My best month was December (no surprise) with fifty-six, but February wasn’t far behind with fifty-one. And September was the worst with a piddly FIVE pieces of mail leaving my mailbox. Womp, womp!

This week, I’m trying to respond to all of the mail I’ve received since the start of 2016 (some is pictured at the top) so I can start Letter Month on a clean slate. Wish me luck!

How’s your mailbox so far this year?

*This total does not include the cost of postage of mail sent from Japan.

Tagged mail art, office supplies, snail mail, washi tape

Jan 07 2016

Elvis In My Mailbox!

Today would have been Elvis’s 81st birthday so I’m sharing a couple of Elvis treats I’ve received in the mail lately. Marissa sent this incredible Elvis stocking. She expertly sewed it herself and I’m in love with the striped accent and the starry lining. It came as a total surprise and when I opened the envelope and saw Elvis, I fell over laughing with joy. The Elvis fabric is the perfect marriage of Elvis and envelopes, my two favorite things! I know the stocking whispers Christmas, but I’m going to leave it out just a liiiiiiiittle longer, maybe through Valentine’s Day…maybe all year next to some other Elvis cards that live on my desk. (Confession: The tree is still up anyway.)And Nic, fellow Elvis-lover from California, sent along this Elvis care package that included an Elvis notecard, two postcards from Elvis’s Palm Springs home, and Elvis STAMPS! (The old 29-cent ones!) I am so excited to finally have some real, uncancelled Elvis stamps in my collection! And I had no idea Elvis even had a Palm Springs home, so it’s exciting to know that I have another Elvis destination to visit.

Thank you, Marissa and Nic for making my day! There’s no Return to Sender when it comes to Elvis mail! (Sorry for the bad joke.)

Tonight we are hosting a little birthday party for Naoto…which is slowly morphing into an Elvis-themed party. I’m trying to sneak some Elvis into the Peter, Paul & Mary playlist. (They are Naoto’s favorite!) Happy weekend!

Tagged mail art, snail mail

Nov 04 2015

KimBOOly HAUNTSegawa’s Mailbox

My mailbox was filled with a steady stream of Halloween mail last month. Margaret sent the package above, adorned with all of the fabulous spooky stamps of the post office’s history! Inside, there was a Halloween card and a tiny wooden casket filled with candy. I LOVE the creative use of the wax seals! Margaret wrote a blog post about creating the little candy caskets. Such a fun postal treat! I’m going to use the little casket in my Halloween decorating next year and I’m hoarding the envelope too. Sarah sent this fun see-through candy corn postcard. It was laminated into the postcard size, like the corn was floating. Yuki sent this amazing Japan Post Halloween postcard. These seasonal cards are coveted by me and many other Japan Post lovers…I screamed with delight when I saw it in my mailbox! Yuki sent the postcard in an envelope, but still used vintage stamps with special postmarks on the postcard. I’m sure the postcard will make a reappearance next year in my Halloween decorating. It’s too good to file away with my other mail. And, above are the other sweet, charming, funny Halloween cards I received. Danielle, who sent me two Halloween cards, addressed them in the BEST way! KimBOOOly Adami- HAUNTSegawa and KimberlEEK! ADOOMi-HAUNTED HOUSEegawa made me laugh for days. And that Parcel Ghost sticker–so good!

Thanks to everyone for making it a great mail month! Anyone else receive anything spooky in your mailbox?

Tagged crafts, Halloween, holidays, mail art, office supplies, rubber stamp, snail mail, washi tape

Oct 09 2015

3 Comments

Elvis, In My Mailbox, snail mail

My Heart Belongs to Presley…and Mail

Margaret sent me the best mail last month–a Presley patch in a Midori Kraft Window Envelope adorned with an Elvis sticker!! She hit all of my favorite things!! Margaret loooooves Presley. (Presley loves Margaret, too!) Margaret said she couldn’t resist getting this custom patch from Tuesday Bassen (Link is to a similar one because the “My Heart Belongs to” version was a limited edition, see Margaret’s comment below.) at the Whurl & Friends Shop ‘n Pop. I love this patch! Think of the possibilities! You could get your own pet’s name, or your partner’s name, or your favorite snack. (“My Heart Belongs to Hot Dogs.”) Perhaps mail lovers need a “My Heart Belongs to Letters” or “My Heart Belongs to the USPS.” And in true Margaret fashion, the patch came in the sweetest package. She addressed it on the flap side so that the patch could be seen clearly through the window. The label is letterpressed with the turquoise design and Margaret hand-stamped my name. Thin washi tape sealed it all up. I was delighted to find it in my mailbox. Thanks, Margaret.