I'd Rather Be Blogging

^Image from here.

Just finished up a nice dinner with J and my mom...I decided to show off all my recent mail (see below) and in turn was [playfully] questioned for the rest of the evening by both of them as to what my mom could have possibly done wrong in my childhood to have made me such a mail freak. Haha, VERY FUNNY. :-/ Made a huge pot of Mexican Chicken Soup and J made the Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread to go alongside. Check it out:

^Recipes here & here

Just after I read this post about a fantastic mail day that a fellow blogger had, I went down to my own mailbox and discovered a box full of mail myself! A few days back I got a response to my 50 State Challenge from a fellow blogger named Patty who said she had something to send...and boy did she ever! I was expecting 1 postcard, but instead got 5, each from a state I hadn't received a card from yet! JACKPOT! Also in the mail from her was a giant envelope with a great 'welcome' letter to the Mail Art world, some Mail-Tag requests, and 3 of these little envelopes that no one really knows what they are for. Patty thought maybe they were used in banks back in the day, and my mom, J, and I had no idea what they were for. Anyone know? See the pics:

^She sent 3 and asked that I decorate 1 and send it back as a kind of project she has going. Fun!

Realized the photos of the other 3 postcards didn't come out too clear so I didn't post them. Sorry Patty. I have to say, it was SO cool getting such unexpected mail! I knew I was getting SOMETHING from her, but I had no idea it would be this much stuff and put together so nicely. Thanks a bunch Patty.

P.S. - Thanks to all of the other people who have commented on my 50 State Challenge post, offering to send me stuff. I really appreciate it and it's so exciting to get messages from strangers who are offering to help out! It's truly a nice feeling. If you are a new reader and don't know what I'm talking about, see if you can help me out here!

One more incoming item was a beautiful postcard from Portugal through Postcrossing:

^Hmm...a Portugese Postcrossing postcard. P-p-p

Onto some outgoing mail...I put together a response letter for Bianca and realized my items for her Mail-Tag requests wouldn't all fit in one envelope, so I made up another one and put all my items in there. I hope she likes what I sent. Here are the envelopes my stuff got sent in:

^Mail-Tag

^Front & back of the collaged envelope I sent my letter in. It got a little busier than I wanted but hey, each piece of art is unique in its own way right?

Alright folks, I gotta go get myself prepared for work tomorrow...and believe me, as the post title says, I'd rather be blogging! In all honesty though, I am so grateful for my job and the work I do, I really shouldn't complain; it's just, when there's mail to enjoy and letters to write...it's hard to focus on other stuff!

Until next time. :)

Aaron :)