DC Details

Onward to Washington DC and the National Postal Museum.
Beautiful blue skies and blue banners on the museum.

Rather large and impressive building, don't you think? As it should be.

The building was once and post office. I can just picture the folks in old time dress lining up to buy stamps at these windows.

This is the way a post office should look.

A museum with a mail truck. And a postbox. And stamping stations. And free postcards.
Now this is a museum I can relate to.
Did I mention the free postcards?
And the stamping station?

This was my favorite exhibit....

I spent the most time in here looking at every stamp...

I thought of my mail art pal Alice S when I saw this. She has the largest stamp collection of anyone I know.

The beauty of this show is that they acknowledge mail art! Isn't this great?
I saw the work of several people I know.

And the store.......did you now you can buy this charming little book? I already had my copy but if I didn't I would have snapped one up. And a mail truck too.

I didn't play with dolls when I was little -- I played with mail trucks and lady letter carriers.

Stamp silk ties for the guys....
my guy wouldn't even think of wearing one but maybe someone would...

Some of my DC collaged cards. We stayed in the Foggy Bottom district. Isn't that name a riot?

I couldn't mail my cards here -- these are in the Postal Museum for display only. But they do have a
little post office right there and you can get a good postmark.

BLUE Skies
After the snow in Boston it was lovely to see the blue skies but it was just as cold!

I am going to show you what I made with all the paper ephemera I picked up
in my travels next time.
I've been busy!
Tearing & Pasting! 
So relaxing. An folding and taping.....

Thanks for all the birthday mail everyone.

Postcards and the Snow

Postcards from Boston!
They sure do have some cool postcards in Boston -- I loved these.
Can you see some have vintage stamps and airmail stripes on them?
I also got Boston Baked Bean, Clam Chowder and Lobster postcards.
Beantown is a good postcard town. Sorry this photo is a little blurry but  I think I was shivering from the cold.

Ok--now here is my question--how many of you would leave a nice, warm hotel room to go out in this?

And step over this slush?

And almost get hit from flying crud from THIS?

Just to get to this?
I would.....In fact, the miserable weather gave us an excuse to spend hours at the wonderful
Boston Museum of Fine Arts
The museum has a wonderful new wing and the collection is huge. Three cafes to choose from
and the postcard show.

Vintage French Postcard from the show showing a postcard shop in Paris. What I wouldn't give to be able to go back in time and shop there. My idea of heaven.
Just look at all those beauties.

There is a catalog available to buy of the show but sadly many of my favorite postcards aren't in the book.
Still, it is worth buying or getting from the library.
Postcard Fest
Now that would have been fun to go to......

Kind of nasty, don't you think?

If you are anywhere near Boston I highly suggest you get yourself to this show. There are over 500 cards in the show. It is really wonderful. And the museum is lovely and huge and you can easily spend most of a day there.
Especially if it is snowing.

Boston Outgoing Postcards
I got myself back to the room and had fun tearing and pasting and collaging on the backs of the postcards I bought.
No, I really can't leave well enough alone. Besides, it's fun.

OUTGOING Collaged Card
Here's a close-up of one...

Do I have to go back out AGAIN??? To the post box?? On the icy sidewalk?
Just to mail the postcards?

A certain person enticed me with the promise of a lobster dinner so it was well worth the trek
in the cold and snow.
This is not something I get to have in San Francisco.

This is the dress I wore out to dinner. How do you like it? Rather fetching, I'd say.

Next stop washington, DC and the Postal Museum.

Coffee and Mail

Hello from San Francisco -- drinking my morning coffee and reading my mail.
Back from my travels and happy to find a lovely stack of mail waiting for me.
Thanks to all who sent me something.

Incoming Mail
Beautiful, isn't it? Almost makes coming home after a vacation worth it.
Almost.

The Day Before
At the airport -- I travel a lot but I continue to be amazed at how quickly we can roam all over the world. Even if it does take hours in a cramped airplane seat.
Seriously, it is so lovely be in a completely different place so easily, relatively speaking.

I've got lots of share --- the fabulous postcard show at the Boston Museum of Fine Art.

The SNOW.
Perhaps the less said about that the better. It wasn't all bad though. I cancelled the plan for walking in the afternoon and spend hours at the museum enjoying the postcard show and lunch.

   

The Postal Museum in Washington, DC
Very interesting place to visit and lots of free ephemera to pick up and mail off.

Working on some outgoing postcards in the hotel room in Boston.....(the day before the snow storm)

.....and working on more postcards in the DC hotel room.....

Boston collaged card -- I'll show you some more in another post.

Various Post Offices were visited.

And yes, there was food....

and more food......
Fabulous regional food is a close second to mail art....

Just wanted to check-in now that I am back.

I will work on posts  about the postcard show, Postal museum and various postal and mail related stories but I just might be lazy tomorrow since it's my birthday.
I plan on having too much fun.

In the meantime, I'd like to hear from all of you.
What are you sending out in the mails?

Send Good Mail -- Get Good Mail

A Week of Mail Going Out

Back in business -- the effects of the flu are long gone and I have been hitting the work table every day this week.
Really having fun with the process and getting lots of mail art sent out.
Can you tell?

The piles have been growing -- but all the better to tear, arrange and glue! Right?

An early batch of collaged postcards this week....I'm on a roll....a French roll....whatever that is...

OUTGOING to Mim
(I hope she already got this)
Vellum envelope with some vintage French inside!)
Bisous mon amie.

OUTGOING to Millicent
(Hope she already got this one too) A comic handmade envelope to cheer her up after two no-mail days. No mail -- no fun.

OUTGOING to the Fearless Mailer KSP
I got a bit carried away sticking stamps on that envelope and I may have put extra (ahem) postage..
Oh well...support the USPS, right?

OUTGOING
Some crabby envelopes....

OUTGOING
for my lovely friend SW who likes transit....

OUTGOING
More collaged photo cards going out...

OUTGOING
And the French....OhLaLa.....love that woman in the center. Saucy! 

OUTGOING
Since green is my favorite color, other than black and (more black) I had to make a St Patrick's day card edition....
and Guinness is Good For You....you knew that, right?

OUTGOING
Saint Pat's Edition of collaged/photo postcards...

OUTGOING
Top O the Morning to all of you and have fun on Sunday. Make some green mail.

OUTGOING
Passover collaged card.....for SB....

LOST AND FOUND MAIL
Now here is a story to warm a postal lovers heart. My pal in France sent me two envelopes, mailed on the same day. One came very quickly and the other (this one) seemed to be lost in transit.
It just showed up yesterday and it seems my friend did not put any HOUSE number in the address.
And my street is a very long city street.
But someone at the PO tracked me down and wrote in the house number and viola --
here's the envelope.
Isn't that cool?

I am sorry for all the bad things I said about the Postal Service while the envelope was missing.


Some great incoming mail arrived this week too but that is a story for another day.

Packing the mail art kit and will be sending postcards from the road.
Check the Cappuccino & Art FB page for updates

Happy Mails to you!
Write soon.