When Can I Go Back?

All I can say is, if you like mail art, go to Portland.
I had way too much fun and I am dreaming of my next trip to PDX.
Letter Writing Social at Noun.
Champagne, cupcakes, mail art pals, rubber stamps. What's not to love?
And a late night happy hour at Nostrana afterwards.
See anyone you know?

The gang's all here!
(Maybe you better a cappuccino because this is a long post)

PDX Scrap
It wouldn't be a trip to PDX without a trip to Scrap. In fact, there were TWO trips to Scrap.
I scored some great rubber stamps, including those bird stamps.
It's Portland -- Put A Bird on It!!

Another tradition is a day at Uptown Stamp Show picking out fabulous 10-cent postage stamps from all over the world and 25-cent well-traveled envelopes. I found a bunch of vintage Berlin envelopes/stamps for my next travel journal.
(BIG thank you to Niko!)

Coffee and coffee shops abound in PDX....and, well, my blog does have cappuccino in the name...
There was an entitie isle of coffees at the New Seasons Market near my AirBnB.

POK POK
Yes, it is as good as they say. And want to avoid the wait? Just get it to-go!

My PDX peeps kept me RUNNING but I did manage to squeeze in some time to tear up a few things.....I am working on my PDX travel journal now that I am back home.

And......I invited myself over to Michelle Geller's beautiful studio. I hope you follow her Instagram 
feed @HoldDear.
SWOON.

Michelle's studio was wonderful but I was really going crazy looking at her incredible handmade altered books. So much inspiration and beauty.

Lunch at Michelle's. That cake!

TRINKET
Yes, I am still eating. And, isn't Trinket the cutest name? Put this one on your not-touristry list.
(IT pays to be pals with the locals)

OF COURSE we had to cram ourselves into the photo booth at CARGO. (You will want to go there too). I love how crazed we look......but then...we are kinda crazed....

SMITH TEA
This was a lovely afternoon spent  drinking tea, writing the FREE postcards at Smith Tea and dropping them into the white mailbox -- the nice folks at Smith Tea put a stamp on them and mail them for free. Can you believe it?
And I loved the trains roaring by as we wrote...

Lunch at Noraneko

I got a nice AirBnB and was really comfortable. I stayed home one night with Thai take-out and relaxed....(and gave my pals a break too)

Wonderful lunch at Maurice

Lunch at Vivienne -- a Breakfast salad -- TOO yummy!

The Hollywood Farmers Market
There is a Hollywood in PDX -- who knew?And a wonderful farmers market.

All the comforts of home.....

I brought little booklets for all my pals....you can't go empty handed...
(you all know how to make these?)

Flying into SFO
My flight home only had 47 people on it - we each got our own row! And I saw the most wonderful views flying into SFO. That green in the lower right is Golden Gate Park. So cool.

BIG BIG thank you to my wonderful PDX Pals -- Karen, Polly, JJ, Michelle, Dre, Sugene, Tammy, Niko, Cori
And, if you are going to Portland, here's your list of fun things to do!

Now, I've got to go work on my PDX book.
See you!
SEND GOOD MAIL  GET GOOD MAIL

Well, that was sure fun.....LWA Social in the Secret Alley

I saw THIS on The Letter Writers Alliance blog and of course I had to go....
(I am sure you all know about the LWA but on the remote chance you don't be sure to click the link and check it out).

We met outside....an unmarked door....and up the stairs and through this door....

....to The Secret Alley.....

This must be the place!!!!

Oh yes -- I spy Donovan up in a tree house -- so, I know I'm in the right place.
She's writing a letter, of course....

There were typewriters....

...and, invisible ink.....

......and LWA stationery and postcards....

And, there was lots of letter writing  and mail art lovers....

There was me.....
(thanks @DovBee for the Instagram photo)

Lots of friendly people, some from the SF Correspondence Co-op mail art group and others new people for me to meet...
(Hello @librarymail)

I'm quite sure a good time was had by all. Thank you, Donovan (@DovBee) and Carolee for such an entertaining afternoon.
What a fabulous place The Secret Alley is to make mail.
Yes, I know, we are so lucky to have such amazing mail art events here in SF. And thanks to Donovan and the Letter Writers Alliance for making this happen.
Some day I hope to make it to one of the LWA socials in Chicago.

And, no.....I didn't get too much letter writing done because...well...I had to meet people and take pictures and wander around and look at everything..but I did start a bunch of postcards and I promise to finish writing them tonight.

SEND GOOD MAIL --  GET GOOD MAIL
(and have fun doing it)

A Postal Weekend in SF (and the Give-Away Winner)

Letter Writing Social on Friday afternoon at Rare Device
here in San Francisco -- hosted by the lovely ladies of the Letter Writers Alliance
Donovan and Kathy.
Lots of members of the local letter writers posse showed up.

Of course there were typewriters to be shared -- and vintage stationary -- and
a LWA stamp.

Miss Curbside Treasures herself -- typing away. Annie worked the Renegade Fair too.
This is one busy lady.
She was at the UpperCase Magazine table and reeled me in. I took one look at that
amazing magazine and signed up for a subscription.
Check it out--

UpperCase Magazine

A good time was had by all - people were waiting in line to type but I caught this shot in a
rare quiet moment.
This was a great start to the weekend.

The next day.....
Saturday (and Sunday) was the Renegade Fair at beautiful Fort Mason.
It's wonderful to see so many people
making beautiful handmade goods.

I made a bee line right to the 16 Sparrows table where Kathy and Donovan
had an incredible assortment of beautiful, handmade, postal themed wonders.

16 Sparrows

I hate to torture you but.......
(I wonder who bought that cool vintage mailbox).

Kathy and Donovan run the Letter Writers Alliance too.

Letter Writers Alliance

I love this space set right on the SF Bay.
The library has the Big Book Sale here every September too.

At the Renegade, you can get a poem written on a typewriter just for you by this lovely lady.
Here's her web site -

The Poetry Store

And, of course, after all that shopping and spending money, lunch must be had!

A thing of beauty....
Donovan showed off her well-organized stamps at the Letter Writing Social --
and I thought I was organized!
Isn't this a great idea?

And now, what you've been waiting for, the winner of the give-away.

***CINDY***

Congratulations, Cindy  ( I'll need you to send me your address)
but it's not over yet --
so many of you left me such nice comments I am going to
divide up my second sheet of the USPS stamps and
sent out a strip of ten stamps. I have ten strips so the first
ten people who email me their address will get a
set of the ten stamps in the mail.

(ok--got the ten e-mails & stamps will go out soon)

But keep checking the blog -- I will have more give-aways
coming up to keep things interesting.

In the meantime, thanks for reading the blog and commenting,
and don't forget --
To get good mail, you've got to send good mail!

Have a good one everybody.