Happy Easter

Happy Easter!

Friday Philosophy

"Nothing is worth more than this day." by lindsalita

Thursday Link Love - Eye Candy Food Blog

Dreaming of food I can make for Easter brunch.  Right now, these chickens fro Eye Candy Food Blog are high on the list :)

What to Wear Wednesdays: Greetings from... tshirt

Max & Co Post Paris, Eiffel Tower & Etching postcards

 

 I can't help it.  Every time I think of Paris, I think of Marie Antoinette and the Revolution.  In other words, I think of Paris as antique.  The city itself has preserved it's antiquities so well, that it is part of its character.   Close your eyes and think of French interior design.  What comes to mind?  Baroque?  Shabby Chic?  Toile?  Brocade?  Le Tour Eiffel?  It's all vintage, if not antique, right?  For me, it is about the art.  Not the more modern art, but the classics - like Mona Lisa.  And old maps and etchings.  And black & white photos.  I'm thinking about Paris alot lately.   I can't wait to go back to visit the Marché aux puce (flea markets) and Marché aux vieux papier (old paper market)!

Etchings and black & white Paris postcards are available in the MaxAndCoPost etsy shop.

Deltiology 101: How to start a meaningful postcard collection

Frank Warren had an idea.  He printed up 3,000 postcards that were blank on the front, and had directions and his address on the back.  He instructed people to write a secret on the front, then mail the postcard to the address on the back.  That was in 2004.  He still receives postcards today, not from that original 3,000, but hand made or store bought - with a plethora of anonymous secrets.  Some of them are really moving - watch the video to see his favorites.  The ending of this video made me cry.

He posts the postcards on his blog:  PostSecret.com

Friday Philosophy

"La vie se dilate et se rétracte à proportion de notre courage." by LifeOnMarsDesign

Life expands and shrinks in proportion to our courage.  ~Anaïs Nin

Thursday Link Love: Beat Up Creations

Retro anthropomorphic school photos.  Do I need to say more? 

My favorite, of course is the goat.  (For those of you who don't know me, I have a thing for goats - especially cashmere goats.  I think goats in general are hilarious.)  I think I dated the monkey in high school - he looks like a geek.

You can buy the postcards in Angela Rossi's Beat Up Creations etsy store.

What to Wear Wednesdays: Airmail Wallet

Temptation Gifts Paper Plane Wallet

Max & Co Post: Back to the salt mines...

Hay Wagon, Eastern Washington; Chaueffers, Bad Nauheim, Germany, 1940's; Draft Horses, Geisenfeld, Germany, 1930's, Steam Room, USA, Stamford Candy Kitchen, Stamford, Texas, 1920's

That's what my dad always said on a Monday morning, "Back to the salt mines."  I have no idea where he got the saying.  I have only been to one  salt mine.  It is Wielczka in Poland.  Fascinating.  They built an entire city underground, carved into salt.  There are sculptures (including some little dwarves) and a whole cathedral...  But I digress.

Today I celebrate all the people that do the jobs that we don't think about on a daily basis - like the machinist, the driver, the candy-maker, the farmhand, and the stableman. 

This set of 5 Men Working Postcards is available in the Max & Co Post etsy shop.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Friday Philosophy

"Not all who wander are lost" by LiteraryEmporium

Thursday Link Love: Sandra arteagA

One of my new favorite artists is Sandra Arteaga.  Her mixed media creations are so expressive.  Her characters transport me to her little wonderland, far away from my daily grind.

I have always loved Victorian & Turn-of-the-century sepia portraits.  There is something so elegant and proper about the dress and poses that eliminates the potential of the twisted histories that they hide.  As an outsider,   I am oblivious to their sordid tales.  Enter Sandra Atrteaga. 

Her anthropomorphic photos add that story back into the picture - adding character where once there was just a shell.  Love it!

You can purchase her postcards in sets through her etsy shop.

What to Wear Wednesdays: Honolulu Postcard Shirt

Honolulu Postcard Shirt by Hawaiiandress

Ok, I live in Seattle.  It's raining right now.  I wish I was in Hawaii sending all of my friends tropical postcards.

The Tuesday Post: 20 Ideas of what to write on the back of a postcard

Does this sound familiar:

You are out looking for postcards and you stumble up on the PERFECT postcard for a someone you like [friend, family member, penpal, you get the picture].  You buy it, bring it home and lay it on your desk.  In your mind, it's obvious who it is for - the picture on the front will make the recipient smile.  And yet, it is still laying on your desk.  Fast forward a few days.  The postcard is still laying on your desk, now with a pile of papers and ephemera on it.  You move it to the top of the pile, because you know what to do with it.  And yet it is still sitting on your desk.  Not because you don't know the address - so you write it on the card, hoping that will inspire what comes next... the greeting.  But, you still don't know what to say, so it goes back into the pile.

Well, Postcrossing to the rescue!  They put together this handy list of ideas to inspire you.  No more excuses.  Just write it and send it!  That's the good thing about postcards, you only have to write a few lines - it's not a 1,000 word essay :)

Max & Co Post LOVE postcards

Love is in the air at our house.  I am going on a trip soon to one of my favorite cities in the world.  I couldn't be more excited - in fact it is that "shiny object" that keeps me from getting anything done.

I just created this set of postcards from some of my favorite things:

1. Hugs and Kisses.  Who doesn't like hugs and kisses from those that you love?  Especially from a child.  Especially first thing in the morning when they are a little bit groggy...  Love that moment!
2. Roses.  I am a botanist and flowers thrill me, whether they are from a friend or family member.  Flowers from my husband are extra special, because he rarely buys them - perhaps because I am so critical.  After working in a flower shop for 2 years, I definitely have a few varieties that I hate as cut flowers - like the ones that make the water in the vase smell like cat pee, or the lilies that are so strong they give me a headache.  But I digress.  Flowers in general put a smile on my face.
3. The beach.  I love the beach.  Especially the beach on Siesta Key outside of Sarasota, Florida.  I will always take beach over snow.  I like hunting for shells, the sand between my toes, and being warm.  I also like the solitude of walking on the beach just as the sun is rising (while my family is still asleep).
4. Birds.  I love almost all birds.  I can watch them for hours.  I especially love birds like parrots.  Their personalities crack me up. These lorikeets live at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida.  I have to say, I also like little bird kisses.  I used to have lovebirds.  Their beaks are strong and sharp - they can easily pierce skin, and they can hold up their own body plus some by holding on with their beak.  Case in point when one gets scared and bites you finger - you can't pull them off, you have to pinch their beak to release the grasp.  HOWEVER, their kisses are so gentle.  It's amazing.
5. Love Letters.  Especially this letter.  I found it at an estate sale in a box of ephemera.  You can just feel the excitement of the sender, waiting for the recipient to come visit.

"You told me in your last letter that you had something nice to tell me when you will see me, tell me in your next letter, I am very eager to know. I know what I would do with you when I would meet you, give you a nice French kiss. Do you know how to do it, tell me next time. 'Eich Annylaed' is Welch for 'your loving' and P.T.O. means Please Turn Over they put it at the end of a page like this." 

I don't know what the rest of the letter said, this was the only piece in the box.  I don't know who it was addressed to or who from.  I wonder if they ever got their "French Kiss"...

 This set of postcards is available in the Max & Co Post etsy shop for $3.99.

Friday Philosophy

"I'm in a One More Cheers and Extra Cheese State of Mind" by OhGeezDesign on etsy

What to Wear Wednesdays: Leaving on a Jet Plane Bracelet

Leaving on a Jet Plane Bracelet by CharmedWithLove on etsy

The Tuesday Post: Family Circus

Max & Co. Post now has Downton Abbey Postcards!

New in the shop this week!  [Spoiler alert...]

I created this set of postcards as an homage to one of my favorite TV shows.   Three cards have some of my favorite quotes from the Dowager Countess, Violet.  You have to admit - a no episode is show without a Violet-ism.

Raise your hand if you think Matthew should not have been killed off...  What a rotten way to end season 3, right?  I love the show - in fact I've been hooked for all three seasons.  And I understand why Matthew had to have a little "accident" - for those of you that didn't know, it stems from some silly thing called a contract which I believed he signed years ago, long before he ever became one of the most popular characters on the show.  There must be some way that they can write him back into the script - with enough coaxing from fans perhaps?

The set of five Downton Abbey postcards can be found in my MaxAndCoPost etsy shop for $3.99.  Shipping, as always, is a flat rate $2 in the USA regardless of the quantity of postcards ordered. 

Friday Philosophy

"Just do what needs to be done.  This may not be happiness, but it is greatness."  by ArtByNessa