September 15, 2014 by Born To Organize

Postage Stamp Giveaway: Stamps on the Move

If you took part in my August postage-stamp giveaway, please keep an eye on your mailbox. Packets of postage are in the mail. Soon they’ll be making their way to different parts of the world.

Our neighborhood post office, though the extra spacing makes it appear to be “United Post, States Office”.

It was incredibly therapeutic going through Daddy’s stamp albums. I really took notice of the small details. He wrapped some stamps in cello paper, others not. In a few places, he added his own section for additional stamps for a particular country, something I hadn’t noticed before. My dad had a meticulous hand so it was easy to overlook. Some countries issued the same stamp in five or six colors. A few were over-stamped with the word “service” in black ink, another new discovery.

It’s fun for me to contemplate the stamp’s trajectory. Dad started his collection in England. He continued to collect while living in Darjeeling, India, then moved with his albums to Seaforth, Ontario Canada. They traveled with him one more time to Millbrae, California before he died.

Of course the original stamp traveled its own path. At some point someone in Egypt affixed a postage stamp to a letter and mailed is somewhere else. That destination remains a mystery.

The stamps are on the move again, though ironically the postage used to mail them is a computer-generated label. Times have changed.

Signed and sealed with custom forms at the ready

I never acquired Daddy’s love for collecting stamps, but I’ve always enjoyed their individual beauty. I rarely buy ordinary ‘flag’ stamps, the utilitarian postage you might receive from a place of business. I choose flowers, writers, movie stars, cartoon characters, whatever might be new and interesting.

International Postage

Packets of postage are on their way to:

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Duncan, BC, Canada

Dunedin, New Zealand

Mt. Brydges, ON, Canada

Santa Clara, California

and a few bookmarks head to:

Tasmania, Australia

Victoria, Australia

I’m happy to share them with you.

Bookmarks

A few notecards

Postage Table

I came up with one more way to honor my dad with the remaining stamps: I’m going to collage a small table top. Stay tuned for details. I have a few things to work out before I get started.

Thanks for your gracious and loving comments on my original post. My heart is full.

May 6, 2014 by Born To Organize

Bavarian Nirvana

I’m in Bavarian-Crochet-Knee-Rug-winning nirvana. (Try saying that fast three times).

Yours truly is the lucky winner of the Teddy and Tottie blog giveaway.

What did I win?

I won this breathtakingly beautiful, amazingly crafted Bavarian Knee Rug.

Bavarian Crochet Knee Rug

Gorgeous detail

The pattern has two distinct sides

I got the news two weeks ago at Teddy and Tottie land. The package arrived today, all the way from Australia. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. I ran for the camera so I could document its arrival. A certain feline wondered if it was for him. After whispering in his ear that I was happy to share, he climbed off the box and I whisked it inside.

Cat-on-a-box

Getting a package in the mail is high on my list of joyous occasions. I like to imagine it traveling from place to place before arriving at my door. Pretty postage, custom forms and hand-stamps add to the thrill.

While scrutinizing all the details, I had to do a double take. I thought one of the custom stamps read “Security Screamed”. Well of course they did. I mean, who wouldn’t scream when they saw what was inside? The blurred ink actually read “Security Screened.” Ha!

The day I read the news that I’d won, I tried hard to temper my enthusiasm. My lucky win meant a lot of sad faces in the blogging community. Further, just a few months early, I won another lovely prize from The Contented Crafter. All this goodness after years of never winning a thing.

Thank you, Dani, from the bottom of my heart, for this lovely treasure, and for all the extra goodies you tucked inside. I love them all!

Please check out the goings on at Teddy and Tottie where Dani blogs about crochet, vintage home decor, pets, garden and home life in south-eastern Australia. You’ll fall in love immediately.

Dani also has an Etsy shop where you can buy her beautiful crochet work for your very own. She also offers vintage treasures.

You’re Invited

This is a personal invitation to the 109 entrants who did not win the prize. Please come visit any time. I’ll fluff up the pillows and put the kettle on and you can sit with the Bavarian knee rug across your lap. Feline companionship almost 100% guaranteed.

February 10, 2014 by Born To Organize

Valentine’s Day Giveaway: The Winner Is…

Special thanks to everyone who entered my Valentine’s Day Giveaway last week.

I wrote the entrants names on pink hearts, then tossed them into my world globe. It seemed like the perfect vessel given the number of countries represented from around the world.