Ornament Swap: Why I Love the Mail

After seeing the lovely ornament that Claudia made last year for the Cake and Pie holiday ornament swap, I felt inspired to participate this year . . . I've never done a swap before, so I was a little nervous, but I'm loving it so far!

Why?

Because people are sending me cool things in the mail!! I love the mail. I love to go and check my PO Box. I get movies by mail. I get books by mail. My sweetie's Dad has a good job working for the Post Office, and that just makes me love the mail even more. I love getting things in the mail, and my family, with a few notable exceptions, are not big on sending holiday cards or gifts. Sadly, most of my holiday mail can be divided into two categories: catalogs and requests for charitable donations. This is the first year in a long time that my mailbox has been full of holiday goodness and surprises!

These are the first three ornaments I got . . . I am particularly fond of the gingerbread cat! And I'm amazed at the sturdiness of the glimmery glass ball - it made the trip in a padded envelope and survived intact! See? The mail is good.

Today, there were more wonderful surprises! A sweet owl ornament in a mushroom-decorated envelope from the UK, and an amazing mushroom ornament with a snowy forest card from Washington State! It's like fate! It's a woodland fairytale match made in heaven! And, crazily enough, the card from the UK made it here without a stamp . . . perhaps it was elves? Or, just more evidence that the mail is good.

(You'll have to wait to see the ornament I made, 'cause I'm working on a tutorial for next week's Last Minute Holiday Madness Event.)

Speaking of great mail, Sister Diane and Brother K. sent me one of their Holiday Zines!! As far as I am concerned, this means I must be on Santa's list of good girls this year.


And if you want one, I think there are still a few on sale over at their shop . . . my favorite part is the strangely fruitcake-free holiday disaster calendar centerfold.