A Little New Addition...!!!

Introducing Our Little 

Bundle of Joy

"We prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted us 

what we asked of him. So now we give him to the LORD. 

For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD."

- 1 Samuel 1:27-28 (Bible)

Snail Mail Kit Swap: Follow Up

I hosted the Snail Mail Kit Swap on swapbot.com early this month. I wasn't sure if this swap would work or people would actually be interested in such a swap. And since this was going to be a bit pricey I was not confident at all. But surprisingly the swap had an overwhelming response. We had 54 swappers who joined in this project and thanks to all of you wonderful people the swap even made it to the top 10. And that was even more exciting!!! I am sure we all had fun putting the package together for our partners.

Well I received my swap from my partner Karen, today. And I love what she put together for me - it is so beautiful and so colourful and has many wonderful things that I like and would surely use.

Well I'll shut up and let the pictures do the talking. Thank you Karen for this wonderful and thoughtful package. I love it all. 

 Isn't this a beautiful and colourful envie??

 She packed it so well!!!

 This is the most beautiful and lovable box ever - thanks Karen.

 Covered with used envelopes - with addresses, stamps and  what not...!!! LOVE IT :*

 inside the box.

 Love all the cards, lettersets, envelopes, greeting cards, labels and the address book that says London was a hit!! It's one of my favorite city.

 Love this tiny little stamp you sent - will be using it soon and I love Papermate pens.

And I love cute and colourful owls too!!

Thank you, Karen - love the package!!!!

Busiest Outlet

Enjoyed 4 days of Hari Raya Holidays with family. It was a time when everybody was home - felt like a mini vacation. And due to this mini vacation that we Malaysians enjoy every year - I was not able to send my cards and swaps on time. I had to hang on to it for almost 4 days.

Taman Connaught, Cheras

Today I went to the near by post office to send all the accumulated mails. And my beloved husband volunteered to send it for me - so I waited in the car. This is the second time I have been to this particular branch this month and it felt as one of the busiest outlet.

As much as I know we do not need to get a queue number to buy stamps - but when my hubby went to get the stamp the lady at the counter asked him to do so! My hubby replied, "do I have to take the number to buy the stamps?", she didn't reply and totally ignored him. Well, it took him about 40 - 45 mins to buy the stamps. PHEW!!!

Such hard work to send mails. May be that's why people prefer to email??

Follow Up - Back to School Swap

Please check out the details of this swap here: Back to School Swap

Well, I had two versions of this swap. One was public but not many people signed up - Guess due to heavy postage. And I had another private swap with a fellow Malaysian from Sabah, with the same theme.

 

 This is what I sent to my Swap Partner - I had 2 of these with different colour. (I lost those images few days back and was only able to recover this one)


 And this is what I received from my Sabah friend. She is so colour coordinated. Love it ;) Thank you so much for sending these goodies.

Note: I'll upload the picture of the public swap as soon as I receive it ;)

Letter Writing and Me

For the last few years I haven't received any festive or celebration cards, while I have been writing Christmas cards regularly to all my extended families for almost 3 consecutive years (except for the year 2010 - as I was busy preparing for my wedding).

I have been reading online and reading some books too - and I am being suggested that I should drop these people off my list who do not care to reply the letters or do not have the courtesy to send a simple greeting card.

Most of my extended family tells me its better to call then to write long letters. But I don't receive any calls either. How can people so busy? Many times I wonder if I am going wrong somewhere or is it that people just don't care? I feel neglected! It feels as if I am doing all that I can to keep the "flames" on,  while the opposite is true for them.

My grandma always says that family is always family and I have learned from her not to give up on our loved ones. So my latest project is to write to them and send greetings and mail them all that I can and give myself a time frame of 2-3 years before I drop them off the list. I pray that this relationship of sending and receiving mails can be restored. Its not just a tradition or a culture or a ritual but a way to say that, I care, I miss you,  I am thinking of you and Just because...

Many times I have realized that my friends and family who call me get lost within few minutes of conversation. They do not know what to say or ask beyond those typical questions like, "how are you? how is your husband? how are studies? you doing good?". I might sound frustrated but this is the truth. The calls are not intentional, just a formality so that they can say, "oh, we do call her from time to time".

I am not saying that I am perfect with maintaining this tradition or that I am so good with sending cards and so on...  I agree its not easy to write letters - it requires time, and thinking and an intention. You pour out your heart to someone when you write - either email or traditional mail. And that's why it required effort, and that's why letters are treasured and people require a response.

Sigh... me and my frustration.

The "S" for September Swap

 Hellooo Swappers!!!

Since its not too far for September, I thought of hosting this swap called "S for September". For this swap we will put together articles/items that begin with the letter "S", such as - sailor, salt, ship, sheep, salt, sweater, snail, stapler, snow, spa etc.. (you get the idea).

You will have 10 days to put 10 things together.

Be CREATIVE and think outside the box. Also include a letter or note explaining - why you included what you included. Fun isn't it? 

Please comment below if you have any questions or if things are not made clear. I am open for suggestions.

NOTE: NEWBIES are welcomed with well filled profiles (I'll check the profiles) NO FLAKERS please, I WONT angel this.

Tip: Please make sure you put some love and be thoughtful (checkout your partner's profile for likes and dislikes) in making this package - it should be something that you would be happy and excited to receive. Be CREATIVE!!!

This is an INTERNATIONAL SWAP.

CLICK HERE to join the SWAP (Last date: 14th August 2012)

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Here are few ideas to get you started: 

Sun, seed, shape, shoe, shop, sink, snail, snake, snow, soda can, star, string, summer, swing, sack, sail, soap, song  on CD, spoon, scarecrow, street, sidewalk, station, scene, snow, spring = Postcards, squirrel,  soup, spiders, sponge, stamps, scarf, stickers, etc...

We made it to TOP 10!!!

Hey guys!!! Thank you for all the support.... Couldn't believe my eyes - when I logged in today Snail Mail Kit Swap was featured on Top 10 list...!!! Check it out!! So cool...!! and so encouraging!!! All credit goes to all those lovely people who signed up for this swap and all those who still have it on their watch list - sign up soon. The dead line is 10th August 2012. 

Click here to join the swap: rtwong

Back to School Swap

I just love those Back to School theme - it just makes you feel like kid again!!! Doesn't it? Let's rekindle those childhood days!!!

For this swap we will put together a kit of stationary that we used in school. You can include as many items as you want but the minimum limit is 5 items. You will have one partner for this swap. This is an INTERNATIONAL swap so please consider the postage cost before signing up. If you have any questions please use the comment section below or PM me for clarification. Here are few things to get you started.

1. pencil case - pencils, eraser, sharpener, etc...
2. glue
3. scissors
4. crayons
5. colour pencils
6. post-it notes
7. cute note-pad
8. calculator
9. time table card
10. Adhesives
11. high lighter
12. correction pen
13. geometrical set
14. cute thin note books with those cute pictures
15. etc...

Find the swap here: Back to School Swap

Check out what I received in this swap HERE

Snail Mail Kit Swap

We made it to the TOP 10



We all love mails and we love to see our mailbox happy. We all have different styles and we use different things / items for our outgoing mails. So wouldn't it be fun to put together a SNAIL MAIL KIT?

Here's how it goes:

So you will put together some mailing supplies and stationary and create a "Snail Mail" Kit. Here are few things that you might like to include: a couple of letter sets and pretty pens, color papers, date stamp, thank-you cards, a few postcards, stickers, airmail stickers, stapler, some spare envelopes, post it notes, glue stick, a small address book, scissors, etc... and the list can go on forever. If you think of more stuff to add here, post in the comments below.

Well, you at least need to have 5 basic items in the package. But you can aim to get the heart by adding extra stationary and make the package as big as you want.

You will have 10 days to send this swap, so only join in if your time permits.

Also NO FLAKERS please, I WONT be able to angel this.

It is the first time I am hosting a swap on Swap-bot. So please comment below if you have any questions or if things are not made clear. I am open for suggestions.

Tip: Please make sure you put some love and thoughtfulness in making this kit and is something that you would be happy and excited to receive. Be CREATIVE - since it's a kit - you can put it together in a flat box or a zipper plastic envelope too.

Also this is an INTERNATIONAL SWAP.

IDEAS:

Stickers to seal the envelope flap. How about a couple of handmade/mail art envelopes (if that's your thing)? How about items that stretch the norms of snail mail, eg, an envelope made of semi-see-through tracing paper? Blank swap cards with a space for name, s-b name, swap name, date, email address, what's being sent, etc? Little envelopes or pouches for storing stamps and address labels? A colour theme for the whole swap, (you can choose your own color) eg, candy pink + apple green? Purple + orange? Blue + yellow? Pale blue + white? Red + blue + white (Air Mail colours)? Black + grey? Beige + crimson?

Oh, OK, you get the idea. :X A mini booklet for recording sent and received mail (name, address, date, items sent/received, answered or not, etc)? Just a few ideas....

SWAP: How do you store your postcards?

Swap categories:                       Email Letters & Writing Photography
Number of people in swap:      6
Location:                                     International
Type:                                           1: Electronic
Rating requirement:                  4.90
Last day to signup/drop:          August 4, 2012
Date items must be sent by:    August 7, 2012
Number of swap partners:       4

Description:

To all of us - The Postcard Lovers!

We all have our own way of storing our postcards. Mind sharing your secret?

Take a picture and tell your story - Where and how you store your postcards.

That's it. Happy Swapping

NOTE: Depending on the sign up, I might change the number of swap partners. Since it's type 1 swap - shouldn't be a problem?

World's Smallest Postal Service

While surfing online I found this cutest thing on web. Ever wondered on sending the smallest and tiniest letter or greeting card across? Here is someone who can do this for you - World's Smallest Postal Service .

And this is how it works:

 "You write a letter and it is transferred onto a tiny 1 inch paper. It is placed in a tiny envelope with address, stamped and wax sealed. The letter is then securely put into a see-through folded coin case and is packed with a magnifying glass."

And it's not just letters you can send but invitations, custom cards and even packages. And here's the coolest video of the coolest mailing kit.

Decorate an Envie with Mushrooms: SWAP

This mail art was for a swap I joined on swap-bot.com. The theme was : mushroom. It took me 2 days to come up with this. I wasn't sure what type of colours to use - so I used pencil colours. 

 

Zipper Pencil Case [filled]

Simple Sticker Sheet Swap #2

Outgoing mails for today

 An attempt at doodling flowers.

 A small little something for my cousin

14 outgoing postcards - to family in India and Canada

Postcards and Stickers

 Received 6 postcards and the following stickers from United States.

An Unexpected Envelope

My hubby found this in my mailbox today. So excited to see a big envelope - a big stuffed envelope addressed to me :D .

I couldn't figure out what this was about. I checked the sender's address and it was from Canada. I wasn't expecting anything from Canada. Even the sender's name didn't ring a bell. There was no swap name or any detail on the envelope. I opened it carefully not knowing what was inside.

While opening the envelope - I was still thinking that this was a wrong swap. I didn't sign up for any craft or craft supplies swap. I went through each item carefully thinking, "Oh no! I'll have to return this to the person who sent this to me. It's a wrong swap."  ;(

It wasn't until I read the note in the envelope addressed to me that I realised that this was for me. It was ALL for me. It wasn't the wrong swap. I had forgotten all about it. 

Isn't this like an answered prayer? We ask God for many things desperately and persistently and after sometime we go about with our day to day life  forgetting what we prayed for. But Christ is faithful and he doesn't forget our prayers. AMEN!?

This is what I got in my Stuffed Envelope Swap.

 Things in the Envelope:

• 1 Smash Stick : K&Company
• 1 pack Laura Ashley Photo Corners
• 2 Designer Rhinestones : Bling It
• 1 pack Rhinestones (Butterfly) : KAISER scrapbook
• 1 Clear Stamp : Studio g
• 2 Scrapbooking papercraft: 7gypsies
• 30 pieces color block brads - garden flowers : Queen & Co.
• A colourful flower

PS: Thank you Josie for such a Surprise!! Felt like love in abundance.

Postcard from China

My first Postcard from China

Outgoing Mails for this week

Scenes of Singapore

My first Aerogramme from Singapore - Scenes of Singapore. Features women of Singapore in their ethnic wear.

Outgoing Mails

My outgoing mails for this week.

 10 Postcards - for Express Swap

 Mail Art ?

One of my favorite postcard - Market day Malaysian Style.

An aerogramme after a long time - Malaysian Cultural Dances

Postcards I received

Received the following postcards from United States - Ohio and Utah, Canada, Singapore and France. Here's the description on the postcards in the picture.

1. Ohio's Native Wildlife. 
2. Postcard from Singapore.
3. The Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
4. Eiffel Tower - Paris
5. Boldt Castle, Alexandria Bay, NY.

The Eiffel Tower is almost 123 years old as of 2012.

My favorite postcard from the above collection is the La Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower), Paris. The postcard pictures the construction of the Eiffel Tower from May 1888. And mini pictures from May 1888, July 1888, December 1888 and the completed tower in May 1889. Though the Eiffel Tower was built and completed on March 31, 1889. It took about two years from 1887-1889 to build the tower. 

Birthday Goodie Bag

The month of June celebrated two of my beloved and adorable cousin sister's birthdays. Last year I sent them cuddly toys  and it was a hit. They both loved it. 

Now this year was a bit difficult. I didnn't want to repeat my gifts and thought to get them something they can use. Now, people say that it's difficult to choose gifts for guys (boys) but trust me it's as difficult to choose for teen girls too. Especially when it is to be mailed. So this year I decided to send them a "Birthday Goodie Bag". Here in the picture is the collection of things I got for one of my 15 year old cousin - some cute stationary, nail art stickers and cross-stitch pattern. For the younger cousin who is 12 this year she loves fashion accessories so I choose some cute earrings and hairbands and stuff like that (forgot to take the picture so its not here). I really hope they like it.

PS: If you girls are reading this, know that we dearly love you both. Wishing all happiness your way and may you have a Blessed birthday.

Letter Writing

It was during my primary school that I was introduced to letter-writing. Took me a while to get the format right, but given a choice it was easier to write a letter than an essay. And as a primary school teacher I did the same with my students - introduced letter writing before introducing short essays. And they loved it.

I was really able to put my letter writing skills into practice when my 'single' mom went to a foreign land to provide for my family (siblings and me). We stayed with my grandma in a small town and as a teacher herself, my grandma made sure that we wrote to our mom regularly about what we learned in school, the various activities we were involved in, detailed descriptions of our trips to the zoo and to the parks and so on. I guess these letters really helped to keep us connected to my mom who could only visit us once a year.

This writing ritual initiated by my grandma became a habit and a passion. It was no longer a pressure but a pleasure. It became a heart-to-heart chat filled with emotions. This exercise also helped to increase and enhance my vocabulary, I guess. I had to find the right words to convey the right message and meaning. When this became a passion, it was not just my mom I wrote to but to my friends and relatives as well. It evokes a desire to stay connected to your loved ones.

I guess letter writing is more than just the random "hi's and hellos" and "likes and follows" on facebook and twitter. When you start writing, you write with an intention engaging your senses - you think, you rethink, you construct sentences and reconstruct them. It's a wonderful exercise to engage your heart, mind, thoughts and emotions.

The best part about letter writing? Signing off, folding the letter and sliding it inside the envelope, sealing it, putting the address, walking to the post office to get the stamp affixed and dropping it into the red box. Ohhh... that's a bliss!

I enjoy writing letters and I hope you do too.