Sandbook

Have you heard of Sandbook.net? For anyone who is a self-proclaimed ultimate penpaller, this is the place to be!


Right now they're giving out prizes to 3 lucky winners: a stationery set, a notebook, or stamps. I'm hoping for the stamps! I think it would be amazing to see all of the places that the stamps have come from and how different they look. Here's a photo of the prize:

It's easy! Just go to www.sandbook.net/ to leave a comment about which prize(s) you would like to be entered for. You get one entry. Then you can win another entry by posting on Facebook     (www.facebook.com/sandbooknet) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/sandbook) with a link back to Sandbook. Finally, win a 3rd entry by blogging about the contest, like I'm doing. 

Sandbook is the place to go to find new penpals, lost penpals, tips for writing, penpal ideas, learning about different places around the world, and they even put out a free monthly digital newsletter. You can nominate you and your penpal for Penpal of the Month (click here to nominate your penpal) like I did. Anja and I won! Here is my entry (click here for the full newsletter), and next month, a short interview about each of us will be in the newsletter.

Easter Mail

Anja, my dear friend from Germany, is so sweet...she sent me a lovely Easter gift in a cute little box, and it arrived just in time!

 

Thank you, Anja...you're the best! Frohe Ostern!

Early April Postcards

Happy Mail Time!

A postcard from my dear friend from Germany, Anja.  She traveled to Dresden recently and was sweet enough to send me a postcard. She said that the architecture was amazing and that there are angels on every building. Doesn't Dresden look like a lovely place?

Oh, happy day! Another postcard from Germany, this time from Janett in Kirchdorf.  This postcard will be very helpful to me in my Germany geography studies.

 I get many postcards from The Netherlands, and I really can't complain about it, because the people there always send the nicest cards. This one, according to Babelfish (which is not always a reputable source), says "Much kind," although other places I researched said "Much love." Either way, it's a pretty little card Monique in Ubrecht in The Netherlands.

I know you're thinking, "Woah, woah, woah! Keep it PG!" Well, I think it's a neat card, and Abigail from New Jersey was very sweet to send it. I love all of the colors, and I love picnics, and I love this card. 

This is a photo I took of our local baseball field, and I was so proud when I took this picture and had it made into postcards...and then I found out that everyone else in town has taken the exact same photo. Well, no matter...I sent it to Karol in Poland anyhow.

To Karen in Salt Lake City, Utah.

A picture of Abigail Adams, whose detailed letters are a vivid source of social history.

To Nastya in Russia

This is from my postcard book "America Works Out," and is a picture of "high school boys growing physically fit through exercise" at Benjamin Franklin High School in New York in 1942.

To Margarita in Valencia, Spain

A picture of Harriet Tubman, American abolitionist who became the underground railroad's most famous "conductor" and was known as the "Moses of her people."

I enjoy all of the interesting and adorable postcards that people around the world send to me, & and I love to read what they all have to say. I hope some day to receive postcards from a few other places that I have not heard from yet: Ireland, Scotland, England, Australia, France, Italy, and many countries in South America.

Happy Postcrossing!

Foo Foo's Greeting

I recently sent a birthday package to my German friend Anja, and I found this adorable birthday card. Isn't it sweet?

It looks just like a baby Foo Foo. Really! That's just what she looked like! I think maybe we should make some money by asking her to become a model for greeting cards.

You've Got Mail

What a lovely week for mail!

First, my good friend Melissa sent me a wonderful surprise for my birthday.

(Melissa and me, circa 2001)

When I opened it, I danced and jumped about and Aaron thought I was crazy. You're the best, Melissa, and I have no reason to deserve this....but I love, love, love it! I can't wait for it to rain!

Foo Foo danced and pranced with me.

Don't mind the pile of weeds and such in the background...we've been keeping busy with the garden.

On the same day, this arrived (from myself)...Aaron hates it, but I love it. Now, just to get those arms toned.

Modcloth.com

Bright Young Things Dress

And then today, I received this from my good friend Anja in Germany. Thank you, Anja! What a wonderful surprise!

A Birthday Interview

Today my penpal from Rostock, Germany, celebrates her birthday. Her name is Anja, and she is a wonderful pen pal, one that I tell things I probably don't tell anyone else. For her birthday, I asked if she would be willing to submit to a blog interview, and she very graciously accepted.

Do you have any hobbies, and what are they?

Is shopping a hobby? (Of course!) I love to shop =) But apart from that I love designing and sewing my own dresses, going to concerts and other events, and when I find time I love to draw. (This) is Dog the Bounty Hunter...I love that show.

(This) was a birthday present for a 4 year old girl.

These were done "just out of boredom."

Personally, I think this one is absolutely adorable and definitely my favorite! Although, all of them are very good...I had no idea you were such a wonderful artist, Anja!

Do you collect anything?

I collect snowglobes, angels and postcards. To be honest, it's great to know someone who loves to receive postcards.

How many penpals do you have?

Well, right now I have just you. I had another penpal from Los Angeles, but we kinda lost contact. We talk frequently on facebook. I'm glad to have you as my penpal, although I consider you more my friend than just a penpal. It feels like I would know you forever, even though we've never met.

What do you enjoy about having penpals?

I just think it's exciting. Talking to someone who lives so far away. It is also a good way to learn about different cultures. And sending surprise packages is a huge plus. I think I enjoy it more sending them. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy getting one ;) I can't wait to finally meet you.

How did you become interested in writing to people around the world?

I don't know. All I know is that I had my first penpal when I was 15. She lived in Oregon, I guess. It was a program our local post office offered and I tried it. Well and I obviously fell in love with it. I think the penpal friendship with you is the longest I've ever had. And I'm glad about that.

Can you describe Rostock for us?

Oh my, I don't know where to start. Well, Rostock is at the Baltic sea and although we are the biggest city with about 200.000 habitants in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, we are not the capital city. Through Rostock flows the river "Warnow". It's an old, but beautiful city. We have the biggest Christmas market and the oldest University in northern Europe. The  number 7 is important for Rostock, because of it's seven churches, seven towers, seven gates, seven bridges, seven linden ... and so on. We have beautiful beaches and a 4 km long shopping mile. I could go on like this, but then you wouldn't have a reason to visit =) (Below) is a postcard of Rostock. It shows the city center and the river Warnow. and in the back it's hard to see is the Baltic sea. )

What is your favorite food?

Definitely my mom's cooking. One of my favourite foods is smoked pork chop with sauerkraut.

Favorite movie?

I love "Sabrina" with Audrey Hepburn. And so many other movies.

Favorite book?

I don't really have one, but the last good books I've read have to be the Twilight Saga.

What do you do on the weekends?

I spend time with the family. I don't get to see them that much during the week.

How many siblings do you have?

I have 4, but I only know two of them. My sister Katja, she is 25 and my brother Sven, he is 19. My two other siblings are boys, Nick and Tony (8 and 11, I guess)

(Below) is me with my sister

What do you want for your birthday?

All I wanted was a new phone and I already got that. ... but you can't be wrong with a new pair of shoes =)
(I hear you on that one!)


What do you do for a living?

I'm an Event Manager. I love organising all kinds of events. But most of all I love weddings.


If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

I would love to live in London, Chicago, maybe New York. Well every US city would be fine by me. Although my mom wouldn't like that.


What is a pet peeve that you have?

My biggest pet peeve is people who think they can do what ever they want without any consequences.


Well, that's it! Thanks for doing this, Anja! Even I learned something new, and we've been writing to each other for a long time!

Have a fabulous birthday! I'll be toasting a cocktail to you here in the States!

Around the World

My good pen friend from Germany, Anja, sent me the link to this awesome website.... http://www.postcrossing.com/. She collects postcards, so this is so perfect for her. It sounded fun, so I signed up today. Here are the directions from the website:

How does it work?

Request an address and a Postcard ID

Mail the postcard to that address

Receive a postcard from another postcrosser!

Register the Postcard ID you have received

Go to number 1 to receive more postcards!

You can request to send up to 5 postcards at a time, so I signed up for all 5. They are from the Netherlands, Russia, Estonia, Canada, and Taiwan. What a great idea for those of us who open the mailbox every day with bated breath in hopes of some cutesy snail mail or a neat little package.

Thanks, Anja! I'm looking forward to sending and receiving my first round of postcards.

This is how we decorate for Christmas

My dear German friend and penpal, Anja, requested some photos of how we decorate our house. Nothing special, but it fits us and our personalities. Please, step into our home...

This is an ornament we picked up at Bronner's in Frankenmuth.

Our first Christmas ornament.

Anja's ornament

My ornament from Munich

Aaron's ornament from Munich

An ornament I received as a child but which bears an eerie resemblance to Mademoiselle Foo Foo.

An ornament from Aaron's mother because she said our tree was so beautiful (which it is).

Another Foo Foo

A snowman that I painted as a little tyke.

Okay. So when Aaron was living with his friend Chris before we were married, they would watch "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" and if one of them was making breakfast, he would make the Pee Wee Herman laugh. On our first vacation after we were married, we saw this and bought one for ourselves and one for Chris. If you've seen the movie, and you really should, then you already understand.

An ornament my cousin made for me when we were little

This was a little nativity scene that my mother always had around the house and gave to me when I was young. And I cherish it very much.

More Christmasing to come tomorrow!