Letter A Day v 2.0

Such a huge delay between updates! I have been busy with the start of my final semester, and of course being engrossed by the always fantastic The Walking Dead and now cult hit True Detective.  Sadly for me, the last units I have to complete for my degree are essay based. So many essays. Bah. It is almost the end of semester though, so soon I shall have all the time in the world.. to work full time. I am not sure which option is better. The units are all based on novels still, so I have had the opportunity to read and re-read some pretty amazing books. Handmaids Tale, The Hunger Games, Lolita, American Psycho are just a few.

Now for the actual purpose of this post. On January 1st I decided to try the letter a day challenge.
Annoyingly, I had some personal stuff come up and basically I have restarted the challenge.
I have been noting down who I sent the letters to, but forgot to take photos. Remembered last week  though and today. Yay for mail.

Swear I have a fish brain sometimes. Either way, I had been making brilliant progress, writing every day, not second guessing/self editing everything. Until last Tuesday.
Instead I had to have a few days rest after an idiot decided that the give way sign was entirely optional.
Thankfully I wasn't injured too badly, though the car is a mess.
Now I have the lengthy and frustrating wait to hear back from the insurance company.
There is damage to both sides and the front. So very frustrating. Today I managed to drive a fair distance without much trouble, and dropped kids off to daycare. Got a coffee before leaving to attend work meeting and idiot cab driver cut across double lines to stop at the taxi bay. Argh! I have always heard comments about Canberra drivers being some of the worse, but now I am hyper aware of what they are all doing, it is both frustrating and disappointing that people risk their lives and others just to get somewhere quickly.

I wasn't ready to drive over the long weekend, but I did do plenty of reading and binge watched Naked and Afraid. Camping made all the more unappealing once again.

Now I have a wonderfully fast printer, it is time to print all my form site replies and get cracking on letters for fellow LEP & IGGPPC members. Woo.

What's in my bag

Or more to the point why is all that in my bag?

I change my bag every day, and each time I try to cull the amount of things I carry with me. It just never happens. Entirely possible I am messing with my shoulder and possibly my spine from oversized bags full of paper. Pictures taken with iPhone, sorry for the dark photos.

I typically only buy leather bags because I tend to overfill my bags, leather ages beautifully & pvc tends to split and break. This bag I purchased for only $2 from an op shop and I think that it might have been a camera bag. Lots of compartments and padded inside. It is however PVC and I can see there are splits on the handle already. Boo.
Looking forward to seeing what the other LEP members are carrying around  ^_^

1. Without fail I always carry: wallet, ipad mini, journal, two different pens sets, overstuffed beauty case filled with pens & markers, notepads, zip up folder of letters, stamp, coin purse, washi tape, lip balm, iPhone 5 & keys (not pictured) and travel toothbrush.

2.  PVC bag of awesome

3. Three notepads and pencils for lettering.

4. Beauty pencil case and folder full of letters received, replies in progress, and blank envelopes for mail art.

5. Pen sets for art

Letter Mo and Op Shops

Received my first #LetterMo letter on Friday. Very exciting.
Have sent out quite a few letters and postcards for both #LetterMo and my regular letter writing. Forgot to take photos though. So here is a shot of today's postcards.

First week back at uni has been rather hectic. Lots of planning, time management and of course reading. So much reading. Have only had one tutorial, but we spent the whole 2 hours discussing graffiti and whether it was art or not. Fantastic to be in classes with 3rd year students, no one has been hung over in class etc. Will see how the year goes.

Friday was class free so I happily spent the day doing mail art & of course the rounds of local op shops.  

1. Postcards out for #lettermo
2. Pearl tea of doom
3. Op shop bag of wool. Can't wait for winter
4. New tea cup
5. Catching up on letters
6. Vistaprint order on the way!

Brain Fail

And today has been a total waste of time. It is a long weekend though, so I always have tomorrow.
Canberra has had a total identity crisis. I am pretty sure it thinks it is QLD. Blazing hot days with occasional downpour that doesn't actually ease the heat.
In an effort to combat todays weather, I made iced coffee. Talking to husband while making it, not paying attention, and made something equivalent to a long black. My brain is skipping steps, and I feel dreadful. Hoping cups of tea & plenty of water will fix it.

I did get some painting done on Friday with the lovely little Miss S & Miss I. Both of them managed to just make the watercolour work. Incredibly jealous of natural talent and no inhibitions. Seriously at one point Miss I was spreading black over her envelopes and I thought it was screwed. Looks amazing and I am not sure how to replicate it. Think I will put the little ones to work doing my mail art.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Continuing on my resolution to do more creative things, here is an update of the last few days. Nothing like making ice mocha at home with nespresso machine to help with cleaning and sorting.
Not sure what coffee it was, I just go by colour. Kept ice cold most of the day with help from the super awesome Starbucks mug.

On top of this major resolution I made a few extra ones while watching fireworks with husband.

2. Read more and not just uni books *

3. Write more *

4. Healthier lifestyle *

and finally 5. More time with my babies & husband *

* Currently re-reading Of Mice and Men. When a single unit at Uni comprised of 7 different books, there was very little interest in reading anything else. This time last year I finished the complete Hunger Games series in less than 3 days. Have downloaded a few reading apps on phone & of course found more books at the op shops to read (pictures to follow).

*When a writer isn't writing, she should be reading. I have been reading and writing less since I started my writing degree. If it wasn't for uni, I wasn't interested. Letter writing has helped get my hands used to writing, something I worry will be a lost skill for my children. My father & husband have beautiful writing, and I have nice writing if I focus, otherwise it is chicken scrawl of doom. Alarm goes off at 8pm each night to write, but usually I am doing something with or for the kids. Making a rule now to stop and go write at least one line. A lovely woman I am following on Instagram recently purchased a line a day journal. I bought one last year, but never followed through. Am starting this year with a new book (pictures to follow).

* Being trapped either in an office, or racing between classes means I don't eat that well. I often skip breakfast, and lunch, but always make a proper dinner. So I am slowly making changes to my diet. No point in saying no junk food. Seriously I last 3 days before I am going crazy for a coke and cheeseburger. So just little steps. Little steps away from Krispy Kreme.

* Working on planning my days out better so I can have more time with those who are important to me.  

So that is just about it. Hope everyone had a Happy New Year

Mail Art

1.Watercolour mixed in ice cube tray
2. Vintage golden day books
3. Envelopes painted by Miss I & Miss S
4. Golden day envelope
5. Golden day envelope
6. Golden day envelope
7. Golden day envelope
8. Watercolour on old music sheets & Shakespeare pages.
9. Washi tape envelopes
10. Watercolour and ink rainbow envelope
11. Doodles on envelopes
12. Headphones

Mail Call #1

Happy letter box this week ^_^
Incoming

Bright pink letter from new pen pal Sarah in Victoria.
Beautiful multi envelope letter from long standing pen pal Cheryl in Scotland.
Envelope letter from new pen pal Loren in NSW. 

Outgoing

Have already started on replies and decorated envelopes for these three lovely ladies. New 3 day reply rule starting given how packed my uni schedule is. So have to get to the post office asap.

Samantha

Mail Art Trainee

Like most things I am late to join phenomenons. Blogging, Washi Tape and now Mail Art. So I have started. Seems like the perfect thing. A creative outlet I can pack up quickly. 

Turns out water jugs and coffee cups are not friends and should not be so close. Did it twice before I moved the cup. Smart move. Here are the results so far:

Looking forward to sharing them with pen pals. Have found some more through Interpals, Live journal & Sendsomething.com.

Kind of amused that even in the pen pal world people act like it is high school. Not cool enough for people to write to, or even reply to messages. Sometimes it is just funny, other times it is genuinely saddening. Oh well.

Samantha