Pencil Box Photo

I took pictures of the four prize packages for the Mailbox contest that was held last month, however, only one of the pictures turned out. I guess I should have checked the photographs before I mailed the packages.

This felt-lined pencil box was filled with pens and pencils and was won by Pamela in San Francisco. The prizes going to Kelly, Phyllis and Barbara will just have to be a surprise.

Mail Contest #1

The Sept/Oct newsletter had a mailbox contest where the entrants were asked to send in a piece of mail with a number selected that was between 1-100. The winner wins this handcrafted pencil box filled with a collection of pens from Nvizio. And the winner is..... (drum roll)

Jennifer from CA! This package will be on its way to you this week! Below is Jennifer's winning entry.

The winning number was #18 and Jennifer guessed #13. There was also a person who guessed #23 and since both of these numbers are 5 away from 18. I put both names in a hat and drew Jennifer's name.

 The pencil box was handcrafted by Harvey Christiansen. Here's a close-up of the inside which is covered in brown felt.

Monthly Newsletter Update

The monthly e-newsletter will now be a bi-monthly newsletter. I've always managed Letters & Journals on the side while I work a full-time day job. I've recently switched jobs, which I'm totally excited about, however, my new job is taking a lot more of my time than my previous one. Everything else will continue as before - weekly blog updates, the monthly stationery giveaway and the miscellaneous contests.

Letters & Journals E-Newsletter Logo

I have some super contest ideas that I'm excited to implement. One of them involves me getting mail...from you. Hopefully, you'll want to participate. More info to follow in the Sept/Oct newsletter that will be out in mid-October. Here's one of the prizes.

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Showing Off My Pen & Pencil Box

A friend of ours, Harvey Christiansen, is a talented woodworker. So when I needed a new place to store my favorite pens and pencils I went to Harvey with an old cigar box that was about the size I was looking for and asked if he could make a pen and pencil box.

He made three! In two of the boxes, Harvey had the great idea to include felt inside. Nice! (See Happy Pens below)

He also put on a carved wooden star, some orange felt and a wood frame and then matched the same type of latch that was on the cigar box prototype. I didn't think to take a photo of the latch. Next time.

  

I'm very pleased, as are my pens!

Preparations for the 100-mile Garage Sale

There is an annual 100-mile garage sale in southeastern MN that follows Highway 61 from Red Wing to Winona as well as parts of Wisconsin.

 The sales takes place over Mother's Day weekend. Last year my girlfriend, her sister and mother went and had fun loading up the truck, visiting with the friendly small town residents, stopping when they felt like it to eat at local cafes and, when the day was done, they had reserved a hotel room so that they could rest and hit the remaining sales on their way back home the next day.

I thought this sounded like a great way to spend a weekend! So I have made my own hotel reservations with my daughters and we are planning to enjoy the scenery of Lake Pepin and the bald eagles while we wind our way down Hwy 61 stopping at garage sales.

 All of the pictures you see in this post are of items I picked up last year at local garage sales. As you can tell I am more into pencil size boxes, paper, ephemera, pens, stamps and other desk top paraphernalia.

 Here's to good weather and finding lots of books, office supplies and ephemera on our 100 mile odyssey!