Friday, June 22, 2012

52 Weeks of Mail: Week...I don't even know what week it is now!

Apparently I didn't realize just how bad my fall off the letter writing wagon had been.  [I think I broke something in the process. :/]  Anyway, I have no idea what week this is.  I could find out where I last logged it on my calendar and count up from there, but I'll do that later.

Right now, I wanted to show some stuff that has gone out.  Just to... you know... prove that I've sent something through the mail recently.  :P  There are only 2 photos because as I've mentioned before, things have been a little chaotic stressful interesting around here and I haven't bothered had time to take pictures when I dropped by the post office in with my other eleventy billion errands.
Letters to Olivia C., Su in Ireland, and Becky P.
Packages to Taylor P. in North GA, and Marilyn M. in FL.
This is what was in Marilyn's.  A New Baby gift custom made by Lucy Jane.
Circle-ish themed envie to pen pal Cathy T. in Ohio
Cylindrical package to Emily B. in Michigan
To motivate me to send more out before this week is over, I'm holding my new issue of Tea Time magazine hostage from myself.  I don't get to discover the recipe to the "Exquisite Strawberry French Madeleines" on the cover until I've replied to at least 10 back-logged letters or 5 countries.  Or both.


(Not that replying to the letters isn't motivation enough to write, but sometimes you just want tasty noms, n'est-ce pas?)

This weekend we will be moving me downstairs to the second floor from the attic suite (no AC and it's hot up here!!!) and I will have a better, more organized and well lit space in which to create my letters and mail art.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

My Own "Steamboat Shenanigans"...Sorta. (Part 1)

     PART THE FIRST: An Evening With My Friend's Friends and Tea For One.

Yes, "Steamboat Shenanigans" is a Steam Powered Giraffe song!  Did you even have to ask?!  I haven't listened to the radio in a little over a month.  SPGs 3 CDs are just in constant rotation, streaming through my headphones/car speakers/iTunes.

     There has been a LOT going on here in the last couple of weeks; it's been difficult to juggle everything, and blogging has had to take a little bit of a backseat while I get stuff sorted.  But I did want to share my recent trip to Savannah with you...
   
     About 5 minutes after I published the Wed, June 6 post, I packed a bag and drove down I-75 South and 116 East to go visit my good friends Bobby and Nikki.  They live within about a 20 minute drive of Historic Savannah Proper.  (I am 14 shades of green over this!! LOL)

Isn't it pretty! (Source)
     Nearly the moment I arrived, Nikki whisked me away to a get-together with some of her colleagues for an end-of-the-school-year celebration (she's a science teacher).  It was so much fun!  They had a "Wine and Whine" bit, where everyone gets a glass of wine (I don't drink alcohol, so I had a glass of Glaceau Vitamin Water) and you write your gripes on strips of paper and put them in a bucket.  They get mixed up and the bucket gets passed around and people randomly read them out loud, find out who wrote it, commiserate sympathetically and then raise a toast to dealing with the issue in a positive way with good wishes for better days to come.  It was so funny when my few were read, because I was the only non-teacher there and everyone knew instantly which belonged to me ("19th Century corsets are bloody difficult to sew and even harder to wear" and "Don't you love when the sleeves won't set in properly?!" etc, etc).  Everyone was very nice, and we had a great time. :)

     Thursday morning dawned humid and rainy, but that didn't dampen my spirits any.  I dressed in a flowy skirt and ruffled top (I get tired of jeans and "Mommy clothes"!), and set out for Savannah proper.  From Nikki's, it's more or less a straight shot, and very soon I found myself searching for parking along Bay Street.  I parked in the horseshoe curve behind Emmet Park, fed the time-keeping machine to ensure my van would still be there when I returned (by legal means, at any rate), and set off with my iPhone Maps App in hand.  The little blue tracking dot glowed cheerfully through the drizzle as it directed me up and over a few blocks to a place I've been wanting to visit for well over 5 years now:

(Sorry for the bad iPhone pic- was trying to
juggle an umbrella and my purse too!)
     Every time before now that I've wanted to visit, either we didn't have time, or they were closed, or something.  Finally, I was marking it off my bucket list and treating myself to an early birthday brunch.  I was seated in a comfy wingback chair at the fireplace.  Being as it's summertime, there was a wrought iron tea light holder in the fireplace rather than an actual fire.  (Though I bet that's cozy in winter!!)  I was asked whether I had a favorite tea and upon my answer of Earl Grey, the server recommended their specialty house blend called "Savannah Grey".  It has a double helping of bergamot and a hint of lavender.  I readily agreed, adding an order of crumpets and fresh fruit to it.  In a few moments, everything arrived and it was just scrumptious!  The crumpets were especially lovely, since Publix stopped carrying them and I can't find ANY close to home!
Lovely blue and white china and a darling
mini white cow cream pitcher.
The lighting was terrible, so it's all grainy, but
here I am in the cozy chair! :)
My view opposite.
     After tea, I purchased 2 ounces of the Savannah Grey blend to take home, and a few postcards that featured an artist's rendering of the front entrance.  Two of them I know will definitely be going to friends in England.  The other couple... not sure yet. :)  

Stay tuned for part 2 (which actually features the "steamboat" reference)!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Just The Forty

I've been studying the costumes from the Three Musketeers film that came out at the end of last year.  Matthew MacFadyen has already made me swoony in turns as Mr. Darcy and Arthur Clennam, and now we get to add Athos to that list.  Yes, please!  (Oh, and the Queen's dresses are all pretty and stuff.  Lucy Jane'll get around to recreating one of those.  One day.  When she's had more education on 18th C construction techniques...)


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

ATTENTION PEN PALS!!!

I have horribly fallen off the letter writing wagon the last 2 or 3 months!  I loved doing the Month of Letters project in February and so many beautiful letters from all over the world have been pouring into my mailbox since.

I know I should have at least replied with a postcard, but when things really took off for Lucy Jane, I barely had time to breathe!  (The Hydrangea Festival was a success, by the way, and there will be a post on that when I have time to sort some photos and whatnot.)

So I am offering huge apologies to anyone who reads The Modest Peacock who has written me a letter and not received an answer yet.  This week I am taking a vacation and going to spend a few days with some good friends down in Savannah, GA.  I'll be on my own during the day, and am taking a bag full of my stationery along.  I'll be writing you while wiggling my toes in the sand and surf on Tybee island!  (I LOVE SUMMER TIME!!)  :D

Here is what I have to reply to: an even 30 in all!


Off I go, then!  Going to blare Steam Powered Giraffe's CDs as loudly as I want all the way down there.  It's around a 5 hour trip, so I will get plenty of mileage out of the albums.  (That was a PUN!) ;)
Much love to you all, my readers!