"Online Connection & Elation" August-December 2023

[SusanWilson]

#27 reporting for December
Sent: ALL
Received: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30
To receive: 5

Thank you all SO much for such a wonderful December mailbox full of joy and happiness and laughs! I am so grateful to be a part of this group!

#6 @sarabb: Sara, what a gorgeous Frank Lloyd Wright home!! Thank you so much. I love MCM and this card is SO perfect for me! Loved the story on the card as well, thank you for sharing!

#7 @PrincessFlamingo: Joy, thank you for this awesome vintage card from The Nichols-Wanton-Hunter House! I love this setting and all the cool antique furniture! Perfect pick for me, thank you.

#8 @JoBo27: Joan, I love this winter card and adorable foxes! Such cute stickers and washi tape also!! Such a cool sugar cookie tradition, I wish I had that skill! I hope you had a terrific Christmas full of good company, laughs, yummy food and drink.

#9 @Amalan: Amanda, thank you for this gorgeous Christmas postcard! What a cute setting. I also love your adorable stickers and washi tape, thank you!

#12 @AllAboutTheBooks: Carlene, I love this adorable Christmas card! The colors are gorgeous and I love the washi tape as well! My favorite Christmas movie is Jingle all the Way or Christmas Vacation. What a cool idea, I’ve never heard of a Christmas movie advent calendar, love that!! Which one is your favorite? Hope you had an amazing Christmas!

#14 @darlindanz: Joanie, I absolutely adore this vintage Christmas card! Thank you so much for these awesome stamps as well! So thoughtful!! Only seas this year, no snow, but I am definitely enjoying the cooler weather and the gorgeous breeze. Hope you are having a most wonderful holiday season!

#15 @GraceFamily: Hi Grace Family! Love this adorable crochet card! Adorable stickers as well, thank you so much!! I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season!

#16 @clandysaws: Eena, I love this precious card! I hope you are having a marvelous holiday season! Thanks so much.

#17 @Tracy-CO: Tracy, I love the vintage look of these ornaments! So dreamy!! So great that you’re traveling, I hope that you’ve had a wonderful holiday season so far!!!

#18 @Hazygirl: JoAnn, SUCH a cute gingerbread house!! That’s my decor theme for this year, love it so much! Love the adorable stickers as well, thanks so much.

#19 @Sherri_B: Sherri, this Alaska card is SOOOO darling! The little Husky puppy is absolutely adorable! Thank you so so much! Hope you had a wonderful holiday!

#21 @carried_away: Carrie, thanks for this lovely Christmas scene! The weather is cooling down nicely this week and I’m loving it! Although I must admit, you know a FL girl dreams of a snowy Christmas, I’m a little jealous! Just hanging at home for the holidays, we always have family over here. YES, I love Christmas Town at BG! SO festive! They still do it, but this year we did Universal Grinchmas, so much fun too!

#25 @TwoDoggies: Terri, thank you for adding to my Loupaper collection!! Love this Arizona design! So awesome that you grew up in Treasure Island, I was born in St. Pete and lived there through my 20s, now moved north just a bit with my hubby. We have family in VA too, we just visited last February. So gorgeous up there too! Hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season so far.

#30 @risabell96: Marisa, thanks for this adorable Christmas wrapping card! It looks a bit like my bed did on Christmas Eve full of wrapping paper and packages to wrap. My hubby does all the wrapping in our house and I “help” . Hope you had a marvelous Christmas and Happy New Year!!

[LLAcademy]

#23 Reporting

(#7) @PrincessFlamingo Thank you for this great vintage coffee card! No big plans for 2024, except maybe another road trip this summer, but it’s gonna be a lot of beans and rice between now and then if we want to make that happen lol What about you?

(#9) @Amalan LOVE this vintage Santa on a rocking horse! You are so sweet and thoughtful, even your sticker choices are great! Which board games do y’all love? I picked up Azul when I saw it was all the rage here, but after watching the how to play videos with the kids, I returned it lol I think it’ll be great in 5 years, for now Taco vs Burrito is what we picked up for Christmas game. School wise, maybe I’ll write you a letter since I’m taking a break in January. Happy New Year!

(#15) @GraceFamily Thank you for this bonus card! I’m not sure if you sent it the same day as the other, but it only arrived yesterday! I swear you really could open an etsy with these awesome designs, you are so talented! Not like you have anything on your plate right now As for Christmas morning, we might eat breakfast first, we might not, but we do make sure we don’t go crazy with the gifts. Mess is fine, but we try to make sure we open one at a time, or similar gifts at a time. This year we tried the no labels, just everyone gets their own wrapping paper with a small wrapped gift in their stocking revealing which print belongs to who…and it was really fun! Considering doing the same with fabric in the future. Thanks again, love the stamps and decor. Happy New Year!

(#17) @Tracy-CO Thanks for this North Pole card! We’ve never been but decided to pass on our last trip for a couple reasons, mostly because we know the actors who play Mrs. Claus and Santa. They are great and were gonna give us the VIP service, but I think it would have been hard for our little ones to not accidentally blow their cover lol I didn’t realize Norad was so close, I heard that their tracking of Santa began as a typo! Lol LOVE the little gnome sticker and decorations. Thanks again and Happy New Year!

(#21) @carried_away Thank you so much for this lovely vintage church card! Of course y’all have snow now, we were really hoping to have a bit of the winter wonderland experience on our trip but not so much haha It snowed the day after we left haha. Living in VT as a kid I know it’s not always what it’s cracked up to be though. I saw a trailer for the new Hunger Games, it’s supposed to be a prequel right? Looks really cool but I haven’t read or watched it yet. I"ll have to add it to our ever growing watch/read list haha

(#30) @risabell96 Thanks for the snowmen and gift card! Love your cute stickers and decor, we had a Merry Christmas, looking forward to New Years too. We like to do a mini countdown, where we pop balloons with little activity ideas every 30 min starting at 7 till 9…and do the countdown with another timezone lol The kids go to sleep and we usually do too, but if we’re still up we look outside to watch the neighborhood fireworks.

SENT: ALL
To receive: 2, 5, 6

ONE SPOT LEFT IN JANUARY RR

[bookendss]

#20 here reporting for December that I received #12

What a unique historic postcard from @AllAboutTheBooks of Ellis Island. This is a thoughtful addition to my collection. The first immigrant to pass through was a teenager from Ireland, but over 12 million immigrants were processed through Ellis island between 1892 and 1954. Definitely a good reminder of what makes our country great. I’m currently reading Howls Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I read someone’s recommendation of it and that it’s arguably better than the movie, so I had to give it a try. Don’t know why I haven’t sooner!

Hope you had a good Christmas!

[TheMailmansWife]

Im in for January!!

[TheMailmansWife]

I have Covid too I haven’t even left to check my PO box yet… I’m free to leave the house on Sunday!

[LLAcademy]

Can you post in the thread over there so I can add you as the last spot?

OC&E RR - Online Connection & Elation OPEN FOR JANUARY SIGNUPS!

ONLINE CONNECTION & ELATION There is no way to deny the internet and social media have allowed us to be connected in more ways than ever. This round robin links virtual relationships to snail mail! We all love happy mail, I mean, that’s why we are here. Sometimes, especially when starting out, the wait for those first postcards is painful because it can take so long. That is what is nice about the forum and RR’s! They allow us to make connections with those we are meeting virtually and turn it …

[LLAcademy]

We’re doing a fresh thread/topic for 2024

[TheMailmansWife]

I just did! I saw there was one spot left and didn’t read anything else

[LLAcademy]

Hey better safe than sorry! It’s always funny, spots will fill super fast then stall…then BOOM! I’m so glad you got a spot this round! Woohoo!!!

If anyone didn’t make it, you can reach out to Mel or I about helping to volunteer with the HUG cards or focus on some penpals, birthdays or previous connections “just cause” I’ll stick around to help assist, but I’m not participating in Jan’s RR as an address. Maybe I’ll get ahead of the game and start some Valentine’s cards!

[LLAcademy]

Oh man, just saw this. Hope you can rest up!

[AllAboutTheBooks]

Glad to hear you liked the card! My favorite movie is Polar Express which I will admit is a bit creepy. lol Christmas Vacation is a family favorite of ours. Happy New Year!

[AllAboutTheBooks]

So happy you liked the card! I found it in a Halfprice Books store. I’m going to New York City in April for the first time ever and Ellis Island is a must see for me. I never knew who the first person was to pass through. Cool fact - thanks for sharing!

[sarabb]

#6 reporting that I received cards from 2, 7, 9, 19, 21, 22, and 30.

2- thank you @katiekins, Katie for the interesting Kachina card!
7- thank you @PrincessFlamingo, Joy for the botany card.
9- thank you @Amalan, Amanda for the holiday mug card.
19- thanknyou @Sherri_B, Sherri for the cute vintage card.
21- thank you Carrie for the mountain and clouds card. So prety!
22- thank you @Pinksxo, Ashlee for the grilleed cheese postcard. It’s great!
30- thank you @risabell96, Marissa for the holiday candles card.

[kat4544]

#24 reporting December
#7 @PrincessFlamingo sent a great vintage tv card. I am taking my first ever vacation in February to Isla Mujeres. I will be seeing the ocean for the first time in 40 years. Im very excited!

#9 @Amalan thank you for the beautiful ornament card. My favorite Christmas song this year is Mele Kalikemaka, but I would say it changes every year. I love the stickers you put on the back as well. Thank you.

I believe I am still waiting on #2, #5, #17, #19, & #30

[LLAcademy]

It’s never to late to report received cards!

I know we sent out HUGs for #13 in October, but January will be 3 months out and open the other missing cards for our general October HUG List. Do y’all mind helping us do a little house keeping before we end the year? I probably missed some of these updates myself with how crazy October was, so if you didn’t get a chance to report or did but it fell through the cracks could you let us know? For now, our records indicate:
for October
(#2)@katiekins is missing #28
(#3)@Fangirllt is missing #14
(#4)@ReadWithMelissa is missing #19
(#15)@GraceFamily is missing #9
(#16)@TabithaCO is missing #19
(#17)@BrieAnne is missing 7 & 15
(#18)@Hazygirl is missing 6,9,11
(#20)@jenz88 is missing 7, 11, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 25
(#22)@volvomom is missing 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 28
(#23)@DearSabrina is missing 3, 15, 25
(#28)@Jaded is missing #4

If this is correct, I’ll add you to our hug list to help replace those missing cards. Part of Mel’s vision for connection and elation is that we foster a community spirit to cover each other in times of need or crazy mail issues. I can also take you take you off if you’d rather just take the loss as part of the adventure/risk that is postcard life

[Sherri_B]

Hello. Just to let you know, I did receive cards is October. I was just having a very hard month and did not report. I do not need any additional makeup or HUG cards sent.

[LLAcademy]

Thank you! I’ll edit it!

[sarahgrab1]

#26 reporting for December

Today I received these:

#9 @Amalan - a lovely Christmas wreath! I think my favorite Christmas song is jingle bell rock and rockin around the Christmas tree. I love upbeat Christmas songs.

#15 @GraceFamily - a cute Christmas cat. My favorite Christmas movies are the grinch and home alone. We have to watch them each Christmas.

#30 @risabell96 - a beautiful Christmas greenery bouquet. I hope you had a lovely Christmas as well!

Sent- all
To receive: 2, 5, 21

[Sherri_B]

Hello Everyone. I hope you all had a fantastic holiday! I have a lot of cards to report today. I just want you all to know this has brought some much needed joy this month and I appreciate each and every card I received this month. I am very thankful for all the smiles they brought.
#3 @MsKoby sent a vintage Santa postcard - I have not checked out Project Feederwatch but I am going to look into it.
#5 @TheMailmansWife sent a beautiful evening winter card with reindeer and a snow covered tree.
#6 @sarabb sent a wonderful clock postcard. I do not get very many clock postcards and I love this one. It is perfect for my collection. Thank you
#8 @JoBo27 sent a purrfectly adorable cat card and we love to watch Christmas movies as well
#10 @TheVintageDarling sent a vintage postcard of holiday bells with some cute owl stickers on the back. I love these vintage cards.
#11 @smsurrena sent a very colorful owl postcard. I love the vibrant colors. Enjoy your mother’s birthday and I hope she has a wonderful celebration! Another super cute owl sticker on the back.
#12 @AllAboutTheBooks sent a postcard with two young barred owls from a nature center - I just love owls, and one looks like it is trying to play peek-a-boo, LOL
#13 @TheNeonHyena sent a postcard of the Osgood Castle in Colorado. I think this counts as a castle! I wonder what, if anything, the private owners have updated on the inside.
#14 @darlindanz sent a vintage holiday card that was already sent to someone with a post mark of 1923! I love the collection of stamps that you used. How do you find these old stamps?
#16 @clandysaws sent a holiday card with a very sweet little girl on it. I hope you had a wonderful holiday.
#17 @Tracy-CO sent a cute Christmas card with ornaments. How many ceramic trees are in your Christmas collection?
#20 @bookendss sent a vintage St. Nick postcard along with a tea sample. I have never heard of this brand of tea and it was delicious! I am going to purchase some for my stash at home.
#22 @Pinksxo sent a cute Merry Christmas postcard. We had Christmas at our house this year and it was so much fun with the grandkids. They are at perfect ages for the magic of Christmas, ages 5,3 and 1.
#23 @LLAcademy sent a postcard with a gorgeous bridge in the evening. It looks like winter in this picture. Along with the postcards were some extra goodies that really made my heart happy. So THANK YOU! My grandmother (from Sweden) did not have to work and she always had “Fika” every afternoon. It was something that she never missed.
#24 @kat4544 sent a snowy owl postcard. I have never seen a Pixie Cold card like this one and I love it. I also like the way the decorate the back of the cards.
#25 @TwoDoggies sent a super cool vintage postcard of the El Cotrez Hotel in Wright City MO. I was not able to find out any information about this hotel. We have friends who live in Wright City. What a cool collections of postcards to have.
#26 @sarahgrab1 sent a cute postcard with pictures of holiday packages. We had Christmas at our house with the grandkids and it was so much fun! Exhausting but in a good way.
#27 @SusanWilson sent a postcard with parrots from Busch Gardens. I am always amazed at bird shows when they are able to do tricks.
#28 @Jaded sent a vintage postcard of a little girl on the phone with Santa. Such a magical time of year for the kids.
#29 @alisonp2022 sent a snail mail postcard with a woman on a snail. I love to read thrillers and suspense.
#30 @risabell96 sent an adorable little snowman postcard. Have a wonderful 2024!

[LLAcademy]

I’m glad it brightened your day! Hoping 2024 brings you even more HAPPY MAIL