Truly a good mail "Catch up"

So there many things I have learned from blogging that are great! But at times it is a reminder of areas in my life i need to work on. Like not doing something unless it is just how I want it, procrastinating and I am horrible at thank you notes. I kept waiting to take these photos so they could be on my tree and never seemed to get around to it until is was dark out.

I have had some great good mail this past 2 months. And am embarrassed I have let it go so long without posting it. Not that I think those sending it care, but ever since Jill taught me the art of appreciation and journalling through good mail, I love to keep on top of it. After going through the mail and photos, it is like a small mini journal of my life these past two months... read on and you will see why.
i have a wonderful flowering vine that grows at the base of my mailbox and I wrap it so it grows all over my mailbox. It will bloom in a few months. It truly gives a new meaning to my theory of Good Mail grows on trees.
I participated in Kelly's favorite things swap. I totally spaced the concept and thought it was a secret who we had and who had us. Not realizing the gal I had also had me. So when I got her box on the way out the door to send hers I was so excited and surprised and embarrassed. I hope now that I sent something worthy of her time and efforts. She sent an awesome cookie mix we made that night for Family Home Evening, some pink post it's and spatulas and ....
this darling handmade apron. I LOVE it. I never wear an apron but probably should and now I will be clean and chic! Sherri is one talented lady for sure and has raised some pretty talented kids!
this was the package I sent and was in such a rush to get to the post office I forgot to take a photo of everything inside. But she posted about it here.Anna, thanks for the timely craft for my sick kids, we made them all day yesterday!.


Kristy has only been back in the country a few weeks and has already sent me some good mail. Welcome Home Kristy!! she must have read my moving post about being a big girl and sent me this wonderful reminder of my theory.
Barb, sent a cute not that she had tried one of the recipes in Elizabeth's recipe book ( I really can't take credit any good recipe I have is from my sister in law, Lizzy). She also sent a large paper clip because she appreciated the recommendation to watch the documentary. I am so glad you like it! The Canadian stamps are AWESOME, they are canning jars sitting in the sun. The stamps were just as fun as the sweet note.
a sweet note from my high school friend Heather when my mom was in the hospital. She was born sending good mail and did it even before it was cool.

a really sweet note from my sister.
Melanie sent this wonderful card for Mother's day with this great quote from Sheri L. Dew.

Elizabeth was so nice to make this great summer cookbook! It is such a great collection of yummies. Thanks so much. I love how you bound it, brilliant idea to hid the staples!
Tasha, sent this great book to collect and keep track of my finds as well as great flea markets. She thought I might already have it but I didn't, so thank so much!! Years ago Tasha gave me a book to document all the quilts I have made and seen. It is one of my favorite things I have.
Jill sent me some yummy pink and green polka dot notes along with her wonderful Paris photo that she turned into a card. I love this photo of postcards hanging on a door with the French Flag.


This was a gift given to us from Chanel and Eric, when they returned our car. The night before we got it I had to gone to dinner at a friend home and brought a pineapple with a big red bow (my standard hostess gift, all that time in the south taught me never to go to someones house empty handed). I was so sad that I had did not buy a pineapple for our family to eat on Sunday and then we ended up getting one anyway. They gave Jeff a new pair of numb-chucks which he was thrilled about, his old pair from high school was wearing out. And Eric had even searched for my favorite banana taffy.While Chanel was here she had discovered some of the yummiest fabric that I went ga-ga over. Eric must have gone back to Annapolis to get another yard - After a month I still have it laying out waiting for its project. Wonderful pink leather journal and pineapple knife. We loved seeing them while they were here and I felt bad it was during my kidney stone and time I had to rush away to New Mexico. Chanel also brought a load of gifts for my girls when they came for dinner but they found their way to their personal corners before I could ever get a photo. Caroline still takes the purse she gave her everyday we use the jogger.
In March we had a fun visit from Jeff's sister and she sent this great Pineapple candle to thanks us. It was so fun to get because it came in the BIGGEST box, with lots of wrapping. It was so fun to open. Thanks Debbie, I love it.

i told my friend Emily a few weeks ago that i am trying to teach myself how to run - she is a great runner and has always been ever since I knew her - so telling her was a big deal for me. A few days later this appears on my doorstep. Waterbottles for my girls with the cutest pens you have ever seen and note to them say, "be good in the jogger while your mom is running"
then she sent me some goo, power beans, a first place medal, and a water bottle for me too. It has the cool frozen thing in the middle! She also sent some bubbles to keep the girls occupied in the jogger. Emily - it has been quite inspirational for me. thanks.

and then if that doesn't motivate me to run....

I get this great box from Anne, who is also a runner and training for the St. George Marathon. She sent me beans and rice to keep in the freezer, great music mixes, Gatorade, Advil, blister band aids, foot cream, lotion, cliff bars. Oh my if all that great stuff does not get me running, what will? I am not giving up!my mother in law sent this awesome card as a thank you for her mother's day gift. you can find these at Target as Anna Griffin has a new line of stationery there.
isn't it fun to see people get married that you knew when they were kids? Our dear friends daughter is getting married this summer and her announcements and wedding photo are awesome. (note to self, send wedding gift)


my mother's day post kind of got lost in travel to New Mexico, but this sweet card was from my mom, I wish I looked that good in pink tight spandex.
I loved reading Jill's post one day about spending the day in the city and how she took some time to write some notes, and I received one from that day. I loved what she wrote and it made my day. and can I just say again how great it is that Jill answered all of her Paris questions! I don't know what made me think of that, but that was so great.

Elizabeth sent me this darling card and introduced me to one of my favorite stamps ever! Have you bought some yet? Also have you seen the new lighthouse stamps. I was thinking that these would make great stamps for Amy M.
It has been 53 days and no diet coke. I still crave it daily but am so proud of myself for getting things out of my life that I feel like i can't do with out (can't seem to say the word addiction) Kacey sent me a congrats card for giving it up with some good job stickers. Thanks so much. She too is a recovering cokaholic. I did a little browsing on her doodlebugs site, how did I ever miss these pop up calling cards? Kacey those are cute!!!
My mom has always been the queen of cards and I am quite behind on posting good mail when I have a few I could post about.

Laurie, won my trader joes blog post and got 11.5 yards of ribbon. She sent me some for the 4th of July activities and a great note. Thanks Laurie! Your trader joes advice was wonderful.

any note in the mail is never too small. I really appreciated Lelly's time to write a few words that made my day. Am I the only one who jumps up ever Friday morning dying to see what the SPT will be for the next week?
Natasha, sent this wonderful Mother's day goodie for me. It seems like that was so long ago and I hate that it has taken me this long to thank her, but her promptness and generosity is catchy! thanks so much.
Crystalyn sent this wooden K , pink K, with the word stretch on it. It is my word of the year. I love it! I can't believe what a difference choosing a word has made me for this year. It made me stop biting my nails, give up diet coke, apply for a passport and set some other goals I have wanted to do this year. Thanks Crystalyn this must have taken a bit of time. Have you picked a word for the year...
I loved this mail for a few reasons. 1. It says Royal Mail on the outside. How cool to live in a country where they stamp "Royal Mail" on the package. 2. It came in a fun electric blue envelope and 3. it is from the wonderful Amanda:)! She sent these fabulous cards that I can send to invited people to dinner. Amanda:) has a wonderful blog and is a great graphic designer. I love her comments on people blogs becasue she uses witty words I have never heard before.
Ms. Anna had a birthday recently. I seem to be a month behind on birthdays and finally got something to her and it was not two days later I recieved a thank you note from her!
I had found some great cards on Stationery with Style. If you are not their email list sign up! or you will miss her weekly specials that make WONDERFUL gifts and are great deals!
this nice note is from someone in our new ward thanking me for just being there. i will never throw this card away.
Heather S. has been so good to me in the good mail department. She sent me a coupon for the new Pineapple scent that came out at Bath and Body. The coupon went to great use and thank you so much!!
Creataive chanel made these green wave thank you cards with a piece of fabric. She even trimmed the edge that that it was 3-D. Great idea using the fabric on the card.
Kari. You may have just come up with the pink christmas ornament for the year! this was so creative and I loved it.
Price Cream Parlor had read on my blog of the affection I have for the name Mary Jane and sent me this tin lunch box full of them. Along with a great photo she turned into a card. What is sad is that as much as I love the name Mary Jane I also love those sicko candies too. They are the ones that we used to get for halloween that were wrapped in orange or black wax paper and we always threw them away - and now i love them! Thanks girl!
Lisa sent me this great knitting card and awesome soap from the recent wool festival. It was the weekend of my kidney stone and could not go, so she sent me something from it. Next year for sure. Lisa is local and always fills me in on awesome finds. She is the one who introduced me to the ribbon outlet.
Tasha, is pretty on the ball with getting her thank you notes out after just delivering and moving! She had a blogging baby shower bash and it was so fun to see everything she got.
Amy m. sent me this thank you note for my easter card. So nice and reminded me how sad that all my mother's day cards are sitting on my desk half made. They would have been so cute though!
A roomate from college just had a darling little girl and it is has been so long since I posted that I have received the announcment and a thank you note for a little gift I sent... i am still 4 baby gifts, 2 graduation gifts and 2 wedding gifts behind ... ahhh!
This awesome post card that will never see a trash can came from Paris from Michelle. She is home now and i will miss her wonderful photo doumentary of her trip.
This good mail has such a funny story. I had read on Ashley's blog that her mom was looking for the McDonald's Happy Meal Wizard of Oz dolls. As a huge collector of happy meal toys it was surprising that I was not keeping these. I had thrown a few away and had some floating around the house. I then saw that Ashley's mom was looking for some. That same day I went to the car wash to vaccuum out my car and in the large car wash trash can there were 3 sitting in there still in the bags. So I jimmied my arm down there and dug them out, washed them off and sent them off. Ashley sent this nice magnet set. Her friend makes them and has a Etsy store. (ashley remind us of where someone could get these)

Jenn sent this ever so preppy card thanking me for some ribbon she received. What would I do without this great ribbon outlet to share with everyone!
My sister in law Amanda sent some awesome new photos and a nice note after coming up for the weekend. This was when we rocked out to John Mellencamp!!
Like I said I am behind on Graduation gifts. I have loved getting them this year. Everyone seems to be doing more candid photos which I think is so cute and really shows their personality. For the gifts I have sent I also sent them a copy of this article which I thought was so great.

Thank you cards are just getting cuter and cuter! This was a thank you sent to me for a baby shower i went to, but just had to keep it in my file because it is so cute.
New little Roman joined our family this month and we can't wait to see him in July when they come for a visit. This was a thank you for our little something we sent him.
Andrea sent me Martha's first ever color issue. It stays by my window sill because I could look at it ever day! This is a keeper! It came with a cute pink bow on it but somehow that became a fishing line in the girls room.
oh my have you seen Michelle's hand made brilliant belts? I had just looked at these that morning and then they came in the mail!! There are three for my girls and if I wasn't afraid that they would get vomit on them I would take a photo with them immediately! Thank you so much these are just so wonderful.

I then had to save the best for last! This custom designed Ketchup bottle came to me from Denise B. I had done a post a few months ago calling it the "blog catchup" She saw this and ordered from the company a bottle just for me with my label. It is so awesome. Even though it is sitting by my bbq it will never get used and hang around with me forever. Denise, it has been a long time coming for me to post this good mail, but your gift was the perfect way to start and end it. Thanks so much.