Stamp-tastic

Now that the postal strike is over (yay) I am finally receiving mail again (double yay!). Before the strike happened I had ordered a whole bunch of stuff off the internet and I am so thrilled that it is finally trickling in! Sure I am aware that when I order handmade goodies from across the globe they aren't going to arrive instantly, but when I ordered a skirt from Hong Kong in the beginning of May I didn't expect it to take until July to arrive. Mind you, the weather hasn't been very summery and cooperative this season so maybe it is a good thing it took its time because I am finally able to wear it! Hooray!

Another awesome part of online buying (besides the comfort of at home pj browsing) is that once your mail arrives (also an amazing feeling) you sometimes get the unique pleasure of seeing what cool stamps other countries use! Check out these rad bird ones from my skirt package:


Aren't they neat? I mean check out that owl! Oh my! It is like five little pieces of art happily attached to the corner of the envelope! Doesn't it make you wish you collected stamps? I have a collection going back in about 1992 but it has lost momentum since then. Luckily my wonderful mom is still an avid stamp collector so I will have to pass these avian beauties onto her!

I think animals are my favourite stamp subject matter and I'm really loving the stamps Canada Post is currently selling for US, oversize, and international packages:


Aww. Aren't those cute little foxes, ducklings, and baby polar bears just darling? They are certainly a step up from the boring olympics logo ones I still have a million of for within Canada letters. Note to self (and you if you are a Canadian stamp buyer): do not buy a roll of 100 stamps. Sure they seem like a good deal at the time but then you are stuck with them for 100 letters. Trust me, you'll get bored of them before the roll is empty and will be wishing you splurged the few cents to have a little more variety.

So what do you think? What are your favourite stamp themes? Do you collect them? Don't you just love neat stamps on mail? Heck - while we're at it does anyone out there want a new penpal? My pen pals are all failing me at the moment (except for Edwin. He's doing a great job) and I'm always up for some new letter writing friends! Let me know! I'll get my pen ready...