paflip25

Please familiarize yourself with the USPS postage rates and make sure to put enough postage on envelopes/packages you send me. My post office is very strict about it and checks all mail that I receive. During the month of July, I received 3 swaps postage due! 2 of them were more than $1 postage due.

If possible, PLEASE use interesting stamps on your mail to me. I think I'm going to scream if I see one more liberty bell forever stamp. LOL. Thanks! :)

I attended medical school in Cleveland, Ohio until I got pregnant with my first son in February 2004 (which was planned). I was only going to take a 1 year leave of absence but then couldn't bring myself to leave my son and go back. I do hope to finish my medical degree one day. I work as a medical transcriptionist for 2 psychiatrists. I have lived in Maine nearly my whole life (except for a year in Vermont and a year in Texas) but have been living in beautiful Southwestern Florida since October 2008. I love the warm weather, palm trees and gorgeous beaches, but do miss seeing snow on Christmas. My favorite temperature is a dry 90 degree Texas evening. I love flip flops and would wear them all year round if it stayed warm enough. I wear a size 11 shoe, 12 pants and L tops (but shirts need to be long, as I am tall.)

My favorite color is pink. My least favorite colors are yellow, orange, black, and red.

My hobbies are reading, crafts, swimming, playing video games (esp. the Sims) and collecting. I collect pressed pennies, stamps, postcards, stickers, stationary, bookmarks, trading cards and used phone cards.

I love to travel. I have been to 29/50 US states, Canada, Germany and Russia. I have always dreamed of living abroad for a year. I LOVE cherry blossoms, anything Asian, USA/patriotic, French, hearts, sweets (cupcakes, donuts, etc.), kittens, dolphins, ballet, butterflies, flowers and other girly things. :) I HATE polka dots, stripes, retro, Alice in Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh, ALL Tim Burton films, owls, skulls, snakes, clowns, Goth, and anything morbid or grotesque.

I love Sanrio/San-X/Kamio Japan. My favorites are Chococat, Hello Kitty, My Melody, Little Twin Stars, Mamegoma, any of the sweets/food with faces, and Princess White from Orange Story. I do NOT like Jewel Cat, Spottie Dottie, any of the skulls, monkeys, or Affect brand. My favorite kawaii items are letter sets, envelopes, deco tape, sticker sheets, memos, Iwako erasers, pencils, scented glue sticks, and stackable drawers. I also love anything Disney, especially Mickey, but don't want to receive it in a kawaii swap, nor any non-Japanese bootleg items (from Target, dollar stores, etc)!

I prefer commemorative stamps that were issued within the last 10 years. I collect stamps from all countries but prefer USA, UK and Japan. I also like ones from Finland, Germany, Canada, Israel, Australia and New Zealand. My favorite stamps are ones that look like a photo of a place. I do not like canceled to order (CTO) stamps. I collect used stamps, first day covers, new plate blocks and mini souvenir sheets. Please no torn, folded or thin stamps. I only collect ones in mint condition. I recently started a stamp blog to show off the stamps I receive on my mail. You can see it here: my stamp collection and my stamp wishlist

My favorite types of postcards are: * Map cards showing the whole country/state/island with cities marked * Large city views * Collage * Lenticular (moving picture 3D) * Shaped/diecut! * Geisha/maiko * Hello Kitty/Sanrio * Kawaii smiling food! * Disney * Thomas Kinkade * Waterfalls * Bridges * Fountain statues * Capitol buildings * Temples/cathedrals * Castles * Lighthouses * Famous landmarks * Fairmail (www.fairmail.info) * Nouvelles Images * Recipes * Photo postcards of FOOD, especially cupcakes, candy and ice cream
* Stamp image postcards (i.e. USPS) * Maxi cards with matching stamp * License plates * USA patriotic/military (esp. Army) * Football stadiums * Large letter state names with pictures inside the letters * any from my postcard wishlist.

4x6" or bigger, please. In fact, the bigger the better! :) I love 5x7's and panoramics. ~Please send the postcards unwritten & in an envelope, if possible.~ I do not like the destroyed look that they arrive in when mailed "naked". Even if the swap is for a written/stamped postcard (I don't usually join many of this type) hearts will go to those who send nice unwritten cards.

I dislike most people, animal, black & white, or handmade postcards. Please no stained, damaged or vintage postcards. (This includes new cards with vintage photos on them.)

Here are the ones I already have: My USA postcard collection AND My INTERNATIONAL postcard collection ALSO My FOOD postcard collection AND My ART postcard collection

Danielle Steel, Nicholas Sparks, Jess Michaels, Heather Gudenkauf, Philippa Gregory, Pat Conroy, Beverly Lewis, romance novels, especially historical (1800's) romance, and anything on Asian culture and paper crafts. I'm very intrigued by the 1800's when life was simple, proper and so many things were secret and taboo.

I do not like anything involving murder or horror. I'm also not a fan of science fiction or fantasy.

I love magazines. My favorites are travel, crafts, cooking, and womens. I would be happy to receive any of these types of magazines. They do not need to be new or recent issues.

Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pearl Harbor, Memoirs of a Geisha, Armageddon, Cars, Toy Story, Kung Fu Panda, 10 Things I Hate About You, Titanic, Cutting Edge, Dirty Dancing, and Jeff Foxworthy: Totally Committed. (Of course, I already own all these DVDs.)

I don't watch much TV but I do like Survivor, Man vs. Food, Heavy, Pawn Stars and Only in America. I think Larry the Cable Guy is the funniest man alive!

The Eagles is my favorite band. I also like Van Halen (with Sammy Hagar), Blessid Union of Souls, the Goo-Goo Dolls, Rascal Flatts, Lonestar, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, 80s rock, and country music.

I learned to knit last summer and LOVE it! So far I have knit a scarf, felted purse, at least a dozen dishcloths and an afghan. I love knitting on circular needles, and felting/working with 100% wool yarn the best.

I also love making earrings, felt food, yo-yo's, hair accessories, body spray, counted cross stitch, painting (on slate, ceramic, etc.), scrapbooking, envelope making and other paper crafts. I love paper crafts in general and could never have enough paper! I love matchboxes, ATCs and inchies. I started making all 3 shortly after I found this website and I'm really pleased with the results. :) Lately making glass marble magnets, fabric covered buttons and notebooks are my biggest obsessions. I have a weakness for handmade note cards and tags. I've never made any of my own but love buying them. I hope to try making my own soon. I got a sewing machine for my 30th birthday, so I'm learning how to machine sew. Right now I am making a ton of reusable sandwich bags. Love them! Any easy sewing patterns or knitting patterns for useful items would be very much appreciated.

I have been crafting since I was a little girl and have tried just about every craft at least once at some point in my life. Everyone in my family is very crafty. I have taken several Art classes in high school and in college. Two of my 11 x 14 pencil drawings were chosen to be displayed in art shows 2 years in a row. (But it has been 10 years since I last drew anything.) I also won the contest at my high school and got to paint my mural on the wall (which was about 6' x 8'). Although, I don't consider myself to be "artsy", as it doesn't come easy to me. It takes me many, many hours to complete one drawing. I admit that I am very much a perfectionist.

My 7 year old (Ethan) loves LEGOS, Star Wars, Disney's Cars, Ben 10, books, board games and VIDEO GAMES. His favorite color is yellow. He is wearing a size 6 in clothing and wants to be a teacher when he grows up. He loves school and has a deep love of learning (like me), so would love anything educational. He is very fascinated by science and is GREAT at Math. He is a Tiger Cub Scout this year and collects written/stamped postcards. You can read more about his preferences here. 

My 5 year old (Evan) LOVES Transformers, STAR WARS, Lego MINIFIGURES, Toy Story, Spongebob, animals, I Spy, Lift-the-Flaps and the Berenstain Bears books. His favorite color is blue. He is very creative and his favorite subject in school is music but he wants to be a policeman when he grows up. He is wearing a size 5. He is so easy to please and treasures everything given to him. He loves getting mail, especially humorous, animal and cartoon postcards. So any postcard sent to him (with his name written on it) would be greatly appreciated, as this brings him so much joy!

• I'd love to have a few new penpals from Japan or South Korea!

• Anything from my Etsy favorites

• Cappuccino or hot chocolate drink packets!

• Rement or doll house minatures - used is fine!

• Kinder egg toys. (It's too hot here even in the winter for the chocolate to survive but I'm addicted to the cute toys.)

• Kawaii anything!

• Pressed coins (Pennies/Quarters/Euros/etc.) *For pennies - pre-82 only, please.

• Foreign coins/banknotes

• Unused postcards - see interests above

• Postcards written/stamped to my 5yo or 6yo son

• Stickers (no reward ones, please) - I especially like dimensional stickers, Sticko, and Shady Lion modules.

• Mechanical or unused wooden pencils

• Bookmarks - store-bought or beautiful free ones are great too!

• Cereal box or kids meal toys/books (McDonald's, Burger King, Chick-Fil-A, etc.) for my boys. Especially these

• Dan-o-nino magnets - the ones that come free inside the Dannon yogurt packs.

• Playing cards - even just one from a deck would be great, as I collect individual cards.

• Handmade note cards

• Envelopes roughly 5"x7" - handmade or storebought.

• ATCs/Inchies

• Handmade amigurumi, stuffies or felt food (or patterns to make these)

• Bottlecaps - new or already altered

• Paper scraps

• Rub-ons

• Fabric with tiny prints - 1" (3cm) or smaller. I especially love Japanese import, Hello Kitty, children's, holiday, marbled, and gold/glitter fabrics. I also like TINY polka dot and gingham cotton fabrics. (I can use pieces as small as 2"). No fabrics you can see through, please! (i.e. with holes between the threads)

• Grosgrain ribbon - I can use pieces as small as 7".

• Jewlery findings, charms, spacers, bead caps or beads (preferably in sets of 2 of the same for making earrings.) - NO plastic pony beads please.

• Wool felt scraps, roving or balls

• Sculpey/Fimo embellishments

• Buttons - especially tiny 5 mm ones with holes, shaped ones, and any with a shank.

• Brads

• Ephemera – especially dictionary pages, and anything in a language other than English.

• Used card fronts (and the little pictures that are sometimes on the back) - I reuse them in craft projects.

• Small collage images (around 1/2 inch)

• Trading cards - any

• Used gift cards (although, I wouldn't be opposed to one with a balance on it. XD Especially to Amazon, Target, Walmart, Publix, CVS, McDonald's, Chili's or Starbucks.)

• Used phone cards

• Postage stamps - new/used/FDC (see interests above)

• Box Tops/Campbell’s Labels For Education

• Kellogg's Reward codes (Cars 2 or Poptarts Flavor Rewards) OR General Mills movie cash codes.

• Any COUPONS you won't use. The most I've ever used in a week is $100. My biggest savings ever was 85% (which is pretty good since none of the stores here double coupons)! My favorites are: Food (especially Crunch-N-Munch, cereal, cheese, Chef Boyardee, chicken nuggets, chips, coffee, crackers, french fries, hot dogs, Jimmy Dean, juice boxes, maple syrup, Maruchan Yakisoba, Mexican foods, NY texas toast, pasta, Pepperidge Farm cakes, pizza, pudding, Smart Balance milk, Spaghetti O's, spaghetti sauce, soda, soup, Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce, V8 splash, whip cream), dry cat food, cat litter, body wash/bar soap, disposable razors, Huggies wipes, Clear Care, Kotex, Pantene, Pure Silk shaving cream, Reach floss, Puffs, Renuzit adjustables, ALL, and Fantastik. Also love CiCi's Pizza buffet coupons and Walgreens Register Rewards. I can use internet printed coupons but no store specific ones please and no baby coupons (other than Huggies wipes).

• Make-up - I never wear any.

• Jewlery - I'm allergic to most metals/gold/etc.

• Tea

• Profanity (even when abbreviated)

• I'm a strong democrat, so please no rebuplican stuff (Bush, etc.)

• Anything promoting/referencing alcohol or drinking. I was married to an alcoholic for several years and this brings back bad memories of what it did to the kids and I. Plus I never drink alcohol.

• Poorly done handmade items! (If the swap is for 1 item) I would much rather receive one well done item than 4 that are sloppy looking and were thrown together really fast. I spend a lot of time and take pride in what I send, and it is such a disappointment to receive something crappy in return.

• Strong floral scents (such as lilacs), scented dryer sheets AND cigarette smoke. (I have migraines and these things trigger them.)

• I can't say this enough becaue I keep getting them - NO VINTAGE POSTCARDS, please!

Private Swap for $25 of NEW stuff by Midnight

Quick --Unused-- Postcard Swap by Aerochik Angelled by vyl87

Newbie Homemade Envelope International swap by Zelphia - Angelled by MissU

50pc EMBELLISHMENTS 5 by Echo7071

Forum tag for a paper crimper on 5/15/08 by Junkdrawercreations

"I Collect..." Forum tag on 5/18/08 by Bontkwagga - Angelled by Coolbaker5

20 Used Stamps IV by Bontkwagga - Angelled by ArtsyJana

Photographic Postcards ~ Open Theme by Kristininflorida

Just Craft Stuff - US/Canada Only by Garagebandfan Angelled by vyl87

Newspaper ATC swap by Bonafyde

Matchbox (32 ct) STICKER CRAM! by Sagobrandt - Angelled by Rainbowdaze!

Take-Out Menu Swap International by Spundekas - Angelled by TryshaH81

Ty Beanie Baby Swap :) by MichellyBelle

Postcard WTA #3 - Souvenir Lovers Group by Edesaforslin

Love Poem Postcards! by yriako

QUICK I need coupons! by ribbitribbit26 Angelled by crochetjunkie

YEARNING for YOYO’s Mini Mania by angelslater