iLoveMail

I’m mama to the best human (my favorite job!), traveler, friend, crafter, foodie, mail art lover, Cancerian, bartender, adventurer, scratch baker, philatelist, mini collector, breast cancer survivor, penpal, and, and, and….! I’m just figuring it out as I go, always growing & learning l, trying to live my best life. I think everyone struggles at times and having a creative/sharing outlet like Swap-bot really helps 💝 I’m a work-in-progress, learning to love myself more everyday.

📬 My mailman is my second favorite person 💙 He’s also my life partner - we met in 2020 when he came to my door. He’s the most patient man I’ve ever met & he totally gets me!

I live in a suburb of San Diego with my amazing daughter. She’s a high school senior in the process of applying to college 😵‍💫…time goes by way too fast. Getting to raise her has been my biggest accomplishment and is THE best part of my life! I am very fortunate and have made a good life for us. (With the help of her dad, my ex husband! He’s a great person and I’m glad he’s still in my life.)

TRAVEL …🌎 Travel is my passion ✈️ I swear by AirBnB and absolutely LOVE planning trips. Budget travel & one carry-on! I’ve traveled with my daughter as much as possible; we’ve been to Europe for a month (twice in the last 5 years) including driving a camper van around Iceland 🇮🇸 and always have great Spring break trips! We lived out my Sleepless in Seattle dream by staying on a houseboat there in 2023. I just booked our tickets to Greece 🇬🇷 in July!! When she’s off to college next year I’ll be doing a lot more solo travel. (My mailman has to work 📬)

I would love it if you follow my mail art Instagram:

ilovemail

Postcrossing: WorldTraveler74

I used to have a scratch baking business, now I only bake randomly or for repeat customers 🧁 Sweet by Alfie

💜I love vintage maps & envelopes, travel-related and foreign vintage ephemera, mail art, handmade envelopes, all things postal-related, collage, making stickers, anything mini, scenic view postcards, washi, PET tapes, hand-carved stamps relating to mail/postage/travel, vintage fodder, zines & zentangle. And now snippet rolls! I recently discovered them and really enjoy making them.

💚 I appreciate when swappers read my profile and I can see when someone takes the time to send a thoughtful envelope. You can tell when someone has put effort into a swap.

🧡I’m more interested receiving handmade mail art, postal items, (anything airmail or snail mail themed) & vintage ephemera than collecting more "stuff"(except new postcards). I only join or host swaps when I collect/make/enjoy receiving the items in the swap.

💛For me, an A-Z list on profiles makes it easier to send things people like :) These are some of the things I like:

A • anything with the name ALFIE on it
• airlines: any memorabilia or vintage ephemera from foreign airlines or that are no longer in business, like PanAm or TWA or even existing airlines (like the safety cards in the seat backs; menus from foreign airlines), used tickets or boarding passes

C • Colors I like: aubergine (deep purple), turquoise, chartreuse (cross between avocado green & neon green), shades of orange, brown, black, gunmetal gray, yellow, Tiffany blue, taupe…most colors are fine, just not a huge fan of pastels. Pink is fine in small doses.

D • decorated envies!

E • handmade envelopes, decorated envelopes made from anything that wasn’t born as an envelope

F • fold-n-sends, aerograms - vintage, new, or foreign (so hard to find!) or postalettes - handmade ones are great too!

H • hand-carved stamps relating to my profile - if anyone is interested in a hand-carved stamp private swap, please message me!!

• handmade stickers of any of the themes in my profile

I • iLoveMail swap cards for sending my swaps; handmade profile-specific swap cards

• anything custom iLoveMail

• images or pages from vintage children's books

K • kitty or kitten anything for my daughter (she’s obsessed with cats)

L • long letters from afar • vintage letters (mail) from anywhere

M • maps or map printed items, vintage maps, pieces of maps, city maps, county maps, world maps

•mini anything

O • old passport pages (stamped)

• old travel magazines or travel magazine pages

P •postal/airmail themed things like washi or deco tape, ribbon, hand-carved stamps with a postal theme, foreign (non-US) postal forms like customs or registered/express mail

• PET tape samples or stickers

R - REAL stamps (postage) on swaps

S • handmade stickers or handmade paper tape/washi of anything from my profile likes

• snippet rolls, made by you or anyone

• a sample of something YOU make or made, or are good at making

T • travel ephemera - vintage

U • unused airmail envelopes from anywhere, vintage or new

• unused airmail stickers from any country outside the US (like the kind you get free at the post office, or used to anyway)

V • vintage ephemera - for me this is anything from 1979 or earlier

• vintage envelopes

W • wallpaper samples, especially 70’s or vintage!

• washi or washi samples of any of the themes in my profile (postal, travel, airlines, stamps, etc.)

• wax seals

Z • mini zines, how-to zines, postal zines, travel zines

1974 • any ephemera or memorabilia from 1974 (my birth year)

**I prefer NEW, single-view cards (1 picture on the front), like countrysides, cities, neighborhoods, beaches, oceans, waterfalls, famous landmarks

• South Africa and southern African countries • Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, Israel • islands, especially lesser-visited ones like Mauritius, Madagascar, Maldives, Seychelles, Azores • islands in the Indian Ocean • Eastern European countries, any ‘stans • map cards NOT of the US •

I prefer my postcards BLANK & UNWRITTEN, in an envelope.

I have postcards available for trade. I'm happy to send postcards & receive something different from my wishlist. I only join profile-specific or private postcard swaps.

NO thank you to any of the following postcards:

• cards with animals or insects especially spiders (I have a phobia)
• cards with people on them
• art cards or illustrations (unless its a really cool black & white vintage card)
• Disney, cartoon or any children’s characters
• ad cards
• zazzle cards
• cutesy, drawings, country, flowers or floral
• churches, crosses or any religion/religious persons

Please Don’t Send/I Don’t Want/Don't Collect/Don’t Use OR Need:

• Please DON’T send anything religious or related to religion, including crosses, stickers, bible quotes, etc. I’m not religious, but I respect it if you are.
• anything with bugs or insects, including cards, prints, stickers, die cuts
• anything flower/floral-printed, including postcards no seasonal items, especially NO spiders please, I have a severe phobia! Easter, X-mas, Valentine's, NOT any holiday) I don't usually join holiday swaps; please don’t send holiday-themed items of anything
• scrapbook paper or pieces
• NOT a fan of flower embellishments or anything floral printed, including floral washi or flower stickers
• playing cards (unless there’s washi wrapped around it lol)
• Disney, cartoons, any children’s characters
• country/Americana/folk art crafts, prints, kiddie stickers
• sparkly items or glitter
• anything scented - I have a very sensitive nose & allergies
• bath & body items or cosmetics (I have VERY sensitive skin and don't wear/use anything scented
• postcards I'm not collecting (above)
• key chains or refrigerator magnets
• post-its or note pads
• candy
• blank recipe cards, unless handmade or vintage
• things smelling of cigarette smoke or any scent for that matter; I have allergies (and work in a bar so I get enough of the smell)
• sticker flakes, reward or planner stickers

I always try to respect others likes/dislikes, beliefs, & profiles; I go out of my way to send what you like. Thanks in advance and THANK YOU for reading my profile!!

I try to stay very active in my groups. Founders: I am available to help or angel swaps that I’m not in, just ask🤗

I only join & host swaps that I know I can complete and am able to do well. I host most of the swaps I’m in and they’re specific to what I like to make & receive of course. I don't like to send mediocre type-3 swaps and feel free to let me know if I send you something that you don't love (before rating preferably, and tell me why). I read my partners' profiles repeatedly to make sure that I never send items that your profile specifically says not to send. Most importantly, please put some effort into it! By the same token, I will rate down if swap requirements are not met, though I will ALWAYS message before rating. I don’t usually join blind swaps or swaps that aren't profile-specific, and I always wait until partners are assigned to complete swaps. I’m happy to angel all swaps I host!

Though I don’t look at postmarks, I would appreciate communication if a swap is going to be late for whatever reason. I understand life gets busy & overwhelming sometimes. I would much rather receive a late swap that respects my profile (with communication), than a mediocre/bare minimum or incomplete swap.

I usually send extras with my swaps. It is never to make up for the swap, or that my swaps are lacking in any way; I send extras if I have things you like, according to your profile. (And because I have a craft supplies addiction 😂) I like to make others happy & don't mind sharing my stuff! Always open to private swaps with dependable swappers, just PM me :)

Thank you for taking the time to read all of this!

I love getting re-used packaging/envelopes! I always use real postage on my swaps and wait in line to have them hand-canceled. I REALLY appreciate it when there are real stamps (not metered) on anything I receive. Thank you ☺️