1 Reward For Every 5 Cards Purchased #HallmarkCardRewards

Disclosure:  This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Hallmark and Latina Bloggers Connect.  All thoughts are my own.

I'm real old school.  I love snail mail.  The days of good ol' penmanship and stamp licking are long gone for some...  But for me, since our families live all over the World and we have friends spread out over the 50 states - you can still find me in the Hallmark aisle.  My mom definitely passed down the love of sending cards to me.  I remember being 11 years old and her carefully picking out cards for our family.  We'd get home and she'd settle in at the kitchen table with a good pen and her address book.  She would convince my little brother to lick envelopes and I got to put on the stamp.  I didn't think much of it then, it was just how it was but looking back now, it is such a time honored tradition for our families.  Greeting cards in general have come a long way - new wonderful designs, modern humor and even in Spanish - I can spend a good hour just taking them all in and ultimately deciding... Call it a guilty pleasure, I call it fun times!  I recently heard about the Hallmark Card Rewards program and it's perfect for me - for every 5 cards purchased, I'll earn 1 reward and you can too!

Rewards include gift cards and discounts from partners like Nike, Starbucks and Applebee's - tell me that doesn't rock!  It's even easier because you get rewarded from everywhere you can buy cards - in over 30,000 stores across the U.S.  And if that ain't easy enough, there's an app for that!  It's available on both Android and iPhone - just scan the barcode on the back of your purchased cards and register your rewards for your account.  

Do you still believe in snail mail?  Do you prefer sending or receiving?  

Rewards are only for individual cards and not boxed greetings.

Tiny Prints Holiday Card Collection Giveaway

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.  All thoughts are my own.

My love of stationary runs deep.  I have to thank my mama for it.  She always wrote letters and sent out cards when I was a kid.  She encouraged me to write letters and send out cards too.  When I was a teenager I got hardcore into penpalling, I used to get something like 10 letters a day.  6 days a week.  It was amazing.  My love for snail mail is alive and well as an adult and I look forward to sending out Christmas cards every year.  It makes me happy.  I usually stock up on holiday cards the year before during after Christmas sales but this year, I wanted to add a personal touch and order custom photo cards.  Tiny Prints has an amazing holiday card collection with matching address labels and envelope liners and I want all of it.  Mega-drooling over new design styles for 2013 - contemporary, classic, vintage, full bleed photos, all that glitters, bold expressions, simply chic, woodland wonder and the new tradition.  Gimme all your cards!  Just kidding.  Kind of.  I'm sharing my 5 favorite picks and you can tell me your favorite for a chance to win a $50 credit and free shipping to Tiny Prints!

        #1 Golden Greetings.

Tiny Prints 2013 Holiday Card Collection has awesome trim options - square, ticket, scallop, bracket and rounded

#2  Partridge Frame.  Rounded trim

 #3 Pointedly Happy.  Black flat cards with rounded trim

#4 Sequined Season. White ornament cards

#5 Merrily Magical.  Gunmetal with ticket trim

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Postcard from Tsukiji Fish Market!

Last month I blogged about Le Petit Elefant / Genevieve Santos' Postcards from Abroad and I finally got mine!  It is really special.  The art on the front is one of a kind and her note made me feel like a friend especially since I'm a huge fan of Tsukiji Fish Market!  I haven't been there yet but have watched enough tv shows and films to know that I would love to visit!

Since we're on the subject of Japan - Have you seen Jiro Dreams of Sushi?  It is fantastic!  And now I want maki rolls from Mitsuwa, ramen from Santouka and to shop Kinokuniya and Daiso since I won't be able to see Tokyo anytime soon >.<

Thanks Genevieve!  And you!  Buy a postcard!

#BlogLuv Valentine Exchange

I was so happy to participate in a Valentine Exchange this year!  Anything that gives me an opportunity to stalk, I mean to find out more about a friend is fun!  My amiga Ruby and I arranged the swap - her daughter pulled names and I got the very lovely Ezzy!  Talk about inspiring and beautiful - the first thing I noticed about Ezzy is her love for literature.  I used to get lost in books when I was a teenager.  I would buy or borrow 8 books at a time.  My ritual was to lock myself in my room for the weekend, lay in my closet and get lost for a few hours at a time.  I feasted on marathon reading.  Called a nerd by family and friends, I didn't care.  I buy books when I'm out thrifting, I am growing a cute little collection but reading them is another thing.  It is almost impossible but I still believe in print.

I received the cutest package from Ezzy - This Breakfast at Tiffany's box was full of things I love.  Chocolates, Lush, lip gloss, nail polish and the best postcard!  Talk about making a girl feel special for Valentine's but even better is the new friendship we're starting.  I can honestly say that I enjoy reading her blog!  Thank you Ezzy!!!


[ This #linkup is only for members of #BlogLuv that participated in the Valentine Exchange - if you add your link, I will kindly delete it ]

Genevieve Santos: Postcard from Abroad

Genevieve Santos - the artist behind the super cute Le Petit Elefant illustrations and art has thee cutest idea in her shop right now.  For $8, you can buy a postcard from her while she's traveling for 5 months.    Each postcard will be a 4.25 x 5.5 piece of watercolor paper with a unique, one-of-a-kind, original illustration on the front. Genevieve will include a note or story about the illustration and its inspiration.

I could not resist, I bought one!  And you should too!  

Her first stop is The Philippines and I believe she will be hitting Japan and Korea too.  I can't wait to get mine!    

Karen Walrond Inspired Me #culturefanclub

I'm slow when it comes to finding good blogs to read.  I'll admit that.  I had no idea who famous blogger Dooce was until I found a copy of It Sucked and Then I Cried at my local Goodwill last year.  Yep, thats how out of touch I am when it comes to bloggers.  I wish everyone would go back to sharing their favorite blogs that way I wouldn't have slept so long on Karen Walrond.  Her blog, chookooloonks.com is beautiful, inspiring and uplifting.  Thank goodness for hearing her speak on "How to be Extraordinary" at Niche Mommy '12 or I don't think I would have found her blog or followed her on Twitter.

Last month Karen opened up a form promising a postcard from her to the first 100 (or so) to sign up.  I made the cut and received my postcard last week!   Not only is the photo gorgeous but the quote and note from her is lovely.  I kept it in my purse all week and was genuinely inspired to do the same.  I wanted to do something!

We love snail mail - receiving it and sending it.  Inspired in part by Karen Walrond, a fan club I was involved in on a forum in the early 2000s and a mix of my own ideas, #culturefanclub was born because I am your fan!  I will be sending out photos, art, books, sweets, letters, postcards, anything!  It can be something little, maybe something big.  That is the beauty of me being your fan.  I would love to send everyone something but the reality is that there will be a total of 24 parcels going out.  2 for each month.  There are no strings attached - All I ask is that if you receive something from me, please let me know it arrived by tweeting or instagramming me @raisedbyculture and/or using the hashtag #culturefanclub

Sound good?  Fill out the #culturefanclub form!