Sunday Stamps # 51

The last Sunday Stamps of the old year - first Sunday Stamps of the new year. My suggested theme was new beginnings, or anything you wish. When have I ever seen a stamp with 'beginnings' as a theme? What was I thinking of? So my 'anything you wish' stamp is a winter one:

from our friend in philately, Finland.  I like this colorful and evocative image of snow on rooftops.  No snow here in the Midwest of the USA though.

It's a holiday but I hope you can join us with a stamp of anything you wish.

Theme next week will be anything you wish also, until I can get my planning for the year somewhat done!

Viridian

Sunday Stamps #50

It's Christmas Eve and Christmas day is tomorrow, Sunday. Let's celebrate with some Christmas stamps.

These are this year's non-religious stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service.  They are valid for first class domestic postage (right now: 44 cents).  The forever designation means they will always be good for first class postage, even when postage rates go up.
Merry Christams to all, and to all a good night!  Please join us and visit the other participants.

Viridian
Theme next week: New Years or new beginnings stamps (I've actually never seen any), or anything you wish.

Christmas Postcard

There may or may not be Postcard Friendship Friday today. If so, this is my contribution.  I do wish there was snow on the ground here in the Midwest.
 In any case, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and don't forget that Sunday Stamps opens a bit early tomorrow.
Viridian

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Sunday Stamps # 49

In which we celebrate the holidays with Christmas or other seasonal stamps.

This is one of the stamps issued for this year by the US Postal Service.  According to the USPS:

"The artist known to posterity as Raphael had it all — he was talented, handsome, and even-tempered. At a very young age, he became a great master of the Italian High Renaissance. A detail from his painting, Madonna of the Candelabra, showing the Madonna and Child, is the traditional Christmas stamp for 2011."  This painting dates to about 1513 and is now is the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore MD.

The Postal service has also issued non-religious holiday stamps, a Hanukah stamp,an Eid stamp, and a Kwanzaa stamp for this year.

Your holiday stamps don't have to be from this year, but I hope you will share a stamp or two with us.

Next Sunday is Christmas itself.  I will be running Sunday stamps with the theme of Christmas and holidays again, but I understand if you are busy that day.  I'll try to get my post up earlier on Saturday - yet another busy day!

Viridian

Sepia Saturday 105

In which our prompt is from the 1901 Edition of Mrs Beeton's Cookery Book - lovely main dishes of prawns, stuffed larks (?!) or chicken in aspic. I guess fashions in cookery do change, don't they?

One thing that doesn't change is how to handle and prepare eggs.

This is from the circa 1977 edition of Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, which is becoming vintage, much as I am. I didn't know there were 'special helps' in the back of the cookbook, until I really did need to know about egg whites beaten into soft peaks vs. stiff peaks.  The results of some recipes are shown in color in other parts of the cookbook, but the old stand bys are in black and white.  I still refer to this standard cookbook.  I don't think it has a recipe for pigeon pie however.

Viridian
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PFF: Vintage Christmas Postcard

Wishing you a very merry vintage Christmas! I hope I catch some Christmas spirit soon.

A corner missing but still a lovely card.  I think I've shown almost all the vintage cards in my stash.  Time to go to ebay and bid on another lot of vintage postcards!

I am joining with Beth at The Best Hearts are Crunchy for Postcard Friendship Friday.

Viridian

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Sunday Stamps # 48

Theme this week: Stamps from the Great White North: Canada, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Russia, etc. Oh yes, and Greenland, a misnamed country to be sure.

Doing scuba is such cold water off Greenland - no thank you!  But an interesting stamp anyway.  This came from one of the University students, doing research in Greenland.
If you don't have a stamp from the countries of the North, perhaps you have one with snow?  Snow-capped mountains?

About the blog looking funny: Yes, the background images and header image are loading funny in Internet Explorer. I am not sure what I need to do. The blog looks its usual pretty self in Firefox or in Google Chrome.  Give these browsers a try.

Theme next week: Christmas Stamps.

Viridian

Sunday Stamps # 47

Welcome to Sunday Stamps # 47.  Today's theme is anything you wish.  I am sharing a stamp from the Cayman Islands.

This came from a tourist postcard sent by friends.  I am sure that in the Cayman Islands they are getting ready for Christmas too - it's just a lot warmer than the American Midwest.
I wish I could visit there, but it's not to be.  There are charms in a snowy Christmas - especially if it's with family.

Share with us what you wish.  I think you have interesting stamps that probably won't fit into a theme that you would like to share - yes?  Then scan the stamps and join us.

Theme next week: Stamps from the Great White North: Canada, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Russia, etc.  After that, we'll have two weeks of Christmas stamps.

                     

Viridian