I recently saw something called Postcrossing mentioned on someone’s blog. I wasn’t familiar with it so I decided to find out it was. Postcrossing is a site whose international members exchange postcards by mail randomly. That is to say, the members are not pen pals, you never know who your postcard will be from or who you’ll get to send one to next. The site is free to join. Members receive the name and address of the person they’re to send a postcard to, as well as a code that must be included on the postcard. Once their postcard is received, the code on it is registered on the website and their name and address is sent so that they’ll receive a postcard. The number of postcards one member can send is directly related to the number of postcards you have previously sent. Postcrossing seems like an interesting idea, but I’m not crazy about total strangers getting my address. I’d go for it if perhaps postcards were all sent to a central place and remailed, but that would cost money and then it probably wouldn’t be able to remain free.

EDIT TO ADD: For anyone wondering, this is not a paid post. It’s simply a review that I did, just like it says. A link in a post does not mean that post was necessarily paid.

About four years ago I had a heck of a time finding drapes to coordinate with my jade sectional couch. I looked in every store within two counties and checked more websites than I can count. Had I known about FabricWorkroom.com back then my search for the perfect window treatments could have been solved in a day instead of taking more than a month.

You see, FabricWorkroom.com lets visitors shop the site’s designer fabrics and then have products custom made according to their requirements. Some of the products they can make include curtains, drapes, valances, swags, shower curtains, pillows and bedding. Now anyone can have a home that looks like it was done by an interior decorator without the high price of hiring one. Concerned about ordering fabric over the internet? FabricWorkroom.com has an online fabric library and will gladly mail you sample swatches of many of their products.

To order your custom home decorations just select the the product you’re interested in customizing. Then select the fabric that you’ve chosen. Then consult the toolbox, which contains information on measurin, width, care and cleaning. Order the item and check out. That’s it. After you place your order your customized product will be made in a state of the art workroom here in the United States and shipped directly to you. There is no sales tax on US orders shipped to states other than CT. Most finished products shipped within the continental United States are shipped with no charge.

If you’re having a hard time finding just the right things for your home or if you enjoy creating a look, check out FabricWorkshop.com. There’s a fabric there for every taste. Happy window shopping!

Comfortable footwear is a must, no matter if you’re at home or on vacation. With the airlines charging for bags now, people are going to have to pack smarter and lighter than ever before if they’re planning on flying to their destination. One of the ways people can lesson the amount they pack is to pack fewer bottoms and more tops, that way they can mix and match outfits. Another way is to limit the amount of footwear packed. If someone packs shoes like Fit Flops when they travel, they can go with jeans, shorts and skirts.

Just in case you don’t watch Oprah, who recently named Fit Flops one of her favorite things, or don’t read fashion magazines, I’ll explain what they are. FitFlops are a casual thonged sandal that at a quick glance you might confuse with a flip flip. Fit Flops are anything but flip flops. A Fit Flop is made of micro wobbleboard that exercises all of your leg muscles while you’re walking. Fit Flops also help tone the thighs and buttocks.

Fit Flops are sold on the SweatyBetty website for £36 and are available in six colors (red, silver, navy, chocolate, black and gold). Worldwide shipping is available.

Living at the shore I see things that I might not see if I lived elsewhere. Many of these things are related to the beach, the boardwalk and the ocean. While making a trip to Windward Beach last month I saw a beach bicycle. They looked similar to bikes that were out when I was younger, in that they had a big seat and big tires. I used to have a beige Huffy way back when, the big padded seat on that bike was much more comfortable than the hard seats on bikes these days. Wanting to learn more, I hit the internet looking for more information.

One of the places I landed is Beach-Bikes-Shop, a website that carries a number of beach bikes and related products. The site is neatly organized and easy to navigate. The different styles of beach cruisers are separated into different categories so things are easy to find. They also carry accessories such as locks, bells, baskets, pumps and fenders. Electric scooters are also available. All products are accompanied by a brief description and clear, colorful pictures. Easy to understand assembly instructions are available on the site with step by step pictures, so you’ll be able to assemble and enjoy your new bike right away.

Beach-Bikes-Shop carries beach cruisers for women, men and kids, as well as chopper, military and multi-speed beach cruisers. Bicycling is a great way to stay fit and for families to spend time together. They can be ridden at home around town and they can be fun to bring on vacations too. If you’re considering getting a bike to ride in your leisure time, check out Beach-Bikes-Shop.

I was asked to review Alycat’s blog PhotogB-Log. When I agreed, I didn’t realize it was a photo blog. Once I visited the site, I was really glad I did. It reminded me that people ought to take more pictures. Visiting the site also reminded me that some people are very talented with a camera. Alycat is one of those people.

There really isn’t much I can suggest to Alycat as far as this blog goes. The blog contains photos that Alycat has taken from places she’s visited as well as where she lives. Included are pictures of family, animals, places and things. The pictures are gorgeous. They’re all labeled with location so you can view all photos taken from a single place. The only thing that I think might be helpful is if she can reorganize the archive. Since it’s a photo blog and she takes a lot of pictures, I can see that archive list becoming totally huge. I don’t know if there is a clean archives plugin available for Blogger like there is for Wordpress, but if there is one it might work nicely here.

You don’t have to be a photographer to enjoy looking at good photos. As we go through our day to day lives, watching our children grow, taking vacations and working on our homes, we should all remember to take more pictures. As Aly’s header says, a picture will last longer. Before we know it time will have passed, as will the opportunity to take that picture. Pictures can be enjoyed, passed on and shared, keeping family memories alive. If you want to see lots of terrific pictures, you’ve got to check out PhtogB-log. When you visit Alycat, please tell her that valmg sent you.

Today I reviewed My Road, one of fellow postie Karen’s blogs.

In My Road, the main focus of Karen’s writing is travel, both near and far from home. She relates many of her posts to her own family and life experiences, which makes them more personal and nice to read.

The blog is currently on a two column white theme. The header reflects a road, making it a great combination with the title of her blog. I clicked eleven times to get from the top of the home page to the bottom. I’d really like to see the pages, archives and categories moved a little higher up in the sidebar, if possible, to make it easier for the viewers.

When I read Karen’s posts I feel like I know her. She writes as though she is writing to a friend. Her posts have original content and nice substance, and reflect that she’s put both time and thought into them. She does include some pictures but with the white background could even use a few more. She could consider using a picture every so many posts to give a nice balance.

I’ve added Karen to my reader because of the friendly feel. Go visit her blog and you’ll see what I mean. And when you’re there, please tell her that valmg sent you.