Gina Stone Creative

A Tribute to the Rural American Mailbox Stand  is a collection of the many practical, wacky, wild, fun, pathetic, artful, artless and inventive mailboxes and mailbox stands that we came across mostly within a 10 mile radius of our homes in Northern Illinois, out on the East End of Long Island and a few places in between. With the digital age quickly eliminating the need for ‘snail mail’, these gems will soon disappear altogether from the landscape. This book is a tribute to these often overlooked unique, rural American treasures.

Bumps On The Road  is a collection of travel essays inspired by my experiences of criss-crossing this wonderful world: first class, no class and every which way in between. Three of these essays, Oops, We Forgot to Tell You! (Rafting the Zambezi), Oldest or Holiest? (Cultural Travel in Bhutan) and Choo, Choo All Aboard! (Backpacker Travel in China) were previously published in The East Hampton Star.

My Writing
I have strong creative writing and copywriting skills. On every project I design and create, I pay close attention to the written content from the overall concept down to the body copy.

I write short humorous essays for fun and have several humor books in works; Roxie: My Life as a Bitch, PB&J: The Un-Cook Cookbook and Mailbox Mojo: A Tribute to the Rural American Mailbox Stand.

Roxie: My Life as a Bitch
Adapted from The Roxie Wag, this humorous book is about the life of a single women in New York City as told through the eyes of Roxie, an outspoken and totally adorable Coton Dé Tulear, a rare breed of dog from Madagascar.

PB&J: The Un-Cook Cook Book
A  Zen of, un-cook cookbook about ‘life, love and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches’.

Mailbox Mojo: A Tribute to the Rural American Mailbox Stand
Adapted from Mailbox Mojo, this is a collection of snapshots of the many practical, wacky, wild, fun, pathetic, artful and artless, wonderfully inventive handmade mailboxes and mailbox stands found around the USA.

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Bumps On The Road

Little White Safari Lies (Zambia)
A humorous look at the tactics safari guides employ on game drives to keep the clients happy and interested when the big four; lions, elephants, rhinos and leopards are being elusive.

Oldest or Holiest? (Bhutan)
The amusing contradictions in historical facts reveal themselves on a cultural trip to Bhutan.

Traveler or Tourist? (Cambodia)
I felt like a traitor to the travellers of the world by staying in a five star hotel on a recent trip to visit the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, but it was wonderful, sinfully wonderful.

Peanut Butter Politics
A funny look about what happens when a jar of peanut butter is brought along on group trips.

Oops We Forgot to Tell You (Zambia)
Details of a raft trip down the Zambezi river where it’s 110 degrees and departure documents neglect to mention that going swimming and wading to cool off is a huge crocodile no no.

By George, I think I’ve got it!
An entertaining look at various aspects, competitive and otherwise in packing for a trip.

Choo Choo, Vroom Vroom, All aboard! (China)
A curious visit to the only working steam train factory in the world via the nascent China Travel Service of 1985.

Tip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah? (China)
To tip or not to tip? In a country where tipping isn’t customary, five travellers who speak no Chinese are perplexed in Inner Mongolia as they attempt to get a room for the night.

Location, Location, Location.
The thoughts that go through my mind as I make the big decision of where to sit on an airliner. Window or Aisle? Front or back? Center or Side, left or right?

How Low Would You Stoop?
What happens when my camera accidentally falls into the hole of a squat toilet in Turkey.

What’s in a Name? (Northern Sudan)
The far off, the remote, the mysterious—it’s all out there.

Take it or Leave it (Everywhere)
You bought it, you drank it. Is what’s left yours to take?

Seriously, it’s Deadly? (Solomon Islands)
Souvenir scavenging in the neon depths of the Coral Sea.

You Look’in at Me Kid? (Mali)
Amusement and commerce, thrills and chills down by the riverside.