KATE + MARTIN

Kate and Martin sent over these pretty photos of their bucolic outdoor wedding. They put such thought and care into each invite, dip-dying them, then screenprinting the text and wrapping everything up with twine and a dip-dyed card with the guests' name. I adore the pen and ink drawing and watercolor of the venue by their architect friend Don Briggs (and would like to move in to one of the cabins he designed). What a stunning idea! Many thanks to Kate and Ryan Wilcox of You Look Nice Today photography.

{Photos 1 and 2 by Kate; photo 3 by You Look Nice Today}

The Reed Switchboard

Wow! So many new readers and queries. Thank you and please forgive the delay in getting back to you -- I just returned from Portland. I'm plowing thorugh my in-box now. I try to keep posts relevant to calligraphy and beauty here but given how many new visitors I'm getting from students via the Reed Switchboard  (thank you for visiting!) I had to share a new totally insane idea I am part of in which 18 friends try to collectively help college graduates from my alma mater, Reed College, find work they are passionate about. Lagging economy? What lagging economy? Astronomical unemployment for young people? Never heard of it. Liberal arts school student stuck in a miserable data entry job five years after graduation? Not happening. Back at GBAC the motto of the house was "Never a dish in the sink." And the motto of this project seems to be "Never a Reedie in a miserable job, without the prospect of at least talking to someone about moving on to something they are passionate about." I know. It is the most insane thing I've ever heard of, and so far it's been amazing. If you went to Reed, or know someone who did, or know someone who loves to work with and hire Reedies, and gets what this project is about please email me or follow us on Twitter. And now, back to pen and ink!

Inner landscape of beauty

When I think of the word "beauty," some of the faces of those that I love come into my mind. When I think of beauty I also think of beautiful landscapes that I know. Then I think of acts of such lovely kindness that have been done to me, by people that cared for me, in bleak unsheltered times or when I needed to be loved and minded. I also think of those unknown people who are the real heroes for me, who you never hear about, who hold out on lines — on frontiers of awful want and awful situations and manage somehow to go beyond the given impoverishments and offer gifts of possibility and imagination and seeing. - John O'Donohue

Listening to podcasts -- especially podcasts about beauty- is a favorite activity of mine while doing calligraphy. This is because I find that the word is overused; that it is often used as a descriptor of something that has come into existence out of money, not out of imagination or resourcefulness; that it can be frustratingly vague and unspecific. I can't recommend this episode from On Being, the Inner Landscape of Beauty, highly enough. It is an interview with the late poet and philosopher John O'Donohue (yes, I know that this website has all of the trappings of being incredibly woo-woo, from the Papyrus font to the Celtic music. Soldier on.) I listened to the episode three times. The conversation touched on nearly every aspect of beauty I am interested in and wonder about: the confusion of glamour with beauty; beauty's role in the workplace; beauty as an manifestation of doing work you love (and the loneliness of doing the wrong kind of work); the wistful pride of a conductor when he looks upon the soloist. Thank you, John and Christa.

Fraktur in Westminster, CA

I had reason to visit Westminster, California earlier this month (can't wait to share why - a clue: a saw, a saint, an exercise ball) and was totally perplexed by the street signs that are in some Fraktur-esque font. Why? Does anyone know? I emailed the city for an explanation. I can't tell you how much "Trask" looked like "Trash" street. Tips appreciated.

THANK YOU, LOC

My sister-in-law Sarah knows me so well-- between sending along the link to these photos and my birthday present which I'll soon share. These photos are of women working during WWII (a favorite topic of mine) via The Daily Mail via the Library of Congress. The first is a worker at the Vega Aircraft Corporation. The second is Mrs. Virginia Davis at the Naval Base in Corpus Christi, TX. That top photo? With the dress pattern and the red lipstick, and the shimmer of the coil, and the work gloves? That's what I aspire to convey in my calligraphy. Always excited to take on clients looking for this same, elusive thing.

{Photos via the Library of Congress}

BRIE + DAVID

Style Me Pretty was kind enough to share these photos of Brie and David's Jamaican wedding by the ace photographer Raquel Reis.  I worked with the couple to create an entirely hand-calligraphed invitation suite (thanks to Nina + Jon for setting the trend) with a silkscreened muslin bag. It looks like such a fun, intimate beach party, and I just can't get over the moon behind the clouds. Thanks to the happy bride and groom, Raquel and SMP!

Orange

Hello again! 10 days of madness! Of logos and tattoos and weddings and mugs and gold ink and vintage stamps and so many fun projects on the horizon. And, my birthday: a hike along the Rainforest Trail (thank you to Ottessa!), a surprise party at Jitlida with dear friends, a new fancy pillow, and a heap of vintage fabric (more on that later). This weekend I caught up with Molly over at Plurabelle for lunch. Get two calligraphers talking and it is nearly impossible for them to stop. Her flourscent orange nail polish is fantastic, isn't it? It reminded me of this quinciñera dress I saw in Downtown LA.

BEING ELMO

Over the winter holidays I saw the movie "Being Elmo," and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I bawled  watching the trailer, and the film was no different (for me, my husband, and the 60somethings, 10-year-old and 14-year-old we brought along with). I won't give away the remarkable story but I will say that, for me, it underscored the power of pursuing your passions, finding a mentor and giving of yourself. Thank you, Kevin, and the makers of this film. Showtimes here!