Posts Tagged ‘handwriting’

Heirloom Journaling Tips with House that Lars Built

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I’m over at House that Lars Built sharing some tips on how to fill out an heirloom journal! Click here to read the full article.

Companies like Promptly and Loom are changing the way we’re doing journaling by prompting pointed and focused stories in beautiful and finely-bound books. It’s brilliant. These books are heirlooms meant to be passed down from one generation to the next, the way journaling should be. So no pressure, right? In the era of perfection in social media, it’s easier to not do something than to make it “perfect”. I’m going to let you in on a little secret:  

Truth is, NO ONE CARES. No one cares if I don’t post to this blog each week even though I’m desperate to do it. No one cares if I miss a day posting to Instagram. No one cares about your perfection because everyone is too wrapped up in trying to be perfect themselves. So stop letting your fear of imperfection get in the way of documenting your story. 

When it comes to writing in an heirloom journal, you may be worried about correct spelling and grammar or beautifully funky penmanship. DON’T BE. Get the stories out, write them to the best of your ability. Understand that those who come after you to read what you wrote are either not going to notice your flaws or embrace them and love each one because it’s proof of your living, breathing humanity. You should embrace it, too. 

Bonus tip: When writing in a journal or filling out limited spaces, try to go for a finer point pen than a medium or bold point pen. A medium point pen will, perhaps, make your handwriting look nicer sometimes; but a medium pen is often too large a size point in order to fill out baby stats and what-not. 

Check out all 6 tips over at House that Lars Built!

Photography by Jane Merritt for House that Lars Built

I’m going to share with you a bonus tip: 

2017 Mother’s Day Card Freebie

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Mother’s day is basically here! Today is a great day to send a note in the mail to the women in your life who have been there to guide you through life. I feel so grateful to have both a fantastic mother and mother-in-law. I’ve been privileged to have been surrounded by hard-working, strong, amazing women. It’s about time that I let them know I’m grateful for them. 

Download the printable file and print! The file fits 2 cards on a page, so send more than one note out today! 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

 

Click the image above for a high-res sharable version to post on Instagram. Be sure to tag @melissapher when you post. Thank you!

*By downloading the above material, you agree to terms of use: This tutorial/freebie is free for personal use and should not be distributed/republished without my consent. Altering any files is NOT ALLOWED. If you would like to use this freebie for commercial purposes, please email me. Thanks!

5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Handwriting

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learn-calligraphy-pen

Learn calligraphy online at calligraphy.org. You’ll learn the basics of pointed pen, flourishing, addressing envelopes and developing your own style. The course comes complete with a beginner kit of supplies and personal coaching from calligraphy experts Melissa Esplin and Erika Paulsen. Click here to find out more.

 

I was on Studio 5 last week! It’s hard to convey everything I want in a short segment, so in addition to the little video (below), I have great tips on how to improve your handwriting.

As I’ve mentioned before, it’s International Correspondence Month. I’ve made a dent with my box of envelopes, but I still have about 15 letters to go before the end of the month (totally doable, if you ask me!). I make goals like this for myself quite frequently, and I’m excited that this one is sticking! Ideally, I’d love to write this many letters all the time, but it’s a matter of carving out the time. It’s not as quick or convenient as sending an email, but it certainly means more to get something hand-written than a quick 2-liner in your inbox. At least, that’s how I feel.

istillloveyou-tutorial-better-handwriting-6

With the rise of the digital age, good penmanship has gone down the crapper. If I had a quarter for every time I heard the whine “I wish my handwriting looked better”, I’d be living it up in my multi-million dollar dream home. It’s an epidemic of bad handwriting! Most schools aren’t teaching cursive, either! I’m glad to be in a state that still requires cursive as part of the third grade curriculum. Not only does it teach kids a slice of history, but it promotes better literacy (often times kids that don’t learn how to write cursive have issues reading script fonts), better fine-motor skills and concentration. It may be impractical to hand-write everything in this modern age. However, we should shift our perception of handwriting from an archaic means of communication to something meditative, meaningful and personal.

Calligraphy and penmanship have very similar foundations. So let’s talk about 5 ways to make your everyday handwriting better.

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A Gift of my Heritage

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Wednesday, I was on the phone with my mom as they pulled into their new diggs in Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s been a little strange (and emotional) to see them leave the home they’ve lived in for the last 18 years. It’s been a little emotional for all of us family, neighbors and friends.

Sign Painting Book

Before my parents took off, they parted with many of their old treasures. My dad even emailed out a spreadsheet listing the items they wanted to get rid of. I guess if I can’t live near my parents, I can just live with a few of their really cool things. Right? My mom pulled me aside to ask me if I wanted this sign painting book. I truly couldn’t be more honored to receive such a gift. This mammoth book tutored my great-great grandfather while he was learning calligraphy. He even left notes on a few pages.

Callaway & Hancox Signs

All of the sample signs are intricate and hand made. I can’t imagine the time and precision this must have required. If it weren’t for my scanner and the Adobe creative suite, I would be in trouble.

Lazy Fat Vixen

GO! LAZY FAT VIXEN BE SHREWD: JUMP QUICK! Does this not induce giggles? SO cool.

Calligraphy from the Sign Painting Book

Of course, this is my personal favorite of the 96 fonts featured in the book. What’s interesting, is when my mom gave me the book she said that my great-great grandfather had written family names and dates in the book. That day we couldn’t seem to find them anywhere and thought they were lost. Well, opposite this page is my great-great grandfather’s handwriting with the names of his kids, their ages and the number of grand children (my grandpa being one of the grandchildren). It just sent chills down my spine when I realized that he wrote this just days after my grandpa was born (September of 1924). That was 85 years ago, this month.

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