I have no idea where this tradition came from, but I’ve been doing it since I was a child.

Saying ‘rabbit, rabbit’ at the start of a new month or a new year ensures good luck will come your way.

Yesterday, I had a little luck with my New Year’s etegami. Must have been from last year’s ‘rabbit, rabbit.’ ;)

Here’s the etegami that challenged me. 2012 is the year of the dragon and I struggled with this guy. He turned out OK, but it took me a few tries.

Happy New Year!

This one was done for my good friend Nancy. She loves bright red goldfish and FDR is her favorite US President. I combined the two in this etegami to her. (She has a bit of a career in politics, so her love for US Presidents is far and deep.)

This is one of my favorite etegami ‘formulas.’ I combine an illustration of something someone likes with a carefully chosen quote.

I chose this quote:

“Happiness…it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.”

Because Nancy is extremely happy and bright. She’s also very smart and has achieved quite a lot in her life. She loves to work and has recently undertaken a pretty creative endeavor (blogging.) It just seemed perfect for her.

Just wanted to share my etegami process with you. If you want to learn from one of my favorite etegami artists ever, check her out here.

This time of year is a comfort to me. Not because of the so-called ‘dreariness’ outside, but because it is set up for progress, for functionality. Summer is distracting. I head to the pool in the afternoons, stay active until late at night, rise early, and fill my time with people and places. Autumn and winter set me up for success. I am well-rested, stay home and find a focus I just don’t have in summer. Perhaps because there is less to do outside and more to do inside? Inside, where I work. Inside, where I can turn on the oven and cook. Inside, where I can insulate myself from distraction.

My daily walk last week took me through my usual pathway to the local post office. Down a hill, across a street, into the woods, through the shopping plaza, to the post office. Scenery transitions from semi-urban landscape to completely natural and back again.

I share the sidewalks with no one. I share the path with no one. Everyone is in their cars, windows up.

There’s no sun peeking behind the clouds and no kids on the baseball diamond.

No one hangs out in the parking lot to talk to neigbors and friends leaving the grocery store, and there’s no group of kids on bikes riding circles.

The post office is still busy as ever. People running in out. Packages being mailed. Letters being picked up.

The post office seems to have no seasonal change. But I do!

In my position of Creative Director at Doth Brands (I’m also the Owner), I wave the ‘Write Letters’ flag often. In fact, I can’t name a client we’ve ever had where the topic of writing letters wasn’t broached.

Writing letters, notes, thank you’s….whatever the purpose—it’s just important. People do business with people, not fancy websites, not glossy business cards. And if they do, are they really the type of client you want? I want clients that want to work with me, that are confident in me and want to hire me. And I want the same thing for my staff as well. Life and business is all about relationships.

This month at Doth Brands, our quarterly journal came out and it was all about the handwritten note. It’s all from a business perspective so it might be of interest to you. There’s also a free download of some business-style stationery too.

Here’s the link to the newsletter.

I just thought this would be so appropriate to share here on Simplicity Embellished. Let me know what you think and if you found it useful!

I wanted a couple bracelets and a few pair of earrings that played to my interests and pursuit of yoga but didn’t want it to scream ‘yoga! yoga! I do yoga!’ I also wanted to create something to act as a support of my current life situation. We need help wherever we can get it!

When I make something for myself, or someone else, I generally stick to the rule of 2.

Pick one ‘spotlight’ bead or charm.

Pair it with one solid colored bead.

That’s it. You just can’t go wrong with this combination.

When I was picking beads for this little project, I thought about the chakras. We have 7 major chakras and the colors commonly associated with them are Red, Brown, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple. We (my husband and I) are in the middle of major, major change and I want to do as much as possible to make sure I remain grounded and focused. The root chakra (located at the base of the spine) is associated with your base nature and the adrenals (which go nuts in times of stress) among other things. It links us to the physical world–it literally is the key to letting us be grounded. Red is the color associated with it and keeping some red around is a reminder of my focus in the upcoming weeks–staying grounded!

Brown is also associated with the root chakra.

Blue is associated with the 6th and 7th chakras, found at the spot between our two eyes and the top of our heads. This is the part associated with spirituality and the connection to the divine. In order to connect with what’s around you, you need to be grounded.

And gold; gold is a warming metal. I literally need some fire to keep me moving.

I chose my ‘fancy’ beads based on the carving. It’s of nature. For me, a lot of ‘connecting with the divine’ or whatever you want to call it, happens when I’m outside. Some of my most dear teachers have all, at one point or another, told me the same thing.

You need to take a walk outside in nature every single day.

I want to remember that. And I want to DO that.

So, this is my approach to ‘beading.’ Beadery.

And now you know the story behind these items I’ll be wearing in the next few weeks.

And the big change? We’re moving, and I’m buying a building for my company! A very big deal.

This year, my husband and I spent a few days in the Port Clinton, Ohio area and spent most of our time on two wonderful public beaches.

You know, just because it’s in Ohio doesn’t mean it’s any different from a beach elsewhere……

We’ve got blue sky.

And warm sand.

And we had lots of space.

Maybe Lake Erie beaches are a little different from the jam-packed beaches found on the East and West coasts…

Oh, and of course scenery. We had lots of that.

And we had the beautiful Ohio flag blowing in the background. Proud buckeyes, sitting on the beach, we were.

And my husband gave me presents! We both had birthdays (two days apart) that week and had a birthday celebration early one morning by the waves.

We both had the same sand-covered feet that you’d find at any other beach too. ;)

But really, the week away served the same purpose as any other vacation by the beach: to soak up some sun, go to bed tired, wake up rested and spend time with the ones you love.

The convention took place at the Hilton Netherland Plaza Hotel which is a beautiful building. It is one of the finest examples of French Art Deco in the US and my favorite building in Cincinnati.

Instead of telling you about thimbles, I’m just going to show you.

I’ll start with my collection:

I like religious-themed thimbles.

My first thimble. A gift to me when I was 13 from Lucerne. She handmade this thimble. It’s silver.

Pope hat! It has a chip, but you know what, it’s awesome.

OK, now for some photos from the convention:

First of all, the place was packed. Hoppin’! Actually, the energy was very positive and lively.

Table decorations above. Giant plastic thimble. Where does one find that?

Some of the thimbles for sale. Look at them–you can see one is ‘stained glass’, some are silver, some are brass—how cool.

Photos from a different booth. As you can see, starting a thimble collection can be inexpensive.

The one above was a favorite. It has a little embroidered flower in a window. How cool.

There was more! More!

The little animals above–those are thimbles too.

Another thimble with embroidery. Charming.

There were even sewing accessories and the like. Special cases. Vintage stuff. It really was something you could totally get lost in. Even me, who had never really had an interest or knowledge (of any kind) of thimbles.

This is one of my Mom’s thimbles. It’s a working abacus.

And this one. Made of peacock feathers.

So, welcome to the world of thimbles. They are so much more than the little aluminum ones you can buy at Joanne Fabrics for 99 cents, aren’t they? I feel really lucky to have gone to something like this and I hope you’ve enjoyed the photos.

I pull this pen out when I want to write with something that is both lightweight and offers a bit of precision.

This pen has a fine nib and I really love the way it writes. The nib has just a slight flex and it writes beautifully with my Diamine inks. Diamine’s Monaco Red is my favorite ink to use in this pen because it matches the barrel (of course!) but also because the edges of the lines end up with a slightly higher concentration of ink producing some beautiful shading.

The cap posts gently on the barrel (with a satisfying ‘click’ noise) and the entire pen is of sturdy construction. It is definitely a metal body….aluminum?

The lines this puppy lays down are always smooth and I’ve never had an issue with it skipping. I’ve also had it sitting around, completely filled, only to pick it up weeks later: it writes on the first try with no issue.

You’ll see I purchased the converter with this pen. It slips on snugly and I’ve never had an issue with leaking. The converter is a plate press—you squeeze a metal strip housed within the converter and release it when you want to fill it. It’s easy.

I ordered this pen from JetPens back in August of 2010. I’ve run a lot of ink through this baby!

PS: Hat tip to Ron for requesting this review. You gave me the motivation I needed to finish this post!

Would you like me to show you? I hope the answer is yes because I need somewhere to put this legal pad experience I have. (I know readers who are lawyers also have lots of experience with legal pads too.)

M by Staples
Gold Series Writing Pads
6 Premium Pads for Writing with Style

60pt Heavyweight Backing
20lb Heavyweight paper

50 Sheets/Pad

White or Canary
Narrow Ruled (they are also available in wide ruled)
8.5″ x 11.75″
8.5″ x 14″
5″ x 8″

I actually prefer the Canary over the white. I noticed there is some bleed-through on the white!

Here is the link to the pads online.

Jerusalem. Visiting the city in February, just before recent terror outbreaks and bombings, put the city in a special light. It wasn’t the middle of winter and it wasn’t the dead of summer. The days I spent in the city were cool–it reminded me of 5k race mornings in suburban Cincinnati. The temperature of the air was familiar to my skin and the city was, somehow, familiar, too.

My visit happened over a period of precipitation. Light rain showers washed the city in the afternoon giving everything a slick glisten. By evening, all was dry.

The city is built from Jerusalem stone. From the streets of the Old City, to the buildings within it–it is all hewn from this very distinctive type of limestone. It is such a stark contrast from our American cities built from brick and concrete. Being inside a world made from slightly shimmery stone in colors from pale yellow to sunny pinks to rich creams is very much what I thought heaven looked like as a child. Sort of shimmery and golden. Sort of what a city would look like if it was situated atop a cloud.

Walking through the city on foot required an awareness of my feet I just don’t need back home in America. The city’s Jerusalem Stone roads, slippery from the light rain, required one to look down every few steps to ensure maintaining an upright position. Well, at least us non-locals. Watching men dressed in black with matching black hats stroll by made it clear that we were all standing on American feet. Feet from a country less than 250 years old. And the locals walking by? They had Holy Land feet. Feet that only know a land inhabited for thousands of years. Late at night, tucked in bed in my hotel room in Jerusalem, I remember the way my feet felt. Not just the way they would feel after a full day of walking, but after a day of using your whole foot with every step. It’s a good feeling. It’s good to feel rooted to the place you are.

The Old City is home to the Western Wall or Wailing Wall as it’s also called. It was built in 19 BCE by Herod the Great. When I made my way down to the wall; wearing jeans, a backpack, giant sunglasses and a red fleece–the outfit of an American tourist, I tucked the notes I brought from home into the cracks between the stones. Like so many had done before me. I stood there for a moment and looked up at the massive wall and pressed my hands to the cool Jerusalem Stone. I looked to either side and saw locals there beside me, deep in prayer. Despite my touristy-clothing on the outside, at that moment I recognized that I was just like them on the inside; the part that matters. Just another Jew at the wall. Just another person at the wall.

My stay in Jerusalem came at the middle of my stay in Israel. And by this point, I began to notice my sore shoulder compliments of my daypack. I still use this daypack almost every day now, I think mostly because I miss Israel and I carried that daypack everywhere with me while I was there. This little pack criss-crossed over one shoulder and housed my daily essentials.

• A 16 oz. green Nalgene bottle I purchased in high school
• A Kaweco Sport fountain pen & extra cartridges
• 2 notebooks; a Moleskine and a small, handmade book with hand-painted birds on the cover
• A bottle of ibuprofen, a bottle of Claritin and my rescue inhaler
• A small digital camera
• My iPhone
• Tissues, lotion, perfume, bandaids
• A small umbrella
• Sunglasses
• Money
• Various items of food I snagged from the hotel

I began to notice the backpacks around me. And I paid attention to the things people pulled out of them; the things people chose to carry with them every day. I saw paperback books, jewelry, art supplies, small siddurs, teffilin, extra clothes, maps, nail polish, gum, candy, makeup and ipods. I noticed that these were backpacks from people who had come from all corners of the globe to Jerusalem. They came from different countries, spoke different languages and all had separate lives. Yet, we all basically carried the same things with us in our packs and had all somehow ended up in the same place at the same time.

So, back to feeling rooted. I think travel in many ways is all about roots. Maybe you travel to remind yourself of your roots wherever your home is. Maybe it’s a way to avoid putting down roots. Maybe travel–a state of motion–is where you feel most rooted. Maybe it’s what you do to find roots that generations past have laid for you. I think that’s what Israel was for me. I went to a place I had never been only to discover the roots that were already there, waiting for me.

This is delicious!

Ingredients:

• 3 Whole Dates (Medjool is best)
• 1 Cup Whole Organic Milk
• 2 Pinches Cinnamon Powder
• 1 Pinch Cardamom
• 1 Pinch Ginger
• A Few Strands Saffrom
• 10 Peeled Almonds (Soak them for 20 min. to an hour in water, then rub off the skins)

Directions:

1. Boil the milk with the spices (not including the saffron) until it foams.
2. Blend the warm milk with the dates and almonds in a blender or food processor until they’re finely ground. Add in saffron. Blend.
3. Serve!

Wax seals serve a purpose beyond just pinning together paper. (Wax seals were traditionally used as a way to keep a folded letter or note ‘sealed.’) In fact, there’s so much history behind these puppies that Sigillography is what we call the study of seals. Seals first originated in Asia and then appeared in Ancient Greece and Rome and then onward.

What I love about seals is that they are a representation of the person and in modern-day times, they represent what the user wants to portray.

I have another type of seal besides a wax seal and this one is called a Chop stamp or Hanko. In Asian countries, you’ll see these used and if you’ve got any art by asian artists, you might see their bright red chop stamp in the corner somewhere. My chop was made for me by a Japanese friend. Because I’m not Japanese and don’t have a Japanese name, she picked a word that closely match my name and conveyed an appropriate meaning. My stamp, when read, sounds like ‘Ko-al’ which means ‘fragrance’ or ‘scent.’

As of late, because of advancements in sorting equipment at the US Post Office, I have been putting my wax seals on the inside of the envelope. Even then, they sometimes don’t survive and arrive in a crumble. I know you can use a hot glue gun and colored glue sticks and make a seal that way (one that will stay stuck to the envelope on the outside, even) but I love not needing electricity to write a letter and seal it up just the way I like. I’m sure I’ll give this a try eventually as I think the letters I get from correspondents who use the hot glue method are beautiful.

One item I’m keeping an eye out for is a signet ring that can also be used to create a seal. A dream signet ring would have my family’s coat of arms but that’s probably for a day long from now.

So, my wax seals. Themes are pretty topical right now. My Mom got me a seal with an ‘N’ for my name, I have my Mom’s old wax seals she had when she was a kid (4-leaf clover, the letter ‘J’, two footprints, the word ‘Love) and a Star of David. I would love to find a warthog on a seal because that is my favorite animal. This is doubtful unless I have it custom-made, I’m sure. ;)

I heard a story about blacksmiths and I’m not 100% sure this is still the case today, but a blacksmith uses a seal on his work. The seal gets heated and then pressed into the metal to leave his mark, sort of like signing your name. When the blacksmith dies, his seal is destroyed. I hope this is still in practice today. In such a techno-saturated world, I relish stories like this, stories about tradition, meaning and the value and respect for the self.

A wax seal is like that. The user picks it based upon something they want to convey–a part of themselves, something they like, who they are. It’s a tangible thing, something you can hold on to forever if you like. Very unlike a text message or an email.

I first made myself a stationery wrap in 2009. This is a very old-school thing here. You take an old file, fold and stitch in the ends and bingo! Awesome place to stash letters you need to reply to and all the stationery you need to reply to them. At one point, I had a copy of an old article from somewhere (that I can no longer find) that talked about turning old files and other things made from sturdy paper into the-poor-mans-briefcase, a the article referred to it.

I made one of these for my immediate family members this year.

I hand stitched the outer wrap with regular old embroidery floss (the kind I made friendship bracelets from when I was a kid). The stationery was printed on 25% cotton stock and the envelopes were purchased from one of my suppliers. Each set includes return address/mailing labels and those were printed on a really nice adhesive stock. Each set includes a coordinating Varsity Disposable Fountain Pen, some ephemera and a whole lot of love. I tied the sets for the ladies with vintage lace and the men’s were tied with jute cord.

Do any of you recognize the bird tags? Those were a free printable from Lisa Rupp. I thought they were cute.

I need to make another one for myself. I have been carrying mind around pretty much daily for about 2 years and it’s seen a lot of wear and tear. I tie mine with about a yard of vintage sea foam green ribbon.

Update July 2011: Want to see someone elses take on this project? Visit purplepenhead’s post here.

I tend to think of all the different types of embroidery as effects. Want a simple, yet glittery effect? Try Goldwork Embroidery. Want something delicate and watercolor-like? Try Silk Painting Embroidery. Me? I wanted something traditional, natural and relatively quick. Hello, Crewelwork!

The technique of Crewelwork is at least 1,000 years old. So, I felt as though that was pretty traditional. Plus, there is no need to count stitches.

Crewel Embroidery is only Crewel Embroidery when you’re using wool thread onto a plan weave fabric, like linen. You traditionally stitch things that are found in nature like birds and plants and mushrooms and bugs. The threads are also typically colors found in nature. I think many would argue that in traditional crewel work you don’t see any neon colors.

However, what you do in your own home is fine by me! ;)

For the holidays this year, I embarked on my first, real Crewelwork project. An eyeglass case for each of my parents.

I purposely picked a smaller-scale project because I’d be done faster and I knew that it would really give me a good feel for crewel.

I found a great selection of kits at Purl Soho (you can order online!) and each of these eyeglass kits were just $10.00 and included everything I needed. I also used the thread from just one kit to complete both so I have a nice little stash of thread for my next project. {Here’s the link to the exact kit I bought: http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/7235-Custom-House-Chickadee-Eyeglass-Case-Crewel-Kit}

The stitches used in the eyeglass cases are:

• Crewel Outline
• Stem Outline
• Chain Stitch
• Satin Stitch
• Straight Stitch

Both my Mom and Dad really loved these little cases. I probably spent 5-6 hours on each one so THEY BETTER, right?

So, not to shabby for my first stab into the land of Crewel, no?

I know many Friends of Simplicity Embellished (AKA readers) are noted embroiderers….please link us up to a project you’ve completed. I know I would love to see some of what you guys do.

First, admin stuff.

Simplicity Embellished publishes a free eMagazine just a few times a year called Sunday Tea. It features items not found on the blog. You can subscribe by scrolling down to the footer and entering your email address.

We are also on Facebook. If you like Simplicity Embellished in real life, you might like it on Facebook too. When I update the Simplicity Embellished Facebook page, it’s generally with stuff not found on SimplicityEmbellished.com. Although I think Facebook is importing blog posts right now. I really love to see all the people that ‘like’ Facebook. It’s just nice to see some actual faces of people that are reading the blog. Simplicity Embellished on Facebook.

And subscriptions. If you use a feed reader, I am humbly going to ask you to subscribe to this blog. If you don’t, you might find it worthwhile to set one up. I use Google Reader (free) and it helps me keep track of all the blogs I love. I can read all these wonderful blog posts on my phone, on my laptop–wherever I’ve got an internet connection. It also allows me to ‘favorite’ items and easily forward them on. You just enter in the blog URL to your feed reader and bingo! You’re a subscriber.

Second, about me.

My name is Cole and I am the person behind Simplicity Embellished. This website has seen a big increase in traffic and subscribers over the past year and I want to take minute to introduce myself to any newcomers. By day, I own a creative agency based in Cincinnati called Doth Brands. We do websites, branding and identity, graphic design, marketing materials and social media management. We’ve got two unique specialties: color selection and pricing design.

Simplicity Embellished is a pretty accurate reflection of my life. I believe strongly in spending time (and money) on things you love, things you use all the time and things that are productive uses of your time. I also really believe in living simply, utilizing the space you have and taking care of yourself. I’ve been asked on occasion how exactly I spend my money and I can tell you that I spend my money on things I use all the time. Nice bedding, nice pens, good paper, well-fitting clothes, stamps, favorite foods, good soap (seriously–it makes me happy!)–things that I use. I don’t spend on trifles. My husband and I (and two small beagles) live in a small apartment in Cincinnati. It’s probably close to a New York City size apartment rather than a mid-western size apartment for frame of reference. We’ve been here about 4 years and I can tell you at first, it was really tough! No space, right? Today, we see things much differently. We make the most of our space and everything inside it has a purpose and a place. We live more seasonally too. In spring, summer and autumn we make use of our front and back porches–I practice yoga out there and we eat meals out there a lot. In winter, we put things away and tuck them inside. In a very real way, we feel the natural rhythm of the seasons because our lifestyle changes to accommodate for it. Granted, when we have children one day, our apartment just will not suit. But in the meantime, living small has major, major perks. Our living expenses (rent, utilities) are I think 20% of our income. Leaving more room to pay off school debt (pay yours off soon! Now!), buy good food and save.

And this is what I look like:

I’ve been writing letters since I was 12. I mostly had one pen pal then (still a correspondent today) and I wrote letters home while at summer camp. As I got older, in high school, I tended to write to older friends who were either in college or enlisted in the service. In college and after, I really started getting more correspondents. Today, my youngest correspondent is in high school and my oldest is 86.

To date, I’ve never left a letter unanswered. I’m super proud of this. I am definitely not someone that writes a response the day I get a letter in the mail, and sometimes a month or two passes, but I have always replied. (If you’re reading this and sent me a letter and didn’t get a response-I never got it!)

Finally, I want to tell you all how much it means to me that you read Simplicity Embellished, leave comments and sometimes even write to me in real life. I also love when you guys make suggestions for Simplicity Embellished; whether it’s a request for a particular post or mentioning that something doesn’t render well in a particular browser. Thank you so much for spending time with me this year.

And now, I would like to request that you leave a comment with a link to your own blog or even a suggestion for a good blog read. I love to follow my readers and leave comments now and then. Please share with me (and us) your blog address!

I only wear it every so often. It makes quite a bit of noise and is very noticeable on my wrist. I keep it in my jewelry armoir and I love opening it up each day and seeing this bracelet. The number of charms has obviously grown from that first one in 1992 and I can tell you the story behind each and every one of them.

The most recent addition to the bracelet was from my husband’s paternal grandmother. This is the patron saint of her church.

I was so happy to get this in the mail. Not only because I hadn’t added a charm in awhile, but because this is the church that all of my husband’s Aunts, Uncles and cousins attend/attended. My husband attended here on occasion too. It’s neat to carry that little token with me on this bracelet.

On the back it says ‘Pray for Us’ and is marked ‘holy.’ Just in case there is any doubt. ;)

The next one was given to me by one of my dearest friends when I graduated high school. As a teenager, my nickname for her was ‘squaw.’ She often called me ‘papoose.’ Why? I have no idea. I just know that we were teenagers. And that it most definitely made sense then. And I still call her squaw today on occasion without even thinking about it. And it still mostly makes sense today too. She is one of the few friends I carried with me through high school, college and after.

I found this State of Montana charm in an airport in Missoula, Montana a few years ago when I was in town for my cousin’s wedding. I got my first pair of REAL cowboy boots while I was in town too. I still remember the shop girl telling me very seriously that the boots I bought ‘were not pasture boots.’ I was pleased that she looked at me and though I must hang around pastures, instead of an office complex and department stores.

Montana was beautiful. I wanted a charm to mark that trip.

The ice cream cone below was given to me by my Mom to commemorate my very first job. I worked at an ice cream parlor. It has little crystals all over the ‘scoop’ part. Most are still intact.

And the guitar below was a gift from my parents. My Dad gave me my first guitar (a deep green Washburn acoustic) when I was a junior in high school.

I think the Lady of Fatima charm fits in nicely with my other charms. It represents a big part of my life and the people I love.

You know, charm bracelets were created as ‘bringers of good luck.’ For me, it not so much brings me luck as reminds me of the luck I’ve had in my life. Good family and friends, robust hobbies, safe travels–all the things I love.

Do you have a charm bracelet? Or maybe memories of one? If you do, link us up in the comments! I would love to hear the stories behind your charms and I know readers of Simplicity Embellished will too.

* Regular readers might wonder how a Jew makes a First Communion. Well, I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school through 8th grade. I celebrated my first Passover my freshman year of high school. My father is Jewish and my Mom + Mom’s side is Catholic.

These are a couple etegami postcards featuring poinsettias I sent out in the last couple of days.

And for those of you that may have never seen etegami before, it’s a traditional, Japanese folk art. You paint very simply an item from everyday life and pair it with a simple phrase or quote. Then, you mail it off! For those of you reading that are letter writers, etegami is like, the ULTIMATE in personal correspondence. You are literally painting a picture and sending it off to an intended recipient. Traditionally, you are thinking of a particular friend or family member as you paint. To me, etegami can be more vulnerable than a letter. You are putting your artistic skills out there and what if the recipient doesn’t like it?

Here’s what I sent out:

If you’re curious about Hanukkah, I thought I’d link you up to a few useful spots:

Here’s some information on the Christian perspective of Hanukkah.

And here’s how the Jews celebrate it.

And here’s how to play dreidle, which is an awesome game.

My husband made latkes this year which were delicious and we had celebrations on the first night and the 8th night this year.

By the way, there are 9 candles on a menorah (remember, there are only 8 nights) because the middle one, called the Shumash (‘helper’) is used to light the other ones. So, you light the middle one first and then use that one to light all the others.

The 8th night was fun. We played a game of dreidle and I promptly lost all my gelt and was out in two rounds.

We all read the story of Hanukkah and each read a paragraph. I think storytelling is an important tradition.

What about you? Have you ever celebrated Hanukkah? Or maybe just lit a few candles to celebrate something? That’s sort of what a Christmas Tree and a Menorah do— you light them up to celebrate good things! In the dark of winter, bringing twinkling lights into your home is a beautiful and meaningful way to warm things up.

A flex nib looks like any other nib, really.

And look at the heart! I adore that little heart. I look at it when I write and it makes me feel like the ink is all love-laced and whatnot.

This pen is a beautiful blend of greys, silvers and red.

And it’s a lever-filler.

Here’s a sample of my writing with it, and a picture of the pen in full.

My writing looks so much more elegant and lovely with a flex nib. It’s been hard for me NOT to write with it these past few weeks.

Let’s look at the heart again.

Did I mention how much I love this pen? And that it loves me back? ;)

The ink is Diamine Monaco Red and I wrote on 25% cotton paper. I love the flex nib because it allows for color variation in the ink and it gives a natural shading to my lines. It’s smooth to write with and a true joy.

Here’s a look at the ink as it’s drying. (below)

Flex nibs are going to be juicier than standard nibs and so drying time for your ink will be longer and quality paper is almost a must. Bleed-through is much more common with flex nibs.

Just look how the ink pools at the edges of the lines. Lovely!

And here’s a look at the nib from the side (below).

I will say that the amount of flex in your nib is something to really consider. Trying so many flex nibs at the Ohio Pen Show was essential for me. Some flex nibs I tried (that I had seen/read about online) ended up being dreadful for me in person. Too flexible or not enough. We all have unique ways of writing, unique ways of holding the pen, unique ways of writing our letterforms—and some flex nibs will hinder your natural process rather than enhance. For example, my husband got a Parker Challenger which has a minimal flex to it and I would rather pick a standard non-flex nib over that pen. I just don’t like the way it writes so much. And my husband, because of his natural writing style, did not like moderately flexible fountain pens at all.

So with flex nibs, always try before you buy.

To bring you up to speed, I tried growing my own luffa this year. And, I tried growing it in a container.

And I was successful!

Even with planting about a month too late.

The photo above shows a luffa right after it is picked off the vine.

And below, what it looks like when you split it open and peel off the green skin.

These guys could have used another month on the vine, so these luffas are not done growing by any means, but nonetheless, it still ‘works.’

Down below is what it looks like after it dried out. It’s all ready to scrub your face! Looks a lot like the kind you buy in the store, no? That’s because it is the same as what you buy in the store! ;) Who knew you could grow this?

So, next year, I’m not growing it in a container. It grew like 14 feet in 3 weeks and got out of control growing up my porch. Also, they require a lot of water.

And next year, I’m going to plan it on time. And pick them after they’ve grown all the way.

So I guess what I’m saying is I didn’t do a very good job my first go-round, but somehow I managed to eek out some real, live, actual luffa.

It’s a forgiving plant and certainly an awesome addition to the garden. Definitely a keeper.

PS: Here’s my last post on the luffa in case you are interested.