1- I want to learn hand-lettering. Does anyone have a favorite resource? I may try a Skillshare class. ALSO: favorite pens for this?
2- Annabel officially draws better than I do. She was trying to help me draw a horse. This is hers. Mine is not postworthy. (Is drawing learned or genetic? She seems to have a visuospatial instinct on the paper that I sadly lack. Josh is a very good artist.)
3- Today I have about 835734 things I need to get done for work. I hope to end the week feeling caught up. (Or CAUGHT-UP-ISH.) My bullet journal is armed and ready with particularly threatening-looking checkboxes.
4- We owe about 9 jillion dollars in taxes. Remember how excited I was about how much we were saving? Sigh. I mean, we are still doing fine and saving a solid amount, but there was definitely a little bit of pouting and sticker shock when we got the #! Oh well, taxes are important. Our country needs the contribution now more than ever . . .
I think we will still meet our goal of saving at least 20% of our gross income this year — we will see how the next 6 months go.
I am grateful that I have YNAB. Seeing all of the honest numbers (and having a savings bucket for taxes/emergency) definitely prevented me from going entirely off the rails.
5- This has to be quick b/c I have another appointment to get a swab up my nose. I don’t really think I have COVID but another confirmation will be nice.
PS: Still no July newsletter — sorry!
23 Comments
Great work Annabel! I think she draws better than I do too!
I like the Skillshare classes and the AmandaRachLee youtube tutorial for simple brush lettering. I’ve been eyeing Cindy Guentert-Baldo’s hand lettering book as well. My favorite pen for brush lettering is the Tombow Fudenosuke – it has a harder tip which is great for beginners. The Kelly Creates small brush ones are also good for beginners! I found the regular Tombows harder to master (especially because I like to write small). Michaels had a set at one point that had the Fudenosuke, regular Tombows and a blending pen – it was a good deal. Annabel is a great artist!
I just discovered AmandaRachLee and she is great! I will check that out and TOTALLY going to get that pen to try.
Have you checked out Art Hub for kids? Iots so cool! I’ve even learned to draw from this site
I’m curious if not owning a home made a big difference in the taxes you owe? Annabel’s horse is so good!
I feel like I don’t know yet – we didn’t sell until Dec 2019!!!
It will make a difference in that we can no longer deduct mortgage interest.
https://www.skillshare.com/classes/Hand-Lettering-Essentials-for-Beginners/389616295?utm_campaign=receipt&utm_source=Skillshare&utm_medium=email
i took this skillshare class 6 years ago and it was great. i really liked the instructor a lot.
did you finish reading love lettering? 😉
No I haven’t started it yet! It’s on my 2020 list though 🙂
I just finished The Hate U Give and it was amazing!!
I love The Hate U Give, and would also recommend On the Come Up by Angie Thomas 🙂
I am definitely going to add that to list
I’m following Shutterbean and using my Currently Workbook. While its not a lettering class it’s so much fun following along with her and creating my own art and reflection journal. I dont usually do much creative work, but this has really inspired me. And with the amount of time I’m stuck at home these day this outlet has really helped.
http://www.shutterbean.com/2019/currently-workbook-2020/
Drawing is a learned skill (says I, an historian of art education with an MA from your alma mater…it was taught as a learned skill in Europe and America)! Check out creativebug.com – best money I spend each month, both you and A can enjoy.
I’m a librarian and my library subscribes to CreativeBug–check if your library does too, and if so it will be free for you! If not, I agree that it’s a valuable resource. Lots of excellent classes, including lettering, drawing, and kids’ crafts. I also second the notion that drawing is a learned skill! Try the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards, as well.
We also are paying a HUGE tax bill. The house deduction really does not help all that much. The marriage penalty is real. I had no idea there was such a thing but my husband knew all about it because all his guy friends talked about how bad their taxes got after getting married. I used to get a huge refund before getting married. Now we make extra payments, have 0 allowances, and we still owe a HUGE amount. My husband and I are both higher earners, though, so the tax obligation of 2 high earners is so bad. But I remind myself that we are fortunate to work in well-compensated industries and we can afford these taxes. I just try not to think about the amount we pay too much or it depresses me! We always plan for it but it’s still sickening to write out that big ol’ check to uncle sam!
I hope you test negative! I had to get tested in June for the same reason – headaches, exhausted, and I had a soar throat. It ended up being a head cold but it was nice to get confirmation it wasn’t COVID.
Annabelle is a super good drawer! When my oldest nephew was young, like around 5 or 6, we were drawing in a notebook I had with me at my parents. After we got done drawing, I had a trouble figuring out which drawings were his and which were mine. Ha! I am soooo left-brained and have no artistic ability!
Letsmakeart.com offers hand lettering kits and tutorials! They used to do a monthly lettering box but I believe the teacher has moved to their kids art box, which looks awesome for older kids (my preschoolers are too young). I started the watercolor box subscription in June and LOVE it – I haven’t been creative in years – and this month tried out their art journaling box which is fun in a totally different way. The watercolor projects make me feel like an Artist and the art journaling projects make me feel like a Kid! Promise I’m not sponsored by them, I just really love these new hobbies 🙂
Art journaling sounds amazing!
I felt kind of silly doing an art journal just for me, so I decided to make mine a journal to my kids. It’s made the whole thing more meaningful, thinking one day many years in the future they could read the notes I write them!
Griffin is a really good artist too.
I have done Let’s Make Art tutortials for watercolor and they have Lettering ones too.
Are Covid tests easy to come by? One of my coworkers at UNC was feeling ill last Friday and couldnt’ getone at UNC because they are reserving them for symptomatic health care workers, so she had to go to CVS and still hasn’t gotten her results back yet. She feels better but Occupational Health won’t let her come back utnil 14 days after last symptom or negative result. Urghghgh 🙁
I am posting this (mostly) anonymously because I don’t want my online ID linked to my location, but I am an ordinary mortal (not a healthcare provider) who is marginally symptomatic (digestive issues/fatigue) with no known exposure or even likely exposure, and I was able to get a test through the UNC system yesterday after speaking with my doctor in the morning (telemedicine visit 8:20 a.m., test via drive-thru site 3:15 p.m., results this morning — negative, phew). So what you are describing surprises me?
This was through the UC occupational health center. My employee had runny nose, fatigue, headache, and a slight cough and occupational health wouldn’t test her at the drive thru! And her PCP at duke said symptoms weren’t severe enough to get tested there. We were very surprised because when we came back to work on the labs we were promised voluntary access to testing …
Yikes! Well, that’s deeply disturbing, considering that those are the people I’ll rely on for care should I or a family member need it. Very sorry to hear that. Partly (as noted) for selfish reasons.
These are my favorite pens: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M71S9DU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
But Crayola markers (regular size, not the fine-tip) are also great when you’re starting out! SkillPop is another platform that’s currently doing online classes. They actually have a Crayola handlettering class coming up soon. https://www.skillpop.com/classes/anywhere
Hi Sarah, just had to chime in about the handlettering question! I’m the founder & CEO of SkillPop (thanks Laura A for the plug! 🙂 ) and a long time listener of Best of Both Worlds. Crayola Calligraphy is a great class and we have traditional handlettering coming up as well. Would love to have you join!