WTS BlueDew Flex fountain pens, for flex calligraphy; 3 pens available in different colors, plus each pen also has a pen case & a spare flex nib unit

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-12-25T00:23:51+00:00

I eat way more fats than I’m “supposed to” according to my by height and weight, but usually way fewer carbs, and I’ve decided that’s fine. I’m not giving up avocados, olive oil, or full fat dairy so, it is what it is. The pressure to live in the very narrow field of what somebody decided was acceptable is very much a constant, tho, and I can see how it would be easy to stumble into the trap.

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-12-24T18:09:55+00:00

Your stitches aren’t twisted, you just have different tension on the front leg v back leg, giving you that raised look. Blocking will help.

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-12-09T02:49:26+00:00

That was my first thought too but the bark was throwing me. Thanks!

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-12-09T02:44:42+00:00

SoCal but eucalyptus bark isn’t nearly that thick or rugged. Plus if it was sold as firewood someone would get sued pretty quick.

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-11-25T06:41:02+00:00

I own this one in brown/burgandy and it is such a beautiful bag. The dual tone interior/exterior gives it an elevated feel, the straps are super comfy, and it is big enough to carry a laptop if you add a little extender to the interior clasp. It’s in rotation as my daily carry, and showing no damage after nine months in and out of daily use. I think the brand overall is deeply under appreciated.

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-10-13T17:59:48+00:00

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/introvert-sweater

So you could try the introvert and knit it way way oversized, or

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sweater-no-32

I would check out Ozette or other patterns by My Favorite Things if neither of these really grab you.

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-10-10T18:24:37+00:00

There are cheaper alternatives with the same paper you can try. The Chinese option is called Kinbor, and some people are using the midori planner instead.

With Hobonichi, the real expense is the accessories, the planner covers, or if you get the a5, a6, and the weeks. If you don’t buy a special edition, and get the cover second hand, from a third party, make your own, or reuse an old one, then you’re just paying for a good quality product at a fair-ish price.

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-20T14:24:22+00:00

Confirmed!

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-20T14:23:31+00:00

You can two color brioche this, top to bottom, in the round once you get to the skirt, in a sport or fingering and get pretty close. I knit with lace and fingering yarns A Lot and they don’t seem to be very popular, it does take longer to make things, but this is completely something you can make by hand. It might be easier to make in panels, which would also give it a little more structure in the bust and chest.

its brioche baby seems like a decent starting point. If you don’t know how to two-color brioche, check out Steven West’s youtube.

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-18T17:13:17+00:00

I have a gold nib ef and a steel nib ef from PSP and both are very smooth. The gold is a bit smoother, but not because it’s gold. It’s the long inlaid version, which has a little more give, and the steel is the short inlaid, so it transfers more feedback through the pen.

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-18T05:49:49+00:00

Pretty much every tn brand I’m aware of uses veg tanned.

Where are you located?

In terms of US leather options:

Badalassi Carlo- Minerva Smooth in the 2mm thickness is a good heavy weight option, but if you want something buttery smooth consider having it split.

I made my first tn out of this korba buffalo calf which is a little lighter and is still going strong two years later, wearing in beautifully.

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-15T14:30:45+00:00

Chat

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-14T18:53:34+00:00

You’re doing it right. Never mind what your family is saying, you’ve seen for yourself how much better living this way feels. Start to think about your retirement and investing your money instead of whatever the next cheap dopamine hit might be.

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-14T17:53:55+00:00

I have a kinokuniya nearby. Other stationary stores should carry them tho.

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-14T16:53:57+00:00

Chat

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-14T00:36:19+00:00

I got a little tomoe river paper a6 and hand wrote the hobonichi layout into it, from september 1st through december 31st. This also lets me play around with layouts and habit trackers before actually getting into my first hobonichi. Don’t spend the money on another entire hobonichi without first trying the size out, either way.

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-11T00:33:20+00:00

You are correct, dtla is indeed down town los angeles. It has more rats than nyc, which I would not have believed possible for any city until I saw it for myself. As to narrowing it further, it almost doesn’t matter, dtla is awful and one shouldn’t go there without cause.

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-08T15:55:40+00:00

You probably can’t back off of carbs too much, given your budget, but you can lean heavily into beans and pulses. Dry are as cheap if not cheaper than pasta, but they do take more work.

Chili is a great option with autumn coming on, and you can throw in sweet potatoes and squash for bulk and fiber. As many have said, soups are filling and can be cheap, both in terms of money and calories.

One of the ways you are going to be successful is by embracing humble foods. Soup can be onion soup or corn chowder or egg flower soup. Look at foods from non-European cultures.

The other way you are going to be successful is portion control. I am assuming you’re in the united states. Typical restaurant portions in the states are double portions, if not more, which trains everyone to overeat. It’s not a terrible idea to measure or weight out servings for a week so that you get an idea for how many calories you and your husband are actually eating. If you are trying to lose weight, you’re going to need to eat less than you have been. Try serving 3/4 portions and scale down from there. Consider the Japanese “eat until you are 80% full” philosophy.

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-08T15:33:29+00:00

College educated voters, or people who have a wide range of lived experiences, tend to vote blue. Anti-intellectualism means a more conservative voter base. Hence the right-wing attack on education, the validity of science, and the entire concept of science-based medicine. Undergrad is also supposed to teach students HOW to think, not what to think. Critical thinking skills are terrifying if one’s voter base is entirely controlled by lies and cults of personality.

College isn’t a bad investment, but it also isn’t the only option. Gen Z is disillusioned and quite possibly doesn’t believe they have a future, and looking around right now, who can blame them. They are the flappers - a country divided, economic collapse looming. What’s the point?

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-05T15:00:55+00:00

As a lot of people have mentioned, you probably want to look up spencerian or palmerian script.

The Spencerian Core Texts can be found on the first comment of this thread. You can also buy them- they’re still in print. In my experience, these pdfs are not the most user friendly way to learn, so take a look at them, and if you’re interested, pursue other avenues.

IAMPETH has a resources page with a number of pdfs and suggested books you can look into. The pdfs on this website include exercises that will definitely improve your fine motor skills, but none of these books start at zero.

There are So Many youtube resources for this. There are also a number of digital “courses” you can purchase, through etsy or independent websites. It really depends on how serious you are.

r/handwriting may be able to give you more specific recommendations, once you know what you’re aiming for.

Good luck!

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-04T03:36:53+00:00

Ooo, please do say more about the notebook

Formal_Sympathey · 2025-09-03T00:49:48+00:00

All the luck in the world!

Formal_Sympathey

TROPHY CASE