The Naughty List, In Song

Laura3 Comments

Well, I love a good Christmas song as much as anyone, probably more than most people, but I guess good songs must cost more, because my shopping trips this year have been the stuff of musical nightmares. What is going on in American malls this year?

I actually walked around Barnes & Noble with my hands over my ears for ten minutes. (Then I stood in front of the science books and loudly exclaimed, “Boy these look nerdy,” before realizing (a) I was actually there to buy a science book as a gift, and (b) the guys browsing these books would hear me. And edge away, crushed.) I am quite certain I’m on Barnes & Noble’s naughty list.

But because I practically needed to bleach out my poor brain after these trips, I’ve put together a playlist for people like me. Those who need a little un-Christmas, right this very minute. A list for my fellow naughty-listers, if you will.

Joy Division, Love Will Tear Us Apart: Just the greatest song ever recorded. That’s all.

 

Car Seat Headrest, Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales: A little mopey at first, but it’s got a beat that builds in a killer way. This is my second favorite song of 2016. Your mother will be disappointed in some of the lyrics. Which are helpfully printed right there.

 

Flaming Lips, Yoshimi: A fairly gross video to play for your young nephews, to enliven your holiday gathering. I neither admit nor deny having done this myself.

 

The B-52s, Roam: Pure fun from the 80s. But also words to live by. Your mother should like this one.

 

The Weather Girls, It’s Raining Men: Pure fun from the 80s, part two. Put some camp in your Christmas or Hanukkah. Just made for moms.

 

A Tribe Called Quest, Bonita Applebum: We are rolling forward into 1990, when A Tribe Called Quest ambled onto the scene. If she listens to the lyrics, your mother will definitely not like this song. Unless your mother is me, which I’m afraid only works for three of you. Play this for your young nephews, however, and you’ll never have to attend another family dinner. Because you will never again be invited.

 

Lauryn Hill, Doo-Wop (That Thing): Very occasionally, someone makes something, and it’s perfect. Here you go.

 

A Tribe Called Quest, We the People: Extreme bad-language alert. Plus, this expresses a point of view that isn’t popular with everyone. So if you don’t already know this group, don’t click. But it’s my favorite song of 2016. So it’s gonna make my list. Also, RIP Phife.

First Look: Diamine Shimmering Inks

Laura5 Comments

Diamine Shimmering Inks writing sample

Here is a quick look at some of the newer Diamine shimmer inks. A friend very nicely sent me these, and I’ve been using them with broader nibs. That’s Blue Flame with a broad architect’s nib ground by Dan Smith, Moon Dust from a 1.1 mm stub, and Firestorm Red and Inferno Orange in regular broad nibs.

These are nice enough inks, but they don’t strike me as “must haves,” at least for my normal fountain pen use. I’ll talk about why, after the jump.

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Pen of the Day: Sheaffer PFM Green with Kaweco Palm Green

Laura6 Comments

Sheaffer PFM with Kaweco Palm Green ink

Sheaffer PFM Green with medium nib. I’m still rocking the holiday inks.

Here, it’s Kaweco Palm Green. In contrast to the more sophisticated Garnet Red ink that I filled last week, Kaweco Palm Green is an unabashedly kid-friendly color.

It’s the one your kindergarten-aged self would have pulled from the crayon box to color in the Christmas tree, on the construction-paper card you were making for mom.

Sheaffer PFM with Kaweco Palm Green ink

And it reminds me of gum drops.

miniature gingerbread house

On Journaling, and Crowd Sourcing Some Help With That

Laura8 Comments

Nanami Paper The Writer Journal

I am bad at journals. It’s just not a natural fit with my personality. Or my schedule. As a result, despite giving it the occasional college try, I’ve only journaled occasionally over the years.

But I’m kicking off a new, more dedicated journal phase. Because I’m working on a project involving journals and fountain pens. And I will soon get to use my new, beautiful Seven Seas journal.

Yet, despite that little kick-start, I foresee reaching the same stumbling block as always: me being bad at journals. So I could really use some help, if not to turn into a master journal writer, then at least to make my fountain pen and journals project better.

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First Impressions: Nanami Paper Seven Seas Writer Journal

Laura19 Comments

Nanami Paper The Writer Journal

So this is the Writer from Nanami Paper, which is going to be a journal for me.

After Christmas, of course.

Now, I am far from a journal expert. I’m not even a real journal writer. The Writer made it onto my Christmas list because I’m doing a project involving journals, and I need to learn something about them. But the Writer is very appealing.

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A Christmas Present That the Fountain Pens Will Enjoy

Laura7 Comments

Nanami Paper The Writer Journal

Before I let made my husband wrap my fountain-pen related Christmas present, I leafed through it, and I took a few photos. Because I get the mail first.

Nanami Paper The Writer Journal

This is paper, which isn’t something I usually consider a gift. But I’m doing a project on journals and I thought I could get a good one, or at least a premium one, to see what that’s all about.

Nanami Paper The Writer Journal

It’s pretty good looking, I have to say.

New 2017 Lamy Al-Star Pacific

Laura12 Comments

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Thanks to Fontoplumo, we know the upcoming 2017 Lamy Al-Star will be this blue shade, called Pacific.

At first glimpse, I really like the color. It’s almost an Al-Star version of the no-longer-available Lamy Safari Aquamarine. Which is excellent.

I found this photo on Fontoplumo’s Twitter, which gives me the chance to say that Fontoplumo is another very nice store, from the Netherlands, from whom I’ve purchased before and will again. I’ve actually bought some of my Al-Stars and Safaris from Fontoplumo, because they have excellent prices and the European stores usually get the annual Safaris and Al-Stars first.

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Photo from Fontoplumo Twitter, here

Some Ink Greenery

Laura1 Comment

Pantone Greenery Color of the Year 2017

The color experts at Pantone just announced Greenery as their 2017 Color of the Year. I like it a lot. Of course my thoughts immediately turned to ink. In order: “Great color! Caran d’Ache Delicate Green. No, Sailor Waka-Uguisu.”

The paint swatch above reminds me more of Waka-Uguisu. But here’s the fabric swatch.

Pantone Greenery Color of the Year 2017

The fabric has a shimmer which reflects more light, and that lighter hue also calls to mind Caran d’Ache Delicate Green. But probably because I just love that ink. Greenery is much closer to Waka-Uguisu. It’s more yellow.

Waka-Uguisu and Delicate Green are great colors, and I’m totally on board with Greenery in 2017. It does feel very current. Judging by the inks, the color is interesting but easy to live with, eye-catching but calm.

If you want to see the inks that remind me of Greenery, I have a little review of Waka-Uguisu here. I’ve never reviewed Delicate Green (what?!) but it’s currently in my green Sheaffer “Pen for Me,” so there’s a glimpse of it here.

Pilot-Iroshizuku Chiku-rin is a nice ink which might be an option, but for some reason that one never appealed to me as much as Delicate Green and Waka-Uguisu. Diamine Wagner is much too yellow, and Diamine Meadow I think too green. But both Diamines are good inks on their own.

Despite the huge range of green Lamy Al-Stars and Safaris, there is none close to Greenery. (Because Greenery is a nice green.)  I do hope Lamy does not take this as a challenge.

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Both Greenery swatches from Pantone Twitter.

Pen of the Day: Pelikan M600 Ruby Red with Graf von Faber-Castell Garnet Red

Laura6 Comments

Pelikan M600 Ruby Red fountain pen and Graf von Faber-Castell Garnet Red ink

Pelikan M600 Ruby Red with fine nib. Winter weather’s here, with days dark and drear. Perhaps a new ink might bring some good cheer.

Outside Fountain Pen Follies world headquarters, cold and snow have arrived. Which of course means it’s time for the long-awaited limerick contest winter ink colors. Time for the jewel tones, the dark and rich hues, the seasonal shades.

My first choice this year is Graf von Faber-Castell Garnet Red. I originally tried Garnet Red, and wrote a brief review, last winter. Garnet Red on white paper makes me think of red berries silhouetted against snowy ground.

Graf von Faber-Castell Garnet Red writing sample

Garnet Red is an attractive, business-appropriate maroon or cranberry.  I always love an ink that shades. And Graf von Faber-Castell has a great ink bottle. As a fellow blogger recently pointed out, a bottle of premium ink would make a great Christmas or Hanukkah gift. Start hinting.

I do like my Pelikan M600 Ruby Red with maroon inks. The pen’s acrylic is a mix of the right kind of dark reds.

Pelikan M600 Ruby Red fountain pen closeup