Hello, My Name is Hanna, and I am a Font Junkie

I am not a graphic designer, which is what makes this confession even more necessary: I cannot stop downloading cool fonts. So far I haven't taken the step of actually paying for any fonts, which would probably put the whole situation right over the edge into an obsession.

The main issue is that I rarely get the opportunity to try out the awesome fonts I have added (and added and added) to my collection. So here I am, confessing my addiction. The first step is admitting you have a problem. And my problem is that I don't have any projects that require fun graphic fonts. (Not, of course, that I need to stop collecting them.)

Here are a few of my favorites:

Pompadour Numerals* by Andy Mangold

Marketing Script** by FontShop

Home Sweet Home*** by Ray Larabie

Ranger* by Evan Huwa

karabine.** by Jonathan Paquette

And here are all of the lovely sources:
*Selections 1, 4: Lost Type Co-op
**Selections 2, 5: Fonts2u
***Selections 3: My Fonts

Not mentioned, but equally great: The League of Moveable Type.

Runnin' Through My Head

Just discovered We Are Augustines, and they are amazing!

My favorite song so far is Chapel Song, but I suspect it's because I haven't stopped listening to it long enough to make it the whole way through any of their other songs yet.

They have a unique way of matching incredibly sad lyrics with catchy tunes. For the incredibly moving back story of the development of their album, watch this.

When Projects Go Wrong

I finished nearly all of my project's for my sister's upcoming wedding, and I realized this past weekend that I was bored. No longer could I tootle through my weekend content with a bike ride to the grocery store and some weeding. I needed a higher purpose. Okay, I suppose crafting is no where near a higher purpose, but reading a book on the porch wasn't cutting it for a whole day.

I turned to my trusty "to do" list, where I had written "Make bag" nearly a year ago when I had bought the pattern for said bag. I read through the instructions a few times, made sure I had all the materials I needed (and the list was wide-ranging and boded well what was to come. Snaps, large dowels, felt lining, buttons, d-rings...endless, right?)

Stay with me here, this may seem off topic, but we'll circle back to a point. I know that the 4-H materials natter on about how it teaches kids about responsibility, science, and loads of other malarky about "positive youth development," but besides requiring me to lie and cheat, (I'm sorry, no kid has that much project time with their parents that they can manage to complete not only their Fair project, but 6-7 other ridiculous projects that NO ONE WILL EVER SEE. You show me a kid in 4-H whose parent did 87% of the Fair project, and more than likely, I can show you a kid who got a Grand Champion ribbon. I did my own Fair projects I am proud to say, but I will admit to fabricating the completion of a diagram of all of the outfits in my closet and how they all fit together. Yeah, that is a real thing.) 4-H taught me one thing that has benefited me time and again. How to hold it together the fifth time you have to seam rip the same f'ing seam.

Don't get me wrong. Curse words were said. But, nothing was thrown, and I was able to refrain from ripping the fabric in half Incredible Hulk style. I count that a major victory, especially at midnight on Sunday when I discovered that due to poor pattern instructions I had sewn a section that wasn't supposed to be sewn causing my bag to be accessible through a mere inch opening when the dowels were in place.

Yeah, see that little 4-inch side seam in the picture on the left? That's not supposed to be sewn, making it so you can actually open the bag.

So thanks, 4-H. When I turned my bag right side out and realized I couldn't fit a damn thing in my overnight bag unless I was only planning to pack some important files and my iPad, you gave me the ability to whisper that f-bomb, fold the bag, place it gently on the sewing table, and head to bed.

Yet Another Joke I Had to Explain to My Husband

Recent Conversation #7

Him: Why is someone writing on our bananas?
Me: Huh?
Him: It says someone's name.
Me: What? What does it say?
Him: It says "Hammock."
Me: Oh, babe. That's not a name.
Him: Well then what does it mean?
Me: What is it written on? What does it say? Put the two words together.
Him: Banana hammock?
Me: Really? You still don't get it?
Him: What the hell is that?

Love Looks Good On Everyone

What a lovely collection of vignettes by New York Magazine of some of the newly married couples in New York since gay marriage was legalized.

Did you know?
On July 24, 2011 when couples were actually allowed to begin marrying, the first same-sex couple in the state were married in Niagara Falls at midnight. Niagara Falls was lit in a rainbow for the first time in honor of the occasion.

I read these and have such a hard time fathoming how anyone can think that allowing same-sex couples to marry can do anything to damage marriage. More marriages based on deep love and years of commitment will only make the institution of marriage stronger and more meaningful.

All images by Spencer Heyfron
Article via Emily Scott via New York Magazine, "It's Official."

Why I've Been MIA

My younger sister's bridal shower was this past weekend. We decided that her shower would have a nautical theme,* and I may have gone a bit overboard on my decoration projects.

I tackled homemade frosting and cupcakes that I topped with handmade international code flags of my sister and her husband-to-be's first and last initials (J, A, and H).


 I sewed international code flag buntings that said the couple's last name-to-be and the bride and groom's nicknames.




I made yellow and white tissue paper pom-poms to hang from the ceiling.

I sewed over 100 foot of crepe paper ruffle. 

My youngest sister made the book page banner (out of pages from an old copy of Little Women) that says "You float my boat."




I made tiny red, white, and blue paper buntings for the miniature origami boat regatta game we invented. (My mom made the 50 small origami boats.)

*Funny story, part of my gift to my sister was two WWII signal flags that I found on eBay. I initially bought them without realizing what they meant. After discovering that there was a different flag for each letter, I was first disappointed that I had given her two flags that stood for the letter "p" because that letter really doesn't have any significance at all. However, I later discovered that while the flag stood for the letter "p," it also means "About to Sail," which is so incredibly fitting for someone getting ready to get married! And better yet, two p's together mean, "Keep well clear of me" which will come in handy on all sorts of occasions after the wedding. I just love a multi-purpose gift, don't you?