Adventures in: Hand Lettering

I think that I am the last person anyone would expect to find involved in any sort of craft that requires patience and a steady hand.  But hand lettering has always fascinated me, and I've always wanted to give it a try, but alas, no patience. Not to mention the fact that I have a doctor's handwriting on a good day.

I spent a while browsing through the ever-helpful archives of Pinterest for lots of inspiration to help me along the way. My first attempts were so tragic; they resembled a first grader's first use of cursive writing. I almost gave up,  but I'm glad I didn't.

I stopped trying to make my handwriting pretty (which just wasn't going to happen), and instead looked at the examples I had chosen for inspiration and tried to copy them as a drawing. Once I looked at the intricate letters and decorations as art, and not writing, I was able to make a little headway. It took a lot of focus for someone like me, not gonna lie, to focus on such precise and minute detail. I eventually found it to be really therapeutic and relaxing, and was really enjoying myself towards the end of my exploratory session today.

I actually slowed down while working on this one. I think it's my favorite so far. I find it kind of funny... just writing those words helped me to really embrace its meaning in a meditative kind of way. 

I just scribbled with some watercolor pencils to make a background for this one. I was so nervous while drawing the letters, though, in case I messed up and ruined the whole page! Even though the "BE" got a little wonky and I had to change my initial plans, I think it's really cute and cheerful. 

Can't wait to give this a try again and see how I progress over time!

Local Love: Alton

You know that saying, "If you want to make God laugh, make plans" ?

Well, our little seaside dreams have been put on the back burner, at least temporarily. Brighton will have to wait for someday, because Steve just accepted a *great* job, and we're both really thrilled. This will mean a lot of changes, first and foremost being that we will need to move closer to where he now works. Yesterday we hopped in the car and drove south a little, looking for a place to call home. 

At first, I was outwardly happy for him, but personally disappointed that my bungalow by the beach wasn't in our immediate future. One road trip to a little town called Alton changed my mind, and I'm so happy that his job could take us to such a picture-perfect place. 

Strolling around the cobbled streets lined with boutiques, go-to high street shops, fabulous looking (and smelling) restaurants, specialty butchers and greengrocers, and beautiful historic buildings, I could absolutely see myself calling this village home. It has all of the wants of a city, with the charm of a village, and the accessibility of a town. Does that make sense? 

I particularly fell in love with a local fresh grocer, where produce and flowers arrive daily from Covent Garden Market, and all dry goods are in large barrels (no packaging! all sold by weight). And - this was a big plus for me - unlike some local, organic, amazing food markets, this shop didn't pull your pants down over the prices. Nope, just a wonderful neighborhood one stop shop. Even exotic and specialty items that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find after we moved were fresh, in stock, and affordable. 

All in all, the future is looking bright and beautiful. Another chapter begins. 

In With the New

Just a few teaser close-ups of a few of the wonderful new vintage pieces you can find in the shop. 

I'll be continuing to list new items for spring over the next few weeks, so grab some of these one-of-a-kind treasures before they're gone!  

Sweet New Summer Finds!

Head over to www.shopdisowned.com to snag some awesome new vintage pieces just added to the store today!
They're all one of a kind so don't wait :)