Fountain pens Archives - Two California Sisters

Lessons to learn about living from an estate sale

I know, I know, what a strange topic to cover in a post! But on a recent Friday afternoon, I saw the familiar sign directing me to an estate sale near my house. I usually ignore those, but I had a bit of spare time, so I stopped in. To be honest, I was hoping the former resident had been a fountain pen enthusiast! Visions of $5 Mont Blancs were swirling in my head. Alas, that was not the case, but as I wandered through the house, some thoughts occurred to me. And I want to share a few lessons from an estate sale with you…

An obvious lesson is that most of the stuff you are holding on to is worthless.

What to expect on the 10th annual Fountain Pen Day!

November 5th, 2021 is the 10th annual Fountain Pen Day, and I’m looking forward to celebrating it with all those other fountain pen lovers out there. As you may know, I’ve gone pretty deep into this hobby. Last year, I was vaguely aware of the celebration, but I didn’t really celebrate appropriately. This year is going to be different!

classic close up draw expensive — I couldn’t resist using this stock photo of a fountain pen. Who knew there were so many available?? Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Getting the most out of the 2021 SF Pen Show as a newbie

I’ve been diving deep into the world of stationery and pens over the past year and a half (yes, one of those COVID hobbies!) And I’m especially interested in fountain pens. So I was very excited to hear that the SF Pen Show was taking place, after skipping 2020…for all the expected reasons.

I am relatively new to the hobby, so I wanted to make sure I was ready- I watched a couple of videos on pen shows. But as a newbie, I think there are a few other things that more seasoned attendees don’t usually mention.

doggie at SF Pen Show — There are dogs at the SF Pen Show!

How to start journaling- easy and low commitment

If you read this blog even occasionally, you will know that I have been trying a lot of new things during this COVID period. From getting seriously into typewriters to exploring the world of cool stationery, I’ve gone deep (and spent some money along the way!) I guess given my love of paper and pens, journaling is a natural fit for me. And I want to share how to get started with journaling in an easy way. No huge commitments required!

The benefits of journaling seem to be getting a lot of press these days. I guess it’s no surprise, since there seem to be a lot of people struggling financially, mentally and health-wise. And along with meditation, all the cool people seem to be journaling. I’ve kept a journal off and on since high school… and it’s been a little more “off” than “on” recently.

But in my recent efforts to keep my sanity and work on being a better person, journaling seemed to something to consider re-adding to my tool kit. So a few months ago, I picked it up again. And I’ve got some tips for dipping your toes into it, without a huge financial or time commitment.

Trying new things during the pandemic

Around the third week of sheltering in place, I realized that we were going to be in this situation for a lot longer than I originally thought. And after a period of denial and trying to live as normally as possible, I gave myself permission to try some new things, to try doing things in a new way. I want to share what some of those things were and how it’s working out. I’ve given each one a thumbs up or down based on whether I recommend it or not.