Week 5: In which I take quill to parchment

Quite a while ago, my brother got me this gorgeous calligraphy set as a gift. It has since held a place of honor on display in my living room, but I've been too much of a wuss to actually give it a go. For one, I don't know calligraphy. For another, I'm left-handed, and as any lefty will tell you, any writing implement involving ink is Not To Be Trifled With.

I bet all that ink would look fantastic splashed all over my hands...
said no left-handed person ever.

But I really, really wanted to use the pretty quill and the pretty ink, so I decided that this week was the week. I took it as a good sign that the first YouTube video I found when I was hunting for general tips on how to use the quill featured a left-handed guy. I watched him a couple times, and then went to hunt down some calligraphy tutorials, even happier when I found one for a school that was made by a lefty (odds are only the other left-handed kids shown the tutorial even noticed, but believe me, they did).

Time to get this ink-stained show on the road!

After I'd seen all there was to see, I Googled around for some alphabet templates and gave it a go. It was suspiciously like being in Kindergarten again, trying to write your letters. Sadly, it looked exactly like that, too...

It's funny 'cause it's true.

Eventually, I settled on some templates from here, and decided to just pick an alphabet and go for it. Below is my final attempt at the Unical font, in all its beginner glory:

Hey, at least you can read the letters.

And then I figured, why not, I'll write my name (in Italic font on top, and Unical font on the bottom):

That's my name, don't wear it out.

I honestly tried one of the fancier fonts...for about five seconds. When I stopped laughing, I gave up. Some fonts are not meant for mere mortals such as myself, with one day of self-taught calligraphy under their belts. It is definitely an art form, and the pen/brush/pencil/etc.-to-paper arts have never been a thing I'm any good at. I am definitely intrigued, however, and since I have the basic tools I'm sort of hoping I'll come across the opportunity to take a formal class at some point.

As soon as I get all this ink off my hands.

Weeks 3 & 4: In which I am lame, and then become lame

I missed a week. I didn't mean to! I continue to be amazed at how easy it is to let the days pass you by, to settle into your routine and do absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. All that time, and not a single new thing done. Astounding. But there you have it.

I intended to make up for it the next week by doing two new things, which was going to be an easy fix because I had big plans for the weekend...and then I landed myself at the doctor's office instead and did an unintentional New Thing that has since been making my life painfully difficult:

Strained deltoid ligament, anyone?

I recently (seriously) ramped up my exercise regimen, and although I thought I was being responsible about it, I apparently miscalculated myself right into a brace for the first time ever. That I've only managed to injure myself now, at age 30, recreationally exercising, when I competitively participated in three different sports all through high school, makes me feel pathetic and old. Ah, well. Supposedly if I stay off my foot as much as possible for two weeks and keep it in this horrendously inconvenient brace, I'll be good as new.

Week 2: In which I channel all my mad HGTV skills

I am pretty well in love with my new apartment. It has somehow conspired to provide opportunities for me to have several things I've always wanted but never managed, most to do with writing or reading or places to put the things I use to write or read. One of the things this place has is very deep-set windows—deep enough to sit in, much to the delight of my cats and myself alike.
This week, I decided to take the window in my office and turn it into a proper window seat. Driving around and purchasing all the needed materials took me four hours (including a stop for lunch). Actually building the window seat took an hour and a half, and I now feel like I should have my own show on HGTV.

No, seriously, look at how awesomely deep this window is.
Every window in my apartment looks just like this.
Oh, yeah. My "Before" picture. Also, you know, for insurance purposes in case I break it.

Alas, all my fun tools are in storage, because I no longer have a garage.
I had to have people at the stores cut everything to size for me.

I have SUCH loathing for staple guns. I always forget, until I'm forced to use one.
I used this for an hour straight. It's pretty much the only tool you need for this project.

"After." I didn't break anything! It looks fantastic! I love it!
I should mention, this window is situated between two bookshelves, so it's incredibly appropriate. :)

A close-up of the "seat" part.

I can safely say this is the first time I've constructed a window seat. I'm very pleased with how it turned out, and I'm frankly shocked that it took me less than two hours from start to finish. I'm a cross-stitcher and a scrapbooker; fabric isn't my scene, so I was really nervous about this one. I can't wait to spend some quality time reading on it!

Week 1: In which I feed watery beasties and become a cartoon

I just moved to Texas, and one of the fun things to do in my area is a touristy-type boardwalk, complete with bay-front views, amusement park rides, and plenty of indoor sights to beat the southern heat. One of the indoor venues is Stingray Reef, where I decided the opportunity to feed the stingrays was just too good to pass up:

You put fish between your knuckles and tuck all your fingers in...
I assume so they don't get bitten off.

I'm happy to say I did not lose any fingers. Stingray mouths tickle.

I was at the boardwalk with family, and I did one more thing I've never done before—a twofer in my first week! My mom and I had cartoon versions of ourselves drawn. My mom has had this done before, with my dad, but I haven't. The picture now hangs in my front hallway:

Even in cartoon form, my hair has gone poofy in the Texas humidity.

I almost feel like I'm cheating, doing this having just moved to an entirely new region of the country. I'm hoping 52 New will get me out and about, meeting new people and doing all sorts of new things in my Texas home!

Fifty-Two New (things, that is)

On May 30, I hit the big 3-0. This has not led to some epic midlife crisis like it does for some people; my 20s were nothing to sing about and I'm thrilled to be entering a new decade in my life. There's been a lot of change around me recently, all good, and I'm determined to keep up the momentum. To that end, I've decided to revive an idea I once had to try one new thing—something I've never done before—each week for a year. The last time I gave it a go, life got in the way (as it tends to do). I'm hoping that this time, with a new start and the proper motivation, I'll have a full 52 weeks of new experiences to look back on when my 31st birthday rolls around on May 30, 2014. Wish me luck!