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Author: Rachel

2023 St. Louis Pen Show

2023 St. Louis Pen Show

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2023 St. Louis Pen Show

Posted in Pen Shows

Jim and I needed a vacation after all of the Athena stress, but we had trouble figuring out where to go. We ended up deciding on a long weekend trip to the St. Louis Pen Show. We weren’t really sure what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised.

The entrance/registration desk was at the same level as the hotel lobby, with the show itself one floor below. Thankfully, there were both two elevators and a stairway, so there wasn’t a bottleneck — at least not that I saw.

The space allotted for the show was rather large. There were two adjoining rooms, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say there was a large conference/ballroom with an anteroom. However, you want to look at it, both areas were used as show floor.

Ink Battle: Diamine and Monarca

Ink Battle

Ink Battle: Diamine and Monarca

Posted in Ink

As I mentioned in my first ink battle post I do my best to purchase inks I’ve already tested, but that isn’t always possible. And so, more often than I would like, I end up with a couple — or more — inks that are very similar.

Based on the comments that I received on my last post, I need to clarify a couple of things. An ink battle — unlike ink dupes — is between two inks I like. I enjoy using them enough to have them both in my ink collection. If one of the inks performed poorly or caused problems, I wouldn’t keep it. And, if that were the case, an ink battle would be unnecessary.

Bottom line: you can assume I have no problems with any ink that appears in an ink battle. I may decide, when using the inks side-by-side, that one performs better, but the point of the battle is to choose a favorite color. I use a pair of similar inks in pens with the same nib, then test them out to see which I like better.

Ink Rainbow

Ink Rainbow

Posted in Ink

I’ve got another tag post today, but it actually originates in the fountain pen world this time! Issue 338 of Ink Journal (6/11/23) featured Ginger Peachy Pens‘ YouTube video, A Rainbow of Ink Faves TAG #InkRainbow23.

An ink rainbow seems especially apropos given that it’s pride month. I’m following Sarah’s rule of going with the first ink to come to mind in each color category, but I’m adjusting the color categories somewhat.

I don’t have enough pink inks to need a magenta-specific category, but I do have enough gray inks to warrant their own category. I also have enough blues and purples to add blue-black and blurple.

Fountain Pen Cosplay

Fountain Pen Cosplay

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Fountain Pen Cosplay

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Personal

If you’re a member of Goulet Nation, or if you follow me on Instagram, there’s a good chance you know about my Makeup Monday posts. On any Monday that I have the time to do so, I match my makeup to a pen. Usually a pen I own, occasionally a pen I want, sometimes one of NibsAndFlourishes beautiful photos.

At some point, someone on Goulet Nation called it fountain pen cosplay. While I still wish people a happy Makeup Monday, I tend to think of the matching by that term. Over the years that I’ve been “cosplaying” as fountain pens, I can’t count the number of times someone has requested that I teach a class or write a post. So, I’m finally doing so. Having said that, I’ve tried to write this post so many times. Never have I started a post as many times as I have this one. But, I think I’ve got it figured out now.

Be aware, this post is really long. I’ve added links so you can pop straight down to any section that interests you if you don’t want to read the whole thing.

Out of Reach Pens

Out of Reach Pens

Out of Reach Pens

Posted in Fountain Pens

A while back, a question was posted to the Facebook group Goulet Nation:

Are there any pens that just are outside our reach but stay in our desired list even as we know we won’t get them?

I’m highly fortunate to be able to purchase most pens I want, but there are definitely some that are outside of my reach. To be honest, even if I won the lottery, I don’t know that I’d buy these pens. I have a hard time imagining spending so much for a single item — big ticket items, like a house or car, excluded.

Genetic Testing for Mental Health

Genetic Testing for Mental Health

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Genetic Testing for Mental Health

Posted in Personal

I’ve written about mental health a few times now, generally to share information I’ve recently learned. This post only differs from those in that I haven’t recently learned about genetic testing for mental health.

Jim credits the genetic test he took about 9 years ago with changing his life. The one I took about 2.5 years ago wasn’t quite as influential, but it saved me from the medication equivalent of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Neither Jim nor I have done much research recently on the genetic tests we took. So, I won’t attempt to give you much in the way of up-to-date information. Instead, I want to tell you about what we each got out of taking the tests. I hope this gives you enough information to be able to talk to your doctor about getting a test done, especially if your current treatment isn’t getting you the results you want.

Dupe The Expensive Vibes

Dupe the Expensive Vibes

Dupe The Expensive Vibes

Posted in Fountain Pens

If you’ve been a fountain pen person for any length of time, you likely know that their prices have a VERY wide range. But, if you aren’t married to a name brand, you can get the feel of more expensive pens for a small fraction of the cost.

Granted, I make no promises on the quality of the various pens and nibs. Some may be great, some may be crap. But, these let you have that expensive look without the dollar outlay. And, if you’re saving enough on the pen, there’s little a good nibmeister can’t fix.

Note: I’m NOT talking about knock-offs today. That will be in a future post.

Pen Porn: Retro 51 Tudor Armor

Pen Porn: Retro 51 Tudor Armor

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Pen Porn: Retro 51 Tudor Armor

Posted in Non-Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with high-quality pen porn. 😉

Retro 51 Tudor Armor

Athena: One Month Post Treatment

Athena: One Month Post Treatment

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Athena: One Month Post Treatment

Posted in Cat

This post is a continuation of my series on her treatment and integration into the household. If you haven’t already, I suggest reading my previous posts on her. You can find them on her tag page.

Like the previous posts, this one is in a journal-esque format. I’m covering major/important events and updates, rather than what happens each day.

Pen Porn: Iron Feather Creative Commission

Pen Porn: Iron Feather Creative Commission

Pen Porn: Iron Feather Creative Commission

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with high-quality pen porn. 😉

Iron Feather Creative Mayan Pen

Ink Battle: Colorverse and Lamy

Ink Battle

Ink Battle: Colorverse and Lamy

Posted in Ink

While I do my best, especially recently, to only buy inks I’ve already tried, sometimes that isn’t possible. Because of this, I have some inks that are incredibly similar in color.

I’ve decided to have “ink battles” to figure out which to keep. I’m going to put the similar inks into pens with the same nib, then test them out to see which I like better. Or, I may find out that, when used with the same nib, they’re sufficiently different to keep them both.

Depending on how these “battles” turn out, I may tag some of the posts as ink dupes as well. You’ll be able to find all of the ink battles posts on the tag page.

An Unsponsored HelloFresh Review

An unsponsored HelloFresh review

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An Unsponsored HelloFresh Review

Posted in Non-Stationery Reviews

DISCLAIMER: I want to start with an acknowledgement that I’m vaguely aware of HelloFresh’s promise that produce goes from farm to your front door in 7 days. And they have a program to help needy families. However, I haven’t done any research into either. With this post, I’m trying to share my thoughts on the experience of heaving a HelloFresh subscription. Neither of the two aforementioned items factor into my experience of subscribing to HelloFresh.

If you watch YouTube at all, you’ve likely seen an ad or sponsored post on HelloFresh. After a million and one ads, I finally gave into curiosity and gave HelloFresh a try. Having done so, I want to share an unsponsored review. There are some heavily promoted points that just aren’t true. And there are some things worth knowing that don’t get discussed at all.

Pen Porn: Benu Talisman Sakura

Pen Porn: Benu Talisman Sakura

Pen Porn: Benu Talisman Sakura

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with high-quality pen porn. 😉

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m letting myself collect the Benu Talisman pens that have shaped glitter. I love the swirly material on the Sakura; and I’m not unmoved by the flower-shaped glitter.

Benu Talisman Sakura

Review – The Hypocrite

Book Review Featured Image

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Review – The Hypocrite

Posted in Book Blogger

The Hypocrite

by Shana Granderson, A Lady

Genres: Regency Romance, Historical Romance
Release Date: November 5, 2020
Pages: 765 pages
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

***PLEASE NOTE: This is a new and edited version of ‘The Hypocrite.’ The faulty manuscript has been corrected and replaced. I hope that you enjoy the updated and edited story.***

The Hypocrite is a low angst, sweet and clean tale about the relationship dynamics between Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet after his disastrous and insult laden proposal at Hunsford. How does our heroine react to his proposal and the behaviour that she has witnessed from Darcy up to that point in the story?

The traditional villains from Pride and Prejudice that we all love to hate make an appearance in my story BUT they are not the focus. Other than Miss Bingley, whose character provides the small amount of angst in this tale, they play a very small role and are dealt with quickly. If dear reader you are looking for an angst filled tale rife with dastardly attempts to disrupt ODC then I am sorry to say, you will not find that in my book.

This story is about the consequences of the decisions made by the characters portrayed within. Along with Darcy and Elizabeth, we examine the trajectory of the supporting character’s lives around them. How are they affected by decisions taken by ODC coupled with the decisions that they make themselves? How do the decisions taken by members of the Bingley/Hurst family affect them and their lives?

The Bennets are assumed to be extremely wealthy for the purposes of my tale, the source of that wealth is explained during the telling of this story. The wealth, like so much in this story is a consequence of decisions made Thomas Bennet and Edward Gardiner.

If you like a sweet and clean, low angst story, then dear reader, sit back, pour yourself a glass of your favourite drink and read, because this book is for you.

Evocative Pens

Evocative Pens

Posted in Fountain Pens

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while, but it kept getting pushed back. So, some of these pens are rather old at this point. However, the premise still holds true: all of these pens remind me of of other, non-pen, items.

Please note: I’ve borrowed all of these images, they are not mine. Each image links to the page where I found it. In the future, some of the links likely won’t work.

Why I Took a Break

Rachel's Reflections, Blog Post

Why I Took a Break

Posted in Personal

There’s a small chance you noticed that I didn’t post much last month. The few posts I shared at the beginning of April were pre-written.

On March 29, my first cat, Sandy, died unexpectedly at the vet during a drop-off appointment for a very routine blood sugar monitor application. He was my little old man, my Sandman, my Colonel Sanders. Needless to say, I wasn’t really feeling like myself.

Sandy sleeping in his favorite cat bed. — By the way, these are not all on the same day, they are each about a month apart.

Sandy sleeping in his favorite cat bed. — By the way, these are not all on the same day, they are each about a month apart.

I know a lot of people are against others sharing tragedies, but every time I tell the story, it gets a little easier. I’ve been finding it’s true that a burden shared is a burden halved.

Athena: On To Observation

Athena: On To Observation

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Athena: On To Observation

Posted in Cat

This post is a continuation of my series on her treatment and integration into the household. If you haven’t already, I suggest reading my previous posts on her. You can find them on her tag page.

Like the previous posts, this one is in a journal-esque format. I’m covering major/important events and updates, rather than what happens each day.

Sharing Tips: Learning New Pens

Sharing Tips: Learning New Pens

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Sharing Tips: Learning New Pens

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Ink

I came across the following information as the pinned comment on Liane Likes‘ video Part 1: My Fountain Pen Journey, Conversation with seemownay. The comment was posted by Iron Mic; unfortunately, I don’t have any further information about them. I copied and pasted the information directly from the comment, but I added a couple of paragraph breaks to make it easier to read.

8 Pen Questions

8 Pen Questions

8 Pen Questions

Posted in Fountain Pens

This post is an answer to the questions in Liane Likes‘ video Part 1: My Fountain Pen Journey, Conversation with seemownay. Liane Likes collaborated with seemownay who posted How many Fountain Pens is enough? Interview with lianelikes Part 2 of Conversation.

I discovered Liane Likes’ video through Ink Journal’s weekly newsletter.

Pen Porn: Gioia Cameo Edition

Pen Porn: Gioia Cameo Edition

Pen Porn: Gioia Cameo Edition

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with high-quality pen porn. 😉

Jim bought his first Gioia pen well over a year ago, and has really enjoyed having it in his collection. However, until the Cameo Edition was released, their library of models hadn’t really called to me.

Gioia Cameo Edition capped