Summer 2019

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It’s Memorial Day, which I always think of as the unofficial start to summer. Whenever the seasons change, I change up my ink colors, seasonal clothes for the kids, candle scents and seasonal recipes. Summer means bright, fun colors, all the bright inks, shorts, fresh citrus candles, and lots of dinners on the grill. Let’s talk about some of my current favorite summer supplies.

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Summer Rainbow

Rainbows make my heart happy. I love this bright, fun rainbow of inks: Diamine Yellow, Diamine Jade Green, Sailor Ink Studio 460, J Herbin Vert Reseda, Robert Oster Australian Sky Blue, Monteverde Confidence Blue, Sailor Ink Studio 435, Diamine Scarlet, Sailor Ink Studio 230, Montblanc Lucky Orange, Robert Oster Peach and Pilot Iroshizuku Daikokuten.

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Warm Summer Skies:

Some days I want all the pinks and warm colors, for those days I use inks like: Montblanc Beatles Psychedelic Purple, Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-budo, Sailor Ink Studio 731, Diamine Wild Strawberry, Robert Oster Pen Addict Fire on Fire and Diamine 1864 Blue Black.

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Fruit Loops:

It’s those darn rainbows again, they get me every time! Diamine Flamingo Pink, Pelikan Edelstein Mandarin, Robert Oster Yellow Sunset, Sailor Ink Studio 767 and Kaweco Paradise Blue.

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Blue Skies:

For the days I’m craving blue: Robert Oster Opal Green, Diamine Soft Mint, Diamine Aqua Blue, Papier Plume Calle Real and Robert Oster Carbon Fire.

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Rainy Days:

I live in the Pacific Northwest, and while it may be summer some days are nothin’ but rain. For those moody, rainy days: Sailor Ink Studio 246, Sailor Ink Studio 464, Robert Oster Sublime, Monteverde Rose Noir, Lamy Dark Lilac and Sailor Ink Studio 223. 223 is actually a dark grey ink, but on this Life Bank paper it looks green!

Paper

Now that we’ve talked about some summery inks, let’s move on to some current favorite papers. Right now I’m loving:

  • Tomoe River Paper-It’s my favorite, really the best paper for fountain pens.

  • Life Bank Paper-I just started using this paper recently, and I’m pretty sure I’m in love with it.

  • Life Paper-I love Life Noble paper and the writing paper. So far I haven’t tried any Life paper that I haven’t enjoyed.

  • Midori MD-slightly toothy, uncoated, overall awesome, both the standard and the Cotton versions.

  • Leuchtturm-this is a great basic paper, I use it often for letters and to-do lists.

Pens

My favorite pens are always changing, right now I’m using these ones the most:

  • Franklin-Christoph 46 Autumn Oak, M nib-I haven’t had this pen that long, but it’s been inked up ever since I got it. I seem to write it dry every couple days and immediately refill it, it’s a perfect match with Sailor Jentle Black. It’s also a great size for my hands and I love that the threads are at the top of the section rather than at the bottom. I only have this one FC 46, but now I want it in all the colors. I’m pretty sure I’m going to turn into one of those people that stalk the Franklin-Christoph tables at pen shows!

  • Pelikan M605 White Transparent, M nib-I love this pen. It’s an absolute favorite. This is pretty much the same size as the FC 46 I listed above, and is the perfect size for my hands. The nib is just a bit bouncy and nice and juicy. I have this pen in a few other colors, but they all have gold trim so the 605 is my favorite.

  • Pilot Vanishing Point Galaxy, B nib-I always have at least one Vanishing Point inked up, (ok, so I always have at least 4 of them inked up because I love them) and the broad nib is my favorite. It’s just a little bit bouncy and while the converter doesn’t hold a ton of ink, it just means I get to switch up ink colors more often.

  • Kaweco Al-Sport Rose Gold, M nib-while Kaweco pens are a bit small for me, I love the weight of the Al-Sport series. The nib is smooth and consistent, and I love the rose gold finish.

  • Pilot Custom 74 Teal, M nib-while I hate the converter, the pen is great, the nib is wonderful and the color is beautiful.

  • Sailor Pro Gear Slim Supernova, B nib-I love red pens, and I’m pretty sure I’ll never have enough of them. The Slim size is a bit small for my hands, but I’ve really been enjoying the broad nib, and it’s so sparkly!

Some pens I love for summer, just because they are bright, happy colors:

  • Pilot Vanishing Point Crimson Sunrise

  • TWSBI Eco Blossom Red

  • TWSBI Eco Pink

  • Kaweco Sport Orange

  • Kaweco Sport Yellow Sunrise

  • TWSBI Eco Transparent Green

  • Pelikan M805 Vibrant Blue

  • Pelikan M600 Turquoise

  • Lamy AL-Star Pacific Blue

  • Pelikan M600 Violet

Candles

One random thing about me is that I love candles. June makes me want all the fresh citrus scents. I recently discovered Candles off Main, a small family-owned candle store. They have amazing customer service and frequently run sales. Here’s a few I’m loving right now:

Summer Food

Mel’s Kitchen Cafe is one of my favorite food blogs. She does a great job with her photography, and my family always eats every bite when I try her recipes. Another site I love is Cook’s Illustrated. A few recipes we’ve been loving lately:

Alright, now that I’ve shared some of my summery favorites, what are some of yours? Let me know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. There are no affiliate links on this page, and this post is not sponsored in any way.