Press Release: April 2009

Chicago Pen Collector Leads Writing Workshop at Chicago Middle School

Lynn Green and daughter Lauren Baker, pen collectors extraordinaire, along with TT Patton of Barrington, will lead a fun writing workshop for middle school students of Chicago. This workshop will be held at 9am during Ms. Sims and Ms. de Jong’s 5th grade classes at John J. Pershing West Magnet School on Wednesday April 22, 2009.

This is a great opportunity for inner-city school children to learn about the history of writing instruments and to improve their handwriting skills with novel writing instruments they might not have been exposed to before.  They will also outline the history of writing instruments, from stick to fountain pen, and share an incredible collection of rare, fine writing instruments.   Each student will receive a Pilot Varsity Fountain Pen to keep and a bag of other “stationery goodies” to encourage both creative writing and good penmanship.  They will learn to use their fountain pen and then practice with inks.  Upon completion of the program students receive stationery to write a letter to someone close to them in celebration of Mother’s Day.   A fun and educational program!  

Lynn and Lauren were overwhelmed with the support from pen and stationery dealers in support of this program.  “As a pen collector, I thought it might be nice to share my passion with students in the inner-city to spur their interest in fine pens at a young age”, says Lynn Green.  But as the program started to take shape, many dealers near and far, such as Total Office Products of Georgia, Airline International of Texas, Fine Life Media (Stylus Magazine) of Connecticut, Exaclair, Inc. of New York, YAFA of California, and Pentiques of Ohio donated pens, t-shirts and other stationery items to be given to the children.  “I think it is so important that children continue to understand the sincerity a handwritten note can convey.  I was so excited about the program, I was happy to help in any way possible,” says Theresa Patton, owner of TT Patton of Barrington.

It's a pen show.

Saturday, Dec. 13th 11am - 3pm

Sample new pens and find the perfect gift!

20% off all pens all day!

Molly K. O'Shaughnessy shares a passion for the written word in her first book Just Write, the Art of Personal Correspondence, offering unique tips and solutions to create meaningful sentiments in written form. While the internet provides instant information, a hand-written missive fosters true intimacy. Get to know others and yourself through the art of writing - expressing gratitude, journaling, sharing humor, offering condolences and celebrating life.  Just Write!

On Saturday, December 6, 2008, from 11am - 3pm, Molly will sign her book and share tips on writing notes for spouses and children, journaling, and creative writing. Sample letters, notes, and poems, along with sidebars and tips on improving writing and relationships will be discussed.

Join us as Chrstine Mason Miller reads from and signs her very inspirational book Saturday November 22, 2008 from 11am - 3pm.

Is it possible to find meaning in our day to day existence? Can wisdom be attained while we run errands, do the dishes and pay our bills? Ordinary Sparkling Moments - a joyful combination of the writing, collage and photography of Christine Mason Miller - explores these questions and more, celebrating the deeper truths that await our discovery in some of life's most mundane moments.

Ellyn Spragins, New York Times Bestselling author, launches her next book... IF I'D KNOWN THEN - Women in Their 20s and 30s Write Letters to Their Younger Selves.  This is another inspirational book in Ellyn's 'WHAT I KNOW NOW' series, letters that will change your life.  On July 19th, Ellyn will conduct a writing workshop at TT Patton for High School Girls and lead them through the process of writing letters to their younger and future selves.  

Later in the evening, the letters will be on display to share with the Barrington community in an evening cocktail reception hosted by TT Patton at Francesca’s Famiglia.  Our guest entertainment will be acclaimed singer/performer and Blue Note Recording Artist Elisabeth Withers also featured in the book.  Elisabeth is well known for her debut solo hit CD titled It Can Happen to Anyone, and her Tony Award nomination for her role as the seductive Shug Avery in the Broadway production The Color Purple, produced by Oprah Winfrey.

Tickets for the evening event are $30 per person.  Seating is limited so call today to reserve your tickets for a journal club event you will not want to miss.  Click Here to view the invitation!  High School Girls can sign up for the writing workshop and attend the event for free!

Join TT Patton for an exciting workshop with Nancy Olson, editor of Stylus, a magazine focused on the past, present and future of fine writing instruments.  During this interesting and informative presentation, Nancy will outline the history of pens from sticks to fountains and demonstrate what makes a great writing instrument. You will also get a chance to practice with inks and other quills as Nancy shares why she’s excited from her recent experience at Paperworld 2008, an international pen show held in Germany. Whether you’re a pen enthusiast or a novice, anyone interested in writing will not want to miss this special event!

Nancy will also be on hand to help you select the right pen for yourself or as a gift from our extensive pen selection from brands like, Caran d’Ache, LAMY, Visconti, OMAS and Yard-O-Led.

Thursday, May 1, 2008 – 6:00 pm – Refreshments Served – $30 Workshop Fee (Includes a LAMY Pen)

Limited seating! Call and reserve your seat today!

Travelogue Theater: Mail Art Diorama

Juliana Coles will lead a visual journaling project, filled with self-expression.

Take a break from the hustle and bustle of last minute holiday shopping and bring your friends and family together for an evening of fun, refreshments, and creativity!  Using your favorite travel images of places real or imagined we will create a magical gift box...or create a holiday Winter Wonderland.  The perfect gift or stocking stuffer, these boxes are such a treasure, you'll want to make one for everyone on your list!

Feel free to bring your favorite creative supplies, and be sure to bring a bunch of well traveled images such as photos, maps, book pages/text, ticket stubs, etc. and we will use them to combine travel with postage (yours or ours), and create a beautiful and spectacular box.

Call and reserve your seat today!

Friday, December 21, 2007 - 5:00- 7:30 pm

About Juliana Coles

Juliana Coles began her creative journey at an early age by keeping a sketchbook as soon as her tiny hand could hold a stylus.  She has maintained a practice of writing her inner thoughts in a journal since the age of 11, and has combined the two, in some form or another since she was 14.

Juliana developed a solid foundation for her creative expression by receiving a BFA from the Academy of Art College in San Francisco with a minor in English and Dance.  Her path as an artist has brought her numerous awards and based on her artistic expression, she developed Extreme Journaling as a tool for healing and self dialogue in 1992 for the Epilepsy Society.  

She offers workshops and retreats internationally, including a recent Visual Journaling retreat in Greece.  Her Visual Journals are featured in "Making Journals By Hand," by  Jason Thompson, and appear in Lynne Perrella's "Artist Sketchbooks and Journals", "The Altered Image," by Karen Michel and many others.

Thanks to all that participated in our anniversary sale internet survey on writewithus.com.

The winner is lwalton13.  You win a 2008 Filofax Planner!  

And the results were...
70% keep a journal at least sometimes
60% send greeting cards more often than holidays and birthdays
90% use fountain pens at least occasionally

Watch for new questions on writewithus.com and a chance to win stationery, pens and greeting cards the 1st of every month!

If you could send a letter back through time to your younger self, what would the letter say?

An evening with Ellyn Spragins, author of What I Know Now: Letters to My Younger Self.  In this moving collection, forty-one famous women write letters to the women they once were, filled with advice and insights they wish they had had when they were younger.

Today show correspondent Ann Curry writes to herself as a rookie reporter in her first job, telling herself not to change so much to fit in, urging her young self, “It is time to be bold about who you really are.”  “Your hair matters far, far less than you think,” is the wry advice that begins the letter bestselling mystery writer Lisa Scottoline pens to her twenty-year old self. And Maya Angelou, leaving home at seventeen with a newborn baby in her arms, assures herself she will succeed on her own, even if she does return home every now and then.

These remarkable women are joined by Madeleine Albright, Queen Noor of Jordan, Cokie Roberts, Naomi Wolf, Eileen Fisher, Jane Kaczmarek, Olympia Dukakis, Macy Gray, and many others. Their letters contain rare glimpses into the personal lives of extraordinary women and powerful wisdom that readers will treasure.

Ellyn will share wisdom learned from writing this extraordinary book and lead an exercise on writing a letter to your younger self. 

Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 6:00 pm

Refreshments Served - $30 Workshop Fee

Register by September 13th for a chance to win an Italian leather journal at the workshop!

Seena Frost, M. Div, and M.A., a licensed marriage and family therapist of Watsonville, California, created SoulCollage™ by combining three of her life passions: spirituality, psychology and creativity. Frost says, “SoulCollage™ is a system for creating a deck of cards which is a visual journal, your own living journal to which you can add over years. Your deck of SoulCollage™ cards will help you identify and image your diverse inner parts, the beautiful ones and shadowy ones, the easy-to-like ones, and the harder-to-like ones.”  SoulCollage™ enables us to access our hidden creativity and reach deep inside, all on a delightful journey of self-discovery!

In this workshop, led by Kathleen Botsford, you will learn quick and easy ways to access your intuition as you create a personal deck of cards to honor and explore every facet of YOU!  Kathy’s energy and experience creates an environment that supports creativity and that is safe for each person to explore and express his or her unique soul, in its lightness and its shadow. We will disengage our "mind," get out of our heads and remember the childhood joy of playing with pictures, scissors, paste and paper as we create personal collage cards to reflect our own life's journeys. Cards containing the images you select - or the images that select you - come straight through your soul, bypassing your mind.  You will leave with ideas on how to use your SoulCollage™ cards for your own self-discovery.

SoulCollage™ is for anyone attracted to images and to the fun of introspective learning.  No artistic experience is necessary as everyone is an artist!  Explore without boundaries.   Seating is limited so sign up today!

Thursday, June 28, 2007 – 6:00 pm
Refreshments Served - $40 Workshop Fee (Includes All Supplies)

Sign up before June 21st and get free stationery!

Join us as Beth Jacobs, PhD, adjunct faculty member of Northwestern University Medical School and author of "Writing for Emotional Balance", leads a workshop on therapeutic applications of journal writing.  Dr. Jacobs, a clinical psychologist with a special interest in journal-assisted therapy will explain how journals can be very effective for emotional management; a place where you can clarify, release, organize, and soothe your feelings.  Experiment without consequences. 

Thursday, March 8, 2007 - 6:00 pm
Refreshments Served - $25 Workshop Fee

Call and reserve your seat by March 1st and get free stationery!

An evening with Tama Kieves, the best selling author of "This Time I Dance! Creating the Work You Love".  Kieves is a sought-after speaker and career coach and has helped thousands world-wide to live their creative dreams.