new hobby: calligraphy

i'm developing premature rheumatoid arthritis via my latest craft/hobby/venture: calligraphy. my achy shaky hands have produced rather mixed results thus far. but never fret dear friends~ i will perfect at least ONE script by the month's end! here, i practice writing guest names for the party coming up on saturday. you know what's funny? i am a true stickler for proper spelling and grammar. but because i am OVER concentrating on the form of the letters, i find myself frequently misspelling words as i eke out the calligraphed words. case in point, you can see that i wrote the word "lacey" .. and right next to it, i attempted to repeat the same word but ended up with "lae." i stopped myself when i realized i was going down the wrong path! ^ ^ calligraphy takes serious concentration and a steady hand, that's for sure!! all those books i was able to check out from the los angeles public library have been very helpful! this is one hobby that you don't need a video or personal tutorial on. i also stumbled upon a great calligraphy studio by laura hooper. she is frequently featured on some of my favorite blogs. truly beautiful work! every craft, whether it's calligraphy, floral art or interior design, is a true labor of love and dedication.