It’s not every day that my “watching & knitting” post will align so perfectly with a National Day, but here we are… Happy Typewriter Day!
I know what you’re thinking, a movie about typewriters sounds boring as hell, but you’d be wrong. California Typewriter is a heartening homage to the relevance, versatility, and beauty of the typewriter. It’s a sweet film about a long standing typewriter shop in Berkeley, California, the people who work there, their customers, and some collectors. Who knew Tom Hanks was an avid fan and collector of typewriters? Sadly, the store featured in the doc closed its doors in February 2020.
I’ve been looking for a manual typewriter to use in collage or stationery off and on for years, but this documentary inspired me to resume my quest.
Janine Feminella is creator and owner of Sreang. She creates hand crafted powerful jewelry with hammered brass, electro-formed copper, raw copper, natural gemstones, healing crystals, gold and sterling silver. She lives in Smithville, Texas with her husband Joseph. They own Sign and Banner Texas, a local print shop in nearby Bastrop, Texas.
1. Why did you choose to live in Bastrop County?
My husband Joseph and I moved to Bastrop county from western Massachusetts back in 2008. we were looking for a change of scenery and decided it would be fun to try Austin, so we bought a house we found online in Elgin, packed our cat and car and headed south.
2. What compels you to spend time creating?
Growing up, my mother was always making things… sewing, crafting, making baskets, wood burning, calligraphy, you name it. She really instilled in me this passion to always be creating and trying new things. Working with my hands and watching something transpire from beginning to end helps keep me grounded and out of my head so much.
3. Tell me three things you’ve learned in the past five years.
How important it is to set boundaries.
Love is so much more powerful than hate, nothing transcends love.
To let go of the things in which I have no control.
4. What are you currently making, reading, watching, or listening to?
Well, i’ve been a little consumed lately with researching my family history and building a family tree. I’ve been specifically interested in tracing my maternal lineage back as far as possible in Ireland. Nobody in my family knew the name of my mother’s great grandmother and I was able to find her searching through handwritten baptism records. It’s been an amazing way for me to connect with and honor my ancestors.
Bean & Noodle 