Tuesday, October 28, 2008

set your heart aflutter

i am a collector, lover, peruser of fonts. i find secret joy in finding the perfect font to save a particular document in my digital folder in. i mill over whether "herculean" is too whimsy and not serious enough for the content of justice gardens information, whether or not "air conditioner" captures the retro aesthetic i love, etc. why do i do this? i imagine someone going through my computer files once i am dead and gone and placing a thoughtful finger to their lips saying "ah, yes. this typeset and words are really onto something with this get up."

or maybe i think too much about things?

i am a regular stalker of dafont.com. i love that place. so full of creativity. it's like window shopping to me! sometimes i feel like a little raccoon, easily distracted by shiny things. luckily nothing of real monetary value holds my attention and lust. at least not enough for it to occupy my mind in a chronic sense. fonts, spelling errors in books, collecting harfs, knee high socks, other people's eyebrows - these are my shiny objects that hold my attention and get noticed day in and day out. (sidebar: if ive met you, ive noticed your eyebrows. s'all im saying) (double sidebar: im reading the pillars of the earth right now and noticed a word that didn't make sense in it on page 36. "Martha SAID upright and vomited" my heart was set aflutter.)

9 comments:

Sarah said...

maybe the word "upright" just made her really nauseous.

I also notice eyebrows.... and how far apart peoples eyes are set. i also cringe when i see incorrect spelling/grammar in books. i always think i could have been an awesome editor.

Olive said...

sarah - i suppose that is one possibility. that word makes me puke too! LOL. what's funny about the spelling error thing is that i could care less if i make them myself. im not a grammar/spelling nazi, i just think it's funny when something of such high regard and editing let something slip through the crack. it's like "the little error who could"!

Amanda said...

lol - "the little error who could" - yes!

Anonymous said...

I love reading about other peoples' quirks. Yours are so great. I remember reading one of your entries a while back about noticing Olive's eyebrows when she was born, and you knew instantly that you'd like her (or something that that extent). I loved that bit!

Anonymous said...

Umm... what if you've seen a PHOTO of the face with eyebrow, would you have checked them out then

[combing myspace profile for shaggy eyebrow pics...]

Anonymous said...

As a graphic designer and occasional editor, this entry makes me oh-so-happy :) I'll have to send you some font-lover links sometime!

Olive said...

missp - yes yes yes send them!!!

alia - i have no memory of your eyebrows. you are safe :)

jr said...

i've been a reader of yours for a little while and thought this article on a cultural shift towards frugality might interest you! http://www.macleans.ca/business/economy/article.jsp?content=20081022_87650_87650

ps. i adore fonts too!

Gerbicks said...

oohh, i just love to find grammar & spelling errors in books also. good times.