9 Hand-Letterers You Need to Follow on Instagram

Samantha Tagher
Jul 21, 2015

Hand-lettering is all the rage these days. From amping up gallery walls to giving stationery a serious upgrade, we can’t get enough. Okay, we’re kind of obsessed. Are you new to hand-lettering? Here are some folks you NEED to follow on Instagram. Like, yesterday. Oh, and one of them will be joining us at Re:Make 2015!

1. @jessicahische: We’re *obsessed* with Jessica Hische’s work. So much that she’s joining us at the Re:Make Conference! We’re trying really hard to contain our excitement, but it’s getting pretty difficult these days. Join the conversation and request an invitation here! But seriously, her Instagram is ah-mazing. Between pics of her new baby to sneak peeks of her work, we’re totally swooning.

2. @unikacollections: Trust us. You’re going to want everything on Kenzie’s Insta. Consider yourself warned.

3. @caseyligon: In the mood to make your gallery wall next-level? Casey Ligon offers a wide array of swoon-worthy hand-lettered prints. And when we say swoon-worthy, we mean swoon. worthy.

4. @westsheridan: As Nicole puts it, “I love you more than the world.” Well, we love her hand-lettering more than the world.

5. @carlahackett: Can’t. Stop. Scrolling. We recommend you check out Carla’s Instagram ASAP.

6. @juliesongink: Need someone to design your wedding invitations and programs? Julie’s totally your girl.

7. @letteredlife: Not only does Caitlin offer freelance wedding packages, but you can also shop her products. Stationery with hand-lettering on it? Count us in.

8. @marmaladebleue: You are probably well aware of our love for Danielle Evans at this point, because she taught the B+C Hand-Lettering Basics Class. But, have you seen her work? She’s so talented that she hand-letters in food. Yes, FOOD.

9. @jill_dehaan: When you scroll through Jill’s Instagram, you’ll notie that *all* of her work is beautiful. We’re especially swooning over her collab with May Designs. But TBH, who isn’t?

Who is your favorite hand-letterer to follow? Share with us in the comments below!

Save the Date! Brit + Co Is Coming to NYC

Imagine a colorful world with all of your female idols speaking, creative workshops everywhere you turn, food that will make you salivate, must-see music performances and, most importantly, dozens of ‘grammable moments all around.

Historically, we’ve brought Brit + Co to life annually with Re:Make, a two-day event we’ve hosted in San Francisco attended by nearly 15,000 women.

But this year, we’re trying something new called #CreateGood! Not only will we be visiting our friends on the East Coast, but we’re also switching up the format. Instead of two days, we’ll be live for FIVE.

That’s right. This year Brit + Co will be hosting a new type of event in NYC from October 4th through 8th in the heart of SoHo: a fully immersive digital program culminating in a five-day pop-up experience with the theme of #CreateGood.

Our goal for #CreateGood is to enable women to walk away feeling like a more creative and confident version of themselves through speakers, workshops, live performances, and more. We want to show the GOOD women can achieve in all areas of their life, from good food to good style to good work and good minds.

We chose this theme because we believe it’s the right moment in time to pause and consider how we, as women, can both do good for the world, but also for ourselves.

Beyond all that, like all B+C events, we promise that there will be confetti, balloons, and color… SO MUCH COLOR. So make sure to bring your phone, because you’ll definitely want to take part in all the photo-worthy moments we’re creating.

Can’t make it to NYC in the fall? No worries. While we’d love to see you IRL, we totally understand you’ve got a busy schedule, girl. That’s why all #CreateGood content will be streamed to our audience across Brit + Co social channels for a fully digital experience. So, make sure to like and follow us STAT ;)

Stay tuned over the coming months as we share more details of our next-level lineup of activities, performers, and speakers joining us. Want to be the first to know? Sign up for our #CreateGood newsletterHERE.

Can’t wait to see y’all there!

xo, Brit

Are you planning on attending our pop-up in NYC? Let us know on Twitter using the hashtag #CreateGood. We can’t wait to party with you! And make sure to stay up-to-date on speakers, programming, and more right HERE.

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Here's What To Eat (& What Not To) If You Have Painful Period Cramps, According To An Expert

I thought my days of having painful period cramps were over after giving birth and getting an IUD, but last month proved me wrong. There was a time I could pinpoint the source of my bloating and other PMS symptoms, but I've stopped paying as much attention to what I eat lately...and things have gotten way off track.

Since I'm tired of suffering, I decided to reach out to Urologist Dr. Eric Margolis to how the food you eat can impact your period cramps. If you're wondering how Urologists can help with this issue, it's because they're trained to treat urinary and reproductive conditions (via Cleveland Clinic). Take it from someone whose had to see one before!

So let's get into all the top tips Dr. Margolis has to offer!

What causes cramps when someone is PMSing or on their period?

Polina Zimmerman

Consider yourself lucky if you don't struggle with PMS — I'd honestly love to trade places with you for a day. According to the Office on Women's Health, almost three in four women say they experience PMS, and the National Institutes of Healthnotes that one in ten women deal with painful period cramps every month. In other words, some of us are genuinely struggling to function without really understanding why we're in so much pain. What gives?

"Cramps, or dysmenorrhea, occur due to the release of chemicals called prostaglandins during menstruation. These chemicals cause the uterus to contract in order to shed its lining," Dr. Margolis says. What people tend to feel is the result of contractions" becoming "too intense," thus causing them to "cut off blood flow and oxygen to the surrounding muscle tissue, leading to pain." Dr. Margolis also wants you to know, "The higher the level of prostaglandins, the more severe the cramps are likely to be."

If that sounds painful, just know it is! I never thought about the actual process our bodies go through during menstruation, so understanding that better makes me want to be kinder to be my body. Still, does this mean cramps are normal?

Are period cramps normal?

MART PRODUCTION

Dr. Margolis says that period cramps are "a normal part of the menstrual cycle for many people." He explains that "mild to moderate cramps" typically occur towards the beginning of your period, as your uterus is contracting. IDK about you, but it's definitely nice to know that cramps are a part of the process and they don't necessarily mean anything's wrong. However, this doesn't mean you should ignore severe pain.

"If the pain is severe and disrupts daily life, it might indicate an underlying condition that requires medical attention," Dr. Margolis says. Only you know the level of pain you're able to handle monthly, but there are definitely some key factors that can help you identify what is considered "abnormal" when it comes to your period cramps.

When are severe period cramps considered abnormal?

Freepik

"Severe cramps that are unmanageable with over-the-counter medications or last for an extended period may indicate underlying health issues," Dr. Margolis continues. Based on his experience, these conditions can be "fibroids, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)" which "often cause more intense pain."

Prior to my painful period cramps returning, I underwent Laparoscopy surgery in 2019 to rule out endometriosis as the culprit for unbearable cycles. My OBGYN didn't find that, but she discovered a large fibroid nestled in the side of one of my uterine walls which needed to be removed.

Some of the signs Dr. Margolis says you need to pay attention to are:

  • Heavy bleeding
  • Irregular periods
  • Pain during sex
  • Bleeding between periods

If you notice these symptoms, Dr. Margolis implores you to consult with your doctor about them. Truthfully, it took years for someone to take my pain seriously, so I also recommend you keep advocating for yourself if you're dealing with cramps that feel abnormal.

What's the worst thing to eat before your period?

Pavel Danilyuk

Here comes my favorite topic — food! I love eating all kinds of food, but I'm having to relearn how to balance hormones all over again. Between that and my digestive system, I know my undisciplined eating is the root cause of painful period cramps, but I've forgotten what I should be avoiding.

Dr. Margolis says, "Highly processed foods, sugar, and salty snacks should be avoided. They can increase inflammation, contribute to bloating, and worsen cramps. Caffeine and alcohol can also dehydrate the body and lead to more discomfort during menstruation."

I feel like your jaw just dropped in disbelief because most of the things that make periods so painful taste so good. I mean, who doesn't love snacks, coffee, and yummy cocktails? Sigh...as much as we may love or crave them, they're not always the best things to indulge in when we're already going through so many bodily changes.

What foods should someone eat to lessen painful period cramps?

olia danilevich

But, there's things we can do to lessen our chances of suffering every month. Dr. Margolis says, "Anti-inflammatory foods are particularly helpful for reducing period cramps." He says these include the following:

  • Leafy greens like spinach and kale, which are high in magnesium and calcium
  • Fatty fish such as salmon or sardines, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce inflammation
  • Nuts and seeds that contain magnesium, which can relax muscles and reduce pain
  • Fruits like bananas and berries, which provide antioxidants and potassium, aiding in muscle relaxation and inflammation reduction
  • Whole grains that are a good source of fiber and help regulate blood sugar, preventing spikes that may worsen cramps
We have a ton of healthy dinner recipes and a clean eating grocery list here! Hopefully if you start incorporating these into your diet, you can part ways with painful period cramps for good.

Is it actually possible to avoid sugar before and during your period?

Tim Samuel

Sugar is in a lot of things we eat and drink so I asked Dr. Margolis if there's a way to avoid it altogether. He says, "It’s challenging, but not impossible to avoid sugar entirely. Cravings for sugary foods often increase due to hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle." I don't know about you, but I always crave specific things like sugary juice, muffins, or cupcakes right before and during my period. It's like my brain knows they're going to cause more harm than good, but my hormones demand them.

As a replacement, Dr. Margolis believes "reducing sugar intake by opting for natural sweeteners like fruits or healthier alternatives like dark chocolate can help curb cravings." Also, there's more benefits to putting down the artificial stuff. "Cutting back on sugar may also help in managing inflammation and stabilizing mood and energy levels during your period," says Dr. Margolis.

In short, painful period cramps don't have to rule my life or yours, but it does require us to make a few diet changes. I've done it before and it starts with being consistent on a daily basis. I've talked about it before, but the food diary I used to keep truly helped me stay on track and pinpoint my triggers. It's worth trying if you're tired of being doubled over in pain each month!

We have even more wellness tips to help you live your healthiest life, so make sure to bookmark them when you need a little extra help!

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Here’s Why Brené Brown Believes Creative Women are Powerful

In case you missed it, last weekend was Brit + Co’s fourth annual Re:Make conference in San Francisco. One of our keynote speakers was a scholar, the founder of COURAGEWorks and the giver of one of the most inspirational TEDTalks of all time Dr. Brené Brown delivered a brilliant message about courage and vulnerability. Her quotes have been so inspiring, she recently collaborated with Sugarboo to launch The Brave Heart Gallery, which sells artworks of her quotes (also 20 percent of the proceeds go to a really good cause). Her most recent book RisingStrong explores how “falling gives us the power to write a daring new ending” and how processing the pain head on is can be strength. And according to Brené, when it comes being a creative woman, though not everything you do will be a success, daring to do it anyway is deeply important.

Being a creative in this day and age can at times be daunting — uncertainty about job security, the fear of rejection and staying in love with your passion after it becomes your job can be more than enough to turn people away. “When your vocation becomes your occupation, there’s always a little shift, so you have to protect it,” Brené tells us. “You have to keep the love alive so it doesn’t become just another thing you have to do, because then you can’t put the magic in it.”

And for creative women, we face an additional catalog of hurdles. “Creativity is kind of revealing a part of our soul, and we live in a pretty hostile environment,” Brené says, “so I think it’s scary to put yourself out there when there are so many critics and cynics out there today. I think that’s what make creativity scary, and I think that’s what make it powerful.” Rising in the face of adversity is certainly a strong statement. As our FLOTUS put it, “When they go low, we go high.”

And when you put yourself out there — yes, sometimes you’re going to fail. That’s okay. What you have to be careful of is letting your failures define you. “One of the big life stages at mid-life, anywhere from mid-thirties to late-fifties, the big developmental life stage is integration. We bring home all the parts of ourselves that we have orphaned because we don’t they fit in with who we’re supposed to be, we call them all home and we say, ‘This is me. The good, the bad, the tough, the beautiful.’,” Brené tells us. “I think that’s the gift of being my age, I have a very sensitive bulls–t meter so if you haven’t called everything home and made peace with those parts of us that are hard, that’s hard to be around.” And being able to pick up again after your fall — or even forgiving yourself for lingering down there too long — is all part of the process.

What do you think about Brené Brown’s advice? Tweet us @BritandCo!

(Photos courtesy of Brené Brown and Sugarboo)

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We Finally Have A Release Date For Lindsay Lohan’s ‘Freaky Friday 2’

We're getting closer and closer to seeing a Freaky Friday2. The cat's out of the bag that the sequel treatment is confirmed and actually happening, and movie stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan have been increasingly vocal about the upcoming movie's plot. The dynamic duo, who you can see in 2024's Borderlands and Irish Wish, respectively, are expected to return as Tess and Anna, the mother and daughter that wake up one titular freaky Friday in swapped bodies.

Filming for Freaky Friday 2 finally began on June 24, and we finally have an official release date for the film! Here's everything we know about Freaky Friday2 so far.

Check Out The First Freaky Friday 2 Set Leaks

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The first set leaks from Freaky Friday 2 are totally dreamy — and they also prove Anna's just like us, because who didn't go from emo-teen to boho-chic? Jamie Lee Curtis' Tess has published a brand new book, and based on her author photo, she's a lot more carefree than the last time we saw her! We also get a look at new cast member Julia Butters (who might be playing Anna's daughter?) and the internet's newest boyfriend, Manny Jacinto.

When is Freaky Friday 2 coming out?

Walt Disney Studios

According to Disney,Freaky Friday 2 is coming to theaters on August 8, 2025. This is definitely one of our most-anticipated movies of 2025 now!

Disney / Instagram

Disney posted this sneak-peek screen cap that we can only assume is from the movie. We truly can't wait to watch this sequel!

What is Freaky Friday 2 about?

Carlo Allegri / Getty Images

Freaky Friday 2 sees Anna with a family of her own, including a daughter and a future stepdaughter. According to a press release from Disney, "As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice."

"It's going to be a really freaky Friday," Lindsay Lohan told Good Morning America on June 27, 2024. "Much freakier than you would expect."

"[There's] a lot of love, a lot of fun, a lot of laughs," she continues.

Is Chad Michael Murray in Freaky Friday 2?

Presley Ann / Getty Images for Netflix

Yes, Chad Michael Murray is returning for the sequel!

"How great would it be to bring Jake back?" he teased during the Mother of the Bride premiere in May 2024. "If Jake's invited back, Jake will be there." Thank goodness they invited him back!

Freaky Friday 2 also stars Mark Harmon, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky, Rosalind Chao, Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Manny Jacinto, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.

Is the band Pink Slip going to be in Freaky Friday 2?

Carlo Allegri / Getty Images

Anna's pop-rock teen band, Pink Slip, is undoubtedly integral to the plot of the original Freaky Friday, so it'd be surprising to see a Freaky Friday 2 without fan-favorite jams like “Take Me Away” and “Ultimate.”

Via recently published interviews with Cosmopolitan, a fewFreaky Friday crew members spilled on whether or not we'll actually see the angsty band in the sequel.

Screenwriter Heather Hach clearly agreed that the soundtrack played a huge part in the movie's plot.

"You take out the band element and I don’t think Freaky Friday would be as popular as it is," she said. "It didn’t feel like a derpy Disney movie. The music was actually really good."

Jaclyn Pearson, PHD, the drummer for the band Lash (who wrote the ever-iconic song "Take Me Away"), teased that Freaky Friday 2 might revisit their discography.

"We contacted our record label because we heard there might be a sequel," she said. "We’ve got this whole back catalog. Maybe they could use another song for the film."

Producer Andrew Gunn seemed to suggest the same thing:

"We got a draft of a script for the sequel right before the writers’ strike, and it was really good. A writer came up with the most brilliant idea. It uses music and the band in a great way."

Are they making a Freaky Friday 2?

John Nacion / Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

Lindsay Lohan said on Andy Cohen's Sirius XM show that Freaky Friday 2 is really and truly happening! However, "I don’t want to say too much,” she said about the potential timeline.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the cast could be on set as early as summer 2024. In addition to Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis reprising their roles, Andrew Gunn and Kristin Burr will produce the movie, Elyse Hollander will write the script, and Ann Marie Sanderlin will executive produce. Nisha Ganatra will direct.

While Lindsay is looking forward to the story, she's “just excited to work with Jamie [Lee Curtis] again and see how much further we can take it," she tells PEOPLE. “We talk almost every other day in general, so I think we're going to have a lot of fun with this."

Are Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan friends?

Jamie Lee Curtis / Instagram

Yes, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are definitely still friends! In November 2023, Curtis shared an adorable Instagram selfie with Lohan, teasing the upcoming project. And after the writers' and actors' strikes ended, project promotion is slowly returning to light.

"YOU GREW UP and SO BEAUTIFULLY!" the caption reads. "Well, it's Friday, and the strike is over so hopefully, we can switch places again in the near future!" She also tagged Lohan and Disney, which teased the iconic ‘03 comedy in a fun way.

What has Jamie Lee Curtis said about Freaky Friday?

Allyson Riggs

Curtis — coming off some serious cinematic hits, Everything Everywhere All At Once and Halloween Ends — still retains a strong bond with Lohan, and hasn’t exactly been shy about her excitement towards circling back to Freaky Friday. Landing the original role and moving through production was undoubtedly significant to the actress: she cites her own success with Tess after taking on the job at the last minute, despite being booked and busy elsewhere.

“Had I had all the time in the world to prepare, I don’t think it would’ve been so good,” Curtis told the New York Times. “I just had to be in my body. I was also newly sober and I was able to have a community within the movie-work world. That was a big deal for me.”

What has Lindsay Lohan said about Freaky Friday?

Scott Everett White / Netflix

Lohan told the New York Times that she was ready and raring to tackle 2003’s Freaky Fridayback in the day after rocking a dual-role in 1998's The Parent Trap.

“I threw myself into everything: accents, green screens, playing two people,” said Lohan. “So I felt comfortable after that. Freaky Friday felt different because I was going through all of the phases of a 16-year-old [but playing a character who was a year younger]. This was the era of Avril Lavigne and punk, and I wanted to experience it. We did white stripes in my hair.”

The fame Lohan endured at a young age didn’t always leave a positive effect, and it’s been a hot second since we’ve seen her fully emerge back into the spotlight. The star’s been busy since – she moved to Dubai, manages her overseas businesses, got married, and recently welcomed motherhood. After all that, Lohan remains eager to act again – and thankfully in a second Freaky Friday.

“Jamie and I are both open to that, so we’re leaving it in the hands that be,” Lohan told NYT. “We would only make something that people would absolutely adore.”

It sounds like Curtis is ready, too. "As I went around the world with Halloween Ends, people wanted to know if there was going to be another 'Freaky Friday.' Something really touched a chord. When I came back, I called my friends at Disney and said, 'It feels like there’s a movie to be made.'"

Who's writing Freaky Friday 2?

Disney

Elyse Hollander is writing the sequel for Freaky Friday.

Who is directing Freaky Friday 2?

Jamie Lee Curtis / Instagram

Nisha Ganatra is directing Freaky Friday 2. She’s directed TV episodes on shows like The Mindy Project, Shameless, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Dear White People. Ganatra has also done directorial work in movies like The Hunters, Late Night, and The High Note.

Disney will be distributing the Freaky Friday sequel.

Sign up for our newsletter for more entertainment news, and check out how Chad Michael Murray's Role In The Freaky Friday Cast Almost Went To Jared Padalecki!

Header image via Walt Disney Studios

This post has been updated.

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The 'We Live in Time' Ending Is More Hopeful Than Heartbreaking

If you knew you had limited time, how would you spend it? That's the question at the heart of We Live in Time, which movie lovers have been waiting for since Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh proved they have amazing chemistry at the 2023 Oscars. I do intentionally use "heart" of the movie instead of "center" because the film is so overwhelmingly rich in beauty and emotion that it's the only word that fits.

You'll definitely want to bring tissues to the theater because, just like we all predicted, this romance movie is a tearjerker. Here's exactly what happens at the end of We Live in Time — and the impact of that final scene. If you haven't seen the movie yet, bookmark this and come back after your tears have dried.

What happens in We Live in Time?

A24

In We Live in Time, Almut, a chef and former figure skater, and Tobias, a Weetabix cereal employee, unexpectedly cross paths when Almut literally hits him with her car. All it takes is a single trip to the ER and a diner, followed by a visit to Almut's restaurant, for the couple to fall for each other. They embrace their newfound romance with reckless abandon, but their vision of the future comes to a screeching halt when Almut's ovarian cancer returns.

Instead of using a typical storytelling arc, the movie actually opens with the diagnosis, taking viewers by surprise almost as much as Tobias and Almut. The story jumps back and forth between their early relationship, starting a family, and life post-diagnosis, highlighting the beauty of both the boring and special moments of a life lived together — and it's way more hopeful than heartbreaking. (It's also pretty easy to keep up with thanks to the length of Florence Pugh's hair in any given scene).

A24

The couple's relationship is marked by reveling in quiet moments, like Almut showing Tobias the perfect way to crack an egg or eating an entire sleeve of Jaffa Cakes in the bathtub while nine months pregnant. But those simpler moments are interspersed with parties and passion, and Almut, who'd rather live six incredible months than agree to chemo and wait for a remission that will never come, is determined to keep up the momentum.

She begins leading a sort of double life, hiding her involvement in a new cooking competition from Tobias, and hiding her cancer from her fellow chefs. (One moment of levity comes when Almut's second finds her throwing up in the bathroom and asks if she's on drugs).

A24

But while many viewers can understand dedicating yourself to a goal, Almut's driving force goes much deeper than that: she's terrified of being forgotten. When competition training means she forgets to pick up their daughter Ella, and winds up fighting with Tobias, Almut reveals how scared she is of only being "the mom with cancer." She wants to give Ella another identity to remember her by. So, they move forward together and finally make it to the cooking competition — but despite all the work it took to get there, it's not the beautiful dishes or the applause or the overall success that make the greatest impact.

How does We Live in Time end?

A24

Almut ditches the competition before it's over, taking her family to a nearby ice skating rink instead. After leaving Tobias and Ella at one end of the rink, she waves and takes off, and it's the final image we see of her — like an angel on ice skates.

When the film flashes forward to the period after Almut's implied death, we see Tobias teaching their daughter how to crack eggs the way Almut showed him at the beginning of their relationship. And that is the part that left me weeping. Instead of romanticizing death, We Live in Time truly romanticizes life in every sense of the word. It's a reminder that the simple ways we honor our loved ones, the inescapable moments that are totally interwoven in our lives, end up being the most powerful. And the fact that no matter what comes, memories mean we can live forever.

A24

Tag us with your thoughts on the We Live in Time ending on Instagram.

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