Spelled Ink

05/31/2026

There are some stories that deserve to be remembered — and some faces that instantly take us back in time. ❤️

Today at our Adult Book Fair, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with local author Richard Roberts as he showed me his Orange County High School yearbook photo from the Class of 1956. (You’ll see the picture in this post!) It was one of those moments that reminds you just how many incredible stories are quietly woven into our community.

Richard grew up in a very different world than the one we know today — one-room schoolhouses, rural Appalachian life, postwar America, and the changing face of Orange County and Virginia through the decades. His memoirs capture those memories with humor, warmth, and the kind of detail that instantly brings people back to their own childhoods, parents, grandparents, neighbors, and simpler times.

If you’ve ever found yourself saying:
“Remember when…”
“The old Orange County…”
“Things were different back then…”

…then you are going to want to come hear Richard speak.

Join us at Spelled Ink on Friday, June 12th at 6PM for a special evening of storytelling, local history, memories, laughter, and conversation with one of Orange County’s own.

And honestly? We would LOVE to hear your memories too. ❤️

📚 Author Event with Richard Roberts
🕰 Friday, June 12th | 6PM
📍 Spelled Ink – Orange, VA

Come help us celebrate the stories, people, and memories that shaped our community.

05/28/2026

📚✨ Something special is heading to the shelves today… ✨📚

Today’s book drop feels a little like opening a forgotten attic trunk in the best possible way. Hidden among the stacks are beautiful vintage books, charming old covers, first editions, childhood favorites, and well-loved stories that seem to carry memories inside their pages. 💛📖

Some will take you back to carefree afternoons spent reading on the floor as a kid.
Some feel like the kinds of books your grandparents kept on their shelves.
And some are the sort collectors dream of stumbling across unexpectedly. 👀✨

There are treasures for both children and adults heading out today—from nostalgic classics to intriguing old finds with the kind of covers they just don’t make anymore.

If you love the feeling of discovering a book with a little history, today may be the day to stop in. These kinds of finds rarely stay on the shelves for long. 📚🕰️

📍Spelled Ink
132 W Main Street
Orange, VA 22960

05/27/2026

Ink & Imagination: Apothecary Themed Book Night ✨🌿📚

Step into the apothecary for an evening of creativity, cozy atmosphere, and bookish magic at Spelled Ink’s premium Ink & Imagination experience.

Join us on Tuesday, June 31st from 6:00–7:30pm as we create stunning handcrafted Apothecary Books—miniature apothecary-inspired displays tucked inside the pages of one of our hand-carved books.

Each participant will receive a carved book along with a carefully curated collection of supplies to create their own unique masterpiece, including whimsical details like:
🍄 mushrooms
🫙 miniature glass jars
📜 tiny scrolls
🌿 moss & greenery
✨ potion-inspired embellishments
…and more enchanting touches.

But Ink & Imagination is more than just a craft night.

This special monthly experience is designed to be a creative escape—a chance to slow down, unwind, connect with fellow book lovers, and spend an evening making something beautiful in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

To make the night even more magical, themed refreshments and snacks will also be provided.

✨ No experience necessary
✨ All supplies included
✨ Just bring your creativity

IMPORTANT:
Due to the extensive preparation and individually assembled materials required for this event, advance ticket purchase is required. There will be no tickets available at the door.

Seating is limited.

If tickets sell out early enough, an additional night may be opened to accommodate more guests.

We cannot wait to create with you ✨

📍 Location: Spelled Ink
📅 Date: Tuesday, June 31st
⏰ Time: 6:00pm–7:30pm
🎟️ Ticket Price: $30 per person
Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1990510017044?aff=oddtdtcreator

05/27/2026

There’s something special about hearing stories from someone who walked the same halls, grew up in the same community, and watched the world change around them. ❤️

Join us at Spelled Ink on Friday, June 12th at 6PM as we welcome local author Richard Roberts for an evening of storytelling, memories, history, and conversation.

A former Orange County High School student, Richard’s memoirs capture life in rural Appalachia, the transition into postwar America, and the everyday moments that shaped generations. From one-room schoolhouses in the 1940s to family life and hard work in Virginia and Washington, D.C., his stories are filled with humor, heart, and the kind of nostalgia that sparks conversations long after the evening ends.

Whether you grew up here, remember “the old days,” or simply love hearing the stories that connect us to our roots, this is an event you won’t want to miss.

📚 Author Talk & Community Discussion
🕰 Friday, June 12th
📍 Spelled Ink
⏰ 6:00 PM

Come spend the evening surrounded by books, neighbors, and stories worth remembering.

05/25/2026

There’s a new kind of story growing inside Spelled Ink… 🌹📖

Tucked beside the enchanted rose, beneath the warm glow of the lamp, our Beauty & the Beast sitting area has become home to something magical: a living story wall.

It begins with a single tale about a mysterious little bookshop called Spelled Ink… but what happens next depends on the people who wander through our doors.

Some visitors may add a sentence.
Some may leave a sketch in the margins.
Some may write warnings best not ignored.

Over time, the wall will grow, change, twist, and bloom into a story written by the community itself — one reader at a time.

So curl up on the loveseat, breathe in the atmosphere, and see where the story leads you. Just remember…

The wall remembers. ✨

05/21/2026

📚✨ Remember the feeling of walking into the school book fair as a kid?

The excitement.
The stacks of books.
The feeling of discovering something you absolutely had to bring home.

That’s exactly the feeling we wanted to bring back with Books & Brews… except this time, it’s curated for adults. 👏

And the boxes arriving at Spelled Ink right now are absolutely overflowing with books we specifically ordered in for this event — exciting titles, beautiful editions, highly requested reads, and the kinds of books adult readers can’t stop talking about.

If you’ve been missing that magical “book fair day” feeling… this is it. Just reimagined with craft brews, food trucks, local authors, and books chosen for the readers we’ve all become now.

Honestly, we cannot WAIT for everyone to see what’s coming. 👀📦📚

🗓 Sunday, May 31
⏰ 12 PM – 5 PM
📍 Patch Brewing Company

Local authors • Bookish goodies • Craft brews • Food trucks • Pure nostalgic joy for book lovers

05/18/2026

**Searching for Art in a Pop Culture World**
*A Generative Writing Workshop with Cynthia Atkins*

Join us on **Saturday, June 27th from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM** at Spelled Ink Bookstore for an inspiring and thought-provoking generative workshop led by acclaimed writer **Cynthia Atkins**.

Pop culture surrounds us every day — in the music we listen to, the clothes we wear, the slang we speak, and the icons that shape our memories and identities. In this immersive workshop, participants will explore how pop culture can become a meaningful artistic tool in creative writing rather than simply background noise or distraction.

Together, we’ll discuss the ways pop culture influences our lives and our storytelling, for both better and worse. Through conversation, guided prompts, and gestural writing exercises, Cynthia will help writers uncover how everyday symbols, rituals, trends, and cultural touchstones can deepen narrative, evoke time and place, and add emotional resonance to the page.

This workshop is designed to spark creativity and generate new material. Participants can expect to leave with fresh ideas, new beginnings, and several draft pieces ready to grow and develop long after the workshop ends.

**About the Instructor:**
Cynthia Atkins is the author of *Psyche’s Weathers* and *In the Event of Full Disclosure*. Her work has appeared in numerous journals including *Alaska Quarterly Review, Apogee, BOMB, Cleaver Magazine, Cortland Review, Cultural Weekly, Diode, Florida Review, Green Mountains Review, North American Review, Seneca Review, Tampa Review, Tinderbox, Thrush, Valparaiso Review,* and *Verse Daily*. Formerly the Assistant Director for the Poetry Society of America, she has taught English and Creative Writing, most recently at Blue Ridge Community College, where she curated a quarterly reading series. Atkins also serves as an Interviews Editor at American Poetry Journal, as well as for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net anthologies.

Whether you write poetry, fiction, memoir, or simply want to reconnect with your creative voice, this workshop offers an engaging space

05/18/2026

Coming to Spelled Ink bookstore June 27th:

Explore pop culture as a creative writing tool in this generative workshop with acclaimed author Cynthia Atkins.

05/18/2026

Have you reserved your spot for next week's Vision Painting class yet? There's still time...

Vision Painting with Susan Baccei – Mar 27, 6:30-8:00 PM @ Spelled Ink. Paint on canvas in a guided, no-skill-needed class. $10.

05/18/2026

Our May Ink and Imagination event is almost here. Will you be joining us this month?

Join us in person to craft creative Junk Journals that bring stories to life with Ink & Imagination!