To want my step mother to put a bit of effort into a small favour I'm doing her...?

[CarolineTheChemist]

Hello Mumsnetters!
I need your honest and brutal opinions...

A few months ago I moved into a beautiful old house and decided to make a new name sign for the front gate as the existing one was horrible. I paint as a hobby so I'm good with a paintbrush, and the old owners had kindly left some old bits of wood and a pot of black wood paint in the garage.

I spent ages looking for a font that I felt reflected the character of the house and it's quirky name. Once DH and I had chosen our favourite font, I painted an old plank black, stencilled the house name on the wood and filled it with white acrylic. Naturally as a painted I enjoyed this and got a lot of satisfaction when I hung it on the gate.

This weekend we had a house warming party and I got a lot of compliments on my new sign. My step mother asked me to make her one as she doesn't like their current one. One of my nearby neighbours drove past recently and later text me asking where I got it from, so I offered to make her one too.

I spent some time looking up fonts for both of them - they both have different style houses so I spent some time thinking about what might suit them, and gave them about 30/40 examples to choose their faves from. My step mother hasn't looked at the options I sent her, and instead has just replied saying she wants hers to be the same font as mine.

I don't feel okay about that. They live about 15 miles away so I guess it's not really a big deal, but I spent so much time choosing a font to reflect the character of our house that I don't like it that she's not putting in that effort for hers.

I glibly replied to her earlier saying she could only have that font if she could pick it out of the selection I sent her. Now I regret that as it could be seen as a bit childish.... When I agreed to make her one I didn't expect her to want the exact same thing as ours.

The question is am I being unreasonable in feeling irritated by this?

It’s Typeface not font. If you’re do thingy about such thimgs you should know that.

Some brill suggestions on here though, I love they pictures of the signs with the curly writing on and the wee dug – bet ye cannae do one as good as that OP.

You're not creating a masterpiece, OP. It's a black sign with white letters, not a work of art

She liked the sign and it's font. Why should she choose a different one, you don't 'own' that font! She doesn't live next door so it's still unique to you. You're being ridiculous.

Yabu.

I completely understand researching a font that you love for your house, nothing wrong with that. But so what if your step-mum’s is the same? YOU might think it doesn’t ‘go’ with her house, but she obviously likes it which is what matters! It’s just a font, that you copied, you didn’t paint or design something unique. I think you’re being really odd and precious about it!

Its just a sign, not art, let it go

You're being ridiculous.

If it bothers you to have the same font just pick a similar one for hers, she's hardly going to notice the difference.

I’ve read it all now! Just do the bloody thing in a slightly different letter style - she probably won’t notice.

Please don’t start an Etsy business.

You are being so unreasonable!! 😂 Hopefully the number of people saying so will convince you of that!

I think it’s a little odd but everyone has stuff that’s important to them. Can you pick a very similar font? I’m sure they won’t notice the difference but you’ll know

While I see your point, I really don’t think it matters: it her sign, same as your sign is yours. She should be able to have whatever she wants.

You do realise that you don’t own a font, don’t you

Yabu

Yabu. Unless the font was Comic Sans, in which case you are all being VVVVU in even making it.

YAB a bit U over a font that will be 15 miles away but I do sympathise. I didn't give it a moments thought when my next door neighbours asked for the name of my builder until I came home from work one day and they'd got him to copy my unique designed by me front door and porch not plastic before anyone judges

Do what makes you happy and I'm sure your MIL will love whatever you make for her

I'm the same OP.....Helvetica is 100% all mine and Tahoma.....only if you get down on one knee and beg! 😂

You want "honest and brutal opinions". So mine is that your MIL wants the same as yours - either give her what she wants or don't do it at all. Your idea that YOU will choose a font that suits HER house is totally unreasonable and childish. If someone asks you do make them a sign and tells you what they want, just do it or refuse.....but don't say that you'll do it but only if YOU get to decide what is right for HER house. She lives far away - nobody will think the two signs are the same because they'll have different names on them - just do it or don't do it , whatever you prefer. But don't dictate what she can have.

You should turn your talents to corporate marketing or copywrite.....they can get very snotty and posessive over fonts!

Meh. Add a little flourish or motif to make it 'unique' to them....a little squatting squirrel or hedgehog etc in the corner! 😁

The 'context' helps lots OP. I mean, no one else has ever wanted a nice house and saved and made sacrifices for it.

You haven't 'created a storm' either. You've posted about something and many people think you're being a tad U. That's all. It's all a bit high drama for a house sign thread.

I'm a 'creative' (though I really wouldn't introduce myself as one...) but not all 'creatives' think the same. When I work for people, I listen to them. It helps me produce the work they want.

This is an odd thread. I can't help thinking that you'd like us to beg you to see the sign and we all say it's gorgeous and want one for our own houses..

People who don't really care about fonts aren't philistines without an artistic bone in their body. They just don't care about fonts.

It's a house sign. Get over yourself a bit, eh?

You made something individual and were happy to do something individual for someone else - and she absolutely does not appreciate it at all. She might as well just buy a sign from Amazon.

^^^ This.

Have a chat with your step mother, you will do the sign but not the same one. Be honest, they are individual pieces and you don't want two of the same. If she doesn't like it, she can buy it somewhere else. You are doing her the favour, not the other way around.

WTAF? Now I want to know what font my house is!? It is a 1930s inner city 3 bedroom terrace....Times New Roman?

The problem was you gave her too many choices. 30/40?! I would have sent no more than 5.

Also, it sounds like your house font was also in the selection of 30/40 because you said she can have it if picks it after reviewing the selection.

Send her 3/4 optios, including one similar to yours but not exactky the same. YANBU for wanting yours to be individual.

The 'context' helps lots OP. I mean, no one else has ever wanted a nice house and saved and made sacrifices for it.

Ah, but are you also Artistic? Perhaps if you understood the artistic process involved in choosing a font you'd be more sympathetic.

I get it, OP. Other teachers always want to use my worksheets but get shirty when I tell them they must change the font and put the full stops in different places.

YABU! How silly of you!