tools of the trade
February 17, 2021
some women love jewelry, others love shoes and go gaga over, i don’t know—other stuff. but me? give me a good notebook and pen, and maybe a nice bag to stow it all in, and i’m good.
i do go through phases with which kind of notebook i’m into depending on what kind of project i’m working on (or bag i’m carrying at the time—don’t judge), but there are a few that i go back to again and again and can definitely be considered favorites.
Moleskines
PaperBlanks
Stalogy (paper is similar to Tomoe River/Hobonichi)
let’s start with the moleskines, shall we? there is just something about them that makes me want to fill the pages. wether it’s the pocket sized (which fit perfectly into the pocket traveler’s notebooks or the larger composition size, i find it easy to scribble in these which makes them perfect. carrying a pocket sized one literally takes as much as, if not less, than a pack of tissues. they’re perfect for jotting down story ideas on the go, especially on vacations when you might want to sketch out ideas for future settings and other details but don’t want to carry a normal sized notebook. price isn’t exactly cheap but not quite expensive either, especially when you use a coupon which i almost always do. thanks barnes & noble.
shop them here.
next up are paperblanks. now these guys are definitely a splurge, especially for me but they are sooooo beautiful and the paper is so niiiice. i generally order straight from their site and keep an eye out for the sales. last time i ordered, they had a buy two get three free sale so i made a list of a few projects i’m hoping to work on soon and chose covers that went with those themes. i love both their midi and ultra sizes and go for the 240 pg count if they offer it on that particular design.
shop them here. (they’re on major sale right now—entire site up to 60% off!)
last but not least, the stalogy notebooks. i first got these notebooks when looking for something similar to the hobonichi planners. i loved that you could use watercolors and any kind of pen, including my favorite fountain pens, on them without bleeding through. the hobonichi was fantastic as a planner but i wanted more of a notebook style that didn’t have the calendars and all of that to use as a regular journal. that’s when i found the stalogy brand on amazon. an added bonus is that the a6 fits perfectly into my louis vuitton “paul” notebook cover. the b6 size fits my foxy fix no. 03’s and chic sparrow b6 traveler’s notebooks.
shop them here.
as far as writing instruments, i tend to use papermate mechanical pencils or regular ballpoint pens, as long as they have a smooth ink flow. if i want to splurge, i go for blackwing pencils or my trusty twsbi. if you’re in the market for a fountain pen, be sure to check out goulet pens. they’re the best and they send you a free tootsie pop with your order. it’s a win-win.
