Category Archives: Personal

Notebooks I Brought on Vacation

In my last post, I shared a photo of the notebooks I had with me on my end-of-summer vacation. Commenter Vic, from Portugal, noted that for a “short vacation,” 8 notebooks was maybe kind of a lot, especially since I was in a place where I could (and did) easily buy more notebooks. Guilty as … Continue reading Notebooks I Brought on Vacation

15 Years of Notebook Stories

Whoops, I forgot to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this blog yesterday! 9/12/2008 was my first post. 15 years and 2,373 posts later, I’m still here, still posting (if not as frequently), still buying notebooks (maybe a little less frequently), and still writing in lots of notebooks (even more frequently). And I love that people … Continue reading 15 Years of Notebook Stories

Notebook Storage Boxes

Anyone who’s followed this site for a while will have seen quite a few photos of notebooks stored in various ways: piles in cabinets, piles in drawers, wicker baskets, under-bed boxes, plastic sweater boxes, white cardboard banker’s boxes, moving boxes, and lots and lots of shoeboxes. Of these storage methods, a couple of favorites stick … Continue reading Notebook Storage Boxes

My Messy Cooking Notebook

I shared a photo of this notebook on Instagram recently and a lot of people seemed to love it. I realized it’s quite unusual for me to show off a notebook that is this beat-up and battered! Most of my notebooks are pocket size journals and sketchbooks. I tend to go through them fairly fast, … Continue reading My Messy Cooking Notebook

2022 –> 2023!

I’ve been reading everyone’s year-end recaps and new year’s resolutions and feeling like I need to jump on that bandwagon! But I can’t say I have any sweeping overviews or grand intentions. I’m kind of a creature of habit when it comes to notebooks, so “new year” doesn’t mean there’s that much new to talk … Continue reading 2022 –> 2023!

Harvard Coop Diaries

These Harvard Coop diaries mark the beginnings of my serious obsession with little black notebooks. I started using them at around the age of 9. Before that, I’d had some 3 x 5″ spiral notebooks, and I liked to get the little Hallmark month-to-a-page planners that drugstores would give out for free, but I barely … Continue reading Harvard Coop Diaries

Notebook Routines

A post by Stuart at Nero’s Notes got me thinking about notebook routines. Not just which notebooks are used, but habits of how and when you use them. Stuart talks about his daily journaling routine: each morning, he gets up early, meditates, then writes in his Hobonichi Techo. I love the idea of this kind … Continue reading Notebook Routines

What Matters?

For me, size matters. When it comes to choosing a notebook, I mean. I have hundreds of notebooks, in a variety of styles, materials, colors, and brands, but most of them fall into a pretty narrow size range. My preferred size has evolved over time, perhaps in proportion to the size of my own hands: … Continue reading What Matters?

Daily Carry Notebooks: July 2020

Wow, it’s been a while since my last “using now” post. I can’t say I have any totally earth-shattering news to report about the daily carry notebooks I’m using but there is one new item that wasn’t even on my radar at that time. First of all, I suppose the concept of “daily carry” has … Continue reading Daily Carry Notebooks: July 2020

When Do You Get Nervous?

Let’s say you’re packing for a short trip. Like, just a long weekend. In your own country, in an area with plenty of stores where you could conceivably buy any of the widely-available brands of notebooks. Maybe even in an area with a few cool gift stores that stock cute upscale Japanese notebooks. And let’s … Continue reading When Do You Get Nervous?