Review and Giveaway: Notes and Dabbles

I was excited to discover this new brand, as I’m always looking for nice, basic notebooks with simple extra touches that differentiate them from the pack. I really liked the look of Notes & Dabbles’ cloth-covered notebooks as well as the leather-look hardcovers and softcovers, so I immediately wrote to the company to request samples. … Continue reading Review and Giveaway: Notes and Dabbles

A 15th Century Sketchbook

Interesting– you don’t usually hear the term “sketchbook” applied to things this old. I think back then paper was a more valuable commodity and wasn’t used as much for practicing and doodling, as some of these pages seem to have been. Or else those rough pages just didn’t survive, and were perhaps erased and re-used. … Continue reading A 15th Century Sketchbook

French Factory Worker’s Notebook

Isn’t this a lovely old notebook? Seems to be phone numbers and assorted jottings kept by a guard named Andre who worked at a now-defunct Renault factory, from what I was able to translate of the website where I found it. “Prenez un bleu et suivez moi à travers le carnet de André. Lui était … Continue reading French Factory Worker’s Notebook

Notebook Addict of the Week: Emmanuel

This week’s addict has a habit of filling Moleskine and Rhodia notebooks. Look at these nice stacks! The Moleskine stack is pretty impressive given that he says he remembers first holding a Moleskine in his hands in January 2012. The Rhodias are from 2003-2006. Emmanuel says he wrote the first book in French about the … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week: Emmanuel

Review and Giveaway: Paperblanks Mini Reporter Notebooks

The folks at Paperblanks were kind enough to send me some samples after seeing my review of their “Old Leather” notebook. I am so glad they did, as I really love the notebooks they sent. Though there are things about them that are not 100% what I tend to look for in notebooks for my … Continue reading Review and Giveaway: Paperblanks Mini Reporter Notebooks

Notebook Addict of the Week (again): Joe

This week’s addict is another one whose collection has grown since we first saw it. He sent me this message and the photos below of his excellent collection, which now includes his own home-made notebooks: “I was a notebook addict about a year ago and just recently returned from Afghanistan after 7 months. So I … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week (again): Joe

A French Artist’s 1948 Diary

The 1948 diary below belonged to Martin Vivés, an artist who lived in southwestern France. He also seems to have been a museum curator there in the 1940s-1960s, and he met some famous artists including Raoul Dufy, as shown in the notes made in the diary. March 2 shows the phrase “visite Dufy.” It’s an … Continue reading A French Artist’s 1948 Diary

More on London Notebooks

When I was complaining about the bleak landscape for London notebook shopping, I didn’t mention the most frustrating part of the trip! I was there on business, and during my last meeting of the trip, when I already knew it was pretty likely that I’d go home without buying anything, I spotted a really gorgeous … Continue reading More on London Notebooks