Modified Notebook, 1980s

June 1, 2009 Nifty Notebook 3 Comments

This is a strange example of my notebook obsession.

I took two spiral notebooks, removed the spirals, and then combined the pages into one thicker notebook with a taped spine. I probably coated the edges of the pages with rubber cement under the tape, and they are still held in quite well. The lines of the two notebooks were slightly different, and the pages weren’t even the exact same size, but I guess I liked the clean edge the tape provided, as well as the extra thickness.

There is no brand information on the covers left behind, but the cover indicates a shockingly low price of 5 for 99 cents, and the back cover says it was made in Taiwan.

As for the contents, fairly typical of those days– high school assignments, lots of doodling and practicing my snazzy signature, and the remnants of notes passed back and forth with friends, saying things like “I can see what you mean about how Heather and John hate each other,” which seems funny given that I still know those two people and can see that they’re friends on Facebook, 25 years later!

Organization, record-keeping

A Notebook for Saving Money

May 29, 2009 Nifty Notebook Leave a comment

Here’s the kind of headline I like to see: Create a notebook for saving money:

In previous columns, I’ve mentioned organizing recipes and coupons, creating a price book to track product prices, a garden journal and menu planning. A frugal notebook is a place to organize all these useful tools. It’s easy to put together and cheap, too.

All you need is a binder, page protectors, dividers, index cards and a few printable forms, such as a calendar and checklists to get started.

One reader, Jean in Canada, shares: “I keep my home-organization notebook in a big zippered binder with lots of pockets and some files. I also have stamps, address labels, stationery, cards and a calculator.”

I keep all my financial records electronically, for the most part, but I used to try to track my spending in a notebook. Now I tend to jot down notes about things I need to do, like transferring money from one account to another, or notes about mutual funds I might want to consider investing in. I’ve never tried to keep a price book, but it’s a nice idea. My notebook use is more about spending money than saving it– I tend to write down things I want to buy!

Does anyone have any money-saving tips involving use of a notebook?

Art, creativity, Notebook Addict of the Week, Other People's Notebooks

Notebook Addict of the Week: A Norwegian Artist

May 28, 2009 Nifty Notebook 3 Comments

Here’s the latest Notebook Addict of the Week, found on Flickr:

They are filled with drawings and collage in a very raw style, by Kier Cooke Sandvik of Norway, whose profile reads as follows:

transsexual, atheistic anarchist.

I’m Other.

See all the Flickr images here, (though I’m not sure the original set is still on Flickr) and more on the artist’s blog here. (Caution to anyone who may be offended by adult material.)

Moleskine, new products, Notebook Reviews, Sketchbook

Moleskine Folio Sketchbook Review

May 27, 2009 Nifty Notebook 6 Comments

So the first question about the new Moleskine Folio sketchbook is “HOW BIG IS IT?” Is it this big?

Is it this big?

Well, when you stop having fun with perspective, it’s really this big:

I had seen the measurements before I ordered it– 11 3/4 x 16 1/2″– but still, when I actually held this sketchbook in my hands, I found it rather awesomely large, and the comparison to a pocket-size Moleskine was amusing.

Aside from the size, it’s very much like any other Moleskine, but scaled up– the paper band is wider, the elastic is slightly wider, and the Moleskine name stamped on the back is larger. Inside, the space for writing your name and a reward is larger, as is the Moleskine logo on the inside front cover. The ribbon marker is also extra-long. The proportions of these details are not just a 1:1 ratio with smaller Moleskines, but somewhere in between.

The paper quality seems very similar to previous Moleskine sketchbooks, though for the first time, these are indicated to be FSC certified/Mixed Sources. The paper also doesn’t seem as stiff in this size– it’s very creamy and flexible, and feels quite luxurious. You can see the comparison to a pocket sketchbook below:

Also, on closer comparison, the color of the paper is less yellowish than one of my older pocket Moleskine sketchbooks.

When I tested some pens and watercolor paints, I did notice some slight differences– one of my pens feathered a bit in the Folio, and watercolors seemed to bead up a bit more when using a light wash. (The Folio page is on the left below– at right is the pocket sketchbook.)

With a hard pencil, I found I couldn’t get as dark a shade on the Folio paper, but that is just an observation, not really a criticism. Soft pencil was fine on both, but as always with Moleskine, the paper is so smooth, it isn’t the ideal texture for charcoal and soft pencils, at least if you like the textured effects you can get with rougher paper.

It’s interesting to note that for these notebooks, Moleskine has changed their country of origin language to “Designed by Moleskine in Italy–Manufactured in China,” rather than the previous “Printed and Bound in China– Designed and Assembled in Italy.”

Specs: 160 g/ sq.m. top quality acid free paper, Mixed Sources FSC certified

96 pages

11 3/4 x 16 1/2″

List price: $40.00 but available for $26.40 at Amazon

Bottom line: if you like Moleskines and want a larger page to write or draw in, the Folio line should make you very happy. Those who are very particular about the smoothness or color of the sketchbook paper should beware the slight differences, but I’m sure most people will not be too disappointed. (I haven’t tested the regular lined and plain versionsin the lighter, standard paper weight to see if there are any variations from the smaller notebooks.)

I also purchased the A4 size Moleskine Folio version of the “Memo Pockets ,” now more appropriately called a “Portfolio.” I’ll be reviewing that soon.

Cartesio, Links, Notebook Reviews

Notebook Comparison

May 26, 2009 Nifty Notebook Leave a comment

DIY Planner has a comparison of the Moleskine, Rhodia Webnotebook, and Cartesio pocket notebook. I won’t spoil it and tell you who wins!

Links, Places to Buy Notebooks

Notebooks Marked Down to $10!

May 22, 2009 Nifty Notebook Leave a comment

They’ve got some very cute notebooks on sale at Orange and Pear. The original prices on these range from $12-25, and they are now priced at $10– nice deal!

Orla Kiely’s notebooks are just beautifully made with a cool pear print or her signature stem design embossed on the cover. The inside of her journals are lined with a modern print and she always has a ribbon handy for marking your spot. Sukie is a husband / wife team based in the U.K. I fell in love with their retro, chic and witty images. The paper inside their notebooks are recycled and ruled. The travel notebook is quite unique with little pockets sewn in the binding to store business cards, receipts, love notes, who knows? Delphine’s mini notebooks have letterpress covers with a scroll design or a pretty image of a polar bear or penguin. It comes with a colored band to hold your place and you get 2 journals in a set!

books, Fun & Weird, Links, Other People's Notebooks, record-keeping, Writing Notebooks

Jack Kerouac’s Notebooks: Not What You’d Think!

May 21, 2009 Nifty Notebook 3 Comments

What would you expect to find in Jack Kerouac’s notebooks? Probably not this:

Jack Kerouac — Mr. On the Road, the King of the Beats, who begat the beatniks who begat the hippies who begat the hipsters — Jack Kerouac, the fountainhead of cool — that Jack Kerouac was obsessed with — guess what. Freedom? Alienation? Restless, rootless wandering? Mad pursuit of the beatific vision? Nope. Jack Kerouac’s deepest-rooted, longest-lasting obsession was … fantasy baseball.How obsessed was he? So obsessed that, years before fantasy baseball existed, he invented his own version of the game, with whole teams and leagues named for colors and makes of cars, and series and seasons played out with marbles for balls and toothpicks and matchsticks for bats. So obsessed that he filled notebooks with meticulously recorded stats, made illustrated team rosters, and wrote letters back and forth between his various team-managerial personae, haggling over trades.

From The Huffington Post, who unfortunately have decided that this particular aspect of Kerouac is “uncool.”

My Collection, Nostalgia, Personal

1980s Roaring Spring Spiral Notebook

May 20, 2009 Nifty Notebook 9 Comments

Here’s a pretty basic notebook from the mid-1980s. I used it for a while in high school to keep track of school assignments and such– I dated each page, and noted each day’s assignments and deadlines. It’s got a nice clean design, but is otherwise quite boring! I’m not sure why I favored it at the time, other than just wanting something cheap and simple to write in.

I got a kick out of the page below– a very exciting thing at the time, driving lessons!

I used lots of simple spiral notebooks like this, many of which I still have. This particular one was made by Roaring Spring/Top Scholar, of Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania. I have another notebook made by Top Scholar– it appears to have been a separate company based in Columbia, MD, so I guess Roaring Spring must have bought them out. I can’t find any information on the companies, but I’m sure it was yet another link in the chain of notebook manufacturing companies consolidating and then sending their operations overseas… this always makes me feel sad!

Notebook Stories