A nice little piece in the New York Times about keeping a commonplace book, by Charley Locke: I’ve never been a journal person, though not for lack of trying. A monogrammed duffel bag in my parents’ basement holds many old diaries — a furry leopard-print one from elementary school, Moleskines with unbroken spines from college … Continue reading On Keeping a Commonplace Book
I may tend to use a lot of Moleskines and similar pocket hardcover notebooks, but I’m still a sucker for a nice wire-o binding on a notebook, especially one with some interesting design details. I was very happy when Goldspot Pens gave me the opportunity to review a free sample of the Nebula Casual Note, … Continue reading Nebula Casual Note Review
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
Do you ever feel like there is a sad and lonely notebook and you might be its only savior? If so, you’re not alone in your desire to do a notebook rescue! I recently performed a selfless, heroic act of notebook rescue. I went back to Jerry’s to see if they had any more of … Continue reading Notebook Rescue
Back in 2017, I posted about artist Stanley Whitney and his sketchbooks. I hadn’t heard of him before reading about an exhibition and book featuring his sketchbooks, but I remembered him well when I saw his name on the front page of the NY Times Arts section this past weekend. Stanley Whitney Dances With Matisse … Continue reading Stanley Whitney in the New York Times
I have bought a LOT of notebooks on eBay. Mostly, I have bought older Modo e Modo Moleskines to build up my SABLE collection of pocket sketchbook, plain and gridded notebooks. The old Moleskine sketchbooks and squared notebooks are still my favorite notebooks of all time, and I’m glad I stocked up on ones that … Continue reading Extra Notebooks from eBay
I’ve almost always had a sharp disparity between my preferred notebooks for personal use and my preferred work notebooks. My personal notebooks are always pocket sized, with plain, dotted, or grid pages, usually hardcover. But my work notebooks are usually none of those things. I’ve written about some of my work notebooks before. In my … Continue reading My Latest Work Notebooks
Pat Perry is an artist whose sketchbook images (and other art) I’ve come across frequently on Pinterest and Instagram. His website has a very cool page where you can scroll through various sketchbook spreads: Such a fascinating mix of notes, doodles, and finely rendered drawings. See more at PatPerry.net/sketchbooks.
Architects’ sketchbooks are always some of my favorites to look at. And having worked with an architect and contractor on a renovation of my own home, the quote below really resonated with me, as I found myself frequently pulling out my own notebooks to draw ideas that I couldn’t otherwise explain! From architect to contractor, … Continue reading Architects’ Sketchbooks as Visual Conversation
Today we’re taking a look at the Pineider Boston notebook. I forget where I was poking around online when I first saw that Pineider made some cute pocket notebooks– I think it was some luxury goods site. Pineider certainly qualifies as a luxury brand: their small leather wallets start at close to $200, and go … Continue reading Pineider Boston Notebook Review