This is the second instalment of my favourite stationery items, with one more notebook type and some of my journals. The first instalment was here in case you missed it.
Leuchturm1917
I’ve written about using this notebook for larger projects here, so I won’t say too much more about them, except to highlight a few favourite things.
- dot-grid pages
- two ribbon bookmarks
- sturdy cover
- readily available
Picking up a new Leuchturm in a pretty colour is great retail therapy.
Traveler’s Notebook
The Traveler’s Notebook (TN) system from The Traveler’s Company is its own subculture within the stationery world. The notebooks are created to be used for analogue documentation of travel and life, as a way of memory-keeping, with the items developing patina and personalty over time.
A starter kit consists of four things:
- a leather cover, with a bookmark
- a blank kraft cover notebook known as an insert
- an elastic through the spine of the cover, to hold the inserts
- an elastic and a spare to hold the notebook closed
When you get a new one, it comes beautifully packaged in a cotton drawstring bag, and then a sturdy cardboard box. They come in two sizes. Passport (self-explanatory) and standard (12.5cm x 22cm / approximately 5 x 9 inches). The inserts can then be bought separately, so that you can configure them for your own purposes. They come in a huge variety of styles such as lined, plain, grid and dot grid paper, dated and undated weekly and monthly planners, and more.
My TN Set-Up
- Personal journaling. I’m using an undated weekly planner which I ended up not using for that purpose. I just decorate and write right over the preprinted lines as if they were background. I know that would make some people crazy, but the paper is such beautiful quality and I didn’t want to waste it.
- Family journaling in this insert. Every evening I write a few sentences just documenting what everyone was up to that day. I paste in a few photos from each month in the front and back pages.
- A plain insert, with some travel and family journaling, photos, ephemera, some creative playing and experimenting. Whatever I feel like.
I’ve tried to link the items in a few different places. The popular ones sell out quickly and sometimes you have to hunt things down, or wait for the next year’s release.
I love my TN set-up. All that writing and creativity housed in a beautiful leather cover is so inviting to pick up and use. It’s become a real treasure.
Stationery in the Photo
- top notebook
- bottom notebook
- fountain pen
- charms (on the elastic), camera and tag (similar)
- skeleton clip
- date stamp
- washi tapes
P.S. A lovely blog post from the owner of Wonder Pens about her TN.
P.P.S. A fun Canadian You-Tuber I watch, using his TN.
