This is a very belated planner set-up video for August. Blame the DC Pen Show for the slacktitude!
Materials in this video are listed in the description box on YouTube.
Video: August Planner Catch-Up (I mean Set-Up)
Book Review: The Plan: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius
The Plan: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius by Kendra Adachi totally sounded like a book I should read. Kendra is a writer and podcaster and her previous books focused on her “lazy genius” method which is mentioned in this book as well. The key takeaway from this method is to reframe goals in the framework of “what is most important to you at this time” rather than the whole 50,000 foot view or 5-year plan or any of the other planner/productivity methods I’ve read about over the last 20 years or so.
There is some real wisdom in her method for tackling projects and the ever-growing urge to to do “all the things”. The author frames the book specifically around the struggles that women face due to social expectations and how we do more but that there are no books that directly address this issue.
At the start of the book, it appeared she might actually include non-binary, trans and other marginalized people in her approach but, in the end, she focussed on women which was a bit of a let down. It also led to a lot of talk about menstrual cycles for one’s planning strategies. Its fine but even I don’t want to be stereotyped into a bucket that assumes that, just because I bleed, I can’t get stuff done. Other people struggle with lots of issues that might restrict their energy and its a bit of a disappointment that the only one she focused on was women’s monthly cycles.
Her discussion of breaking tasks down into small, actionable bits is not new but her approach, overall, was chatty and accessible. But many of her perspectives might not apply to people with CFS and other conditions that might limit their energy regardless of their gender assignment.
It’s a good system overall but I think she limited the book’s appeal by focusing repeatedly on menstrual cycles. I can be tired just because I’m tired and not because I’m hormonal. Sheesh.
I listened to the audiobook version (via my public library on Libby) of The Plan which ran about 6 hours so it was a “quick read”. I think the paper or digital version which might be annotated and have supplementary material may be easier to process.
Have you read this? What’s your take?
Link Love: Happy Lefthander Day
Today is a day to celebrate the lefthand — even if you don’t write with your left hand, turn that palm over and say “Thanks for being there for me!” For us lefties, its our chance to lift our fist, showing our smudged pinkies and rail against all the ways the world favors right handed people — door handles on the left? manual can openers, pencil sharpeners, keys that turn to the right, and those were just the things I can think of off the top of my head.
And of course, there are the things that are made for lefties that we don’t actually need — Lamy lefty nibs, I’m looking at you!
So, below I have a link from Pen Boutique about left handed fountain pen options. Some I agree with — love me some Waverly nibs– and others I disagree with Lamy LH again and some I didn’t know about — Sailor LH nibs??!?!?!? Regular Sailor nibs work beautifully for me so I am curious about those but not enough to buy ANOTHER Sailor! Finally, I don’t recommend Pilot gold nibs for most lefties unless they try them first because they do bounce and flex so sidewriters and overwriters will have some issues. Underwriters can use them pretty easily.
Are you a lefty? What’s your favorite fountain pen and nib? Happy Lefthander’s Day!!!
Link of the Week:
- Yes, Fountain Pens are for Lefties, Too! (via Pen Boutique Ltd)
Pen Show Recaps:
- Thank you DC! (via Casual Crossings)
- 2025 Washington DC Fountain Pen Supershow (via Olive Octopus)
- 2025 D.C. Pen Show Recap: The Big Show Gets Bigger (via The Gentleman Stationer)
- 2025 DC Pen Show (via Rachel’s Reflections)
Pens:
- Chopping Block (via Line Variation)
Ink:
- ink review : Jacques Herbin Rouge d’Orient (via inkxplorations)
- Ink Review: Colorverse Blue Green Snake Collection (via Mountain of Ink)
- Wearingeul The Great Sage Heaven’s Equal Ink Review (via Pen Chalet)
Pencils:
- My Favorite Pencils: 2025 Edition (via The Gentleman Stationer)
Notebooks & Paper:
- Yamamoto Canopus Paper Review (via The Pen Addict)
- Dominant Industry Takasago Ink Swatch Paper Review (via The Pen Addict)
- Archer & Olive Full Reveal of the 2025 Fall Collection (via Archer & Olive Blog)
- The Best Use of Each Notebook Size (via Archer & Olive Blog)
Art & Creativity:
- The Asian Modernists of Paris (via Hyperallergic)
- Seattle 2025: Sketcher Fest Edmonds – Part 3: The experience (in words and photos) (via Apple-Pine)
- Apple-Pine: Seattle 2025: Sketcher Fest Edmonds – Part 3: The experience (in sketches and IDEAS for the next time) (via Apple-Pine)
- Updated Review of Jackson’s Artist Watercolours (via An Inkophile’s Blog)
Other Interesting Things:
- NASA Releases Closest-Ever Photos of the Sun (via My Modern Met)
- Return to the island (a mixtape) (via Austin Kleon)
- The Danish post office will stop delivering mail (but not pa… (via Kottke.org)
- My Recent Media Diet, the Resistance Edition (via Kottke.org)
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Ink Review: Teranishi Guitar Taisho Roman Haikara Innocent Mauve Ink
On a recent perusal of JetPens, one ink in particular caught my eye: Teranishi Guitar Innocent Mauve (40mL for $23). You know I’m a sucker for purples, and this one has all the things I love: deep jewel tones, warm red hues…
I’m not sure if this color is entirely what I think of when I think of Mauve. I mean it does have the red tone I expect, but it’s so much more saturated than what I usually think of. That said, it’s full of deep, dark tones and almost makes me think of blackberries.
The description doesn’t mention any green sheen, but I got a little bit in my darkest drops, and it appears I’m not alone in that. Mostly this ink is just a nice shader.
In terms of comparisons, I think it’s almost a dead ringer for Monteverde Rose Noir. It’s also fairly close to Robert Oster Velvet Crush. I told you I have a thing for purples (and my ink stash has all 3 bottles now!)
Overall, I’m pleased with this one and glad to add it to to the collection!
- Papers: Crossfield Journal ($24.00) and Maruman Mnemosyne N182A Inspiration Notebook A5
- Pens: Pilot Iro-Utsushi Dip Pens (F & M nibs, $11 each), Komamono Fonte Glass Pen Body ($7.50)
- Swatches: Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Cards ($10) and Col-o-Dex Rotary Cards ($15)
- Ink: Teranishi Guitar Innocent Mauve (40mL for $23)
DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
Paper Test: Wonderland 222 New Planner Paper for 2026
Liisa at Wonderland222 gave me the opportunity to test the new papers that will be used in the Wonderland222 2026 planners. This paper is a conscientious choice not to use the 52gsm Sanzen Tomoe River paper that caused so many issues last year across the planner and stationery community. What they will be using is a undisclosed, Japanese paper that is both 52gsm and fountain pen friendly.
The paper has a crispy hand feel–the delightful crinkle sound of a thin, almost starchy paper. Its a natural white color, not ivory but not eye-searingly bright either. A perfect balance IMHO. The paper has a slight tooth to it making it a little more tactile than ice smooth papers like Rhodia or Clairefontaine. If you prefer a super smooth sheet, this paper may not be for you. When compared to Tomoe River in terms of hand feel, the paper feels a little thicker even though they are both 52gsm.
I tested the paper with an array of fountain pen inks, fountain pens and a variety of other pens I use on a daily basis to annotate and jazz up my daily planner.
All the standard non-fountain pens worked as expected and there was no lag in dry times. None of my fountain pens showed any change in line width from what I expected. Colors all appeared consistent to other papers I’ve used. Shade, sheen and shimmer were all visible on the paper.
I tested my favorite subtle sheener, Sailor Irori and the gold sheen did show up. I also tested swatches of shimmer inks, Ku-Jaku (another sheening ink) and a few shading and multichromatic inks as well just to get a variety. In fountain pens, I tested a variety of nib widths and color intensities from subtle to bright and even a shimmer ink in a 1.1mm stub nib and all showed expected qualities with no increase in expected line widths or any feathering.
From the back side of the sheet, there is a little bleed through with the large, wet swatches. The pen and marker tests showed little showthrough and little-to-no bleedthrough (the exception was my beloved Pentel Sign Bush Pen in Olive) but it was minimal.
Compared to Tomoe River Sanzen & Tomoegawa
I wanted to specifically add comparisons to the ink swatches where it is most easy to see color shifts, sheening and potential for bleed or show through. When compared with the sample note pads of Tomoegawa and Sanzen Tomoe River general writing was similar and while showthrough to the back is slightly more noticeable with the Wonderland222. When photographed, the Wonderland222 paper looks slightly more cream/ivory but in person, the color difference is negligible.
The Diamine Olive Twist appears a little lighter and slightly more yellowy on the Wonderland222 paper. The sheen, while visible on Wonderland222 is not nearly as noticable on the TR papers and again the sheen is more intense on the Sanzen (in the middle above) than the Tomoegawa. The multichromatic Sailor Haha looks like a different ink on all three papers: more blue on the Wonderland222, more noticable shading in dark teal and purple on the Sanzen and more aqua and pink on the Tomoegawa (far right).
The swatches of Van Dieman’s Parrot Fish (a shimmer with shading) looks similar on all three papers but the waffling of the TR papers made the shimmer particles catch the light when photographed making the ink look lighter than it is in person. The darker pooling around the edges of the TR papers make the ink look different but the overall color and shimmer is similar on all three.
Pilot Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku shows way more sheen on the TR paper and the most sheen on the Sanzen TR (center swatch).
The Colorverse Morning Star showed no sheen on the Wonderland222 paper but sheen is clearly visible on both TR papers.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I think the new Wonderland222 paper is a reasonable substitute. I would say its about 80-90% a good alternative to the Tomoe River of our memories. At this point in time, fountain pen users are such a small subset of an already small subset of people who still use paper planners and journal that we are lucky to have any paper options that meet our needs. We really are spoiled for choice at this time, even if papers have changed or been discontinued over the past few years. And the fact that manufacturers are still trying to capture that lightning-in-a-bottle that is thin, lightweight, opaque AND fountain pen friendly papers for writing is amazing. I believe we should continue to support the efforts of manufacturers and makers who are trying to find new papers and new ways to use them.
The question for you, in the coming year, is are you willing to take another chance on a planner that uses Tomoe River or are you ready to try something new?
(Finally, if I would have to guess what this paper was, I’d guess it was View Corona 52gsm (bright white) but I did not have any samples of that paper here to test. I will order some and see if I’m right.)
DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by Wonderland222 for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
Fashionable Friday: Pool Party
It’s hot. Let’s go to the pool! Pack some notebooks, pens and inks because its fun to journal poolside (or lakeside, oceanside or kiddie pool-side). Don’t forget your hat, shades and sunscreen!
Ink:
- Robert Oster Blue Water Ice Signature Ink – 50 ml Bottle (via JetPens)
- Inkebara Special Edition – Water (via Vanness Pen Shop)
- Wearingeul A Watery Star (30ml) Bottled Ink (Glistening)(via Dromgoole’s)
- Diamine Aqua Blue (30ml) Bottled Ink (via Dromgoole’s)
Pens:
- BENU Euphoria Collection Big Wave Fountain Pen (via Vanness Pen Shop)
- Kaweco Frosted Sport Light Blueberry Fountain (via Vanness Pen Shop)
- Lamy Al-Star Aquatic Fountain (via Vanness Pen Shop)
- Sailor Pro Gear Smoothie Fountain Pen – Ocean Water (Limited Edition) (via Dromgoole’s)
Stationery Supplies:
- Girl of ALL WORK – Washi tape – 15mm – Poolside (via Vanness Pen Shop)
- Tsuki ‘Dolphin Days’ Limited Edition Bullet Journal (via Notebook Therapy)
- Tsuki ‘Ocean Edition’ Pop-Up Pencil Case (via Notebook Therapy)
- Numbered Seashells Sticker Sheet (The Well-Appointed Desk)
- Sea Goddess Sticker Sheet (The Well-Appointed Desk)
- Treasures of the Cove Sticker Sheet (The Well-Appointed Desk)
- Ocean Crystals Sticker Sheet (The Well-Appointed Desk)
Other Cool Stuff:
- Beach Resort Blue nail polish (via ella+mila)
- Open Weave Bolga Tote – Natural (via Frances Valentine)
- Blackberry Jasmine Iced Tea (via Smith Teamaker)
- Turtle Sunset Tervis Traveler – Stainless Steel Tumbler with Slider Lid (via Tervis)
- Seaside Beach Towel, Paddles (via L.L.Bean)
Thanks to my sponsors for providing some of the images I use for Fashionable Friday. Please consider making your next purchase from one of the shops that support this blog and let them know you heard about them here. Thanks for your support and for supporting the shops that help keep it running.
Ink Review: Sailor 50 States New Mexico
Initially, I was attracted to this ink specifically because I used to live in New Mexico and I knew immediately that the color was inspired by the love for turquoise jewelry in New Mexico. I was too poor to purchase any turquoise jewelry while I was living there so I thought buying the ink would be an appropriate tribute to my time in New Mexico.
After waffling a bit before picking up a bottle, I realized how much I love the soft, slightly dusty turquoise color irregardless of the New Mexico connection. Okay, must take home with me. In writing, the color has a wide range of shading to light summer swimming pool turquoise to a deep teal turquoise depending on how much ink is applied to the page (and your nib size and paper characteristics, of course). On workhorse, everyday paper like Rhodia, there is no sheening or multichromatice effects, just a calming turquoise color (ever so slightly more green than blue). I find it to be a fabulous color.
In very fine nibs, it may be slightly too light but I still find it readable. I find it performs better in M and wider.
Compared to other inks:
Okay, I admit it. I have a lot of this particular shade of turquoise ink in my collection. In fact, the colors shown above: Sailor Studio #264, Dominant Industry Log of Atlantis (pearl shimmer) and Pen BBS #507 Lily of the Valley are all almost identical to New Mexico with minor exceptions. Log of Atlantis Atlantis is a shimmer ink so if you don’t like shimmers, choose one of the other options. Pen BBS #507 is no longer available so if it was an ink you coveted, one of these others are perfectly acceptable alternative.
For me, it means I need to STOP buying dusty turquoise inks because I have plenty already. Four bottles is enough, right?
With the previous comment, its safe to assume that I like this ink enough to recommend it. It’s Sailor, a brand I trust to produce good quality inks in a color I love. So, of course I’d recommend it. Go forth and collect all 50 States if you must!
Tools:
- Paper: Rhodia Ice Pad No. 16 Bloc ($6.95)
- Pens: Dominant Industry Ink Muddler ($15), No. 2 Round Escoda Reserva paint brush and random waterbrush
- Swatches: Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Book ($10) & Col-o-dex Rotary Cards ($15)
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Dromgoole’s for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.