Occasionally, a book will cross my path that I think will be very interesting to Well-Appointed Desk readers and I think Woman With A Blue Pencil by Gordon McApline is just such a book. The premise of the book sounds both strange and intriguing blending noir detective tale and WWII Japanese-American internment camps and the book publishing world and so much more. Every review I’ve read makes me scratch my head since no one seems to describe the book the same way. It makes it even more intriguing.
More information and reviews can be found on GoodReads.
The book is available in both hard copy and ebook formats but it seems appropriate to read this one in hard copy, though the choice is yours. If you do read it, please let me know what you think of it.
The Typewriter Revolution: A Typist’s Companion for the 21st Century by Richard Polt is a book about typewriter’s for the modern enthusiast. The books contains both the history of typewriters as well as how and why people are using typewriters in the 21st century. There’s information on cleaning on old typewriter, how to trouble shoot why your machine might not work and how to “gussy it up”. There’s lots of photos of typewriters throughout history both machines that you’ll recognize and others that are strange and marvelous devices. One of the coolest touches of this book is the bookmark ribbon which is, of course, a red and black ribbon like a typewriter ribbon.
While I’m talking about typewriter books, I must include The Typewriter: A Graphic History of the Beloved Machine from Uppercase. This is a huge coffee table tome that was exquisitely and lovingly produced by Janine Vangool of Uppercase magazine. The book includes hundreds of photos of typewriters, advertisements and ephemera in 300+ pages and organized by decade from the turn of the century through the 1980s. Often with Uppercase publications, once the book sells out, it is not reprinted so if this is something that might be of interest to you, I’d order it now. I pre-ordered my copy last year and I’m so glad I did.
For an inside peek, check out this video included on the web site.
Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey is the latest selection chosen for the Letter Writers Alliance online book club. The live video chat will be Sunday January 10 at 12:30 CST so there’s plenty of time to pick this up and read it, especially with the holidays approaching. I just got a copy from my local library so I’ll be reading it by my non-working fireplace with a blanket, a cat on my lap and a cup of tea between now and New Year’s Day. And this book sounds tailor-made for me. An epistolary tale about World War II? Sign me up!
Do you have any pen-related books to recommend? Leave a comment and maybe I’ll start a regular series with books for the pen & paper set!
(3-color, 18″ x 24″ screenprintposter of Kansas City. Print is signed and number in an edition of 100. 2nd edition. $25 via Tad Carpenter)
I’m feeling a little sentimental today about my adopted home, Kansas City. We’ll be spending the holidays here this year and we have a friend coming into town so I’ve been mentally preparing a list of things to show him, places to take him and food to feed him. I thought I’d share it with you. Maybe it’ll inspire you to stop in Kansas City some day. Be sure to let me know if you’re in town and I’d be happy to buy you a coffee or a beer and talk pens with you. So here goes, ten things to love about Kansas City:
This list is in no particular order, especially since anyone who knows me will know that I am actually a Chicago Fire MLS fan. However, the enthusiasm that Kansas City has put behind its professional sports teams this year, including its soccer team and, in return, the awesome support the teams give to their supporters make KC a great place to be a sports fan. The post-World Series parade and celebration for the Royals was EPIC. This town knows how to throw a party.
(PS: You can spot my pal Madeline and her black Scottie in the video if you don’t blink!)
Christopher Elbow. This man makes chocolates that make you cry because they are both delicious and beautiful but he also created an ice cream shop called Glacé that elevated ice cream and sorbets to new gourmet heights with a rotating assortment of flavors. I just noticed the seasonal ice cream flavors like Peppermint Flake and Jude’s Rum Cake. I might have to pop over over a taste this week. Yum!
Boulevard Beer. Rieger’s Whiskey. Dark Horse Distillery. Why stop at chocolate and ice cream? Kansas City has a great assortment of booze locally made. Boulevard is our flagship brewery offering an array of seasonal and limited edition brews. Rieger is a small batch distillery recreating pre-Prohibition whiskey, gin and vodka. Their whiskey has been a staple at The Desk but I’ve yet to try their gin and I’m itching to. And Dark Horse is another local liquor staple in KC best known for their white whiskey though they also produce a rye whiskey and a bourbon whiskey.
Joe’s BBQ. Joe’s KC, formerly known as Oklahoma Joe’s and still referred to by locals as Okie Joe’s is a KC classic. Its a BBQ joint started in a gas station that still has a line out the door on most nights. Their BBQ (in all its forms) in to die for and even ended up on some pretty fancy foodie bucket lists. Even my vegetarian friends go, if only for the “crack fries”.
(Country Club Plaza Lights Mini Hanging Banner $16 via Tammy Smith)
The Plaza. There is a more official name for The Plaza, its The Country Club Plaza or something like that but locals just call it The Plaza and everyone knows what you mean. Its an outdoor shopping area designed to look a bit like a Spanish courtyard with fancy clock towers and fountains galore. On Thanksgiving night, there is a holiday lighting event where the whole place is lit up and it looks beautiful. There are lots of fancy, upscale shops like Tiffany, Kate Spade, Sephora, Apple and more and lots of restaurants and bars. There’s also a creek that runs down one end that people run and walk along. Its just a nice place to watch people, window shop and eat a nice meal.
The Pen Place. Yes, Kansas City really does have its own pen shop. Its not very big and its tucked back into a dark corner of the very touristy Crown Center Mall but we have a pen shop. The staff is very pleasant and they stock a wide variety of brands of pens and inks that they are happy to let you hold and will even swatch out inks on paper for you to see before you buy. They also have a wide variety of pen refills and have patiently helped me with my refill guide on occasion. So if you’re in the neighborhood, definitely pop in and say hello.
The World War I Museum. Kansas City is lucky enough to have the only and official World War I museum in the United States and it is a moving and memorable experience to visit this museum and surrounding grounds. I work in a building across the street and often walk the grounds on bright days at lunch admiring the amazing views from atop the hill. As a history buff and knitter I have also enjoyed attending the regular lecture series Mrs. Wilson’s Knitting Circle which will enter its second year in 2016. It’s an extraordinary place and an amazing opportunity to learn more about a singular event that changed the course of history. There are also many other amazing museums in Kansas City like the Negro League Baseball Museum, the American Jazz Museum, the Truman Presidential Library, and the Toy & Miniature Museum just to name a few.
The local art scene. Not only does Kansas City have an amazing art museum in the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, but there is the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, and several areas that feature a thriving local art galleries like the Crossroads, the West Bottoms and Brookside. There are many art festivals, craft shows and first Fridays (third Thursdays and other open studio events and the like) all over town, plus there is the Kansas City Art Institute training new artistic talent as well as other local colleges and universities that are helping to develop new creative talent. Add in the music and performing arts in Kansas City from the new Kauffman Center for Performing Arts shell featuring the Kansas City Ballet, Lyric Opera and Kansas City Symphony to the local bars and clubs hosting bands and open mike nights. When I moved here, I didn’t think Kansas City was a cowtown per se but I had no idea how amazingly talented it was.
Coffee. This town loves its coffee. We have local coffee shops and local roasters and all sorts of combinations of the two. Some of my favorites are The Filling Station, Benettis, Messenger Coffee, Kaldi’s Coffee and the king of the coffee bean hill The Roasterie. If you’re a tea drinker, I recommend Kaldi’s Double Vanilla Tea Latte or the London Fog from either the Roasterie or Kaldi’s. Delish!
Hallmark Cards. I feel silly plugging the firm but if it wasn’t for Hallmark, I never would have come to Kansas City and discovered what a cool place it is. I would not have met some of the most amazing, talented and special people I’ve ever known and I might never have started this blog which gave me the chance to meet all of you. I once read an interview with a Hallmark employee (colloquially called a “Hallmarker”) who described working at Hallmark as grad school and it really is. So many of us refine and hone our skills surrounded by people who are so incredibly talented in everything they do. And everyone is willing to share their knowledge and encourage other people’s success which is unlike any place I’ve ever worked. So, thank you, Hallmark for all the opportunities.
The Agendio planner was my first twin-ring planner and my first customize-to-order planner. So there are a lot of firsts for me and I will be making a lot of comparisons to ring-bound planners like Filofax or bound planners like a Moleskine or Leuchtturm1917 rather than other twin-ring planner systems, so bear with me.
I ordered the smallest size which is the Journal size (5.5×8″). The paper size is pretty comparable to A5 sheets in a Filofax planner or a medium Moleskine/Leuchtturm 1917 planner and the overall Agendio Journal book is just a little taller and a little thinner than my personal-sized Filofax. So, size-wise I didn’t make a big change in my planner size form what I’m generally comfortable with using. It makes this book quite portable, easy to fit in my bag or purse as needed and doesn’t require its own desk. Because of the hardcover, leatherette cover, the exterior feels good and looks understated and professional. In a very out-of-character move, I ordered the black cover with a dark green elastic closure. With a couple of weeks usage though, I’m finding I’m not using the elastic nearly as often as I thought I would. It probably wasn’t totally necessary to add the elastic but I like knowing I can secure it closed and I like the aesthetic accent.
Inside, I ordered the combination of monthly calendar (Model 32060) with weekly calendar (Model 32057) and then spent an inordinate amount of time customizing the details. There are so many elements that can be tweaked to your personal taste from fonts and colors to the placement of the numbers on the monthly calendar. Then I was able to add personal events to the calendar like important dates or repeating activities. I added family birthdays and my weekly Knit Night. Agendio allows you to choose holidays to add to your calendar as well by country and/or religious preferences. You can even add specific US State holidays.
On the weekly page layouts, I have a simple layout with the days of the week on the left and a space for notes on the right but the notes section is divided up into Divisibles to help organize my activities. I have a section for Work, Home, Blog and Misc. At the top is a Top 3 Goals and the inside left column is for general notes. Sunday is listed at the bottom of the right hand page but gets equal space as the other six days which I appreciate.
I also had some extra notes pages added to the back of the planner, just in case. And this is the perfect place to test some pens. For the most part, since my planner is on the small side, I tend to use fine gel pens in 0.38mm or thereabouts but I thought I’d test a bunch of pens to verify if there might be any issues with pens bleeding. I tested an array of fountain pens, some gel and rollerballs and even a couple of the brush pens I carry with me for drawing and lettering. There was no feathering with any of them. Ink dried quite quickly and when I turned the page over…
Very little show through at all! There were a couple tiny dots from the Retro 51 stock rollerball refill which I always find to be a gusher. I always swap it out for a finer refill or hack in a gel pen refill anyway but I thought I’d test it for your benefit. I think heavy fountain pens with dense black ink might cause some show through but overall the performance was very good. Grab that rainbow assortment of gel pens, Frixion pens, or your favorite multi-pen and keep it close to your Agendio and you’ll have a match made in heaven.
There were a couple more extras that I added to the planner as well. I got the pocket in the back so I could pack rat some goodies and I got the Agendio page markers which are simple laser-etched steel clips to mark your week or month page. The clips are low profile and good looking. Etched on the back of each clip is the message “Follow your own agenda” which I think is charming. Its a lovely addition to the planner.
Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the whole experience and the incredible level of customization. It took about 10 days from placing my order for the planner to arrive and it was totally worth the wait. And again, the prices on the Agendio planners, even with all the extras like the extra pages, page markers and folder pocket is quite competitive with the Erin Condren, Day Designer, Inkwell Press and other wire-ring planners with or without customization. Agendio is also offering customizable inserts for Filofax and Franklin Covey planners in both A5 and Personal sizes now too. The best part of the Agendio system is that the planner can start on any month. Mine started with December 2015. I didn’t even have to wait for January 1 to start a brand new planner. How awesome is that!?! So many great options!
Due to a slight printing variation the folks at Agendio actually sent me two planners. My husband saw the extra one laying on the table and asked “Are you going to use this? Can I have it?” From him, that’s high praise! So, he now has his own Agendio with all my Knit Nights already marked as a reminder for him. I’m pretty excited to see how he’ll use his first planner. Aren’t you?
DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Agendio for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
This week, I was feeling a little posh, a little glitzy. So I thought I’d give you a few last-minute ideas to tuck under the tree, into those stockings or onto that wish list.
Write On Everyday Assorted Writing Pencils 4 Designs in Each Set, 3 of Each Design $22 (via Rifle Paper Co.)
Monteverde Impressa Fountain Pen in Black &Rose Gold with Fine Nib $40 (via Goulet Pens)
Pilot Metropolitan Retro Pop Fountain Pen in Turquoise with Medium Nib $14.50 (via JetPens)
NOTE: I had several people ask “Hey, how come you’re not doing a Star Wars themed Fashionable Friday? I mean, c’mon?!?!” My reply? Been there. Done that. Just add the new Cross pens and notebooks and you’re all set.
I’m looking for landscape orientation notebooks. I know there’s a landscape orientation Rhodia Webnotebook, but I wouldn’t mind a color that isn’t orange or black. (Sacrilege, I know.) Do any other quality notebook companies make blank landscape orientation options, with binding on the short side? Fountain pen friendly always a bonus!
The sad truth of the matter is that there seems to be an assumption that if you want a horizontal/landscape notebook, you must be an artist and therefore only want a black book. The only company I could find that made landscape notebooks/sketchbooks with any other color cover was Hand Book Artists Journals Travelogue Series. I find the paper a little absorbent for some inks but overall its a thicker stock an good for light washes, and a variety of pen, pencil and media.
If you can live with a black cover though, the Rhodia would be best for fountain pens specifically. For mixed media, I can’t praise Stillman & Birn sketchbooks highly enough. I’ve used the Alpha and the Epsilon notebooks and I like them both. Stillman & Birn offer a landscape format in both softcover (this is new and looks NOT black!) and hardcover. The only Moleskine notebooks I’ve yet to try is the watercolor notebook and many people actually praise it. It’s available in the landscape format with 200 gsm, cold press paper which sounds pretty nice.
, which just happen to be local (Go, Kansas City!) They are available with a linen fabric cover in black, red, blue and green with a soft ivory paper inside.
Has there ever been a fashion accessory more perfectly aligned to the readers of The Well-Appointed Desk than the Art Gang Scarf by Karl James Mountford? At 55″ square and made from microfiber polyester, this scarf can double as a cover up or even as a coverlet as demonstrated by my darling pal Sara Harvey over on her blog, Bleed in Colors. The scarf costs $35 and can be shipped in time for Christmas. So, if you were trying to think of a last-minute gift for me… this is it! 😉
Occasionally, a book will cross my path that I think will be very interesting to Well-Appointed Desk readers and I think Woman With A Blue Pencil by Gordon McApline is just such a book. The premise of the book sounds both strange and intriguing blending noir detective tale and WWII Japanese-American internment camps and the book publishing world and so much more. Every review I’ve read makes me scratch my head since no one seems to describe the book the same way. It makes it even more intriguing.
Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey is the latest selection chosen for the Letter Writers Alliance online book club. The live video chat will be Sunday January 10 at 12:30 CST so there’s plenty of time to pick this up and read it, especially with the holidays approaching. I just got a copy from my local library so I’ll be reading it by my non-working fireplace with a blanket, a cat on my lap and a cup of tea between now and New Year’s Day. And this book sounds tailor-made for me. An epistolary tale about World War II? Sign me up!
Pens: 
, which just happen to be local (Go, Kansas City!) They are available with a linen fabric cover in black, red, blue and green with a soft ivory paper inside.