In feature

February is Letter Writing Month

Author AnaPosted on 6 Comments

letterwritingmonth

Once again, its time for InCoWriMo (pronounced as “Ink-o-rye-mo”), International Correspondence Writing Month. The goal of the project is to write one letter, card, note, or postcard everyday for the entire month of February. Just 28 little bits of correspondence.

LetterMo2015

February is also known as LetterMo, as in A Month of Letters, a project started by author Mary Robinette Kowal several years ago but whose mantle has been taken up across the blogosphere, myself included. LetterMo gives you the leeway of not writing on Sunday since there’s no postal pick-up so the requirement to complete this challenge is just 24 pieces of written correspondence.

For me, February is my chance to get all caught up on my letter writing AND even send some new letters and cards. Are you planning to participate?

With a week to plan, be sure to stock up on some stationery, postcards, note cards, stamps and, of course, have all your favorite pens and inks at the ready. This is a great chance to use up some of that paper you have squirreled away and try out ALL those inks you’ve been hoarding.

Need something for your upcoming month of letters?

(image modified from a WPA poster from the 30s available at Free Vintage Posters)

In feature

Clutter & Objects Defined

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments

The Happiness Project

Following my post about the organizing and de-cluttering book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, my darling friend Diane emailed me a considerably more useful list of potential clutter and object types.

Significant ObjectsSignificant-Objects-cover

First, from the NYT’s Joshua Glenn’s Significant Objects project, there is sorting our non-functional objects into five categories :

  • TOTEMS – are from the natural world, like rocks
  • IDOLS – are objects of contemplation, like Buddha figures
  • EVIDENCE – artifacts from a public event
  • TALISMANS – lucky objects
  • FOSSILS – things that bear mute witness to a vanished way of life

Then, from Gretchen Rubin’s book The Happiness Project, she defines Clutter Types as:

  • Nostalgic clutter – relics of an earlier life
  • Conservation clutter – things I imagine being useful but aren’t presently
  • Freebie clutter – gifts, hand-me-downs we don’t use
  • Crutch clutter – things I use but know I shouldn’t
  • Aspirational clutter – things I aspire to use but don’t
  • Buyer’s remorse clutter – enough said

My husband and I had fun assigning some of our favorite items to various categories. Mechanical typewriters are definitely Fossils and are also a little Conservation clutter and Aspirational clutter (even I realize that having more than a dozen typewriters in 2015 is a bit excessive). Bob says he collects a lot of Evidence objects from travels and adventures like receipts and ticket stubs. We did have a hard time coming up with anything we thought was Crutch clutter. How about you? What categories does your clutter fall into?

Having Diane introduce me to these books from their perspective on clutter has made me want to read both volumes. Have you read them?

In feature

Target Threshold Zip Pouch

Author AnaPosted on 4 Comments

target-zip-pouch-1

This zippered pen and pencil case is another find from Target. It’s from their Threshold line and I found in with the office supplies and binders. The case is made from a heavy-duty canvas with a deep indigo color and casual dot pattern. It has one large zipper pocket for storing tools and then a smaller pocket on the front of the case for smaller trinkets.The inside is lined with a dark navy nylon and despite the rustic look, the zipper is nicely finished on the end. Its a really nice case for not much money.

The case measure about 6×9″ which makes it suitable for an A5 sized notebook or larger. It would probably fit most snugly over a letter-sized binder or notebook but the biggest notebook I could find was my Quo Vadis Habana and its covered the cover almost completely and the elastic was tight enough to be functional. This would be the perfect case for a conference or a day of meetings. It provides plenty of space to carry tools but stays secure to your notebook.

target-zip-pouch-2

On the back of the case is a matching elastic running across the length of the case. I immediately realized that the case could be looped over the cover of a notebook.

target-zip-pouch-3

The case comfortably held a dozen or more tools. It’s defintiely long enough to hold a freshly sharpened pencil (even a Blackwing with giant eraser ferrule!) as well as most other writing tools. I tucked an eraser and a small hand sharpener in the front pocket. I was hoping the front pocket would be long enough to store an iPhone but it was a bit too short. It would hold small cards like an ID or business cards though. I was able to stick my phone in the larger pocket with my pens though with no problem.

The case cost  $7.99 and is available for purchase on the Target web site.

In Fountain Pen Review

Review: Lanier Classic Elite Fountain Pen

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments

Lanier wood turned fountain pen box

The fine folks over at MassDrop sent me a Lanier Classic Elite fountain pen around Christmas but somehow, the package got lost in the mail. So Lanier had to actually make me a new pen. It arrived last week and I wasn’t entirely sure what I would be getting. When I unwrapped the plain white paperboard shipper box, I was quite surprised to find a beautiful wooden box inside. The box has a satiny red stain and a small divot carved into it to open it.

Lanier wood turned fountain pen

Nestled inside, on a grooved cut out, was the Lanier Classic Elite hand-turned wood fountain pen. The model I received is made from yellow box elder wood and has a smooth, glossy, almost marble-like finish.

The cap can be threaded onto the end of the pen for those who prefer to post their caps. Posted, the Lanier Classic Elite measures 6.5″ long. Unposted, its a pleasing 4.75″ long which is perfectly comfortable for my small hands. Closed and capped the pen is 5.375″.

I had anticipated that a wood pen with metal inner barrel and hardware would be really heavy but it was actually incredibly well-weighted and comfortable. The pen, posted and filled, weighs 34g. Unposted but filled with a standard cartridge converter, it weighs 20g.

Fountain Pen Weights

Lanier wood turned fountain pen

The Lanier Classic Elite is trimmed in a combination of 24K gold plating and gun metal. The clip is in the gunmetal and tight but springy and wide enough to fit on most notebook covers.

The nib is also plated in gold. The nib looks like a standard Schmidt nib in medium which is a very good quality nib. The nib is on the smaller side (same size as the nibs in Kaweco Sport line, 7mm wide at the widest point) but the size works with the overall dimensions of the pen.

Lanier Classic Elite writing sample

I filled the pen with Private Reserve Ultra Black Quick Dry ink using my Rhodia Uni Blank No. 18 pad. As soon as I inked up the pen, it was ready to go. There was little to no priming needed. The nib has a bit of softness to it which gives my writing some nice line variation. The ink is dark, dark, dark so I wasn’t able to see a lot of shading but the softness of the nib made it a pleasure to write with.

The grip is incredibly comfortable. So much so, that I sort of forgot to think about it while I was writing.

This is definitely a pen I can see myself using regularly. Its elegant with great details and excellent craftsmanship. I was pleasantly surprised with the whole pen experience and my first experience with a wood-turned pen.

Lanier Writing Sample

There are seven days left in the MassDrop campaign and the more people who commit to a purchase, the lower the price will be. Right now, each pen is $124.99 but prices could dip as low as $99.99 if at least 30 people commit to a purchase. This MassDrop is limited to 75 pens since each one is handcrafted.

DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by MassDrop for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Fashionable Friday

Fashionable Friday: Kendi Everyday

Author AnaPosted on 4 Comments

Fashionable Friday: Kendi

Today’s Fashionable Friday was inspired by the casual-chic style of blogger Kendi Everday and this fab outfit in muted tones of blue, burgundy and bronze.

  • Kaweco Sport Classic fountain pen dark brown, limited availability 17,95 € (via Fontoplumo)
  • Pilot FriXion Ball 4 4-Color Gel Ink Multi Pen – 0.5 mm in Bordeaux $13.50 (via Jet Pens)
  • Diamine Syrah Ink $12.95 (via Goulet Pens)
  • Uni Mitsubishi 9850 Pencil HB $1 (via Jet Pens)
  • Field Notes 80-Page Steno Book $9.95 (via Pen Chalet)
  • Apica Premium C.D. B5 Notebook 7 mm Rule $19.50 (via Jet Pens)
  • Retro Funky Glasses Necklace $10 (via ZARDENIA on Etsy)
  • De Atramentis Fog Grey Ink $12.95 (via Goulet Pens)
  • Navy Super Stacked Desk Accessories Set $55 (via Poppin)
  • Edison Pearlette Fountain Pen in Aztec Gold Flake $149 (via Goulet Pens)
  • Caran d’Ache Ultra Violet Ink $32 (via Goulet Pens)
  • Midori TRAVELER’S Notebook in Brown £40 (via The Journal Shop)
  • Midori BRASS Pencil in Brown £14.95 (via The Journal Shop)

(photo inspiration via Kendi Everyday)

In DIY

Upcycled Soda Box Pencil Boxes

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
(via Creative Itch Boutique)
(via Creative Itch Boutique)

If you’re like me, sometimes you like to send pencils to pals. This tutorial and template to make a pencil box out of an old soda can box (or probably any large paperboard box like cereal, beer case, etc) will help keep those pencils safe in transit and look fab when they arrive.

Slight modifications to the PDF template could be made to accommodate pens, markers or other writing tools. Might even work as a storage box for double pointed knitting needles. So many options!

(via Creative Itch Boutique)

In feature

13 Things to Do With All Those Blank Notebooks

Author AnaPosted on 27 Comments

Over the holiday break I did a lot of tidying up around my home office/studio and one of the things I came across was the supply shop quantities of notebooks I have in my closet. Some I’ve taken out of the cellophane wrapper and tested for a review and then they languish in the cupboard. So I’m “saving” and some I might not have liked as much but they could still be useful.

Then I heard Myke talking about trying to use the notebooks he has and I started trying to come up with things I could do to put these notebooks to good use and simultaneously be more productive.

Here’s a list I compiled from various sources and my own crazy ideas for things to do with that pile of empty notebooks you might have laying around:

  1. Daily Journal
  2. Morning Pages/Free Writing/Brain Dump
  3. Lists (Bullet Journal)
  4. Mind Mapping
  5. Sketchnoting
  6. Practice your handwriting
  7. Test all those pens and inks
  8. Commonplace book
  9. Dream Journal
  10. Travel Journal
  11. Book (to-read or read) Journal
  12. Disassemble, cut or remove the pages to use as a notepad or hole punch and put into a binder
  13. Collage, art journal or sketch book

I’m sure I didn’t think of all the myriad of possibilities but I hope these ideas might inspire you to crack the cover on one of those notebooks you have squirreled away. Do you keep a notebook dedicated to a different subject or have a recommendation?

I found a lot of other people writing about this topic with the start of the new year. Lots of people are trying to commit to writing more, journaling or getting organized and nothing will get you there faster than just writing stuff down.