The Well-Appointed Desk

Lots of great entries in the drawing this week for the Jet Pens $25 gift certificate and some pretty massive wishlists too. On to the drawing…

This week’s winner is:

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Dan Z. is the winner of the $25 gift certificate this week. This will make that bottle of Pilot Iroshizuku Momiji Autumn Leaves practically free or take a bite out of the cost of the Lamy 2000. Hopefully, the two will meet soon as I’m sure that ink will look amazing in the 2000.

Dan, you’ll be notified by email today to verify delivery address of your e-gift certificate.

Thanks to everyone who entered and if you can help track down the previous giveaway winners, I’d be most appreciative.

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The History of the Trapper Keeper

AnaSeptember 20, 2013Leave a comment

Oh, yes. You read that correctly. The History of the Trapper Keeper. Do you remember these jewels of high school? I sure do. Mental Floss published an exhaustive history of the design and development of the iconic notebook system. There’s details about market research, focus groups and patents. Yep, it was scientifically created to be fabulous.

Best quote:

John Mayer called Trapper Keepers “the genesis of OCD for my generation.”

(via Mental Floss)

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DIY Notebook Tote

AnaSeptember 19, 2013Leave a comment

With a simple canvas tote and a some thread, you can easily make a notebook-style tote bag. Stitch the blue lines with a sewing machine, a little wonky gives it character and then use embroidery thread to create the vertical red margin line using a simple embroidery stitch like backstitch, running stitch or stem stitch. How charming!

(via Say Yes To Hoboken. For stitching tips, check out Sublime Stitching)

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Wanted: Giveaway Winners

AnaSeptember 19, 2013Leave a comment

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I’ve been unable to reach two giveaway winners to send them their goodies. If you are Maggie B. winner of the Poppin 18-month Planner or Suzanne winner of the Floral Bomb assortment giveaway. Please contact me at the Ask The Desk contact form. Tell me the email address you used to enter the drawing and your shipping address. I’m assuming my emails got lost in your junk mail filter.

If I do not hear from either winner by the last day of September, I will draw new names from the original entries and have to give the goodies to a new winner.

As a result, in the future, I will add a 30-day reply window for giveaway winners so please use your regular email address when entering the giveaways here. I promise, they are hidden in my WordPress contact form. I am the only one who sees them unless the giveaway is specifically sponsored by a second-party and I do not keep email addresses.

More Giveaways: And just to sweeten the pot, for those souls who read this whole post, I’m going to give away a Jet Pens gift certificate for $25 just because I can. (Thank you very much, Jet Pens!)

To enter: Leave a comment and tell me what currently on your Jet Pens wishlist to be officially entered.

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Saturday, September 21, 2013. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Sunday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). ONE entry per person, please. Please include your email address in the comment form (not in your comment) so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. Gift certificate will sent digitally via JetPens. Winner has 30 days to reply to my email. If I can’t reach you within 30 days, a new winner will be drawn from the original entries.

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Pencil Badges

AnaSeptember 18, 2013Leave a comment

Handmade plastic Pencil Badges (and paper too!) by Joely Brammer/Good Empire are available from the Zombie Collective for £12 each. Would definitely make a point, right?

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Wooden Desk Wonders

AnaSeptember 17, 2013Leave a comment

Brad Ford's Secondary Workspace (via Canadian House & Home) — Brad Ford’s Secondary Workspace (via Canadian House & Home)

Michelle James Brooklyn brownstone. Photo by Nicole Franzen for Remodelista (via Dust Jacket Attic)

Wooden desks wear beautifully and look great. Here’s a few for your “new desk” file. (The last desk with classic early 60s and built-in shelving is my favorite for sure. You?)

(Click on each photo to go to the source website)

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Ask The Desk: Pocket, 18-month and Fountain Pen Friendly

AnaSeptember 16, 2013Leave a comment

Ask The Desk Header

One of the questions on the docket for the Pen Addict podcast this week was from Anthony Sculimbrene (@everydaycomment) regarding a pocket-sized calendar agenda with good quality paper for fountain pens and 18-month or an autumn start was preferable. This is a seriously specific request and, sadly, not many options are available. But I was able to find a few options.

This is the 4x6" academic planner from Quo Vadis, available at ShopWritersBloc — This is the 4×6″ academic planner from Quo Vadis, available at ShopWritersBloc

First, I went to Quo Vadis whose reputation for fountain pen friendly paper is universally acknowledged. I was able to find three options, of a diminutive size, all with 64g paper and using an academic calendar (starting in August or September):

I love my current Paperblanks planner but its a larger size. Paperblanks does offer an array of sizes and configurations but are no longer listing their 18-month planners on their site. A few can still be found on Amazon with a couple different cover options.

And finally, you can always take matters into your own hands and use the DIY Planner site and print out the Hipster PDA onto your favorite paper stock.

I hope this will help you on your way. There are definitely more options available if you are willing to wait for the new calendar year.