(via Life Magazine)
A Bullet Journal is not a brand of notebook. Rather, its a method by which to annotate notes to help organize all those random events, ideas and things that need doing. I had not heard about Bullet Journaling until I listened to the most recent Pen Addict podcast, episode #70. The podcast featured an interview with Ryder Carroll, the creator of the Bullet Journal system. I’m fascinated by the idea of creating a system and being more thoughtful about the manner in which I take and keep notes. Unfortunately, the system works best for simple to-do’s and someday-maybe projects and not bigger projects like work assignments with many steps stretched over weeks of months. But there are the beginnings of ways to tackle that. I think blending the Bullet Journal system with GTD might give me a workable paper system.
Have you tried the Bullet Journal? Has it worked for you?
(via Pen Addict Podcast)
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This video was featured on The Verge this week and features Hallmark and focuses on the precarious state of the greeting card as a means for communication in our modern age. The video also features views of the halls I walk and many people who I’ve worked with over the years (I spent several years in the humor and Shoebox group. Yes, it really is a tiny little division of Hallmark). There are images of our legendary Crown Room (not during lunch), the outside of the building and even some peeks into the cubicles of people I know.
As folks who appreciate analog tools, I hope you also appreciate cards as a way to communicate with family and friends. Not to mention that, without the lovely steady paycheck from Hallmark, this blog might not be here.
PS: Even the Ford ad that bookends the video was filmed in Kansas City.
(Sorry I was unable to embed the video.)
Edit: Updated video and article links on Tuesday, Sept 10 as the original links went bad.
Today and tomorrow is the annual Renegade Craft Fair in my old neighborhood, Wicker Park in Chicago. The event features over 300 indie craft vendors, including pals like the Letter Writers Alliance, Nerfect and Let’s Be Friends, so its well worth the trek. If you are within an hour’s drive of Chicago, change your plans for today and get to Wicker Park ASAP.
After shopping all the great crafts, pop over to Papajin for me and order a plate of their seasame chicken for me, would you? I’d be there right now if it weren’t for my finances and its a 10-hour drive for me. Trust me, its worth it.
My good friend Geoff asked me to recommend some “non-cutesy” moving announcements.
My first advice is to start on Etsy. I searched for “moving announcements” and my first few items did not feel cutesy but simple, tasteful and cool. Clockwise from top left, library card announcements, the simple, letterpressed cards, the vintage Hawaiiana and the handlettered cards all felt cool enough for a gent.
Tiny Prints had a nice collection of appropriately masculine and urban moving announcements. Since they are digitally printed, its possible to order small quantities and prices start around $1 per card.
And, of course, he’ll need a new return address stamp so the first place I thought of was my pal Margaret at Paper Pastries. I think the arrow design would be a good option for Geoff but I bet Margaret would not be averse to creating a more masculine design for the urban gent. Her prices start at $65 for an original design.
I hope these options get him started. If you have any other ideas for good moving announcements, please leave a note in the comments.
And if you have a question for The Desk, click on the “Ask The Desk” button in the blog header. Thanks!
We can all agree that Pencil Revolution is the very best pencil blog in the world and now The Atlantic seems to agree with us too.
The article pulled out a few of their favorite posts, including my review of the Dux Inkwell Sharpener that I wrote, pre-Well-Appointed Desk way back in 2006.
Congrats to John and all the pencil comrades out there. Go forth, graphite gurus and spread the pencil love.
(via Woodclinched)
