In photo

Travel Week: Luggage Tags

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No travel bag is complete without the right luggage tag. A good luggage tag will help you identify your bag in the mass of black roller bags and also provide a sturdy place to put your contact information in case your bag goes to Tokyo while you go to Taipei.

(Luggage tags featured above are: Samsonite Aluminum luggage tags, set of two $10, I Pack Heavy ID tag $14.95, Flight 001 3-pack plastic tag set $12, This Bag Is Mine leather bag tag $22,  Leather Initial Tag, set of two $15.99, Keep Calm and Carry Your Own Baggage tag $7.95, Penguin Book On The Road tag approx. $20, Anne Taintor Bombshell luggage tag $8.99.)

In feature

Travel Week: Passports

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment

As I am preparing for my business trip to Asia next week, I have decided to spend this week sharing some business travel tips and mobile office ideas with you, my fine readers. Like this little doozy:

Did you know that new US passports contain RFID chips in them that can be easily read, snooped, or scanned by anyone with a device purchased at Radio Shack? Not just passports but several credit cards now have RFID chips embedded in them as well.

To protect your information, you can purchase an RFID blocking wallet or passport case or rig your own with tin foil and duct tape (though the jury is still out on just how effective this technique is). A more vigorous, though not wholly legal option is available for completely disabling the chip as well.

(via Engadget)

In photo

Reclaimed Teacher’s Desk

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment

This is a warm, woody desk, whose former job was to support a typewriter or a very tired teacher, has been revived as a workstation for a computer which suits its dropped center perfectly for an ergonomic place for a keyboard. The pull-out shelves on each side would be perfect for papers and a cup of coffee.

(via HGTV Canada, home of Lily from Birch + Bird, photo by Janis Nicolay)

In Pencil Review

Harvest Red/Blue Pencil

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Harvest Thick Red/Blue

The last of my pencil bounty from Pencil Things is the Harvest Thick Red and Blue Combination 725 (Made in USA). This is the perfect editing pencil. The blue is dark, almost navy blue, and the red is a clean, bright red. The thick lead was soft and easy to use.

Harvest Red/Blue Test

Though it was included in the Indelible pencil sample pack, this seems to be more of an editing/checking pencil. It did smudge a bit with effort and did smear or run a bit when wet. It did not erase well at all.

If you are looking for a red/blue pencil that does not smudge as much, then go with the Austrian Breviller Urban Copying Pencil Nr. 925. I love the color and the ease of writing with the Harvest Thick and I love that it is a “Made in USA” product but, for regular use, it smears a bit too much for this overwriting lefty.

This pencil can be purchased individually for $0.59 each.

In Pencil Review

Austrian Red/Blue Pencils

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments

Red/Blue Copying Pencils from Austria

There were even more copying pencils in the sample set from Pencil Things than those I’ve shared previously this week. These are also from Austria called Breviller Urban Copying Pencil Nr. 925. There was a red, a blue and a red/blue combo (my favorite!).

Austrian Red/Blue pencil tests

I found no difference between the red/blue combo and the individual colored pencils. I loved the true red color but the blue clearly leaned more to the cyan/non-repro shade which is fine if that’s what you are needing. Neither color wet particularly well, nor did they erase with a standard white eraser. But on the up side, they do not smudge hardly at all which is great if you are looking for something permanent in pencil form.  I like the red/blue combo option best as it gives me a couple colors to use to highlight notes from meetings without risk of bleed-through or other messes.

These were included in a whole set of indelible/copying pencils from Pencil Things. $12.50 for the set.