Mobile Blogging

As you may have noticed, I haven't been able to keep my blog updated frequently. I am not going to make any excuses for this. Instead, I've been thinking of posting short posts, that will allow me to be more disciplined.
And because this blog is about my passion for stationery (yes, people, it's written with an e, not an a), both acquired and handmade by myself, I will write whatever is currently on in my mind regarding those topics.

This here is the first one, written on my mobile, to test it out.


posted from Bloggeroid

AND THE WINNER IS...

Since I gave it enough time and there were only four comments left, I think it's time to reveal it all:

THE PRIZE:

A cool traveler notebook (fits the Midori TN perfectly) from Paperchase! It has lined pages, the paper is fountain pen ink friendly and it even has its own closing elastic, so you don't need a Midori to use it.

THE WINNER:
From those four comments, only two were correct: I am using the MUJI notebook. In order to select the winner, I decided to go with the Wheel Decider, where you can set up your options on a wheel and turn it!
Reminded me of all those game shows from the '90's!

As you can see on the image below, the winner is JENNIFER! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Jennifer, please get in touch with me so I can send you your notebook as soon as possible! :D

And last, a couple of pictures to show my sidekick, which is working really well, I might add.

Thank you, and happy holidays!

Update on previous post

At the moment there are only two comments, so I'm going to wait a bit more so others can also participate in the small prize draw.

How it works:

1. Guess which notebook I'm using as my Sidekick (read the post to find out more)

2. Leave a comment with your guess

3. If your answer is correct, I will randomly choose the winner from all the correct answers

4. The winner will receive a stationery related prize (Europe, North America, Asia and Australia apply!)

Simple!

So go on and leave your comment (on the previous post, not here :P)

Midori TNs, Field Notes, and more notebook crazyness

I honestly didn't know how to start this post. I guess my creative writing side has gone on vacation. Makes sense as I'm doing more than one thing at a time right now.

Anyhow, I am writing it as I promised the MTN Facebook community that I would let them know what that recent voting I had asked them to do was all about.

It is about my notebook setup, and how I got confused between using, or trying to, different formats at the same time.

Normally this was my setup:

- Mark’s Tokyo Edge Week in columns planner (Sept ’12 – Dec ’13)

- Field Notes to carry everywhere, for notes, sketches, doodling with friends whilst sharing some beers, finances, planning, thinking, designing, lists, to do’s, etc. You get the idea.

- My Sidekick, I would change it as soon as it was filled, and depending on the mood I was, it could either be a bound notebook or any of my Midoris.

It was going well, and then I just stopped using my Sidekick. I think this happened when I was using my large Midori for the third or fourth time, and stopped carrying it because it was too large, and leaned more towards my Field Notes.

Then, I decided to try the Passport instead. But between that and the FN, plus the fact that I wasn't writing much, I just couldn't stay constant.

At least my planner was working well!

So last week I decided to sit down and really think why my system wasn't working and came up with the following, which I have transcribed from my FN to share with you.

Reasons for my confusion about my sidekick/notebook situation:

• I  want to use the Midori
• I love Field Notes
• I miss a larger format for sketching
• Don’t want to carry too many books
• Want to keep all info in one place, chronologically

Thought Process:

Field Notes: 
I can continue using FN, and get a leather cover for them; the one I've been coveting from Zenok.

I love this bunch!

Midori: 
I really love them, but the large isn’t very portable, which leaves the Passport size.
If I stick with Midori, this could be a great time to use the new Limited Edition.

I will have to make some inserts for myself.

I can start using it as soon as this FN is full (5 sheets left!)

+ Save money as I would postpone buying the leather cover for the FN

+ Make inserts any way I want them

+ Share with the group on Facebook

+ I get to use a brand new Midori :D

- Passport size can be too small at times

- Would have to stop using FN

- Many inserts can create more confusion

- Would have to cut FN so they can fit (done this in the past and I don’t like it)

The next day I had

More doubts:

I have many non FN or TN’s just waiting to be used, such as:

1.       My first A6 Rhodia Webbie:

used since Jan ’10 to write about stationery and handmade requests, but hasn’t really worked out.

2.       My second A6 Webbie:

With dot grid, the paper is more yellow than the previous and I don’t like it as much. Currently designated as Blog Design and Code book. Very few pages used.

3.       Midori Spiral Ring notebook:

Bought in Japan, with absolutely gorgeous blank paper. Slightly taller than the Rhodias, about the size of Leuchtturm1917.

4.       My lime green Leuchtturm1917:

With dot grid, off white pages. Quality is good, although not as good as Rhodia. Currently being used as watercolouring notebook.

5.       Spiralbound basic Clairefontaine:

Larger than Leuchtturm1917. Has pocket pages in between for mementos. As expected from CF, the paper is awesome, but maybe too white? Never used.

6.       Spiralbound A6 with cover:

Present from a friend who got it as a company gift, so it has the company’s logo on the pages. These are lined, off white and seem good quality. Really nice construction, with an elastic band.

7.       Clairefontaine A6 stapled:

96 lined pages, high quality. FN size, but thicker. Lines are too contrasting.

8.       MUJI A6 stitchbound, black:

72 pages, lined, off white. Beautiful paper. Started/bought to record notes from recent job training (no longer needed, only a few pages used).

9.       MUJI A6 ringbound, black:

Great paper, light lines. Book a bit too thin?

10.   Paperchase A6 beige + kraft:

Lots of pages, fun format, as two thirds are cream/off white, and the other third, which is placed in the middle of the two, is kraft paper. Bought recently for sketching Proxy’s stories.

11.   A5 Rhodia black:

Hard cover, lined pages. Usual Rhodia high quality paper.

12.   Japanese bound journal with fabric cover in black with contrasting Chinese characters in matte gold:

Beautiful. Smaller than an A5. Pages are cream. Was a birthday present from DH many years ago. Never used.

After much thought, I managed to come up with three semifinalists from the above list:

Dotgrid Rhodia Webbie A6, Midori Spiralbound and MUJI A6 Stitchbound.

From that I eliminated the Midori, I think I want to use it later on for something more special.

That left me with the Rhodia and the Muji. 

Since I liked both choices equally, I decided to ask the group to help me decide, by voting blindly for options A or I.

After two days, I knew which one was going to be the winner...

But, I won't tell you just yet. Which one do you think won? and why? please comment with your answer.
The one with the correct answer will get a prize. In case there's more than one, I will select the winner using a randomizer.

For all those who voted, thank you very much for taking part in this even without knowing what it was for!

Sketchbook for Midori Traveler's Notebook

Today is the last day that the sketchbook inserts I made for the Midori Traveler's Notebook will be listed in my shop. I will not be listing them anymore, as there are only two left and i'm not planning on restocking on the cartridge paper I used to make them.

So, in order to make them go faster, I am offering free shipping on them. that's right, whether you live in the UK, US, Australia, Europe*, etc. you will just pay the price of the sketchbook.

For more info, please check out the link by clicking on the image below.

Thanks,

Oni

Labor Day!!

I might not be in North America, but I still want to give readers over there a nice gift for this Labor Day weekend.

Get a 25% discount in my shop by using the code L4B0RD4Y when you check out. Minimum purchase is $3.00. Note: the vowels are replaced by numbers, so it's not an O, but a zero. ;)

Don't let this offer get away!!

thanks for reading, 

Oni

September is near!!

Wow! I can't believe how fast this year is going by! It feels like just a while ago we were still in March freezing our butts off, and all of a sudden September is knocking at our doors!

September has got to be one of my favourite months of the year. For starters, simply the words SEPTEMBER or SEPTIEMBRE in Spanish, have a really nice sound. The other three -BER's that follow it just can't compete. They're dull, grey and so cold!

Also I've always felt September as a month of renovation and restarts. I suppose that is due to the school year starting in many countries, as well as most people returning to work after the Summer or Winter holidays, depending on which hemisphere you're at.

Plus, in Spain and many other countries, the weather is still nice, and if you go to the beach you won't find it as crowded as during previous months. 

Yet those of us who aren't lucky to be living near a beach nor blessed with Spanish weather, need other things to make the return to school and work less of a drag.

Stationery is one of them, and more in tune with September, planners or diaries like they're called here in the UK. We start thinking of getting a new planner, an academic one, just because it's so nice to start one. We then actually buy the planner, only to start yearning a few weeks later for the year to end, so we can start yet another diary, in the hopes that this time, we might reach Planner Nirvana.
At least, that is what I know is going to happen to me. But more on that on a different post!

For those of you who use ring-bound planners, like Filofax, Franklin Covey, Paperchase, etc., it is easier to go about trying new formats for September, as you don't need to buy a whole new diary. Simply switching pages in your book will suffice.

Yet still, if you wanted to try a new format for the current year, the most likely option would be to purchase a whole 2013 pack of planner pages, which even though they might be discounted at this point, it is still a waste of paper and money.

What if there was the possibility of buying only the four months remaining, just to see if you do like the format, paper, size, etc.? And what if you could have those inserts straight away, without having to wait on the post man to deliver them to you?

Well then, ladies and gents, you will now be able to get them in my shop as a downloadable PDF file, complete with printing instructions, to keep you busy during the weekend.

Wanna take a look? Click me!!

I will be adding more sizes if you guys need them, so please let me know either by sending me a convo on Etsy, or leaving a comment below.
Thanks so much and enjoy the weekend!!
Oni

Using the Aqua Mini Finsbury as my wallet

For nearly three weeks now, I have been using the Mini Finsbury Filofax I won on eBay as my wallet and back-up planner, and sadly, it is not working out as I had hoped.

For starters, I have already invested quite some time recording useful information inside my Mark's 18 month planner, and I'm already duplicating events and appointments into the Mini, so I do not wish to also copy things like postage prices, past events, lists, etc.

Because of this I have been carrying both my Mark's and my Mini, thus adding weight and volume to my bag.

My previous setup was much more simple and convenient. I wasn't carrying a wallet, instead I was using a cardholder from Bimba & Lola, that doesn't use up space and is also easy to use; I can pull and stash my cards without hassle, I can carry about 6, and also some bills, although not more than 5. And due to its tiny size, I was able to even carry it in my pocket.

The Mini allows me to carry more money bills, but I hardly ever need to. It only has three card slots that are too tight and I often find myself struggling to get my cards out.

Another thing that irks me is the fact that when I open it, people near me, like at a queue, are able to peek inside. Surely I do not have anything on the first page, but nevertheless I do not like others looking at my personal things.

Another detail I noticed now whilst paying for my coffee, is that it is more cumbersome to stash my bills, as I have to open the Mini once again.

Not to mention that the tiny zippered pocket is a hassle to use for coins! Unless you have a flat surface to lay the Mini on, it's nearly impossible to open it enough to get them.

Because I really like the Mini purely for aesthetic reasons, I want to keep on using it, but I'm not sure if its looks are going to be enough for me to be more patient and get used to it. For the time being, it still comes with me in my bag. Only time will tell if it's worth the hassle or not.

Planner Indecision

It's mid year and as many other planner or diary obsessed dedicated people, I have been thinking about the next planner that will ideally make life perfect, or something close.

I'm currently back to my Mark's Tokyo Edge planner, in a bound, week in columns format, pocket size. And I'm quite comfortable and happy with it.

So this morning I was browsing through sites that offer this brand as well as Leuchtturm1917. I have a notebook from them and I really like it!
But it turns out that the column format I like isn't available in other colours besides black, and those that are, aren't 18 month planners.
Which isn't a problem for me. I can very well start January 2014.

All was good until I saw what was in the mail today.

A friend got me a surprise present for my birthday. An 18 month, hard cover Star Wars Moleskine, pocket size. Because she remembered that I had been wanting one last year, albeit not necessarily the Star Wars edition!



So now I don't know what to do!
I start work tomorrow and most of my shifts will be on the weekend. The fact that there are columns make it visually easier to see the hours I worked and even add related notes, as well as other appointments. Plus, it's also got a pen loop.

Yet I really love the week + notes spread from the Moleskine. I can even be creative and do the occasional doodle or add stickers, mementos, etc.
Plus, I don't mind that the cover is black for I have the Star Wars stickers that came with it to customise it. But I would need to buy a pen loop Leuchtturm1917, which could be any colour I want.

Should I stick with my Mark's until December, with the days in columns and doesn't have the weekend sharing the space, or should I start with the Moleskine now?

The answer seems pretty clear. But I have been using the Mark's since September last year and I miss that awesome feeling of starting a brand new planner, especially when it's the Moleskine I like!

Have any of you also been in a similar situation? What did you do in the end?

posted from Bloggeroid

Of Readers, Filofaxes and Staying Up Late

Ah, this is going to be a nice and lazy Friday. I was up last night until 3:30am and I'm still very sleepy (12:38). The reason I was up so late is because I was trying to catch up with some of my favourite blogs.

Still not an excuse, but please let me explain with more detail.

Before Google Reader decided to say Adieu, I used Feedly on my iPad and gReader on my phone. They got along pretty nicely and were neatly synchronised.

But only a day after Google Reader's departure, Feedly was so overwhelmed that it was "over capacity", and gReader decided it was leaving, too. Only one sentence in his farewell note: "Please install Feedly on your phone."

After the guys at Feedly told me that indeed they were having issues and the service would be down temporarily, I decided I would wait patiently, and try (lol) to keep up with the blogs the old fashioned way; using my browser. It didn't really work.

So when this week (was it this or last week??) they finally announced on twitter that Feedly was up and running again, I decided to check it out on my iPad, only to be received by a blank slate: all my feeds were gone! Massive Fail, Feedly!!

See, yesterday the new member of my small Filofax family arrived and during the evening I wanted to find out how others were using theirs, how much the vibrant colour IRL differed from the internet images, when it was discontinued, etc.

This had me sailing from Philofaxy, to Lady Filo, and a couple other more, until reaching my favourite one, Zeitgeist of Zoe.

Those of you who follow Zoe's blog, might be familiar with her skilled writing. She has a way with words that keep you browsing her blog, clicking on other posts, unable to unglue yourself from your screen. At least, that's how it is for me, anyway. 

Yet when the 3:08 on the top of my screen started to haunt me, I decided to quickly close the iPad and plug it to its charger.

I should have grabbed my bedsheet over my head, and closed my leaded eyelids and succumb to Morpheus.

I should have, but I didn't.

Instead I took out my super cute Mini Urban and played a bit with it, adding the new 2013 MOTP calendar I received this week, getting rid of old pages and trying to mentally decide which inserts it should have, etc. 

What I am trying to say, your Honour, is that it wasn't my fault I went to bed so late. All of this could have been avoided if the newcomer didn't have had to undergo quarantine for being a smelly boy.

It was all the Mini Finsbury Aqua's fault.