The Next Giveaway is coming soon!!!!

il_570xN.507510177_81ouil_570xN.522315125_rlpiYep, our next giveaway is only a week away.  I told you it would be a very unusual Traveler Notebook cover...one that no shrinking violet wants to carry.  I previously showed you ONE side of it...the pattern but I didn't tell you that the cover will be reversible.  The other side of the cover will be sea foam aqua with a little pearlized sheen to it.  All you will need to do to reverse it is take the strands and elastics off and restring them.  Additionally at both ends of the strand there will be a small vintage bone button to accent where the strands attach.  It will be a real beauty.  The cover will be double elastic with a charm attached to one of the elastics.  All you need to do to enter the giveaway is follow my blog AND my Instagram - yes it is that easy.  I hope you all are as excited for this giveaway as I am!!!

Product Review - The Align Stapler

I purchased the Align Stapler.  This little device is basically a disconnected stapler that is held together top-to-bottom with a magnet.  You put your paper in between the pieces and staple.  The idea is you can staple any size papers.  Ideal for making your own printable inserts right?  I posted on my FB groups about purchasing it (before I received it) and had may people telling me how awful it was.  Not being one to just march to everyone else's drum I didn't really care, I wanted to find 11080966_10206339835525631_8561650090195687158_nout for myself how it works since it was only ten dollars on Quirky.  I received it this morning.  After the first staple attempts right out of the box sucked, I was a little anxious.  Once I got the hang of how it works I love it.  The device is very light, so gives the impression of being kind of cheap.  When you staple, you don't get that satisfying thunk that you do with a conventional stapler.  If you can get past that, the stapler works very well.  In the11083900_10206339835925641_5956919742530602067_n photos, I stapled a piece of cardstock and eight sheets of copy paper that I had a page-a-day hobonichi printable on for the month of April.  It stapled all of it.  I also discovered the other option, which is not mentioned anywhere, is that you can take the top staple mechanism, with an eraser under your papers and the mechanism placed above and staple more than the thickness you may be able to with both sides together.  I hope that makes sense....so basically using it as an open stapler in the tacking position - which is how I have been stapling inserts prior to this.  I think for the price, the device is well worth the money.  You can find it here.

Giveaway Winner!!!!!

Congratulations Carolynn Hunter on winning my second giveaway.  Thank you Carolynn for following on my blog and Instagram.  I hope they are adding to your journaling/planning love!  Your prize will be in the mail tomorrow.  Please send me a message through my contact form on here with your address.  For everyone who didn't win I am planning another giveaway, details which will be announced next weekend. Thank you to everyone who has made this blog the most amazing experience.

My Odd use for an Insert

I have an insert in my field-note size TN that is strictly for weekends.  Weekends can be very hectic and sometimes duringSBC_mme-jb1038_020150327_085735 the course of the week, I can forget what I need to get done so I keep an insert that just has my weekend activities.  As the week progresses I add to it, including the fun things I might do with family, friends or my kids.  Yes, I have calendar inserts in my regular size TN but I don't always want to carry that one on the weekends and I don't necessarily want a calendar in my smaller one, so this was the perfect solution for me.  I do keep a month calendar in my smaller TN, it's the pictured one, which you can find here.  It doesn't add any bulk and I can move the sticker around if I need to. The most wonderful thing about TN's is that at any given moment you can change your TN to be exactly what you need it to be.  I have a place on my bookshelf for inserts that I need occasionally but not all the time.  That is really what makes my TN's so valuable to me.  As I said on my Instagram account, 'I loves them, I do!'

Countdown To Next Giveaway

18312We are on the countdown to Sunday morning's (that is the the 29th) giveaway of a Nomadic Flap Type Pencil Case (picture from JetPens as well as the pencil case) giveaway.  It will be crammed with items for your portable planner needs.  All you need to do to be eligible to win is follow my blog and my Instagram account...that's it!!!!  By following my blog you will get notification of AMAZING, FANTASTIC posts on using your Traveler's Notebook to add joy, happiness, peace, focus, and fun to your life....for free - that is a great deal...don't you think?  If you know of someone who might like to be entered please share this post with them...

Want to Put Traveler's Notebook Inserts together Easier?

I just bought one of these....I can hardly wait to get it.  It's called Align and it is a stapler with a magnetic detachable base so_MG_2756-3a you can staple anything!  Shipping is dirt cheap.  I don't want to sew inserts together and stapling can be a pain, what a perfect solution.  You can find it here.

Send me a Message if You are a Vendor or Shop on Instagram.....

I am on my Instagram account several times a day and see such a huge benefit to it for vendors and craftspeople who areunnamed trying to promote their work. If you are a vendor or have a shop and would like your Instagram account listed on a post I am putting together about top 100 Instagram accounts for planner/office supply/midori lovers/addicts please send me a contact me with your info about your shop and your Instagram account name.  I would love to include your shop and promote it for you!  If you know of someone who doesn't read my blog but has a shop they would like included let them know and ask if they would like to be included in the list.

Coming: My 100th Follower Celebration Giveaway

My 100th Follower Celebration Giveaway is coming on Sunday, March 28.  It isn't a new car or a trip to the Bahamas or a new TN Cover (dang I know....) but it is a Nomadic Flap Type Pencil Bag18312 from JetPens crammed with goodies for your portable planner needs.  There are no complicated hoops to jump through to be eligible to be that random winner.  Just follow my blog and my Instagram account and POOF, you are entered! Quite a few people have messaged me and said they don't 'do' Instagram.  I didn't either, until I started my blog.  I'm really glad I started because I get more good ideas for my planner on Instagram than almost anywhere else AND I often learn on Instagram first about sales, discounts and new products of my favorite shops.  Think about it...not just to be entered to win but just for the fun of Instagram.  (Pencil case picture from JetPens.)

Portable Planner Tools I use Most

I carry a bag every day and keep pens, pencils, washi, stickers, paper and tools that I use most.  I have my favorite tools and I thought I would share them with you all.  First is a mini hole punch, mine is old and green and beat up but w20150321_131329orks great.  You can find one here.  Next would be standard issue whiteout tape.  My favorite is Oops! sold at Staples.  It never goes off track or bunches up.  I love the Tombow glue pen.  This glue pen looks like a a regular pen, same size and will glue the tiniest spot. These are actually hard to find in stores.  JetPens carries one here.  Once you use one, you won't want to be without it.  I always need a pair of scissors in my bag and for me the perfect ones are Sun-Star Stickyle Pen-Style Scissors.  Mine are pink but they come in six different colors here.  I also like having an X-acto knife but wanted something small and easy to carry so I keep this retractable blade in my bag as well.  Mine is black and the size of a pen.  I always keep a Sharpie brand pen in my bag for writing on Washi or other surfaces of stickers etc that I can't use other pens on.  I like my stainless steel one because it is refillable.  I've had it over a year and haven't refilled it yet.  I also keep an Avery Glue Pen in my bag.  It has a broad end for larger gluing jobs and sticks much better than traditional glue sticks.  I have used Scotch brand double-stick tape for years.  I always keep a roll in my bag as well.  For all my erasing needs I keep an Ain 'dust gathering' eraser in my bag.  It leaves larger eraser bits and is easier to clean up.  It also erases cleanly.  I typically use Blackwing Pearl wooden pencils and so keep a pencil sharpener in my bag.  My sharpener of choice is the famous Ratchetta.  Found at JetPens mine is pink.  It sharpens two ways and doesn't break the lead when sharpening....best pencil sharpener I think.  I keep a Midori Multi Ruler in my bag.  I probably use this at least three or four times a week.  It is sturdy, cute, and comes in three colors.  It measures in cm, which is nice because most things Traveler Notebook seem to be in cm.  Last but not least is my container of clips, paper clips, circle clips, classic clips, Midori clips....so there you have it.  Nothing fancy but at any time, I can reach in my bag and have, at my finger tips, just about any tool I need for my TN.

Are You New to the World of the Traveler Notebook? Some Basic Information...

The original Traveler Notebook has been around since the early 1950's.  Called the Midori Traveler's Notebook, it is an import from Japan and actually made in Thailand.  Fans of the traveler notebook style call anything not the Midori a 20150308_081525"Fauxdori." There are a lot of Faux's out there and many have rightly earned their own names and own fan following because of the high quality of workmanship that goes in to each one.  Almost all of the Faux's are made by hand, one at a time, and often customized by the creators.  I don't actually know of ANY genuine leather Faux's that are not made by hand, hence the cost of the cover which, depending on size, can run anywhere between $30 and $100 and higher depending on how much customization you want to your cover. What sets 'Dori's apart from other types of planners such as Filofax, Erin Condren, Cocoa Daisy, etc is that the 'Dori is very versatile in how you choose to use it and set it up.  There are literally no limitations when it comes to how to use it.  The basic principle behind the 'Dori is this:  it comes with elastic bands down the spine that hold your inserts inside.  The inserts can be changed, moved around, and you can make your own inserts.  Midori original fans call them refills....

The number of elastic bands down the spine vary with style and customization.  The number of bands does not limit the number of inserts you have in your Dori as there are ways to hold more inserts...see TheResetGirl on YouTube for more on this.

There is a whole world of artists making inserts, dashboards, folders, pockets, stickies, clips, and more so that you can make your 'Dori exactly the way you want it for your exact needs.  Many 'Dori fans have more than one, I myself have three and use all of them.  Which brings me to size.  The original Midori is considered the 'regular' size that other 'Dori's are compared to.  There are also larger 'Dori's and smaller 'Dori's, clear down to the cover that is the size of a standard passport.  Many 'Dori fans use this size for a wallet.  You can look here for exact measurements of the cover and the inserts for all the different sizes.  This chart is from MorganLeFaesTrinkets blog, which also gives new users a host of information on setting up notebooks.

I would go so far as to say that 'Dori's have a cult following and people who use them are extremely passionate about them and protective of the artists who create them.  There are a multitude of blogs, Facebook groups, Instagram Profiles all centered around the 'Dori.  I have a lot of links on my blogroll on the right side of my blog that will link you to cover artists, supplies, and blogs.  If you have questions feel free to post them.  If you are a longtime fan, please share this post with those who are contemplating their first 'Dori.

Using your Traveler Notebook to Reach Through Time....

tumblr_n5p8p6yaoD1s1vn29o7_500Near the small village of Montignac, France is a complex of caves called Lascaux.  The walls of these caves have amazing primitive artwork dated to over 17,000 years ago.  The artwork is primarily large game known to have lived in the area at that time.  The artists 'signed' the paintings with their hand prints...extraordinary hand prints, reaching through time to tell us they were there and created the depictions.  The hand prints20150312_195240  are far more extraordinary to me than the animals. I was thinking about those very caves years ago when I decided to start keeping 20150312_195307a zibaldone or hodgepodge book. Some of you may also know these as commonplace books.  I've always been rather fond of the idea of leaving a 'memorial' to my children, a snapshot of who I am, my daily life, my hopes, dreams, passions - and the zibaldone was the perfect way to accomplish this.

The zibaldone is in essence an information management device, a way to keep a collection of loosely related ite20150312_195328ms, a way to keep track, in 20150312_195255hardcopy, of your life - quotations, thoughts, inspiration, poems, pictures, recipes, article snippets, life observations....each book is unique to it's creators perspective on his or her life.

I've been keeping one for many years, I've put some snapshots in this post of old ones and of my current one in one of my Traveler Notebooks.  I have four children, and I know, one day, when I am gone, they will be going through my possessions and they will come across these books and will have something akin to those handprints on the walls of Lascaux, my effort 20150312_195346to reach20150312_195402 through time and show them who I was, what I was about, how much I loved them and thought of them, those books will be my hand print.

52 Different Uses for Your Traveler's Notebook

I've seen a lot of people asking about ideas for using their TN's.  I've been compiling a list of ways you can use it.  Some are self explanatory.....most won't fit your needs but maybe some of these will ring a bell for you!  Enjoy!

  1. Blog - Keeping it up, starting a new one, ideas for one
  2. Planner - Work schedule, appointments, tasks, projects
  3. Travel - Where you want to go, where you've been, pictures, paper ephemera
  4. Baby - Your pregnancy, baby's first year, baby care for babysitter
  5. Cooking - Recipes, great meals, recipe ideas, learning a new skill
  6. Pets - Taking care of your pet, pets you want, names, medical care
  7. House Remodel - Who your contractors are, plans, problems, schedules
  8. Job Hunt - Companies you want to apply to, skills to highlight, interview questions, networking
  9. Scrapbooking Ideas - Resources, websites, supplies, ideas, page designs
  10. Books To Read - Authors to follow, reading/book blogs, great books you've read
  11. Family - Family care, medical care for each member, stats for clothing purchases, school needs, food likes/dislikes/allergies, birthday/holiday present ideas
  12. Movies - You want to see, you've seen, reviews, favorite actors/actresses
  13. Wine - Favorite wines, upcoming wines, inventory in rack/cellar
  14. Medical Diary - Health care, specialists, diagnosis, medications, procedures
  15. Craft Projects - Websites, supply list/needs, project pages
  16. Writing Ideas - For blogs, books, articles you are writing
  17. Sewing Projects - Patterns, sources for materials, supplies, sketches of design ideas
  18. Knitting Projects - Patterns, sources for materials, supplies, sketches of design ideas
  19. Exercise/Marathon/Workout Plan - Accomplishments, weights, schedule, races
  20. Diary - Daily diary
  21. Dreams - Dream Interpretation
  22. Sketchbook
  23. Disneyland Trip - Plans, rides, hotels, food, packing for it, tickets20150206_120612
  24. Camping Plans - Campgrounds, food planning, supplies, dates
  25. Your Boat - Repairs, trips, upkeep
  26. Your Business Plans - New ideas, growth, hiring, resources, needs, repairs
  27. The Beach
  28. Fashion and Makeup
  29. Finances - Bill paying schedule, goals, investments, savings, stock, credit card paydown schedule
  30. Your History - Writing down your life history for your family and children
  31. Gratitude -  At least three things you are grateful for each day
  32. One Good Deed a Day -  Do one good thing a day and record it
  33. Note Taking for School
  34. Quotes - Favorite quotes, what they mean to you
  35. One line a Day - In a year you will have an amazing snapshot of your life
  36. Spiritual/Faith - Prayer Journal, spiritual goals, yoga, meditation
  37. Wedding - Plans, dress, reception, ceremony, vows, shower, bridesmaid/groomsmen plans, food
  38. Weight Loss/Food Diary
  39. Dating Ideas with Your Partner - Special memories, where you want to go, restaurants
  40. Your Bucket List
  41. Hobby Journal - Resources, ideas, pictures, progress
  42. Your YouTube Channel - plans, videos, schedules
  43. Photos/Instagram
  44. Your Garden - Planting schedule, goals, harvest, best/worst crops
  45. Home Decorating Projects
  46. Astrology
  47. Inspiration - for goals, life, hobbies, children, family, parenting, food, exercise
  48. Your Politics
  49. Doomsday Prepper - Supplies, locations, emergency bugout plan
  50. Elder Care - Medications, drs, appointments, therapies, foods
  51. Tea
  52. Family Traditions - So your children, grandchildren know what they are and why

The Amazing Technology of the Traveler's Notebook

20150206_120841 20150206_120612 You are probably wondering what the 'technology' of the traveler's notebook could be since it is just leather, cord, and paper....lots of paper.  I've tried just about every planner out there and almost every planner 'app' as well.  I stumbled across the brand 'Midori' a while ago.  Being someone who likes lots of color in her life, the Midori brand didn't cut it for me....but I really liked the idea of flexibility in the TN.  No planner will work if it isn't used or it is used minimally...then it is just a stack of paper bound by leather.  I found a shop on Etsy that made colored TN's by hand to order.

Once I had the FoxyDori in my hands I new I had found the technology I was looking for to pull the different parts of my life together in to one neat amazing bundle.  Wikipedia states the definition of technology is:  from Greek τέχνη, techne, "art, skill, cunning of hand"; and -λογία is the collection of techniques, methods or processes used in the production of goods or services or in the accomplishment of objectives.   That definition fits my Dori perfectly because daily I am able to accomplish my objectives with the help of this tactile leather cover enveloping my dreams, goals, tasks, quotes, recipes, blog ideas and appointments.  If you use a planner...mosey over to Kelly's shop on Etsy, FoxyDori  and check out what she makes.  She doesn't know I'm telling you about her but you will love what she does...I guarantee it....and you will have a new home for your dreams and goals.  If you don't want color or her cover isn't exactly what you are looking for a quick search of Traveler's Notebook, Midori, FauxDori on google or Etsy will help you find other variations.