Category Archives: Journal

Notebooks I’m Using Now: February 2021

Here’s the latest update on my daily carry notebooks, or at least frequently used notebooks. The COVID-19 pandemic means I’m not necessarily going somewhere everyday, other than for a walk around my neighborhood, so I’m not actually “carrying” my notebooks much. My most frequently used notebooks are: The 2021 Nolty Efficiency Notebook Gold, where I … Continue reading Notebooks I’m Using Now: February 2021

Secret Notebooks from 1983

What if someone found your secret notebooks from childhood, almost 40 years after you’d last written in them? It could happen: a 9 year old girl hid these notebooks in a crawl space in her home in 1983. They were forgotten and her family moved away. Decades later, contractors working on the home gave them … Continue reading Secret Notebooks from 1983

The December 2020 Conjunction

Saturn and Jupiter aren’t the only things intersecting in unusual ways this year. For me, I’m having a notebook conjunction, where my 4 daily use notebooks are all ending almost at the same time! First off, two of them are 2020 Nolty planners, so it’s not unexpected that I’d finish using both of those at … Continue reading The December 2020 Conjunction

Four Authors on Keeping a Diary

A recent piece on the Elle magazine website compiles the thoughts of 4 women on how keeping a diary has affected their lives and their writing. Unfortunately there were no photos of any of their diaries, but below are a few excerpts from the article: Dolly Alderton: Now I record everything, from dialogue I overhear … Continue reading Four Authors on Keeping a Diary

A Great-Grandfather’s 1953 Marquette Diary

Sometimes people find their way to my website by searching for a bygone notebook brand that has left few other traces online. Often they are looking to replace a long discontinued notebook, and I’m sorry not to be able to help. But sometimes I actually can provide answers! I recently received a message from someone … Continue reading A Great-Grandfather’s 1953 Marquette Diary

Jo Brown’s Nature Journals

These are some pretty amazing nature journals! The site where I first saw Jo Brown’s images described them as being in a “Moleskine” but that page layout doesn’t look like any Moleskine brand notebook I’ve ever seen. Does anyone recognize it? Many artists find inspiration in the diverse beauty of the environment. UK-based illustrator Jo Brown documents the … Continue reading Jo Brown’s Nature Journals

Notebook Addict of the Week (Again): JournalJoy

I love hearing from past notebook addicts who update me on how their collections have grown. JournalJoy was featured as a Notebook Addict in April 2015. Since then I my notebook collection has grown substantially and I recently uploaded a video on my Youtube channel featuring my entire journal collection. I love to take my … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week (Again): JournalJoy

Jordan Mechner on Journaling

I’ve previously featured Jordan Mechner’s Sketchbooks on this site, and more recently, I spotted an article he wrote on Medium about his habit of keeping a journal: I’m a journal-keeper. With over a hundred notebooks filled since 1982, it’s become part of who I am. I couldn’t have expected or anticipated all the ways my … Continue reading Jordan Mechner on Journaling

Kevyn Aucoin’s Journals

A fun look inside the world of Kevin Aucoin, the celebrity makeup artist who sadly died way too young. He seems to have used a variety of diaries in a similar format but with different page layouts. I’m not sure what brand any of them were. Kevyn Aucoin was a makeup artist decades ahead of his … Continue reading Kevyn Aucoin’s Journals

Notebook Addict of the Week: Hopsfyquin

This week’s addict is another Reddit r/notebooks find. User Hopsfyquin shared this image and a brief description of their uses. You can see more comments at the original post. Sketching, painting, counselling, wish lists, memoir, lyrics, diaries, bullet journals, holiday planning and gratitude journaling. They all have their own set purpose, some may overlap with … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week: Hopsfyquin