Revival of the Planting Notebook

Happy Spring everybody! Tsubaki here and back with something you guys might have remembered from a while ago but, this time it is back and better than ever! Behold the revived planting notebook! 

Now for those that don’t remember let me recap. Before my A5 Olive Roterfaden became only a swatch notebook system, it did have an A5 Life notebook that was only for planting progress. However, I did not keep up with it mostly for reasons I will go over later in this post. 

This year, I randomly decided to do small planting projects which included plants I take care of at work in the office. On top of that, I am still keeping a young lemon tree alive inside my apartment which sprouted in mid-2020. With all of this happening, I decided to bring the notebook back but with major improvements. 

First, let me break down what didn’t work the first time. Notebook size! I do most of my writing in A6 or A5 slim/ Traveler’s Notebook regular size. I rarely use a regular A5 size notebook since I find it difficult to take up the entire page with writing. For me personally, A5 notebooks are also difficult to carry and easily pull out of my bag when I decide to do some writing outside.

The notebook I have decided on for the planting notebook is Field Notes since they are a nice portable size. I have seen Field Notes many times before but I was not compelled to buy any until now. I ordered the “Signs of Spring” three-pack as I love the debossing designs of the Ghost Flower, Quaker Ladies, and Contra Costa Goldfields. I did not need a continuous subscription as I am not writing a lot but hope to use a notebook per year. I love that it is a dot-graph paper which is my favorite paper type as it isn’t so distracting when I write. In this notebook, I shall write down how the plants are doing and what seems to be working or not.

I originally wasn’t planning to get a cover for it until I went into a local shop called Goods for the Study, here in NYC and found a pocket heritage cover by Louise Carmen that I liked! It is in military color with a nice orange band and has pockets to of course hold leaves that I wish to draw in the notebook. 

I am trying to see if I will also have a local native plant preservation notebook with the planting notebook since the cover came with a notebook. It is just going to be a list of what plants are local in my area and how I can help to keep the population strong, especially with more frequent heavy storms taking out the native plants and natural habitat of the animals we have here.

As an ending note, I am only using a lead pencil for my planting notes. The Field Notes I have is very textured and did not say if it was fountain pen friendly so I am using my Caran d’Ache x Nespresso edition number 4 Fixpencil.

I do like Field Notes and their designs but I do wish they were fountain pen friendly or at least noted if the paper was fountain pen friendly. Besides that, the notebooks are very light and easily portable! If you need something to stick in your pocket definitely check them out.

Hope you all enjoyed this post! Until next time, stay hyped!

Louise Carmen Roadbook Heritage Review

Once again I have been on the search for more interesting analog systems. This time thanks to Instagram I stumbled upon Lousie Carmen. In this post, I will give you some background information and overall how I feel about it.

Louise Carmen is a boutique shop in Paris that makes beautiful and refillable leather notebooks. Louise Carmen was created in 2016 by Fabien and Nathalie Valmary. I personally love the passion they have to bring leather notebooks to France. We see leather notebooks like the Traveler's Notebook in Japan and even Roterfaden from Germany so I hope the overall joy of leather notebooks can be available to as many people as possible. Thankfully they have this lovely website which I was able to order from!

They have much different leather notebook sizes with their own features and added accessories you can pick as you browse their online store. Thankfully the website has French and English options so if you are like me you can also navigate and select the designs you prefer.

I picked the Roadbook Heritage because I like the trifold opening and that I can fit three notebooks. I got it in the color vert London with a brown cord, three white 120g notebooks, a noel theme travel pouch, and engraving in a neutral color. The shipping was very fast with UPS and cost 40.11 euros. In total everything was 187.11 euros.

It was packaged very well and was wrapped like a gift in black tissue paper with a golden sticker with Louise Carmen on it. When I took the paper off the travel pouch with notebook system inside greeted me. The pouch is very lovely and likes how the brand is sewed on. The notebook itself is beautiful as the vert London is a nice dark green and love how smooth it feels. The engraving looks amazing on the cover bottom right corner and I am very happy with it. After having it for a little while I also appreciate the bit of metal hardware which prevent the cords from rubbing against the leather.

Overall I love this system and hope to use it for a personal comic project. The notebook can also fit Traveler's Notebook inserts so for now my setup is two Traveler Company watercolor regular inserts and one Louise Carman dot notebook. I recommend this to people who want a light multiple notebook system but need wider notebooks. These have plenty of space to draw and write plus the experience of shopping from them is wonderful.

Hope you all enjoyed this, until next time, stay hyped!

Ro-Biki Notebook: Fountain Pen Tracking

Welcome back to another stationery review where I try to use everything I can possibly get my hands on and update you guys on how I am doing. This post will cover the Ro-Biki notebook, how I am currently using it, and why I am currently using it to track my inked fountain pens.

Before I jump into the notebook, I want to explain why this came to mind in the first place. It has been over a full year since I got into fountain pens and during the whole month of July, I made sure to empty out most of my pens. I had all seven of my Lamy pens inked, TWSBI 580 inked, all three Sailor pens inked, Kaweco AL Sports, and my Pelikans. I needed to clean up out and start fresh cause I was getting uncomfortable letting ink sit in them for over a month. Thankfully I was successful for the most part as I am as of this post emptying out my Pelikan M800 Brown-Black and TWSBI 580 Emerald. Now all my newly inked pens are in the Ro-Biki notebook!

The Ro-Biki notebook is made by Yamamoto which is well known for the Cosmo Air Light notebook which sadly I still did not try yet. The height is the same as a Traveler's Company insert but the width is smaller. The paperweight is 75gsm with 30 sheets and a wax paper cover. I bought it from Niconeco Zakkaya for $8 and the one I got is the 5mm reticle pattern. I am using it with the Ro-Biki cover I reviewed from JetPens.

The size of the notebook makes it great for lists, and since I wanted to keep my pen rotation down to a handlable amount I decided to use it to track my inked pens. I write down the pen, nib, ink, and when it was inked. When the pen is out of ink and cleaned I will check it off. I plan to try to keep five pens inked which include one pen for my Hobonichi mega weeks, my Pilot Cavalier for work, and three other pens. This might change only if I use two piston-filler pens that hold a lot more cause then I would bring it down to three pens including the Pilot Cavalier. My piston-filler pens, TWSBI 580, Pelikan M800 Brown-Black, and Pelikan M200 Cafe Creme, hold so much ink that they might not run out in a month unless I use them a lot more.

The notebook is okay for the most part but you can see it does seem to almost bleed with thicker nibs. I am only using one side of each page so I don't think this will be a problem. The cover holds pens I plan on inking soon, like my Cavalier which I cleaned out but need to use for work. 

This whole setup should help me keep in control of what is inked and what I should use up. Let me know if you have a pen tracking system! Until next time, stay hyped!

Ca.Crea: Single Notebook System and How I been Using it

Hello and welcome back to another stationery post. I have gone over all my planners and systems except the one notebook I use to draft these blog posts! So lets over it now in 2021.

To be honest I didn't know people knew about this notebook until I actually started chatting with people in the planner community. They knew about it but not many people use it, at least that is true in the US. I bought my first one in an Etsy store that sells Japanese stationery from a very amazing seller which I will link. By the time this post is up, I would have had this for a year and bought several more from Amazon Japan. 

The first one I used was the Ca.Crea A4x1/3 regular with 5mm grid, which came with a limited edition Winnie the Pooh plastic cover. Now I am using the Ca.Crea A4x1/3 Premium Cloth with 5mm grid which is fountain pen friendly, using the same cover. The notebooks also lay down flat when you open them which is an amazing feature any daily writer will enjoy.

The first one I used is on the left while the one I am using now is on the right.

The limited-edition Winnie the Pooh cover.

Inside of the Winnie the Pooh cover.

The premium cloth refills I got from Amazon Japan.

There are different covers but I haven't seen them being sold anywhere yet besides Amazon Japan under the PLUS company. If I like one I might try it and write an update post on it.

Now the reason why this notebook is not in my Roterfaden or Traveler's Notebook is due to its slightly taller size, making it not fit as well with the other books cause it is taller. It is made to be a stand-alone compact book for jotting down lists, sketching, and writing ideas on the go.

The reason why I continued using this is that it was perfect for writing up blog posts! I write each blog post out before I type them up just so I get a better idea of what pictures, links, and added research snippets I will need to put in. Filling up a page is the minimum I write for any post not including pictures and descriptions. I also like to carry it around if I am going to be outside for a few hours or most of the day. This size fits also perfectly in my analogue travel pouch. The only issue is that this notebook has almost no popularity in the US market so if I want refills I must rely on Amazon Japan and Etsy sellers.

I think more people could benefit from any of the selections of Ca.Crea notebooks cause of how easy it is to carry and how the size is great for lists, notes, and tracking. With some index tabs, you can organize it the way you like it and make it really handy in everyday life.

Let me know what you think about this notebook in the comments below. Until next time, stay hype!

Hobonichi Covers I am Using for 2021

Hello there, Tsubaki here! Back with some more stationery that I am using daily! September 1st (Japan Time) was the day Hobonichi released the first wave of covers along with their planners and many stationery shops here also released their stock of Hobonichi covers as well. Either way it certainly has been an adventure getting these covers.

This year I didn't plan to get any covers but when I saw CANDY STRIPPER Spruced up Cat with the cute collared cats with sewn on bows I knew I had to get it. Thankfully Yoseka Stationery had enough in stock for me to be able to order the A6 size and then I order from JetPens for the A5 size.

I started using Hobonichi back in 2019 with a Steiff weeks. Later that year I made by first purchase with Hobonichi for an A6 English planner. The first A6 cover I got was the Trinity Steiff cover for 2020 which features the adventure of three little bears trying to find the perfect planner for their king! This cover is amazing because the mohair is actually curly and a delicious chocolate color. This planner also has three page holders with each of the different bears on them. 

Earlier this year (right before we went into lockdown due to COVID) I treated myself to the Cafe Au Lait Steiff cover 2019. I wanted to get it as soon as possible before Hobonichi ran out or discontinued it. This one is a blond mohair that is short but just as soft. It has two page holders with dark bears on them.

During September  I also found a good condition Hobonichi Steiff cover 2018. This is the first collab cover between Steiff and Hobonichi and it has the same shirt mohair texture of the Cafe Au Lait but it is black! In fact the King bear used in the Trinity cover's story is also a bear Steiff bear. So in a since the story went full circle in a very cute way. Turn around come mid September and I found the Hello Kitty Hobonichi covers in A6 and A5 on eBay and I grabbed those as quick as possible. 

Now, many might ask how am I using all of these, especially all at the same time. Now I will give a full breakdown on how I am using each of these now and through 2021!

The Steiff covers which are the(From left to right) Steiff 2018 black cover, Steiff 2019 Café Au Lait and Steiff 2020 Trinity are being used for my actual A6 English planner and two Hobonichi paper(s) which I tape my watercolor and small art pieces into. I switch them around time to time. 

The Spruced-Up Cat (Lilac) from Candy Stripper is being used for tracking TCGplayer orders and uses Hobonichi Day Free A6. I like to use the Day Free for this because I actually use the calendar to mark when each new booster set, special set and collector tin come out for Pokemon, Yugioh and Cardfight Vanguard.  

The Spruced-Up Cat (Candy Pink) from Candy Stripper is used is used for Latin Language study and uses a Hobonichi Day Free. I will use a Hobonichi plain notebook after this since I don't need the calendar and it is a bit cheaper to buy. I also only need the calendar once to write down the Roman calendar dates. 

Hello Kitty (Stripes) A6 is used for TCG deck editing. This has a Hobonichi plain notebook which works perfectly because it has four different color sections which I use for different types of decks! I feel like in the future I will buy even more plain notebooks for different trading card games, especially since I started editing my Cardfight Vanguard decks first. Sounds organized if I have one for Cardfight Vanguard, another for Yugioh and one more for Weiss Schwarz.

Hello Kitty (Polka Dots) A5 is used to study Spanish and uses a Hobonichi Techo Cousin 2021. I hope to just write Spanish phrases I learn daily in here and new vocabulary. 

It is quite a lot of books but only the English A6 will get super chunky with all the decorating I do. I use a mix of washi tape, stickers, instax photos and notecards which explains why it expanded as much as it did. Currently I have no plans on carrying any of my Hobonichi planners outside however I might update you all if I figure out a travel bag system with my daily planner once we are able to travel again!

Everything that I don't have in a Hobonichi is either in my Olive Regular Traveler's Notebook, my Ace Hotel Passport Traveler's Notebook or my A5 Olive Roterfaden, which I will explain my setup in a later post.

Thank you all for reading this! It means a lot <3 Let me know if you are using a Hobonichi Techo for next year in the comments! Until next time, stay hype!

Traveler’s Notebook: My Uses and Setup 2020

Hello everybody! Tsubaki here and with a clear explanation of my Traveler’s Notebook setups and what I use them for! 2019 was a great year because I had fallen in love with the Traveler’s Notebook because of how it is so flexible with what inserts you can use and how easy it is to exchange pockets and inserts making everything customizable from paper color and texture. It is a very nice smooth leather notebook that is completely customized by you and is very convenient for people that are always traveling.

I am tired of using basic notebooks and note pads because of how often I use them for work. The Traveler’s Notebook is my dream notebook that I love to carry at all costs and I am excited to share what I use, where I got everything and my setups. There will be plenty of links that I hope will help whoever wants to drive into Traveler’s Notebooks in the future. Please note that as of the time I post this I feel like I have finally created a solid setup and might not alter it besides switching out inserts for a new one when they are used up. 

I have two regular size Traveler’s Notebooks, one in black and the other in olive green. The black one I had gotten from Kinokuniya in NYC. The olive green one I ordered brand new off of Etsy. I love green and the olive green is such a beautiful mixture of green and brown. It is hard to find the olive green in stores because it was a limited edition color that came out in 2017. It is best to ask sellers that often stock Traveler’s Notebook items if they can find one for you or follow a couple of shops and buy it when it comes up. 

Why I decided to have two Traveler’s Notebooks is so that one is my everyday carry, which is the black TN, and the other, the olive green TN, is my positive thought notebook. Both TNs have a Traveler's Factory x TO & FRO collaboration organizer pouch because I move them around quite a lot and this helps protect them from everything else in my bags. Both also have a Fourruof Traveler’s Notebook fabric insert that has one pocket in the front with three card slots and a zipper pocket in the back. It is sturdy and comes in some lovely colors so I highly recommend it if you want a colorful pouch insert. 

 My everyday TN has a daily two-month diary which I write down everything that happened in the day, any ideas I have and my thoughts. I used to make notes on my phone on daily stuff but once I found this insert I immediately switched to writing in my TN. Another one is my doodle insert where I draw out random stuff, mostly using Uni-Ball Signo pens. Uni-Ball Signo pens come in so many colors and are really great to use on this paper. The other insert is where I practice my handwriting and lettering. I set it up this way to make sure I get out everything I was thinking during the day both writing and drawing wise. Some doodles I do in my TN I redraw in my art books or on card stock papers which I plan to sell. The handwriting insert was added because I felt like I needed to improve my handwriting due to all the orders that have been coming in lately, and I usually ship them out in envelopes that are handwritten. The pouch has samples of washi tape and stickers to decorate. 

My positive thought TN has a blank insert which I decorate and write ideas and quotes in. Most of the quotes I find are from inspirational videos on YouTube or from podcasts. I love flipping through it to help me regain purpose when I feel down. Most of the stickers I use are from artists I support on Patreon. Another insert is another blank insert which I glue stamps into. I love getting postcards and mail especially when they are really decorated and colorful. I save some limited edition stamps I get from the Post Office as well as cute stamps I get from mail-in this insert. Most of my stamps are Winnie the Pooh and used Japanese stamps with their Japan Post cute bear mascot Posu Kuma! This pouch holds stamps until I place them in the book and stickers as well.

I currently have three charms. The Prada charm, the Traveler’s Notebook that recently came out and the Manual Factory bear. I got the Prada charm from the pop up in NYC and the Traveler’s Notebook from Kinokuniya in NYC. The Manual Factory bear I bought from Etsy. 

This ends my uses and setup for this lovely year of 2020! I hope to make another post on my recent limited edition insert collection so far, so please look forward to it. I really love knowing how other people do their setup and what they use it for because the possibilities are endless, so comment how you are working in your TN <3 

Until next time! Keep up the hype!