R.I.P. Françoise Gilot

Françoise Gilot died recently, at the age of 101. Françoise Gilot, Artist in the Shadow of Picasso, Is Dead at 101 In remembrance of her many talents, here’s an image from one of her travel sketchbooks, reproduced in facsimile in a limited edition set of books published by Tachen, which I posted about back when … Continue reading R.I.P. Françoise Gilot →

I Bought a Notebook Today

You wouldn’t think this would be major news, but I realized that I hadn’t bought a notebook in quite a while! Since 12/30/22, to be exact. My stash is well beyond what I will probably ever need and I haven’t seen anything new and exciting that I just had to try, so I’ve actually been … Continue reading I Bought a Notebook Today →

R.I.P. Chandler O’Leary

I just saw the incredibly sad and shocking news that Chandler O’Leary died suddenly a few days ago. I did not know her personally but she has been one of my favorite notebook/sketchbook artists for years. I thought for sure I had done a post about her, but I guess I never did. I know … Continue reading R.I.P. Chandler O’Leary →

Notebook Storage Boxes

Anyone who’s followed this site for a while will have seen quite a few photos of notebooks stored in various ways: piles in cabinets, piles in drawers, wicker baskets, under-bed boxes, plastic sweater boxes, white cardboard banker’s boxes, moving boxes, and lots and lots of shoeboxes. Of these storage methods, a couple of favorites stick … Continue reading Notebook Storage Boxes →

Diane Arbus Notebooks

I usually think of artists who draw and paint as having the most beautiful notebooks and sketchbooks, but photographers keep some intriguing notebooks too: my latest “other people’s notebooks” fascination is with Diane Arbus. I’ve always found her quite interesting, since discovering her photographs when I was in high school, to more recently reading Patricia … Continue reading Diane Arbus Notebooks →

How I Use My Nolty Planner

I’ve written various reviews of Nolty planners and notebooks, but I don’t think I’ve gone into too much detail about how I use my Nolty planner. These lovely Japanese diaries have some features that make planning, habit tracking, and list-keeping very convenient for me. The Nolty Efficiency Notebook has various page layouts. It starts with … Continue reading How I Use My Nolty Planner →

The Forbidden Notebook

This book sounds fascinating! It was just reviewed in the New York Times: Rome, 1950: The diary begins innocently enough, with the name of its owner, Valeria Cossati, written in a neat script. Valeria is buying cigarettes for her husband when she is entranced by the stacks of gleaming black notebooks at the tobacco shop. … Continue reading The Forbidden Notebook →

A Thames Mudlarker’s Notebook

If you’re not familiar with the term “mudlark,” it means someone who digs around in a riverbed at low tide to see what sorts of treasures they might find. I felt like I’d found some treasure when I discovered Johnny Mudlark’s diary! I first saw some of these images on Pinterest, and was led to … Continue reading A Thames Mudlarker’s Notebook →

My Messy Cooking Notebook

I shared a photo of this notebook on Instagram recently and a lot of people seemed to love it. I realized it’s quite unusual for me to show off a notebook that is this beat-up and battered! Most of my notebooks are pocket size journals and sketchbooks. I tend to go through them fairly fast, … Continue reading My Messy Cooking Notebook →

Louise Carmen Notebook Review Part 2: Where to Buy

In part 1 of my review of the Louise Carmen notebook, I cover the qualities of the Louise Carmen Pocket Heritage notebook itself. Now I’ll talk about how I managed to obtain it! When I discovered Louise Carmen notebooks online, I thought they looked great. Their website, and their Instagram, feature some some pretty mouth-watering … Continue reading Louise Carmen Notebook Review Part 2: Where to Buy →

Louise Carmen Notebook Review Part 1

I’m always a sucker for a nice leather notebook— there is something so seductive about the patina on well-broken in leather, and the way it starts to form to the shape of its contents. It’s what made me love the Filofax notebooks I’ve used in the past, and it’s what made me buy a passport … Continue reading Louise Carmen Notebook Review Part 1 →

Notebook in “The Glass Onion”

My most recent Netflix viewing was The Glass Onion, which includes an incredible number of cameo appearances by celebrities. It also happens to include a fun cameo appearance by one of my favorite notebooks! I won’t talk about how the notebook is involved in the plot, but here’s a few photos I grabbed. The notebook … Continue reading Notebook in “The Glass Onion” →