the write things: tech cases

I love to surround myself with all things "books," and I am obsessed with this line of tech cases/decals featuring beautiful books! This decal by Cassia Beck through Society6.com adorns the back of my precious MacBook Pro (can you see the faint outline of the Apple logo??). Ryan purchased these two precious tech-cases for me from my wishlist last Christmas, and my love for them has not waned even a bit in the time since.

When the laptop is open, it looks like a row of books sitting on the desk or table. I love the juxtaposition of literary history and tactile books with the technology that also steals my heart. The patterns on the book covers are so lovely. I also kind of want to read all these books now that I have memorized their pretty spines!

I also have this matching iPhone case, which makes me feel like I can keep a bookshelf in my pocket (or my purse) at all times!! 

How do you incorporate your passion for books in your everyday life? Have you come across any fabulous reader-finds that must be shared?? Would love to see!!

(You can browse these and many other lovely tech accessory designs on society6's site right here!)

the write things: rifle paper co. notebooks

I am a planner. Try as I might to embrace the flow of creativity and let loose in search of inspiration, I always feel most comfortable with a system in place to collect and organize my thoughts. I like to begin with structure, sort of like a home base for my ideas and plans, and then I can work on being more flexible as my intentions unfold into reality. If nothing else, a system helps my brain to push ideas out. Once I write my creative ideas down, I can step back and gain perspective, and see how a theme might be emerging or how inspiration begins to take shape.

While I am a tried-and-true journal-keeper, I find that if I write outlines or lists in my journals, it is almost guaranteed that I will not go back to read them. I like to give my daily journals, filled with my morning pages and other writings, space to sit and breathe before I go back to unearth what might be buried inside. So I have found it really, really helpful in my creative practice, to use slim notebooks or journals organizationally, and keep my journals just filled with actual writing. I have used these Moleskine journals before, and they are a really great option, but my current favorite is this set of three journals from Rifle Paper Co. (a brand that I absolutely, always adore!). 

Are they not SO pretty?? I am seeing more and more sets of slim notebooks as I shop here and there, and I am really excited to see so many more options available nowadays. I am using the aqua notebook for my blog planning, the pink one to keep track of some of my short story ideas and progress, and the red one remains empty for whatever purpose or project I will find next! (I like having it there, ready and waiting - it is great motivation for me to dive right in with new ideas. I think I should always make sure there is a blank notebook waiting, don't you?)

The details continue inside the journals, making them even more special! I love the artwork at the tops of the pages, and since I was small, I have loved filling in the portion where it says, in any notebook, "This notebook belongs to..." The two journals I am using are already engraved with my ownership.

It really helps me to plug my creative ideas into some form of organizational structure. I use these 4x6 lined pastel Post-it notes and these Martha Stewart page tabs to organize my notebooks and keep all of my thoughts really accessible! Both the tabs and the Post-it notes are removable and can be rearranged as often as I need in order to keep up with the structures that seem best at a given moment. And I love how when the journal is open right to the middle, you can see the line of red stitching that holds it all together. What I find most wonderful about incorporating these notebooks into my creative practice is their flexibility. They are an organizational tool, sure, which gives my structured brain an outlet to coordinate a lot of my creative efforts. Otherwise they are all sort of floating in and out of my head and consciousness and could be gone at any moment's notice. But I love that these journals also provide an opportunity for a fresh new start - an opportunity to make mistakes or try something out. In past, I have sometimes used shorter journals sometimes just to feel like I am achieving something sooner, when I fill them! 

You can find this same set at Paper Source, or visit the Rifle Paper Co. website to see the other lovely items they offer! And you can read about some of my other "write things" here!

the write things: my pens

Over the years I have tried many different writing instruments. From the simplest ballpoint pens, to good, old-fashioned number-two pencils, to fancy fountain pens: I think I have truly tried them all, or as many as I could get my hands on! And they all have their important place in the world of writing. I find that my preference of writing instruments shifts over time. Sometimes that is because I come across something new and better, or because I find that I myself am changing - holding my pen differently, or sitting differently as I write. All these little things do make a difference.

But I am pretty delighted with my current pen-friends. I have been using these two options for at least the last six months, since I found my journal-match. Remember, it is not just about the pen itself, but the way it connects with your paper! When I have gone through periods of using cheap spiral notebooks, sometimes a ballpoint has been my best pen-friend. All that matters is that it feels right to you!

My main, go-to pen right now is the "Uni-Ball Vision Needle" rollerball pen. I use black pens exclusively (just a preference) and I prefer the "Micro" version, even though this photo is of the "Fine"! I have found both the "Fine" and "Micro" versions of this pen to suit my writing well. I usually just pick up whichever is available when I am shopping. (Learn more about these pens here!)

When I need an extra pick-me-up, or feel like a splurge, I use black "Le Pens" by Marvy Uchida. They are actually pretty cost-comparable with the Uni-Ball pens to begin with, but I tend to press harder than I probably need to as I write, so I go through them faster. They are a felt-tipped pen, and they fill my journal SO beautifully! Such a satisfying pen-to-paper aesthetic. (And I do realize how far into nerd-land I have crossed here, but what can I say?! I am passionate about pens!) I have other colors of Le Pens as well, for crafts and other fun projects, but again, I use the black pens exclusively for my writing. They can be a little harder to find than the Uni-Ball pens, but I know that most Papyrus card stores and many craft and stationery stores seem to carry them. (Find available colors and stores that carry Le Pens here!)

Pens are little things that make a BIG difference as I write. Is this true for you, too? Which favorites have you found for yourself? I am always excited to try a new option... let me know!

the write things: my journal

I am obsessed with things and objects of all sorts, but very few compare with my sentiments about my journal. For years, I jumped from journal to journal. Many were gifts (Thank you, to each of you who have given me a journal! They are some of my very favorite gifts!), and many were special finds on this trip or that, and the hunt was half the fun! Those 75+ journals represent every size, every style, every phase of my life since I began keeping track in this way. I love their range and variety; I love the way those journals catalog my life both inside and out! And it always felt like a part of my process: the way that I could start fresh with each new journal. But for the past nine months or so, I have grown quite attached to a new journal-system:

My new journal is a refillable faux-leather notebook made by Graphique de France, which is a company I have admired for many years, ever since I was assigned to manage the "Gifts and Stationery" department at Borders on State Street. But I had never indulged in any of their journals for myself - I simply admired them on the shelves and made sure they were prominently displayed to find their eventual owners. When my life recently changed directions and I decided to focus more specifically on my writing, I found a different Graphique de France journal at a Papyrus store. That journal was Tiffany blue, also faux-leather, and had the word "Journal" engraved in gold on the front cover. Instead of being refillable, its pages were bound inside. That journal somehow felt more "serious" and was a great companion as I began my new journey. I loved it so much that I went back to see if I could find a different color! My local Papyrus store did not have what I was looking for, so I settled for this one instead. I can not believe I ever loved it less than I do now...

The gold cover feels fancy, and is made from high-quality faux leather, which feels substantial and somehow "professional," and is lovely for my conscience, too! The paper quality is AMAZING, which is something that is really, really important for my aesthetic sense while writing. I like my pen to travel a certain way across the paper to keep my thoughts flowing.  And I am absolutely charmed by the paper's gold edges. You can find more info about the journal here. 

And to my surprise, I have fallen completely in love with the notebook-refill system! They really are the most sophisticated notebooks. They contain 144 pages, and I have an unofficial goal of filling one per month, which pushes me past my usual morning pages and challenges me to free-write more often! I order them in multiples, and watch for sales on the Graphique de France website to get the best deal I can. There are different sizes of refills, and many different colors and styles of covers, as well! Here is a new blank refill notebook: (don't you think it is excited to meet its words soon?!)

I am especially obsessed with this little "post" emblem on the front page of the journals. I have no idea what the significance is, but I like to imagine what it could mean!

One other thing I appreciate about this journal is that the "pockets" in the cover allow me to store bits of paper or additional notebooks inside. This notebook by Rifle Paper Co. fits perfectly inside the back cover of my journal! 

I have found new uses (like the one above!) for the assorted blank journals that are still waiting to be filled. I will often think of a specific purpose for a new journal, since I do best when keeping my thoughts as organized as possible, and it is as special as ever to make that important choice of which journal will be perfect for my purpose! And I think sometimes it allows those journals to stand out even more, to represent new themes or pursuits in my life as I associate those new thoughts with a specific cover or the paper inside. 

This journal has been a steadfast companion since we made our acquaintance in the shop nine months ago. I have converted to the notion of its consistency, the way it stays the same, even as the words and pages take turns living inside. I still feel just as excited to begin a new blank journal, but I don't feel as much nostalgia as I did before, to let the former take its place among my other filled journals. The consistency of this journal reminds me of the consistency within myself as well: the single, focused dream I have embraced as my purpose. It reminds me to write.