The Honor Roll: Blank Notebook Edition
There’s something about a blank notebook. Actual paper is a rare thing these days. And it’s very powerful. I still remember my first day at Rue La La (before the ubiquitous prelaptop era) walking around all day scribbling away, and that feeling that there was so much potential and possibility, that my ideas wouldn’t stop flowing. Whenever I get stuck on anything, I still go to paper. It has the magic to get you out of the screen routine and out of yourself. It makes things seem simpler, stops you from getting hung up, and with every page somehow greenlights fresh ideas. (Fun fact: Susanne and I often gift each other blank notebooks.)
Here, my personal notebook favorites.
Wit and Delight: Really simple, top-bound notebooks with a painterly feel. Susanne gave me a set of several sizes, and my favorite is the biggest one, which I recently used for visualizing a digital newsletter.
Archie Grand: These are cheery, funny, hardbound books. I don’t know if Archie Grand went out of business or what, but they’re harder to get than they used to be. Although Amazon still has a selection of new and used (but still unwritten) options. They used to make a MASSIVE one; if you see it, buy it! This is the version I used to write out long lists of potential names for M.Gemi.
Present & Correct: From the name to the deliciously artful insta feed (@presentandcorrect), I couldn’t be more obsessed with this British stationier. I’ve bought “ephemera” here just to inspire myself visually. And I’ve gifted their yummy little “monogram” journals to both of my sisters in law and to Susanne.
Smythson: I love Smythson’s luxurious textured leather Panama notebooks. They’re super sophisticated and sized to fit in virtually any bag or pouch. Great for things you might want to keep for a long time -- they look amazing lined up on a shelf. And I love the inspiring little sayings on the covers, like “No such thing as a bad idea.” These are an amazing gift, and you can add a pen from Art Snacks. I once gave one to my stylist at Saks; it said “Superhero.”
Brahmin is local (Fairhaven, MA) and known for its textured leathers. Susanne and I both have this croc print journal in a glossy green.
Montblanc. The company mostly known for pens has beautiful notebooks in a variety of colors and sizes. They feel weighty, important, and respectful. We gave one to our CD/AD last year. I’ve also given a bright blue one to a friend who started a big new job. I thought it would kick things off in the right way and make an impression, like “I’m here. I’m ready. Let’s go. Sh*t’s about to get good.”
Pearl River Mart: The fun find has gotten more and more buttoned up over the years, but it’s still a good place for discoveries, including a selection of super inexpensive notebooks like these silk covered beauties. I got a notebook for Susanne at the Chelsea Market location the last time I was in NYC.
Hermѐs. If you want to really splash out on luxury, clearly the orange box is the way to go. Hermѐs has refillable notebooks with leather covers, and you can easily find the covers used at sites like fashionfile. But they also have beautiful hardbound notebooks. Suanne gave this one to me with a set of pencils when we first started working together. The note said “for all your brilliant thoughts.” It gave me something to want to live up to!