Impulse Buy: Airport Shopping

For me there is something about hanging around airports bored that makes me make impulse buys. Sometimes I think i do it because it cheers me up and I usually have some leftover foreign money.

Last year I bought my metropol Filofax among other great notebooks in an airport. This time I bought a pencil case.

Why?

Mainly because it was cute!!

But also because I thought it was a great solution for my many pens floating round my bag. It will save me digging through its multiple pockets, stop the pens staining the lining and make them easy to find. After all, it is so streamed it won’t take up any more space.

The brand of the case is called Nici and it is stocked by many different stockists but plush paws seems to have the biggest collection for UK readers.

Storage.it – notebooks with storage

One thing I love about Filofax is that I can store receipts, postcards and other bits and bits in the cover. So, when I noticed the storage.it notebooks from mark’s tokyo edge range I was delighted by the idea. A notebook with attached storage in the form of a zip file pocket.

Perfect for a few pens and other bits and bobs – and if you went for the A5 size notebook, you could cram even more in. My only concern would be that I would stuff it full and not organise any of it. But I suppose that is why they call it “temporary”.

Even more of a delight is the 2013 planner, yes, it might be a little early to begin thinking about your planner for 2013. It appears to be a week on two pages (vertical columns). Something to add to my maybe list.

See the full collection here.

London 2012

The buzz is beginning to settle here in the UK following a successful Olympics. I had a hectic long weekend in London, but it was fantastic weather and an amazing experience. I honestly wish I had taken more photos – but there is nothing I hate more than “looking like a tourist”.

One stop on our journey was a visit to (one of the many) London 2012 stores within the Olympic park while waiting to enter the stadium. Most people bought t-shirts and bags, I headed straight to the stationery section. I was disappointed. Many spiral-bound rather cheap looking notebooks with the mascot, and no Filofaxes. (I am still hungry for a new filofax but had ruled out the Olympics version ages ago so I don’t know why I was hoping to see it.)

They only thing that caught my eye was the collectors edition of 3 notebooks (diary, notebook and scrapbook) at £30. But since my partner’s mother was insisting on buying EVERYTHING I could not justify asking for a set of notebooks, collectors edition or not. Not to mention my partner is trying to cull my collection. So I was hoping to sneak off later and have a chance to pick one up, but that never happened.

On my return home I looked up the notebooks online – Letts (I love letts) is selling them for a reduced price of £15 (and no sign of them in the 2012 online shop).

In the shop they were all wrapped up in plastic and I could not see the individual covers of the notebooks. Now that I have seen the pictures online, I am not so sure of the purchase. Yes, it would be a great keepsake and yes I love the gold silver and bronze idea for a collection of 3 notebooks, but I have never liked the 2012 logo and it is the same on each notebook. The tourist icon notebook (also available on the Letts website) is a better design.

Oh never mind… It is staying on my wish list!! After all, who could turn down a Letts Diary.

Another 365 day project – have you taken up the challenge?

Monday morning has come round again – and as usual the weekend was crammed with errands. While my OH was battling with the bank, I took the opportunity to dabble in Oliver Bonas. For those of you who have not ventured into Oliver Bonas, they sell a mix of clothes, furniture, homeware, jewellery, gifts, books and of course the reason I go in… Notebooks.

I came across the “one good deed a day” journal. As readers are probably aware, I don’t really need another journal and I am currently continuing along quite happily with my simple diary (also available from Oliver Bonas I will add) so I did not make a purchase this time. But it is a great idea, and a pretty journal.

The journal contains 365 good deeds – you can do them in any order (and just write in the date you do them with reflections) or as I suspect would be more challenging – try to do them in order. I might be a little too naughty for such a book, but it is certainly inspiring and a great challenge for those who love daily projects.

I’d be interested to know if anyone has taken up the challenge and bought this journal?

Book Review: Books Make a Home

An eye catching book, filled with book eye candy, what could go wrong? Books make a home: Elegant ideas for storing and displaying books by Damian Thompson makes a fantastic “coffee table book” the pictures are enough to make any book lover drool, by the sheer amount of shelving and books pictured.

However, there was a distinct lack of creativity, if I actually wanted ideas regarding shelving and creative storing ideas, google is my friend. Just browsing generally I have creative ideas to use when I have my own house etc. The book is a handy guide, all in one place, but some of it is just common sense.

That said the love of books comes though in this e-dominant world and it is an enjoyable read. The pictures are great, and I am sure that everyone who reads this will take something away.

This is a borrow rather than buy book. But books do make a home (yes, books shelves surround me) and I probably will keep adding to the collection so there is inspiration to be drawn.

O is for… The Olympics 2012

A lot of chat lately has brought the 2012 Olympics back into focus and final preparations have begun. The tickets and accommodation has been sorted, but I am still in the process of trying to book my train tickets and deciding what else to do when I am in London.

With Olympics on the brain, I thought I’d have a look at the official Olympics 2012 offerings on the notebook front. There is quite a lot of official stationery available on sale, as well as collectible stamps and coins.

Now I know what to get for my souvenirs.

G is for… Gifts #atozchallenge

Notebooks can make the perfect gift for the right person. I always get notebooks as gifts, but then again most people I know – know I love notebooks. But what about a gift of a notebook for someone who isn’t a big fan of paper.

The journals of a lifetime series really hit the spot. Hardback notebooks to give as a gift to members of your family. The idea behind it is that you give the notebook to the relevant family member (dear dad pictured by way of example to remind you of father’s day) they fill it in the memories and information about themselves in response to series of questions and give it back.

Such a personal and beautiful gift… Just be warned if you give this gift, you will probably get one back.

C is for… cupcakes #atozchallenge

My Flatmates bought me “the Cupcake” for my birthday. A lovely cookbook full of cupcake recipes… unfortunately I have never made a cupcake before in my life.

So the question that faces me today is how to get started? It begins by getting the “kit” – all those items needed to make cupcakes and making a good old fashioned list (and in my case a shopping list).

How do you do your shopping list? Scrap piece of paper, back on an envelope? Shopping list which is stuck to your fridge, or a more simple list notebook (thin and narrow)?

List made – ready to shop. I shall let you know how the cupcakes turn out…

“My Milk Toof” notebook sets are here….

I don’t know if many of my readers read the blog My Milk Toof created by Inhae Lee. Very cute, very funny and a must have in your reader/rss feed.

But I am not here to talk about the blog, instead I want to bring your attention to their Winter Merchandise which is now on sale and includes 2 great notebook giftsets like the one below.

Image Credit My Milk Toof

Click on through to see more photos and to buy at $20. (and luckily for me they will ship internationally).

Mini Notebook Sets

The week, I’ve been seeing collections of mini notebooks: 4 notebooks 2 lined 2 plain. (Perfect stocking fillers!!).

Image: Marmite Shop

The colourful Marmite ones have been a personal favourite. Each book measures 6.5cm x 10.8cm and cost £6.95 for the pack of 4. They are also available from Bloomsbury & Co .

My Second Favourite set have been the penguin books. Exactly the same set up (made by the same person?) 4 notebooks 2 lined 2 plain, same size and same price. Unfortunately I can’t find these online (yet). But they are available at John Lewis (will have to sneak back and take my own photo).

But the notebooks are simply mini versions of the a6 version. When browsing came across an old excellent eye-candy post of all things penguin from the Terrier and Lobster.