It’s Listicle Season™, and you know what? The Strategist did a great job with their list. Myke and I discuss their picks in this episode, but not until I talk about the pens I’m currently using. And talk. And talk some more. I can’t help it.
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(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)
Sometimes, the austerity needs a little pizzazz. The minimalism needs a break. The blank slate needs some art. While I love the clean lines of my Traveler's Notebook aesthetic, I also can't help but love a notebook that's pretty. This Ameruu x CTFJ Notebook that works as a standalone or as an insert in a standard sized Traveler's Notebook caught my eye with its pretty watercolor artwork on the front cover, and then it totally won my heart with the cute animals on the back. The Bluebonnets and cows are a nod to Texas, and this notebook is exclusive to Dromgoole's Houston store.
The notebook has a thin cardstock cover and is bound with staples to a single signature of 30 sheets (60 pages) of grey-toned blank paper from Neue Grey. The paper is thick and has a smooth, slightly glossy coating. The blank paper and cool grey color would make it ideal for sketching, but it also holds up well with most writing tools. It performed very well with pencils and gel pens. Thicker rollerball ink did cause some showthrough, but not enough to make the back side of the page unusable. Fountain pens worked beautifully. Sharpie did not work at all, but that's to be expected. Artists will have to stick to fineliners for this one.
This lovely notebook costs $10 at Dromgoole's, which is more than a standard plain TN insert, but less than most specialty inserts, whether by Traveler's Company or a third party. That places it pretty average for cost, and it certainly doesn't feel like too much for a nice slim notebook. And I'm not only saying that because this one has cute cows on it, though I am partly saying that because of the cute cows.
This would make a lovely travel journal (especially if you're traveling to Texas), sketchbook, junk journal, or commonplace book. It carries well alone, where you can always see its lovely cover, or as in insert in any standard sized traveler's notebook. I've been carrying mine solo for now, where it's been gathering quick notes as one might gather bluebonnets.
(This product was purchased from Dromgoole’s at regular price.)
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The new year is right around the corner, do you know where your planner is? If you are still looking for something fun and functional, why not try the Kleid x Eric Small Things 2026 B6 Diary? The front part of the notebook features a two-page per month calendar, and the back 70 pages are Kleid’s classic 2 mm grid, making it a great combo for broader planing uses.
I have one Diary to give away this week, in the Navy cover color, so read the rules below and enter away!
