(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!)
Whenever I bring up the subject of pretty notebooks, whether it's with fellow Pen Addicts or with the normies, people often say the same thing: "It's too pretty to use" or "I'd be afraid to use it and ruin it." This always makes me sad, because a used notebook is a beautiful thing. The patina of creation they develop as they are written in only increases their beauty! Oftentimes, I'll give people the advice that Leigh Reyes gave us once at the Chicago Pen Show--ruin it first. Spill ink on the first page. There! Ruined! Now you can write whatever you want in it. Some folks run with that fantastic advice, but some still shy away from the idea of putting any blemish on a fine notebook. Happily, I've never had such inhibitions, and while I will save special notebooks for special projects, I'm always happy to ruin a pretty journal. I cannot wait to ruin this one.
Archer & Olive are apparently setting a trap for my wallet, baited with some of the most lovely notebooks I've ever seen. This Gentle Breeze journal is part of their Beneath the Willows Spring 2025 series. It comes in a drawer-and-slipcase storage box that is designed like a beautiful vintage book. Inside, wrapped in tissue paper, is the journal. The Gentle Breeze notebook comes in B5, A5, B6, 8X8", pocket, and TN sizes. This is the TN size, tall and narrow like a Traveler's Notebook. All have this olive-gold cotton fabric hardcover with the gold foil stamped design on the front, depicting reeds and cattails in shallow water. There are several other designs and colors available as well.
This TN size has 144 pages of 160gsm dot-grid paper. It has a folder pocket inside the back cover for holding loose bits of paper. It closes with an elastic band that is the same ochre color as the cover. There are two satin ribbon bookmarks. And there is a black elastic pen loop attached to the edge. The pen loop is the only element of the design that I don't care for. The black stands out a bit garishly, and while the loop keeps your pen handy, there's nothing protective about it. It's fine if you're just putting a Pilot G2 in there, but who uses a plain pen on such a fancy notebook? (No hate to the G2, she knows I love her.)
There is no need to stick to plain pens with this paper. Yes, 160gsm. I have notebooks with covers that are thinner than that. This is some heavy duty paper, and I did not have any bleeding or show-through with it, no matter what I was writing with. Even my broadest, wettest fountain pen did fine, and you couldn't see any trace of it from the other side of the page. Personally, I don't mind a bit of ghosting, and I'd rather have a million thin pages than a few thick ones, but this paper does feel quite luxurious.
Apparently Archer & Olive have quite a fan base and their products are super popular among the planner, journaling, and scrapbooking crowds. Aesthetically I totally get it, and the thick paper is perfect for those uses. The spine does require a bit of training before it will lie flat, but it does eventually do it.
Most importantly, it passes the hand test. When I hold it in my hands, it makes me want to write. The downside is, 144 pages fill up fast, even when you can use both sides. And these are on the pricier side, so I can't stockpile them the way I could with Midori or Kokuyo. This TN style sells for $31, with some styles costing as much as $39. I don't think it's unreasonable--these are fancy! It feels worth the price. But I'm less likely to spend that much on a notebook that won't last me as long. That being said, I hear they do Halloween editions, in which case, forget what I just said.
(Brad bought this notebook from Lighthouse Paper Co. at the 2025 Atlanta Pen Show.)
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