I finished my 4th journal of 2023 last night. The new journal on top has black paper, so I’m having to rethink how I do some things. The Gelly Roll pens I have are nice and opaque, and they write well, but they’re really uncomfortable. I ordered some Zebra Sarasa clip pens in white ink, so hopefully they’ll work.
I use a couple of different stamps in my journal. Mostly a date stamp and a coffee cup stamp, but also some fruit stamps. I use the last page to “clean” them after using them.
I’m almost done with this notebook. I’ve got about 20 pages left, so I’ll probably be starting a new one in a week or so.
The cursed EnerGel pen has finally died. I have never hated a pen so much. It skipped constantly. I thought it might be due to oils on my hands getting on the paper, but none of the other pens I’ve used have had that issue. That pen is just a delicate flower, I guess. Unfortunately I have several more. Those will be going to Goodwill.
So now I’m back to using Zebra Sarasa .5mm pens. Much nicer writing experience!
And some bonus zinnias.
Another pen for the graveyard. This one lasted 53 pages and exactly one month.
The kids a few doors down were setting off firecrackers in the back field a few nights ago. They left their trash, so I grabbed some of it for collage. And also to make a little paper boat.
I started the yellow journal in January and the dark pink one in March. I started the light pink one on top last night. They all have about 150 pages. The yellow one has thinner paper, so it’s skinnier.
I’ve also killed a few pens along the way. R.I.P.
I killed another pen. This one lasted four weeks and 52 pages. I have no idea why they’re so inconsistent. I only use them for actual writing, and my handwriting is pretty even.
These are all Zebra Sarasa Clip pens. I bought a package of five brown pens, so they all were purchased at the same time. They should be identical. The last two were used in the same notebook, so it isn’t a matter of more vs. less absorbent paper. It’s a mystery!
I was looking for a new notebook. I usually order whatever looks cheap and cheerful in A5 with 160 gsm paper, but a bunch of people on Reddit recommended Scribbles That Matter notebooks.
The notebook is fine? I like the paper finish, the grid isn’t too light or dark, the pages are numbered, and the cover is a nice shade of pink. But, I hate the pen loop. It’s riveted to the back cover, which creates a lumpy spot. I also don’t love that some of the pages are glued together along the spine.
Altogether, it’s a decent notebook, but I’m probably not going to order another one.
red paper boat 