To All The Notebooks I Haven't Used Yet

What do you call it when you have the tendency to hoard notebooks just because they’re so pretty? Because whatever that is, clearly, I have it.

And this is not to say that I DON’T use notebooks anymore. There are just some days where my brain just cannot type another word on my trusty laptop, and that’s when the absolute mess and chaos of writing in a notebook comes in. I have always been hypnotized by the rhythm of a good notebook and the perfect pen to match it with. I used to write novel length fanfic on intermediate pad in high school—which is probably where this particular proclivity of mine stems from.

All this to say that I have quite a few notebooks that I’m half-using, some I’m stockpiling here in on my desk. Some serve specific purposes, others are just there for the pretty, and some I can’t bear to mess with at the moment.

Ines de la Fressange’s Carnet Parisien Notebook

I am not ashamed to admit that I have both versions of this notebook—the red and the blue. The paper is quite thick and not as many as you would think when you purchase the notebooks, and it’s a shorter, squatter little thing. My GTech pens glide over this thing, so I prefer using something a little hardier, like the Uniball Signo DXs in 0.38, which may be my favorite writing pen, ever. I am currently using the blue notebook as a travel diary (yes that is Adam Driver’s signature! It’s nearly a year old and that makes me really sad, but I can just close my eyes and picture his glowing ass lumious face in my head as he smiled and signed my ticket but that’s a story for another time) and the red is still in its own box. BUT SEE HERE’S THE THING. I’d purchased the blue regular price, but Noteworthy had a 70% off (!!!!) sale on these a few months ago, and I got the red notebook for Php 300!!!!! HOW COULD I NOT.

The classiest of classy notebooks. Use when travelling or meeting up with Alta friends.

Moleskine Classic Ruled Notebook

I may have two Moleskines , but I still don’t buy much into the hype. The paper is so thin, it’s like writing on tissue paper, any cover of any kind or color gets dinged up and scratched by the time you’ve used three pages. I got mine via a very lucrative White Elephant exchange gift one Christmas, and the other, as you can see, was 30% off in Amsterdam.

What I like about the Moleskine is that it’s a notebook made for scratch writing—writing bits of book when you’re sick of your laptop, laying it flat and really digging your writing implement into it. For story ideas that you may never work on, outlines that you still have to tweak.

Believe it or not, i like a nice, hard pencil on a Moleskine. Alessa Lanot gave me a set of her pencils and they work really well on the notebook. As does the Blackwing 302, another Christmas gift. The perfect mix of hard writing and soft, buttery lead that just lets you write and write and write.

Muji A5 Open Flat Notebook in Grey

Ah yes, the current victim of my spontaneous bursts of writing. I LOVE Muji notebooks. The paper is just thick enough to handle sharper pen points the way I like, enough to absorb fountain pen ink (with some bleed through, but not as bad as, say a Moleskine) and this stitched variation lays flat. Even with the cardboard cover, they’re really easy to carry around, too.

The Japanese are the best notebook paper makers for me, as even relatively low-end notebooks like the Muji ones still have that extremely smooth finish. It’s extra satisfying to fill up this notebook just because it holds my heavy hand well. I like using this with a GTec in 0.3 because those pens are still a status symbol to me, but this is best used with the classic Muji pens, particularly in Navy 0.38.

Gabrielle Celine x Jasmine Dowling Notepads

A lot of my aesthetic in life comes from the wonderful Jasmine Dowling, so when I had the chance to purchase her notebook collaboration with Gabrielle Celine in Australia, I had to jump at the chance. The cover seemed a little flimsier to me, so naturally, I covered it up with plastic notebook cover. I am, after all, my mother’s daughter.

I don’t use steno type notebooks like this, I always get so confused which side is which. But I’m more than halfway the blue notebook as another writing notebook. The outlines for Stealing Luna, Longing For, my story in Alta, as well as a couple of other ideas that I have yet to work on are all in this notebook, just because the format allows freeform writing, a place to leave your inhibitions and doubts at the door and just let the words go. The paper is good too, quite thicker than your average steno notebook, with no column divider in the middle. My only complaint is that there are not a lot of lines on each page, which is probably why I am going through them so quickly? Would also recommend this be used with your favorite everyday pen. GTec, Muji, Uniball all work particularly well with this, as well as your favorite cheapy fountain pen.

Green Apple 200 GSM Unlined Notebook in Pink

Correct me if I’m wrong on the name for this, the second you remove the slipped on tag in front, there’s no way to tell who made this notebook.

If I was ever going to crown a local notebook as the best, it would be these. The cover is a soft touch matte, but it’s just a little less sturdy than a Moleskine. I’m not a fan of the garter closer thing, but this notebook boasts thick 200 GSM papers. I’ve never put it to the test, as I am sure watercolor will warp on such smooth, untreated paper, and haven’t used a calligraphy pen in ages.

But what I like about this notebook is that it’s the perfect drawing notebook. I use it almost every time I do a lettering piece, just because there’s enough room in the pages for freer thinking (unlined, yes!). And because the pages are so thick, It accommodates the way I really dig in with a pencil. It’s a bit heavier than it looks, but I don’t mind so much.

Garance Doré x Rifle Paper Co Notebook

These slim, almost filler type unlined notebooks evoke a very specific aethestic for me—I’m talking brunches with girlfriends over lattes, macarons and tea, flowers and high end lipsticks. I was too young to know Garance Dore at the peak of her blog life (I say too young, more like I was interested in other things way back then), but I always find my eye caught by her illustrations of gorgeous French girls with red lips and effortless faces. In fact, it inspired a whole blog post from me where i tried to write oh so casually like this!!! like i was just texting with a friend while waiting for a face mask to dry!!!

But we’re here for the notebook, of course. I found a set of three, once again 70% off at National Bookstore. I have since given the other two away, surely a lady doesn’t need THREE of these tiny filler notebooks. There is not much of an advantage to a Garance Dore or a Rifle Paper Co, notebook, only the most gorgeous covers I have had the pleasure of having. This notebook in particular has preliminary sketches of the cover for Dawn Lanuza’s You Are Here, as well as some other commissioned work.

Raxenne Maniquiz RESPECT Notebook

You know when you have something that’s just too pretty to use? That’s what I feel like whenever I see my fave Raxenne Maniquiz’ art on this unlined notebooks. Not sure if it was made in collaboration with local brand Nobody or it was just sold through them, but this tiger pattern is one that I feel like I can look at forever. I couldn’t tell you about the paper inside (I believe it’s 70-80 gsm?) because I can never bear to use it. If I would, it would probably be used with the lightest of touches on the smoothest pencil I’ve ever used, the Blackwing Pearl.

Like the Garance notebook, this notebook evokes a cool, Cubao X kid personality. The person who uses a notebook like this goes to gigs and calls the places Route, Guijo or Cosnpiracy. As I am the least cool kid in most rooms, I keep this notebook to look at longingly, waiting for the day I will feel worthy enough of it.