This post was originally supposed to be about the new Midori Traveler’s Notebook (Pan Am) Blue Edition but I love the original MTN regular-sized notebook so much I couldn’t bring myself to open the Pan Am edition yet. So, admire the beautiful packaging compliments of Baum-Kuchen. I’m saving it, all wrapped up until I need a pick-me-up. Then I’ll share the contents with you.
In the meantime, I’m going to give a peek into my current MTN set-up since, after four months, I needed to make a couple updates.
Currently, I have two blank refills in my current Traveler’s Notebook set-up. The one in the front is the standard Midori blank refill that I use for project planning. The “Milk & Honey” sticker is from a local macaron shop. YUM!
The notebook in the back is one I made using a paper I cut from a standard black sketchbook with 65lb (approx 96 gsm) drawing paper. The 8.5×11″ paper cut and folded with only a little trimming to fit perfectly into the regular-sized MTN. I added green, cardstock covers and alphabet stickers that say “DRAW”. I use it as a portable sketchbook now as well as keeping swatch samples of pens, pencils and inks and art-related notes.This is actually my second refill in the back of my MTN. The first was a Banditapple blank notebook that got filled with writing samples from various pens and inks and from various people while I was in Atlanta for the Pen Show so I’m super sentimental about it. The paper in the Banditapple notebooks is 80 gsm (approx 55 lb) which is pretty good and had little-to-no bleedthrough but I had the unused sketchbook so I decided to make use of materials I had rather than ordering ANOTHER notebook.
In the center section is my planner. I downloaded the Taroko Shop Week-On-Two-Pages sheets ($3.50) to use as my planner. I’ve been using it since February and I’ve been very pleased with it. I set it up to run through the middle of July so it was time to update the planner portion so I thought I’d share the process.
I printed out fresh blank planner pages and bound them into a booklet using black cardstock for the cover. I used a numbering stamp to add the date numbers to each page. My friend Carolee gave me the tabbed stickers which fold over and I stamped the month on each tab and stuck them to the first page of each month. I’ve been on the hunt for a source for these tabbed stickers because they are fabulous!
I also bought fresh magnet page markers. The first set I had was the Galison Mr. Fox & Friends ($5.75) but the animal ears all got bent and cracked over the months so I upgraded to the Galison Up in the Air set ($5.75). For the planning section, I used the sun marker which is perfect for “today”. In the front book is a rainbow and the drawing book has the bird wearing a scarf and goggles. Adventure ahead! I also grabbed an assortment of Pine Book Schedule Stickers in the Panda Life ($2.65 per sheet) theme to use for a little fun for the daily grind.
Other than that, the only additions in my Traveler’s Notebook are the stock plastic zipper pouch insert, the business card sleeve insert and a homemade 6-pocket cardstock folder insert.
Overall, my Traveler’s Notebook is not all that “tricked out” but what I have added to it has just made it more “me.” Do you have a Traveler’s Notebook? What do you use yours for and what modifications have you made?
The tabs can be bought at Kinokuniya, if you ever find yourself at one. The one by me doesn’t always have the colored ones, but even the white with red or blue trim are quite attractive.
I got those tabs at Daiso, if you have one where you live, or know someone who does. I have the same Midoris, a brown and now a blue. I’m currently using the blue, but sometimes I really miss the brown one, I love it so much. I haven’t quite figured out how I can use two of them, ha. Mine is similar to yours, not all “tricked out,” just basic stuff that is useful to me.
This is exactly what I am doing with the pan am midori(as in, nothing)since I am too lazy to switch things out of the brown one. Mine isn’t too personalized (just have some planner and a zipper pocket in it)and I just use it to jot down everything. Now I want a small black one as well for my smaller bag.
Great post! I’m getting a Midori soon and I love to see how people are setting up their notebooks. Thank you!
Love my Midori. I have the brown and it’s got a wonderful weathered look. I keep 3 notebooks: a Midori drawing paper book, a graph paper book for home finances and an adorable flowered notebook from Chronicle Books with art by Anna Emilia Laitinen, a Finnish artist ( comes in a set of 3) that is just all purpose notes. I’ve used it for travel, but it’s a little too big so I use my passport version for that.
Really enjoyed this post, even though my set-up is quite a bit more basic: Monthly planner, lined notebook, zippered pocket, kraft folder with a few stickers on it. Pan-am Midori with the pen holder (that’s the only Pan-am accessory I’m using, and I really like how it looks). Thanks also for the Baum-Kuchen link; I wasn’t aware of them and I think I need some of their washi tape!