The folks over at Paperblanks kindly sent me an assortment of notebooks to review. The books have such amazing details on the covers that I decided the best way to review them is with a video. (Please forgive the ums and ahs, this is the first time I’ve done this. I was nervous.)
To clarify from the video, I received four books in various sizes and formats:
| Description | Format | Size | Page Count | Price |
| DaVinci-themed Sun & Moonlight | Mini Reporter | 3.75×5.75″ | 192 | $11.95 |
| Letters of Inspiration: Florence Nightingale | Mini | 3.75X5.5″ | 176 | $15.95 |
| Mucha Tiger Lily | Midi | 5×7″ | 144 | $14.95 |
| Parisian Mosaic Mosaique Safran | Midi | 5X7″ | 144 | $14.95 |
All but the Florence Nightingale book had a black elastic closure. The Nightingale edition has a magnetic closure. They all have pockets in the back with book cloth gussets. All but the reporter-style DaVinci book included a red satin ribbon bookmark.
The line spacing is about 8mm which is probably equivalent to wide-ruled notebook paper. The lines are very fine and brown and do not run edge to edge but leave a small margin round the edge of the page. The spacing is a bit too wide for me, preferring the blank paper for optimum writing freedom.
The paper in the Paperblanks is the same as in planner I used all last year. I’ve included the writing samples here. I have to say that the warm white paper is pleasing and the overall weight of the paper allowed it to hold up to an array of writing tools including fountain pens with above-average results.
You can see from the back that the Sharpie was really the only tool to bleed through.
Overall, the Paperblanks books are some of my favorite notebooks. They are sometimes a little too elaborate for my everyday needs but the construction, paper quality and features plus the reasonable price point make them a good choice. To purchase online, Love Notebooks has the widest selection of books but I purchased my planner via Jenni Bick so I recommend them as well.
For more information, you may want to check out these posts:
- Paperblanks Weekly Planner Review
- Halfway Through: Paperblanks Planner
- Shopping for a Notebook: Nerd Style
Finally, I’d like to give away some of these books to some lucky readers. I’m going to giveaway the DaVinci reporter, the Mucha Tiger Lily and the Florence Nightingale. One to each of three lucky readers. Leave a comment and tell me which of these designs is your favorite or visit the Paperblanks site and tell which one you wish they’d sent me.
FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Sunday, January 26, 2014. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner(s) does not respond within 30 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. US readers only this time. Shipping via USPS first class is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance (or customs fees) will have to be paid by the winner. We are generous but we’re not made of money.
DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Paperblanks for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
I like the DaVinci mini-reporter!
I’ve been eying these journals in every bookstore I visit — for months! They’re just so pretty! I think my favorite of these four is either the Florence Nightingale one or the Da VInci one.
I like the Much Tiger Lily best 🙂
I would love to win the DaVinci Reporter
cal wood
thanks for
the chance to obtain one of these notebooks
coo826@gmail.com
The Parisian Mosaic Mosaique Safran has evokes a book-like first-edition look. I wouldn’t mind having it open on my desk.
Ana – so cool to have a voice to go with your bio pics 🙂 It makes TWAD even more personal.
They are all lovely, but my vote would be for the Tiger Lily.
Love that Parisian Mosaic!
Whoops, not contest-entering, just actual comment that I love the design on the top left notebook there 🙂
I’ve loved the Paperblanks notebooks since I worked at Borders. We used to sell them there. I found the line spacing too wide also, and we didn’t carry many options with blank paper (if any), but I love the covers SO much! The Parisian Mosaic one is beautiful! I would have loved to see the William Morris or Ukiyoe patterns too!
I like the Da Vinci book most, but I really wish they’d have sent you the Nocturnelle Ultra.
To select one from the website is impossible; too much beautiful notebook overload!
It’s so hard to even pick one from the three you offered up. Really, I would love to win any of them and be grateful for the beautiful notebook. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
I like the Much Tiger Lily because it’s just interesting and a normal person wouldn’t know if it was a book, notebook, etc.
I like the magnetic clousure of the Florence Nightingale.
I like the Da Vinci reporter design. its really exquisite.
Wish they had sent you one of the Laurel Burch Blossoms! I’d love to see one of those designs in person.
Of these three, though, I think I like the Mucha Tiger Lily best.
The Florence Nightingale is lovely but I think my favorite design is Romantic Sensibility. All of the colors are luscious!
My fav would be the DaVinci reporter. Thanks!
Oh, I LOVE the Da Vinci reporter! Though it’s really hard to choose. I’ve had only one version of these journals and I loved it!!!
Just love the tigerlily
Ooh! Nice! Of these designs, I like the Parisian mosaic best, but my favourite Paperblanks notebook is the Shakespeare embellished manuscript … but then I’m an English teacher … 🙂
I love to win any of these!
I always ooh and aah when I find Paperblanks in stores. I love the Florence Nightingale one!
Loved the video review – it really showcased the loveliness of the notebooks! My favorite of their designs is probably the Lyon Florals but I do love the designs you reviewed too.
Like the Parisian Mosaic Mosaique Safran
Ooh, from the Paperblank site, I love the Japanese Lacquer Boxes, Kirikane, and Ukiyo-e notebooks!
I would love the DaVinci reporter to take to work meetings!
Of these, I like the Mucha Tiger Lily the best, but I wish they had sent you the Laurel Birch Fantastic Felines to review.
I like the DaVinci as well..
Love them all. I’d pick the Tigerb
Lily. Keep the posts coming!
Nice to see that the paper is FP friendly. The DaVinci is definitely the tops!
I really like the DaVinci-themed notebooks. They look great!
The Gutenberg Bible covers from the website are really something else!
I like the Much Tiger Lily the best. I’ve been drooling over their website for two years, but can’t make up my mind.
Any of these would be nice, but the lily one looks good to me.
Best, and keep on blogging.
The Nightingale, DaVinci, and Tiger Lilies are gorgeous. I use a Nocturnelle midi for my journal and I love it!
My lovely wife would surely love the Tiger Lily Midi
I love the tiger lily.
The florence nightingale journal is beautiful.
That Da Vinci looks neat.
All of the books are gorgeous! As long as fountain pens write well on them, I don’t mind on which I would get.
The Mucha tiger lily is just gorgeous… Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
I really love the Da Vinci reporter!
The Florence Nightingale’s cover is gorgeous. The fact that FPs work on these papers is pretty awesome!
The Parisian Mosaic Mosaique Safran is quite lovely. The pattern looks so rich. Thank you for the generous giveaway!
My favorite is the Tiger Lily, but they are all beautiful!
The Mucha Tiger Lily is really classy.
I like all the of them each of the have their own unique style.
All very nice, especially the DaVinci!
Maybe not the mostly manly choice but I do like the Florence Nightingale. Thanks for the review and giveaway opportunity
The Da Vinci looks cool! Plus reporter notebooks are so fun!
I really like the Da Vinci Reporter. It’s a great style, different from journals I’ve had in the past.
I love the Mucha Tiger Lily the most! Thanks for the giveaway!
I love them all! I think my favorite is the F. Scott Fitzgerald embellished ms notebook on the Paperblanks site.
I like your video, it’s great to see all the details of the books. I think the Florence Nightingale is my favorite of the bunch!
That Mucha Tiger Lily cover is beyond gorgeous.
I love the Parisian Mosaic Mosaique Safran. So pretty with the raised bands on the spine and the gold finish. I also love unlined journals since I often add little drawings to my journaling. I would live to win this. Thank you for the opportunity.
Check out the unlined Albert Einstein, though it is ultra sized so don’t know if that is too big for you. My biggest wish, though, would be next year to have a verso planner, which I had last year and loved but like you couldn’t find anywhere this year.
I love the Florence Nightingale! The metallic accents look amazing 🙂 Also, I enjoyed the video, really got to see the shimmer in the notebooks
A Da Vinci, please.
For whatever reason, the “reporter” format seems to suit me best.
But most of all, thanks for the review, and the opportunity.
I was initially torn between the Mucha Tiger Lily and the Florence Nightingale but ultimately I like the Mucha Tiger Lily the best! I also agree on the bit with unlined notebook paper; optimum writing freedom is very very nice, but little doodles in your notebooks is really the overall best
The Mucha Tiger Lily is my favorite of these.
The mosaic one is lovely!
The Da Vinci is beautiful!
All of these are great. The Florence Nightingale one would be perfect for me ;o))
Thanks to the giveaway
DaVinci reporter would be great. Enjoyed the review
Love your taste in notebooks. any one of them would be find, but the Da Vinci grabs the eye.
I love all of them, but the Parisian Mosaic is a nice size for me and the cover looks beautiful. I wish they had sent you: a Kipling manuscript midi, jade green Ultra, or one of the William Morris editions. I’ve only seen one cover in person. Thanks for giving these away!
My favorite has to be the Florence Nightingale. I wish they would sell the verso planners here in the US.
Hi there, the Persian Mosaic is stunning! Thanks for sharing!
The DaVinci is my idea of a Codex. I’d use the DaVinci, the Muscha is too damned pretty.
The da Vinci one is just gorgeous 🙂
I think I like the Mucha Tiger Lily best. It’s just the most useful size and shape, and I’m attracted by bright, shiny covers. 🙂
The Mucha Tiger Lily is divine! Thanks for video. You did a great job!
That paper looks pretty good! I’d love to get my hands on one of these. Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
Love them all, but the Mucha Tiger Lily is my favorite.