• Fave read: Sourdough by Robin Sloan. I loved Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore and though, at first glance, Sourdough seems like a very similar with its love to something analog in the high tech world of San Francisco.
• Fave watch: The Mandolorian. I love Star Wars so it was only a matter of time before I freebased the series to date. Since the episodes are only 30 minutes long, it only took two nights.
• Fave listen: Mostly, I’ve been listening to podcasts. It’s been an eclectic mix of late but my favorites have been The Anthropocene Reviewed and Dolly Parton’s America.
• Fave eat: Vegan Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats. I modified this recipe slightly. Instead of brown rice syrup, I use Lyle’s Golden Syrup. I think you could replace any thicker sugary syrup, thicker than maple syrup, that is. So, if you have a favorite substitute, I think the recipe will still work fine. I’ve made these with just a drizzle of chocolate on the top but I prefer the chocolate/peanut butter “frosting” layer. I do recommend storing these in the fridge in an airtight container as they can dry out and get crumbly if its really warm. They warm up in room temperature in about 5-10 minutes.
• Fave drink: Bubly Blackberry. I’ve been trying different sparkling waters as a way to have something “fun” to drink in the middle of the day that is not laced with chemicals. Some sparkling water flavors are better than others. I do own a SodaStream so really, I should make my own but for work, it’s nice to have it in pre-packaged containers.
• Fave fountain pen: I am currently using two of my fountain pens more than any others. The first is my tried-and-true Caran D’ache 849 with EF nib. I keep it loaded with cartridge roulette and it’s long enough to have a cartridge loaded and a spare in the barrel. It’s perfect for work because it’s a pop top so capping and uncapping is quick for short notes and the cartridges make it easy to refill mid-meeting without too many funny looks. The other pen is my new-to-me Montblanc Rouge et Noir with custom nib grind by Gena of Custom Nib Studio. I remember thinking “why would I ever want a snake pen?” and now I have two. Go figure.
• Fave ink: I’m still loving the PenBBS #224 Tolstoy It’s hard to acquire this color these days but PenBBS 159 Bitter Herb is pretty close.
• Fave gel pen: Pilot Hi-Tec C Slim Knock This extra small gel pen fits perfectly inside my Baron Fig Guardian or in the Moment wallet (see below) so that I always have a pen with me. It’s the closest I have to a Fisher Space Pen-style EDC.
• Fave paper/notebook: Is it self-serving to say that the pocket notebook I use most frequently is my Col-o-ring Oversize? It’s true. I use it to quick swatch new inks, doodle or sketch out various things and surprisingly, after years of thinking I didn’t like spiral bound notebooks, the Oversize is uniquely appealing. The size and form factor make it great tool testing of all sorts, quick visual experiments and the spiarl allow for additional elements to be glued or taped into it without adversely affecting it.
• Fave EDC bag: Moment Crossbody Wallet I have to thank Jaclyn at Inkpothesis for making me lust after this wallet.
• Fave analog activity: I’ve been sewing lately. I’ve made some pajama pants, two tops and have been working on a dress. I even made a mini quilt for my cats. CJ loves the mini quilt.

Thanks to my sponsors for providing some of the images I use for Friday Faves. Please consider making your next purchase from one of the shops that support this blog and let them know you heard about them here. Thanks for your support and for supporting the shops that help keep it running.

The post Friday Faves: Ana’s December Picks appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Fave read: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Fave watch: Outlander (via Amazon)
Fave listen: Every Little Thing (via Gimlet Media)
Fave eat: Apple Cider Donuts!
Fave drink: Tea Pigs Fennel & Licorice Herbal Tea ($9.99 via Tea Pigs)
Fave write: Diplomat Traveler Flame,  Medium Nib ($52 via Pen Chalet)
Fave ink: De Atramentis Deepwater Obsession Black-Red ($14 via Vanness Pens)
Fave paper/notebook: Rhodia Goalbook Purple ($25.95 via Vanness Pens)
Fave analog activity: Knitting! I’m currently working on a Boxy by Joji Locatelli in Wooly Wonka Fibers Gaia Sock in Mulberry

Where to start? FALL is here! I for one am overjoyed to cuddle under blankets and watch and listen to my faves. I’m a bit late to the Outlander hype, but after visiting Scotland this summer my husband suggested we watch and I’m hooked (not even for the reasons you would think)! Sure Sam Heughan is droolworthy, but so is the amazing knitwear. Yup that’s me, knitter at heart.

As you can tell from my favorite eat and drink, I’m full of love for fall. There’s a cider mill near our house and they have amazing cider donuts. I have to stop going back… And if you’ve got a bit of a sore throat or fall allergies, Tea Pigs Fennel & Licorice tea with a touch of honey will clear that right up!

My current faves on my pens and ink are my Diplomat Traveller (love that flame finish!) and Deep Water Obsession Black-Red. And no matter how many notebooks I try I always go back to the Rhodia Goalbook. It’s perfect for all my lists!

Finally, KNITTING SEASON IS HERE! I am on a mission to knit ALL THE SWEATERS.  I’m currently trying to finish a Boxy, an oversized comfy pullover knit in supersoft merino. This is one I want to wear all fall long!

The post Friday Faves: Laura’s Fall List appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

• Fave reads: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine: A Novel, by Gail Honeyman and Beginning Drawing Atelier: An Instructional Sketchbook, by Juliette Aristides (an excellent intro to classical drawing methods)
• Fave watch: The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
• Fave comfort eat: mac & cheese
• Fave recently discovered eat: poke bowl (Yes, I know I’m very late to the party, but I’ve always been take-it-or-leave-it about sashimi, so I didn’t think poke would be anything special. Then I had some at a gathering catered by Seattle Fish Guys, which arguably makes the best poke in town, and now I can’t get enough of it!)
• Fave drink: Obsidian Stout (Deschutes Brewery)
• Fave junk snack: Cheetos (crunchy)
• Fave healthy snack: peanuts
• Fave pencil for writing: The classic Palomino Blackwing
• Fave colored pencils: Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle
• Fave eraser: Tombow Mono Smart (hacked to fit Blackwing ferrule)
• Fave fountain pen: Sailor 1911 (full size) with Naginata Fude de Mannen nib (Similar pens can be found here, nib grind is harder to come by)
• Fave ink: Platinum Carbon Black (Yes, boring black, but still the one I use most for drawing.)
• Fave gel pen: Pentel EnerGel RTX 0.7
• Fave travel journal: Rhodia Rhodiarama Webnotebook A6 hardbound
• Fave sketchbook: Stillman & Birn Beta A5 softcover
• Fave EDC bag: Rickshaw Zero Messenger
• Fave bag accessory: Tran Portfolio Pencil Case (holding Museum Pencils)
• Fave nerdy/niche collectible: Cretacolor pencil boxes with Urban Sketchers Symposium logo (collected over several years)
• Fave analog activity: Sketching anything from life (especially animals)

The post Friday Faves: Tina’s Fall List appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

So, here goes my current faves for the month of September:

• Fave read: Grave Importance (Dr. Greta Helsing #3) by Vivian Shaw
• Fave watch: Supergirl (via Netflix)
• Fave listen: 99% Invisible 
• Fave eat: Tostito’s Black Bean & Garlic Chips (AKA “Crack Chips”)
• Fave drink: Messenger Coffee with Natural Bliss Coconut Creamer
• Fave write: Sailor Pro Gear Slim Fountain Pen in Graphite Lighthouse $220 (via Goldspot)
• Fave ink: Bungubox Kaoru $49 for 30ml bottle (via Pen Chalet)
• Fave paper/notebook: Galen Leather Co. The Everyday Book Tomoe River A5 Notebook $32 for Set of 3 (via Vanness Pens)
• Fave analog activity: Dropcloth Embroidery Sampler $16 (via Etsy)

I just started reading the third installment of the Dr. Greta Helsing series and I love it. It is a weird and wonderful story about a human doctor who attends to the needs of the supernatural. We’ve been binging Supergirl because I needed something fun and uplifting to watch and Supergirl fits the bill. It’s filled with girl power kick-assery without being saccharine-y. This week, I participated in an embroidery workshop at work where I worked on the Dropcloth Embroidery Sampler so that’s been my analog activity of choice. I’m waiting on yarn to arrive to finally finish the sweater that has been languishing since February. Hopefully, I’ll get to that this weekend.

Snackwise, I still live by Tostito’s Black Bean and Garlic Chips. They are pricey but delicious. And looking to the cooler mornings, I love our Messenger Coffee subscription with a little splash of “cream”.

Getting down to my desk tools, I acquired a beautiful Sailor Pro Gear Slim Graphite Lighthouse with a MF nib recently and has been my constant companion recently along with a lovely minty, green bottle of Bungbox Kaoru. Having met the ink’s namesake, I am more enamored with the color than ever. And after much waffling, I am back in a traveler’s notebook, using the Galen Leather Everyday Book refills while I wait for a couple new notebooks to arrive in the mail.

The post Friday Faves: Ana’s September Faves appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

This Friday Faves can be considered a little late or a little early depending on your point of view. Maybe I’m just getting ready for Daylight Savings Time? No matter how you look at it, this week embodies the spirit of the season of Halloween.

• Mini Letterpress Printed Spirit Board, 5″x7″ with Reversible Planchette, $10 (via Skylab Letterpress on Etsy)
• Midori D-Clips Paper Cat Clips Mini Box, $5.50 for Box of 12 (via JetPenst)
• Kaweco AL Sport Night Edition Fountain Pen, $120 (via Vanness Pens)
• MT Thick Thin Black Stripe Washi Tape, $3.50 per roll (via CuteTape)
• XS Minimalist Pocket Fountain Pen in Black Aluminum $59 – Use Code FALL18 for 30% Off Some Pens (via Ensso)
• Montblanc Heritage Spider Black Methmorphosis Fountain pen, €570.25 (via Appelboom)
• Montblanc Fine Stationery Spider #146 Black Medium Notebook, €61.98 (via Appelboom)
• The Night Sky Notebook Set, £8.00 for 2-pack (via Backpocket Notebooks)
• Kaweco Grip for Apple Pencil (other colors available), €38/ €31,40 Outside EU (via Fontoplumo)
• Platinum 3776 Century Fountain Pen (other colors available) Special Price Offered (via Pen Chalet)
• Midori Ceramic Box Cutter, $12.75 (via JetPens)
• Lihit Lab Smart Fit PuniLabo Black Cat Magnetic Clip $6.25 (via JetPens)

The post Friday Faves: Spooky & Kooky appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

I’ve been absolutely riveted by this month’s Uppercase cover — a color wheel made out of yarn using a rug hooking technique. Its colorful and crafty and speaks to me on a geeky, arty level. If you do not already subscribe to Uppercase or its epic Encyclopedia compendiums, its worth every penny. They are inspiring and full of beautiful illustration, printmakers, crafters and other creative types. An upcoming volume of the Encyclopedia is coming called “Vintage” and I kick myself for not trying to be a part of that volume. And really, Skylab should have been in the Printmaker volume. Oh, well. We were busy being printmakers and vintage.

I’ve been loving yellow lately. And turquoise. Always turquoise…. AKA cyan. I can never get enough pink. Black goes with everything and VOILA! CMYK. Tis the season for orange and lime is forever. It’s my personal rainbow.

• Mark’s Souple EDiT Daily Planner 2019 B7 in Apricot Orange $21 (via Jet Pens)
• Sailor 1911 Standard Fountain Pen – Key Lime $196 (via Anderson Pens)
• Kaweco Sport fountain pen in Sunrise, Fontoplumo Exclusive €25 (€20,66 Outside EU) (via Fontoplumo)
• MT Thicker Line Stripe Washi Tape Japanese $3.50 per roll (via Cute Tape)
• Akkerman Delfts Blue $32 per 60ml bottle (via Vanness Pen Shop)
• KACO RETRO Fountain Pen Extra Fine $10.58 (via Ebay)
• Uppercase Magazine Issue #39, subscription starting at $80CAD (via Uppercase Magazine)
• French Paper Stationery Sets $12.50 (via House Industries)
• CMYK Colour Edition Pocket Notebooks £13.50 per set of four books (via Back Pocket Notebooks)
• Endless Recorder Notebook (160 pages of 5.5″ x 8.3″ Tomoe River 68 GSM paper) in Infinite Space $17.99 (via Pen Chalet)
• Montblanc The Legends of Zodiac The Pig Ink €29.42 (via Appelboom)

The post Friday Faves: Color Love appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

This is for all my pink-loving, let’s have a letter-writing-and-pajama party girlfriends out there. Valentine’s Day is great time to celebrate our friends, our pens and our love of all things pink!

• Love Letter Enamel Pin $9 (via PennyPaperCo on Etsy)
• Lamy AL-star vibrant pink fountain pen (special edition 2018) € 27,50 € 22,73 Outside EU (via Fontoplumo)
• Trusco Ridged Tool Box $35 (via Fresh Stock Japan)
• Pen UNO – Minimalist Pen in Rose Gold $45 (via Ensso)
• Vintage Pastel Pink Stripe Notecards (other options available) starting at $4 (via Sapori)
• Graf von Faber-Castell Tamitio Rose Maechnical Pencil 0.7mm €80.99 (via Appelboom)
• MT Flowers Washi Tape $3.50/per roll (via Cute Tape)
• Callifolio Andrinople Fountain Pen Ink 40ml bottle $12 (via Vanness Pens)
• Twig Berry Brooch Bamboo Pin $12 (via DecoyLab on Etsy)
• Flower Fields stash bag in Posy Pink $20 (via Skinny LaMinx)
• Baron Fig Squire in Rose Quartz $55 (via Baron Fig)
• Baron Fig Guardian Pocket Size in Rose Quartz $45 (via Baron Fig)

The post Friday Faves: Galentine’s Day appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

1. If you live near a pen shop, visit your local store. They will most likely be celebrating Fountain Pen Day in some way. If they are not, let them know about Fountain Pen Day and hopefully next year they will participate in this international celebration.
2. Visit your favorite online shop. Or cruise down the side bar and visit all the shops that support The Well-Appointed Desk. Every single shop is offering discounts, specials and sales on items in honor of Fountain Pen Day. This is your chance to purchase that pen, ink or notebook you’ve had your eye on. Or maybe pick up a pen to finally convince your friend or loved one that fountain pens are as awesome as your think they are.
3. Check out the hashtags on Instagram #fountainpenday and #fountainpenday2017. Many bloggers and shops are offering giveaways on Instagram not to mention showing off their FPD finery. Share in all the celebrations and post your own photos with these hashtags.
4. If you are in the Columbus area or can swing it, go visit the Ohio Pen Show which is THIS WEEKEND! What luck that it coincides with FPD. If you can’t make it to the pen show, start planning for 2018 and what pen show you can visit. Nothing solidifies the love of fountain pens and the fountain pen community quite like a 3-day weekend of pen show mania.
5. Listen to or watch some pen-related podcasts like The Pen Addict, Pen Habit, Inkdependence, Figboots on Pens, SBRE Brown, Gourmet Pens: Serious Nibbage , The Nib Section, R.S.V.P., and Anderson Pens. There are so many more but these will certainly be a good gateway to get you started.
6. Subscribe to the newsletters from your favorite online shops. You’ll find out when they are having sales, when new products arrive and other important information. This is the one time when you actually want the newsletter. I promise. Especially with the holidays coming up and family members asking what you want as a gift. You can actually forward the newsletter, from the shop you want them to purchase the item or a gift card.
7. Write with your fountain pens. Write a letter to a friend, your grandma or finally write that thank you note.
8. Set up your 2018 planner or Bullet Journal. Go on… you know you want to!
9. Introduce your friends, family or co-workers to fountain pens. Maybe have a couple or your starter pens you’d be willing to pass along to them if they take a liking to fountain pens. Spread the love!
10. Clean those fountain pens that have been languishing. Re-ink them with your favorite inks and take them out for a spin!

The post Friday Faves: Top Ten Fountain Pen Day Activities appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

• Love Birds Satchel $135.00 $60.75 (via Orla Kiely)
• Pilot Iroshizuku Ku-jaku Ink (15 ml Bottle) $8.90 (via JetPens)
• Diamine 150th Anniversary Fountain Pen Ink in Safari (40ml bottle) $16 (via Vanness Pen Shop)
• TWSBI Classic Turquoise Fountain pen $57.55 (via Appelboom)
• Kokuyo Jibun Techo Diary Standard Cover 2018 – Mini B6 Slim – Green $34 (via JetPens)
• Swig 17oz Bottle in Navy Blue $25 (engraving available!) (via Vanness Pen Shop)
• Delta Journal Ballpoint in Matte Olive $108 (via Anderson Pens)
• Parker Jotter Ballpoint Pen in chiseled stainless steel $16.70 (via Pen Chalet)
• Decograph Fountain Pen starting at $165 (don’t forget to use the coupon code WELLAPPTDESK for 10% off) (via Karas Pen Co.)
• Classie Agatha Notebook B6 € 19,95 € 16,49 Outside EU (via Fontoplumo)
• MT EX Flowers Washi Tape in blue $3.50 (via CuteTape)
• Orla Kiely Binder Clips – Multi-Flower $13 for set of 12 (via Sapori)
• Olive or Twist Nail Polish $9.25 (via KBShimmer)

I just bought the Love Birds Satchel from the Orla Kiely site and decided it must be decked out with matching accessories because that’s how I roll. I need a laser-engraved water bottle (because who doesn’t?), a new planner and only the planner-of-the-week Jibun Techo will do (it starts in Novemeber!)!  The teal and olive color scheme is perfectly fall appropriate (an in my color wheelhouse) but if your color palette leans elsewhere there were some other darling bags on sale! Orla bags and backpacks are durable and super-functional. I’m dying for the new composition pattern (they call it the “bark texture”) to go on sale.

Thanks to my sponsors for providing some of the images I use for Fashionable Friday. Please consider making your next purchase from one of the shops that support this blog and let them know you heard about them here. Thanks for your support and for supporting the shops that help keep it running.

The post Friday Faves: Oh, Orla! appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

• “Beware of the Thing”  letterpress print $5 (via Skylab Letterpress on Etsy)
• Spooky Cat Halloween Pin $12 (via Rather Keen on Etsy)
• MT Mosaic Greyish Washi Tape $3.50 per roll (via CuteTape)
• Papier Plume Peacn Fountain Pen Ink $12 for a 50ml bottle (via Vanness Pen Shop)
• Montblanc Heritage Rouge et Noir Coral Fountain pen $744.95 (via Appelboom)
• Flipflop Pocket Notebook £2.99 (via Say Nice Things)
• CDT Wooden Tape Dispenser $110 (via Fresh Stock Japan)
• Pelikan M200 Smoky Quartz Fountain Pen $148 (via Pen Chalet)
• Montegrappa Fortuna Merry Skull Fountain Pen €360 (€297,52 Outside EU) (via
  Fontoplumo)
• Block Printed Blank Card (Set of 6) $16 (via Versa Notes)
• Diamine Pumpkin Fountain Pen Ink (80ml Bottle) $14.95 (via Anderson Pens)
• Diamine Shimmertastic Caramel Sparkle Ink (50ml Bottle) $20 (via Anderson Pens)
• Pilot Style Choice Carbon Multi Type Pen Case in Wine Red $18 (vis JetPens)

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