My friend Kate has kept a garden journal for years, and what I realized the last time I paged through it with her is that it’s the story of a life: “Drove up on November 14, a sunny day.” “Echinacea patch replanted, August 2013.” “Went to the farm and bought avocados.”
Kate is a lucky woman, flipping through the years, the pages of a happy life.
Four Seasons Notebooks
Made in Japan, a set of Four Seasons Notebooks comes with a ruled insert to guide your writing; $22 from Alder and Co.
A Medium Model Notebook with a velvety cover and an elastic band closure is $22 from Merci.
Velvety Softcover Notebook
Lined Leather Notebook
A leather Badia Notebook in Cowhide has lined pages and is available in five colors including natural as shown; $115 from Il Bisonte.
Notebook Cover
A minimal leather Field Notes Notebook Cover protects any pocket notebook from wear and tear.
Journal, with App
Moleskine’s Smart Writing Set ($199) captures hand-written lists and drawings and translates them into a mobile app: “Ncoded paper technology allows the Pen+ to recognize exactly where it is in the Paper Tablet and capture each stroke as you capture your thoughts..”
A Coptic Journal “hand-stitched with antique flax linen upholstery thread has covers of reclaimed Walnut or Hickory and is a great journal for sketching and writing and opens flat for easy use,” notes designer Peg and Awl.
Wooden Journal
Available with either a walnut (shown) or hickory cover, the journal ‘s cover can be custom engraved with up to six lines of text.
A large refillable Writers Log Leather Notebook is available in seven colors including Ocean as shown; it has a flap tie closure for extra protection and is $45 at Rustico (for an additional $10 it can be personalized).
Flap-Tie Notebook
Recycled Paper Notebook
Made by Ciak, a Large Italian Notebook has ruled pages made of recycled paper and a “leather-like bonded soft cover with beautiful contrast inner cover,” notes retailer Everyday Needs.
Metal Edged Notebook
A sturdy thread-stitched Metal Edged Notebook has “nickel-plated edging on three sides for the roughest treatment,” says retailer Manufactum; €37.
A Handbound Leather Journal is available in three sizes (the large is currently sold out) at prices ranging from $44 to $56 depending on size at Peg and Awl.
Handbound Leather Journal