On the Move
From this month until the end of September, I’ll be on the move - both in a literal and figurative sense. My partner and I will be physically relocating to a new place to live, a condo that we purchased together(!) and are very excited about. Mentally, I’ll be juggling the details of the move itself along with executing some of the largest work projects I have coming up. There’s a lot of planning to do!
I have been keeping track of everything in my A5 slim Jibun Techo Biz - or as I like to call it, “my brain on paper” - and the newest supplies I received from The Stationery Selection’s August box are perfect additions to keep my thought processes flowing.
The first item that caught my attention was the Mitsubishi Uniball One pen in 0.5mm. Mits (founder and curator for The Stationery Selection) always has a way with selecting writing instruments for these boxes. They’re either functional with a sleek look, or really fun and something new for me to experiment with (think brush pens, calligraphy pens, and the like). This pen obviously belongs in the former category. Gel pens are a personal favorite and I love how it looks with the subtle black and white contrast towards the pen clip.
As for the writing experience, it certainly does not disappoint. The new gel ink formula helps to minimize the ink getting absorbed into the paper fibers, meaning the ink will be easier to see on the page. I wrote two lists on the gridded pages of the Jibun Techo Biz, which are located at the back of the planner. The pen glided across the page smoothly and the ink was definitely vibrant, making my writing pop.
Another item from the box that I used on the same page is the Midori weather stencil bookmark. These clips came in a set of four and are incredibly thin at 0.1mm, which made it perfect for me to add to the back of my planner. The bulk of a traditional bookmark is nonexistent, so I can close the whole planner without any bumps. Since I already use the two string bookmarks built into the Jibun Techo for my monthly and weekly spreads, this tiny bookmark was really handy in helping me find my notes page.
Something else that was different was the Kokuyo Dotliner tape runner, which came in a pen style. I have received a compact version of the same tape runner in a previous box, and now it has a proper competitor when it comes to travel-friendly stationery goods! Because of its thinner profile, this tape runner fits easily into different pen cases. I also like that it has a clicking mechanism, which is a convenient feature I didn’t know I needed. I’ve been using this tape runner to paste a few photos of interior design inspiration for our new place.
I was thrilled to see that this box also included a pouch to hold most of the other items. The LIHIT LAB zip pouch is flexible and holds a large amount of pens (approximately 20), and the opening mechanism allows easier access to its contents. I received a few other pouches from The Stationery Selection’s past boxes, and while the length and width of the pouch are comparable to the other pouches, this one opens horizontally and lets me go through the writing instruments inside without taking any out. (Sometimes in the process of trying to find the right pen, I end up taking everything else out of the pen pouch - can anyone relate?)
Sticky notes were also included in the form of Kanmido stick fusen, which keeps the roll of notes in a lip balm style case. Again, the portability of this item is what makes it so neat. I usually never carry sticky notes with me because they don’t fit nicely into anything, but I’m looking forward to trying this version out as I go from place to place, picking out furniture and renovation-related items for our condo. The adhesive on the back side was fairly effective when I tested it out on my planner pages, so I could see myself using them as page markers, too.
When closed, the zip pouch is about half the size of the A5 slim Jibun Techo. It’s a perfect match with The Stationery Selection’s original logo pin, and I’m excited to work it into my regular pen case rotation.
As you can see from the lists I’ve made, there’s a lot to go through before I’ll be settled into our new place. While I recognize that it’s a huge blessing to be able to move, it’s going to push my limits over the next two months in balancing work and life. It’s a good thing I keep my planners close to me - I have a feeling I’ll be scribbling a ton of notes in there for a while to come.
If you’re interested in any of the items above or want to check out The Stationery Selection’s monthly subscription boxes, please head over to their website for more information!
Disclaimer: I was a guest design team member for The Stationery Selection in August, which means I received this month’s box free of charge. However, I’ve been a paying subscriber since late 2017. All opinions in this blog post are my own.