Casual Sunday - July 3, 2016

It's Sunday, which means it's time to pour a cup of coffee, snuggle up next to the pooch, and catch up on current events.

Pen Reviews:

• Lamy Pico Laser Orange Pocket Ballpoint Pen Review — The Pen Addict - Almost picked one of these up in the airport last week. I'm definitely regretting my decision not to.
• Pen Review: Tactile Turn Gist — The Gentleman Stationer - One of my favorite reviewers takes a look at a great EDC Kickstarter pen. Find my review of the Gist here.
• Quillidyllic: THE BLANC ET NOIR on the ROUGE ET NOIR - Like the Hemingway, the Rouge et Noir is delightfully orange and significantly out of my price range. Why must all of the best orange pens be so expensive?

Other Interesting Finds:

• Unordered Thoughts on Life at 35 — Shawn Blanc - I've followed Shawn for years, and his posts only become more thoughtful with time.
• Choosing Pens for the Daily Carry — The Gentleman Stationer
• Zen and the Art of Fountain Pen Maintenance — The Pen Addict - If you don't own a bulb syringe, you should.
• Scription: Scription Chronodex Weekly Planner Jul-Dec 2016 Released - I used the Chronodex planner for a few months, and it's fantastic!

Thanks for checking out this week's issue of Casual Sunday. Check back in on Tuesday morning for a brand new blog post or follow A Better Desk on Twitter or via RSS feed so that you don't have to. Thanks for your support!

Casual Sunday - March 6, 2016

It's Sunday, which means it's time to pour a cup of coffee, snuggle up next to the pooch, and catch up on current events.

Interesting Finds:

• A Young Man's Follies - A stranger’s story through mementos.
• Goulet Pens Blog: Faber-Castell Midnight Blue: Ink Review

• Patrick Rhone’s GTD Mind Sweep Process - Patrick Rhone writes one of my favor writing blogs, The Cramped. I’m in desperate need of a good mind dump, and this is a fantastic idea.

• How I use my notebooks - the February 2016 edition — The Finer Point - Every notebook has a purpose. These types of posts never get old.

• Standing the Test of Time (2) | Pens! Paper! Pencils! - A big milestone for an excellent blog.
• Pen Review: Pilot Custom Heritage 92 — The Gentleman Stationer - Because orange is my life.

In Other News:

• Thank you all for the kind feedback for last week’s six month post. I’ve been a little burned out this week, mostly due to major changes at work, so it’s hard to explain just how much your support means to me. I think that this lovely post From the Pen Cup sums this past week up nicely.

Thanks for checking out this week's issue of Casual Sunday. Check back in on Tuesday morning for a brand new blog post or follow A Better Desk on Twitter or via RSS feed so that you don't have to. Thanks for your support!

Casual Sunday - February 21, 2016

Casual Sunday is back baby! It's Sunday, which means it's time to pour a cup of coffee, snuggle up next to the pooch, and catch up on the latest and greatest reads.

Interesting Finds:

• Thoughts on Meaningful Productivity — Shawn Blanc - I don't always read Shawn Blanc's articles, but when I do it's because I need them in my life. He never disappoints.
• Midori Travelers Notebook, Passport Review — The Finer Point - A review of one of my favorite notebook brands by one of my favorite pen bloggers.
• How to Make Wax Seals for Letters and Envelopes | The Art of Manliness - It was my ambition to use a wax seal for Christmas cards in 2015. I neither used a wax seal nor sent Christmas cards, so I guess that there is room for improvement.
• Tour of the Pen Habit Studio and Ink Shelf — The Pen Habit - See the room behind the curtain.
• Task management with pen and paper. — The Ink Smudge - I love it when stationary nerds tackle analog productivity. Such a good read.

Purchases: NockCo Edition

• NockCo Sinclair - Finally in stock long enough for me to nab one. I went with Mandarin/Bluejay, and boy is it orange!
• NockCo DotDash Pocket Notebooks - While I love the concept of Field Notes, the standard paper does not mesh well with fountain pens. NockCo paper is "fountain friend friendly," so perhaps this is a solution to my pocket notebook dilemma.
• NockCo DotDash 3 x 5 Note Cards - Probably sensing a theme by now. I've been dying to try some NockCo products for a while, and the orange notecards were all that I needed to qualify for free shipping.

Thanks for checking out this week's issue of Casual Sunday. Check back in on Tuesday morning for a brand new blog post or follow A Better Desk on Twitter or via RSS feed so that you don't have to. Thanks for your support!

Casual Sunday - November 29, 2015

It's Sunday, which means it's time to pour a cup of coffee, snuggle up next to the pooch, and catch up on current events.

Interesting Finds:

• J. Herbin Stormy Grey Fountain Pen Ink Review | THE UNROYAL WARRANT - I’m not usually a fan of shimmering inks, but this one is beautiful. Don’t use in your fancy pens!
• Goulet Pens Blog: Aurora Blue: Ink Review - I have a sample of this to test from this month’s Ink Drop. It’s destined for my Lamy 2000.
• TWSBI 580AL Blue Discontinued! - Anderson PensAnderson Pens - It was only a month, but the blue TWSBI 580AL is on its way out. Buy it now if it’s on your list.
• Maruman Mnemosyne 182 Inspiration Book Review | edjelley.com – Fountain Pen, Ink, and Stationery Reviews - The Midori Traveler’s is my daily notetaker, but I’m always exploring other options.
• Gourmet Pens: Review: Namiki Yukari Nightline Moonlight Fountain Pen @CouronneDuComte - So out of my price range, and I don’t care for the clip, but the raden body is jaw dropping.
• Diplomat Aero Fountain Pen Review | Pens! Paper! Pencils! - This is such a sleek looking pen.

Ultimate Gift Guides:

• edjelley.com – The Ultimate Gift Guide For the Fountain Pen Fanatic - Ed provides a great list of pens, inks, and paper, for anyone from the fountain pen beginner to a seasoned expert.
• The Pen Addict 182: Spend Even More Than Usual - Holiday Gift Guide 2015 — The Pen Addict — Overcast - Ana from The Well Appointed Desk joins the boys to discuss top pen and stationary gifts for Christmas 2015.
• Goulet Pens Blog: The Goulet Gift Guide: 10 Perfect Pen Sets - This is a great place to start for pen, paper, and ink gift packages. Maybe even a gift to yourself?

Thanks for checking out this week's issue of Casual Sunday. Check back in on Tuesday morning for a brand new blog post or follow A Better Desk on Twitter or via RSS feed so that you don't have to. Thanks for your support!

Casual Sunday - November 15, 2015

It's Sunday, which means it's time to pour a cup of coffee, snuggle up next to the pooch, and catch up on current events.

Interesting Finds:

• Goulet Pens Blog: Happy Fountain Pen Day! - This is a little late, but the folks at Goulet Pens created an awesome Fountain Pen Day video.
• Scription: Stress Release by Distressing a Pen - This video makes me cringe, but the results are stunning.
• Papa's Got a Brand New Bag — The Pen Addict - This bag is hard to resist.
• Midori Travelers Notebook Review — The Finer Point - An excellent review of my favorite notebook.

Purchases:

• The North Wind Ink Drop - Goulet Pens offers an ink sampler subscription that ships 5 ink samples to your door each month for $10. It’s a great way to try tons of different inks without selling a kidney. This is my first month, and I can’t wait to give these inks a try.
• Lamy 2000 - I finally pulled the trigger, and it’s so so good. Rambly review to come.

In Other News:

• 7 things I did to reboot my life. — Medium - Wil Wheaton hits the Reset button.
• Real-Life First Person Shooter Controlled by Chatroulette Users Pits People Against Infected Aliens in Space - The title says it all. This is unbelievable.

Thanks for checking out this week's issue of Casual Sunday. Check back in on Tuesday morning for a brand new blog post or follow A Better Desk on Twitter or via RSS feed so that you don't have to. Thanks for your support!