My (Heavily Personalised) Midori Traveler's Notebook - Pics!

[Centopar]

I've been meaning to post pictures of my Traveler's Notebook for ages now, but I found myself putting it off. I realised why: my MTN is one of the most personal things I own. It's always within arm's length, I use it several times a day, and I feel kind of shy sharing it with you - but I keep saying I'm going to, so here it is.

 

 

The charm is a jade bottle gourd my husband bought me on honeymoon a decade ago. It's supposed to symbolise longevity and good luck, and it makes me think of him when I fiddle with it. It's designed to be tied onto a thread, like a bead with no hole.

 

 

There's a craft card envelope, the plastic zip envelope, free diary, plain notebook and squared notebook in there.

 

 

I use another jade charm (a tiny one) as the bookmark for my diary, and a piece of grosgrain ribbon whose ends I sealed with a lighter as the bookmarks for the two notebooks.

 

 

My name, email and phone number are the first thing you see when you open it, in case I lose it (under the bit of washi - like I said, I'm shy, so I'm hiding them in these photos). I drew the tree and used Midori stickers for the leaves and bird. The paperclip is also a Midori one; there are several scattered through there, and they often come in handy. I also have some tiny bulldog clips on there, which I find myself using surprisingly often for all kinds of things.

 

 

I keep my business cards, blotting paper and stickers in the craft pocket. I live in the UK but travel a lot for work, and I keep emergency US dollars (and coins, which I should remove because they make it bumpy - I just dropped those in there last week at an airport) in the plastic envelope. I haven't moved anything out of there for the photo, and what you see's pretty representative: emergency cash, business cards (including John "Oxonian" Sorowka's card, which I'm sure many of you also have - Greg Minuskin's is floating around in there somewhere too), and work receipts. The back side of the craft pocket is kept (mostly) empty so I can use it for passports and airline tickets when I need to. If I'm away from home, passports live in there. If I'm at home they live in a box on my desk.

 

 

Free diary cover.

 

 

Plain notebook cover (I made a blot when I was labelling this, so I stuck this picture over it).

 

 

Work notes cover - more Midori stickers.

 

Midori stickers aren't the only things I stick in there.

 

 

 

 

Whenever I finish a diary page and there's some space on it, something tends to get glued into the spaces.

 

I really don't know what I'd do without my Traveler's Notebook. The flexibility suits me down to the ground, I like that it just looks better the more I beat it up. It's become a friend: it's ended up with a lot of personality of its own. I use it as a place to braindump, a place to think, and a place to play with pretty things (and to test inks and mess around with my pens). I can't imagine being without it.

[RMN]

Are these woodpeckers stickers? Or did you draw them yourself

 

If stickers: Where to get them?

 

I'm interested, as we have our own couple of Great spotted woodpeckers in the garden.

My avatar is one of their offspring....

 

 

D.ick

[Johan.Witt]

Excellent! Thanks for posting. I assume the jade bottle gourd is secure with just a waistband. I'd hate for you to lose it!

[Centopar]

@RMN: They're Midori stickers - I got them at The Journal Shop (this is them), and I've also seen them on Amazon. I can't draw to save my life, so stickers are very handy!

Edited October 30, 2013 by Centopar

[Centopar]

Excellent! Thanks for posting. I assume the jade bottle gourd is secure with just a waistband. I'd hate for you to lose it!

 

It is; they're designed to be held by a piece of silk cord (which is how I wore it for years), and actually I find the elastic is even more secure. (Believe me, I'd hate to lose it too!)

[WayTooManyHobbies]

That is absolutely outstanding - I only wish my journals looked like that with use. Thanks so much for sharing it with us!

[grainweevil]

Oh, there's a journal/notebook to inspire - and make me think I want a Midori (again). Thank you for being brave and sharing it; not least because it's reminded me to use "gubbins" more frequently in every day conversation.

 

Cheers, Al

[GMYoussef]

Beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing. I've been contemplating getting a Midori TN, and now I think it may just happen

[RMN]

@RMN: They're Midori stickers - I got them at The Journal Shop (this is them), and I've also seen them on Amazon. I can't draw to save my life, so stickers are very handy!

Thanks, I'll see what I can do at Amazon.

 

It seems no Midori for sale in Dutch shops.....

 

D.ick

[Calamus plasticus]

A wonderful companion for travel and home you have there!

My notebook is also filled with every kind of ephemera you can imagine... including a chinese cookie ticket like the one you show in the pics... ans passports (yeah, in plural, like yours)

I also had a packet of marine animals Midori stickers, but my little daughter grabbed them all.

Thanks for sharing. Yours is an inspiring post.

[Plume145]

So, so beautiful! I can't believe the gorgeous things people do with these! My notebooks are always an ugly mess, never this kind of pretty So I am really grateful that you all would post this stuff so I get to admire these and be inspired by them even though I can't make it myself!

[mooshi]

Do you carry paste with you or something to secure the little things in your notebook (like the fortune cookie fortune and such)?

 

Thanks!

[Centopar]

Do you carry paste with you or something to secure the little things in your notebook (like the fortune cookie fortune and such)?

 

Thanks!

 

I do: I keep a PVA glue pen in my pen wrap with my FPs.

[hedera]

Thanks, I'll see what I can do at Amazon.

 

It seems no Midori for sale in Dutch shops.....

 

D.ick

 

There are several Dutch stores that sell Midori; At least two brick & mortar in Amsterdam (de Vlieger and Thursday Next) as well as Miscellaneous online.

 

Those are quite expensive though; it would be cheaper to order them from the Journal Shop in the UK, or even from Pencils.jp in Japan.

 

I am still very much in love with my Midori, I would not be without it.

 

Centopar, thank you so much for sharing the pictures of yours!

It looks beautiful and well-loved, very inspirational.

[mooshi]

 

I do: I keep a PVA glue pen in my pen wrap with my FPs.

Very nice. I had been wanting to carry something with me to do the same, but never thought of a glue pen.

[plc123]

beautiful and inspiring! thanks for sharing something that is so personal to you!

[betsypreston]

Very nice! I love the bird paperclip!

[RPB]

A Very nice used Midori! Just like how mine is getting. I totally 'get' the reason as to why you have take a while to post pictures of it too. I too am 'shy' about my Midori, it is very personal to me as well so I can see why you did that. I took ages before I posted pictures of mine.

[Rabbit713]

Very cool! It's always fun seeing an item become a well-worn extension of its owner.

[terminal]

Thanks so much for taking the time to post this -- it's very inspiring